VISION GRID SYSTEM: THE COMEBACK OF RYOMA TAKEDA

Chapter 454: International Relevance

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, West Melbourne — February 28th

The press room is bright, orderly, and deliberately neutral. Rows of chairs face a long table dressed with microphones and placards.

Ryoma sits there because the OPBF requires it, because titles must be accounted for, explained, and acknowledged in public, whether the winner feels ready or not.

The table at the front of the room is already set. The OPBF belt rests there in its case, lid open, gold catching the overhead lights without trying to.

In his right hand, he turns a cold bottle of Surge Blue slowly, label half-hidden by his fingers. No one told him to bring it. This isn’t an Aqualis event. He just knows his roles, and he does it simply because he wants.

An OPBF official steps forward first. He introduces himself, thanks the host city, the sanctioning bodies, both camps. His voice carries easily.

“On February twenty-fifth,” he says, “the OPBF Lightweight Championship bout concluded by technical knockout in the fifth round. After medical consultation and communication from the defending champion’s corner, the referee made the decision to stop the contest.”

He pauses, allowing the words to land.

“We recognize the intensity of the bout and the concern shown by fans worldwide. After review, the OPBF stands by the decision. Boxer safety remains paramount.”

Ryoma listens, hands still, eyes forward. The phrasing is familiar, clean and impersonal.

The official turns slightly toward him. “We also formally acknowledge Ryoma Takeda as the new OPBF Lightweight Champion.”

A ripple of shutters fires. The belt seems heavier on the table than it did a moment ago.

The official steps back, but before the moderator can move on, another man approaches the podium, this one representing the WBC.

The shift is subtle, but it’s felt. A few reporters straighten, pens hover. Curiosity flares, what a WBC representative doing here.

“Following internal review,” the WBC representative begins, “the organization has elected to place Mr. Takeda at number seven in the WBC Lightweight rankings, effective immediately.”

For half a second, the room doesn’t react.

Then it does; chairs shift, a low murmur spreads, contained but unmistakable. Someone mutters a quiet curse of surprise. Cameras reframe instinctively, lenses tightening on Ryoma’s face.

The representative continues, unfazed. “This decision reflects several considerations: performance against a reigning OPBF champion on foreign ground, composure under pressure, and demonstrated technical ability across multiple rounds.”

Ryoma’s fingers tighten slightly around the bottle. Rank seven, he hadn’t been told about it. The announcement surprises him despite himself.

“This ranking does not imply an immediate title mandate,” the man adds, already anticipating the next wave of questions. “But it recognizes Mr. Takeda as a contender of international relevance.”

International relevance. The phrase echoes strangely in Ryoma’s head. He keeps his expression neutral, eyes steady, as if this were news he’d expected all along. But his heart is beating fast now.

The moderator thanks the representative and finally gestures toward Ryoma.

“Champion,” he says, “we’ll begin with your statement.”

Ryoma leans forward a fraction. The microphone catches the small sound of his breath.

“First,” he says, voice calm, measured, “I want to acknowledge Jade McConnel. He’s a champion, and I wish him a full recovery. I respect what he brought into that ring.”

He pauses, choosing his next words carefully.

“This fight happened under difficult circumstances, for both of us. I did my job. He did his. The outcome is what it is.”

It’s a safe answer, professional, the kind that doesn’t invite trouble.

Questions begin to come. Early ones are predictable; his injuries, the short notice, the weight cut. Ryoma answers them evenly, never saying more than necessary. He keeps his gaze level, never lingering on any single reporter for too long.

The belt sits between him and the room, a constant reminder of what he’s being asked to represent.

Then a hand goes up near the middle row. The reporter doesn’t rush. He waits until the moderator’s eyes meet his.

“Yes,” the moderator says. “You.”

The man stands, accent unmistakably Australian, tone polite, almost concerned.

“Ryoma,” he begins, “there’s been a lot of discussion about Jade McConnel’s condition. Reports suggest his injuries may threaten his ability to return to the ring. Given that… do you feel any sense of responsibility for the extent of the damage he suffered?”

The room stills. Even the cameras seem to pause, lenses fixed, waiting.

Ryoma doesn’t answer immediately. His eyes flick briefly to the belt, then back to the reporter. The bottle in his hand is cold enough to ground him.

“I fought within the rules,” he says finally. “And the fight was stopped by officials, not by me.”

The reporter doesn’t sit. “But do you feel remorse?”

The word lands harder than any statistic.

Ryoma inhales slowly, aware of the weight of every camera, every assumption layered into the question. He thinks of the missing minute. Of the pain in his hands. Of a win he still doesn’t fully remember earning.

“I respect the risks of this sport,” he says. “We all accept them when we step into the ring.”

It’s not an answer, not really. But it’s enough to hold the line.

Around him, the room shifts again, energy tightening, sensing that something has cracked open, even if it doesn’t yet know how deep it goes.

***

Melbourne Airport — March 2nd

The terminal is already busy when they arrive.

Patrick Wilson’s minibus pulls up to the curb with practiced ease, hazard lights blinking as staff move around them. The arrangement should have ended days ago, the host camp’s responsibility technically finished on the 28th.

But Patrick is here anyway, stepping out first to open the rear doors as if it were always part of the plan.

Luggage comes down one by one. Equipment cases. Duffels. The last of it handled without hurry.

Patrick waits until everything is clear before speaking. “Before you go,” he says, glancing briefly at Ryoma, “Jade asked me to pass something along.”

Ryoma looks up.

“He said congratulations,” Patrick continues. “And… thank you. For not holding back. He meant it.”

The words land without ceremony, no embellishment, no apology folded into them.

Ryoma gives a small nod, nothing more.

For a moment, his mind drifts, not to the fight, but to the first day he arrived. Jade standing right here on this curb, smiling easily, hand outstretched like this was just another job, another night.

The warmth had been genuine. That memory still tightens something in his chest. He just doesn’t let it show.

“Please tell him,” Ryoma says, “I wish him a smooth recovery.” He pauses, choosing the rest carefully. “And thank you. For the opportunity.”

Patrick inclines his head, listening.

“And if any of you come to Japan,” Ryoma adds, quieter now, “don’t forget to call. I’ll return the hospitality.”

Patrick’s expression softens. “I’ll make sure he hears that.”

They shake hands, firm and brief. Patrick steps back, giving them space as airport staff wave them forward.

Boarding passes are checked. The rhythm of departure resumes.

Ryoma takes one last look across the curb, the place already emptied of meaning now that it’s passed. Whatever remains between him and Jade McConnel won’t be resolved here.

He turns and follows the others inside. The automatic doors slide shut behind them, sealing the moment where it belongs.

As they start toward the terminal, Ryoma slows for a step. He turns back once, the weight of the title settling on him for the first time.

For a long time, people used to call him the Cruel King. The name followed him across divisions, across borders, spoken with a kind of awe he never bothered to correct.

He understands it better now. Not as an image, or a reputation, but as consequence. What that cruelty leaves behind when the lights are gone and the belts are being processed somewhere else.

Ryoma doesn’t dwell on it. He doesn’t reach for an answer. The question settles instead, unspoken and unresolved, carried forward with him as he turns back toward the terminal.

Whether that is what he wants to become, he doesn’t know yet.