Towae

Always, before the first merchants open their stalls in The Great Panda City, Towae polishes their ancient sabre. The weapon is a contradiction to their famous ramen hat and the easy smile they offer to the Panda Council. To most, the sabre is a relic, a family heirloom worn for show. They see a friendly noble, not a warrior. But the oil and cloth are a daily ritual, a promise made not to ancestors, but to a rival. Only Tsukima knows the forgotten forms Towae practices in the secluded bamboo groves. Their silent, decades-long competition is the whetstone that keeps the blade's edge, and Towae's spirit, impossibly sharp. The sabre never sees battle, but it is always ready for one, a gleaming secret hidden in plain sight.