Saturday, 3 August 2001.
Right now, sitting inside his streaming room was none other than Takayuki Kageyama.
Yes.
That Takayuki.
The same Takayuki who had once been a depressed young man working as a cashier, living day by day without much hope, until he heard "Brave Heart" from Z&Z and somehow found the strength to change his life completely.
Now, Takayuki was no longer the same lost person he used to be. He was already in his late twenties, but his energy felt brighter than ever. His life had improved tremendously, not because everything had suddenly become easy, but because he finally started moving forward with real purpose.
After finally deciding to receive his deceased parents' inheritance, Takayuki did something unexpected. Instead of wasting the money or living comfortably without direction, he used it to open a business.
An internet café business.
The name was simple but meaningful:
Brave Heart Internet Cafe.
The business had started around two years ago, and now it already had several branches across Japan. It became especially popular among young gamers, students, office workers, and fighting-game players who wanted a place with stable internet, good machines, clean rooms, and enough atmosphere to feel like gaming there actually meant something.
Of course, the name "Brave Heart" was deeply associated with ZAGE and Digimon, which also belonged to ZAGE. Takayuki understood that very well. He did not want to take advantage of Zaboru's kindness or use the name as if he owned it completely. Because of that, he personally offered to give 1% of Brave Heart Internet Cafe's revenue to Zaboru as a form of royalty and respect.
Zaboru had reluctantly agreed.
Honestly, Zaboru did not really want to take money from him. To Zaboru, letting Takayuki use the name was simply his way of supporting someone whose life had genuinely changed because of a song. But Takayuki insisted. For him, this was not only business. It was gratitude. It was proof that he would not take "Brave Heart" lightly.
And because Takayuki had become a businessman, some people assumed he had finally stepped away from games.
That was completely wrong.
Takayuki could not be separated from games.
Even back when he was depressed and barely trying seriously in life, he was already frighteningly good at them. During the early ZAGE era, especially around 1992 to 1995, Takayuki had been considered a real force in several ZAGE fighting games. He often reached the semifinals in tournaments even without proper training discipline. Many players knew his name because he had the strange ability to understand difficult games quickly and stay calm even when most players panicked.
Then in 1996, after he finally began recovering mentally and actually started trying with real effort, Takayuki reached another level.
He defeated Endo or Hayabusa in Street Fighter 2.
That alone was enough to make people respect him.
Endo Or Hayabusa is top-tier fighting-game player, and Hayabusa was still considered one of the strongest even now. Beating someone from that level was not something ordinary players could do by accident. Takayuki did not become the absolute king of fighting games, but after that victory, nobody with real knowledge ever underestimated him again.
In 1997, Endo defeated him in the semifinals and reclaimed some pride, but Takayuki remained respected. Then in 1998, he decided to focus more seriously on building his internet café business, only joining local fighting-game tournaments occasionally. Even so, whenever he appeared, people still watched him closely.
Because Takayuki was plain.
Very plain.
His fashion was plain.
His voice was calm.
His face barely changed during intense matches.
Even his YouTube channel name was plain.
It was simply called:
Takayuki.
No flashy nickname.
No dramatic mascot.
No screaming channel intro.
No overdesigned logo.
Just Takayuki.
But anyone who actually knew games understood one thing clearly.
Takayuki was dangerous.
His stream was not famous because he shouted like Nobuo or acted like a clown for entertainment. His appeal was completely different. Takayuki was the calm type. The kind of player who could quietly play an extremely difficult game, explain the system clearly, casually perform ridiculous inputs, and make impossible things look embarrassingly simple.
Because of that, his viewers respected him deeply.
Some watched him to learn.
Some watched him because his calmness was satisfying.
Some watched him because seeing him destroy hard games with a peaceful smile felt almost unfair.
And right now, Takayuki was livestreaming Bruce Lee: The Thunder Dragon Fist to his audience.
He sat comfortably in front of his monitor, controller in hand, while the chat moved rapidly beside the screen. The game had only recently been released, but hardcore players had already discovered something strange: there were hidden moves, suspicious enemies, and rumors of two secret bosses.
Takayuki smiled faintly at the camera.
"So," he said calmly, "there are two secret bosses in this game."
The chat immediately became excited.
"Finally!"
"Takayuki found it?"
"Bro, I knew there was something hidden."
"Is it real? I thought secret boss rumor was fake."
"Please explain slowly. My brain is not Zaboru."
Takayuki chuckled softly.
"The first one is more like an easter-egg boss. Some of you might have noticed there is a move in the hidden move list called Z-Caller. Some people also call it Z-Punch because, well, it looks like a punch and it has the Z naming."
He opened the move list and highlighted the skill.
"It is expensive, hidden, and the input is honestly insane. You need to spin the directional input fast enough, delay slightly, and then press Square at the right timing. If you do it wrong, nothing happens. If you do it right, Bruce does a strange punch with a Z effect."
