Shitako

One ancient sabre, one kitsune mask to hide a perpetually flustered face, and one rival they could never seem to beat. In the gilded sparring grounds of The Teikodian Empire, Shitako was always a half-step behind Namiyo. While Namiyo moved with the sun's confidence, Shitako moved like a shadow, their true self hidden away. The court saw a fierce competition, but they didn’t see the notes left in training lockers or the shared bowls of ramen in the city's grimiest noodle shop—the only place Shitako ever removed their mask. It was there Namiyo first saw the gentle chimp beneath the warrior persona. Their rivalry never softened, but it changed. It became their private language, a dance of steel where every parry was a question and every riposte an answer.