In the next day after the announcement of ZAGE ZGBA the whole video game industry was shaken because finally ZAGE are releasing their next handheld, after so long.
It wasn't only fans who reacted. Developers, publishers, retailers, and hardware companies all started moving the moment the news spread. Zaboru had teased a "next handheld" year after year, always dropping small hints, always smiling like he knew more than he said. But there was never a major confirmation and never a real update that people could plan around. A lot of the industry had started assuming it was just talk, or that the project was stuck in development hell.
Now, that excuse was gone. The release date was revealed. The features were revealed. The games were revealed. The price was revealed. It wasn't a concept anymore, it was a finished product with a launch library, a clear strategy, and a date that was close enough to feel dangerous. And with everything shown so confidently on stage, it was obvious what ZAGE was trying to do.
ZGBA wasn't just meant to replace ZGB.
It was meant to lead handheld gaming again.
Meanwhile, Sonaya CEO Hikaru Kurata looked at the news and sighed. "ZAGE's new handheld, huh?"
He let out a bitter laugh, not because it was funny, but because it was exactly what he'd feared for years. "Thank god Sonaya doesn't delve into handhelds. If we did, we'd have a real headache right now."
He took a slow sip of his coffee, staring at the screen a little longer than necessary. Part of him wanted to be impressed, another part wanted to be annoyed, and the rest of him was simply tired. ZAGE didn't just announce a new device. They announced a new standard, and Hikaru could already imagine the pressure it would put on every company that even dared to compete.
Then, before that bitterness could deepen, the room shifted.
His son and daughter came closer—Higashi and Inari, standing near him with that cautious, almost rehearsed posture children have when they want something but don't want to be scolded for asking. Hikaru glanced at them and felt the tension in his chest loosen.
Ever since he stopped chasing ZAGE like an obsession, Hikaru had made a decision: he would spend time with his family instead of neglecting them. He had missed too many dinners, too many quiet moments, too many ordinary days that were actually important. So he set the coffee down, turned his chair slightly toward them, and gave them his attention in full.
The handheld news could shake the industry.
But in this room, for this moment, Hikaru let it become background noise.
Higashi was a 14-year-old boy, and Inari was an 11-year-old girl. Both of them stood close to Hikaru, shifting their weight like they were waiting for the right moment to jump.
Inari whispered first, eyes flicking up to their father and back down again. "Nii-san… it's you who should talk to him…"
Higashi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck like he was facing a boss fight. "I know, Inari… but…"
Hikaru Kurata watched them for a second, then smiled, amused by how obvious they were trying to be subtle. "What's wrong, Higashi? Inari? Why are you whispering like that?"
He chuckled, not sharp, not impatient—warm. That alone made both kids freeze, because they weren't used to hearing that tone from him back when he lived inside work.
Before either of them could answer, Hikaru's wife walked in with a soft smile, already understanding everything. "It seems both Higashi and Inari want the ZGBA, dear. Fufufu."
Higashi and Inari snapped their heads toward her, shocked.
"Mom!" Higashi protested, half embarrassed.
Inari's cheeks went red. She hid her face behind her hands for a second, then peeked through her fingers.
Hikaru blinked once, then laughed quietly, the bitterness from earlier fully gone. "So that's what this is." He looked at the two of them, pretending to be strict, but the corners of his mouth kept lifting. "You two… you could've just asked."
Higashi opened his mouth, then closed it again, caught. Inari nodded too quickly.
Hikaru leaned back and let out a slow breath, like he was finally allowing himself to enjoy a normal moment. "Okay. I'll buy it for both of you. Don't worry."
The kids lit up instantly.
"Really?!" Inari's voice jumped.
Higashi tried to stay cool, but his eyes gave him away. "Thanks, Dad."
Hikaru smiled, and for a second he felt something simple but heavy: this was what he had been missing. Spending 100.000 yen or even 200.000 yen for his children's happiness didn't feel like a loss. It felt like a return. A trade he should have made years ago.
He reached out and patted Higashi's shoulder, then gently tapped Inari's head. "But," he added, with a playful warning, "only if you promise you won't forget your homework just because ZAGE released a shiny new toy."
Both of them nodded so fast it was almost comical.
Hikaru chuckled again, and in that small family moment, the industry-shaking news outside the window felt far away.
Meanwhile, at Zanki Zagashira's office, the CEO of ZUSUGA was furious. Reborn 16 had been the strongest handheld on the market, at least before the ZGBA announcement, and he felt like someone had just punched a hole through his pride.
