Chapter 554: The Mercer Effect

Since Fujimoto’s purchase pushes the total beyond ten thousand, the pressure that once seeps into every corner of the gym finally loosens. The number is no longer haunting the office walls.

With three weeks left before the weigh-in, Ryoma’s world contracts to something simpler and far more unforgiving, his conditioning.

He stands near the ring as Hiroshi adjusts the timer on his wristwatch. The assistant coach doesn’t carry Nakahara’s authority, but in moments like this, he carries the tempo.

“Today we test endurance under deficit,” Hiroshi says. “No hero pace. Stay efficient.”

Ryoma nods and the jump rope begins; steady rhythm, minimal lift, conserving energy.

Sweat forms quickly, sliding down a frame that has visibly thinned over the past week. His cheekbones are sharper now, but his eyes remain steady.

From a few meters away, Dr. Mizuno observes with a tablet in hand, saying nothing at first. He watches posture, breathing patterns, the subtle tremor in calf muscles that only shows when glycogen runs low.

“Keep the shoulders loose,” Hiroshi reminds him. “Don’t let fatigue climb into your neck.”

Ryoma adjusts immediately, exhaling through his nose, maintaining cadence.

After twelve minutes, Hiroshi signals toward the sled positioned near the wall.

“Push. Controlled distance. Sixty percent power.”

The sled scrapes against the rubber floor as Ryoma leans into it, legs driving in disciplined rhythm rather than explosive bursts. His breathing stays controlled, exactly as prescribed.

This phase is not about power. It is about measured depletion without sacrificing neuromuscular sharpness.

From the side of the ring, Dr. Mizuno studies the data streaming across his tablet, before coming to Hiroshi.

“His hydration is holding so far,” he informs. “Lactate response is within projected range. For now, keep him at this output.”

Hiroshi immediately adjusts, turning back to Ryoma. “You heard him. Maintain your pace. Don’t accelerate.”

Three weeks remain before the scale decides everything. And under careful coordination, the descent continues.

***

August 17, 2017 – Narita International Airport

After weeks of a dry spell in Tokyo’s boxing news, Narita International Airport transforms into a sea of camera lenses. However, the target isn’t boxing gloves or the scent of gym sweat. Entertainment reporters and paparazzi huddle together, bracing for the arrival of the biggest headliners for Summer Sonic 2017

.

The legendary American rock band, Foo Fighters, and the former Oasis frontman, Liam Gallagher, are scheduled to touch down within the hour. The arrival terminal is a chaotic symphony of screaming fans clutching glittery placards.

The sports journalists who usually shadow Ryoma Takeda are nearly invisible here, swallowed by a tide of lifestyle media hungry for rockstar scandals.

But as the sliding glass doors of the international arrival gate hiss open, the figure stepping through is not a man with a guitar or a British rock attitude.

A black man with a lean explosive build, standing roughly 175 cm, strides out. He wears oversized expensive sunglasses and a silk bomber jacket adorned with gold-chain motifs. He is flanked by four massive men who move with the synchronized precision of professional bodyguards.

Suddenly, a senior sports writer from Daily Sports, who happens to be at the airport to cover an unrelated athletic arrival, drops his notebook.

His eyes widen, recognizing the predatory aura that only belongs to a king at the top of the food chain.

“Is that… Celeb Mercer?” he whispers, before his voice explodes into a frantic shout. “CELEB MERCER! THE WBC WORLD CHAMPION IS IN JAPAN!”

In a heartbeat, the camera lenses pivot. The flashes originally reserved for rockstars now rain down on the undefeated king of the lightweight division.

Mercer offers only a razor-thin smile, a predator’s grin that suggests he knows exactly whose stage he is stealing.

The reporters swarm him, abandoning their posts at the gate. A forest of microphones is thrust into his face.

“Mercer-san! What brings the WBC World Champion to Tokyo so suddenly?”

Mercer stops, slowly lowering his sunglasses. “I heard there was a ’Wonderboy’ in Tokyo making a lot of noise. I figured I’d come see for myself if the hype is real or just a well-packaged dream.”

“So you are here specifically for Ryoma Takeda’s OPBF title defense at Yoyogi?” another journalist asks breathlessly.

Mercer chuckles. “I’m here to breathe the air, enjoy the city, and maybe catch a show. But on August 24th? I’ll be in the front row. I want to see if Ryoma is a lion or just a house cat playing in the big leagues.”

With a final mocking wave, Mercer is whisked away by his security toward a waiting black SUV.

The news that had been cold for weeks in Tokyo instantly ignites into a wildfire. One question hangs heavy in the humid August air:

What does a world-reigning king want with a young prospect’s regional title defense?

And with that, the narrative of the Yoyogi mega-event has just been hijacked.

***

Friday, August 18, 2017.

The ’Mercer Effect’ hits Tokyo like a tidal wave. After two weeks of stagnant headlines, the boxing press recovers its scent. If the WBC King is in town, he won’t be the only one.

At Haneda, the strategy of ’stealth’ fails miserably for the WBA Lightweight Champion, Aleksandr Volkov.

