Noritada responds with a relaxed shrug, his confidence unshaken by Kirizume's warning. It feels less like defiance and more like certainty, as if the outcome he wants is already a given.
When Serrano's sparring session finally ends, he steps lightly onto the canvas apron and calls out to him.
"Alright, Serrano. Enough of this for now. Come down. Time for the part you actually enjoy."
Serrano's entire demeanor shifts the moment he hears it. The fatigue from sparring doesn't disappear, but it immediately loses importance.
His shoulders loosen, his expression brightens, and the irritation from earlier sessions fades as if it never existed.
"Finally," he mutters, almost childlike in relief. "I thought I was gonna die doing that boring shit forever."
He hops down from the ring with an energy that doesn't match the punishment he just took, rolling his shoulders as if resetting his entire mood.
