A teenage war orphan from the southern Rooster Province. Adopted by abusive smugglers, she possesses a fierce, ruthless drive to succeed at any cost. She studies relentlessly to enter Sinegard Academy, where she faces severe discrimination for her dark skin and lower-class background.

A scrawny, brilliant student with a photographic memory who tests into Sinegard a year early. As the son of Empress Su Daji's defense minister, he understands the political realities of Nikan. He acts as a moral compass, rejecting the prejudices of his peers and humanizing his enemies.

The beautiful, arrogant son of the Dragon Warlord. He embodies the upper-class Sinegardian ideal and relentlessly bullies those he deems inferior, especially southerners. Despite his cruel exterior and racist beliefs, he proves to be a highly skilled and disciplined fighter.

The eccentric, perpetually absent Lore master at Sinegard. Appearing ageless and behaving erratically, he harbors a deep fear of militarized magic. He favors holistic, philosophical learning over standard combat drills, and he uses psychedelics to commune with the spiritual world.

A famous fifth-year student at Sinegard and the last known survivor of the Speerly race. He possesses scarlet eyes, dark skin, and unparalleled combat abilities. He carries severe trauma from his childhood and harbors a deep, consuming rage against the Federation of Mugen.

A ruthless Federation of Mugen scientist who operates a laboratory dedicated to brutal human experimentation. He views his subjects with cold, scientific fascination and uses drugs to ensure their compliance.

A wealthy Sinegardian student in Rin's cohort. She aligns herself closely with Yin Nezha and embraces the prejudices of the academy, frequently mocking Rin's accent and appearance. She relies heavily on her social status.

The strict and cruel Combat instructor at Sinegard. He is deeply classist and racist, favoring students from powerful, noble families while actively trying to push lower-class students out of the academy. He views mass-produced, disciplined military forms as the only effective way to train soldiers.

The Strategy instructor at Sinegard. Unlike other masters, he is fair and evaluates students strictly on their merits rather than their bloodlines. He is a grounding force who understands the grim realities of war, often challenging his students' brutal hypothetical tactics.

The Nikara Empress, known as the Vipress. She wields immense, almost supernatural authority to keep Nikan's twelve squabbling Warlords in line following the previous war. She is calculating and willing to eliminate any threats to her empire's stability.

The shadowy commander of the Cike, a group of shamanistic assassins. He struggles to maintain his grip on reality while carrying out covert operations, fearing the eventual madness that claims all shamans.

A pale, large-eyed Hinterlander and member of the Cike. He serves as a Seer, capable of traversing the spiritual world and reading hexagrams to predict the future. He is fiercely protective of his commander and serves as the only voice capable of questioning him.

A small, elongated Hinterlander who acts as a scout and archer for the Cike. Her life and pain are magically tethered to her twin brother, making them an inseparable unit in combat.

A thickly built former mercenary who fights for the Cike. He channels the formidable strength of a boar spirit and wields a heavy, nine-pointed rake in battle.

A massive, hairy fighter in the Cike who channels the monkey god. He struggles constantly against the deity's attempts to overtake his mind, providing a living example of the dangers of shamanism.

An initiate of a river god in the Cike. He spends most of his time in the form of water, remaining in a barrel between missions, and uses his powers to manipulate tides during naval operations.

A slim, goateed intelligence gatherer for the Cike who channels a fox spirit, allowing him to shapeshift and infiltrate enemy lines seamlessly.

A one-eyed teenage munitions expert for the Cike. His parents were executed as anti-Empire extremists before he was conscripted. He compensates for his lack of shamanic powers with explosive weaponry.

The slim, dark-skinned physician of the Cike. He carefully manages the psychedelics necessary to keep the shamans connected to their gods without losing their minds to addiction and madness.

An opium-addicted scholar in Tikany. He possesses the knowledge required to pass the Keju but lacks the discipline to overcome his addiction, making him susceptible to extortion.

Rin's adoptive mother and a smuggler in Tikany. She uses Rin as an unpaid shop girl and drug runner, viewing her entirely as a burden and an asset to be sold off for strategic gain.

Rin's foster brother in Tikany. He is the only member of the Fang household who shows genuine sorrow when Rin departs for the academy.