All personnel heading to Dokdo have returned to the embrace of their homeland.
Thankfully, they did not return with bodies grown cold, nor were they left as mere spirits unable to set foot on the ground. Every one of them returned alive, able to step on solid earth without major injury.
However, despite this, their expressions were not bright.
Or rather, was it just their expressions?
Their faces were filled with despair and a sense of powerlessness as if they were defeated soldiers, and faint traces of fear could still be seen.
Look at their faces.
The lingering shadow of fear could still be faintly discerned on their faces.
Even as their faces carried the despair and humiliation of defeat, they seemed to breathe a sigh of relief upon touching the ground and seeing people. Their faces relaxed.
Expressions eased, and the tension in their bodies softened too.
As they came to realize they were back within the embrace of their people and their homeland, they felt a sense of relief.
How could this not be disheartening?
They did not return as victors, nor had they achieved any great honor.
Even though they appeared as defeated soldiers in both demeanor and gait, they still felt relief upon reaching safety and returning home, even experiencing a sense of happiness.
What could they be called if not defeated soldiers?
The courageous spirit they had when heading to Dokdo had vanished, leaving a truly disheartening picture.
And yet, there were no voices of blame or mockery against them. That’s because their failure carried understanding from everyone.
A loss was expected.
Even a coward returning home trembling, seeking to calm his own nerves, was seen as natural.
It was a matter of record.
The records captured on video and audio by the special equipment they carried to Dokdo revealed horrifying scenes of combat, making it impossible to blame them for not fighting more bravely.
‘Block it! Block it!’
‘Damn it! Damn it! Where did all these ghosts appear from!’
‘Where do you think? It’s North Korea! These crazy Koreans, raising this kind of shit up there!’
‘Do you think we wanted to raise them? Shut the hell up and just shoot at those bastards!’
Warriors from Korea and Japan, who would have fought at the slightest provocation under the sunlight, now united against the evil spirits. Fully aware that venturing beyond the magic barrier was recklessness, they utilized weapons, firing, reloading, and firing again.
The warriors, with their overwhelmingly robust physical abilities, continuously observed and identified evil spirits, keeping them in check repeatedly.
The wizards rolled on the ground multiple times, their bodies covered in dirt, frantically moving back and forth while maintaining and powering the magic barrier machinery. They even dismantled the equipment to repair it while a massive demon tried to devour them.
The distance was uncertain.
Even with the barrier in between, it felt like less than 30 centimeters—close enough to distinctly smell the rotting flesh of ghosts and the stench of brine. It was within this range that wizards, enduring the smell and brushing the fetid breath off their skin, continued to work and move despite their fear.
By their side were spiritual capable persons.
The spiritual capable persons from Korea and Japan wore odd costumes, wielding their own unique powers. They coaxed and appeased the ghosts they had brought to direct attacks on the evil spirits outside the barrier. They also used items to enhance the barrier’s exorcism or spirit-disrupting abilities, sometimes becoming faint while throwing costly objects to spiritually harm the evil spirits.
Behind them were the Onmyoji.
Unyielding, they continuously conjured spirit familiars from paper and sent them toward the evil spirits, luring and distracting them to prevent the evil spirits from focusing their power on the barrier. They infused the barrier with Earth energy to suppress the Water energy within the evil spirits, and applied Fire-related Onmyōdō techniques to weaken the malevolent Yin energies of the spirits.
Throughout this process, the Onmyoji grew exhausted and passed out.
Though called Onmyōdō, its essence was Magic.
They bore the cost of constantly utilizing magic.
This way, everyone fought.
Until the darkness of the night dissipated.
Until the dark shadows over the island burned away like smoke.
They fought and fought again.
“…”
“… It’s just terrible.”
Only after the sun rose did the people in the video move. They searched the island thoroughly for the two who had disappeared during the night and eventually found them.
Above the sea was a wall of flames.
The flames.
A tremendous and intense wall of fire similar to the Homagyo practice conducted by some Japanese Buddhist sects.
People shouted and pulled out those trapped inside the cave surrounded by flames, revealing that the Japanese Shinto priest and the Korean Shaman were still alive, having emerged from the cave.
The Korean Shaman, presumed to have created the wall of fire, had a body that was visibly red with heat, while the Japanese Shinto priest exhibited signs of fatigue in his unsteady steps.
How cruel their long night had been was evident.
Thus, all survivors gathered.
Once gathered, they moved… and fled swiftly.
The boat rocked gently as they distanced themselves from the Demon-occupied island.
With the gathered materials, they returned to their respective countries.
And this all pointed to one simple truth:
Failure.
The Dokdo expedition had failed.
—
“…It seems all the world’s misfortunes are coming to me.”
“…Coincidence. I was just thinking the same.”
After receiving the report of the disastrous failure, there were two men in conversation.
One was the President of Korea.
The other was the Prime Minister of Japan.
Their recent hostile attitudes, each yelling loudly about contaminating the other’s country with radiation or missile strikes, now seemed far away. The two appeared closer, sharing an unexpected camaraderie.
Or rather, it wasn’t exactly camaraderie. It was the shared understanding that comes from enduring tragic events.
This was akin to the bond soldiers form after fighting together on a battlefield.
It seemed that even the arch-enemies had forged a bond through shared struggle.
“…It was not supposed to fail. I thought there was no way it could.”
“…That’s precisely what I thought too.”
“…”
Warriors.
Wizards.
Spiritual capable persons.
Onmyoji.
Shamans.
Shinto priests.
This lineup wasn’t supposed to fail.
Moreover, they weren’t amateurs.
Each had proven their abilities, and promising members were included as well. They were dispatched with great care.
And the result?
Failure.
“…At least we’re lucky there were no casualties. But the wizards have overused their mana and are struggling. And the Korean shaman, in creating the wall of fire, suffered from the cost, resulting in severe burns all over.”
“The same in Japan. The Onmyoji are hospitalized due to the cost, and the warriors, showing signs of PTSD, are receiving psychological counseling. Even the Shinto priest who accompanied Mr. Park Jinseong is reportedly withdrawn.”
Thankfully, the damages were not irreparable. There were no severed limbs, no scars, no damage to their abilities.
Of course, there were issues.
The warriors from both Korea and Japan were reportedly unable to shake off their fear of the evil spirits and had not slept for days.
The wizards were the same. They, too, lay awake at night. What’s more, they had fallen into a state of overdrive due to excessive use of their power, making them weak.
The Onmyoji were hospitalized due to the costs of their craft. Inflammation throughout their bodies was common, skin issues were frequent occurrences, and the extensive use of Earth and Fire energy in Onmyōdō caused internal health issues. Some developed heart problems, leading to fluctuations in blood pressure, while others suffered pancreatic damage that caused erratic blood sugar levels. The overuse of the powerful energies created imbalances in their organs, leading to other serious complications.
As for the spiritual capable persons?
Their plight was serious as well.
Some who commanded spirits had their spirits flee, and others regularly spat blood. Their life energy fluctuated, and the overabundance of Yin energy caused others to nearly collapse from hypothermia in warm rooms.
The Korean shaman was recuperating from burn ointment prescriptions, and the Shinto priest had returned to the shrine, staying confined.
Their return to normal life would take some time.
Moreover, they were significant forces in the event of a war—important variables.
Though less like pillars, they were certainly not negligible combatants.
So, their current weakened condition meant…
Misfortune for some.
A boon for others.
