by Cassiopeia stepped off the ship as she arrived in the port town of Cedar. This was her first major outing as a representative of Dies Irae in an official capacity. Up until this point all of the Kaijin's jobs had been D-Rank Jobs she'd undergone mostly out of a desire for extra spending money. This particular task was her first real test, and she wished to impress her superiors within the guild. For that, Cassiopeia had donned her finely tailored guild regalia. The uniform was a bit more militaristic than her usual attire, but no less regal. The addition of crimson to her dress was a welcome one, though Cassiopeia was staunchly opposed to the white most of her guild mates also chose to incorporate in theirs. To her, white was gaudy, and drew far too much attention. Regardless, she looked especially ravishing in her new ensemble, and it gave her an extra spring in her step as she made her way along the docks.
The Kaijin had been sent by Dies Irae to assist in the search for a serial killer plaguing the otherwise sleepy port-side town. Local Knights had supposedly turned up empty in their search, and had called for outside assistance in their investigation. Without missing a beat the woman made her way down the main road in town, heading towards the headquarters of the Knights. She was supposed to meet with the Knight Commander and be briefed on the situation. She arrived at the chapter headquarters within the hour, finding it bustling with activity. Naturally, her strange appearance and height commanded undo attention, though for once in her life people whispered among themselves more for her Guild affiliation than her tail or spines.
Cassiopeia made her way inside to the main office, clearing her throat as she addressed the receptionist. "Hello, my name is Cassiopeia Gojira. I'm here on behalf of Dies Irae, to assist in tackling this serial killer mystery." She stood there rather confidently, awaiting an answer.
The receptionist looked elated. "Oh thank goodness you're finally here. Yes, the Commander has been worried sick and up to his eyeballs in paperwork. Please, he's requested you see him in his office at once." Cassiopeia just nodded and stepped past the woman's desk, making her way further inside. A minute later and she was knocking on the door to the Knight Commander's office.
"Who is it? I'm very busy!" He called back in a gruff tone.
"Cassiopeia Gojira, I'm here from Dies Irae." Came the reply.
"Oh! I'm terribly sorry miss, please come right in." He corrected himself, and the Kaijin stepped into his office. The Commander's eyes seemed to bulge when he realized his guest was a full foot taller than himself. "What on earthland are they feeding you mages on that island?" He said aloud, forgetting his manners. "I mean, it's good to have you here miss Cassiopeia. Please take a seat." He motioned to a seat across from his desk.
"Chimera blood, mostly." Cassiopeia said jokingly in response, her tail coiling around as she ran a hand along its ridges. "Kill enough of the things and you tend to get soaked in it. Still, there's worse fates." She added with a laugh, it was a lie, but a lie she told often. For most of Earthland is was easier to accept her as a human plagued by chimeric features than as a member of an enigmatic race. Regardless, she took her seat and gave the Commander a stern look. "Jokes aside Sir, I realize the situation here is getting rather dire. I'll do everything in my power to help. Is there anything you can show me that's of use?"
"A good joke and then right to the point, I like you already Miss." The Commander said, reaching into his desk for a large folder of evidence. He slid it across the desk for the Kaijin to look at. Cassiopeia open the dossier, finding a bloodied knife, sketches of a masked man, and a number of files on the victims. "That's everything we have miss. We've lost a half dozen to this psychopath already. Calls himself James the Shredder... his preferred methods include slicing his victims into hundreds of little pieces. We have no face, no identifying features beyond his outfit, and no idea as to a specific M.O." The Commander paused, stroking at his beard. "Frankly miss, we're at a loss. We're a peacekeeping force, not a detective agency. I've never seen anything like this is my tenure as Commander."
Cassiopeia took a close look at the files, noting the victims. "None of his targets seem to have anything in common. Old, young, men, women, single, married. It's like he's just striking at random." Her attention turned to the map of Cedar. "Unless... Commander, could you do me a favor? Dot out where each murder happened on his map." She handed the map over to the knight, who seemed perplexed. He nodded and took out a pen to begin jotting down points. "Look." Cassiopeia said as he finished. "The murders. He's drawing out a smiley face with his victims. He's mocking us with his sick game."