"F*CK! Damn! How can they do it? How are they able to make something as ridiculous as ZGBA and price it at 11.000 yen!" His voice cracked with frustration. "Rechargeable battery, 32-bit handheld, and backward compatibility too. How do they achieve all of that? AAGH!"
Zanki paced behind his desk, jaw tight, as if walking could burn off the anger. He was the kind of man who lived on updates and reports. Even right now, while Reborn 16 was still good and still selling, ZUSUGA was already trying to research their next handheld. He got constant updates from his engineers, prototypes on paper, heat charts, cost sheets, and endless "almost possible" ideas.
But the handheld sector had been stagnant for one ugly reason. Making a true 32-bit handheld wasn't easy. Heat. Battery drain. Manufacturing yield. Cost. Even when a concept worked in the lab, it became a nightmare the moment you tried to mass-produce it at a price normal people would accept. And rechargeable batteries were their own headache. Technically, ZUSUGA could do it. But it would cost too much, and Zanki refused to ship a handheld that only rich collectors could afford.
To make it worse, ZUSUGA was dividing focus. They still had the collaboration console project with Apple on their plate, and that partnership ate engineering talent and time like a hungry machine. Handheld R&D kept getting pushed, delayed, compromised, and Zanki hated compromises.
He stopped, inhaled hard, and forced himself to slow down.
"I need to buy ZGBA," he muttered, voice lower now, cold instead of explosive. "I need my engineers and hardware people to look at this. Tear it apart. Study it. If ZAGE solved the cost, solved the power, solved the battery problem… I need to know how."
He clenched his fist once, then released it. "I need to be calm…"
Zanki stared at the screen again, the price and features repeating in his head like an insult.
"And I can't blame my hardware and development department," he admitted through his teeth. "Because I know ZAGE is just a different beast."
He hated admitting it out loud, but it was the truth. If this was the old Zanki, he would've already slammed his fist on the desk and blamed his engineers for "incompetence." He would've demanded miracles, threatened budgets, and acted like shouting could turn physics into a loyal employee.
But he wasn't that blind anymore.
After years of living inside meetings, prototypes, and painful compromises, Zanki understood how hard it really was to build hardware and ship it at scale. One small change in power could multiply heat. One small change in battery could explode costs. One "simple" feature could turn into months of testing, production failures, and angry retailers. And ZAGE didn't just solve one problem. They solved several at the same time—power, price, battery, compatibility—and they did it with the confidence of a company that had already fought these battles a hundred times.
That was why he refused to treat ZAGE as a normal standard. If he measured his teams against ZAGE like they were equals, he'd destroy morale for nothing. He needed realism, not rage.
Still, realism didn't mean surrender.
Zanki grabbed the phone and called his subordinate. "Prepare a purchase operation," he said, voice controlled, sharp. "I want multiple ZGBA units, launch games, and any accessories we can get. Different stores. Different regions. I don't want only one sample." He paused, eyes narrowing at the screen again. "And make sure our engineers are ready. The moment it arrives, we tear it down. Not for jealousy. For study."
He ended the call and exhaled slowly.
If ZGBA was the start of a new era, then ZUSUGA couldn't afford to watch from the sidelines.
They had to understand the beast first.
Meanwhile, Zaboru was relaxing at home. Everything was ready. Since before ZAGE Wellness Week even started, all ZGBA units had already been delivered to retailers. There was nothing left to push with his hands anymore. Now it was time to watch the market, to see how many people would actually buy it, and to accept whatever curve reality decided to draw.
But tonight, Zaboru wasn't staring at spreadsheets.
Tonight, he was in the living room, playing Tekken on the ZEPS 3 with his family.
The TV glow filled the room. Empty snack wrappers sat on the table like proof that the evening had already been enjoyed. Zaboru sat cross-legged on the floor, relaxed but focused, holding his controller like it was still an extension of his instincts.
He picked Kazuya.
Zenshin, sitting close beside him, picked Marshall Law.
And damn, Zenshin was good.
He was only two and a half years old, but his hands already moved with surprising confidence. Not perfect, of course, but the important part was the intention. Zenshin wasn't randomly mashing buttons. He watched the screen, reacted to movement, and sometimes even tried to copy what he saw Zaboru do. He would crouch at the wrong time, throw a punch too early, then immediately adjust like his brain was already learning the rhythm until he was able to do the combo properly.
