After defeating the first stage, Zaboru continued playing, and quickly enjoyed it. The gameplay loop was addictive, the controls felt responsive, and every new stage introduced something that kept the experience from becoming repetitive.
The first major boss, Koll the Reptile Skin, immediately caught Zaboru's attention.
Koll was a towering reptilian outlaw covered in thick green scales and layers of crude metal armor. He carried an enormous shield made from reinforced train plating, along with a brutal-looking revolver modified to fire explosive rounds. His fighting style was slow but calculated. Whenever Juan attacked carelessly from the front, Koll raised his shield and parried the shot, sending the bullet ricocheting harmlessly into the arena walls.
The first time it happened, Zaboru leaned closer to the screen.
"Oh, that's actually cool," he commented.
Junpei smiled proudly from beside him. "Koll is meant to teach players that not every enemy can be defeated by firing directly at them."
Zaboru tested the mechanic again.
Juan fired.
Koll raised his shield.
The bullet struck the metal surface and bounced away with a sharp clang.
Koll immediately countered by charging forward like a runaway train, forcing Zaboru to Jump above him at the final second.
Zaboru laughed. "So he punishes impatience."
Junpei nodded. "Exactly. You need to watch his stance, create an opening, and attack from an angle he cannot cover."
The fight was designed to be a careful battle of timing and positioning. Koll's shield protected most of his body from the front, while his heavy armor reduced damage from ordinary attacks. His real weakness was the unprotected section along his back.
For most players, reaching that weakness required patience. They had to bait Koll into charging, dodge past him, then fire before he could turn around.
Zaboru defeated him without much trouble, but he clearly remembered the mechanic then suddenly Koll ran.
Several stages later, shortly before the game's next major boss encounter, Juan unlocked a brand-new ability called Freedrick Bounce Bullet.
The ability allowed Juan to load a special round into his enormous red revolver. By holding the trigger button, the player could enter an aiming mode and use the right analog stick to control the bullet's planned trajectory.
A thin glowing line appeared across the environment, showing where the projectile would travel before the bounce. Players could guide it toward walls, ceilings, metal signs, pillars, pipes, and other surfaces. Once released, the bullet would ricochet along the chosen path before striking its target.
The Sonaya developers had designed Freedrick Bounce Bullet as a high-skill mechanic.
The player needed to understand the environment, estimate angles, and react quickly before enemies interrupted the aiming process. The trajectory line also had a strict range limit, meaning players could not simply send the bullet anywhere they wanted.
Unfortunately for the balance team, Zaboru understood it almost immediately.
He tested the ability by bouncing a bullet from the ground into a hanging metal sign. The projectile ricocheted downward and struck an enemy hiding behind cover.
Zaboru's eyes brightened.
"Oh?"
He tried again.
The next bullet struck one wall, bounced toward the ceiling, then dropped directly onto another enemy standing behind a barricade.
The livestream chat immediately reacted.
"HE ALREADY UNDERSTANDS IT."
"THAT ABILITY LOOKS INSANE."
"THE RIGHT STICK CONTROLS THE RICOCHET?"
"ZABORU IS ABOUT TO BREAK THIS GAME."
Zaboru grinned and began experimenting more aggressively.
He bounced bullets beneath moving platforms, around corners, through gaps between machinery, and into explosive barrels hidden behind enemies. In one encounter, he sent a projectile ricocheting between three metal surfaces before it struck a hanging chain and dropped a cargo container onto a group of bandits.
Several Sonaya developers watching nearby slowly leaned forward mouth agape.
Junpei's confident smile began weakening.
He had expected Zaboru to use the ability well.
He had not expected him to treat every stage like a geometry examination designed specifically for him and insanely do trick shots like this.
Zaboru fired another shot.
The bullet struck a pillar, bounced behind an enemy sniper, then hit him directly in the back.
Zaboru chuckled. "This thing is really overpowered and you guys really designed this well the stages respond well heheheh."
Junpei watched the enemy collapse and muttered, "It's supposed to be difficult to use properly."
Zaboru glanced toward him. "It is difficult."
Junpei narrowed his eyes.
Zaboru's grin widened. "But not for me."
