Itsukireiko

The Dragon Wastelands remember only colossal battles and the ghosts they left behind. For most, it is a land of endings, but Itsukireiko knows it differently. They uphold the heritage of Minamoto not by leading armies, but by tending to the small lives the wars forgot. Their war paint serves less as a threat and more as a warding sign for the vulnerable—a clear signal that this patch of scorched earth has a guardian. Lost travelers, confused by the magical fog, often find a path newly cleared of sharp stones or a small cache of clean water left under an overhang. They never see who left it, only the stoic figure with the red fox beanie in the distance, unamused eyes watching until they are safely on their way. Their reward is the quiet triumph of seeing life endure.