Chapter 4

The Kamogawa Boxing Gym was bustling with business as usual.

Gym members were doing their normal training. One was jumping rope. Another was shadowboxing. One was on the speed bag and two more were sparring in the ring while another was currently on the heavy bag.

Mr. Yagi was sweeping the floor as he merrily hummed to himself before he heard the gym's front door sliding open. He turned to see a man with a short beard, messy dark-brown hair and a brown suit while smoking a cigarette.

"Well this is a surprise." Greeted Yagi, "You haven't been here in a while Fuji."

Mr. Fuji pulled out his cigarette as he let out a puff of smoke before responding, "Hey Mr. Yagi, yeah I thought I would stop by and see what's been going on."

"Hey isn't the world champion supposed to be having a press conference today?" asked Yagi.

"Yeah but I sent my assistant instead." responded Yagi, "I have deadlines to meet and I don't like to waste my time."

He took another drag of his cigarette before giving a passing glance around the gym. "As for what I'm doing here, I'm working on a column regarding the hot, young prospects in various gyms. I'm sorry to barge in like this but could I possibly get a word from Miyata?"

"Well today is not exactly-" Yagi was cut off as Kimura spoke up, "An interview with Miyata is more important than the world title match?"

"Following the beat of your own drummer as usual" commented Aoki.

Fuji gave an amused hmph before shrugging his shoulders, "Go ahead, call me crazy but I just want to do an interview with a young boxer with great potential."

"Instead of spending all your time on Miyata, you should cover me once in a while." said Aoki as he smugly pointed his thumb at himself.

"What for?" cut in Takamura, "why would he want to cover a ham and egger?"

Aoki turned to Takamura before angrily saying, "What did you say?!"

Takamura responded by grabbing Aoki's head and squeezing it before asking, "You don't like what I said?" and Aoki quickly reversed himself and played it off as nothing.

Everyone noticed Takamura wearing a pale blue shirt with a bowtie and Fuji spoke up, "Hey Takamura, why are you wearing that ridiculous get up?"

"You got a sharp nose Fuji." said Takamura, "You see the sparring match everyone's been talkin' about as happening downstairs and I'm the referee. So, I need to look official." He explained while placing his hands on his hips and holding his head up proudly.

"Oh yeah, who's fighting?" asked Fuji.

"Miyata, the one you were just talking about." answered Takamura.

Mr. Yagi face-palmed that he had revealed the match but was turned to by Fuji, "Mr. Yagi could I sit in on this. I'll take some really good pictures."

Yagi turned to Fuji with a worried expression, "Well it is only a practice match between two new faces. So, I didn't really want any outsiders to see it."

Fuji held his hand up to his chin in a pensive gesture while responding, "Huh, so you're saying you've got another new face who can compete with Miyata. That means you got a showdown between two golden eggs."

"Yeah that about sums it up." said Takamura. This earned a confused response from Aoki and Kimura. Takamura looked at them and asked if they thought otherwise.

"Well," started Kimura, "Raian has certainly been doing his best but…" he trailed off and Aoki finished answering. "Well it's fair enough to call Miyata a golden egg. But I wouldn't match him up with Raian. After all, he still has that brawler mentality."

Takamura answered, "Yeah you're right that Raian still has a long way to go but there's a difference between boxing and fighting, so only the one who wants it more is gonna win." Takamura rested his chin in his hand, thinking, before saying, "I'm going to officiate this match with great care." He looked up with an excited smile and said, "I have no doubt that this is going to be a very interesting match."

Fuji put on a puzzled expression at this comment. Wondering what could be in store for this sparring match.

Raian was currently sitting on a bench while wrapping his hands. He glances up from his hand and sees Miyata conversing with his father, most likely getting into his focus. Raian's eyes narrow as he looks back at his wraps in determination, 'This is it… It's finally here…' he thought.

"Miyata" calls out Takamura as he walks into the room, "are you ready?"

