The Hunt After The War

Hunt after The War

               The War continued on for centuries of attacks back and forth from both sides. The Humans who tried to keep the Jewel from being taken and the Demons who are trying any possible means to take the jewel for their king. Until finally the humans, gaining power with each defeated demon, took the winning side of the war to push the demons back. Proving to be more of a threat than anticipated, the demons are pushed back into hiding. This victory also caused the fall of 2 Demon Lords. The 5 Generals passed down their abilities to their next generations and their legacy continues. Things, however, are not the same with the 6th General, who is the strongest among the other Generals. His power is a bloodline gift from the Spirit King, and may only be passed down upon his children. Rhydys outlived the other Generals because his power comes with immortality and continued on the battle as he took the major role in taking down the 2 demon lords.

               Outliving the first 5 Generals was not by choice but by loss. Shortly after defeating his first demon Lord, he came home to find his wife and two children slaughtered. One of the demon Lords, an expert in shape shifting, slipped into the kingdom undetected and finished his mission upon Rhydys’ family. Without a son or daughter to continue his legacy, he chose to stay with his powers and helped to usher peace into the human world once again. Then, upon seeing that the world once again belong to the Humans, he chooses to retire from his position as the High General. Delegating his position as the highest in command to the 1st General, second strongest only to him, he departed from civilization and was never seen again.

**********************************************************************************

               Through the centuries, the world continues to evolve. The feats of the 6 Generals and their 2 thousand men that won the world over from the demons only became a legend to the world. But not to the generations who inherited the power of the generals and their soldiers. Establishing their posts all over the world, they name themselves The Paladins. Now they operate in secret, in the shadows. The demons that was thought to be in hiding, in the last 70 years, started to re-emerge in order to find the jewel. Appearing anywhere in the world, whether it be once or multiple times in simultaneous places, they slowly started to cause a commotion. Men, women, children or even animals are found brutally murdered. The Paladins took action at any given moment or given chance. So far things are still under their control until the last 10 years started to become dangerous.

               New demons that never appeared before during those times of war started to appear. They are stronger, faster and even deadlier than any other demons back in the day. Demon species that even veteran Paladins can’t kill single handedly. So the next generation of the 5 Generals had to take action.

               The 5 Generals can only bestow their power upon one person who they deemed worthy to continue on their legacy. Once chosen as the new bearer of the Generals’ gift, one has to serve with that power for 7 years then he or she can pick who will be their next successor or he/she can choose to keep that power. Yet, another way to retire away from this power is to die In the middle of battle then the power itself will choose who it deems worthy to continue the legacy of the previous General. The first Generals started with 5 so they will continue on with 5 and not as the soldiers who multiplies as the more demons they kill. The difference is when their power are passed on, they will inherit accumulated strengths from the previous Generals, making each new generation stronger than the next. The Generals would be the busiest because if any country are facing S class level demons, they would be called to help. The only time all 5 Generals will be in one place is when they are faced with a Demon Lord Threat. When together, not even an Elite S Demon Lord can come out of the fight unscathed or alive. Alone, however, they are guaranteed a win against high rank demon lord.

               As the soldiers evolve due to their inherited powers along with the Generals as well, the demons also evolved. The Demon Lords’ powers also increased tremendously for what their minions kill means also an increase in their powers. Due to their power increase, the stronger the demons they can summon from the netherworld. These Demons are all graded by classes. Classes D – E are the lowest of rankings. Classes B – C are middle classed strong and no ordinary soldier could survive if faced with demons at this great. Classes Elite A – A are the most dangerous, unless you are a veteran soldier or a General, your chances to win are very slim. The Demons Lords’ class is a X class, the strongest class that need all 5 generals in order to win while their right hands are at least S – Elite A class Demons.

               The strongest soldier ever recorded in history is an Elite A class, and this current generation, there are only 100 Elite A soldiers spread across the continents. The current Generals’ ranks are Elite S to S class. 3 members are Elite S classes while the other 2 are S class. Yet, together they can take down anything. Their powers have been put to the test and proven strong when they finally took down another Demon Lord 2 years ago deep into the Amazon jungle in Brazil after 3 centuries when Rhydys, the Grand Paladin, took down 2 Demon Lords single handedly. But the win came with quite the toll because they had to lose 50 soldiers and one General was mortally wounded and was on the verge of death if weren’t for their support healing him at the most crucial moment. Their win left two demon Lords remaining but these two demon lords have never been sighted before.  

               In all 7 continents, the posts of Paladins are established. Each posts are hidden from the ***** eyes but is a fortress. Each fortress equipped with portals to welcome new recruits or transfer of soldiers from one post to another. The only ones allowed to enter are people gifted or who inherited the powers of the soldiers or the Generals. Once they inherit the powers, their eyes will be able to see the fortress and it’s way in. The Generals however, need no portal or entry. They can move about with teleportation magic that allows them to move anywhere anytime they want. Their connection with each other also helps when one is in danger, the others just need to teleport to wherever he or she is with no difficulty.

