The shift doesn't go unnoticed. It ripples through the arena first as confusion, a collective lean forward, then snaps into recognition when Aramaki doesn't retreat.

When he charges in deeper, a murmur swells, sharp and rising, the sound of people realizing something has changed.

Aramaki steps in while Hanazawa's balance is still broken. He doesn't give him time to reset.

A left hook crashes in first, clean and sudden.

Thud!

Hanazawa's head jerks, and instinct finally kicks in. His guard snaps up late, elbows flaring wide as he tucks his chin down, bracing for what's coming.

But it doesn't stop Aramaki.

Another hook rips in from the other side. This one skids off forearms and glove, redirected, but it still moves him. Another follows. Then another.

The timing isn't pretty. It isn't surgical.

It's relentless.

Hanazawa's upper body starts to sway under the force, rocked left, then right, his legs scrambling to keep pace with what his torso is being forced to endure.

And the crowd erupts.

"A-RA-MA-KI!"

"A-RA-MA-KI!"

"A-RA-MA-KI!"

The chant crashes down with every swing, whether the punch lands clean or thumps into guard. The rhythm doesn't care. Neither does Aramaki.

He keeps pounding. Left. Right. Left.

Hanazawa's knees dip. His stance narrows. He tries to step away, tries to walk it off, but his legs betray him after only a few shuffling steps.

Another hook slips through. This one snaps his head sideways.

Dhuack!

And his guard loosens. Just a fraction, but enough.

Now the blows find him. One from the left. One from the right. His head whips between them, body sagging as the ropes rush up behind him.

"Don't stop, Aramaki!" Nakahara shouts, sharp and commanding. "Don't let him breathe!"

From the other side, Masahiro's voice cuts through, strained and urgent.

"Hang on, Hanazawa. Come back to me first!"

Hanazawa doesn't hear either of them. His vision washes white, the world thinning to noise and motion.

Two more hooks crash in almost together, and for a heartbeat, he's gone.

He's still upright, held there by the ropes. But his guard starts dropping, and another hook comes…

Dhuack!

That's it. The referee steps in quick, wraps Hanazawa up, pulling him away as he waves one arm high.

And the commentators explode.

"That's it! That's it!"

"He was done on his feet!"

"What a surge from Aramaki… he smelled it and never let go!"

Hanazawa blinks back into himself as the referee holds him upright. The bell's noise crashes in all at once. Somehow, unbelievably, he still finds his voice.

"What…?" he slurs, trying to push past the official. "I was still… I was still standing! I can fight!"

The referee shakes his head, firm. "No. You're done."

Somewhere nearby, spectators hear him. They don't cheer. They jeer.

"Easy payday, huh?"

"There's no easy fight with Aramaki! Didn't you get that?"

"Go home, clown!"

"Train harder next time!"

"Stop underestimating your opponent!"

"You're not that good!"

The words rain down as Hanazawa sags in the referee's grip, still conscious, still denying, and finally, completely exposed.

Masahiro stays planted in the corner, arms resting on the top rope, eyes fixed on his fighter. His face doesn't twist or crumble. It simply settles, like something heavy being set down at last.

Disappointment is there, clear, undeniable. But not surprise.

He had seen this line coming. Masahiro hadn't let him fight expecting a win. That illusion had burned off long before the bell for the fourth.

What tightens his chest now isn't the loss. It's how close it came to turning uglier.

The fight is over, and Masahiro feels something loosen in his ribs. Feels relieved.

He doesn't have to announce his defeat with a towel in front of Nakahara. He doesn't have to stand there and admit, publicly, because the official did it for him.

***

Aramaki walks back to his corner without lifting his arms.

His breathing is steady, controlled, the adrenaline already being folded away. Sweat runs down his temples, but his eyes are clear and focused, the look of someone who finished a job, not someone celebrating a conquest.

Hiroshi doesn't bother with restraint. He meets him halfway, both hands clapping hard as he laughs, eyes bright with pure uncomplicated joy. "You did it! You really did it!"

His grin stretches wide as he grabs Aramaki by the shoulders, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Did you see them? Look at the excitement in their faces!"

For a moment, Aramaki lets himself be there.

He exhales, allows a small smile to surface, taps Hiroshi's forearm once, a quiet acknowledgment, shared and brief. Just long enough to register the warmth of it.

Then he steps past him. The ring noise fades as he turns to Nakahara.

The old man doesn't smile. He doesn't clap. He simply meets Aramaki's eyes and gives a short, approving nod.

"Good job, kid," he says. "That's fighting like a pro. No showing off. You kept your weapons hidden, didn't take risks you didn't need to, and closed it properly. That's how you own the mid-range."

