By the time Ryoma reaches the neutral corner, Umemoto is already back on his feet. Something in Ryoma's expression tightens as his eyes assess the damage across Umemoto's face, breathing, shoulders, and stance.
"He's already back up!"
"Unbelievable! After taking that combination, Umemoto is back on his feet almost immediately!"
"I don't know how he recovered that quickly!"
Yet something else catches Ryoma's attention. The man staring back at him no longer looks like the loud, provocative Umemoto he knows.
Umemoto simply stands there, breathing heavily, his battered face calm as he watches Ryoma with a strange intensity in his eyes. For the first time tonight, Umemoto had felt Ryoma's speed, precision, and power arrive together.
It was no longer just a matter of tricks and technique. It was the kind of force Umemoto had spent years wanting to test himself against, the very reason he became a boxer in the first place.
