Disclaimer: I don't own To love-ru neither hajime no ippo... Wait What?
Chapter 21
Even if we don't win, we have the obligation to try our best because if we are not we are not being honest with ourself.
Rito started to make a checkup in his body. "I'm still dizzy because of the punch... But I can still move my legs... I have no choice I have to use this."
Rito closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He opens and moves forward with full speed; Ren starts to see more than one Rito.
"So he decided to use his full speed... Impressive speed. I can't imagine what that must look like to Ren who has to face down in person." Kazuhira thought.
Ren tries to keep up but this speed is completely different from before. Rito throws a series of jabs over the enemy that he cannot do anything but defend.
"This speed is completely different ... But how?" Ren thinks while all he can do is defend…
Rito moves fast to the left trying to slip his guard. He manages to hit a few times in Ren's head. Ren tries to gain some space but Rito catch him easily and continues his assault.
"No good. Ren cannot follow him... There is nothing he can do but to defend himself." the coach thinks while biting his lips.
Rito's assault has left Ren completely helpless. And he tightens his guard in an attempt to at least survive this round. And multiple spears all come striking forward as Ren continues to defend even he's being skewered. But even still he's slowly steadily driven back. And at long last he is trapped in the corner. The assault carries on and chips away at the tightly closed shell. Ren is pinned to the corner. The referee starts to think in stop the fight.
* Bling Bling * Bling *
Rings the bell and that is end of the second round.
"Wow! What a nice spectacle." One fan says to another.
"If the round lasted a little longer the judge would have to stop the fight. The Boss commented to one of his kohai who was next to him.
Rito looks at the face of his opponent then turns to go to his corner thinking. "The light behind his eyes is still there. He's tough… but still no matter how tight his shell is closed up, I'll eventually tear it open and put out that light in his eyes"
"This round seemed longer than the other..." Ren thought as he walked to his corner. "Fly while you can, I'll want to rip your wings somehow... You will see.
The crowd then starts screaming the names of the contenders:
"Ri-to! Ri-to! Ri-to! Ri-to!"
"Ren! Ren! Ren! Ren!"
"I'm glad that Rito could turn the table to his favor." Mikan said relieved. "But there are still two rounds to go."
"His guard is real solid and I could not fit any straight punch." The boy orange hair said to his coach.
"He's got high level defense. But still can't track your movements. We have the best chance of defeating him. I want you to do whatever it takes to finish him off before he can track your movements." Kazuhira instructed him.
Ren's coach looked to Ren's body while he was recovering. There were many marks of punches in his body and Ren was able to withstand all of them. He was real warrior.
"He is good..." Ren commented while resting.
"Come on Ren! Don't give me that. Raise your spirit. The battle is not over yet. What about Lala-san?"
So it seemed like something clicked in Ren's head.
"Yes, you're right thank you . I will win."
* Bling Bling * Bling *
Rings the bell and begins the third round.
And Rito continues his assault even faster and Ren on guard defending. Ren tries to accompany him but he keeps disappearing. Rito puts some high level run and gun tactics on display. The dizzying movements leave Ren with little else to do other than tighten his guard.
"Wow it seems that Rito will emerge victory." A boxer who was near from the boss commented.
"... Are you sure?" Thought the boss.
"Believe in Yourself Ren , I know you can do it. Courage." Ren's coach yelled.
Blam* Blam*
A one-two combo is able to hit Ren. A drop of blood trickles from his lip and he takes a few steps back while dropping the guard.
"It seems that Ren felt that one... But it's not Ren that I'm worried about I'm worried about… the change in Rito's condition." Kasuhira said after looking that Rito was now breathing hard.
Rito was breathing hard. He knew that if he used the super-speed he would be very tired, so he tried to end the fight quickly but Ren's defense prevented any real damge. He tried to keep the pressure form before. Ren saw that it wasn't the same speed so he decide to keep his guard down and started to block Rito's attack with his hands. Felling confident, he started to dodge the blows and approaches. Rito tries to stop him with some jabs but Ren deflected them.
"These slow punches, I can dodge. It's time for you to fall." Ren thinks while dodging the punches. He finally manages to get close enough to hit him. Ren throws a series of jabs.
Vush* Vush* Vush*
"I will not let you hit me so easy." Rito thinks after escaping from the jabs.