"I'm ready we're just waiting for you."

Raian responds, "Yeah I'm coming just hang on."

Raian finishes getting ready and gets up and begins to stretch while his demeanor is as calm as ever.

Fuji stands next to Kimura and is observing Raian before turning to Kimura and says, "So that's Kamogawa Gym's secret weapon? If you ask me, he just looks like a punk."

Kimura lets out a laugh of agreement, "I couldn't agree with ya more, but he isn't the same kid when he first came in. He's been training really hard and never once did he slack off."

'It doesn't matter I'm only here for Miyata' thought Fuji while looking back at the baxer in question.

Raian gets into the ring and walks to his corner, his back is turned as he has both hands on the ropes as he's deep in thought. 'This is it. All that training has amounted to this moment. Time to see all that hard work pay off.' Raian chuckles silently while adding, 'And to get payback for three months ago.'

Takamura calls out and explains the rules. It will be a four-round match with three knockdowns. The same as their first bout. Everyone in the gym was in the room and was watching intently as the two fighters sized each other up in the center of the ring.

They walk back to their corners and Kamogawa walks up to Raian and begins to give him instructions on what to do. Raian listens carefully and Takamura signals for the cornermen to leave the ring.

The bell rings and Raian dashes out of his corner, surprising everyone watching. He launches some right jabs and one-twos at Miyata, who evades them all but now knows to not underestimate Raian.

Miyata backs off and gains some distance, but Raian resumes his chase. Miyata uses his slick footwork to get passed and slip by his opponent. 'Damn. I thought I caught him perfectly in shadowboxing. But the real thing is something else.'

Ecveryone watching was amazed at Miyata's footwork, but Fuji realized that since Miyata didn't normally do this, then he was being force into doing it. Miyata dodges another left straight.

'Don't push your luck' he thought as he prepared his right and threw it out. Raian saw his attck coming and remembers the mitt punching the coach. He slips and weaves to the left before countering with a left and right hook, knocking Miyata to the canvas.

Everyone was shocked to see Miyata get KD'd in such a way. Takamura called for Raian get into his neutral corner before beginning the count. Miyata laid their shocked at what just happened but after hearing the count of 8, he got back up and gave the ok to continue fighting.

"Kid don't let have any room to get away. Chase after him. Just keep swinging." Shouted the Coach.

"Yes sir!" said Raian as he darted after Miyata. He through out a left straight but Miyata slipped to the left and readied his right. 'I'm not falling for that again.' Miyata placed his left foot outside Raian's right and countered with a right straight.

Raian was sent plummeting backwards as his whole body hit the canvas. Everyone was shocked to see him take the same monster counterpunch that earned him his loss the first bout. But everyone was surprised again as Raian not only sat up but shot back up onto his feet as if nothing had happened. Takamura didn't even start the count before Raian told him he could continue.

Fuji, Aoki, and Kimura were stunned to see this development. "This is unbelievable. Raian took that same counterpunch three months ago and he couldn't get up before. Now he got up before the count even started." said Aoki.

"The kid's built like a punching bag. He just absorbs every hit." said Kimura.

"I guess that's one of the advantages of being a brawler. Even if they're not as fast as an out-boxer or coordinated as a counterpuncher, it won't matter if their punches don't even make them flinch." said Fuji.

Raian continued stepping in, lauching right straight after right straight as he tried to get inside. He threw out a left cross, but Miyata evaded it. He went for a right counter but when everyone thought it landed, they were shocked to see Raian return with a left cross counter.

Miyata was sent plummeting to the canvas. Takamura ordered Raian to go to a neutral corner and began the count.

Miyata's father was shocked to see his son being countered and noticed the way Raian moved. Fuji explained that Raian stepped forward to cut the power of Miyata's punch, allowing him to counter with his own.

Miyata managed to get back up before the count of 10 and the fight resumed. Raian once more stepped in to get another hit. He ducked under a left hook by Miyata as he bent his knees and lowered his left hand before lifting to deliver an uppercut.

