Nowaki

Nowaki keeps a running tally of their wins and losses, scratched into the leather of their left vambrace. Their rival’s tally is on their right. To the rest of the Teikodian Empire’s staff, their rivalry is a welcome, boisterous distraction—a constant competition of who can scale the golden spires fastest or last longest in the sparring ring. But their laughter echoes loudest to hide a shared silence. They were both Genkei's confidantes. They both feel the murdered princess's vengeful spirit in the cold drafts of the shadowed corridors. This contest isn't for glory; it's a shared oath made tangible. Every point scored is a promise to grow sharper, faster, and deadlier, until they are ready to avenge the one loss they both share.