The young girl had an accent, Makoto noted. Osaka? Didn't quite sound like it. Either way, she wasn't from here. Though the same could be said of all of them, save perhaps for Makoto himself. He [i]did[/i] live in Tokyo, though practically on the opposite end of the city. Even so, Tokyo wasn't his birthplace. No, that was Tohoku, Sendai City to be more specific. Makoto also noted the D-Scanners and card decks most of the others sported. He probably would have been wise to bring his own, but it'd been so long since he messed with them that the Digimon on his D-Scanner could very well have starved by now or ran away. The thought of that did make Makoto feel a little guilty, but not anything he would dwell on. It was just data in a game after all.

Mr. Kuroda's wide smile never left him, "Let's say we get out of this cold and head inside, hm?" he suggested with a warm expression. Security escorted everyone in and all the visitors were given keycards of some kind with their names programmed onto them, "These are your Passcards. Consider them like Backstage Passes at a concert. They'll get you into all of our visitor areas as well some exclusive areas normally off limits to visitors. Take care not to lose them, now." at Kuroda's side, Samantha continued tapping away on her iPad. She was either taking notes on what was happening or on the visitors themselves since her ice cold gaze occasionally passed over each visitor. It was possible she was even doing a little of both along with her usual workload of the day.

The tour began with the group being led to one of the building's departments. This one was a room full of computers with people pecking away at the keyboards, the computer screens covered in what may as well have been incomprehensible hieroglyphics, "Our first stop is the programming department." said Mr. Kuroda, sounding a bit scripted but still very much enthusiastic, "In a way, this is the room where Digimon are "born": their appearance, their numerical attributes, all originate from one of these computers before being downloaded into D-Scanners like the very ones you yourselves own." having given the most relevant information about the department, Mr. Kuroda led them to another one nearby.

This one had more computers, but they weren't the same. Instead of the screens being filled with numbers and codes, these were instead filled with sketches and inked in pictures. Beside some of the computers where physical sketch books being drawn in or colored on by artists, "This is our Art Department," said Mr. Kuroda, "this is where the looks and colors of each Digimon are given form. If the Programming Department we were just in gives the Digimon their abilities and functions, this one gives them their forms. Concepts for Digimon's looks, their colors, any weapon or armor they use, it all takes "physical form" here." Kuroda still sounded somewhat scripted, as the tour itself was very much a rehearsed affair. But that wouldn't be the case for too much longer. For now, Kuroda led the group to a third department.

This one was different. It wasn't computers or drawings. This one was a factory floor. This particular factory area was for printing TCG Cards and then packing them for shipping, "Ah, this is one our manufacturing departments, more specifically for the thousands upon thousands of different kinds of Cards that we print and ship out to be bought and used by players like you. We have factory floors for assembling D-Scanners as well that you'll get to glimpse at in due time. For now, however, what if we deviated a bit and did something a little more... interesting?" Kuroda suggested, hinting at what was likely the real reason most of these players came here. They were promised early access to the next set of cards that had yet to be released, after all.

As such, the tour group was taken to one of D-Connect's R&D Departments, where the next line of Digimon Cards were wrapping up production and needed only to be mass produced and shipped, "Here is where some of the magic happens. Where the newest ideas and concepts are tested and their details ironed out, where they are given their first physical forms before going mass production. And it's here where you will have some of your first early access to the next set of cards to be released during the Christmas Promotional Events in the weeks to come. By all means..." Kuroda gestured to some of the display areas where Cards were being showcased and - for this particular special event - could be taken and tested out by the players, "...see for yourself what the future of the game has in store."

Makoto had to admit this was one of the parts he was most curious about. Seeing some of the development and production departments was interesting in its own way, but this part of the tour was what really started to reinvigorate Genius Gamer M's old passions. Makoto approached the displays and picked up one of the Cards. It was a weapon card called "Legendary Cannon", depicting what looked like the plasma cannons normally found on MetalGarurumon, the card apparently allowing the Digimon it was used on to temporarily equip the cannons and use MetalGarurumon's signature technique for a single attack. There were others, such as one that apparently granted temporary access to WarGreymon's shield and another called "Megamorph" which allowed the user to use a single attack from their next digivolved form.

"These will make some interesting decks, alright..." said Makoto to no one in-particular.

"Indeed." said Kuroda with a thoughtful tone, "Hmm, is the genius gamer having second thoughts about his retirement from Digimon?"

Makoto moved as if to answer, but Mr. Kuroda had already turned his attention elsewhere before he could.