The stadium is in turmoil. The stands quickly fill up, fans excitedly discussing the evening's fights. But much of the attention is directed towards the final preliminary fight:
<< Ryuu Kaidou vs. Tetsuya Kubo. >>
Backstage, Ryuu adjusts his gloves, a relaxed smile on his face. Kamogawa is at his side, checking every detail carefully.
Kamogawa : "You know what you have to do. Stay calm, keep your pace, and impose your technique. Don't rush."
Takamura approaches, laughing as usual.
Takamura: "Master, relax. This kid is going to finish this fight before you can blink. I bet on a first round knockout."
Kimura and Aoki, who are also betting on the fight, intervene:
Aoki: "I say second round."
Kimura: "Third round. Kubo is strong, he will last at least until then."
Ryuu interrupts, looking up with a smirk.
Ryuu: "You're all too pessimistic. I'm going to fold it before the end of the first round. So get your wallets ready."
Kamogawa sighs, but deep down he knows that Ryuu has all the abilities to make his words come true.
----
In the stands, discussions about Ryuu are going well.
Fan 1: "Who is this Ryuu Kaidou? I've never heard of him before today."
Fan 2: "He's from Kamogawa Gym. If Kamogawa puts him in the ring, he must be serious."
Fan 3: "Yeah, but Kubo has experience. He's a powerful puncher. I doubt this kid will last long against him."
Not far away, Sendou, sitting with his arms crossed, observes the scene with interest.
Sendou: "This Ryuu...he has a big mouth, but let's see if he can keep his promises. If he's a real monster, maybe he could be interesting."
----
The fight begins Ryuu and Kubo enter the ring to the crowd's applause. Ryuu still displays his casual smile, while Kubo seems focused, his muscles tense like a spring ready to explode. The referee reminds the rules, then the gong sounds. Round 1 Kubo starts strong, moving forward quickly with powerful hooks in an attempt to pin Ryuu. But the latter remains calm, dodging each blow with disconcerting fluidity.
Fan 1: "What is that? He's dancing around like it's training!".
Kubo, frustrated, intensifies his attacks, but Ryuu counterattacks with precision. Each blow Ryuu delivers is quick, sharp, and sends Kubo back. After a series of dodges, Ryuu takes advantage of a moment of opening. He feints with a jab, then lands a devastating jab right in Kubo's face. The latter wavers, stunned. Ryuu wastes no time. He follows up with a hook to the body, followed by a perfect uppercut. Kubo collapses, unable to get up before the count of 10.
[ KO in the first round!]
The crowd explodes, some fans are in shock while others loudly cheer for the young prodigy.
----
In the stands, discussions broke out immediately after the fight.
Fan 1: "What? Is it already over?!"
Fan 2: "He destroyed it! This kid is incredible!"
Fans 3: "It looks like a new monster has arrived in the category."
Sendou, his arms still crossed, displays a smile.
Sendou: "Hmph, interesting. This Ryuu Kaidou… I wonder what it would be like this time in a real ring."
In the Kamogawa Gym members' area, Takamura jumped up from his seat laughing.
Takamura: "I was right! First round, I win! Give me my money, you losers!"
Aoki groans, pulling a bill out of his pocket.
Aoki: "Takamura, you're insufferable. But this kid… he's really something."
Kimura nods.
Kimura: "Yeah. He didn't even sweat. It's scary."
Ippo, meanwhile, watches Ryuu in the ring with admiration.
Ippo: "He's so comfortable and cool …."
After the fight, Ryuu is surrounded by journalists, their microphones held out towards him.
Journalist : "Ryuu, a first round knockout in your professional debut. How do you feel?"
Ryuu responds with his eternal smirk.
Ryuu: "That was just a warm-up. If you think that was impressive, wait until you see what I do next."
A journalist intervenes.
Jounalist: "You seem very confident. Are you already thinking about going for the titles?"
Ryuu looks directly at the camera.
Ryuu: "Of course. I'm not here to play. I'm here to dominate. And believe me, no one in this category is ready for what's coming."
Back at Kamogawa Gym, the atmosphere is festive. Ryuu, although smiling, maintains a certain restraint, already mentally preparing himself for his next challenge. Takamura, with a beer in hand, raises his glass.
Takamura: "To our new monster! Ryuu, you set the bar high. Now you no longer have the right to fail."
Ryuu laughs, raising a glass of water.
Ryuu: "Failing? Not in my vocabulary."
Kamogawa watches the scene from a corner, a discreet smile on his face. Yagi approaches.
Yagi: "It's just a start, but what a start. This boy is really going to make waves."
Kamogawa nods.
Kamogawa: "Yes. But the road is long. He will have to prove again and again that he is worthy of his ambitions."
The episode ends with a view of Ryuu, only a confident smile on his face. He murmurs to himself:
Ryuu: "This is just the beginning."