Riyuujirou

Riyuujirou was supposed to lose. The duel in the sun-bleached courtyard of The Teikodian Empire was pure theater, a chance for a highborn captain to look formidable by besting a trainee. The script was simple: Riyuujirou would put up a good fight, then fall honorably. They followed it perfectly, right up until the final moment. As the captain lunged, expecting a parry and a fall, Riyuujirou’s eyes flared with energy. They didn't block. They stepped inside the attack, their training sword tapping the captain’s throat with a dull thud. A gasp rippled through the assembled nobles. Riyuujirou offered a side smile, a silent question to the shocked audience. They had just rewritten the script, and the ink was their own ambition.