Several developers burst out laughing.
The chat completely lost control.
"ZABORU IS GOATED."
"BREAKING THE GAME CASUALLY."
"THE DEVELOPERS ARE REGRETTING EVERYTHING."
"NERF ZABORU."
"GEOMETRY CLASS FINALLY BECAME USEFUL."
Then Koll returned.
This time, the reptilian outlaw appeared with upgraded armor, a larger shield, and several mechanical traps spread throughout the arena. His defensive behavior had also become more aggressive. He turned faster, blocked more frequently, and used steam vents to stop players from safely circling around him.
Junpei smiled when the rematch began.
"This version is much harder. Koll's back is still his weakness, but now he turns quickly enough that reaching it directly is difficult."
Zaboru stared at the arena for several seconds.
Then he smiled.
Junpei's expression immediately changed.
"Wait."
Zaboru entered Freedrick Bounce Bullet aiming mode.
The glowing trajectory line struck the ceiling above Koll, traveled to the back wall toward a metal beam, then angled sharply behind him.
Junpei leaned closer to the television.
"No way."
Zaboru released the shot.
The bullet struck the first wall.
Then the beam.
Then the opposite side of the arena.
Finally, it curved around Koll's shield and hit him directly in the back.
CRITICAL HIT.
Koll staggered forward.
The chat exploded.
Zaboru immediately prepared another shot.
This one bounced from the ground into a hanging pipe before striking Koll from behind again.
CRITICAL HIT.
Junpei rubbed his forehead.
"We did not expect Freedrick Bounce Bullet to become this effective against him."
Zaboru laughed. "But his weakness is being hit from behind."
"Yes."
"And Freedrick Bounce Bullet lets me shoot behind him."
Junpei sighed. "Yes."
"Then this is clearly the correct strategy."
Junpei looked toward Hikaru. "He's bullying the boss."
Another shot bounced around the arena.
CRITICAL HIT.
Koll barely managed to recover before the next bullet struck him from another impossible angle.
His health bar began disappearing at a humiliating speed.
The boss had been designed as a dangerous defensive opponent.
Under Zaboru's control, he had become target practice.
Zaboru grinned while lining up another shot. "This ability is amazing."
Junpei looked toward the nearby developers and said, "We may need to review the damage multiplier."
One of the combat designers immediately shook his head. "Please don't blame the ability. Nobody else plays like this."
The chat reacted instantly.
"DON'T NERF THE GUN. NERF THE PLAYER."
"KOLL IS GETTING BULLIED LIVE."
"THIS IS NOT A BOSS FIGHT ANYMORE."
"ZABORU DISCOVERED INDUSTRIAL-SCALE RICOCHET ABUSE."
The final bullet bounced from four different surfaces before striking Koll directly beneath the shoulder armor.
The boss collapsed.
The results screen appeared with an enormous score bonus for repeated critical hits.
Zaboru placed one hand beneath his chin and nodded thoughtfully. "Good boss."
Junpei stared at him. "You destroyed him."
Zaboru chuckled. "That means Freedrick Bounce Bullet is fun."
Despite Junpei's complaints, he was clearly pleased. Zaboru had used the mechanic far beyond what the team expected, but that only proved the system allowed real experimentation. Several developers were already discussing whether they should create hidden challenges specifically for players who became skilled with ricochet shots.
After defeating Koll, Zaboru continued through the game.
Juan gradually unlocked more weapons, gadgets, and abilities. There were explosive rounds capable of destroying armored targets, a magnetic rope used to swing across gaps or pull smaller enemies closer, smoke cartridges that disrupted enemy aim, and a mechanical spur system that briefly increased Juan's movement speed.
The stage design became more ambitious as well.
The combination of western imagery and advanced steam technology gave the world a strange but memorable identity.
Zaboru continued clearing stages far more quickly than Junpei expected. He explored enough to find secrets and optional areas, but he rarely became stuck. His reflexes, memory, and ability to understand game systems allowed him to adapt almost immediately whenever a new mechanic appeared.
For nearly another hour, the livestream continued.
Then the story began to change.
The game introduced two major factions operating throughout Eagle Country.
