Malachi's POV

I opened my eyes in a strange room. At first, I thought I was back home. But quickly realized that this wasn't the case. I was still in Azuchi, nestled comfortably in my futon within my room there. A single lantern illuminating the room with a gentle warm glow.

I was confused, how on Earth did I end up back here? "The sleeping princess awakens at last." I jumped at the sound of his voice. I sat up, glancing in his direction. "M..Mitsuhide.." His name left my lips quietly on hushed air, my voice weak and tired. He was sitting beside my pillow. And I suddenly felt ill from sitting up.

"Drink this. There is time for talk after." He smiled, handing me a cup of water. I narrowed my eyes at him, but took it. Slowly sipping the cold liquid helped me calm down, my memories from earlier that day returning. I immediately figured out that I must've passed out during the battle. "How did things turn out after I.. After I passed out?" I asked, my voice still scratchy and laced with drowsiness from my just woken-up state.

"Once both sides did their fair share of posturing, the battle ended in a draw. Lord Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and all the others you're worried about are unhurt." He explained. I scoffed, sitting up and rolling my eyes. "I would never be worried about Nobunaga." But.. It was a relief to know the others were okay.

Suddenly, my memories of the earlier battle filtered in. And the same question lingered in my mind. What on Earth are you supposed to do when someone is trying to kill you, but your only choice is to kill them? Sure.. It's self defense. But.. How do you live knowing you took another life? I guess that's the way of things here but.. I don't think I could live with myself now, knowing that I was alive, because someone else is dead.

Realizing that I should be grateful to Mitsuhide for me not being on that horrid battlefield anymore, I spoke, this time, not in English. "Mitsuhide.. I hate to say this but.. Thank you for-" But he cut me off, touching a finger to my lips. His expression had darkened, almost like he was upset. "Never thank someone for taking a life." What.. On Earth is he trying to say?

"I killed a man so that we might live. Did we come out unharmed, or do you find yourself changed by what you saw?" He asked me. Again, with the useless questions. It seemed as though he couldn't read me as well as he'd like to believe, or that I thought. Yet, he didn't give me a chance to answer. "Are our two lives worth more than his one? How many lives depended on his?" Even after he withdrew his finger, the impression of how cold it'd been stayed with me.

He wasn't trying to comfort me, I knew that. But he also wasn't scolding me.. It was like he was trying to teach me a lesson.. But I couldn't tell for sure. Mitsuhide took the empty cup from my hands and set it aside. "Now for the important part-" "Wait." Silence followed shortly, until Mitsuhide prompted me to speak. "..Yes?" "Since you got to ask your questions, may I ask mine?" He nodded.

"Do you think that I am so naive and foolish to believe that our two lives are more important than one? Might I remind you of my little speech to save Ranmaru?" I glared at him, raising my voice a few octaves. "When I said life is precious and that nothing is more important than it, I meant it. I am not going to change my views just because you saved me from an arrow to the head, Akechi! I am not so damn impressionable."

His eyes widened slightly at my outburst, but then they narrowed. "Then why were you-" I cut him off, "Going to thank you? Certainly not for taking a life. In fact, I am offended that you'd even think so low of me. I was going to say thank you for ensuring I got off the battlefield safely after passing out."

The room turned awkward and filled with silence. Neither of us dared to speak as I glared at him, but suddenly, a smile graced his lips. "..I apologize for misjudging you, Malachi. Now, may I speak?" I nodded. "I have proposed something to our lord after witnessing your performance on the battlefield."

I sighed, staring flatly at him, "Is it an early retirement?" "Hardly. Though your origins are a mystery and your language is strange, you seem to have lived in a frighteningly safe and.. Outspoken environment." I wouldn't exactly call America that but.. alright, I suppose.

