Shirika

The crisp crack of bamboo on steel was the only sound Shirika ever truly listened for. It was the sound of their rival, the one other blur of motion at The Dojo who could almost keep pace. Their competition was written in scuffed floorboards and whispers of close calls. That all changed when a mission went wrong, and they were both swallowed by the same silent, abyssal energy that forever bound the soul of Inparusu. They clawed their way back, but not unmarked. The void left stars in Shirika’s eyes and a chill only the heat of a duel could chase away. Their rivalry is no longer about speed; it is a tether. They fight to see if the other is still there, pushing back the endless night with every parry and strike.