Ryuugo

What good is a rival if you can’t stand watching them lose? For years, Ryuugo sold polished river stones in the plaza by the great fish statue, their shirt and tie a picture of civility. And for years, their competitor—a shadow from the same hidden dojo—undercut them from the lower docks. Every successful deal Ryuugo made was followed by a thwarted shipment. Every piece of intel the rival acquired was leaked by Ryuugo to the city guard. Theirs was a silent war fought over boat manifests and whispered contracts, a game played up and down the great stone stairs. It ended when an Imperial agent arrived, one who didn't respect the city's flow. Ryuugo found a familiar blade mark on their shop door—not a threat, but a summons. They met. They argued. And for the first time, they agreed. Now, one wears a mask in the light, the other a friendly face in the dark, both protecting the same city.