Ippo : The Fists of Renewal

It was already late at night when Ryoji walked through the dimly lit streets of his new city. The night air was cooler than he had expected, and the store signs were gradually closing. He had just left his small, dilapidated apartment, a gift from the old man of the house whom he considered almost like a father.

His past never stopped haunting him. He was not a hero, nor a vigilante. He lived by his own rules, and the idea of ​​getting involved in other people's affairs seemed futile to him. Yet, the old man's words still resonated in him.

"You have a new chance, over there. Try to live a little. Try to change. Not for me, nor for the others... but for yourself."

A scream caught his attention at the turn of an alley. He turned his head and saw a young girl, her back against the wall, surrounded by three visibly drunk men. One of them held her wrist as she tried to struggle

Ryoji looked away. It wasn't his problem. He took a step forward… but his fists clenched.

"If you want to change…"

He sighed deeply before turning and walking towards them.

"Let go of her."

The three men turned their heads, surprised. One of them burst out laughing:

"Well, well, a vigilante?"

Ryoji didn't answer and continued walking forward.

"Get lost, kid, before you regret opening your big mouth." He still didn't answer. He knew how this was going to end.

The next moment, he threw his first punch. A straight punch to the chin of the guy holding the girl. A loud crack sounded, and the man collapsed. The other two reacted immediately. A hook! Ryoji dodged it with a fluid step and countered with a devastating uppercut. One last one remained standing, hesitant. Ryoji fixed him with a cold gaze.

"Go ahead, try."

The man took a step back, but just as he was about to run away, he saw an empty bottle on the ground grab him and throw it with all its might. Ryoji didn't have time to dodge. The glass shattered against his skull. The pain was immediate.

A hot liquid flowed down his temple. He staggered slightly, his vision blurred, but he refused to fall. He moved forward again. One. Two. Three blows. He didn't stop. Fatigue was getting to him. His body was screaming to stop. But he couldn't give up. One last punch. The last guy collapsed.

Ryoji exhaled slowly, then wiped the blood from his forehead. That's when he saw him. A large man, with a massive build and an amused smile on his face. Takamura Mamoru was watching him from across the street, arms crossed.

He approached slowly, his gaze shining with admiration and intrigue.

"You've got some great instincts, kid."

Ryoji ignored him and turned to the girl he had just helped. "You can go." She nodded, trembling, before running away without asking for more.

Takamura whistled: "Seriously, where did you learn to fight like that? You have potential, that's undeniable."

Ryoji, still out of breath, replied coldly:

"I didn't need help."

Takamura burst out laughing.

Maybe. But if you really want to use your fists, come to Kamogawa Hall. There, you can punch without the risk of the police on your tail."

Ryoji frowned. "Not interested." He walked past Takamura without giving him another glance.

Takamura shrugged, a smirk on his face. "You'll change your mind."

----

A few days later...

Ryoji was walking down a deserted street when he felt a presence behind him. A bad feeling. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"It's been a while, Ryoji." A voice he knew all too well. He turned around slowly and saw five guys from his old high school.

"Did you think we were going to let what you did to us go?"

They moved forward. Ryoji tried to go around them but the 5 guys surrounded him and Ryoji didn't hesitate anymore and struck first. The fight started immediately.

One. Two. Three guys on the ground.

But this time... he didn't come out unscathed. He felt his strength leaving him, his body heavy. And even after defeating the 5 guys for the first time in a long time, he felt an emptiness, usually he would have felt a sense of accomplishment, but today none of that. An emptiness that he didn't understand.

Thinking back to the old man from the home, a thought crossed his mind.

"I want to change."

He staggered towards the place where he had first seen Takamura.

A few moments later, he finally found the imposing figure of the boxer leaving the Kamogawa gym.

"Is the offer still standing?" he asked, out of breath. Takamura stopped and slowly turned his head towards him. A smile stretched across his lips:

"Of course. But you'll have to earn it."

He motioned for him to follow him to the park. He walked towards a tree, gave a powerful punch to the trunk and watched the leaves fall. In a split second, he launched a series of jabs and managed to catch ten leaves before they hit the ground. He turned to Ryoji.

"If you want to join the gym, you have a weekend to do the same. But believe me, it's too..."

he hadn't finished speaking when Ryoji hit the tree. he tried to catch the leaves as fast as possible and managed to catch 7 of them which completely shocked Takamura.

Takamura raised an eyebrow, impressed:

"Not bad at all."

He let him practice, amused at how determined the kid was. That evening, as Takamura was returning home from practice, he saw Ryoji running toward him, out of breath... with ten sheets in his hand.

Takamura crossed his arms and burst out laughing:

"You're a monster, kid."

Ryoji gave a wry smile, for the first time in a long time. Takamura put a hand on his shoulder.

"Tomorrow, we start, so... be ready ."

The wind blew lightly in the night, carrying Ryoji's past with it. A new beginning awaited him now.