The final ten seconds of the round tick away, but Ryoma's focus is no longer entirely inside the ring. His face tightens slightly as an unfamiliar pressure forms in his mind.
For weeks, he had conditioned Aramaki through a set of already-absorbed ideas disguised under simplicity, ensuring that when a specific instruction was chosen, it could be executed without hesitation or confusion.
But now, in the middle of the fight, Ryoma is being forced to consider something new, something that was never embedded within that framework.
It is not that Ryoma lacks ideas. But if he introduces something new now, it risks disrupting the rhythm that has already been established.
Before he can settle on a decision, the bell suddenly rings.
Ding!
"Solid round for the champion there," one commentator says. "Serrano controlled most of that with movement and volume."