"That's unfortunate for you, as exposure to pain and fear is what builds our tolerance to it." Oh, Mitsuhide, honey. You clearly do not know me if you think I grew up so sheltered I never experienced pain or fear. I do have a mother, you know. "There will be pain and there will be fear as long as you serve under Lord Nobunaga. Fainting is fine- fleeing is not." Fuck, there goes my plans.

I glared at him, "Are you now suggesting that I'd desert?" His voice remained calm and his expression level, "I speak from experience. I've had to put dow- ..ahem, deal with these matters. So forgive me for not being as trusting with you." He almost said put down, didn't he? "It's fine. Surprisingly, you're not as annoyingly unbearing as Hideyoshi was."

Suddenly, Mitsuhide grinned wickedly. "You're going to regret saying that, little one. In order to spare you what would be a short and unhappy chase, I've decided to keep a close eye on you. Very close." Is.. Is he announcing that he's going to spy on me? Because there's no need, I would sense him nearby either way.

"Though officially, I am to be your instructor. We mustn't bother Lord Nobunaga with fears of your potential betrayal." He told me. "Ah. So my betrayal has to be a surprise, got it." I tried to joke, but then the reality of what he said hit. "Hold on. You said my instructor?" "Yes. I described it as an excellent opportunity to teach our chatelaine the skills necessary to serve our lord. Tactics, politics, equestrianism, self-defense, and firearms seems like a good start."

To me, it sounded like he's not just going to spy on me. But also turn me into one of these battle-crazed psychopaths? "Are you so pleased as to be rendered speechless?" "Pleased?! When you went behind my back and decided all this while I was unconscious? Fuck no!" I glared at him, my expression the exact opposite of pleased. "Don't frown, little one. Simply remain loyal and by the time I'm through with you, no one will be taking advantage of you like I have ever again." I was about to go off on him again, but suddenly, an idea popped into mind.

"Fine. Let's make a deal first, though." That seemed to have caught his interest, as he raised an eyebrow at me. "What sort of deal?" I smirked, knowing that I'd find some way to get my revenge on him. "I will go along with your little instructor game-" "Oh, little one. Was it not clear you had no choice?" "Don't interrupt me. I will go along with your little instructor game and NOT fight against you. I will be compliant. On one condition."

Silence ensued, Mitsuhide clearly thinking over what I'd said. "And that condition is?" He asked. A pleased expression crossed my face, I could tell that I had him right where I wanted him. "I get to teach you something you don't know." Suddenly, he smirked. "Oh really? Are you so sure you have a skill that I do not?" But I didn't falter. "Certainly. Tell me, Mitsuhide, are you bilingual? Or even multilingual?"

He suddenly frowned, "Bilingual? Multilingual?" "The ability to speak two or more languages." He shook his head. "Perfect. You get to teach me the skills I seem to lack, and I get to teach you English." "And why would I want to learn that?" "Simple. No one else here can speak English besides me. It puts up an excellent barrier and will ensure you can get away with saying things in front of the others."

"How are you so positive of this, little one?" "I've been insulting people and threatening others in English since day one during my anger outbursts and none of them have caught on. I've never even told the truth when asked what I said. I called Hideyoshi an asshole the first day I met him and he didn't even know." Mitsuhide smirked, "My, you're more bold than I thought. But why do you want to teach me English?"

My smirk widened, "Because, English is one of the most difficult languages to learn as a second language due to the grammar and amount of words that sound the same and are spelled similar. It'll be a nightmare for you, but fun for me. We get to torment each other equally with this deal."

Mitsuhide appeared to be deep in thought, but suddenly he spoke. "Mind if I ask how you learned this language then, little one, if it's so difficult?" He smirked, almost as if he doubted my words. "It's my first language, that's how. I was born and raised speaking English, I learned Japanese as a second and Spanish as a third. That's actually the reason why my Japanese is a bit rougher. I'm not accustomed to speaking fluently in it." I explained, he nodded in affirmative.

"Very well, little one. I accept your deal."

And with that, our new teacher-student relationship began.