“Here…”

“Yes! ‘Eternal Fantasy’ is here!”

The video released after the Legend Fighter tournament shook the hearts of gamers around the world.

People rushed to the gaming stores to buy Eternal Fantasy, and of course, Hamon Gaming Store started buzzing with activity again.

“Ow!!!! Don’t push me!!!!”
“It’s you!!!”

No, to be precise, it was turning into madness rather than just activity.
People wanted Eternal Fantasy as if they hadn’t eaten for a week, their eyes bulging with desperation.
The pressure was so intense that even the employees selling the games were intimidated.

“Here’s ‘Eternal Fantasy’.”
“Alright!! Wait for me!! Midgar!! I’m coming!!!!”

Sometimes, there are games like this in the world.
Just by watching the video, just by passing by and seeing friends play, at some point, my brain and my cells longed for this game,
And before I knew it, I already had the game in my hands.

Many people were enchanted, heading to the game stores to buy Eternal Fantasy,
And they hurried back home with their purchases.
And it wasn’t just the people of the Zers Empire.
The video of Eternal Fantasy was released in the Glass Republic as well, and countless game fans lined up to buy it.

“Here’s ‘Eternal Fantasy’.”
“Thank you…”

Among them was Sora, the developer of Speed Rabbit and a key figure in the Magus Society’s game development.
After leaving the Magus Society, Sora lived in seclusion, despairing over her shattered game,
And her helplessness during the Blue Shock incident left her disconnected from the world.
While she was in a dark room contemplating extreme choices,
News broke that the Legend Fighter tournament was happening, and there might be a new game from Yuren.

She secretly tuned in to watch the legendary game’s reveal at the town square, mingling with the viewers of the Legend Fighter tournament.
And with the legendary trailer that began, Sora steeled herself.
Even if she might die, she had to try playing Eternal Fantasy before she went!

With her face covered, she secretly bought Eternal Fantasy and returned.
In this manner, many people like Sora set off on a journey to the world of ‘Eternal Fantasy’.

*

Returning home after purchasing ‘Eternal Fantasy’, Sora hurriedly booted up the game.
Once again, the video shown at the Legend Fighter tournament unfolded before her eyes.
Starting with the mysterious woman with green eyes, Aerith, it showcased the colossal Midgar,
A huge explosion erupted in one part of the city,
And as the camera turned there, a black train appeared.
From that train, the protagonist “Sky” wielding a massive Buster Sword appeared alongside the Resistance fighters.

“Wow… no matter how many times I see it… it’s cool.”

Watching Sky, impressively swinging the Buster Sword while slashing through Shinra’s soldiers, the Resistance comrades gasped in awe.
Sora gazed at him with admiration, captivated by his coolness.

Dix: “As expected, a SOLDIER! He’s incredibly strong!”
Jane: “Can we really trust that SOLDIER to join our mission? SOLDIERS are Shinra’s elite, after all.”
Dix: “It’s alright, Jane. Sky is a ‘former SOLDIER’.”

From her fellow comrades’ dialogue, Sora learned about the protagonist.
The protagonist was an ex-soldier from the royal elite force, who, for some reason, ended up working with the Resistance.
And the story continued.

Barret: “That crazy businessman Shinra is siphoning Mako energy from the planet, and people are living lavishly on it, but no one thinks about what comes after. Mako is the planet’s blood, and without blood, the planet will die, and so will we living on it. We must stop it.”

Barret, the Resistance leader wielding a gun for an arm, explained the righteousness of their cause to the protagonist.
Watching this, Sora instantly grasped the gist of the game’s storyline.
So the protagonist is betraying the organization to do good for the planet, huh?
But what followed left Sora speechless.

Sky: “I’m not interested. I’m just doing this for the money. Once this is over, I’m out.”
Barret: “Hey! Sky!!! The planet is dying!!”

Sora was shocked by Sky’s nonchalant response.
How different was this protagonist from what she had always known?
They were always noble, just, and idealistic.

“What the heck, this protagonist…”

Instead of fighting for the greater good, he seemed to be looking out for his own interests instead.
And yet, strangely, she found Sky…
“Cool.”