It was true, the kills thus far formed the left half of a smiley face, complete with one eye. Cassiopeia pointed to the unfinished portion of the mouth. "There, what's at this location? Any place a would be murderer might strike?"
The Commander took the map in hand, looking it over as he accepted the woman's conclusion. "My God, I think you're right. We've been staring at our answer this whole time." The knight looked at her wide eyed, a stern look in his face. "That's Sunset Park. It sits on a hill looking out at the bay, it's a popular spot for couples to hang out." The Commander clenched a fist, "This bastard has struck every night for a week now. He has to be there tonight! I'll have a dozen men waiting to arrest him!"
Cassiopeia exhaled sharply, a jet of smoke from her nostrils. "That seems rather hasty Sir. If you raise too much attention he'll just flee the scene and go into hiding. We have to play into his hand, catch him by surprise. I'll go to the park myself, and bait him out as a target. Unless you or your men know magic, I'd prefer you not risk yourselves in this matter. You have no idea what you're dealing with, I do."
The Commander clenched his fists. "I hate that you're right Miss." He said through clenched teeth. "Fine, you go alone then. I'll have a full division of my men standing by on your signal though. I'm putting a lot of faith in Dies Irae, Cassiopeia Gojira. You know that right?" The grizzled old soldier said, folding his arms.
"I know Sir, I count on it." Cassiopeia said, rising from her seat. "And I won't let you down." With that she made her departure, already thinking up her plan. The Kaijin ended up staking out the park, which was open and spacious with little place to hide. Cassiopeia waited until evening, finding a secluded bench and making sure she was the only person in the park. The trap was set, with her as the bait.
It didn't take long, the hour was late and a full moon hung low in the sky. She heard a sound behind her, footsteps on leaves, and whirled up from her seat to face it. A slender man stood before her, dressed in a tailored suit with a top hat and gloves. His face obscured by a mask resembling the mask of comedy from the twin makes comedy and tragedy. "My my, what a tall drink of what you are my dear." The Shredder said in an airy, extravagant tone. "And that tail... I've never seen anything like it before. It'll look so good... WHEN I SLICE YOU UP!"
The man raised his hands, small portals tearing open and dozens of knives pouring through. Cassiopeia was surprised to see her killer was a mage, though not completely. She expected a knife wielding lunatic, though this presented more challenge. She said nothing, merely anticipating her foe's attack. James flicked his wrists and his knives fired forward in a volley. Cassiopeia kicked at the park bench with her feet, kicking it to shield from the volley while rolled out of the way of the rest. As she landed, the Kaijin summoned two fireballs at her hands and hurled them back at her foe. Her opponent dodged them with the grace of a talented ballet dancer.
"Oh I see! A mage, they've sent some Guild Mage to stop me? Stupid knights were too desperate to keep bumbling around on their own?" The maniac said, giggling to himself as he pulled his knives free from the bench. They came to orbit around him once more as he spoke. "I'll have to savor killing you. Make art of you, so no one else gets any stupid ideas." Cassiopeia launched another fireball, to which the man eagerly sidestepped. "Tsk tsk my dear, you'll have to do much better than THAT!" By the time he finished the woman was running at him full steam. "And charging headlong into your death sure isn't going to do the trick either!" The shredder cackled, launching his knives in another barrage.
As Cassiopeia drew close she waited until the last moment, before swinging her tail our in front of her like a shift. The magic knives dug into the armored scales of her tail, to which Cassiopeia grimaced in pain. She neared her foe, who summoned two more knives in his hands, but not before she could grab him by the wrists. "But... I should have sliced your stupid tail to ribbons!" The Shredder cried out, finding it impossible to match the taller woman's brutish strength as she grappled with him.
