The roar inside the arena doesn't fully fade. It shifts, thickening with a kind of primal tension that Marcus and Frank haven't felt in years. They couldn't understand a single of Ryoma's words, but they don't need translation to know a fuse has been lit.

The Japanese fans aren't cheering. They are anticipating.

"Goddamn," Frank mutters, smirking. "They're eating out of this kid's hand. What's he saying? Is he calling out on another fighter?"

Marcus shakes his head, letting out a low, incredulous whistle. "This is the kind of shit that sells out pay-per-views in two minutes. Look at their faces… there's a story happening down there."

"Oh, there's definitely something," Frank replies, tapping his foot unconsciously. "These people look like they're watching a coronation and a funeral at the same time."

Marcus tenses. He knows this kind of energy, the kind when a fighter calling someone out. He'd seen it before, the moment the audience holds its breath because a line has been crossed.

"Seriously, Logan... Who's that guy he's staring at?" he asks.

"The Japanese Lightweight Champion," Logan says. "Kid's been calling him out since his last fight. And he's challenging him again, here, publicly."

Frank studies the scene again, the way the fans lean forward, the subtle panic in Sinichi's posture.

"Jesus," he breathes. "This is the kind of heat you can't buy."

Back in the ring, Ryoma lifts the mic again, his voice sharp and steady as he aims it straight at the Champion.

"I know you have a title defense coming," he says, cutting a glance toward Hisashi Murai. "But I know for damn sure… you'll beat him without much trouble."

Hisashi stiffens, eyes narrowing in pure irritation. "This little brat…?"

Ryoma ignores him completely, turning back to Sinichi. "So don't you dare avoid me, Sinichi. Or you'll only prove what I've said all along… that you're scared of me."

A restless murmur ripples through the arena. Fans lean forward, shifting in their seats, buzzing with disbelief and excitement. The tension builds like a wave, rolling from row to row until the entire hall buzzes with anticipation.

Then Kenji Matsuda raises his voice, shouting over the noise.

"Speech! Let the Champ speak!"

Others immediately join in, voices overlapping.

"Don't run now, Champ!"

"Give your answer!"

"Say he deserves his shot!"

"Champ, promise it here!"

Ryoma raises his left hand, and the shouting dies instantly.

He hands the mic to a staffer at the apron. And the staffer walks it to a spectator, who passes it down the row, one person after another, until it reaches the Champion.

Sinichi takes it. He swallows, draws a slow steady breath, and his expression hardens.

"I don't run from anyone," he says. "That's never been my way. I had challenged the strongest lightweight champion in Japan history, twice. You think I'd back down now from a rookie with fewer than ten pro fights?"

A burst of boos flares up, but Ryoma silences them with a single small gesture.

Sinichi clears his throat, and then goes on, voice low but unwavering.

"Murai is the top contender. He earned that right, and I honor every fighter who climbs this ladder. That's the difference between us. I respect every fighter in this country."

He draws a slow breath.

"If Murai fails to take my belt, then I'll take you on next. Not out of anger… but to defend the pride of every contender you dismissed as if they were nothing."

He lowers the mic slightly, his gaze steady.

"I accept your challenge, after I settle my duty as champion."

The moment Sinichi finishes, the arena erupts. The crowd explodes into a chaotic mix of cheers, shouts, stomping feet, and rising chants.

Some fans are screaming Ryoma's name, others roaring the Champion's, and the whole hall feels like it's shaking under the weight of two storms colliding at once.

Phones shoot up from every direction, flashes popping like fireworks as people try to capture the instant a future title fight is born.

Up in the booth, the commentators can barely keep themselves seated.

"He said it!" one of them shouts, voice cracking. "The Champion finally gave his word!"

"This is it… This is the promise everyone's been waiting for! Ryoma Takeda versus Sinichi Yanagimoto is officially on the horizon!"

Along ringside, journalists jolt into motion. Pens scratch furiously across notebooks; shutters click in rapid bursts.

Some reporters push closer to the railing, trying to snag a perfect shot of Ryoma's face, while others zoom in on the Champion, already crafting headlines in their minds.

The air is electric, history just bent its path in front of them, and every journalist in the building knows it.

***

The locker room should be quiet after a fight, but for Ryoma, it's always suffocating by cameras and recorders.

Reporters pack the doorway shoulder to shoulder, cameras stacked over each other, microphones shoved out like spears.

Ryoma stands in the middle of it all, still shirtless, still wrapped in tape, answering every question without flinching.

They fire nonstop…

"Takeda-kun, did you plan the callout?"

"Were you expecting the Champion to show up?"

"What did you mean when you said…?"

"Do you really believe you can beat him?"

Ryoma doesn't dodge a single one. He doesn't retreat, doesn't hide behind Nakahara, doesn't even look tired. He deals with them calmly, still detached, but never runs away, feeding off the chaos like it's just another round.

Behind the cameras, Kenta leans on the wall, shoulders sagging. Not bruised, just exhausted to the bone.

Finally, he shuffles up to Nakahara and bows slightly. "Coach… I'm dead tired. Mind if I head home first?"

Nakahara softens, nodding once. "Sure... Hiroshi, take him."

Hiroshi grabs their bags, and the two slip out unnoticed while every lens in the room stays glued to Ryoma. Not a single reporter even turns their head.

***

Outside, the night air is cold against their sweat. They wait by the curb for a taxi, neon lights flickering off wet pavement.

"Man… that kid's crazy," Kenta mutters, letting out a long breath. "Bold as hell. Making a scene like that? I couldn't do it even once in my whole life. Just imagine… what if I lost the fight? I wouldn't even know where to hide my face."

Hiroshi chuckles under his breath. "It just shows how much confidence he has. And you know him. He always backs his words with something big."

Kenta rubs his cheek, frowning. "Even so… I'd never do it. There's too much uncertainty in this world. You can't just act like everything will always go your way."

That line makes Hiroshi pause. His smile fades. He stares at the street, thinking, really thinking.

If things ever stop going as planned, if Ryoma ever slips, even once, how do they handle the fallout?

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