01x07 - The Advent of the Devil

[bunniefuu]

I've been fighting to get it all for awhile

Running towards my dream at mach 50

Whirling winds tear through the sky

and I promise to become better than I was yesterday

The blue sky got twisted up with dark clouds

The wind that I waited for pressed onto my shoulder

and in my hand I grasped onto

The flash from a thunderbolt out of the blue

When I stopped running after so long

and opened these fists that have been thrown so often

Inside of them were traces

of the first step I'd taken to make it here

Tomorrow will take care of itself

Tears will come as the winds continue until morning

And to us as we grew it was like

A thunderbolt out of the blue

Now it's begun!

The WBA World Featherweight Title Match!

Who will have his name engraved in
history as the strongest featherweight?

A left!

Another left!

It lands as the champion's hand was knocked aside!

Round 7: Devil's Advent

The opening hit is a left from the challenger!

H-He hit him!

But I couldn't hit him no matter what kind of feint I used.

Cheap feints won't make a difference against that guy.

The old man intended to hit him right from the start.

So he busted his guard open with that first left...

...and then slammed one home while he was open!

On the world stage, sometimes being
aggressive is more useful than fancy tactics.

That's Date-san for you.

Well, now the champion's gonna get serious too!

The old man sure started things off with a bang!

Date moves in!

He's not letting the champion get into his rhythm!

Sorry,

but there's no way in hell I'm
letting you get into your rhythm,

Once that happens, you dominate a lopsided match!

! learned that the hard way seven years ago!

The challenger is throwing combos!

He's pushed the champion to the ropes already!

He's using a fighter-type approach similar to Ippo's style.

Don't get the wrong idea.

Keeping a solid form and countering
things calmly is his post-retirement style.

So that's...

Suppressive boxing!

That's the style he used before he retired!

I feel like I've been caught in a time warp.

But it's fitting for this world title match,

You've set the pace! Go for it!

The champion's showing his experience too.

A rush like that would be enough
to push someone back, but...

You're right.

He's watching closely...

His expression is incredibly calm.

The champion's keeping his cool.

And if Date-san maintains that attack against
someone who's keeping his cool, then...

Whoa!

And the champion switches their positions!

A reversal at the ropes!

I-Incredible!

That's what I was worried about!

sh*t! He's gonna get nailed now!

A left from the champion!

That left extends farther than that!

It can't be dodged with a sway!

The challenger escapes from the
ropes without taking any damage!

It's a breathtaking high-level exchange!

I took so many of those extending lefts...

That's the same neck-twisting he
used in his match against you.

Actually, the old man's body probably
remembers the champion's punches,

and that neck twist was probably
something he cooked up for this.

In fact, every match he's had since then...

may have been practice for this world title match!

And now the fighters face off
in the center of the ring again.

The champion takes the offensive this time!

The challenger returns fire!

Neither is connecting!

It's an exchange of lefts!

Their lefts are about even.

It's what I'd expect from Date-san, but still...

This is amazing...

Being able to stand on even
footing with the world champion...

Come to think of it...

the champion never used his right in his spar with me.

If their lefts are even, then their
rights may be the key to this.

But when will they use them,

and who will go first?

Both fighters connect with their lefts!

Their faces are knocked upward slightly!

So sharp!

Was it a dual exchange!?

Aright!

Whoa, and there's the bell!

The first round is complete!

You can feel the entire arena trying to catch its breath!

There's finally a break in the tension.

That's how intense these past three minutes were!

What's gonna happen in this match?

If this goes for all 12 rounds, I'm not gonna make it.

It's way too tense.

Since that first left landed cleanly...

the old man won the first round 10-9!

He took the point lead!

Hopefully he'll take the next round too.

I can't make any specific predictions,

but I get the feeling the next round's gonna be rough.

They were both ready to use their rights,

which means they were ready to fire their big g*ns.

They both seem to have each other's timing down.

It may be harder to make a move, but...

Yeah...

once he gets his chance, the
match could end in an instant!

An instant...

Looks like he got your greeting.

"Long time, no see' That sounds about right.

So, how was the champion?



He's definitely still holding back.

Don't get anxious!

You've taken the pace!

You sure...

that you're not the one who's getting anxious, Pops?

Eiji..

I don't blame you.

Last time, I lost in the second round.

In other words, in this next round.

It's no wonder you'd be worried.

But it's time to cast off those worries!

I'm not the same as I was seven years ago!

He's pretty tough.

He's leveled up significantly since last time.

It's not a problem.

I've leveled up as well,

so the difference between us hasn't changed.

Which means...

it ends...

in the next round.

Seconds out!

And now, the second round!

Things are bound to be even more
tense than they were in the first round!

How are things going to shape up??

What the hell?

How come it got quiet all of a sudden?

I can understand why they'd want to watch in silence.

The entire arena knows that this was
the round the old man lost in last time.

If things are the same as they were seven years
ago, then the old man will lose in this round.

If he survives,

that means he's gotten that
much closer to the world title.

