Four hours ago, at the 17th Fighter Wing underground research facility X-2 lab (Namgoong-won’s lab)

  It had been four years and two months since Namgoong-won had come to the 17th Fighter Wing’s underground research facility. His routine had been the same each day. He would start the day off with a meeting between the head researchers and end it with organizing the numerous research data through the Hocula AI. While he was going through his daily routine, he was contacted by the NIS five days ago and finally got to exercise his skills and break away from the boredom.

  “That’s it! I hit the jackpot! Thanks, Hocula!”


  Namgoong-won had spent the last two days mostly awake. His face was gaunt from fatigue and but cheered as he leaned back on his chair.

  Data download complete.

  Hocula’s mechanical voice came through the watch.

  “Is that so? Well then delete our hacking tracks completely.”


  The ongoing technological development had reached a level wherein Namgoong-won could now communicate with Hocula by speaking through his watch.

  Five days ago, the NIS Cybersecurity Department requested Namgoong-won to hack the Japanese Prime Minister’s intelligence agency department to find evidence for the Ji-Rin Sarin gas attacks. He had found numerous suspicious documents and attempted additional hacks to the Prime Minister’s office server and found the ones he was looking for after two days.

  When he hacked NASA’s servers, it took him a few months to break through, but thanks to the help of Hocula, he was able to enter into the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Foreign Intelligence Department, the office, and the internal servers in only 5 days.

  “All right.”


  Namgoong-won downloaded the data from the Prime Minister’s office internal server into the secure USB.

  “How have you been? Hey, Hocula.”


  Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin, Namgoong-won’s girlfriend, who had temporarily returned to the NIS when the war with China broke out, came in.

  “When did you get back?”


  “Just now.”


  Lee Hye-jin! Long time no see.

  “Yeah, hi.”


  While Hocula was making its greetings, the two hugged each other. Namgoong-won showed the USB to brag. He spoke.

  “I got another one.”


  “Is that the thing requested by the Cybersecurity Department?”


  “I stayed up for two days and just got it.”


  “I knew it! We know you could do it with your skills.”


  “Ah, now is not the time. Unpack your luggage. I am going to hand over the data.”


  “All right. Come to my room after.”


  Namgoong-won looked pleased and headed toward the exit.

  * * *

  December 13, 2020, 15:20, East sea, 79 km southeast from Dok-do Island (the 3rd Escort Fleet’s location)

  “Azimuth 2-8-2, distance 23km, detecting four torpedoes! One of them is headed toward our vessel, sir.

  The Sonar Operator’s urgent voice filled the Soryu class Unryu (SS-502) Submarine Command Center.

  “Where did they come from? Helmsman! Set the azimuth to 0-9-2 and turn swiftly! Set the diving angle to 25 degrees at full speed.”


  Captain Oseto Isao of the Unryu submarine responded immediately and gave orders.

  “Sir, the speed is too fast. The torpedo is 22 km away from us and 63 seconds before contact.”


  “What kind of torpedo can reach 22 km in 63 seconds?”


  Captain Oseto Isao scolded the Sonar Operator since the report he gave did not sound feasible.

  “The thing is, it seems to be a hypercavitating torpedo reaching a speed of 660 knots, sir.”


  “Nonsense!”


  Captain Oseto Isao almost swore instinctively but stopped. A speed of 660 knots would be enough for a torpedo to be considered as a hypercavitating torpedo.

  “Have the self-propelled decoy nixie on the ready! Deploy it as soon as it’s ready!”


  “Prepping the nixie decoy! Deploying now, sir.”


  The self-propelled decoy nixie exited the submarine’s launch tube and began to move by itself while emitting the same sonar pattern as the Unryu in an attempt to lure the unknown torpedo.

  However, the S-SSSFM-500 Trident hypercavitating torpedo launched by the Posiden 1 ignored the jamming of the nixie and moved toward its target.

  “It wasn’t fooled by the nixie decoy. The torpedo is headed toward our direction.”


  The Sonar Operator’s desperate voice rang across the Unryu submarine (SS-502). Captain Oseto Isao shouted.

  “Everyone brace for impact!”


  Boooooom!

  The Unryu had been directly hit by the Trident torpedo that had a warhead of 500kg. A hole was torn through the submarine and split in it two. The crew and other supplies begin to drift out from the submarine.

  Booom, Boom, Booom!

  After the Unryu (SS-502) was destroyed, three additional explosions occurred and the Soryu class Kokuryu (SS-506), Jinryu(SS-506) sub, the Oyashio class Uzushio (SS-592), and Unryu (SS-502) met the same fate.

  The submarine’s wreckage and oil began to float to the surface as if to mark the border between Korea and Japan’s sea territory.

  * * *

  December 13, 2020, 15:20, East sea 47 km southeast of Dok-do Island (Lee Sun-shin cruiser’s location)

  “The Posiden 1 Command Center reports taking out the four Japanese submarines.”


  The Communications Operator had reported.

  The Lee Sun-shin (CG-1101), which had achieved an absolute victory in the battle against the 3rd Escort Fleet, began to sail northeast to hold off the 1st Carrier Strike Group.

  “They’re doing well.”


  Captain Ahn Youn-joon, who was in the command center, answered with his arms crossed.

