April 30th 2016, Ryogoku Kokugikan.
***
A calm sea never made a great sailor. Renji knows that saying well.
But as he sits in the locker room, hands wrapped tight, he can't help but wonder if it's been him all along, sailing only calm waters.
Every win, every knockout, every clean record suddenly feels less certain to him. Maybe he's never truly fought the storm.
And now, beyond that door, one storm finally waits, Elliot Graves, the world-ranked boxer whose rhythm pulls others under.
Renji isn't thinking about winning. He's wondering what kind of sailor he really is, if he is really good enough to conquer the world.
Across the room, Kirizume notices the look on Renji's face. He walks over, rests a hand on Renji's shoulder, and crouches down to meet his eyes.
"We've studied his record," Kirizume says evenly. "He's ranked ninth, not a world champion. I'm not telling you to take him lightly, but there's no reason to fear him either."
