In July 1939, they find themselves, along with 100 other Koreans, in the battle at Nomonhan, on the border with Mongolia, where a Chinese sniper, Shirai (Fan Bingbing), avenging the deaths of her family at the hands of the Japanese, is captured and tortured. Tatsuo, now a colonel, arrives and takes command and forces the existing commander, who is far fairer to the Koreans, Takakura (高倉; Shingo Tsurumi), to commit seppuku. After refusing to join a suicide squad, organized by Tatsuo, to fight the Soviets, Jun-shik is imprisoned with Shirai but escapes with her, Jong-dae, and two other friends to the River Khalkhin. Jun-shik, seeing the tanks on the horizon, attempt to return to base to warn the Japanese forces. During his return, he is attacked by a Soviet I-16 Ishak, and is saved by Shirai, who dies after shooting down the plane. Jun-shik returns to the base and manages to warn the Japanese forces that a large-scale Soviet tank attack is coming, but Tatsuo refuses to order a retreat. During the one-sided battle, a tank shell explodes near Tatsuo and Jun-shik, which knocks them unconscious.