Shirano's Andy Bogard was initially on the defensive due to his opponent's aggressive, oppressive playstyle.
The Hokkaido player's Terry Bogard attacked like a tide, with Flame Punch and Power Wave giving Shirano almost no chance to breathe; each punch carried immense force, seemingly aiming for a quick victory.
In the stands, some spectators unfamiliar with Shirano began to worry for him.
"Can this kid do it? He's being suppressed so badly."
However, Shirano did not panic.
His fingers steadily operated the joystick and buttons, Andy's figure on the screen skillfully evaded, precisely blocked, and occasionally probed with quick restraining techniques, minimizing damage.
He was waiting, waiting for the inevitable opening in his opponent's offensive.
Finally, after his opponent's Power Dunk landed, a tiny recovery lag appeared.
In a moment that would be almost negligible to an ordinary player, Shirano's eyes suddenly lit up.
Now!
Andy Bogard rushed forward like a ghost, starting with a precise low light kick, confirming the hit.
A fluid combo, interspersed with Rising Dragon Punch and Phantom Shiranui, each command swift and precise, depleted most of his opponent's health.
The Hokkaido uncle's Terry had no chance to retaliate and was left dizzy.
"K.O.!"
Huge letters appeared on the screen.
Shirano won the first round.
Loud applause erupted from below the stage.
In the second round, the Hokkaido uncle's rhythm was clearly disrupted; eager to win a round back, his attack errors began to increase, and several highly exploitable heavy attacks were easily avoided by Shirano.
Shirano, on the other hand, played more and more steadily, responding calmly, and seizing every opportunity for a fierce, merciless assault.
Ultimately, Shirano secured the opening victory for the Tokyo team with a clean 2:0 score.
He stood up and bowed slightly to his station and the audience, and the applause was even more enthusiastic than before.
"This high schooler really has something! He's so calm; to find an opportunity to counterattack under that kind of pressure, his mental fortitude is truly impressive!"
"That combo was beautiful, just like a textbook!"
Nagai Kenta nodded approvingly from the teammate's bench, a slight smile on his lips.
This kid, as expected, did not disappoint.
Next, it was the Hokkaido team's middle player's turn to enter.
This player looked serious, clearly having re-evaluated Shirano's strength.
He chose Mai Shiranui, attempting to counter Andy with agile projectiles and aerial attacks.
However, Shirano's Andy Bogard, after adapting to his opponent's playstyle for a few rounds, immediately adjusted his strategy.
His positioning became more precise, and his timing for the anti-air move "Flying Fist" was perfect, repeatedly knocking down Mai Shiranui who attempted aerial surprise attacks.
Sweat began to bead on the Hokkaido middle player's forehead; he found that every one of his intentions seemed to be anticipated by his opponent.
Shirano, on the other hand, was unhurried, like an experienced hunter, slowly eroding his opponent's health and confidence.
Another 2:0, Shirano took another round.
Someone in the audience was already exclaiming, "Is this kid going for a 3-0 sweep?"
"Hokkaido team, hang in there!" Supporters of Hokkaido grew anxious.
Finally, the Hokkaido team's captain, a serious-looking young man wearing glasses, took the stage.
He chose the same character as Shirano—Andy Bogard.
"Oh? Andy versus Andy! This is going to be exciting!" The commentator's voice also grew excited.
At the start, both sides went back and forth, exchanging skills intensely.
The Hokkaido captain's fundamentals were quite solid, and he was once evenly matched with Shirano.
However, in several crucial offensive and defensive transitions, Shirano's control of distance and understanding of move priority were clearly superior.
He could always, at the most subtle moment, use a backstep to evade his opponent's pressure, or a precise jump attack to disrupt his opponent's rhythm.
The Hokkaido captain grew more and more anxious; an attempt to rush in with "Shadow-Slicing Fist" was predicted by Shirano, and a perfect "Super Breaking Bullet" directly knocked him down!
"K.O.!"
First round, Shirano wins.
In the second round, the Hokkaido captain's mentality seemed to be somewhat off-balance, and several unnecessary aggressive attacks gave away opportunities.
Shirano played steadily, and after several low heavy kicks consumed a lot of stamina, he seized an opponent's mistake and finished him with a dazzling combo.
"PERFECT K.O.!"
Shirano, with a perfect victory, also knocked down the Hokkaido team's captain!
"Three consecutive wins! Player Shirano single-handedly defeated the entire Hokkaido team!" The host's voice trembled slightly with excitement.
The entire Budokan instantly erupted!
Applause, cheers, and whistles rang out in unison.
"He's too strong! This Shirano is a monster!"
"Tokyo's vanguard is too fierce! Do Nagai Kenta and the others even need to play?"
"The Hokkaido team is stunned, haha!"
Shirano stood up and bowed calmly as before, but this time, the expression on his face seemed a little more relaxed.
Nagai Kenta smiled and patted his shoulder, and another teammate gave him a thumbs up.
Takuya Nakayama watched Shirano's figure on the screen from backstage and nodded with satisfaction.
This opening victory was beautiful!
During the midday break, to lighten the mood and showcase Sega's capabilities in other areas, the big screen began playing exciting demonstration clips of "Hang On" and "Out Run."
These were Sega's proud arcade games, whose simulated driving experience was unique at the time.
The audience gave polite applause to this novel display.
However, compared to the intense excitement of "fatal fury" with its bone-jarring hits and constant changes, this single-player racing demonstration clearly lacked the visceral confrontation and competitive suspense that captivated people's hearts.
Although the applause was enthusiastic, the excitement in the air seemed a bit thinner than during the previous "fatal fury" matches.
In the crowd, a man silently watched the big screen and the audience's reactions.
He was Suzuki Yu.
As the creator of "Hang On" and "Out Run," he naturally hoped his works would be loved by everyone.
But he also keenly observed the subtle drop in enthusiasm in the audience, from the fanaticism of the fighting matches to watching the racing demonstrations.
He thoughtfully stroked his chin.
Perhaps what the audience craved more was intense collision, where they could directly participate and compete against others.
The afternoon matches continued.
Strong teams emerged, and dark horse players pulled off upset victories.
With the conclusion of the last quarter-final qualifying match, the first day of the National Grand Finals came to an end.
The list of teams advancing to the quarterfinals was also finalized.
The audience left reluctantly, enthusiastically discussing the day's highlights and indulging in endless fantasies about tomorrow's schedule.
Reporters, like sharks sniffing blood, surrounded the outstanding players, especially Shirano and Nagai Kenta, as well as several other popular figures.
Takuya Nakayama let out a long breath, his smile sincere and radiant.
He said to his operations team members beside him, "Well done! Keep up this momentum!"
"Tomorrow is the real tough battle!"
Fuji Television staff rushed the day's recordings back to the TV station, quickly editing the day's highlights to broadcast the fervor from the Budokan to households across Japan before the evening news.
Countless teenagers like Umehara Daigo were waiting in front of their televisions; he and his friends had known from Fuji Television's previews that the highlights of the first day's matches would be broadcast at this time.
For this, they had finished dinner early and gathered at the entrance of the electronics store owner's shop, waiting for the program to begin.