Success is difficult to achieve. But maintaining it can be even harder.
Because comfort has a way of dulling hunger. Once that hunger fades, discipline begins to loosen, focus starts to slip, and the desire to push beyond your limits gradually disappears.
This becomes even more unforgiving in boxing, where consistency is not something you can afford to abandon.
Break that consistency, you will pay for it inside the ring. And sometimes, all it takes is one mistake in a matter of seconds to destroy everything.
And for Ryoma, whether he realizes it or not, the latent danger of success has already begun casting its shadow over him.
"Come on, Aramaki! Don't just follow me… make me run out of space!"
For once, Ryoma becomes Aramaki's sparring partner, while Nakahara focuses entirely on working his corner and Ryoma is left without a second.
