Chapter 968 - 968: When the Crown Becomes a Joke

Nakahara watches Ryoma disappear from the stage with Hayakawa following behind him. For a moment, he simply stands there, surrounded by the awkward silence left in their wake.

His eyes then move toward Nikolai and his team, who are still gathered nearby, and he lets out a quiet sigh. Whatever Ryoma's reasons might be, someone still has to deal with the mess he has left behind.

"Kurogane, come with me," Nakahara says.

Kurogane raises an eyebrow. "Where?"

"I'm going to apologize."

"For Ryoma?"

"For all of this."

Kurogane sighs, but follows him across the stage.

The Bulgarian team is still gathered around Nikolai, their equipment and belongings spread across the area after the weigh-in. Viktor Sokolov, Nikolai's head trainer, is speaking quietly with one of his assistants when Nakahara approaches.

The broad-shouldered Bulgarian turns toward him, his expression already somewhat guarded.

Nakahara gives him a respectful bow. "I'm sorry about what happened today. Ryoma has been under a lot of pressure lately, and I think the stress may have gotten to him. He wasn't trying to disrespect you or your fighter."

Kurogane translates the apology into English. Viktor listens, then gives a short, humorless laugh.

"That's your apology?"

Kurogane straightens. "We are simply trying to apologize on behalf of our side."

Viktor immediately shakes his head. "No. You are trying to clean up your champion's behavior after he has already insulted my fighter."

"He didn't intend to insult anyone," Kurogane says.

Viktor scoffs. "Then your champion has a strange way of showing respect. He walks away from the weigh-in, leaves my fighter standing there, and you expect me to believe that was not deliberate?"

He then turns toward his team. "Pack everything. We're leaving."

The Bulgarian team immediately begins gathering their belongings. None of them makes any effort to hide the disdain on their faces as they move past Nakahara.

"Doesn't even have the manners to stay for five minutes," Viktor continues muttering angrily in Bulgarian language. "Unbelievable. If that is your idea of a champion, you have a serious problem. Arrogant little bastard. Tomorrow, Nikolai should make him regret acting like he owns the world."

Nakahara remains where he is, watching them leave. Kurogane can no longer make out what Viktor is saying, but Nakahara's expression grows increasingly stiff, and his embarrassment is now impossible to conceal.

The scheduled press conference is effectively canceled now. The reporters immediately turn their attention toward Nikolai and his team, following them across the venue and firing questions as they make their way toward the exit.

"Nikolai! How do you feel about the champion walking out before the press conference?"

"Viktor! Do you think Ryoma is disrespecting your team?"

"Is this going to affect tomorrow's fight?"

Viktor does not stop for any of them. He keeps walking with his team, his expression sour as he continues speaking loudly in Bulgarian, leaving the reporters unable to understand a word of what he is saying.

"This is what they call hospitality here? We came all the way from Bulgaria for this fight, and this is how they treat their guests? What a bunch of people with no manners."

Unlike Viktor, however, Nikolai seems to be enjoying the whole situation. A faint smile forms on his face, as though he has just been handed an unexpected opportunity to continue his psychological warfare, even with Ryoma already gone.

When Nikolai slows his pace and turns back toward the reporters, the microphones immediately swing in his direction.

"Nikolai, what do you make of the champion walking out before the press conference?"

Nikolai gives a small shrug. "Maybe the champion has somewhere more important to be. Considering all the things being said about him lately, I'm starting to wonder if he simply got scared. After the way you people have been treating your own hometown hero, I wouldn't blame him for running away now."

Another reporter raises his microphone. "So you think Ryoma is under pressured?"

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" Nikolai replies, his expression almost innocent. "If that's how a champion behaves before a fight, I wonder what he'll do when I actually start hitting his face in the ring."

***

The entire incident only gives the media more ammunition to attack Ryoma. The reporters who already hate him now have another opportunity to portray his behavior in the worst possible light.

What happened at the weigh-in gives them plenty of material to work with, especially when combined with all the strange incidents that have surrounded Ryoma in recent weeks.

And this time, they do not even need to exaggerate what happened. They simply need to tell the story in a way that makes Ryoma look worse than he already does.

By the end of the day, headlines begin appearing across sports websites, newspapers, and television programs.

RYOMA TAKEDA: WORLD CHAMPION OR JUST AN ARROGANT LITTLE BRAT?

IS RYOMA TAKEDA STILL WORTHY OF BEING CALLED THE FACE OF JAPANESE BOXING?

WORLD CHAMPION WALKS OUT, LEAVING JAPAN TO CLEAN UP HIS MESS.

