Descent of the Demon Master

‘Damn it…’

Nobuo urgently scanned his surroundings. The ship's deck was filled to the brim with people. And this sight was frustrating him to no end.

Not a single proper explanation was given to them since the start of their journey. All they were told was that their destination was South Korea, and those making substantial contributions would be rewarded appropriately.

Since that was the story given to Eihana-kai's members, it must be the same for others, as well. That was why Nobuo kept glancing around, just in case. But no one seemed to know what was happening here. And no one voiced their dissatisfaction with this development too!

‘You are all insane!’

Nobuo might be Korean-Japanese, but he still had been to South Korea many times in the past. So, he knew a lot about that country.

If something like this happened in Korea? The people there would've started a riot by now! They would've either demanded more explanations or frothed at their mouths while vociferously opposing the war.

However, these crazy Japanese martial artists seemed to accept this situation as if they couldn't see anything wrong here!

Nobuo couldn't tell what these people were thinking about, but at least the looks on their faces implied they were not warriors heading off to war but a bunch of students about to write university entrance exams!

‘Crazy bastards…’

Maybe because Nobuo had Korean blood still flowing in his veins, this side of the Japanese national character sometimes creeped him out to no end.

At least he could understand why the Japanese loathed to stand out. Even Nobuo himself was uncomfortable about standing in front of everyone and expressing his opinion.

Even so, wasn’t this situation… wrong?

‘Damn it. There is a time and place for everything, you know? Including how much you mind your manners!'

No, maybe Nobuo was wrong about this. These people might not be minding their manners. They could simply be conditioned into thinking that the orders from the above were absolute and that following them unquestioningly was par for the course.

Only special cases like Nobuo could be stewing in dissatisfaction right now.

Whatever the case might be, though… The fact that this situation was unreasonable still didn’t change.

‘What should I do?’

Nobuo’s thoughts deepened.

“Why did it have to be…”

Why did it have to be South Korea? If only China had been their target instead! Nobuo's thoughts wouldn't have been this conflicted and confused.

‘Goddamn it…!’

Korea was Nobuo's mother nation. A nation that had done nothing for him. As such, he felt nothing about Korea. In fact, he sometimes hated the fact that he was Korean-Japanese.

He was a Korean who had to live in Japan. And that fact tormented Nobuo to no end.

He was a foreigner wherever he went. Koreans labeled him as a Halfling Jap and mocked him. Meanwhile, the Japanese discriminated against him for being a “Dirty Korean.”

Neither side bothered to understand him or accept him for who he was.

That was the story for all Korean-Japanese. To survive, they had two options. One, form a water-tight community only with other Korean-Japanese and live among them. Or, be like Nobuo and hide their background while parading around as Japanese.

The majority chose the former option in the past, but more and more were choosing the latter lately. No, forget hiding… Quite a few chose to become naturalized instead!

After all, Japan was their home. The place they had to plant their roots and live out the rest of their lives.

Unlike the second-gen Korean-Japanese, who constantly thought about returning to Korea one day, the third-gens weren’t all that different from the average Japanese.

They were exposed to Japanese culture from their birth, so the whole 'concept' of Korea felt alien to them instead. The third-gens might sometimes feel this sense of disharmony from Japan, but Korea roused much stronger disharmony.

Even Nobuo saw himself as a Japanese rather than a Korean-Japanese. But now…!

‘What’s gotten into me?’

He was nervous. Jittery. He couldn’t calm himself down. Since a while ago, it felt like he was standing on a hot steel plate. His legs couldn’t stay still and tried to take him here and there.

Suddenly, Motobe called out to him. “Nobuo!”

“S-sorry? Yes, sir!”

“You f*ck! What the hell are you doing?!”

Judging from Motobe's attitude, it seemed he had been searching for Nobuo for a while.

Nobuo tried to explain. “Oh, I was…”

“You dumb f*ck!”

Slaaaap!

Even before Nobuo could mutter an excuse, Motobe's hand moved faster to light up Nobuo's cheek.

Nobuo’s lips split open, causing blood to splatter on the floor. Even then, Nobuo didn’t even moan in pain.

Slap! Slaaap! Slap!