Eiji..

I'm sure you're the one who feels most anxious about this.

That's why you came out and said it, right?

I'm sure your head is echoing the despair and
humiliation of what you went through in Mexico,

but you have to cut yourself
free and move past that tragedy.

The challenger makes his move!

A razor sharp left!

That's right! You have to take the initiative!

Aright all of a sudden?

But the swing is too large.

No way I'm taking that punch!

A sudden right from the champion!

It missed the mark, but the power alone
was enough to give you the chills!

Wh--

What aright.

It's a punch that penetrates
past the point it was aiming for!

If he gets hit with that...

I'm starting to get goose bumps.

The champion closes in using shoulder feints!

Date-san is being pushed back...

That's not ordinary pressure.

This is the world's greatest pressure we're talking about!

The challenger retreats!

These bluffs are enough to push him to the ropes!

His body remembers what happened last time,

and it's hesitating.

Don't let him intimidate you, Eiji!

There's nowhere to run!

You have to face him!

The challenger takes the initiative!

But the champion reacts before him!

A left!

Did it connect!?

No, he rolls with it by twisting his neck!

And sidesteps!

The challenger's really showing his stuff!

Amazing!

With his neck-twisting and that sidestep,
he'll be fine even if he's against the ropes!

But what's this!?

The champion has anticipated his escape route!

With his path cut off, he's trapped in the corner!

Looks like he's predicting my moves!

The champion switches his aim
from the head to the body!

It's a focused attack to the midsection with lefts!

Crap, he can't stay in the corner!

Run, Date-san!

He can't.

Ricardo's throwing enough
body blows to push him back.

He can't use his neck-twisting trick
if his body is what's being hit.

There's no way to escape!

This is a world title match.

The same trick's not going to work twice.

These body blows are bait to get me to attack him.

The fact that these punches are so light is proof of that.

He wants me to lower my guard
so that he can nail me in the head!

In that case...

The challenger lowers his guard without hesitating!

Bingo!

You're not the only one who can read strategies!

He saw it coming!

The challenger prepares a counter!

What!?

But what gets driven home is a
body blow from the champion! What!?

But what gets driven home is a
body blow from the champion!

The challenger ended up taking a counter instead!

He starts to topple forward!

The challenger ended up taking a counter instead!

He starts to topple forward!

There's no shame in falling from my body blows.

They've penetrated the heavy
armor of countless challengers.

A one-two from the challenger!

It cleanly connects with the champion's head!

The angle and timing were perfect.

Why wasn't it a critical hit?

It's turned into an exchange in the corner!

The champion's landing clean hits!

The challenger fights back desperately!

An uppercut!

His jaw is sent skyward!

The arrow flies true and finds its target!

This kind of attack could deform someone's skull!

There was a lot of feedback.

He can withstand that?

That was one hell of a shot.

But if that's all...

He returns fire!

The challenger is showing his
grit with this counter attack!

It's an expl*sive exchange!

It's hard to believe,

but in the seven years since we last met,

you've withstood punches that are
equal to or greater than my own,

I have a hard time believing there's
a boxer like that in this country,

but it's the only possible explanation.

The referee breaks them up!

The second round is over!

The challenger survives a tight spot!

It looks like there won't be a replay of
the nightmare from seven years ago!

How'd you like that?



Things are different from seven years ago.

Did you see that, Pops?

Yeah! You bet I did!

I've surpassed who I was seven years ago,

and proved that, at the age of


Yeah!

Now, all that's left is to surpass the world champion!

That right was my best shot...

yet he was able to take it and fight back.

I have to admit, I was surprised.

He must've had the experience...

That is, the experience of fighting

a powerful puncher comparable to you, and
he survived that battle to make it here today.

I'll admit that I underestimated him.



Watching him reminds me...

Maybe it's because I've become too used
to this stage called a world title defense.

Before I knew it, all I was doing was merely
repeating my duty to defend the belt.

I grew tired of it.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad
if I returned to how I once was.

Yes!

He made it through the second round, Takamura-san!

That's proof he's gotten closer to the world title!

Right!

Even when he was cornered, he was able to fight back!

If he can fight back even when he's being hit,

the champ's gonna have a hard time choosing his shots!

Awesome!

To be able to withstand those
punches and fight back against them!

You're damn right!

Date-san's our representative, after all!

It's a straight path to the belt from here on out!

Seconds out!

Now, the bell for the third round
rings a midst roaring cheers!

Whoa!

The champion suddenly goes on the attack!

The challenger is caught off-guard!

A right is thrown, as if to silence the cheers!

Now, a combination!

The challenger is trapped in the corner!

The champion's on a rampage!

Eiji! You have to fight back!

Don't let him take the lead!

Even if I wanted to fight back,
his timing's completely different!

All these rough punches make it feel like
I'm fighting a totally different person!

I can't let my guard down!

T-Takamura-san, what's going on!?

I thought he was supposed to have trouble choosing
his punches, but he's throwing more than before!

Shut up!

I'm just as surprised!