RYOMA TAKEDA EMBARRASSES JAPAN ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE WITH ARROGANCE AND CHILDISH BEHAVIOR.

And then comes one headline that cuts even deeper.

YOU'D THINK BECOMING A WORLD CHAMPION WOULD MAKE HIM MORE MATURE. IT DIDN'T."

- Ryoma Takeda has become worse than he was as a rookie.

Even an overseas sports discussion program begins discussing Ryoma's ridiculous public image, deliberately showing footage from the weigh-in where the entire Ronin team is no longer wearing masks.

"Wait a minute. Aren't these the same people who were terrified of a global pandemic four months ago?"

The panel bursts into laughter. "For months, Ryoma Takeda has been telling everyone that the world is on the verge of a health catastrophe. He wore a mask everywhere, forced everyone around him to do the same, and apparently had his own theories about pharmaceutical companies secretly preparing to profit from the coming disaster."

The footage freezes on the unmasked Ronin team.

"And now look at them."

Another commentator shakes his head, grinning. "So what happened? Did the virus finally sign a peace treaty with Ryoma?"

The host bursts into laughter. "I suppose we should congratulate him. It only took four months for him to realize that perhaps he was being ridiculous."

"Better late than never."

"Exactly. At least he's finally stopped embarrassing himself… and spared the rest of us from having to listen to any more of his madness."

***

Fortunately, none of that does much to affect the atmosphere at Yoyogi the following day. The boxing fans simply do not care enough about the media narrative to stay home.

Whatever the newspapers and television panels may be saying about Ryoma, the Cruel King Army has grown far too large for a few days of ridicule to make any meaningful difference.

Yoyogi is sold out. The arena is already roaring long before the World Champion himself appear, packed with spectators wearing Ryoma's colors and carrying banners, pamphlets, and flags bearing messages of support.

Along the stands, the Cruel King Army forms an almost continuous wall of noise, their flags waving above the crowd as chants for Ryoma roll through the venue.

"CRUEL KING FOREVER!"

"RYOMA, DEFEND YOUR CROWN!"

"OUR CHAMPION. OUR KING."

"WE STAND WITH RYOMA!"

"ONE KING. ONE CROWN. ONE RYOMA."

"DON'T BELIEVE THE HATERS — BELIEVE THE KING!"

"RYOMA TAKEDA — STILL OUR CHAMPION!"

"CRUEL KING ARMY NEVER BACKS DOWN!"

But then, the moment Nikolai appears, the atmosphere inside Yoyogi changes completely.

The challenger emerges from the entrance tunnel wearing a theatrical robe deliberately modeled after Ryoma's distinctive ceremonial style, complete with a crown sitting on his head.

He even adopts the same exaggerated posture associated with the Cruel King persona, making no attempt to hide what he is doing. It is not subtle, and it is certainly not accidental.

For a brief moment, nearly ten thousand members of the Cruel King Army simply stare at him.

Then the arena erupts. The reaction is immediate and vicious, with thousands of voices drowning each other out as the crowd realizes that Nikolai is deliberately mocking their champion.

"FUCKING COPYCAT!"

"GET YOUR OWN FUCKING PERSONA!"

"CHEAP RIP-OFF!"

"YOU'RE NOT THE CRUEL KING!"

"TAKEDA HAS A CROWN! YOU'RE JUST A FUCKING CLOWN!"

"STOP COPYING OUR KING, ASSHOLE!"

The abuse only grows louder as Nikolai continues walking toward the ring, apparently enjoying every second of it.

Everyone knows about his habit of studying his opponents and taking their weapons for himself, sometimes even turning their own techniques against them.

But this time, Nikolai is doing something far more provocative. He is not copying Ryoma's boxing. He is deliberately copying Ryoma himself.

The two commentators exchange amused glances before quietly laughing.

"Now that's a clever provocation. Nikolai knows exactly what he's doing."

"He's deliberately mocking Ryoma's entire persona. And judging by the crowd's reaction, he's succeeded."

Meanwhile, behind the entrance doors, Ryoma waits for his turn. There is no elaborate robe covering his body, no crown resting on his head, and no trace of the Cruel King persona he normally wears whenever he makes his way toward the ring.

He stands there wearing nothing more than his trunks and gloves, with the WBO world championship belt resting over his shoulder.

For once, there is no performance. Ryoma simply stands in silence, his face completely expressionless. His eyes are cold, almost lifeless, carrying none of the theatrical confidence that usually accompanies his entrance.

He does not seem interested in the crowd. He does not seem interested in Nikolai. He does not even seem interested in the spectacle surrounding his own title defense.

He simply wants it to end. Finish the fight, and return to the sanctuary he has built for himself.