The sea stretches as far as the eye can see — gray and heavy, as though it holds its breath.
The Korean fleet lies in formation, unmoving, each ship vibrating with the deep rhythm of the drums about to sound.
On the decks, soldiers check once more their bows, their ropes, their blades. Whispered voices slip between them:
— "He never sleeps…"
— "Even iron would break… but he never does."
Yi Sun-sin walks forward slowly, clad in dark armor, his gaze fixed straight ahead. Each step strikes the wooden deck like a silent command. The men bow as he passes, but their hands still tremble around their weapons.
Across the sea, Japanese banners emerge — drums thunder, war cries rise, and the enemy fleet advances like a black tide.
The Korean archers lift their bows, their hands shaking.
Yi steps to the prow. His gaze is locked forward — dark, cold, unwavering. His voice rings out, deep and commanding:
— "Not a single shot until my order. Hold."
The soldiers swallow hard. Some shift, fingers tense on their strings, fear creeping in. But one look from him — and their hesitation dies.
A tense silence, stretched thin. Then, the storm bursts.
Flaming arrows. Screaming cannonballs. Ships aflame. The sky turns red; the sea fills with blood and wreckage.
Bodies fall. Cries vanish into the roar.
A wounded soldier reaches out, gasping:
— "General… I…"
Yi barely turns his head. His voice cuts like steel:
— "Hold the line!"
Then — and only then — he raises his arm.
— "Fire!"
A roar explodes across the fleet. The turtle ships surge forward, their iron mouths spitting fire.
The clash is violent. The Japanese retreat, their ships one by one engulfed in flames.
The sea becomes a shroud — red and black.
At last, the waters calm, steaming under the smoke. The soldiers cry victory, but Yi stands motionless. He knows no triumph is ever final. War only feeds upon itself — each victory calling the next battle.
Far away, in the silent household, his wife bends over a sheet of paper, her trembling hand tracing a letter that may take weeks to reach him.