Humiliation. A word Akechi had never known until the day he was defeated by a nameless ronin. His pride, his title, his very identity—shattered in an instant. He had spent years building his reputation, only for it to be stripped away in a single battle. Worse yet, it had cost him Yukimi. The woman he had planned to marry, the life he had envisioned—both vanished the moment he was deemed unworthy.

He abandoned his dojo. Restless nights blended into relentless days as he hunted the one who had disgraced him The name, the face, nothing mattered. Only vengeance. Only reclaiming what had been stolen. Now, deep within the forest, his search had come to an end.

Akechi stopped. His eyes focused on a person sitting by the campfire. The person was relaxed and unaware of what was coming. Akechi's heart beat fast. Was it anger, excitement, or something else? He didn't let himself wonder.

His fingers tightened around the hilt of his katana as he stepped forward, his boots pressing into the damp earth. The firelight flickered against his sharp features, casting his expression in a mix of gold and shadow.

"At last… I have found you."