VISION GRID SYSTEM: THE COMEBACK OF RYOMA TAKEDA

The more easily someone succeeds, the more optimistic they become. And when everything seems to fall into place, even the wisest can grow naive.

Aramaki’s victory was another such success. Ryoma had trusted Nakahara and the others to handle everything without having to get involved himself. And with tomorrow seeming just as easy to conquer, he had little reason to worry.

After the event, Ryoma takes everyone to a bar near Korakuen Hall for a post-fight party, the very same bar where he was shot before his regression into the past.

He recognizes the bar’s nearly unchanged layout, along with the face of the bar owner who welcomes him with a charming smile. Yet tonight, he feels none of the anxiety that memory once brought him.

”To all the rookies who scored knockouts tonight!” Ryoma roars, thrusting his glass high into the air. ”You little monsters were incredible! And to Satoru, who made a fight against Japan’s number three look like a damn sparring session! And last but not least, to our Japanese champion, Aramaki! The man who’s going to take the world by storm!”

The others raise their glasses alongside him, their faces bright with joy, swept up in Ryoma’s unguarded optimism.

”BANZAI!!”

Sake flows freely as waiters bustle back and forth, keeping the drinks and snacks coming.

Whenever new customers arrive, Ryoma welcomes them with open arms, inviting them to join the celebration.

”Hey, Ryoma!” Okabe calls out from another table. ”Some of us are starving over here, and these snacks aren’t gonna cut it. Mind if we order some food from the izakaya next door?”

Ryoma turns to the bar owner, still standing behind the counter. ”Can we do that here, Sasaki-san? Order food from next door and have it brought over?”

”Of course!” The owner beams, practically glowing with enthusiasm. ”For you, our beloved Cruel King, we’d be happy to make an exception anytime! And the owner of the izakaya next door? He’s one of your most devoted fans! Just wait until I tell him you’re ordering from his place. The man will be over the moon to serve you!”

”Come on, enough with the Cruel King already.” Ryoma waves a hand dismissively, wearing a naive smile. ”How can you call me cruel when I’m the one treating everyone here?”

He then turns toward Okabe’s table with a grin. ”There’s your answer, guys! Order whatever you want. Just make sure to mention my name when you place the order. Everything’s on me tonight!”

”Come on, boys!” the bar owner calls out cheerfully. ”Let’s get that order in!”

Okabe and the younger boxers around him leap from their seats, grinning from ear to ear.

”That’s our Cruel King!”

”Idiot! Didn’t you hear him? No calling him Cruel King tonight!”

”Right! Tonight, he’s Takeda-san, the great prophet!”

”Takeda-san? Show some respect! He’s Takeda-sama!”

”Too modest,” the bar owner chimes in. ”You should be calling him Kami-sama!”

”THAT’S RIGHT! LONG LIVE KAMI-SAMA!”

Not long after they leave, the bar’s entrance opens again. Aki steps inside with Sato and Tanaka close behind, both looking as though they’ve had to drag her here.

Ryoma spots them almost immediately and raises a hand in greeting.

”Oh, Aki! And the other two?”

”The other two?” Sato repeats, squinting at him in displeasure.

”Are you deliberately making fun of us?” Tanaka shoots back. ”Don’t tell me we’ve suddenly become strangers now and aren’t welcome here.”

Ryoma only grins at their reactions. ”I’m just messing with you, Sato-san, Tanaka-san. Come on in! And thanks for bringing Aki along. Seems she’s been avoiding me lately.”

The two men exchange a knowing look before patting Aki on the shoulder and heading farther inside, leaving her trailing behind.

Still looking awkward, Aki hesitates near the entrance, feeling more like an outsider than someone who once knew this place and its people.

Then her gaze catches on Reika, seated beside Maria. Although Ryoma mentioned Aki by name earlier, Reika doesn’t look up. She keeps her eyes fixed on her glass, her discomfort so obvious that Aki can hardly miss it.

Aki approaches their table and takes the empty seat beside Reika.

”Hey.”

Reika blinks, startled. ”Aki...? Since when have you been here?”

Aki furrows her brows. ”You didn’t even notice me coming in?” She glances briefly toward Ryoma before looking back at Reika. ”Are you really that uncomfortable being here?”

Reika merely clears her throat before downing her drink in one go, as if hoping to drown her discomfort in alcohol.

Then suddenly, Ryoma’s voice sounds much closer, and Reika freezes instantly, even though he’s only talking to Maria.

”So, Maria...” Ryoma begins. ”You are pretty close to Marcus Hale, didn’t you?”

The moment he mentions the reigning WBC Super Featherweight Champion, the bar falls silent. Conversations die out one after another as everyone turns toward him. Even Aramaki swallows hard, his excitement giving way to palpable tension and anticipation.

”Yes,” Maria answers calmly. ”We have a fairly strong relationship with Frank Donovan, his trainer and promoter. Why do you ask?”

”Well…” Ryoma grins, ”I was wondering if you could help us smooth things over and secure a title fight between Marcus Hale and Aramaki.”

The atmosphere changes instantly. Even Okabe and the younger boxers, having just returned from outside, fall quiet near their table. One of them stops halfway into pulling out a chair.

Everyone knows who Marcus Hale is. The reigning world champion has held onto his throne for more than five years, and the idea of Aramaki challenging a man of his stature this soon sounds nothing short of insane.

Yet Ryoma carries on as casually as if he were planning something as small as a birthday party.

”Just picture it,” he says with a cheerful face. ”Tokyo Dome 3.0. I headline the card with my unification bout. Kenta takes on the WBO welterweight champion in the co-main event, and Aramaki challenges Marcus Hale. If you can get Frank Donovan on board, I’ll bring NSN in as our official partner, just like we did for the first Tokyo Dome event. What do you say?”

Everyone stares in stunned silence, including the strangers who had only joined the celebration and were simply there enjoying Ryoma’s generosity. They exchange uncertain glances, momentarily at a loss for how to react.

The audacity of it all goes beyond the idea of a mega-event featuring three world title fights. Ryoma is discussing the whole thing with a senior NSN Tokyo executive in a public bar, without the slightest concern for who might overhear.

Sato and Tanaka, both journalists with close ties to Ronin, manage to keep their composure. But three other reporters seated near the entrance are quick to break the silence.

”Holy shit! We need to get this out before anyone else does!”

Their chairs scrape loudly against the floor, the three reporters scrambling to their feet and rushing for the exit.

”Three world title fights on one card? Are you kidding me?!”

”Forget the drinks! Call the editor. We’ve got a massive scoop!”