The bell rang.
Sharp. Clean. Absolute.
Sound crashed through the arena like a switch being flipped, and the noise that followed felt distant—muffled behind adrenaline and focus.
Narumi moved first.
No hesitation. No feint. Just forward.
His feet advanced in short, deliberate steps, shoulders slightly hunched, gloves high and compact. He didn't rush, but he didn't pause either. Every step closed space, every angle taken with purpose.
Jin felt the ring compress instantly.
So this is it.
He slid to his left.
Not backward—sideways.
Narumi noticed immediately.
His lead foot adjusted, cutting the angle cleanly, herding Jin toward the ropes. The crowd reacted with a swell of noise as Narumi threw his first punch—a probing jab aimed not at Jin's head, but his chest.
Jin caught it on his glove and pivoted.
The rope brushed his back.
Just barely.
Coach Kagawa's voice cut through the noise. "Don't give him the line."
Jin moved.
Narumi followed.
Pressure wasn't violent. It was persistent.
Narumi threw another jab, then a short hook behind it. Jin slipped inside the hook, shoulders tight, guard compact, and stepped into Narumi's space instead of away from it.
The crowd gasped.
Narumi felt it.
His eyes sharpened as Jin's shoulder brushed his chest, breaking rhythm. Jin fired a tight right to the body—not hard, but precise—then slid out before Narumi could answer.
The ring murmured.
Narumi smiled.
Good.
The next exchange came faster.
Narumi advanced again, cutting off Jin's escape routes with subtle footwork. He wasn't chasing—he was guiding. Jin tried to circle, and Narumi's feet were already there, blocking the path.
Jin's breathing stayed steady.
He stopped trying to outrun pressure.
He let it come.
Narumi stepped in with a left hook aimed at the head.
Jin slipped under it and countered with a short left of his own. Glove met cheek—clean, sharp, but not crushing.
Narumi answered immediately.
A right straight snapped into Jin's guard, forcing him back a half-step. Narumi followed with a body shot that thudded deep into Jin's side.
The crowd roared.
Jin exhaled sharply—but stayed upright.
No retreat.
Just adjustment.
From the corner, Coach Kagawa watched closely.
"He's shaping the ring," he thought. "Good."
Narumi pressed harder now, sensing resistance instead of retreat. His punches came in compact bursts—jab, hook, body, reset. No wasted movement. No reckless swings.
Jin absorbed what he had to, blocked what he could, and moved when space allowed.
Not fast.
Exact.
Midway through the round, Jin changed rhythm.
He slid right instead of left.
Narumi adjusted late.
Just late enough.
Jin stepped inside the pressure and fired a tight three-punch combination—left to the body, right to the guard, short left upstairs. The punches weren't thrown for power, but timing.
Narumi took them cleanly and answered with a hook that grazed Jin's temple.
Both men separated instinctively.
Breathing heavier now.
Eyes locked.
Respect settled between them—not friendly, not hostile.
Earned.
The final minute came hard.
Narumi surged forward, trying to claim the round with volume. Jin stayed composed, slipping, blocking, pivoting. The ropes brushed his back once more—but this time he stepped forward immediately, shoulder-first, reclaiming space.
The crowd rose to its feet.
Punches exchanged in the pocket.
Gloves snapped.
Bodies collided.
Neither man broke.
The bell rang again.
Round one ended with both fighters standing their ground, chests rising and falling, eyes still sharp.
Narumi nodded once.
Jin nodded back.
Round one belonged to no one.
END OF CHAPTER
Author's Note (Bonus Chapter):
This is a Power Stones Bonus Chapter, made possible thanks to TheBuns 🙏
Your continued support genuinely means a lot and helps keep this series going strong. Thank you to everyone reading — please comment, vote, and add the story to your library if you enjoyed this chapter!
Next up: Round Two 🥊🔥