One of the Rune Knights explained to Daiko that the case likely started a few couple months ago, when the first murder took place and they couldn’t find the murderer. It had made a pattern, and yet the identity of the guilty person was left in mystery with no apparent clues leading to anything of substance or importance for finding out. This murderer was very careful in his actions and made sure that they had trouble tracking him down. Daiko and Kai would have to approach the case differently from how it had been approached before. It was, hopefully, their greatest chance at identifying the murderer or at least capture him. He or she was a vile danger to Orchidia, and thus the person in question was an enemy of Lamia Scale in its entirety.
Coda kept her head hidden behind Daiko’s hair as the atmosphere freaked her out. He held a finger up to stroke her neck and calm her down, hopefully in order to ease her stress and make her take it easier. She shouldn’t be so anxious all the time, because it would damage her health in the long run. Okay… if Daiko could just go out and scan the entire town, then finding the murderer would be easy. He wasn’t meant to do such thing and he wasn’t able to, anyway. It kind of sucked…
… Then again, when he tracked down the yellow apple in the waters near Hargeon, he didn’t have the ability to scan the entire forest, did he? He had help from Coda and Kai- actually, scratch the former, because the feathery raptor was no help that day. She was, still not sure about it but, manipulated by their Guildmaster to challenge Daiko’s independence or some stuff. He was only guessing, but independence… that was a feat that signaled power and capability. Although, the Firebird would do as he pleased, and that included accompanying his close friend Kai.
… He still thought about it. Yet she hadn’t said anything directly pointing at it… did something happen during those years? Or was he merely overreacting?
He suddenly heard a scream as Kai moved out to find the source. Daiko charged right after her while the Rune Knight was startled and followed suit. He was having trouble catching up to them, but at the time, Daiko had arrived only to see the scene; the corner of a market place with blood spreading on the floor under a dead woman…
He couldn’t believe that another life was taken right under their very noses. His hair flared up in deep-red fires of fury, and the Rune Knight decided to step back a little. Daiko had lost his optimistic mood in exchange for a thirst for vengeance. But Kai… he couldn’t read the tall lady. Although, when she turned to face him after a moment of silence, her expression said it all; she had a plan to capture the murderer, and she would set it into motion right here and now. There was no time to waste if they wanted to spare the next victim of this madman.
After thinking her plan through, Daiko found the plan as exposing herself and letting herself fall into danger. What if the murderer was more capable than they thought? His continuous success could be blamed by magic, could it not? The murderer would obviously have been in the possession of some kind of magic that aided his criminal activities… like invisibility magic or shadow magic… but… Daiko was just worried for Kai’s safety. Yet her attitude and declaration was stronger in spirit than his worry for her as he saw her more cold-hearted side for… likely the first time ever since they met at the church.
She was right. If they wanted to capture him now, then they needed to take the chance and let him jump at the bait.
After having found a suitable alley where little connection to the rest of the town was available, Kai unfolded the plan; she would change into a more… alluring outfit as she worded it and act all defenseless or oblivious to the danger that lured in the shadows. Does she even need to change…?, he thought for a moment as he eyed her, along with Coda’s big bird eyes right next to his human eyes. When she mentioned that he would be hiding and awaiting the murderer’s arrival from the roof, he nodded quickly and backflipped towards the wall up to the roof, grabbing onto the cracks between the bricks of the wall and climbing up to the top.
From there, he would await the murderer’s arrival. The stranger wouldn’t dare touch Kai in his presence.
WC: 785
TWC: 2612 + 785 = 3397