Chapter 982 - 982: A Debt Unpaid

Ryoma only said one angry sentence, and that was enough. Just hours after those words left the champion's mouth, now the media is already running with them like they've been waiting all year.

RYOMA FINALLY ANSWERS UMEMOTO!

TOKYO VS OSAKA: WHO IS THE REAL KING?

UMEMOTO DRAGS RYOMA INTO WAR!

THE CHAMPION IS COMING TO OSAKA!

EASTERN BOXING HAS A NEW ENEMY!

Before long, it's not just Ryoma and Umemoto anymore.

Tokyo has a champion, while Osaka has a monster. Ryoma has his Cruel King Army, while Umemoto has his Rampaging Horde.

And somehow, that is enough to turn a boxing match into a regional blood feud.

Old interviews are dug up, old insults get dragged back into circulation, and every stupid little thing either man has ever said is suddenly treated like ammunition.

By now, the belt is almost beside the point. This is East versus West, and nobody in the media seems particularly interested in letting either side forget it.

Even on social media, the rivalry quickly becomes uglier. Supporters from both sides flood the platforms, turning every interview clip and headline into ammunition.

@OsakaBeast91: "Umemoto didn't need the WBO to order anything. He called Ryoma out, and the coward finally took the bait."

@TokyoFightClub: "Funny how Osaka celebrates one win like Umemoto already owns a world title. He hasn't even fought Ryoma yet."

@NaniwaPunch: "Ryoma's belt is about to take a trip west. Hope he packed his bags."

@EastSideBoxingJP: "Umemoto beat Liam. Ryoma destroyed him. One needed seven rounds to finish the job. Ryoma had him out before the fight even got close to that. Stop pretending these two performances were the same."

Within hours, the arguments spread far beyond boxing fans, with each side insisting the other is living in a fantasy.

Unfortunately, the WBO seems to have looked at the Ryoma-Umemoto mess and thought, "You know what this needs? A bit more drama"

The latest contender rankings put Derick Allen at number one after the Jamaican fighter, previously sitting at number four, beats Sherwin Parry, who had been ranked second. Liam O'Connell falls from number one to number three after losing to Umemoto, while Umemoto moves up to number two.

Which, considering this is only his second fight at world level, is an insanely fast climb. Umemoto has barely finished kicking the door into the top of the division and he's already standing right behind the man with the belt.

For Ryoma, though, the timing couldn't be much worse. He can't go back on his words now, and will have to consider squeezing in a voluntary defense somewhere along the way.

After all, with everything has been said to the media, Umemoto's camp certainly isn't going to let him off the hook.

"Forget the rankings," Ishimaru says, tossing the newspapers onto the table. "The idiot walked straight into it. He stood in front of every camera in the country and promised he'd come to Osaka. Now we don't have to chase him anymore. We just have to close the trap."

One of his assistants shifts slightly on the sofa, looking less convinced. . "There is one problem, though. Ryoma only has five months left before his mandatory defense is due, and I'm sure that's going to be his priority. If we want him to take a fight with Umemoto before then, we'll have to work around that schedule and give him a reason to accept. We can't push too hard and risk his camp backing away from us again."

He pauses, tapping one of the papers on the coffee table. "And then there's the purse. If we're serious about bringing him here, we're going to have to make the offer attractive. His market value is extremely high right now."

"Make it next month," Umemoto says. "I don't really care. And if you find money the problem, you can allocate part of my purse to bring him."

He then leans back in his chair, his expression completely serious. "For this one, I don't care about the money. I just want to be in the same ring with him."

Ishimaru and the rest of the staff watch the hunger in Umemoto's face, and somehow, that is enough to give them the confidence to bet everything on it.

"Alright," Ishimaru says, turning to the manager. "Kamiya. Get everything ready today. We're going to Tokyo tomorrow morning."

Kamiya nods once and immediately moves toward his desk, already pulling together the documents they intend to put in front of Ryoma.

Ishimaru turns to Umemoto and gestures toward the door, signaling for him to head back to training.

"Enough talking. We have a fight to prepare for."

Umemoto gets to his feet and follows his trainer toward the door. They are almost out when Kamiya calls after them.

"Wait. I just thought of something."

Ishimaru and Umemoto stop and then glance back toward him.

"Isn't their manager someone who used to work here?" Kamiya asks.

"You mean Kurogane?" Ishimaru says. "What about him?"

"Well, considering the history between you two, maybe he could make the negotiation easier. Do you still have his number?"

Ishimaru looks at Umemoto. The two exchange a brief glance, and neither of them seems particularly pleased by the suggestion.

For a moment, neither man says anything. The name alone is enough to bring back a history neither of them has any interest in discussing.

Kurogane had not simply walked away from them; he had left behind enough bad blood that even hearing his name after all these years could sour the mood in a room.

And now, of all people, they were going to walk into his office and ask him to help make a fight happen. The thought clearly doesn't sit well with either of them.

Without even giving the suggestion a second thought, Ishimaru turns toward the door.

"Forget it. He's on the other side now."

Umemoto follows a moment later, his face no less sour than Ishimaru's, and the two disappear into the corridor.

Kamiya looks slightly disappointed by Ishimaru's response, but before he can say anything, two of the other staff members draw his attention from across the room.

"He didn't exactly leave on good terms," one of them says.

"Don't expect Kurogane to make things easier for us," the other adds. "If anything, you should be prepared for him to make the whole negotiation more difficult."

The first man gives a faint, knowing smile. "There's a reason those two don't like hearing Kurogane's name... and it's the same reason they've been so damn obsessed with beating Ryoma Takeda and bringing Ronin down."