Motobe finally stopped after slapping Nobuo three times in a row. “You f*cking piece of sh*t! You think war is a kid’s play?!”

“My apologies, sir.”

“Can't you see your superiors are keeping their heads down and diligently manning their positions?! You think this is a picnic! Huh? You think we're going on a vacation?!”

“My apologies, sir.”

Motobe glared in anger at Nobuo. And that was when Nobuo noticed something off about that glare.

‘What’s going on here?’

Motobe's anger didn't seem straightforward. That glare, it… It felt somewhat familiar. Although Nobuo couldn't quite recall from where or when, it felt like he had seen that glare many times before.

“You…!” Motobe growled menacingly. “Are you really Korean-Japanese?”

“…!”

So, that was why, then.

Nobuo chewed his lips. He never revealed to his gumi that he was Korean-Japanese. He figured there was no reason for him to voluntarily disclose this information. Although, if the gumi wanted to find out, he knew there was no way to conceal the truth.

If only today’s events hadn’t flustered Nobuo, and unexpectedly hearing some people chat in Korean hadn’t surprised him, he wouldn’t have been forced to admit to the truth like this.

Lying to a big fish like Nakata Yuji was unthinkable, after all!

“...Yes, sir. I am.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“No one asked me…”

“You f*ck…!” Motobe glared in contempt at Nobuo.

Nobuo honestly thought there was no reason to bring up his background. To his knowledge, the Japanese martial world boasted quite a number of Korean-Japanese warriors in its ranks. The higher-ups usually kept quiet about their presence, and the Korean-Japanese themselves didn't go out of their way to talk about who they were.

In that case, why should Nobuo willingly disclose his identity?

Motobe growled angrily. “You dare deceive us all this time?”

“No, sir. I wasn’t trying to deceive anyone.”

“Oh, really now?”

“Yes, sir,” Nobuo said unwaveringly. Even if he was accused of making excuses, he simply had to defend himself here. “I honestly believed there was no need to mention my background, sir. Because I see myself as Japanese. I simply haven’t naturalized yet because all the conditions aren’t met yet, and my family is vehemently against it, that’s all. I’ll become a Japanese citizen soon, so why…”

Slaaaap!

Motobe lit up Nobuo’s cheek once more. “You dare use that as an excuse?!”

“…!”

“Listen here, you dipshit! You think things will change just because you get naturalized? You think all that blood flowing within you will change?”

The blood flowing within him...? Nobuo had to work hard to suppress his hollow chuckle.

What was he supposed to do, then? Even though Nobuo was born in Japan, went to school here, and lived his whole life as a Japanese?

Did he have to live as a Korean for the rest of his life just because his granddad was a Korean, too? Even though he couldn’t even remember that old man’s face anymore?

Motobe roared angrily. “Stop spewing bullsh*t and go back to your position!”

“...Yes, sir.”

“Also…!”

“Sir?”

Motobe scowled deeply. “During this expedition, you shall accompany Kousuke. Got that?”

“With Mister Kousuke?”

“That’s right!”

“Understood,” Nobuo slowly nodded.

“I’m going to say this again, so you better listen up! You try any funny business, and I ain’t gonna go easy on you! Wherever you go, you report to me first! And never leave Kousuke’s side! Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

“Yes, sir.” Nobuo bowed his head.

Motobe glared angrily before spinning on his heels to leave. “This is why you chosenjin bastards are…”

Nobuo bit his lower lip.

‘Well, here we go again.’

That truly hateful label, chosenjin…! Did this fool think Nobuo wanted to be born as a Korean-Japanese?[1]

This soul-crushing humiliation nearly forced Nobuo to jump ship and join South Korea so, so many times. However, he couldn't help but falter every single damn time. After all, he was born here in Japan and lived as a Japanese.

Emigrating to another country where you knew no one and had no relatives to start anew was never going to be a cakewalk. Besides, Koreans were also not that friendly toward the Korean-Japanese, anyway.

Nobuo was a foreigner. An outsider. Someone who… couldn’t fit in anywhere.

‘So, I’m a chosenjin, eh?’

Nobuo chuckled helplessly.

‘Right, I guess that's it. I always saw myself as Japanese, but a Japanese man like yourself says I'm still Korean, so… I guess I better accept it, then.'