              **********************************************************************

               The Axeman or known as the Tank General is currently an owner of a famous café is New York.  The Archer is or known as the Mage is now an International model shooting for a new GUESS issue. The Spearwoman or known as the Support has just enrolled her first year in UCLA. The assassin is currently a teacher at a college in National Seoul University. The Swordman is now a record label leading CEO who is on tour in the USA. Each of them having their own careers and paths to live by, even though it looks like they are on their own, but actually their soldiers are always around them. The Assassin has 3 soldiers disguised as the Principal, Math teacher and a Janitor and both are at peak Elite A class. The Archer also has peak Elite A class with her, a total of 5 of them. Her hair stylist, make up artist, photographer, wardrobe and her manager. The Spearwoman has 2 accompanying her, both Peak Elite A class. Her two best friends. The Tank has 4 soldiers around him, all four are his staff members in the café. The Swordsman has 2, his two top artists who are with him for his tour.

   ***************************************************************************

               Rushing through the bright lit hallway, a soldier in panic raced out of the portal room into the command deck. A sight that came out of the portal few moments ago sends bone chilling shiver through his bones. A soldier, a remaining of him, emerged from the portal with his left leg severed and his right eye scarred out of function. Not just any soldier, an elite A class and along with him came 3 more Elite A class but none of the three came back with him.

               “Commander Siwon!” The young soldier stopped right in front of the commander while trying to catch his breath.

               “State your name and rank soldier,” Siwon stood up straight as a commander should when his subordinate approaches, “Then state your business.”

               “Private Kai, rank Elite B sir,” the young soldier saluted, “Report on the returning squad from sector 94.”

               “Alright, Kai,” Siwon nods on, “ Report.”

               “Sir, they have returned,” the young soldier’s face turned grim as he hesitates slightly.

               “And? What do you have to report?” Siwon was starting to feel uneasy at his subordinate’s grim look.

               “Out of the four that was sent,” Kai looked at the commander, “Only one returned sir and he is in a bad condition, he’s at the portal room.”

               Upon hearing the report, Siwon sped off in a split second out the door because all four of these soldiers are his close buddies. At his rank as Peak Elite A class, speed is off no issue to him. In just mere seconds, he is already at the location mentioned. Just as he arrives, two healers are already working on to heal the fallen soldier. His eyes went wide with shock to see his best friend on the floor wounded badly. He rushed to his best friend’s side.

               “What happened, Shindong?” he took his friends’ hand and grasps it in his hand.

               “It… it was so fast and strong,” Shindong squeezes his best friend’s hand, “It killed Ryeowook, Kyuhyun and Heechul moments after we noticed it’s presence. If it wasn’t for them, I would have also died. I was attacked first and before it could kill me, those three dumbasses jumped in and send me through the portal. But before the portal closes, I witnessed them being butchered.”

               Right before Siwon could say another word, his best friend blacked out and was outcold. “Sir, we need to bring him to the medical room immediately.” Siwon only nodded as his friend is carried off by the healers away from him.

               “Sir?” A female soldier saluted him and bowed her head.

               “What is it Sooyeon?” Siwon still stood still with rage and pain raging inside him.

               “This is not the only occurrence,” Sooyeon came closer to the Commander and gave him her tablet, “Four other occurrences happened in four different posts.”

               Siwon takes her tablet to read the report and was left wide eyed again with shock. In all those reports, none returned alive. The soldiers that died were no amateurs but those who are of the same rank as he is. These men and women are reportedly the best from each posts and the news that all of them died except his friend, made his emotions sky rocket.

               “We need to alert the Generals,” Siwon gave the tablet back to young female soldier.

               “She did,” Siwon and the young female soldier turned around to see The Assassin General materializing in from of them in the form of a white energy.

               “General on deck!” Siwon sounded out and salutes the General along with the remaining soldiers in the room.

               “At ease,” The General was already in his dark grey armor with red decorations of a panther crested on the front his breastplate.

               The Commander and his soldiers eased themselves before the General speaks, “The other four Generals are on their locations as we speak, and it seems this new threat’s energy is almost of the same wavelength in strength in all the rest 4 locations. Anything you got Sooyeon?”

              Sooyeon fumbled on her tablet and tapped a few times before addressing the General, “Sir, these wavelengths are similar to that of the new type of demons but these things shouldn’t have been a problem to the Elite A class.”

               “That’s what got the 5 of us confused,” The General frowns, “But I think it’s best that the 5 of us go into the field to check because we don’t want to risk another casualty.”

