Pepper and Katsuobushi's Retro Game Showdown – Part 1
"Ugh…"
The day after his whirlwind adventure in Shangri-La Frontier, Azusa stared at the shift schedule at his part-time convenience store job, mentally updating his plans.
The reason? A single email he'd noticed after his nap, sent by a gaming friend.
"University lectures for the next two days, work today and the day after… That means I can meet up in four days. Then, with lectures and work the day after that, I won't have time for relaxed Shangri-La Frontier play until six days from now."
The Enhance Trading Company had said the necklace would take three days to craft. Pencilgon had warned him to lay low, so a break seemed well-timed.
"It's been a while since I hit that place. Time to go all-out and play."
With that, Azusa finished his shift as usual, returned to his apartment, and dug out a shoulder bag and a box labeled "Battle Outfit" from the back of his closet.
"It's been ages since I wore this… Gotta have fun in this look."
He typed a reply on his email app, agreeing to meet in four days, and sent it off.
Four days later, Azusa rode a train from the city, disembarked at a suburban station, and took a bus to a remote arcade at the edge of town.
"Here we are…"
Keeping a low profile, he slipped into the arcade and darted to the men's restroom, locking himself in a stall.
From his shoulder bag, he pulled his gear: a brown bowler hat (bargain sale), black-rimmed sunglasses (secondhand), a custom mask with a skull jaw embroidery (bought at a bazaar). He swapped his shoes for black leather ones (cheap from a closing sale), donned a wine-red velvet quilted coat (his dad's old piece), slipped on fingerless gloves (a steal online), and wrapped a bright red scarf (used) around his neck. Standing tall, he strode out of the restroom, bag in hand, ready for the "battlefield."
Normally unassuming, Azusa transformed in this arcade into the "ultimate gamer"—A-Z.
"Hey, look at that guy…!"
"Is that cosplay or what? Hahaha!"
"Shut up, that's A-Z! The near-unbeatable player in this arcade…!"
"No way! The real A-Z!?"
This was Azusa's other face. In this arcade, he was A-Z, a retro gaming legend whose name topped leaderboards across genres, hailed as a myth, the strongest. To him, the titles meant nothing—he just loved retro games. Quietly, he headed for his destination.
"Yo, A-Z. Been waiting. Long time no see," a voice called.
A man in a deeply pulled baker boy cap lifted it slightly, revealing topaz eyes behind sunglasses. Dressed in a light blue spring jacket, white shirt, and casual jeans, he stood by the retro fighting game Buildifight.
"Yeah, it's been a while," Azusa replied. "Playing a retro fighter in this backwater arcade when there's a summer tournament coming up? Pretty relaxed for you, Bushikazzo. You sure you won't get crushed by that guy again?"
Their gamer rivalry began about two years ago. While Azusa enjoyed various retro games, Bushikazzo—better known as Kei Uomi, Japan's top pro gamer—showed up in disguise, having heard of the "legendary retro gamer A-Z."
Back then, Kei dominated VR fighting and shooting games, claiming every title as Japan's undisputed best—a figure Azusa admired. When Kei challenged him directly, traveling to this remote arcade, Azusa recognized him by his eyes and demeanor. Learning of his "legend" moniker was a heart-pounding shock.
The result? Azusa's retro gaming experience outclassed Kei's. In their first three-round match, Azusa won 2-0, a crushing victory so dominant it stunned even himself.
Afterward, guessing Kei's identity hit the mark. Kei demanded they exchange email addresses, forging an unlikely friendship.
"What? I'm not losing," Kei shot back. "This year, I'm winning. Also, your outfit's still a seasonal disaster. It's spring—aren't you hot?"
Since that first match, Kei periodically challenged Azusa to Buildifight rematches, analyzing each fight meticulously with a calculated, relentless playstyle. His fierce competitiveness and rapid growth pushed him to new heights with every encounter.
Azusa countered by physically mimicking his character's moves, visualizing their perspective, and building mental battlefields to match Kei's evolution.
"I heard that line six months ago," Azusa teased. "This outfit tickles my chuunibyou soul, so deal with it. Still, you managed a draw in the last tournament, right? Breaking your losing streak is pretty impressive."
"No, a draw's as good as a loss," Kei said. "Beating that guy is my goal."
Their head-to-head record neared 300 matches, with Azusa holding a 53% win rate—for now. He knew Kei would eventually surpass him.
"You're as stubborn as ever," Azusa said.
"Says the guy obsessed with retro games instead of VR," Kei retorted.
"Oh? I started a VR game, you know. Barely a week in, though."
"That's nothing to brag about! I've been at it way longer!"
Their playful banter and jabs were like a greeting ritual in this arcade.
"…Alright, A-Z. Let's do this."
"Yeah, Bushikazzo. Let's go."
"Let's have fun!"
With that, the gamer showdown began, bound by an unspoken rule: the loser of the first match buys the winner a bowl of ramen.
They swiped their arcade IC cards, and Buildifight roared to life.
Buildifight, a retro arcade fighting game, emerged as a defiance of the VR gaming trend. Supporting classic arcade controls and modern controller connections, its finely tuned character balance earned it the title of a "great game" among recent arcade releases.
Its standout feature? A smartphone app letting players build characters and command sets. Allocating stats within a fixed limit, choosing armor, and balancing weight restrictions are critical. Strengthening some traits while sacrificing others is key.
Yet, standard characters can hold their own against custom builds. With skill and smart command setups, even beginners can topple veterans, making Buildifight's depth its charm.
"Been about two months, Nobu=Nash," Azusa said. "Let's give Bushikazzo a thrashing."
In the digital coliseum, Azusa's build character appeared, inspired by Nobunaga Oda from the Honnoji Incident. Clad in a white kimono, black hakama, combat gauntlets, and lightweight waist armor, Nobu=Nash embodied Azusa's hit-and-run strategy—a counter-focused, long-battle build prioritizing stamina (Health), precision counters (Technique), and resilience (Defense).
"Still a masterpiece, your Nobu=Nash," Kei said. "But I've built mine to counter you."
Kei's character materialized: a blonde, blue-eyed woman in her 20s, equipped with shoulder pads and Rejector Armor on her legs, sacrificing most weight resources for speed and power. A one-hit-kill speed build, emphasizing Speed, Attack, and Break.
"Speed's your key to victory this time, Bushikazzo? Bold build," Azusa noted.
"Her name's Riel," Kei said. "Give you any time, and even my playstyle gets outlasted. So I'll crush you before that happens!"
"Bring it on…!"
"Let's do this…!"
Nobu=Nash VS Riel
ROUND 1
READY… FIGHT!!!!
The gong sounded, stakes set on ramen, pride, and gamer grit.
The Man, Japan's Greatest Pro Gamer
Build Character: In Buildifight, beyond preset playable characters, players can use a smartphone app to create custom avatars. Stats are allocated within a fixed limit, and armor weight restrictions impact Attack, Defense, and Speed. Careful tuning is essential.
Stat Breakdown:
Health: Total endurance. Higher values favor long battles when paired with high Defense.
Attack: Damage dealt. Higher values increase damage output.
Defense: Reduces incoming damage. High Health and Defense create tanky characters.
Break: Affects damage to enemy armor. Higher values make armor destruction easier.
Technique: Enhances guarding and combos. Higher values improve damage mitigation and combo fluidity.
Speed: Governs movement and evasion. Higher values enable faster dodges and gap-closing.
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