  “The 1st Carrier Strike Group has fired type-90 ship-to-ship missiles. Their numbers are 8, 9, 10, and increasing, sir.”


  “Their distance?”


  “It’s 76 km away from our vessel. There are 56 enemy ship-to-ship missiles in total. The first missile will reach us in 240 seconds, sir.”


  The Radar Operator reported the information being detected in real time.

  “Disengage the Hocula auto-response lock system! From now on, we will go into auto-response for the enemy ship-to-ship missiles.”


  When Captain Ahn Youn-joon gave the order, the Operations Director repeated the order and relayed it to the operators.

  “Disengaging the Hocula auto-lock system! We will go into the auto-response mode.”


  When Lee Sun-shin cruiser’s anti-air defenses transitioned into the auto-response mode, it began to respond after checking the dangers from the enemy missiles. It calculated the remaining weaponry aboard the cruiser and then began to respond accordingly. First, 35 rounds of the Haegung missiles left the launchpad and flew into the sky.

  Whoosh! Whoosh!

  The large screen inside the bridge showed two colored groups of dots representing each nation’s missiles flying toward each other.

  “Multiple jets taking off from the Kaga, sir,” the operators reported.

  “How many?”


  The Operations Director asked.

  “It’s increasing. Eleven F-35B jets currently, sir.”


  A minute later, another report about the enemy jets came in.

  “Final order for the enemy jets. Twenty-four F-35B jets and four EA-18G EMP warfare attackers have taken off and flying toward our direction, sir.”


  “So they want a proper fight eh? Should we ask for aerial support too?”


  “Yes, sir. I will request for support from the 23rd Fighter Wing.”


  Brigadier General Ahn Youn-joon changed the communication channel and called over his first mate.

  “Major Oh.”


  “Yes, Captain.”


  “Azimuth 0-4-2 starboard half turn! Change speeds to 15 knots.”


  “Yes, sir.”


  * * *

  December 13, 2020, 15:22, Kyung Nam Kimhae-si, the 23rd Fighter Wing Airforce Base runway

  The 16 Black Phoenix KF/A-25P that had been on standby for takeoff 2 hours ago emerged from the igloos and entered into the runway under the guidance of the marshalers. When the 16 jets had formed into 2 lines of 8 on the runway, the first Black Phoenix jets at the lead began to roar their engines and thrust forward.

  Whirrrrrl~ Whooosh~ Whooosh~ Whoosh~

  Four minutes later, all 16 jets had taken off and fallen into formation. They turned on their afterburners and disappeared into the clouds, shifting to super-cruise mode.

  * * *

  December 13, 2020, 15:30, Jongro-ku, Blue House National Emergency Center underground bunker (President’s office), Seoul

  From the emergency meeting, the Korean government had decided to evict from the country the Ambassadors from Russia and Japan. It also declared that they would consider these two nations as enemies in the war and will respond assertively. President Suh Hyun-woo had returned to his office inside the underground bunker and watched the battle against the Japanese fleet with the Minister of National Defense like a livestream broadcast. The NIS secretary ran into the office hurriedly.

  “I am sorry, Mr. President.”


  “What is going on?”


  “I am sorry, sir. It is urgent.”


  “Please have a seat first.”


  NIS Secretary Na Bong-il pulled out a document and placed it on the table as soon as he sat down.

  “What’s this?”


  “This is the evidence that can link Japan to the Ji-Rin Sarin gas attack and their current provocation in Dok-do Island, sir.”


  “Truly?”


  The President and the Minister of National Defense each picked up the document and began reading.

  A moment later President Suh Hyun-woo’s face was distraught from the document’s shocking contents and the Minister of National Defense also put down the document on the table and sighed.

  “The three nations already were in agreement.”


  “My . . .”


  * * *

  December 13, 2020, 15:30, Japan Government Cabinet’s Emergency Situation Center, Tokyo

  Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, National Defense Minister Shibasaki, and other government officials were all in disbelief by the footage the unmanned drone was sending in.

  The 3rd Escort Fleet, which was one of the main forces of its navy, had its destroyers sunk except for four surviving vessels. These four were being towed back by the rescue ships from the Mairuzu Navy Base.

  From now on this battle would escalate from a small battle for a territorial dispute to an actual full-blown war between two nations.

  Prime Minister Abe started to speak.

  “How- how could an entire escort fleet be taken out this easily! Minister Shibasaki, what was it that you said?”


  “I am sorry, sir.”


  Bang! Bang!

  “I am not talking to you to get an apology!”


  Prime Minister Abe banged on the table, upset, and then spoke while looking at Minister Shibasaki.

  “What are the Korean government’s movements like?”


  “Based on the reports, the Korean government is taking steps to deport our ambassador, sir.”


  Foreign Affairs Minister Ochi Furume answered instead.

  “Deport the Korean Ambassadors too. The way things are, we should be prepared to face war.”


  Prime Minister Abe spoke firmly.

  “But we must check America’s stance on this. The Democratic Party and other minor political parties will oppose the action, sir.”


  “Don’t worry about America. Minister Suga Yoshihide, I would like you to keep a close watch on the opposing party members. Do you understand? Minister Shibasaki, order the 1st and 2nd Escort Fleet to prepare to sail too.”


  “Yes, sir.”