Aramaki nods back, recognition flickering across his face. It's not pride, but understanding.

"Yes, sir."

From the press rows, chairs scrape softly.

A few figures stand, journalists first, expressions thoughtful rather than excited. They clap slowly, eyes still studying him as if recalibrating their assessments.

The sound spreads. More people rise, applause rolling outward in measured waves.

Aramaki looks around, surprised for half a heartbeat. Then he raises one hand just enough to answer the gesture. There's no cocky grin, no chest-thumping acknowledgment.

"Take a look at that," one of the commentators says, voice settling into admiration. "No theatrics. No victory lap. Just acknowledgment."

"And that's what makes him so dangerous," the other adds. "We've seen what those hands can do. When he decides to press, it's violent. Efficient."

The camera follows Aramaki as he lowers his arm and turns back toward his corner, expression already smoothing out.

"You'd expect a kid his age to be riding that high," the first commentator continues. "Big finish. Big moment."

"But he's not," the second says. "Look at him. He's calm. Content. Like this went exactly the way he thought it would."

"No rush. No excess," the first voice concludes. "That wasn't just a win. It was control."

***

In the blue corner locker room, Kenta and Ryoma watch without saying a word. They just take it in, the restraint, the control, the way Aramaki finishes without ever looking rushed.

Kenta exhales first, slow and measured. "Good thing he didn't have to pull out all that fancy stuff you taught him."

Ryoma turns to him, grinning.

It's not the kind of cold grinning the Cruel King usually shows him. This one is wide and bright, almost stupid, the kind a kid wears when he's pleased with himself.

And it catches Kenta off guard.

"Doesn't that just mean," Ryoma says lightly, "he saved it for you to use later?"

Kenta snorts despite himself. "Yeah. Sure."

Ryoma doesn't wait. He jogs toward Nakahara's mitt pads, already tugging them on as he walks, energy bouncing off him like the fight just wound him up instead of settling him down.

"Come on," he calls back. "Let's warm up. I'll help you loosen up before Aramaki gets back."

Kenta hesitates, only a second. Seeing Ryoma like this, all noise and movement, he knows better than to refuse.

So he raises his fists and steps in.

"One-two!" Ryoma calls.

Pak–pak!

"One–one–two!"

Pak, pak–pak!

"One–two–three!"

Pak–pak–pak!

Across the room, Coach Murakami watches in silence.

Normally, you wouldn't allow this. Letting a young boxer handle mitts for a veteran right before a bout risks breaking rhythm, dulling timing. Especially when both fighters still have matches ahead of them.

But he doesn't interrupt.

Kenta's form is sharp, compact and balanced. The rhythm is seamless, like this isn't the first time they've done it.

And then Ryoma starts correcting him. "No. Tighten it. One–two!"

Kenta answers immediately.

Pak–pak.

Ryoma swings the left mitt like a lead hook, but at the same time, he flashes the right mitt straight in front of his own face.

"Don't slip," Ryoma says. "Catch."

Kenta raises his right guard, catches the left mitt on his forearm, and fires a sharp left straight into the right pad.

Pak!

It looks clean to Murakami's eyes.

But Ryoma clicks his tongue. "No. Timing's off," he says. "Make it tighter. Throw the left as you catch the hook. Again. One–two!"

Kenta nods once.

Pak–pak.

Ryoma repeats the motion; lead hook, right mitt snapping into place. And this time, Kenta snaps the jab at the exact moment his guard comes up.

Thud!

"That's it," Ryoma says immediately. "That's the timing. With this, now you can follow with the cross before he pulls his left back."

Kenta blinks. "You are right."

And Ryoma grins. "Wanna try?"

Kenta frowns. "You sure about that? What if I punch your face?"

Ryoma scoffs, already moving. "You're underestimating my reaction. Again. Start with one–two."

They reset;

Kenta throws a jab–cross.

Pak-pak!

Ryoma sends a lead hook.

Kenta's guard up and jab fired at the same time.

Pak!

And in the next split second, Kenta drives the right straight through, compact and fast, almost no space between the punches.

But Ryoma ducks under it cleanly, grinning.

"Heh," he says. "You didn't hesitate at all. What if you actually hit me?"

Kenta smirks. "I do really want to punch you. Cocky brat!"

They look like they're enjoying themselves.

But Murakami doesn't. Neither does his team.

They stand tense, watching every exchange, because one mistake here, one mistimed punch, and Kenta could injure the man headlining the night.

But the rhythm holds. And somehow, that's what unsettles Murakami the most.

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