The first was the Eagle Country Enforcement Division, a massive government organization headquartered in MetalField.
Its members called themselves the Hawks.
The Hawks were responsible for maintaining law, suppressing dangerous outlaw groups, protecting government facilities, and controlling the trade routes surrounding MetalField. Their leader was Director Crowe, a stern and calculating man who believed that peace could only exist through absolute order.
Crowe rarely raised his voice.
He did not need to.
Every command he gave was followed immediately, and every scene involving him carried the feeling that he had already planned several moves ahead.
The second faction was a rebel organization known as the Vultures.
The Vultures opposed the Eagle Country government and regularly sabotaged military shipments, attacked corrupt officials, and freed prisoners held inside government facilities. However, their methods were not always clean. Some missions showed them stealing supplies from settlements, destroying public infrastructure, and accepting civilian casualties when they believed the result justified the cost.
Their leader was Elena Graves, a charismatic red-haired woman known for her sharp tongue, fearless personality, and hatred toward the Hawks.
Unlike Crowe, Elena spoke openly and passionately.
She believed the Eagle Country government had become a machine that consumed ordinary people while protecting wealthy officials and industrial leaders. To her, rebellion was not a crime.
It was survival.
Juan crossed paths with both groups throughout the story.
His reputation had spread far beyond RockVile. Some people remembered him as the legendary sheriff who had once defended his home. Others knew him as the man who abandoned his badge after learning the truth about Ghost Cowboy. Rumors also claimed he had killed Governor Pedro Magna, while other stories insisted he had saved RockVile from a mechanical tyrant.
Because of that reputation, both factions became interested in him.
Director Crowe viewed Juan as a dangerous but potentially valuable lawman who had lost his direction. He offered Juan a chance to work with the Hawks and restore order to Eagle Country without officially becoming a sheriff again.
Elena Graves saw something different.
She believed Juan had already discovered that governments could create the very criminals they later condemned. To her, Juan was someone who understood why rebellion became necessary.
At first, Juan refused both sides.
He insisted that he was only a bounty hunter trying to earn enough money to survive.
But the deeper he traveled into MetalField, the harder it became to remain neutral.
The Hawks controlled the city through surveillance towers, armed patrols, and strict travel permits. They genuinely protected people from violent outlaws, but they also arrested critics and suppressed anyone who challenged government authority.
The Vultures rescued prisoners and exposed corruption, but their attacks often placed innocent people in danger. Some members fought for freedom, while others seemed to enjoy destruction far too much.
Neither side was completely heroic.
Neither side was completely evil.
The conflict gradually became more visible through both the story and gameplay. Some stages required Juan to escape Hawks pursuing him through industrial districts. Others placed him beside Vulture rebels during attacks against armored trains or government laboratories.
At several points, the player could complete optional objectives that either helped or harmed one faction. Saving Hawk soldiers from an ambush improved Juan's relationship with Crowe. Allowing the Vultures to steal a weapons shipment increased Elena's trust. Refusing both sides sometimes protected civilians, but it also caused Juan to lose valuable allies.
The livestream chat began debating constantly.
"THE HAWKS ARE OBVIOUSLY EVIL."
"THE VULTURES LITERALLY BLEW UP A TRAIN WITH CIVILIANS NEARBY."
"CROWE IS SUSPICIOUS BUT HE HAS A POINT."
"ELENA GRAVES IS COOL AS HELL."
"JUAN SHOULD STAY NEUTRAL."
"NEUTRALITY IS COWARDICE."
Zaboru laughed as he read the arguments.
"This game is already making the chat fight. That's a good sign."
Hikaru nodded with quiet satisfaction. "The decision is not supposed to be simple."
Junpei added, "Both routes reveal different parts of the truth. Players will understand the conflict differently depending on which side they choose."
That answer immediately made Zaboru more interested.
He continued playing, moving through several additional stages at remarkable speed. After more than an hour, Juan finally arrived at the central district of MetalField.
The Hawks and Vultures had begun fighting openly throughout the city.
Mechanical patrol units marched through the streets. Rebel explosives destroyed bridges and power stations. Civilians fled between buildings while both factions accused the other of creating the disaster.