Accept that Nobuo was Korean, indeed! However, what did that matter now? When he got to witness the sight of actual Korean bastards voluntarily selling out their own country?

In that case, what did it matter whether Nobuo was Korean or Japanese?

Nobuo turned around to leave. However, the direction he chose didn’t lead to the cabin assigned to Eihana-kai’s group.

Notobe growled again. “Hey, you! Where do you think you’re going?”

“I was going to the bathroom, sir.”

“Bathroom?! You really wanna die today, don’t you? You goddamn chosenjin motherfu…!” Motobe ominously roused his aura while hurriedly approaching Nobuo.

Nobuo gritted his teeth at this sight.

‘Fine. Come and hit me.’

He was ready to receive any blows coming his way. However, something else happened right at that moment.

A man suddenly walked towards Nobuo and Motobe. And the dense aura gushing out of this man made Motobe flinch nastily. “W-what the hell?”

“…?”

Nobuo turned his head and stared at the new guest.

‘Wait. Isn’t he…?’

As it turned out, the man approaching him was that Korean man with a large physique standing next to Nakata Yuji at the docks.

‘Wasn’t he a Korean?’

Indeed, it was that man who ignored Nobuo earlier.

This man approached the duo while making a slightly displeased expression. Then, he quietly raised his voice. “Chosenjin?”

“…!” Motobe hurriedly clamped his mouth shut.

The atmosphere this Korean man oozed was nothing to scoff at. For some reason, Motobe could even smell the acrid stench of blood wafting from the man, too.

What stopped Motobe from doing anything foolish, though, was the fact that this man was seen standing next to Nakata Yuji earlier. This man could be a big fish he mustn’t offend, in other words!

“Please excuse me,” said Motobe.

“…” Lee Seong-Hwi didn’t say anything and glared sharply at the Japanese man.

Motobe could only smack his lips while backing away. He shot a glare at Nobuo. “You little sh*t. You better get back to your position or else.”

“Understood, sir,” Nobuo nodded.

Motobe quickly walked away and disappeared into the crowd.

Lee Seong-Hwi wordlessly stared at him before glancing at Nobuo. “Hey. You okay?”

“…” Nobuo slightly raised his head and glanced back at Lee Seong-Hwi. For some reason, he couldn’t help but chuckle. It was a chuckle of dismay. A hollow chuckle. In reality, though…

“Allow me to thank you, sir,” said Nobuo, then unhesitantly turned around to leave.

‘...You traitorous bastard.’

Nobuo growled in his mind. That man was a bastard who sided with Japan and sold his own country out… Even though he received all the benefits of growing up in South Korea!

From the perspective of Nobuo, who couldn't receive anything from Korea and had to endure untold discrimination in Japan, a bastard like Lee Seong-Hwi deserved nothing but contempt. Unlike Nobuo, Lee Seong-Hwi had no reason or justification to betray his own country.

However, did that mean Nobuo had the pretext? Did he really?

Nobuo slowly rubbed his face.

‘I… I’m not so sure anymore.’

Would he have changed if this event hadn't happened? No, that didn't seem likely. Maybe he had already subconsciously made his decision right after noticing how this situation was panning out.

These people could not be stopped. Nobuo didn't have the will to step up nor boast enough strength to do so. Even so, at the very least…

Nobuo resolved himself, then headed to the bathroom. He stuck his hands inside his pockets and gripped his phone inside. This mobile device felt unusually colder to his touch.

‘Can it still get through, though?’

It hadn’t been long since the ship had set sail, so it should be. Any further out in the sea, and Nobuo wouldn’t be able to do anything. While the window of opportunity was still open, he needed to make his move.

Lee Seong-Hwi silently watched the back of Nobuo resolutely walking away, his eyes withdrawn and gloomy. The stiff and chilly ocean winds brushed past his back.

“I am…”

Lee Seong-Hwi muttered emotionlessly. However, his voice was dripping with thick, heavy emotions. Emotions… that seemed desperate and longing for something.

“I…”

The star-lit night sky silently looked down on Lee Seong-Hwi standing all alone on a ship’s deck.

1. ”Chosenjin” is a derogatory term the Japanese use to denote people of Korean descent. ☜