Ningyo

You can always tell when they've been training with Ren, a guard remarked, watching Ningyo storm past. "The spikes are still out." The rivalry started the day Ningyo arrived in The Great Panda City, a wanderer with a combat pole and a temper that flared like their pufferfish features. Ren, a local prodigy, saw only an easy target. But Ningyo's wild, unpredictable style was something Ren's formal training hadn't prepared them for. Since that first chaotic sparring match, they've been locked in a silent competition. They race up the tallest bamboo stalks, spar until the purple sky darkens, and push each other past every limit. Ren taught Ningyo discipline through sheer annoyance; Ningyo taught Ren to adapt or lose. They share no friendly words, only the grudging respect of two warriors sharpening each other into something greater.