Juan stood between Director Crowe and Elena Graves.
Crowe extended one gloved hand.
Elena did the same.
The music faded.
The camera slowly moved closer to Juan's face.
Then the choice screen appeared.
SIDE WITH THE HAWKS
SIDE WITH THE VULTURES
For several seconds, the entire room became silent.
The livestream chat moved so quickly that the comments became almost impossible to read.
Zaboru stared at the options.
Then his eyes widened and an enormous grin spread across his face.
"Holy shit!"
He pointed directly at the television.
"Now that is a real branching storyline!"
Junpei laughed at his reaction, while several nearby developers looked deeply satisfied. They had spent years hoping the fifth game would restore the identity of the series while pushing the story into a stronger direction.
Zaboru looked toward Junpei. "So these are not just slightly different missions, right?"
Junpei smiled. "No. The routes have different stages, boss encounters, items and story revelations, and endings."
Zaboru leaned back, visibly impressed. "Damn. That's ambitious."
The chat immediately demanded a choice.
"CHOOSE THE HAWKS!"
"VULTURES ROUTE!"
"ELENA ROUTE OR RIOT."
"CROWE KNOWS SOMETHING."
"DON'T STOP NOW."
Zaboru stared at the two options for several more seconds.
Then, without warning, he placed the controller on the table.
"Okay!"
The entire room looked toward him.
Zaboru stretched his arms above his head and said, "I'll stop playing here."
The chat erupted in outrage.
"NOOOOO!"
"YOU CANNOT STOP AT THE CHOICE!"
"CHOOSE A SIDE!"
"THIS IS CRUEL."
"ZABORU IS THE REAL FINAL BOSS."
Zaboru laughed at their suffering. "Nope. I'm continuing at home."
He turned toward Junpei and gave him a sincere grin. "This is honestly really good so far. The gameplay is fun, Freedrick Bounce Bullet is amazing, other equipment is cool, the faction conflict is interesting, and this choice actually feels important. Hopefully, both branches are as strong as the setup."
Junpei nodded proudly. "We believe they are."
Zaboru picked up the controller one final time, but instead of choosing a route, he paused the game.
"Good," Zaboru said. "Then I'll eventually play both."
Junpei laughed. "I expected that."
Zaboru then turned toward the livestream camera and raised his voice.
"Hey, everyone!"
The chat immediately focused on him.
"I'm ending the livestream here because I don't want to show major spoilers. The faction choice looks like the real beginning of the branching story, so you should experience it yourselves."
The chat was filled with crying messages and demands for him to continue.
Zaboru ignored them and pointed dramatically toward the camera.
"And for everyone watching... buy the damn game!"
The Sonaya developers burst into laughter.
Zaboru raised the Sherif Juan 5 case and gave the camera a thumbs-up.
"Sherif Juan 5 is good! Hell yeah! So far, I'm giving it an 8.5 out of 10."
The chat exploded again.
"8.5 FROM ZABORU!?"
"ZABORU APPROVED."
"INSTANT PURCHASE."
"ZAGE OWNER RECOMMEND SONAYA GAMES!."
"HIKARU WON."
Zaboru continued, "And it could become even better depending on how strong the Hawks and Vultures routes are. I haven't seen the full story yet, so this isn't my final score."
The production crew began preparing to end the broadcast, but before they could disconnect everything, Zaboru called one of his staff members over and pointed toward the GameStation console.
"Bring that too."
Hikaru noticed immediately.
His eyes narrowed.
"Why are you taking the console?"
Zaboru looked at him with complete innocence. "Because the GameStation saves my progress on its internal storage."
He carefully disconnected the machine and lifted it from the table.
"This is why you should have something like a ZAGE Memory Card. Then I could simply take the save file instead."
Several nearby developers laughed.
Hikaru stared at him. "You could transfer the save later."
Zaboru shook his head. "Too inconvenient."
"That is not a valid reason to take company property."
Zaboru looked directly at Hikaru.
Then his eyes widened in exaggerated disbelief.
"Don't tell me..."
Hikaru's expression immediately darkened.
Zaboru gasped dramatically.