Cassiopeia smiled, revealing her fanged teeth. "I'm hardly human, and my tail's a lock stronger than it looks. Maybe strong enough I fortified it with my magic while you were busy babbling." She said with a cold grin, and the Shredder now realized the ridges along the strange woman's tail glowed with a flickering white light. Cassiopeia had hardened her scales with her Atomic Energy Magic and used her own body as a pincushion to disable the bulk of her foe's blades. She figured with his megalomaniacal ego, he wouldn't hold many in reserve. If he did, he sure wasn't thinking to summon them. "You face a Kaijin, and I will be the last thing you ever see."
The Shredder struggled harder against her, though Cassiopeia held him tight. He focused, slowly working to dislodge his knives from her tail as they fought against each other's grips. He could still win, he thought to himself. He'd free a knife and slice the woman's neck. A brilliant light began to radiate from the Kaijin's back, the dorsal spines glowing brightly as they thrummed with her magic. "You don't even have a clue what I can do." Cassiopeia gloated, her eyes shifting from a fiery orange to a bright crimson color. "James the Shredder, in the name of Dies Irae, and for the lives you have taken, I sentence you to death!"
"ATOMIC BREATH!" Cassiopeia roared out her words, as a beam of searing white hot energy poured from her open mouth. It bored a fist sized hole straight through the chest of the man, evaporating his heart and everything around it. No blood flowed from the wound, the edges cauterized cleanly by the head. A decent sized trench was carved in the grass behind him as well, and James the Shredder gasped in horror as he realized his life was coming to an end. He tried to scream, but no words left his throat. His grip grew limb, and he slumped to the ground with a heavy thud.
Cassiopeia's beam ended, and she closed her mouth with a huff. She exhaled a puff of smoke from her nostrils, the deed was done. The killer lay before her, dead at her feet. She reached down for his mask, pulling it from his face and crushing it into pieces with her hand. "So ends the life of a coward. May even Hell be too good for you." She said coldly, flicking her tail hard and dislodging the knives with the wet sound of blood. Her tail would heal, the lives the murderer had taken would not. Even his life was not a fitting payment for his crimes. Cassiopeia slowly turned to leave. All that remained was to inform the Knight's of Cedar, oblige any of their requests, and return to Amber Island with her good news.
Word Count: 2,265 | C-Rank Examination
The Kaijin had been sent by Dies Irae to assist in the search for a serial killer plaguing the otherwise sleepy port-side town. Local Knights had supposedly turned up empty in their search, and had called for outside assistance in their investigation. Without missing a beat the woman made her way down the main road in town, heading towards the headquarters of the Knights. She was supposed to meet with the Knight Commander and be briefed on the situation. She arrived at the chapter headquarters within the hour, finding it bustling with activity. Naturally, her strange appearance and height commanded undo attention, though for once in her life people whispered among themselves more for her Guild affiliation than her tail or spines.
Cassiopeia made her way inside to the main office, clearing her throat as she addressed the receptionist. "Hello, my name is Cassiopeia Gojira. I'm here on behalf of Dies Irae, to assist in tackling this serial killer mystery." She stood there rather confidently, awaiting an answer.
The receptionist looked elated. "Oh thank goodness you're finally here. Yes, the Commander has been worried sick and up to his eyeballs in paperwork. Please, he's requested you see him in his office at once." Cassiopeia just nodded and stepped past the woman's desk, making her way further inside. A minute later and she was knocking on the door to the Knight Commander's office.
"Who is it? I'm very busy!" He called back in a gruff tone.
"Cassiopeia Gojira, I'm here from Dies Irae." Came the reply.
"Oh! I'm terribly sorry miss, please come right in." He corrected himself, and the Kaijin stepped into his office. The Commander's eyes seemed to bulge when he realized his guest was a full foot taller than himself. "What on earthland are they feeding you mages on that island?" He said aloud, forgetting his manners. "I mean, it's good to have you here miss Cassiopeia. Please take a seat." He motioned to a seat across from his desk.
