VISION GRID SYSTEM: THE COMEBACK OF RYOMA TAKEDA

Chants starts rolling through Korakuen Hall in unison, growing louder with every repetition.

”Ganbare, ganbare, Aramaki!”

”Ganbare, ganbare, Aramaki!”

”Ganbare, ganbare, Aramaki!”

One of the commentators can’t help but laugh.

”Listen to this place!”

”It’s completely turned around!”

”They’re practically trying to carry Aramaki to the finish line themselves!”

Aramaki has recovered much of the spring in his legs. His breathing is steadier now, and he slips and rolls beneath the jab while steadily closing distance.

He begins applying the high-low probing jab. Serrano keeps the guard high, blocking the first on forearms, yet the second jab lands deep in the stomach.

BUGH!

Serrano immediately walks away. His feet cross awkwardly with urgency. And the crowd pounces on it instantly.

”Run some more!”

”Look at him go!”

”That’s not a champion!”

From the corner, Kirizume refuses to panic.

”That’s it, Serrano. Stay disciplined.”

The mockeries from crowd and the instructions from Kirizume keep coming, steady and composed, even as Aramaki continues the pressure

”Aramaki is winning the exchanges!”

”And Serrano is still here somehow!”

”The champion’s hanging on, but he’s spending an awful lot of time defending!”

”Whether you think Aramaki can win this fight or not, one thing is undeniable!”

”He’s forcing the champion through hell!”

None of them are enough to finish the champion, but each one fuels the crowd even further.

”Let’s go, Aramaki!”

”Take the belt!”

”We don’t want a champion like him!”

Serrano endures the physical assault from Aramaki, but he can’t just ignore the crowd’s insult and provocation.

Shut up...

You think I care about being your champion?

Once I beat this guy, I’m leaving this belt behind and moving on to the world stage.

Back in the red corner, Kirizume looks quietly satisfied. If things continue like this, he is convinced Serrano can endure and carry the lead all the way to the final bell.

His eyes drift toward the opposite corner. And across the ring, Ryoma is already looking back. For a brief moment, their gazes lock, neither man looking away, as though both are trying to read what remains hidden behind the other’s expression.

What now, kid?

Kirizume’s lips curl into a faint smile.

You’ve thrown everything you had at him.

And I’m still going to win this battle between us.

Ryoma’s face remains unreadable. His attention drifts back to the ring, and he calls out to Aramaki in a tone so casual it almost sounds disinterested.

”Come on, Aramaki. You might not be able to win this. But at least do him a favor. Remind him how unprepared he is for the world stage.”

Aramaki recognizes it for just another provocation. So he continues backing Serrano toward the ropes, calmly probing the guard while watching every reaction.

”Protect him from an even greater humiliation,” Ryoma adds.

And finally, there is one clear response. This time, Serrano’s expression twitches, and Aramaki catches it.

Immediately, Aramaki drops his right guard a fraction and sends out a tentative left, faking hesitation, showing an opening where there shouldn’t be one.

Serrano’s lips curl, and he eventually bites on both of the baits; the provocation from Ryoma and the opening from Aramaki.

”Shut the fuck up already…”

He fires a heavy straight at the exposed jaw.

Aramaki pulls his lead foot back, dodging the punch by an inch before stepping back in behind a heavy right.

DHUACK!

It crashes into the left side of Serrano’s face and sends him stumbling sideways into the ropes.

”What the fuck are you doing, Serrano?!” Kirizume snaps from the corner. ”Keep that guard high!”

Aramaki follows with a left hook. Serrano manages to block it, returning to the discipline.

Yet for once, he fires back.

DSH!

A short right hook snaps Aramaki’s head to the side.

”Serrano finally swung back!”

”And I don’t think that came from strategy!”

”That looked personal!”

To Kirizume’s horror, Ryoma immediately encourages him.

”That’s it, Serrano! You’re much stronger than this!”

Serrano swings again, and Aramaki answers. They begin trading, hitting each other, ignoring any pain.

Bugh! Dsh! Dsh! Thump!

”That’s it! That’s it!” Ryoma calls out again. ”This is how a champion should fight!”

The crowd, caught in the moment, actually begins echoing Ryoma’s sentiment.

”Fight back, Serrano!”

”That’s it!”

”Show us the champion!”

The fight turns into a slugfest.

Bugh! Tuck! Dsh! Bugh!

”This is madness!”

”After all that running, Serrano is finally fighting back!”

”And Aramaki isn’t backing off either!”

”Both men are just planting their feet and letting their hands go!”

Kirizume immediately realizes what Ryoma is doing, and genuine impatience flashes across his face.

”Calm down, Serrano!” he shouts. ”You don’t need to fight back! Clinch if you have to!”

But the arena is too loud now. And the more Serrano swings, the more he feels the crowd responding to him.

”Keep it, Serrano!”

”Show him you are still the champion!

For the first time in a long while, Serrano actually feels proud of himself. His arms feel impossibly heavy, yet he keeps throwing.

He keeps going, keeps swinging, keeps fighting back until eventually, the gas tank empties. Aramaki is exhausted too, and his punches no longer carry the same force.

But while Aramaki keeps throwing, Serrano slowly stops. His gloves begin to fall, and…

BUGH! BUGH! DSH! DSH! BUGH!

”Wait a second!”

”Serrano’s not firing back anymore!”

”Look at his gloves!”

”They keep dropping!”

”Aramaki is still punching, but Serrano isn’t answering!”

”The champion is in serious trouble now!”

”Somebody needs to stop this!”

More and more shots slam into Serrano’s face without any reply coming back.

Seeing him no longer responding, the referee immediately jumps between them and wraps both arms around the champion to shield him from the assault.

Kirizume looks stricken. A look of helpless desperation washes over his face, watching victory slip through his fingers.

”No… why are you stopping…?”

There are less than ten seconds left before the final bell. But by this point, Serrano is already unconscious.

The arena explodes. Thousands of people surge to their feet at once, the roar crashing through Korakuen Hall like a shockwave.

Some are screaming Aramaki’s name. Some are simply shouting incoherently, unable to process what they just witnessed.

”ARAMAKI!”

”HE DID IT!”

”HE ACTUALLY DID IT!”

At the commentary desk, both commentators are yelling over the noise.

”UNBELIEVABLE!”

”LESS THAN TEN SECONDS AWAY FROM SURVIVING THE FIGHT, AND THE CHAMPION GOES DOWN!”

”WHAT AN UPSET!”

”ARAMAKI WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE SACRIFICIAL CHALLENGER!”

”AND NOW HE’S JUST KNOCKED OUT THE CHAMPION IN THE FINAL MOMENTS OF THE FIGHT!”

”THIS IS THE BIGGEST WIN OF HIS CAREER!”