Ryoma

The Ronin

## Introducing

My blade has betrayed me. Ryoma's specialty is his ultimate, which has an extremely short cooldown along with his exceptional mobility and explosive damage. All squishy heroes shall tremble before his combo, with a deadly spark!

## Story

"Don't dwell on the past. Instead, focus on the future."

Ryoma's father's last words became his motto. As the heir of a samurai, Ryoma not only trained hard, he also studied military strategy. In a training camp where strength was valued above all else, he stood out among his peers. The other children had suffered the same fate as Ryoma: their fathers slain, it fell to them to pick up the mantle and earn glory for their families.

Ryoma was timid when he was young. This, combined with his peculiar hobby of studying military tactics, made him an easy target for bullies. But Kondo always stood up for him. Kondo had studied under Ryoma's father and wanted to repay the kindness that his family had shown him. With Kondo as his guide, Ryoma became a samurai like his father.

Their friendship did not last forever, as orders from the military sent them on diverging paths. The courageous Kondo was chosen to become the personal guard of the kingdom's heir apparent, while one of the younger princes chose Ryoma for his cunning. Once fiercely loyal friends, they were now rivals serving their princes. Ryoma would never have guessed that they would eventually become enemies.

After some time, the aging king passed away while dealing with enemies outside of the kingdom. The princes, both well-trained in the ways of the court, quickly turned on one another. Ryoma, now the chief military strategist for the younger prince, swiftly led the prince's army to several decisive victories. The elder prince, running out of options, concocted a dangerous plan to send Kondo's death squad to assassinate the younger prince.

The plan appeared to be successful as the squad reached the younger prince's throne without any resistance. Ryoma had anticipated this move from the elder prince, but was shocked to see Kondo and hesitated. Kondo and his squad took advantage of the momentary lapse and sliced through Ryoma's defenses effortlessly.

By the time Ryoma regained his focus, he could hear his prince's screams as his father's words reverberated in his mind. There was no need to hold onto the past, and at that moment, he decided to give everything he had.

Sword in hand, Ryoma sliced through every single soldier that dared come near the prince. It was Kondo's turn to be surprised, but he had no choice but to press on. Kondo's attacks became sharper and more deadly as he taunted Ryoma. The duel ended when both launched one final attack. Ryoma buried his sword into Kondo's chest, but Kondo's blade had stopped at the last second, inches from Ryoma's throat.

"Why?" Ryoma was confused. "I was always an orphan," said Kondo, "I never had anyone other than you and my teacher. He'd be proud of y..." Before Kondo could finish his sentence, Ryoma burst into tears.

After burying Kondo, Ryoma snapped his blade in half and buried it with Kondo. He vowed to never again use his right hand, the hand that killed Kondo. He picked up Kondo's naginata and walked away.

"Glory and honor? The samurai code? That's none of my concern. From here on, Ryoma and Kondo are one, and we will start a new life."

## Hero Tips

Keep a distance between Ryoma and his enemies to fully exploit his damage output. If you find yourself too close to your enemies use Pinwheel to open some space.