Itsuha

Itsuha remembered the scent of pine sap and the echoing *thwack* of Bjorn’s fist against an ironwood trunk. It was their first real contest, years before they stood together against greater threats. The challenge was simple: who could fell the bigger tree by sunset. Itsuha’s katana was a blur of silver, carving away wood with surgical precision. Bjorn, predictably, just punched their tree until it surrendered. The locals of The Heart of the Forest gathered to watch, making a festival of the noise. Itsuha lost, of course; their blade was quick, but Bjorn’s strength was a force of nature. But in that defeat, a bond was forged—a rivalry built not on victory, but on the joy of pushing a friend to their absolute limit. They still argue over who truly won that day.