Barely missing the punch, Miyata countered with an overhead left counter that nailed Raian square in the face and sent him crashing down.

Raian was laying flat on the canvas as Miyata shouted, "How do you like that!" as he struck a pose.

Just as he got to his corner Miyata and everyone else was shocked to see Raian starting to pick himself up. He was on his hands and knees but managed to get his left foot under him as he stood up and tried to balance himself.

Takamura stood before him and examined if he could continue fighting. Raian raised his guard and confirmed that he could. But in that moment the bell rang.

Both fighters returned to their corners. Both getting treated for their injuries before the bell rang once more.

Miyata and Raian dashed forward and both launched their own punches. In terms of sheer strength, it was clear Raian was stronger as he managed to get Miyata against the ropes and began to strike blow after blow to Miyata's midsection.

Miyata managed to get out and flipped them around as Raian raised his guard. Miyata pummeled him before Raian countered with a left hook that was blocked and once more the two got into a slugging match.

Just then the bell rang and signaled the end of the second round.

Miyata walked back to his corner as his father splashed water on him. "That boy's body blows have substance."

"Yeah I know, I felt like I was gonna lose my lunch if I took anymore."

"In that case in the third round just focus on recovering try to slow him down. Just focus on getting your breathing under control."

The bell rang and the third round went quickly underway. Raian dashed forward again but was stopped short as Miyata got him in a clinch.

Everyone was surprised by this, as they knew for a fact that Miyata never resorted to clinching. Raian tried to break out but his arms were pushed up against his chest.

The clinch was only broken up by Takamura who told them to step back before they moved forward and again Miyata caught Raian in a clinch.

The hold was broken up again and the bell for the end of the third round rang. Raian walked back to his corner and Kamogawa gave him some water to rinse his mouth. "That Miyata is a clever one."

"Yeah. What was up with those clinches I didn't think he would use something like that."

Kamogawa told Raian to look at Miyata and Raian looked closer before realized, "Ya get it now?" asked Kamogawa, "Before he was breathing from the shoulders but now, he's back to normal."

Raian understood but was told to not let it dissuade him before the bell for the fourth and final round went off.

Both fighters put up their guards. Miyata dashed forward and began to use dart and dash attcks to steadly wear Raian down. Raian was still breathing heavily as he could barely get around. Everyone knew it was the accumulated damage from the whole fight and Miyata was in his stance getting ready to fight again.

Miyata used body blows to push Raian against the ropes and as Raian began to buckle from the damage, Miyata raised his right to deliver the KO. But just as the punch inched towards him, Raian surprised everyone by going for a counter.

Miyata saw Raian's left so he moved his head right, only to be surprised at an uppercut coming.

Raian's left uppercut shot through the air, Miyata stepping back and everyone thinking he had dodged.

Only for him to fall back on his behind which stunned everyone.

People were flabbergasted as Takamura called it a down. Miyata's father called out to his son. 'That was a pretty stupid down. An uppercut without motion huh? I never would have seen that coming.' thought Miyata.

Takamura continued the count and Miyata assured him he would get up but was confused at his legs not responding. Everyone was confused as Miyata once again tried to get up and balance himself but fell back down.

Just as Takamura reached the final count, Miyata shouted for him to stop but everyone was stunned to see Miyata fail to get up as Takamura counted to 10.

Everyone in the gym, was speechless.

Raian was the most stunned by it all. He could not believe that he had won. Everyone surrounded Raian to congratulate and ask how he did it. But Raian glanced back to see Miyata preparing to walk out the door.

Raian called out and walked up to the pair before saying, "It was a good match… You fought well…" Raian raised his left hand.

Miyata looked back before giving him a smile of gratitude and raised his right hand. Raian noticed and quickly pulled back his left hand and raised his right.

The pair exchanging a handshake of mutual respect for a fight well fought and for the start of a mutual rivalry.