VISION GRID SYSTEM: THE COMEBACK OF RYOMA TAKEDA - Chapter 653: The Punch That Shouldn’t Hurt
Chapter 653: The Punch That Shouldn’t Hurt
Archie completes his final motion, his gloves settling back into position as his breathing evens out, controlled and quiet.
He slowly lifts his gaze toward Ryoma, and the friendly expression he wore earlier fades without a trace, as if it never existed in the first place.
The corners of his mouth flatten, his eyes narrowing slightly, cold and steady, carrying a quiet intent that feels so odd.
There is no wasted movement in him now, no unnecessary tension, just a stillness that feels heavier than before, like something has shifted beneath the surface.
“Are you ready, kid?” Archie asks, his voice calm, almost casual, but lacking any warmth.
Ryoma notices it immediately, and he doesn’t answer to him. Instead, he steps forward slightly and sets his stance, his guard rising as his eyes lock onto Archie, sharper now, more focused than before.
“Aramaki, the bell!”
Aramaki reacts at once, turning quickly and moving toward the bell without hesitation, his expression tightening as he senses the change in atmosphere.
He raises his hand and strikes it cleanly.
Ding!
Archie steps forward the moment the bell echoes, his lead foot sliding in first as his left hand rises, already alive with small, twitching movements.
His jab snaps out instantly, sharp and disciplined, cutting straight toward Ryoma’s face with almost no telegraph.
Ryoma shifts his head slightly to the outside, his right glove lifting just enough to guide the punch away as his feet slide back, giving ground without breaking balance.
Another jab follows, then a subtle feint, Archie’s left shoulder twitching before the real punch shoots out again with even tighter form.
Ryoma reacts again, parrying this time, but the pressure builds as Archie keeps stepping in, his reach allowing him to touch space Ryoma hasn’t fully exited yet.
The rhythm sets quickly, left hands only. Jab, slight pause, lead hook, then back to jab, each motion controlled, each extension measured, while their right hands hover, busy with small feints and threats.
Archie’s jab remains consistent, snapping in with precision, forcing Ryoma to keep moving, circling, shifting angles, using almost the entire ring to stay just outside clean contact.
Ryoma keeps his composure, but his movement becomes more active, his feet rarely settling as he adjusts to the longer reach and the disciplined timing in front of him.
<< He’s clearly not an amateur >>
<< If he were a professional, he’d be world level >>
Ryoma accepts the assessment, but he cannot recall anyone like this among the world-level names, neither in Lightweight nor Super Lightweight.
Archie presses forward with quiet intent, not rushing, but always present, his lead hand dictating the pace, tapping, probing, interrupting Ryoma’s rhythm before it fully forms.
Ryoma stays reactive at first, reading, slipping, parrying, letting the jabs brush against his guard while avoiding clean impact, his eyes locked on Archie’s shoulder and lead hand.
A lead hook comes from Archie, tight and sudden. Ryoma leans back just enough to let it pass, but the follow-up jab arrives immediately, forcing him to step off-line again.
The space shrinks and expands with each exchange. But little by little, Ryoma is guided toward the corner as the ring is taken from him inch by inch.
<< You can’t keep giving ground >>
<< Make a move >>
Ryoma exhales softly, then begins to answer. His own left hand starts to come alive.
A jab shoots out, fast and straight, meeting Archie’s glove mid-path.
Tap.
Another follows, this time angling slightly inward, touching lightly against Archie’s upper chest before withdrawing just as quickly.
The dynamic shifts. Ryoma no longer just evades, but he starts to contest. His lead hook flicks out, not with full commitment, but enough to disrupt, to force Archie to respect the return threat.
Archie adjusts immediately, his own jab snapping back in response, meeting Ryoma’s glove again in a quick clash.
Tap.
Tap-tap.
Tap-tap. Dp. Tap.
Glove meets glove. Feint answers with feint as the pace tightens.
***
Around the half-minute mark, the exchange evolves into something more intricate; a quiet war of jabs.
Both men stand just within range, neither overcommitting, both constantly reading, their lead hands moving in near-constant motion.
Jab, feint, jab, slight angle, lead hook, then reset. Each movement draws a reaction. Each feint tests a response.
Their right hands stay disciplined, twitching occasionally, threatening, but never fully committing, serving only to create openings that neither fully takes.
Punches begin to miss by inches. Some cut through empty air. Some collide mid-line, glove against glove with soft, repetitive taps.
Then finally, forty second in, Ryoma manages to slip one jab through, grazing Archie’s upper chest.
Dsh!
Then another brushes against the top of his shoulder.
Dsh!
But they are all just light contact, barely leaving any damage. Nothing clean, nothing decisive.
Sensing the shift, Archie changes his approach. He no longer forces speed into his punches, instead focusing on control, using his reach to dictate the space between them.
A few probing jabs come out, not meant to land, but to occupy the distance, to claim the space and limit Ryoma’s movement.
Then suddenly, his left hand extends again, but this time it doesn’t snap, but lingers. His glove presses lightly against Ryoma’s face, more like a restraint than a strike, disrupting his vision for a split second.
And for the first time, his right hand moves with real intent.
“Let’s see how you react to this…”
Ryoma doesn’t panic. He shifts his head slightly, adjusting his angle to regain a clear line of sight.
He sees the right cross comes, and raises his right palm to catch it clean.
Dp.
Right at that moment, his expression changes immediately, sensing something off.
“What was that…?”
Instinct takes over. Ryoma pulls back, creating distance in one quick step.
But Archie follows instantly, his left arm extending again, not as a punch, but as a firm shove that forces Ryoma back toward the ropes.
The pressure closes in, and a right hook comes next.
Ryoma adjusts, turning his stance into a bladed angle as he slips into a Philly Shell, letting the punch crash against his shoulder.
Dugh!
The impact travels deeper than expected. And a sharp sting shoots through his arm.
“That hurts…”
“What kind of punch was that?”
Archie keeps pressing, his rhythm tightening as he fires a quick combination.
Two jabs. A lead hook. Then a right cross.
Ryoma responds on instinct, parrying, rolling, deflecting each strike with controlled efficiency. But the moment he catches the right cross again with his right palm…
“There it is…”
He feels that same unnatural feedback. And this time, there’s no hesitation in his judgment.
<< There’s something hard beneath his glove >>
<< And that’s not just knuckle >>
<< It’s something metal, and destructive >>
