Chapter 900 - 900: The Punch He Was Waiting For

Rikiya's legs fail to settle properly beneath him; continuing the trade would be too dangerous. So he takes the risk of stepping in, reaching for the clinch.

But even that moment gives Aramaki a narrow opening to drive a heavy shot into the body.

Bugh!

And even after the clinch is finally established, Aramaki still sneaks in another two short punches to the side of the body.

Thud! Thud!

The referee steps in, trying to break them free. But Rikiya holds Aramaki a moment longer, until the bell ends the round.

Ding!

Rikiya seems to have won another round, but he ends it like a survivor who has just avoided disaster. His breathing is even heavier than before, carrying the physical cost of Aramaki's pressure.

And the sound of the bell does little to calm the arena. Instead, the crowd begins to rise, their voices gathering into a single chant.

"ARA-MAKI!"

"ARA-MAKI!"

"ARA-MAKI!"

"The Tokyo Dome is alive now!" one commentator exclaims. "The champion has completely changed the atmosphere of this fight!"

"And listen to that reaction," the other adds. "This is no longer just admiration for Miyamoto's technique. The fans are responding to the pressure, the power, and the fact that Aramaki has proven he can stand with one of the best technicians in the division."

As Rikiya walks back toward his corner, even he cannot deny what just happened. He had already chosen to take the risk, willing to fight closer and accept more exchanges, yet the difference between them still felt far greater than he expected.

That was only the second round, but now he can already see how this fight might continue.

"You see what happened just now?" Rikiya says before dropping onto the stool. "I won yet another round. But I don't know how long I can keep the lead."

Okada wipes the sweat from his face, studying him for a moment.

"Then stop trying to win the fight like this," he says. "You're spending too much just to avoid his pressure. Aramaki doesn't need to win every exchange. He only needs to make every exchange hurt."

Okada tightens the tape around Rikiya's glove. "You already know you can't keep moving forever. So make him pay for coming forward. Don't just survive his pressure. Make him respect yours."

Rikiya looks at him. "I already did that."

"I know," Okada replies. "And that's why you can't doubt yourself. Aramaki is still going to pressure you, and you won't be able to stop that. But at least every time he forces his way inside, he has to pay the price. That's better than letting him work on you without any consequences."

He pauses for a moment before adding, "And keep watching that Gazelle Punch. Don't let him take it away from you twice."

***

The third round follows a similar pattern, but with a noticeably higher intensity. Rikiya begins accepting longer moments in the pocket instead of immediately escaping after every attack.

"The entire fight has changed now!" one commentator shouts as the crowd reacts to every exchange. "The tactical battle has turned into a war of adjustments, and neither man is willing to give the other an easy moment!"

Rikiya starts extending his combinations before changing angles, sometimes staying in range longer to invite Aramaki's attacks and create counter opportunities.

The adjustment works to a certain extent. He lands more cleanly than before, finding his target more often from constantly changing angles.

"Much better from Miyamoto," one commentator says. "He is making Aramaki pay every time he steps forward."

But the effect remains limited. Aramaki's face stays clean, and Rikiya's outside body shots never carry enough weight to disrupt his rhythm.

"He is landing, but look at Aramaki," the other commentator replies. "The champion is taking those shots and still coming forward."

Then, in the final minute, Aramaki once again forces the fight toward the ropes.

Rikiya fights back, but once the space disappears, the difference between them becomes impossible to ignore.

The angles that usually define his boxing become harder to create, and Aramaki's pressure begins taking away the foundation of his style.

"Look at the champion's pressure!" one commentator shouts. "Every time Miyamoto tries to reset, Aramaki is already there to close the distance."

"And this is why Aramaki is so dangerous," the other adds. "He is not just surviving inside. He is an infighting specialist, forcing Miyamoto to fight where his biggest advantages are limited."

The exchanges continue, and Tokyo Dome grows louder with every heavy collision, with both fighters refusing to surrender ground.

By the final seconds, the crowd is no longer reacting to individual punches. They are on their feet, roaring as if the third round itself has become the turning point of the entire fight.

Then finally, the bell cuts through the chaos, ending the furious exchange.

Ding!

But even then, the noise does not disappear.

"ARA-MAKI!"

"ARA-MAKI!"

"ARA-MAKI!"

As the fighters return to their corners, the commentators can barely hide their excitement.

"Listen to this crowd! They came here expecting to witness Miyamoto's brilliance, but now they are witnessing why Aramaki is the champion."

"And remember, this is Aramaki's first title defense. And the champion is not just surviving against one of the best technicians in the division. He is earning the respect of everyone inside this arena."

