Tokyo, Nebula Entertainment's sleek office. Ethan Caldwell sipped tea as his assistant, Tommy, detailed Komina's offer: "They want us as the exclusive platform for Silent Hill's somatosensory cabin. They'll fund promotion, split 50% of the commission, and toss in $10 million for marketing. It's a short-term deal, with potential for more."
Ethan's hand shook, nearly spilling his tea. "That's it?"
Tommy flipped his notebook. "Yeah, and they emphasized 'sincerity' with the 50% split and $10M."
Ethan laughed, sharp and bitter. "Komina's groveling like a third-rate startup. Ten million and half the profits? They're giving Silent Hill away for free, plus a tip!"
Komina, a gaming titan, begging like this? Ethan found it hilarious—until he remembered Gus Harper laughing at him years ago. His grin faded. "What do you think, Tommy?"
Tommy blinked. "Uh, how do we respond?"
Ethan leaned back, smirking. "Tell them: 'Go screw yourselves.' If they don't get it, say: 'Fvk off.' Clear enough?"
Tommy's jaw dropped, notebook slipping. "You mean… reject them?"
"Exactly," Ethan snapped. "Word for word."
He scoffed. "Komina thinks I'm their puppet because I clashed with IndieVibe and WindyPeak? Idiots. They're getting played by Gus Harper, and they want me to join the circus?"
Ethan wasn't dumb. He'd tried poaching Gus for his genius, not to destroy WindyPeak. Komina's $10M and 50% split screamed desperation, not profit. They wanted Nebula as their attack dog in key markets to crush Outlast. With Parker Capital and PacificTech backing WindyPeak, plus their recent media praise, Ethan wasn't biting. "They think I'd betray my principles for cash? Screw that."
He waved Tommy off. "Forget Komina's game. I wanted to watch them and WindyPeak slug it out, maybe scoop some scraps. But this? They've crossed a line."
Tommy nodded. "So, what now?"
"Set up a call with Gus Harper," Ethan said. "Tell him: Past grudges aside, they're fighting Komina. I'm in—let's bury them!"
Seattle, Riverside Heights, WindyPeak's office. Zoey Parker stared at Chloe Quinn, dumbfounded, as if stuck in a loop. "Who's helping us?"
"Nebula Entertainment," Chloe repeated, pouring Zoey a glass of water. "Drink. Calm down."
"Nebula's helping us?" Zoey yelped. "What's going on?"
Chloe sighed, half-amused. "Nebula's opening Outlast to Polar Bear III, no login fee, 30% commission."
Zoey's face twisted. The world had lost its mind—rivals teaming up like old pals. Outlast's email reveal had already obliterated Komina's $38M Silent Hill campaign in 24 hours. Gus's "King of Terror" halo crushed their PR fortress. "Fvk KOMINA" flooded X again, fiercer than ever.
She'd expected Komina's millions to hold off Gus's attack for a few rounds. Instead, Outlast's buzz made Silent Hill look like a toy car against a void monster. Now Nebula, their old foe, was joining the fight—on their side?
"Komina tried to bribe Nebula with $10M and a 50% split to push Silent Hill on Polar Bear III," Chloe explained. "Ethan Caldwell felt insulted."
Zoey clutched her head, tugging her hair. "Insulted? Then curse them! Why help us?"
IndieVibe X2 had sold millions globally; Polar Bear III hit a million. Together, they matched Komina's KMN-3's reach. Outlast on both platforms was a deathblow. "What did Gus say?" Zoey asked, voice shaky.
"Gus agreed," Chloe said. "More platforms, bigger market. It fits your plan to tank Komina."
"My plan?!" Zoey squawked. "What plan?"
Chloe grinned, mimicking a steering wheel. "Crush Komina. Vroom!"
X lit up with the news:
"Nebula's backing Outlast on Polar Bear III! Insane!"
"IndieVibe and Nebula teaming up? Wild!"
"Polar Bear III says: Call me trash, not a traitor!"
"Komina's a clown. Tried to buy Nebula and got burned!"
"This is the funniest gaming drama ever!"
"Komina to Batman: I'm the Joker now! @KominaCorp"
"Nebula and IndieVibe escorting Outlast? Historic!"
Komina's $10M bribe backfired, uniting IndieVibe and Nebula. Media dubbed it the "Golden Miracle"—rival platforms joining forces for WindyPeak. Players, horror fans or not, ate it up.
Victor Lang, IndieVibe's head, loathed Ethan Caldwell's shady tactics. He pushed Outlast hard, rallying media, streamers, and developers. "This is how real gamers promote," he hinted to Gus, flexing IndieVibe's clout.
Ethan, hating Victor's self-righteous act, went darker. He fueled "Fvk KOMINA" posts, spread Silent Hill rumors—some true, some not. Komina's PR team doused one fire; Ethan lit ten more. "This is how winners play," he signaled to Gus.
IndieVibe hyped Outlast openly; Nebula sabotaged Silent Hill covertly. Outlast's buzz soared, Silent Hill's sank. Gus laughed, reveling in having allies on both sides. Zoey, though, was freaking out.
"Stop fighting!" she groaned. Outlast's surge threatened to outshine Titanfall, boosting her "rebate" dreams. She'd planned to fund Outlast's PR, but IndieVibe and Nebula did it for free. "Are they my lapdogs now?" she muttered.
Komina's blunder—poking Nebula—ignited this chaos. Now IndieVibe and Nebula were outdoing each other, hammering Komina. Zoey pounded her desk. "My money!"
Mid-month, the gaming world watched. Media, streamers, critics, and rivals hyped the ultimate showdown: Outlast vs. Silent Hill. The battle kicked off, and Komina was already bleeding.