Ren throw a right cross but Rito escapes by a hair. Rito goes to the offensive and throw a right hook which lands in Ren's face. But, on the same time, Ren lands a liver shot on Rito.
"Finally, I got you." Think Ren smirking.
And he lands another punch in the liver, he tries to land a cross to finish the fight but Rito dodge by taking few steps back.
" T-That was my last dogde... Now I cannot move my legs." Rito thought before Ren continues the offensive.
Ren lands a hook in Rito's face who pushes him the ropes , Rito keeps guard up while Ren continues his attack. Even on guard, Ren's punches affect Rito, Ren hits in the abdomen and prepares a hook in Rito's face to end the fight but...
Blam* Blam*
The two end up exchanging punch.
"I'm not dead… Yet."
Bling* Bling * Bling *
Ring the bell end of the third round.
Rito slowly walks to the corner. His face is a bit swollen because of the punches. "I think I've lost…" Rito thinks.
Ren walks to his corner. All his body hurts and that that last punch… "To think he would go for a dual exchange… Maybe he is desperate." Ren thinks.
The crowd stands and begins slaughtering palms because of the fight. A portion starts shouting the name of Rito and the other shouting the name of Ren.
"The two are impressive." One of the boxers in the gym there commented.
"Let's see the first round I would give to Rito, in the second, Rito got a down then I would give to Ren, the third was more balanced... So I would say that this last round will decide." Other boxer thought.
"I hope this ends soon." Mikan spoke to Lala. "I do not wanna see my brother being beaten anymore."
"Rito... Ren..." Lala whispered.
"He is strong ... If I wasn't focused I might have lost in that exchange." Ren thought as he rested.
"This is the last round Ren! Put all you have in this last round." Spoke to the coach Ren. "Stop admiring him and finish him. Destroy his guard and then hit him with everything you got."
Ren nodded and looked at his opponent.
"How are your legs?" Kazuhira asked for his pupil.
"With my fatigue and those body punches, I can hardly move..." Rito answered dejectedly. "I can't use my speed anymore."
"Rito..." The sensei thought. "If we had more time he could last longer with super speed ... But now there's nothing to do... Only one thing he can do."
The sensei nodded and Rito was surprised but got the message.
"I will fight till the end I cannot stop now. If I stop, all my training in those years have been in vain." Rito thought before getting up.
* Bling Bling * Bling *
Rings the bell and starts round 4
Ren goes with everything onto the opponent who is in a defensive position.
"I noticed... Ren is desperate! He doesn't have much more strength to keep this going... Darn it… If we had more time to train." Said Ren's coach while he seeing him throwing wide swings.
"I'll win!" Ren yelled.
Ren continues the assault, Rito tries to defend himself, but the punches begin to penetrate his defenses. Rito tries to stay on guard, but it becomes increasingly difficult to keep his arms raised, for him, it was heavier than those weights he carried. Ren lands a left hook on Rito's head and pushes him to the ropes. Rito lowers the guard, leaving his left fist at the thigh and leaving only his right fist protecting the jaw. He also lowers his head.
"Now Ren! will his guard is down." Said the coach for Ren.
Ren rushes forward on the enemy. Mikan closes her eyes because she didn't want to see what will happen. Lala is concerned that Rito can get hurt.
"Come on Rito." Kazuhira thought closing his fists tightly.
"My arms and legs are heavy... would be so much easier to just rest now." Rito thought almost losing his consciousness.
"You put a good fight. You really impressed me. Now I understand why Lala considers you a man, but now I can let me take care of her. Farewell Rito." Ren thought ready to deliver a right cross.
Rito lifts his head and also advances. "No! Not yet there is one last thing that I want to try."
flashback:
Rito had just made a sparing with brute. He managed to fit some counters but none managed to knock him down.
"Very good, Rito, get over here." Kazuhira said to him. "So what did you found out?"
"Well, it was good it's been a while since I landed a counter. But none managed to knock him down."
"That's because your punch is light." Kazuhira said which left him surprised and sad. "So I'll teach you a counter to surpass all counters."
"A counter to surpass all counters?" The 16 year old boy says surprised.
"I had noticed that you would be able to do it for a while but I needed proof... and you gave me today." The young man with blond hair said crossing his arms. "We have a few days to train its yet you will only use it if I allow during the fight. Do it wrong, and you can say bye bye to your boxing career understood?"
