Dean Einhardt Harmens, 54 years old,
He is a person who became the youngest dean of the Magus Society due to his outstanding abilities and achievements.
His representative achievement is the introduction of the Magic Engineering Machine.
The Magic Engineering Machine, which could be considered the quintessence of magical engineering created in his youth, was a mechanical device that allowed users to operate magic storage rune stones like modern computers through paper magic.
When this theory first emerged, he quickly recognized the potential of the Magic Engineering Machine and produced and distributed it under his name.
Although it was of lower quality than rival teams, he thought that if he could quickly corner the market and get the Yura Republic’s magical engineers to use his specifications for the Magic Engineering Machine, he would ultimately win.
And just like many successful IT companies that have achieved numerous market captures today, his strategy proved successful, and the foundational system of the currently used Magic Engineering Machine was based on what he created, allowing him to enjoy the glory of being the youngest dean.
And it was because of this that he confidently believed that his strategy was not wrong.
He had roughly gauged what gamers wanted through Speed Rabbit: a plausible character, a decent background, a credible new system, and a compelling story. If he combined all of these elements to produce a certain level of quality, he could satisfy them without any issues.
The only concern was if the Irene School, which could be considered the strongest in this field, would adopt the same strategy as them.
However, they were supposedly foolishly entering a long development phase to prepare a massive game.
Just like his rival team, who had given up on releasing the Magic Engineering Machine to enhance quality in their youth.
Dean Einhardt smiled dryly on his withered face, confident in his victory.
*
I was focusing on something else while leaving the basic development of the combat system and other elements to others.
Namely, the two most crucial success elements of Final Fantasy 7: ‘characters’ and ‘story.’
For some, the story and characters of a game may seem insignificant.
But at least for Final Fantasy 7, the story and characters were crucial success points that I needed to complete with my life on the line.
Final Fantasy 7 boasts numerous captivating characters.
First, the protagonist, Cloud.
With blonde spiky hair and wielding a giant Buster Sword, this former SOLDIER is the archetype of a cool protagonist.
Until Cloud appeared, RPG games and comics were filled with passionate and righteous one-dimensional protagonists.
But the protagonist of Final Fantasy 7 was groundbreaking for declaring boredom with that narrative and just wanting to earn money while getting work done.
After that, a slew of cool protagonist characters emerged, and Cloud became criticized as the start of the “cool but bad” protagonist archetype.
However, he wasn’t devoid of humanity.
He remembered a promise made to his childhood friend, Tina, to protect her in a moment of crisis and would help his comrades without regard for money, planning to bill them later.
He was the kind of ‘bad boy’ character that knew how to take care of his friends while remaining aloof.
And most importantly, he was handsome.
He was so good-looking that even a Chocobo breeder character from Eternal Fantasy tried to ask him out on a date.
Playing the game gives you a glimpse into the life of a total social butterfly because this character is exceptionally, exceptionally handsome.
The female protagonists were no joke either.
Among them, Tina, the embodiment of sexiness.
With black shorts and a tank top, she had a fashion sense and figure that were ahead of her time, igniting the hearts of men, and after over 20 years and into 30 years since the game’s release, remains a beloved character in the doujinshi market.
Her charm, after all, lies in her stunning figure, clad in outfits that showcased every curve, making her quite literally a walking sex appeal, capturing not just gamers but also Italian men’s hearts.
Interestingly, for all her curves and sexiness, Tina’s personality was surprisingly that of a heroine waiting for Mr. Right.
I thought that gap was part of her appeal.
And then there was another female heroine, the ever-present contender in debates over the true heroine, Aerith.
With a pink dress, braided brown hair, and green eyes giving off a mysterious aura, she was the Western beauty who first appeared in the PV of Final Fantasy and left an indelible impression on gamers worldwide.
Set in a slum selling flowers, she was a pivotal figure in the story, possessing the essential White Magic rune known as Holy.
With her innocent charm, she had a bold and proactive personality, making it fun to watch Cloud struggle with the chaos she brought.
And she held a secret.
A secret that shocked all gamers who played Final Fantasy 7.
I hope the day when all gamers in this other world experience that shock arrives soon.
In addition, each character that appears is charming and has their own unique story, and with the character organization complete, I gathered them all and presented them.
“These are the characters appearing in ‘Eternal Fantasy.’”
Having sorted the images and settings of important core characters like the protagonist, heroines, supporting characters, and villains, I posted them on the research lab wall for everyone to see.
Everyone began discussing as they looked at characters with designs reflecting the other world.
First, Lauren remarked upon seeing the protagonist, Cloud.
“Yuren oppa! The protagonist is cool. But his hair looks way too spiky; can we make it a bit softer?”
“No way! That’s off-limits! That spiky hair is Cloud’s identity!”
It seemed Lauren was not a fan of Cloud’s hair, which looked like it could pierce through anything.
But this hairstyle was definitely Cloud’s identity.
Those deadly, spiky locks and that giant sword—those were the two points Cloud must never compromise on, and Lauren reluctantly withdrew with a look of defeat at my stubbornness.
“Yuren oppa is too stubborn about strange things; what’s so good about hair that looks like it could poke someone?”
Lauren reluctantly retreated, still a bit disappointed.
That’s what makes it charming, Lauren.
At that moment, the Master spoke in front of another supporting character.
“I prefer this guy with the gun over the protagonist. What do you think, Yuren?”
“Of course, Master! You know what’s cool.”
“Ahem!”
The Master seemed to like ‘Vincenzo,’ who was a companion of the protagonist.
‘Vincenzo Valentine’ was a hidden character who could only join if certain conditions were met in the original game and showcases the charm of a dark gunman.
The problem was that all of his ultimate moves were transformation-based, which honestly didn’t fit him at all, so I made significant improvements to make it suit the character better.
The Master appeared to be fond of Vincenzo.
“This character ‘Tina’ seems to have a very lively and proactive personality. Just my type!”
Jiren couldn’t take his eyes off Tina.
He claimed to like her vivacious and energetic personality, but his gaze didn’t reflect that at all.
Is that really why he liked her?
“Um… Jiren, do you like girls like Tina?”
“Eh!? Karen? W-well, um?!”
Jiren started to sweat profusely upon Karen’s unexpected question from behind him.
You’ve got this, Jiren!
“Yuren hyung, what about this character?”
At that moment, Noirin called me.
She was asking about one of the most critical characters in Final Fantasy 7.
“This character is ‘Sephiroth,’ the final boss character of Eternal Fantasy.”
The angel of convenience, ‘Sephiroth’ is a trademark figure with long silver hair and a 3-meter-long katana, appearing as the final boss in Final Fantasy 7.
Beyond just Final Fantasy 7, this character’s legacy is often discussed in gaming history and holds the highest recognition among the villains of the entire Final Fantasy series, consistently ranking high in the best villain polls across North America, leaving a deep impression on numerous gamers.
The scene where Sephiroth burned down Cloud and Tina’s hometown and vanished into the flames remains an unforgettable image of a charismatic villain.
As we all gathered to discuss Sephiroth’s design, everyone seemed lost in thought.
“He definitely has the charisma of a final boss, but…”
“Um…”
“Hahaha, I can’t be the only one feeling this way?”
Noirin, Sylvia, and Julia seemed to sense something similar while looking at Sephiroth.
The three of them spoke in unison.
“He’s gay.”
“It’s true, isn’t it?”
“This guy’s definitely gay.”
I couldn’t exactly deny their claims.
Even I thought that considering Sephiroth’s actions, he came off as a bit of a “follower” of the protagonist.