Takayuki paused.
Then he smiled.
"And at first, it does no damage."
The chat immediately began mocking the move.
"That move is garbage."
"I bought it and regretted life."
"ZAGE trolling us."
"Zero damage punch. Amazing."
"Imagine paying currency for emotional damage."
Takayuki nodded calmly. "Yes. It looks like trash. Completely useless. But honestly, this is really smart."
The chat slowed down slightly.
Takayuki continued, "To find the secret boss, you need to go to the third stage, the warehouse area. You know, the stage before fighting The Heavenly General, Greg. In that warehouse, there is a unique enemy wearing a black coat and a normal motorcycle helmet."
He moved through the menu and loaded his New Game Plus file.
"This enemy looks like a normal enemy at first. But if you pay attention, he only appears in this stage. He does not spawn anywhere else. His movement is also slightly different. Slower, heavier, and more deliberate. Most players probably just beat him and move on, but he is actually the key."
The chat began reacting again.
"WAIT I SAW THAT GUY."
"I thought he was just a weird enemy."
"He killed me once because I got greedy."
"ZAGE really hides things like this, damn."
Takayuki entered the New Game Plus stage and began clearing the warehouse area.
Unlike most players, he moved through the stage effortlessly. Enemies rushed toward Bruce Lee, but Takayuki calmly parried, countered, and defeated them with clean movements. He did not waste motion. He did not panic. He barely even looked pressured.
The chat admired him while also feeling personally attacked.
"Why does his Bruce move like actual Bruce Lee?"
"When I play, Bruce Lee moves like my uncle after back pain."
"Bro is not playing the same game as us."
"This is what happens when the controller respects you."
Takayuki only chuckled.
Eventually, he reached the black-coated enemy.
The enemy stood near the back of the warehouse, holding black steel knuckles. His motorcycle helmet was plain, his coat was dark, and compared to other enemies, he did not immediately rush forward. He simply stood there for a moment, as if waiting.
Takayuki pointed at the screen.
"This is him."
The chat became tense.
Takayuki moved Bruce closer but did not attack normally.
"So, guys, you need to hit this enemy with Z-Caller three times in a row. Like this."
He calmly spun the directional input, delayed slightly, then pressed Square.
Bruce performed a strange short punch with a faint Z-shaped effect.
It connected.
No damage.
Takayuki immediately repeated the input.
Second punch.
Still no damage.
The chat began losing it already.
"How is he doing that so smoothly?"
"I can't even do it once."
"This input is illegal."
"Takayuki hands built different."
Takayuki smiled faintly. "If you fail to execute it… just practice."
The chat immediately exploded.
"JUST PRACTICE HE SAYS."
"BRO SAID THAT LIKE IT'S EASY."
"This man has no sympathy."
Takayuki executed the third Z-Caller perfectly.
The moment the punch connected, the screen suddenly froze.
Then the camera shifted.
A cutscene began.
The black-coated enemy staggered back slightly, but instead of falling, he slowly raised his head. The warehouse lights flickered above him. A strange metallic sound echoed through the room.
Then he spoke in a calm, distorted voice.
"So… you are worthy…"
The chat immediately stopped joking.
The enemy clenched his fist.
"Fine."
He stepped back, crossed his arms, and performed a dramatic henshin pose.
"Face me."
Then he shouted:
"Z-MASK CHANGE!"
The normal motorcycle helmet began transforming. Black armor plates slid over it, the visor turned into a shiny blue glow, and a silver Z appeared on the forehead. His coat reshaped into a sleek black-and-silver armored suit, sharp but simple, stylish but mysterious. His fists became wrapped in a silvery hue, almost like lightning mixed with smoke.
He no longer looked like a random enemy.
He looked like a hero.
Or maybe a secret monster pretending to be one.
The chat exploded instantly.
"WHOA!"
"ZABO-MAN!?"
"NO WAY!"
"HE'S IN THIS GAME TOO!?"
"SECRET BOSS ZABO-MAN LET'S GOOOO!"
Takayuki chuckled softly. "Yes. Zabo-Man is the first secret boss."
The boss title appeared on screen.
SECRET BOSS: ZABO-MAN
The music changed immediately. It was not the normal warehouse theme anymore. A fast heroic electronic-rock track began playing, mixed with strange ZAGE-style chiptune sounds and dramatic drums. It felt half like a superhero entrance and half like an arcade boss battle.
Takayuki adjusted his grip on the controller.
"Basically, it is almost impossible to fight this boss properly on your first playthrough because most players will not have Z-Caller by stage three. You usually need New Game Plus or very specific currency routing to unlock it early. But in this file, we can fight him properly."
Then the battle began.
Zabo-Man moved.
And immediately, the chat understood why he was a secret boss.
He was fast.
Extremely fast.
At first, his movement looked strange because he sometimes moved slowly, almost casually. But that was the trap. He would step forward, pause, feint a punch, then suddenly blur backward to his original position before dashing in again with a completely different attack. His fighting style was based around deception, sudden movement, and position resetting.