"Chimera blood, mostly." Cassiopeia said jokingly in response, her tail coiling around as she ran a hand along its ridges. "Kill enough of the things and you tend to get soaked in it. Still, there's worse fates." She added with a laugh, it was a lie, but a lie she told often. For most of Earthland is was easier to accept her as a human plagued by chimeric features than as a member of an enigmatic race. Regardless, she took her seat and gave the Commander a stern look. "Jokes aside Sir, I realize the situation here is getting rather dire. I'll do everything in my power to help. Is there anything you can show me that's of use?"
"A good joke and then right to the point, I like you already Miss." The Commander said, reaching into his desk for a large folder of evidence. He slid it across the desk for the Kaijin to look at. Cassiopeia open the dossier, finding a bloodied knife, sketches of a masked man, and a number of files on the victims. "That's everything we have miss. We've lost a half dozen to this psychopath already. Calls himself James the Shredder... his preferred methods include slicing his victims into hundreds of little pieces. We have no face, no identifying features beyond his outfit, and no idea as to a specific M.O." The Commander paused, stroking at his beard. "Frankly miss, we're at a loss. We're a peacekeeping force, not a detective agency. I've never seen anything like this is my tenure as Commander."
Cassiopeia took a close look at the files, noting the victims. "None of his targets seem to have anything in common. Old, young, men, women, single, married. It's like he's just striking at random." Her attention turned to the map of Cedar. "Unless... Commander, could you do me a favor? Dot out where each murder happened on his map." She handed the map over to the knight, who seemed perplexed. He nodded and took out a pen to begin jotting down points. "Look." Cassiopeia said as he finished. "The murders. He's drawing out a smiley face with his victims. He's mocking us with his sick game."
It was true, the kills thus far formed the left half of a smiley face, complete with one eye. Cassiopeia pointed to the unfinished portion of the mouth. "There, what's at this location? Any place a would be murderer might strike?"
The Commander took the map in hand, looking it over as he accepted the woman's conclusion. "My God, I think you're right. We've been staring at our answer this whole time." The knight looked at her wide eyed, a stern look in his face. "That's Sunset Park. It sits on a hill looking out at the bay, it's a popular spot for couples to hang out." The Commander clenched a fist, "This bastard has struck every night for a week now. He has to be there tonight! I'll have a dozen men waiting to arrest him!"
Cassiopeia exhaled sharply, a jet of smoke from her nostrils. "That seems rather hasty Sir. If you raise too much attention he'll just flee the scene and go into hiding. We have to play into his hand, catch him by surprise. I'll go to the park myself, and bait him out as a target. Unless you or your men know magic, I'd prefer you not risk yourselves in this matter. You have no idea what you're dealing with, I do."
The Commander clenched his fists. "I hate that you're right Miss." He said through clenched teeth. "Fine, you go alone then. I'll have a full division of my men standing by on your signal though. I'm putting a lot of faith in Dies Irae, Cassiopeia Gojira. You know that right?" The grizzled old soldier said, folding his arms.
"I know Sir, I count on it." Cassiopeia said, rising from her seat. "And I won't let you down." With that she made her departure, already thinking up her plan. The Kaijin ended up staking out the park, which was open and spacious with little place to hide. Cassiopeia waited until evening, finding a secluded bench and making sure she was the only person in the park. The trap was set, with her as the bait.
It didn't take long, the hour was late and a full moon hung low in the sky. She heard a sound behind her, footsteps on leaves, and whirled up from her seat to face it. A slender man stood before her, dressed in a tailored suit with a top hat and gloves. His face obscured by a mask resembling the mask of comedy from the twin makes comedy and tragedy. "My my, what a tall drink of what you are my dear." The Shredder said in an airy, extravagant tone. "And that tail... I've never seen anything like it before. It'll look so good... WHEN I SLICE YOU UP!"