Rito agreed and Kazuhira began to explain the basics of the counter.
End of flashback.
Rito gets close to Ren and crouches slightly. Ren throws right straight but Rito evades by performing a head slip avoiding the punch. He sprints forward, weaves his arm over the opponent's, and slams his fist into the opponent's face... Finally Rito uses the full force of his arm and trunk to send Ren to the canvas. All were amazed unable to say a word.
"Down. Go to your corner." The judge shouted to Rito after realizing that Ren was on the floor.
"This was... the Jolt Counter ... Awesome! he really succeeded. Kazuhira said really impressed that Rito succeeded.
Rito arrives, exhausted, in the corner breathing heavily as well.
1
2
"There's no way he can stand. The angle, the time... the follow-through… everything was perfect. I put everything into it… If he stands… I'm lost."
3
4
5
6
Ren tries to stand up.
- I do not know how I ended up on the floor... I do not care either... I cannot stay here.
7
Ren kneels and begins to rise Rito begins is concerned "This cannot be..."
"Lala ... I..." Ren thinks.
8
He stands up now he just needs to lift his arms.
9
He raises his arms.
"Lala ... I'm…"
And suddenly Ren begins to fall back.
"I'm... Sorry ... I lost..."
Ren falls to the ground, the judge raises his arms and form a x and shouts. "Ren cannot keep fighting. The winner is YUUKI RITO."
It starts to rain a series of applause and cheers for both contestants.
"Phew... It's finally over." Mikan said relieved.
"It seems that Yuuki Rito ended up winning in the end..." Risa says smirking. "But Ren's will has to be applauded."
"So you taught your best counter to him..." The boss thought as he headed for his office. "It is quite typical to teach your signature move to your protégé... Kazuhira, I hope you have learned something from this fight too."
Kazuhira stepped into the ring and congratulate his pupil. "Congratulations, Rito. You put a good fight , I'm proud of you." Rito smiles for what Kazuhira just said. "Thanks Sensei ... I could not do without you.!" The young man gives a smile and puts his hand on the shoulder of the student. "I don't believe that a month of intensive training have made so much difference." Rito Commented.
Kaz then slaps Rito's neck "Baka... You really think a month made you fight like that? It wasn't! All these years of training made you fight like that. That one month was only an extra preparation for a real fight. The speed, your technique, your strategy... You got all from these years of training... Unless the Jolt… that you actually learned in this month."
All the attention has now turned to Ren. He had not regained consciousness yet and had to be taken, by a stretcher, to the locker room while the ambulance didn't arrive. His coach followed him all the time.
"Will he be fine?" Rito Asked.
"Yes... I think so. Now salute the public who cheered for you." Kaz spoke to orange hair boy.
Rito looked at the crowd who shouted and clapped for him.
"Nice show! Call me in the next fight I'll absolutely watch you."
"Teach me how to use that last technique."
Rito lifted one fist into the air in response to the crowd.
"What an incredible fight Rito... You really impressed me." Lala said while watching Rito raising one fist. She then looks to the locker room door where Ren is unconscious and with a worried look.
A little later when Rito was already in the locker room and has removed the gloves, Kazuhira was commenting a few last details of the fight that he wanted him to improve like his super speed, his defense, when they heard a noise at the door.
Knock* Knock*
"Come in!" Kazuhira said as he had finished speaking. At the door were Lala and Mikan who wanted to talk to the winner. "Hi, Rito! Congratulations fight." Lala said giving him a hug without bothering that he was all sweaty.
"Ouch Ouch!" Rito answered to the hugs.
Er... Lala I don't think is the best time to hug him now. His body should be feeling pain all over his body." Sensei spoke with concern look.
Lala quickly let the boy because she did not want to cause more pain for him. Kazuhira headed for the door "I'll be going, Rito, there are still some things that need to be done in the gym... Take a break for at least one week it should be enough for you to heal."
Kazuhira left the room and left the three alone.
"Gosh your face is all swelled." Mikan said with teasing tone. "But you fought well. Congratulations." He nodded. "Thank you ... You know I felt good with everything that happened this month... That fight made me see that I'm on the right track if I want to be strong and I learned a lot of things."