Zaboru had even made a custom controller for him. Smaller body, softer buttons, and a grip that fit Zenshin's tiny hands without straining his wrists. It wasn't only cute. It was practical. Zaboru wanted his son to enjoy the game properly, not fight the controller more than the opponent.
Zenshin still couldn't beat him, but he was a decent player, and that was what impressed Zaboru the most. The kid had patience. He had stubbornness. He had that little spark where losing didn't make him cry, it made him want another round.
Zaboru chuckled as he blocked a rush and punished cleanly. One day, he was sure of it, his son would become a beast he wouldn't be able to touch in video games.
"Hehehe, Zen-chan, you can't beat Papa yet."
Zenshin pouted, his cheeks puffing up like he was trying to look angry, but his eyes were still bright. Then he leaned over and kissed Zaboru's cheek, because that was their little rule. If he lost a match, he had to give Papa a kiss as a "penalty."
"Papa! Again!" Zenshin declared, gripping his small controller with both hands. "This time I will win!"
Zaboru grinned. He loved that his son didn't give up, even after getting knocked down again and again. There was no sulking, no throwing the controller, no tears. Just determination, the pure kind that made Zaboru feel both proud and a little nervous for the future.
"All right," Zaboru said, tapping Zenshin's forehead gently. "But no excuses when you lose again, okay?"
Zenshin nodded so hard his hair bounced. "No excuses!"
The next round loaded, and Zenshin immediately tried something new. He didn't rush in the same way. He stepped back, threw a quick kick, then attempted a combo he'd been practicing. It didn't fully connect, but the intention was there, and Zaboru saw it.
"He's learning fast," Zaboru thought, and his grin widened.
He could easily let his son win, but Zaboru refused to do that. Not because he wanted to crush him, but because he wanted him to grow. If Zenshin was going to become better, he needed real resistance, not fake victories. So Zaboru played seriously, but cleanly. He punished mistakes, then showed openings. He let Zenshin see what worked and what didn't.
And even then, Zenshin kept chasing him.
Zaboru chuckled under his breath. Compared to an average player, a kid this young having timing, curiosity, and patience was already scary. One day, Zaboru was sure of it, Zenshin would become the kind of beast he wouldn't be able to touch in games.
But for now, Zaboru kept his eyes on the screen and his smile on his face.
"Come on," he said softly. "Show Papa what you've got, Zen-chan."
Ayumi smiled and leaned in from behind the couch, hands on her hips like a referee who already knew the result. "Don't feel too bad, Zen-chan. Your Papa is unbeatable, at least for now, in fighting games. But Mama will support Zen-chan!"
Zaboru pouted immediately, offended on principle. "Hey! What about me, Ayumi?"
Ayumi gave him a look that said he was being dramatic, then ruffled Zenshin's hair gently. "You already get my support every day. Zen-chan needs it more right now."
Zenshin puffed his cheeks again, but the corners of his mouth twitched like he was trying not to smile. "Mama… I will win."
"That's the spirit," Ayumi said, laughing softly.
Nearby, Arumi had been watching the whole thing like it was the best show in the world. She tilted her head, eyes wide, then looked up at Ayumi and asked in a small voice, "Papa?"
Ayumi chuckled. "Hehehe, yes, Arumi-chan. Your Papa is strong."
Arumi's eyes widened even more, like she'd just received confirmation of a legend. "Papa,cooll!" she said while clapping her hand
Zaboru's chest practically flared with pride. He straightened his back like he had been promoted on the spot. "Hehehe… sorry, Zen-chan." He pointed at the screen, already choosing Kazuya again. "When Rumi-chan praises me, I can't lose. Hahaha!"
Zenshin stared at him with serious little eyes, then tightened his grip on the small controller. "Papa… I still won."
"Oho?" Zaboru leaned closer, amused. "Big words."
Arumi clapped her hands. "Nii, beat Papa!"
Zenshin nodded once, like he'd been given a mission. "Yes."
Ayumi shook her head, clearly amused by the chaos she'd created. "You two," she sighed, but she was smiling. "Okay. Round two. And Zen-chan, if you lose again, don't forget the kiss penalty." As Ayumi she kisses Zenshin cheeks and even Arumi comes to kiss her brother cheek as well.
Zenshin's face turned stubbornly serious, but he still leaned over and kissed Zaboru's cheek quickly, like he was paying the fee early.
Zaboru froze for half a second, then laughed. "Hey! That's cheating."
Ayumi laughed too. "No, that's smart."
The Renkonan family spend time together in happiness
To be continue
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