Rikona

At The Dojo, prestige is earned in the sparring circle, not inherited. This suited Rikona, whose lineage was humble, and frustrated Minotarou, who believed power should be seized. Their rivalry became the rhythm of the training grounds. Rikona was patience, a student who would spend a full day perfecting a single stance with their bamboo staff, peering through their specs at ancient scrolls. Minotarou was fire, a warrior who would shatter three training dummies before the morning mist cleared from the lake. They were opposites in every way except one: the shared belief that the other was the only true measure of their own skill. After a grueling battle for the crimson bandana ended in a perfect standstill, a master approached. "You cannot defeat each other," the master said. "You can only complete each other."