"That is because people are finally seeing the complete picture of Aramaki. Many looked at this matchup and saw a technician against a brawler, but that description misses what makes him dangerous."

"Exactly. He is not simply a fighter who can survive in close range. He is an infighting specialist. Once he takes away the space, he knows exactly how to turn those exchanges into damage."

***

The fourth round follows the same rhythm, and the pattern continues through the fifth and sixth. As the fight stretches on, Rikiya's footwork gradually loses its sharpness, forcing him to accept more exchanges in the centre rather than risk being trapped against the ropes.

The wild exchanges become more frequent, and Tokyo Dome rarely falls silent.

"Can you believe what we are watching right now? This fight has completely transformed! Every time they step into range, the entire arena reacts!"

"And neither man is backing down! Miyamoto is still finding moments with his technique, but Aramaki keeps dragging him into exchanges where every punch can change the momentum."

If the early rounds belonged to Rikiya's movement and precision, the fight has now become almost impossible to judge. Yet the ending remains the same. Aramaki returns composed, while Rikiya looks increasingly exhausted from the cost of every exchange.

***

In the seventh round, Aramaki abandons his high guard. He still walks Rikiya down calmly, but his gloves now hang around chest level, allowing him to attack faster rather than focus on defense. The adjustment leaves more openings upstairs, yet his every step forward carries greater threat.

Rikiya continues working from the outside, but Aramaki no longer relies on his guard alone. He reads the attacks, lightly parrying while using small pendulum steps to stay balanced and ready to close the distance.

"Look at the adjustment from Aramaki! This is a completely different approach!"

"That pendulum movement changes everything! He is still walking Miyamoto down, but now his entries are faster and harder to read without sacrificing pressure."

Sensing his legs are no longer carrying him the same way, Rikiya begins relying more on counters. But the pendulum rhythm keeps disrupting his timing.

Every time Aramaki steps in with two or three punches, his posture remains balanced, never overcommitted. Before Rikiya can fire back, Aramaki is already out of range.

The man who once seemed almost one-dimensional has become a fighter with layer after layer of adjustments.

A flicker of irritation crosses Rikiya's face. For the first time in this fight, he feels like he is the one trying to figure Aramaki out.

What the hell...

Has he been holding this back the whole time...?

Don't tell me this still isn't everything.

Aramaki steps in behind a jab again, but then suddenly holds the left back as he dips onto his left knee.

Instead of retreating or changing angles, Rikiya holds his ground, waiting for the Gazelle Punch.

"Come on, kid... Stop pulling your punches."

But the Gazelle Punch never comes. From that dipped position, Aramaki actually drives a spearing jab into the midsection.

Thud!

Rikiya's breath hitches. Annoyed, he snaps a chopping right toward the champion's head.

But Aramaki simply pulls his lead foot back, straightening just enough to let the punch slice through empty air.

Then, in one fluid motion, he plants the lead foot back in and swings a lead hook into Rikiya's body.

BUGH!

Pain shoots through Rikiya's body, and for a brief moment his face tightens before instinct takes over. He immediately retreats, searching for space to recover.

But Aramaki gives him none. A quick angle adjustment, then Aramaki steps in behind two straight lefts; first to the chest, second to the midsection.

BUGH!

THUD!

Another sharp wave of pain forces Rikiya to plant his feet. His footwork can no longer save him. Neither can his guard.

Aramaki draws his left hand back toward his waist once again, as though preparing to repeat the body hook.

Rikiya's guard drops to intercept it. But instead, a right Cobra Shot explodes upward from a lower angle, snapping into his face.

DSH!

"My goodness! He kept changing the picture! The body, the feint, the Cobra Shot..."

Aramaki, remaining dipped over his left knee, finally explodes upward into the Gazelle Punch.

Rikiya, slightly off balance, manages to bring his guard back up.

But even through the guard…

BAM!!!

"…AND THERE IT IS! THE GAZELLE PUNCH!!!"

"GOOD LORD! EVEN MIYAMOTO COULDN'T STOP IT!"

The hook crashes into the side of Rikiya's head with enough force to break through his defense, sending his entire body swinging sideways.

Aramaki follows with another right hook.

But Rikiya hits the canvas first.

"He's down! Rikiya Miyamoto is down!"

For a split second, the entire Tokyo Dome falls into stunned silence before erupting into absolute chaos.

"I can't believe it! After surviving six brutal rounds, Aramaki has finally broken through!"

"Exactly! Miyamoto knew the Gazelle Punch was always coming. Aramaki simply waited until Rikiya no longer had the body to deal with it."