"The legendary Sonaya CEO and major shareholder, Hikaru Kurata..."
He paused again and placed one hand over his mouth.
"...will go broke if I take one GameStation?"
The entire floor erupted into laughter.
Hikaru's forehead visibly bulged.
His children, Higashi and Inari, were giggling uncontrollably nearby. Several Sonaya developers turned away, desperately attempting to hide their reactions from their president.
Hikaru looked toward his children.
They immediately tried to become serious.
They failed.
He looked back toward Zaboru, who was still holding the console like a captured treasure.
Finally, Hikaru let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"Fine."
He waved one hand.
"Take it."
Zaboru raised the GameStation above his head triumphantly.
"Yes!"
The livestream chat became even more chaotic.
"HE STOLE IT."
"FREE GAMESTATION."
"HIKARU GOT ROBBED LIVE."
"ZABORU THE BANDIT."
"SHERIFF JUAN NEEDS TO ARREST HIM."
Zaboru handed the console to one of his crew members before looking back toward the camera.
"For legal reasons, Hikaru-san gave it to me willingly."
Hikaru muttered, "End the livestream."
The broadcast finally concluded.
The cameras stopped recording, the live-comment monitor went dark, and the production team began organizing its equipment.
Without the pressure of the livestream, the atmosphere on the tenth floor became noticeably more relaxed.
Before Zaboru could leave, Hikaru approached him again.
"Zaboru."
Zaboru turned. "What is it?"
Hikaru glanced toward Higashi and Inari. Both children were standing nearby, clearly attempting to look calm despite having remained star-struck throughout the entire visit.
Hikaru sighed softly. "Before you go, would you mind taking a picture with my children?"
Higashi and Inari's eyes immediately lit up.
Zaboru smiled without hesitation. "Of course."
The siblings hurried over.
Higashi tried to maintain a composed expression, but the moment Zaboru placed one arm around his shoulder, his smile became impossible to hide.
Inari stood on Zaboru's other side and proudly made a victory sign.
Several photographs were taken.
What was supposed to be a quick photograph with the children quickly became something much larger.
Junpei requested a picture with Zaboru.
Then the main Sherif Juan 5 development team joined.
After that, employees from other Sonaya teams began forming a line. Some wanted autographs. Others asked Zaboru to sign their games, controllers, employee badges, or art books.
Zaboru laughed and signed it anyway.
The atmosphere became warm and celebratory.
For the developers, the day had been nerve-racking. Zaboru Renkonan, founder and sole owner of the biggest video-game company in the world, had entered their workplace and reviewed their newest game in front of a massive audience.
He could have humiliated them.
Instead, he praised the things they did well, criticized the weaknesses honestly, and treated them as fellow creators rather than enemies its just like him.
By the time Zaboru finally left Sonaya headquarters, news of the broadcast had already spread far beyond the livestream Clips were appearing across YouTube Gaming forums were flooded with discussion.
The Freedrick Bounce Bullet fight against Koll became one of the most replayed moments, especially the section where Zaboru repeatedly struck the boss from behind while Junpei looked increasingly defeated.
The scene where Zaboru took the GameStation also became an immediate meme.
Some users edited cowboy hats onto Zaboru and called him The Real Outlaw.
Others created fake wanted posters reading:
WANTED: ZABORU RENKONAN
CRIME: THEFT OF ONE GAMESTATION
REWARD: ONE ZAGE MEMORY CARD
Industry analysts were equally fascinated.
The owner of ZAGE had spent hours publicly promoting a major game made by one of ZAGE's strongest rivals. In most industries, executives avoided giving competitors free attention. Zaboru had done the opposite.
His praise felt more valuable because it was voluntary.
Players knew he had no financial reason to support Sherif Juan 5. If anything, the game competed directly against ZAGE releases. That made his 8.5 score feel genuine.
What kind of rival enthusiastically advertised the competition's game?
The answer was simple.
Zaboru Renkonan it's just casual stuff for him.
And whether Sonaya liked it or not, Sherif Juan 5 had just received the most valuable promotion imaginable.
To be continued.
AN : Is this stupid Zaboru promote sonaya game?, maybe… but he do anyway lol.
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