The Masked Appearance
Picca's anniversary celebration ran until ten at night, packed with events. In addition to the Ultraman stage show, there was a Kamen Rider performance too. Several well-known Picca comic artists and screenwriters took the stage, sharing funny moments from their creative process, drawing laughter from the crowd. This segment lasted about 15 minutes.
Then, the stage lights went dark, signaling a switch to other performances.
Ren also made an appearance on stage at this point—but in a rather unique way. He came on looking like a masked performer, wearing a dazzling gold costume that sparkled under the lights, and started dancing.
Step by step, like a clawed creature, he moved to the beat, his steps theatrical and deliberate.
"What in the world is this?"
"Hey, what's Picca doing? It was going so well, and then this clown showed up!"
"They can't be out of budget, can they? I wasn't expecting top-tier talent, but at least give us something decent!"
"Right? If they can't find better entertainment, they could've just put some pretty girls on stage instead of this guy dancing like a bug!"
The audience was dead silent, a sharp contrast to the lively reaction they'd shown during the earlier performances. It looked like if they had rotten eggs or tomatoes, they might just throw them onto the stage right now.
"Hello, dear audience! Welcome to my concert! Thanks for all your support!"
The crowd heard the masked man speak into the microphone.
"Who's supporting you?!"
"This isn't your concert! We came here to see Ultraman!"
At that, the crowd erupted in loud complaints. People were frustrated. They'd been thrilled to see some rare, never-aired episodes—only for this guy to come out, dance badly, and then act like he was the star.
Ren, standing on stage, didn't seem embarrassed at all. Instead, he chuckled and then—
"What?!"
"Is this…?!"
"It's the Porter himself!"
When Ren pulled off his mask, the audience went wild.
Still, Ren was a little disappointed; these fans didn't react quite like the internet-famous reveal of that one performer who had done a silly dance in a mask, then was instantly showered with praise once his identity was revealed.
"Everyone, are you having a good time?" Ren asked.
"Yes!"
"And you'll come back next time?"
"Yes!"
There was no question about it—they'd be back for the next anniversary! This year's tickets were cheaper than ever, the shops gave out tons of freebies, and visitors could enjoy exclusive, live performances they wouldn't normally see. To the audience, that was more than enough reason to be satisfied.
The crowd was thrilled. Ren, seeing their enthusiasm, nodded happily.
He continued, "Some of you might be wondering why I'm here, and some of you might have already guessed… So, without dragging things out, let me share a surprise!"
With that, two control stations appeared on the screen behind Ren, placed on opposite sides of the stage.
These had been there from the start, and they'd intrigued a few visitors. Eventually, though, people had just assumed they were for decoration.
Ren smiled mysteriously and continued, "This here is the latest from Picca Technology!" Then he asked, "Have any of you seen Yu-Gi-Oh!?"
Without waiting for a response, Ren answered himself, "Right, this is the dueling platform from Yu-Gi-Oh!!"
"Whoa!" The audience buzzed with excitement.
A good portion of the crowd were Picca fans, and many were familiar with Yu-Gi-Oh! itself.
One of the most appealing features of the series was its projection technology, which allowed monsters to appear in battle!
"Watch closely."
Ren moved over to one of the control stations and flipped a switch.
A misty wall of air began to spread across one side of the stage.
Then, he placed a card equipped with a sensor chip onto the platform.
"Rooooaaar!!"
A giant, familiar creature appeared in the swirling air.
A huge white dragon swooped down from the top of the misty wall, slowly landing with a powerful roar. The sight was so realistic that some kids in the audience clung to their parents.
"Cool! Totally amazing!" some foreign visitors exclaimed, awed by the stunning visual effects.
"Picca rocks!"
"Oh my gosh, how did they make something like this?"
Even more of the local fans were filled with pride.
"This is the dueling platform that will be coming soon! At Picca, we're always striving to innovate…"
Ren then launched into a detailed explanation of their plans, including locations where these experience centers would open in cities across the country.
The current equipment being shown at this anniversary event was just a prototype. Right now, the only creature they could project was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. This was something the tech team had rushed to finish in time for the event.
And for now, this equipment couldn't facilitate actual battles.
After all, before joining Picca, the tech team at Tengda hadn't even thought of making this into a card game platform. So, many parts, including the software, would have to be built from scratch.
But there was no rush.
After all, the storyline for Yu-Gi-Oh! was only just beginning, and a lot of content hadn't been revealed yet. They still had plenty of time to work on it.
"It's real!"
Daniel watched the amazingly lifelike Blue-Eyes White Dragon on stage, his excitement palpable.
It was exactly what he'd guessed! Picca was pulling off something huge!
Daniel had thought this kind of tech would take years to show up.
But here they were, already showcasing it!
Although it wasn't fully operational yet, it was only a matter of time.
On the drive home, Daniel glanced in the rearview mirror at the slowly receding view of Picca Land, a smile on his face.
Just thinking about everything he'd seen today made him giddy.
"When it's ready, I'm definitely going to be the first to try it!"
Imagining himself summoning monsters with cards only made him more eager.
"I wonder if they'll connect it with other series too?"
After all, he'd noticed some familiar details in the comic's background—like an Ultraman poster on a street sign or a magical girl poster here and there.
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