               “Yes sir,” the Commander salutes, “What would you have us do sir?”

               “First, I need one more Elite A to accompany me and the two Elite As who are already on location to scout,” The General states.

               "With your permission, sir," Siwon stepped up and bows his head, "Take me, I would like to see the face of the demon who slaughtered my closest friends."

               "But, are you willing to listen to my order even if it means abandoning the fight?" The General crossed his arms over his chest and looked on the commander in front of him. 

               The commander could only bit his lip, but an order from an General is an order, "Yes, sir, without a doubt I will."

               "Then please, stand up," The commander stands up as the General asks, "Are you prepared?"

               Without a moment of hesitation, Siwon glows bright blue and what was once his ordinary clothes are now replaced by dark blue armor with the crest of a Bull embedded on it's breastplate. "Always ready, sir."

                The General nods with a smile, "Alright, I have to make a quick call."

                The commander bows his head and goes to the portal to prepare for transport while The Assassin General took out his handphone and punches in redial. A few seconds passed by before a familiar sound replies, "Hey pretty boy! What you calling me for? I'm in the middle of something."

                 "Hyung, I told you to never call me that," the Assassin General shook his head, "I was calling to inform you I'm taking your top soldier, Siwon with me on this side of the post to investigate."

                 "Ah! Alright! He's a strong one and reliable," The other General replied then his voice got a little more serious, "Nickhun-ah, be careful, this is no ordinary demon. I can't feel it's presence even after arriving 5 minutes in already."

                "Will do Hyung, you becarefull too, I don't want to visit your wife when she's crying over you," that earned him a chuckle from the older General.

               "Haha! Jihyo would drag me out of my grave to beat my *** if I ever die on her before our daughter is born," The older General replied with a chuckle, "We'll talk later, I'm picking up something." 

                 "Alright, Hyung," with that brief reply, the call ended between the two Generals. Nickhun took a deep breath and walks towards the opening portal. 

                "Let's get this show on the road," Nickhun stands beside Siwon and just before the portal fully opens, Two dark blades materialized behind Nickhun and glows with a red and white aura. With that, the two men walk through the portal. 

                 The scenery that greeted them was an abandoned amusement park. And its condition looked like it was at least a decade old. Nickhun tries to make a telepathic connection to the scouts he sends before he arrives at Siwon's post. "Something's wrong."

                 "What is it, sir?" Siwon examines Nickhun's face, but before he knows it, he was pushed back inside the portal.

                "SEAL THE PORTAL! ALERT THE GENERALS! THIS IS CODE CRIMSON!" Nickhun looked back at Siwon with his blades drawn at the ready and then his face becomes covered in a read battle helmet.

                 Siwon was confused at first until he himself sensed it. He can't breath, and can't utter a word for the pressure of this presence was something he never felt before. In a split second, Nickhun's blades clashed against' another while he stands between the portal and the individual that just attacked him. "CLOSE THE PORTAL! ALERT EVERYONE!" Nickhun commanded one more time before the portal finally closes.

                   As soon as the portal closes, the man person he thought was a man is actually a woman, "Hmmm.. Well, you are fast there, human," she smirks and jumps back for a distance between them. In her hand are also two blades yet a little shorter compared to Nickhun's but purple in color and slightly curved outwards. From it emits a dark aura that's enough to make anyone shake with fear. 

                 "Can't let you slip off my fingers milady," Nickhun bows his head slightly to show mock respect.

                "Haha.. you're funny," just she finishes her words, she disappeared from Nickhun's sight. A split second later their blades clashed yet again as Nickhun parried her attack the last second as she attacks from the back. Her features are exquisite and admittedly beautiful to even leave Nickhun awed slightly as he takes a closer look at her. Then again she disappears from in front of him only to appear a second later several feet away sitting on a tree.

                 "You're like me Human," she has her legs over the other while putting her hand under her chin, "An Assassin type."

                 "That might be true but I am nothing like you, demon," Nickhun then takes his stance with his blades ready as a red aura envelopes him to showcase his true power for the demon.

                "UUUUU... Someone's so excited," she clapped her hands and giggled before her eyes turned bright red, "You're right too. I am nothing like you.. and I'm gonna enjoy eating every last bit of you." Then she disappears again but this time appears almost the exact moment she disappeared to Nickhun's right. She stroke another blow with her blade, and like before Nickhun's blocks it. However, the outcome wasn't like before as his body flew towards the park after the impact of her blow. 

             The immense strength and speed only confirm the demon he is facing. "A demon Lord," Nickhun lands safely as he teleports before impact. He stands straight to see the demon female standing right in front of him. His blades again up and ready to counter the female demon. But his powers alone can't stand a matchup against a demon lord. "If she goes in for the kill, I've got no chance."