She felt it was cool.
The game continued.
While controlling Sky to help the Resistance blow up the Mako reactor, Sora experienced Eternal Fantasy’s combat for the first time.
A new combat system governed by turn-based rules,
She felt the strength of the protagonist by seeing his high damage numbers, yet while contemplating the weaknesses and matchups of machines, monsters, and Shinra soldiers, she found herself getting more and more immersed in the game.

Thus they destroyed the Mako reactor, and the protagonist returned to the hideout with his companions.
There, he met another ally, his childhood friend Tina.

Tina: “Welcome back, Sky! I’m glad you made it safely.”
Sky: “What do you mean all of a sudden? This is nothing.”
Tina: “Of course… Sky, now that you’re a SOLDIER, I guess this is nothing for you.”

In her tight-fitting white tank top, Tina caught Sora’s attention with a twinge of jealousy.
How could she wear that revealing outfit and talk and act like that in front of the protagonist?
That girl must have feelings for him and was clearly trying to seduce him.
If she dressed so provocatively, wouldn’t the guys not like it?
…as Sora thought, countless men across the world found their hearts racing upon seeing Tina for the first time.

“Tina… wow… awesome…”
“Oh wow… wow…”

With the appearance of Tina, who would take responsibility for the hearts of men for the next 20 years after the representative thighs of Legend Fighter, Curie,
Tina captured Sky, asking him to take on more work with the Resistance, bringing up a promise from seven years ago.

The screen transitioned to a beautifully starry night, where young Tina called Sky to the town’s water tower.

Tina: “Sky, what did you want to talk about?”
Sky: “I… want to go to Midgar when spring comes. I want to become a SOLDIER, the best SOLDIER like Sephiroth.”
Tina: “Then, Sky… will you promise me? If I ever get in trouble, come and save me.”

Sky: “What?”
Tina: “A hero shows up in the moment their friend is in danger, you know? Don’t you want to be that kind of hero?”
Sky: “Alright, I promise.”
Tina: “Then it’s a promise!”

“Hmmm… so the protagonist and Tina have been friends since childhood.”
Watching their beautiful memories, Sora felt a lump in her throat.
The protagonist seemed cold and obsessed with money, but he also had a human side to him,
Wasn’t it actually a pretext for money and he was truly working with the Resistance for his friend?

Sora found herself starting to see that kind of protagonist as cute.
In the end, the protagonist Sky decided to work a little longer with the Resistance.
And the next mission was to blow up Mako reactor number 5, following the success of the previous mission.
The mission seemed to proceed without a hitch, just like the first Mako reactor,
But Shinra was fully prepared this time.

The head of Shinra, the ‘President Shinra’, was waiting for the protagonist,
And the protagonist faced his former employer after a long time.

Sky: “Long time no see, President.”
President: “Ah, so you’re the traitor everyone’s talking about? I see, that gaze of yours is that of a SOLDIER who’s undergone Mako treatment. What’s your name?”
Sky: “It’s Sky.”
President: “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember. I can’t remember the names of every SOLDIER. To be remembered by me, you’d have to be at least Sephiroth level.”

“‘Sephiroth’!?”

“That president guy… resembles a dean. Just die already!!”

Seeing the president not remember the protagonist made Sora feel a pang of sympathy.
Hoping for Sky to get a chance at revenge against that president, she continued the game.

Barret: “Ugh! There are too many of them.”
Sky: “If we stay here, we’ll be caught. Let’s withdraw!”

But Shinra, the corporation that dominated the world, showcased immense power fitting its name.
Unable to withstand the endless stream of Shinra soldiers and the firepower of the massive robot controlled by the President, the protagonist and the Resistance were forced to flee.
But as the giant robot’s missile destroyed the ground beneath Sky, the protagonist fell into sector 5 slums.

“ No!! Sky!! Don’t die!!”

The screen faded to black, and after a moment, light gradually returned, revealing Sky waking up.
Sky: “Where is this…?”
????: “Thank goodness, you’re awake?”

Before him appeared the face of a woman.
Sora recognized her.
She was clearly the ‘girl selling flowers in the slums’ who showed her face in the game video.

Sky: “Who are you?”
Aerith: “I’m Aerith, my name is Aerith.”

Thus, guided by fate, the protagonist meets her.
The story carrying the fate of the planet was about to begin.