Meanwhile, Umemoto and Ishimaru, who had looked so eager only moments ago, now seem to have lost their appetite entirely the moment Kurogane's name comes up.
Sitting on the bench, Umemoto looks focused on wrapping the tape around his fists, but the familiar ritual suddenly brings back a bitter memory from the night after his loss to Ryohei.
And Kurogane's blunt words had done little to spare the pride of a man who had just lost his championship belt.
"You need to open your eyes, Umemoto. That wasn't luck. I warned you before, and Yamada's win in the Class-A tournament final wasn't luck either."
"Shut up and get the fuck out of here," Umemoto snapped back.
But Kurogane kept going at him, his chest heaving as his patience wore thin.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Boxing isn't a damn street fight. You can't just walk forward, impose your size, and expect raw power to solve every problem."