He was not like Tui Ren, who overwhelmed players with seven celestial swords.
He was not like Greg, who attacked from the air.
Zabo-Man was different.
He fought like a glitchy superhero.
He dashed in, punched, retreated, reappeared, baited reactions, and punished anyone who attacked at the wrong time. Sometimes his silhouette split for half a second, making it look as though he had created afterimages. Sometimes he suddenly returned to the position he had stood in two seconds earlier, as if the game had rewound him.
Takayuki spoke calmly while playing.
"His main gimmick is position recall. Watch carefully. He does not just dash randomly. He leaves invisible anchors behind. When he feints, he can snap back to those anchors and punish your whiff."
The chat could barely process it.
"Invisible anchors!?"
"Bro, I was just pressing punch."
"This game has layers."
"Takayuki explaining while fighting secret boss. Meanwhile I die to normal monk."
Zabo-Man suddenly vanished forward with a silver flash.
Takayuki parried.
The impact created a bright spark.
He immediately countered with a quick kick, then canceled into Thunder Step and landed two clean hits before backing away.
The chat went insane.
"WHAT WAS THAT PARRY?"
"BRO READ HIM."
"I think there are levels to gaming…"
"Are we playing the same game?"
"My Bruce Lee looks like trainee. Takayuki's Bruce Lee looks like actual Bruce Lee."
Takayuki chuckled but did not lose focus.
Zabo-Man entered his second phase after losing half his health. His silver aura grew brighter, and his attacks became more aggressive. Now he began using the upgraded version of Z-Caller himself. He dashed forward leave Z silver after image, threw a rapid punch, then immediately snapped back to his previous location. If the player tried to punish the punch too late, they would hit empty space and get countered.
Takayuki blocked the first one, dodged the second, and parried the third.
"See?" he said calmly. "This is why the move looks useless before the upgrade. The game is teaching you the shape of the input before revealing what it actually becomes."
The chat reacted with both awe and suffering.
"ZAGE is genius."
"ZAGE is evil."
"Both."
"I wasted two hours thinking the move was bugged."
The fight continued for several intense minutes. Zabo-Man's HP slowly dropped, but Takayuki never looked panicked. He made mistakes sometimes, but never took a hits, Just almost got caught by a delayed feint combo, but his recovery was always clean. His timing was sharp, his patience was terrifying, and whenever Zabo-Man left an opening, Takayuki punished him with surgical precision.
Finally, Zabo-Man staggered.
Takayuki landed the final hit with a perfectly timed Dragon Coil Counter.
The screen slowed.
Bruce Lee struck Zabo-Man with a lightning-enhanced palm.
Zabo-Man flew backward but landed on one knee instead of collapsing completely.
The music faded.
A short cutscene began.
Zabo-Man stood slowly and nodded.
"You good."
Then he raised his thumb.
The visor flashed blue.
"You are Very Cool."
The chat exploded again.
"HE SAID IT!"
"YOU ARE VERY COOL!"
"ZABO-MAN CANON!"
"THIS GAME IS PEAK."
Zabo-Man then tossed a small badge toward Bruce. The camera zoomed in as Bruce caught it.
ITEM OBTAINED: Z-BADGE
After that, Zabo-Man stepped backward. His body became surrounded by silver light, then he vanished instantly, leaving only a faint Z-shaped spark in the air.
Takayuki opened the item menu and highlighted the Z-Badge.
"So this is the reward. After you defeat Zabo-Man, Z-Caller becomes upgraded. Before this, it does zero damage. After equipping the Z-Badge, it becomes the move Zabo-Man uses."
He returned to gameplay and moved into the next stage, where several normal enemies appeared.
"This move is broken if you can execute it consistently. Especially against mobs. Watch this."
Takayuki performed the input.
Bruce instantly dashed forward with insane speed, punched the nearest enemy, then snapped back to his original position before the enemy could retaliate.
Takayuki immediately performed the input again.
Bruce dashed toward another enemy, punched him, and returned.
Again.
Another enemy.
Again.
Another.
The screen became a stylish sequence of silver-yellow flashes, quick punches, and instant position resets. It looked like Bruce Lee was attacking from multiple places without ever leaving his original stance for more than a second.
The chat went wild.
"THAT LOOKS SO COOL!"
"I know it's strong, but no way I can input that repeatedly."
"This move is broken only for people with demon hands."
"Takayuki unlocked Zabo-Man style."
"My fingers hurt watching this."
Takayuki chuckled and continued showing off for a few more seconds, chaining the upgraded Z-Caller into normal attacks, counters, and Thunder Step movement. The result looked absurdly stylish, almost like a hidden advanced combat style that completely changed how Bruce could be played.
Then he paused the game and looked toward the camera.
"Now, next is the other boss, which is…"
To be continued.
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