The 5 Legends

When Rayshel suddenly halted, the other soldiers stopped too. Of course, Dae wanted to know what was going on:

'Rayshel, why are you stopping?'

'Don't you find it weird? Our escape was too easy. If they're really the Five Legends, more of us should have died. Or they wouldn't have let us leave in the first place.'

'Don't worry, Rayshel. More will die. (Random soldier: The fuck! Why are you saying that so casual?) This is just the beginning. I think you know why the Five Legends died, right? Even though they all came from different countries, they were all killed—here, on this field.' Rayshel shrugged her shoulders.

'To be honest, I don't know anything. I just want to fight. The rest doesn't matter to me.' Dae resumed his walk, brifly shaking his head as he rolled his eyes.

'Ok. The reason they didn't follow us –they're giving us time. Time to run so they can enjoy the hunt. Back then, the Five Legends got drunk on their power. Some say the signs were already there when they were kids. Trained from a young age… first kill at six. Of course they turned unstable. But they did their job—eliminating every enemy. Then one day they met on the battlefield… and something changed. No one knows what happened. Did they plan it all beforehand? Did something trigger it? That same day, they murdered their own people, tortured them. They thought no one survived. But one person did—and told the tale. For a while, the governments monitored their Legends. But things got worse. The Legends snapped. They started killing indiscriminately—and they found ways to make it interesting. Eventually, they were lured to this battlefield, where one of the greatest wars took place. You know the battle ten years ago, right? I fought in it. The terrain has changed so much, I didn't even realize this was the same place where the Legends fell.'

'Well, that means they can be killed,' Rayshel concluded.

'Wait… that's all you took from my story?'

'I remember a bunch of already-crazy people turned even crazier and you killed them. Now I get why they call you Warlord. We can take them on!'

'Not with me in my current state.'

'What's wrong with your current state? And where are we even going?'
'First off, during the great battle, I was in my prime. That fight left me with scars. Now I can only keep up peak performance for a few minutes. Sure, during that time I could go head-to-head with a Legend. But five of them? That would be suicide. And if I burn out faster than expected, I'm done. As for where we're headed—we're regrouping with my men. Then, we'll make for the forest. Fighting the Legends out in the open like this would be suicide.' Rayshel increased her pace until she walked beside him. Eyeing his body, she muttered:

'That explains it. When we met, I didn't feel truly threatened. You're strong, yeah—but if I'd met the real Warlord, I think it would've felt different. So… how will you return to your prime?'
'President Sarah told me about a project they've been working on. She said it might be able to heal me.'

'Are you close or how come you say President Sarah instead of Miss President or whatever someone would say normally?'

'We are simply old friends. That's why I call her like that.' Rayshel elbowed Dae a smirk on the way to her face.

'Just friend, heh? I understand!'

On the field

There was a reason the Legends hadn't pursued. Other ghouls had emerged, and the Legends had wiped them out completely. Only five remained now—three male and two female.

There was Kale, the Sword King—the one who fought Rayshel. Then Linshey, the Queen of Sniper, her weapon long and thin, unlike any ordinary sniper rifle. The second woman, Zeyshe—code name Beautiful Dead—was one of the best assassins of her era. Two violet-handled, black-bladed daggers rested in her hands. The second man was built even broader than Kale. He wielded a massive shield in one hand and a minigun in the other. Some called him the Human Tank. Others, simply Stone.

The last of them didn't look special—no standout features. Black skin, yes, but his appearance was closer to human than the rest. Guns, daggers, and grenades were strapped across his body. His name: Adam. Code name: The Warlord. Before Dae, he had been the most feared figure in all of England.

He looked toward the forest. A slow, creeping grin spread across his face.
The hunt was about to begin.