The man raised his hands, small portals tearing open and dozens of knives pouring through. Cassiopeia was surprised to see her killer was a mage, though not completely. She expected a knife wielding lunatic, though this presented more challenge. She said nothing, merely anticipating her foe's attack. James flicked his wrists and his knives fired forward in a volley. Cassiopeia kicked at the park bench with her feet, kicking it to shield from the volley while rolled out of the way of the rest. As she landed, the Kaijin summoned two fireballs at her hands and hurled them back at her foe. Her opponent dodged them with the grace of a talented ballet dancer.
"Oh I see! A mage, they've sent some Guild Mage to stop me? Stupid knights were too desperate to keep bumbling around on their own?" The maniac said, giggling to himself as he pulled his knives free from the bench. They came to orbit around him once more as he spoke. "I'll have to savor killing you. Make art of you, so no one else gets any stupid ideas." Cassiopeia launched another fireball, to which the man eagerly sidestepped. "Tsk tsk my dear, you'll have to do much better than THAT!" By the time he finished the woman was running at him full steam. "And charging headlong into your death sure isn't going to do the trick either!" The shredder cackled, launching his knives in another barrage.
As Cassiopeia drew close she waited until the last moment, before swinging her tail our in front of her like a shift. The magic knives dug into the armored scales of her tail, to which Cassiopeia grimaced in pain. She neared her foe, who summoned two more knives in his hands, but not before she could grab him by the wrists. "But... I should have sliced your stupid tail to ribbons!" The Shredder cried out, finding it impossible to match the taller woman's brutish strength as she grappled with him.
Cassiopeia smiled, revealing her fanged teeth. "I'm hardly human, and my tail's a lock stronger than it looks. Maybe strong enough I fortified it with my magic while you were busy babbling." She said with a cold grin, and the Shredder now realized the ridges along the strange woman's tail glowed with a flickering white light. Cassiopeia had hardened her scales with her Atomic Energy Magic and used her own body as a pincushion to disable the bulk of her foe's blades. She figured with his megalomaniacal ego, he wouldn't hold many in reserve. If he did, he sure wasn't thinking to summon them. "You face a Kaijin, and I will be the last thing you ever see."
The Shredder struggled harder against her, though Cassiopeia held him tight. He focused, slowly working to dislodge his knives from her tail as they fought against each other's grips. He could still win, he thought to himself. He'd free a knife and slice the woman's neck. A brilliant light began to radiate from the Kaijin's back, the dorsal spines glowing brightly as they thrummed with her magic. "You don't even have a clue what I can do." Cassiopeia gloated, her eyes shifting from a fiery orange to a bright crimson color. "James the Shredder, in the name of Dies Irae, and for the lives you have taken, I sentence you to death!"
"ATOMIC BREATH!" Cassiopeia roared out her words, as a beam of searing white hot energy poured from her open mouth. It bored a fist sized hole straight through the chest of the man, evaporating his heart and everything around it. No blood flowed from the wound, the edges cauterized cleanly by the head. A decent sized trench was carved in the grass behind him as well, and James the Shredder gasped in horror as he realized his life was coming to an end. He tried to scream, but no words left his throat. His grip grew limb, and he slumped to the ground with a heavy thud.
Cassiopeia's beam ended, and she closed her mouth with a huff. She exhaled a puff of smoke from her nostrils, the deed was done. The killer lay before her, dead at her feet. She reached down for his mask, pulling it from his face and crushing it into pieces with her hand. "So ends the life of a coward. May even Hell be too good for you." She said coldly, flicking her tail hard and dislodging the knives with the wet sound of blood. Her tail would heal, the lives the murderer had taken would not. Even his life was not a fitting payment for his crimes. Cassiopeia slowly turned to leave. All that remained was to inform the Knight's of Cedar, oblige any of their requests, and return to Amber Island with her good news.
Word Count: 2,265 | C-Rank Examination
