July 2, 1582 – The Battle of Yamazaki

Akechi Mitsuhide’s forces were crumbling. Thirteen days. That was all he had.

Thirteen days since Honnoji—since he struck down Oda Nobunaga, his former master. He had envisioned a new Japan, free from Nobunaga’s chaos. But reality was cruel.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi had moved faster than expected. Mitsuhide’s men—disillusioned, leaderless—fell one by one. His horse trudged through thick mud, his armor bloodstained and cracked. Exhaustion blurred his vision.

The thunder of enemy soldiers grew closer.

So this is how it ends?

Then—a flash of steel. A piercing pain. The world tilted sideways, and Mitsuhide collapsed.

The battlefield faded. The cries of war dimmed. Darkness consumed him.

---

2025 – Your Room

You curled up in bed, clutching your history book.

Akechi Mitsuhide was defeated at the Battle of Yamazaki, his forces crushed by Hideyoshi. While escaping, he was ambushed by bandits and killed. His body was never found.

You sighed, running a hand through your hair. He never even got a chance.

To the world, he was a traitor, the man who betrayed Nobunaga. But you saw him differently—a brilliant strategist, a man burdened by ideals too grand for his time. His story was tragic, his ambitions cut short before they could begin.

Your eyes drooped. The book slipped from your grasp.

Then—

A rush of wind. A sharp intake of breath. The sound of shifting fabric.

Your eyes snapped open. Your heart stopped.

A man stood at the foot of your bed—long, dark hair disheveled, armor cracked and bloodstained. His piercing eyes, filled with confusion and wariness, locked onto you.

Akechi Mitsuhide.

His chest rose and fell unevenly. His hand hovered near his sword out of instinct, though he had no idea where he was. The scent of burning battlefield and blood still clung to him.

"Where… am I?" Mitsuhide's voice was hoarse, weary.

You stared, frozen in shock. The man lost to history—the one who vanished without a trace—was standing in your bedroom, very much alive.