I thought he was some fine-tuned machine, but...

it's plain to see that these violent
punches suit him much better.

There's no doubt about it!

This style is Ricardo Martinez showing his true face!

True face?

Eiji Date made a huge mistake.

He forced Ricardo to accept him as a formidable
opponent and reminded him of his old style.

Expert skills aren't enough to take the world title.

At times, you need the savagery
to paint the ring red with blood.

The perfect fusion of science and violence...

This is the true Ricardo using his strongest style!

The champion lays it on thick
over the challenger's guard!

The challenger's caught empty handed!

Damn it!

I can practically see him bearing his fangs!

But there's no place to run inside the ring!

Sol have to bite back!

That counter made it look like the
champion saw it coming from a mile away!

Did it get him?

I know that he won't fall from this.

No matter what hits him, I doubt physical pain
would be enough to knock him down today.

He's come to this match with that
kind of absolute determination.

If I want to beat him,

I need to attack his spirit, not his body.

An attack that will sever his consciousness!

What willpower...

He's still able to remain conscious after that?

But...

He fights back!

The challenger stubbornly resists!

But he's having trouble keeping up!

Damn it!

He's hanging in there, but...

...he's just getting beat on mercilessly.

Does that really look like just a beating?

It's an exchange of high level
defensive and offensive skills.

I-It sure as hell doesn't look like an exchange!

It looks completely lopsided!

I know!

That's just how big the difference between them is.

After he survived the second round, I
thought he had moved closer to the title.

And the truth is that the old man has more
than enough strength to take on the world.

But his opponent is out of this world.

He's on a whole other level.

It...

It can't be.

Dark clouds are surrounding
the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena!

Ever since the third round, the champion
has been on a vicious one-sided as*ault!

All the challenger can do is
endure this brutal development!

The audience has fallen silent in
the face of this legendary strength!

Is the wall around the world title
simply too high to surmount?

What...

round is it...

Pops?

Don't talk!

Focus on resting your body!

This is going to be the ninth round.

So we're finally in the second half.

This match is a real pain in the a*s.

A-Are you injured!?

No big deal...

just two or three of my ribs.

Fractures!?

When did you...

Look, if you keep being stubborn,
things are going to get out of hand!

And I'll throw this in before I let that happen!

Give me a break.

This is where I take the world title.

Bill, how many of my punches have landed?

I haven't been counting... but too many to keep track of.

That's right.

I've connected that many times.

And yet, he's still standing.

He's incredibly tough.

Is his dream of becoming world
champion what's keeping him up?

Or maybe his desire for revenge?

Dreams... Revenge...

Those can't be it.

I've destroyed plenty of challengers who
fought with those kind of ambitions.

But...

there's no hint of despair in his eyes.

What's keeping him up?

I can't watch anymore.

Having survived this long against the
legendary champion is impressive enough.

What are you talking about!?

It's not over yet!

I know how you feel,

but Date-san is all torn up.

This guy's got even more experience than Date-san.

I can't imagine him screwing up.

There's no way he can turn this around unless
he's got some kind of magic trick up his sleeve.

He does!

A magic punch!

I get it.

The old man hasn't thrown a single
punch below the chest the entire match.

It was probably to keep the champion
focused on protecting his head.

Chest?

By hitting the heart with a pinpoint corkscrew blow,

he's able to completely paralyze
his opponent for an instant.

A genuine magic punch!

Date-san still has that!

Yeah, it's a big shot that would
normally never hit Ricardo,

but now that he's not anticipating it and with
the exhaustion from the first half setting in...

Right!

I bet Date-san is counting on that as well!

That's why he withstood all this!

He's been waiting for his chance!

For the chance to use his magic
punch, the Heartbreak Shot!

And there's the bell signaling the
beginning of the ninth round.

The champion takes the initiative again!

The challenger is getting hammered
and can only take the defensive!

He's getting slaughtered.

S-So when's he gonna use it!?

He can't hold on much longer!

Damn it, old man! If you lose before you
can fire it, then it'll all be for nothing!

It's no good!

If he takes any more of this, he won't
be able to use the Heartbreak Shot!

Does he...

not have the strength to fight back anymore!?

Aright!

An expl*si*n from the cannon erupts!

He twists his neck to k*ll the impact!

The champion's off balance!

This is the challenger's chance!

Whoa, but it's a punch that
barely taps against the guard!

Does he not have the strength to fight back!?

No!

He was gauging the distance!

A twisting punch?

The corkscrew blow?

The champion's guarding his head!

His heart's wide open!

The perfect scenario...

Go!

Heartbreak Shot!

Some night

I can't remember why

We stayed up 'til 4 AM ['til 4 AM]

We talked about nothing
important and then made love

The person can't be close her eyes

The person can't be close your eyes

And now while she calls my name inside her dream

Kisses me so I'll fall asleep

Don't I wish that we could stay right there?

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

You shut the alarm to work to sleep that day

I'd do anything if I could make this time rewind forever

'til 7:59