"Oh, no! Now he will say that he wants to be a professional boxer, I do not know if I can see him getting hurt that much again." Mikan thought dejectedly.
"But ... I think I'll go back to my normal pace..." Rito continued.
"Huh?" Mikan and Lala said.
"I know that if I train at that pace I would grow so much but I have other plans in mind, I want to do things but I can't do if I'm training every day... Besides, I have not given much attention to Sakura as it deserves." He spoke in a serious tone.
"Sakura is not the only who misses you." They thought relieved.
Meanwhile in the other locker room, Ren finally wakes up. he does not remember what happened and how he got there.
"Phew I'm glad that you woke up I was getting increasingly worried." The coach spoke relieved. "... This means that..." Ren talked in sad tone. "Yes... I'm sorry ..." the coach said crestfallen.
Ren puts a hand on his face and starts to cry a little.
"Ren do not give up ... You fought bravely. I'm sure she was impressed." The coach said trying to cheer him up.
But it did not work. Ren did not answer he knew he had lost the chance to prove Lala that he was man enough... He did not know what to do.
"I'll leave you alone... Know that my gym, there will always be a space for you." The coach said before leaving.
Ren stood there in the locker room thinking what he would do... He thought of other ways to make her see that he had turned man but nothing came to his mind... He trained in space before coming here to impress her, he showed his evolution when he arrived on earth and he tried to defeat her guardian to prove it... but all in avail, he was in a state of despair. Then he heard the noise of the door opening and there was the boy and the alien.
"... Why are you here?" Ren asked to Rite without even looking at him.
"Ren... You are really strong. I'm sure if you had more practice time you would finish me... I did not come here to annoy you... I came here to make peace... The fight is over." Rito said extending the hand.
"... OK" Ren said extending his hand too. "You are also very strong ... not only the counter, but my arms are feeling too much pain because of yours punches... Maybe one day you give me a rematch."
"Maybe, who knows?"
Lala approached Ren. "Ren - chan... You fought bravely... And you..."
Ren almost had a heart attack. Is that really going to happen? She would talk the five most important words in his life?
"Became..."
Yes! She would say. All the sacrifices were worth it.
"A..."
Suddenly a fly flew by there and lands on his nose that makes him sneeze.
Atchum*
pufff*
Suddenly, a white smoke, coming from Ren, appeared and covered the entire locker room. When the smoke disappeared, emerged a girl with green hair instead of Ren. Rito stood slack-jawed without understanding anything. That girl who was in front of him now, was the same that was attacked by that idiot and was dressed in a boy's uniform a month ago. What was the connection between her and Ren?
"What is happening?" The girl asked blankly. "Why my whole body hurts? And I 'm just wearing trunks?"
The girl seemed lost. Lala came close to her and gave her a hug.
"Run-chan? Long time no see!" Lala said as she hugged her.
"Let go of me ... Lala" Run said as she tried to loosen.
"Does can anyone explain me what's going on here?" Rito shouted drawing attention of the two.
"Let me explain Rito-domo." Peke spoke. "Ren - domo is a descendant of the royal family of the planet Memorze... So they have the ability to change gender. It is a unique skill that people not only changes the body and mind as well. At one event, both minds and bodies exchange. Even so, a sneeze would not be enough to change... Maybe it has something to be the differences in the environment and the magnetic field from his home planet."
"Maybe that's why Lala dressed him as a girl when they were little... And why he is so keen to be a man." Rito thought after the explanation.
"Really? I did not know that." Lala said innocently. "That's a shame! I cannot call a girl a man, right?"
Rito and Run were amazed and soon the two fall to the ground unconscious... nobody knows if was because of the fight... Or for knowing that if Lala knew that Ren and Run were the same people, the fight would have never happened...
Note: OK, I hope you all liked the boxing match. If you liked please post something so then I can make more if you don't please post too so I don't make anymore.
Yes, I took some references in Hajime no Ippo, I love that manga I recommend to everyone. I'm sorry for the lack of the update two things happened to me. First, I had a trip and forgot to put the document in my dropbox so I couldn't translate my work. Secondly, someone have stolen my cellphone and I lost my schedule with the order of the next chapters that I have planned and some chapter that I already have done. Moving forward . I want to thank all those who have been reading and those who had reviewed and favorited the story.
Until the next time!