              "You're quite an annoying brat aren't you?" The female demon points her blade at him as she smirks and her body shined purple to be replaced by a purple armor that exudes dangerous energy with a Cobra at its breastplate. "I will have to finish you before he comes."

             'He?'  Nickhun wondered but his thoughts stopped processing as the female demon goes in for another attack but before it connects, instead of parrying it again like before, Nickhun steps aside a second later and lands a roundhouse kick on the demon as she missed her target. His kick sends her sprawling a few feet away. 

             "Shit!" Nickhun winced as he feels pain surging on his right leg. She managed to block his attack the last second. Nickhun immediately teleports away from the demon.

              He teleported several feet outside the amusement park. He leans his hand against one of the trees and winced once again in pain. The armor on his right foot disappears to reveal a bruised leg. "That armor was too hard to be normal," Nickhun cursed under his breath as he puts his hand over the bruise and concentrates to heal his leg. 

              "That looks like it hurts," the demon female's voice snapped Nickhun's attention away from his leg. She was leaning on another tree unscathed after blocking his attack, "You should put some ice on it."

                Nickhun's armor came back on his leg and he puts his blades at the ready this time. 'I can't keep running now, she'll get to me anyway.' His body then starts to exude a grey aura around him with a red streak mixed in. 

                "Now that's what I'm talking about," The demon lady also took a ready stance, "Entertain me hum...."

               Before she could finish her words, Nikchun had already launched at inhumane speed towards her. It surprises her, no one has ever been this fast before. Her reaction was too late as her right hand was cut clean off. 

               "Ahhhhh... You son of a..." she wailed in pain but again before she finishes her sentence, the lighting of strong caliber shot off from Nikchun's blades and hits the demon square on her chest which sends several feet away and breaking through the trees. 

                 'She's not dead even if any demon would be obliterated by now,' Nickhun says to himself as he teleports away from where she is. 'Better escape while I have the chance.' Nickhun was about to teleport away when a hand lands on his shoulder.

                 "Going somewhere?" The voice he hears is definitely different from the female demon's but his presence is a thousandfold different from her. Nickhun only managed to turn his head to look the owner of the hand because his whole body couldn't move or react at all. The being before he has the same presence of a demon but not a demon Nickhun has ever seen before. "Why don't you sit down?" Just as the words left out of his strong demon's mouth, Nickhun falls to his knees as if he loses all the feeling from his leg.

                  Nickhun couldn't move his body at all. This demon has a very dangerous and deadly presence that dwarfed the female demon's presence by hundreds of folds. The demon squats down to look at Nickhun with an eerie smile on his face, he looks like any other high leveled demon lord. He looks human but his eyes showcase death and danger. "So you're a General huh?" he then sits in front of Nickhun as if nothing had actually happened.

                   "Who... are... you?" Nickhun speaks in a stutter as his ability to speak also seem to stop.

                  "Oh! Hahaha, how rude of me," he laughs as if it's a funny situation, "I'm called Kim Soohyun, well at least that's the name I take so you humans can say them without difficulty. My demon name is too hard for you to spell."

                  "My Prince," the female demon returned from behind the man and immediately got down on her knees.

                  "You played your prey a little too long Hyorin," his tone changed and beads of sweat trickle down Nickhun's forehead, "Leave my sight." And without any words to say, she disappears from their sight.

                  "Where were we?" yet again his tone changed as his eyes came back to stare into Nickhun's, "Ah yes, if I'm not mistaken there's suppose to be 5 of you. Hahaha.. Jiyong's plan to separate you all before I arrive was quite clever, that way both these lords can stay alive. You 5 are quite a big deal when I get the news in Netherworld."

                  He examines Nickhun's face and chuckles, "But you're nothing," he flicked his right hand and Nickhun's right arm came clean off from his shoulder. "And I've seen your fight, you're not escaping anymore." As he stands up, ignoring Nickhun's wail of pain, Nickhun's body also rises from off the ground to a few feet from off the ground. Another flick of his wrist and both of Nickhun's legs and remaining arm came clean off. Another wail of pain escapes Nickhun's mouth as he floats mid-air with no ability to do anything at all.

                    "I'm pretty sure you're friends will come looking for you," again that eerie smile stays plastered on his face as he drops Nickhun to the ground as if he was a ragdoll. He then kneels right beside Nickhun's body and whispers, "Let's see how  long your friends will last with me."

                 Fear and grim befalls upon Nickhun's face as his body again floats off the ground and launched into the air right above the amusement park. His body was still wincing in extreme pain as he looks on ahead to see a portal opening not so far away from the amusement park. He gathers his strength to shout, "NO!!!! DON'T COME HERE! GO BACK!!"

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***