VISION GRID SYSTEM: THE COMEBACK OF RYOMA TAKEDA

Ryoma’s moral instincts refuse to let the matter rest. Without thinking further, he reaches for his phone and calls Detective Tachibana.

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”Well, at least he can help me make sure of it,” Ryoma says as he waits for the call to connect.

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The warning affects Ryoma, and doubt begins creeping back into his mind. But before he can reconsider, the call connects.

[Hey, Ryoma? Is that you?]

”Ah... yes. Detective, it’s me.”

[Yeah. What is it?]

”Sorry if I’m disturbing you. I just wanted to ask about the progress of the Hayashida Muneyaki case.”

[About that case...]

”I was just wondering whether it really has something to do with someone potentially targeting my life. You see, I’ll be flying to London next month for my title defense, and I’m feeling a little uneasy with all these unanswered questions.”

[I wouldn’t rule it out. But I’m currently at a dead end. We have almost no useful leads.]

[Whoever staged the murder to look like suicide did a terrible job. Yet somehow, the killer left almost nothing behind. Practically nothing.]

Ryoma falls silent. His pragmatic side slowly surfaces, bringing a small sense of relief. Perhaps this will never lead back to him.

But then, something inside him immediately recoils at the idea, realizing that the thought sound like a murderer relieved at the possibility he might get away with it.

[Ryoma... are you still there?]

”Ah, yes.”

[Is there anything else?]

”No, nothing. Thank you for the information. I’ll call again if I happen to find anything useful from my side.”

[Heh... Don’t tell me you’re trying to investigate this yourself now.]

Ryoma forces a small chuckle. ”I’m not trying to play detective and solve Muneyaki’s death. But I still need to be careful. I’m convinced Hugo Ramirez isn’t acting alone.”

[I would suggest you consider hiring Hayakawa’s team again.]

Ryoma pauses for a moment before answering. ”I’ll think about it.”

[You know, Ryoma, ants will keep coming as long as there’s sugar.]

[Taking into account your financial situation now, I’m fairly certain you and your family have become targets for criminals. If hiring the entire team feels too expensive, at least consider having Hayakawa-san work as your personal bodyguard on a daily basis.]

[You can always bring his entire team when you travel overseas or during training camps. That way, you won’t have to maintain the full team around you all the time.]

Ryoma remains silent for a moment before speaking again. ”Thank you, Detective. I appreciate the advice, and I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.”

***

Days turn into weeks, yet the investigation into Hayashida Muneyaki’s death appears to go nowhere. Tachibana and the police remain convinced it was homicide, but they keep that conclusion within the investigation while allowing the media to treat it as suicide.

A handful of people who dislike Ryoma, whether out of envy or genuine distrust, seize on the incident to attack his public image. News reports occasionally invite sports commentators who argue that the controversy reflects Ronin’s poor treatment of its fans.

One sports commentator goes further, criticizing the Tokyo Dome event directly.

”Ryoma’s popularity has grown beyond what the Tokyo Dome can accommodate, and that isn’t his fault. But when a disappointed fan approaches you because they couldn’t get a ticket, you should know how to respond properly. You don’t accuse them of being a fake fan simply because they couldn’t get inside.”

Social media also begins filling with criticism as the controversy surrounding Muneyaki’s death continues to spread. Some users repeat the commentators’ concerns, while others focus more directly on Ronin’s silence.

@MasamuneBoxingFan: ”Forget the ticket controversy for a moment. A man is dead, and there has been absolutely no response from @Ronin or @RyomaTakeda.”

@MikaSportsTalk: ”Not blaming @RyomaTakeda. But is it really so difficult to offer condolences to Muneyaki’s family?”

@JPNFightObserver: ”If @Ronin genuinely has nothing to hide, why has there been complete silence from their side?”

@Hana_92: ”Whatever happened between @RyomaTakeda and that fan, someone has died. His family deserves at least a statement of sympathy.”

@BoxingTruthJP: ”This is becoming harder to ignore. @Ronin keeps talking about business, ticket sales, and success while Muneyaki’s family is left dealing with his death.”

Of course, not everyone agrees with the criticism. Many Tokyo-based fans, along with several verified members of the Cruel King Army, begin pushing back against the growing narrative that Ryoma somehow bears responsibility for Muneyaki’s death.

@CruelKing_07: ”Everyone seems to have forgotten that Muneyaki tried to kill Ryoma. He stabbed Ryohei when Ryohei tried to protect him and destroyed a champion’s career for over a year.”

@TokyoRoninFan: ”People are seriously acting like Muneyaki’s death is somehow Ryoma’s fault. Since when did being the victim of an attempted murder make you responsible for what happens to the attacker?”

@CruelKingArmyJP: ”Feeling sympathy for a criminal can be a noble thing. But if you cannot feel sympathy for him, that does not make you as evil as he was.”

@RyomaEmpire: ”This is karma. You try to break the law and run from responsibility, but your own conscience can still punish you. Whatever happened inside Muneyaki’s head was his own internal struggle. It had nothing to do with Ryoma.”

@CKA_Samurai: ”Anyone who wants to sympathize with Muneyaki is free to do so. But if I don’t feel sympathy for that bastard, don’t fucking judge me for it.”

@TokyoFightSoul: ”No sympathy for criminals. Especially not someone who tried to murder Ryoma and left Ryohei unable to fight for a year and a half.”

Ryoma occasionally reads the harsh criticism and watches the commentary surrounding Muneyaki’s death. Unfortunately, as though deliberately shielding himself from any sense of relief, he remains unaware of how many people are still defending him.

His training continues as usual. From the outside, he looks like the emotionless Cruel King everyone expects, hammering the heavy bag without holding anything back.

BAM!

BAM! BAM!

Dud. Dug. BAM!

Dud. BAM! BAM!

Dug. BAM! BAM! Dud. BAM! BAM! BAM!

Yet inside, he cannot escape the judgment he has already passed upon himself. If he truly took another man’s life, then the guilt feels necessary, almost like proof that he has not become some remorseless psychopath incapable of feeling anything.

Whatever people outside say about tickets, disappointed fans, or Ronin’s silence no longer matters to him. Because inside his own mind, Ryoma has already begun seeing himself as a murderer.

His flight has already been arranged. In a few days, he and his team will leave for London, while his opponent has already been confirmed.

The coaching and management staff have analyzed Malik Adebayo extensively, gathering every available piece of footage and material to prepare for the fight.

But Ryoma’s attention never settles on Malik Adebayo. His opponent might have already been waiting for him in London.

To Ryoma, however, his real enemy is himself.