As he steps into the arrival hall with his long-time manager, Viktor Sokolov, they are met not by a quiet car, but by a stampede of flashes.

“Viktor, did someone leak the flight path?” Volkov mutters, adjusting his cap as reporters surround them.

But the manager can’t answer, as he’s soon busy shielding his fighter from a barrage of microphones asking if he’s here to scout his future rival, Ryoma Takeda.

***

Fifty miles away at Narita, the media circus finds a different flavor of stardom. Elliot Graves, the WBC 4th-ranked lightweight, is cornered near a currency exchange booth.

While not as decorated as Mercer and Volkov, Elliot is a cult hero in Tokyo after his legendary war against the local veteran, Renji.

“No, no… I’m just here for Summer Sonic music festival,” Elliot insists with a charming grin when asked about the Yoyogi event. “I’m a musician at heart, remember? The Foo Fighters are more my pace than a boxing ring right now.”

“That’s a lie and you know it!” A loud, booming voice interrupts.

Miguel Cabello, the WBC 3rd-ranked contender, saunters up and throws a heavy arm around Elliot’s shoulders. Cabello, the man who recently silenced Tokyo by defeating Renji Kuroiwa, looks directly into the cameras.

“We all know… ever since I beat Renji, the hope of Japan has rested on young Ryoma Takeda’s shoulders,” Cabello declares, his ego palpable. “Every big name in the division is flying to Tokyo because Yoyogi is the ultimate litmus test for that ’Wonderboy.’ If Elliot says he’s not interested, he’s hallucinating.”

Elliot forces a strained laugh as the media eats up the friction. “Well,” Elliot shrugs, “since I’m already here, I might try to catch the fight. If there are any tickets left, that is.”

“VIP is long gone,” a reporter shouts. “You might be stuck in the back rows, far from the cameras, Graves!”

“What a tragedy!” Elliot jokes. “That will make me invisible!”

In the midst of the chaos, a rising K-Pop starlet, Dara Park (from the rookie duo LUNA), watches from the sidelines with her stylist. She recognizes Elliot, not as a fighter, but as the guitarist she follows on social media.

“Is that the London guitarist?” Dara whispers. “I bet he’s here for the Summer Sonic too.”

“That’s Elliot Graves,” her stylist corrects. “But he’s a world-class boxer, Dara. He’s definitely here for the Ryoma Takeda fight on the 24th.”

“Ryoma Takeda? I’ve heard that name before.”

“He’s the hottest sensation this summer! Everyone who’s anyone is going to Yoyogi.”

Dara’s eyes light up. “Should we go too? Since we’re here until the end of the month anyway?”

“If we can find tickets. Ryoma’s fights usually sell out before the first bell.”

Dara eventually approaches Elliot, holding out a small notebook for an autograph. When the surrounding reporters realize she is a rising idol, a few of them quickly pivot their microphones toward her.

“Excuse me! You’re Dara from the group LUNA, right?” one reporter asks, sounding surprised. “Are you actually a fan of boxing? It’s a bit of a brutal sport for someone like you.”

Dara offers a polite, slightly embarrassed smile as she tucks her signed notebook away. “Oh, no. Honestly, I came here for the music and Summer Sonic. But after hearing everyone talk, this Ryoma Takeda match seems too big to miss. Are there still seats available?”

“Plenty,” the reporter chirps. “Yoyogi Arena holds over 12,000 people. About ten thousand are already gone, but you can still grab the rest if you’re quick!”

“Over twelve thousand…” Dara turns to her stylist, her eyes wide. “We should definitely go, right? It sounds like the whole city will be there.”

The narrative shifts instantly. The boycott rumors that haunted the web for weeks evaporate. International tourists, originally in town for Summer Sonic, begin flooding the ticket portals for the Yoyogi’s ’Oriental Vegas’.

By Saturday morning, sales soar toward 11,000. And the ’stagnant’ event is suddenly the most exclusive ticket in Tokyo.

However, the mood shifts quickly on the same day. Reporters still lurking at the airport are stunned to see Arman Sargsyan, the OPBF 2nd-ranked Welterweight, finally touch down. He is scheduled to fight Kenta on the Yoyogi undercard in just five days.

“Four days until the weigh-in?” a journalist whispers in disbelief. “They just got here?”

The media swarms Sargsyan the moment he clears customs, their cameras flashing incessantly. The atmosphere is thick with suspicion.

“Sargsyan-san! Why arrive only four days before the weigh-in?”

“Is there a problem with the weight cut? Are you struggling to hit the limit?”

“How can you possibly adjust to the Tokyo humidity in time for the Yoyogi event?”

Sugiarto, the manager, tells Yohannes, the head coach, and the young staffers, form a human shield around their fighter.

“No comments!” Sugiarto barks, his hands outspread to clear a path. “Move aside!”

“Is the fight with Kenta still on?” a persistent blogger asks.

Yohannes doesn’t look back, his hand firmly gripping the shoulder of a weary-looking Arman.

“Arman is a professional. We have everything under control.”

They practically drag Arman toward the waiting taxi.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep