Sunday morning, Tokyo Budokan.
Outside, crowds gathered earlier and thicker than the day before, the air crackling with near-boiling excitement.
Young fans in Fatal Fury character T-shirts were everywhere, faces alight with uncontainable thrill.
Media vans lined up, reporters with cameras poised, their expressions serious.
Among the audience, discussions and predictions for the quarterfinals roared like a tidal wave.
Meanwhile, in Aomori's coastal town, Daigo Umehara woke unusually early, sunlight just creeping over the windowsill.
With a near-sacred sense of purpose, he knocked on his friends' doors, dragging bleary-eyed kids from their beds. Lucky for him, their families were out working the fields, or he might've caught trouble.
Armed with scavenged snacks—crispy noodles, ramune soda, chocolate bars—they marched to the electronics shop.
The shop owner, unusually generous, had set up the big TV outside early, tweaking the antenna for a stable picture.
Hakuya's one-against-three heroics from yesterday's broadcast, and the commentator's line—"Tomorrow, Japan's greatest fighter will be crowned"—were seared into their young minds.
"Who's gonna win today?" a chubby kid mumbled through a mouthful of chips.
"That high schooler in the uniform! He was unreal yesterday!" a lanky boy declared, waving a tiny fist.
Daigo stayed silent, eyes fixed on the still-dark TV screen, small palms sweaty with anticipation.
He just wanted that big brother to keep winning.
At Fuji TV headquarters, the station director's office buzzed.
Sega's marketing rep, Mr. Suzuki, awaited the latest viewership data.
The director, holding a fresh ratings report, grinned ear to ear.
Last night's Fatal Fury highlight reel, aired during the evening news, had skyrocketed ratings beyond expectations.
Today was the full live broadcast.
"Great work, Suzuki!" the director said, clapping his shoulder, face glowing.
"This tournament's sponsorship is a historic success!"
Following the recording crew and organizers' advice, the commercial team had adjusted today's ad strategy overnight, slotting in more interstitial spots. The sponsor list grew, ad slots now worth their weight in gold.
Savvy businessmen had sniffed out the massive opportunity in this esports spectacle.
Inside the Budokan, at 9:00 a.m. sharp, the quarterfinals' war drums sounded.
Spotlights hit the central stage, the atmosphere heavier, more intense than yesterday.
The eight qualifying teams were battle-hardened, each player displaying elite skill and ironclad mental fortitude.
Matches were fiercer than the day before.
Mistakes were rare, every exchange laced with intricate calculations and mind games.
Tokyo's team faced a fierce challenge from Osaka in the quarterfinals.
Hakuya, as Vanguard, showed stunning calm and skill but couldn't repeat yesterday's one-against-three miracle against such top-tier foes.
After narrowly defeating Osaka's Vanguard, he was caught by a subtle mistake and fell to their seasoned Midfield player.
Tokyo's Midfield player battled hard, the score teetering.
In the end, Anchor Kenta Nagai, steady as a rock, clinched a narrow semifinal berth with clutch plays.
In the semifinals, Tokyo faced another grueling test against Fukuoka's powerhouse team.
The match was as brutal as expected, every point hard-fought.
History seemed to repeat, dragging to an Anchor showdown.
Nagai, under crushing pressure, leaned on his vast experience and decisive moves to barely push Tokyo into the finals.
Hakuya, watching Nagai battle fiercely from the player bench, felt deep admiration.
He also felt the terrifying pressure of national-level competition, where regional qualifier tactics often faltered.
He began quietly strategizing how to handle these more versatile, stronger opponents.
After a brief rest, the highly anticipated grand final began.
Tokyo's opponent: Hyogo Prefecture's team, who'd carved their own path with overwhelming strength.
Hyogo's Vanguard and Midfield were elite Joe Higashi players, their aggressive, oppressive styles leaving deep impressions in prior matches.
Hakuya, taking a deep breath, stepped up as Tokyo's Vanguard again.
His opponent: Hyogo's Vanguard.
The match began.
Hyogo's Joe Higashi lived up to his reputation.
From the start, he unleashed a storm of attacks. "Hurricane Upper" sealed Andy's movement options, and "Tiger Knee" struck with vicious precision.
Hakuya's Andy was pinned to the edge, health critically low.
But he didn't panic. With tenacious defense and a deep mastery of Andy's mechanics, he found a sliver of breathing room in the gaps of his opponent's combos.
A precise backstep dodged a deadly whirlwind, followed by a surprise "Hisho Ken" to disrupt the rhythm.
Seizing the moment, Hakuya unleashed a brilliant combo, flipping the match.
First round, Hakuya won narrowly.
In the second, Hyogo's player adjusted, playing cautiously, aiming for a war of attrition.
Hakuya matched his patience, both sides locked in a tense health tug-of-war.
But in a critical exchange, Hakuya caught a tiny misjudgment, landing a combo.
He clinched a grueling 2-1 victory over Hyogo's Vanguard.
Standing, sweat beaded on his forehead, chest heaving slightly.
Next, Hyogo's Midfield player took the stage.
This Joe Higashi played differently—sly, excelling at spacing and chip damage.
Hakuya faced another tough fight.
The opponent's Joe slipped like an eel, harassing with long-range moves, retreating whenever Hakuya closed in.
The prolonged stalemate tested Hakuya's stamina and focus.
In the second round, with both at low health, time ticked down.
Hakuya, slightly lower in health, lost by time-out.
The crowd gasped.
In the deciding round, Hakuya gritted his teeth, shifting tactics. Using "Zan-ei Ken" for swift movement and "Kuha Dan" for surprise attacks, he hunted for openings.
Finally, in a near-instinctive reaction, he caught the recovery lag after a "Hurricane Upper."
A dazzling, fluid combo drained his opponent's last health.
"K.O.!"
Hakuya, with another 2-1, eked out a hard-fought win, securing Tokyo's second point.
Tokyo was one step from the national championship.
But just as everyone thought victory was near, the tide turned sharply.