“Miss Seraphina was seriously bothered by those attacks wasn’t she?” Rip asked Cain as he walked down the evening road. “It seems the attack on Rip directly after Cain has incurred her wrath.” Grace responded as Cain remained quiet, his hand on his chin he was deep in thought. “Those spirits were too small time to kidnap all alone… there’s gotta be someone behind this.” Cain thought to himself as the trio continued their walk. “It appears Madam Lala also missed school again today.” Grace added as Cain continued thinking, he was determined to get to the bottom of this.
“Oi Cain what’s all the thinkin’ about?” Rip asked, noting how quiet and thoughtful Cain was at the moment. Cain responded simply “I’m gonna figure this out.” Both Grace and Rip were dumbfounded at his response, “Oi oi oi! Didn’t Miss Seraphina tell us to stay safe? Probably doesn’t want us goin’ after the culprits!” Grace chimed in next, “Rip is correct Cain, this mysterious kidnapper has taken many monsters before. It’s likely a dangerous enemy shouldn’t we let the ringmaster handle this situation?” Cain simply shook his head in response to his friends. “That thing targeted me and Rip, there’s no way I’m letting it get away with this.” He said simply continuing Rip let out a sigh as Grace stoically followed behind.
“That’s Cain for ya huh…” Rip said annoyed as Grace simply nodded her head. The duo knew Cain well enough to know why he couldn’t let this be though Rip had other concerns, “It’s great ya wanna take down this mysterious thing but you know Miss Seraphina is gonna be furious that we’re gonna be back so late!” Cain ignored his complaints as the trio continued wandering the streets, “Cain we were supposed to head directly back after school.” Grace said, hoping to convince Cain to turn back.
Nonetheless Cain continued to search as Rip and Grace begrudgingly followed close behind him Cain continued towards the park area. “Eh… I sense it…” he mumbled as Rip and Grace looked intrigued at him, both focusing themselves as Rip’s eyes widened and he exclaimed, “Oi oi oi! Traces of Shadow Energy?! A monster was here?!” Cain nodded and continued his search, “You guys’s sense of shadow energy is better than mine, can you pinpoint it Rip?” Cain asked as Rip nodded his head. “I can feel it… ‘s around here somewhere…” he said walking towards a bush Grace putting her arm out to stop Cain from getting too close as Rip approached.
Rip saw a monster, an Ogre sitting his body leaned forward as Rip tried to call to him, “Oi! Hey there you alright?!” The Ogre didn’t respond as the trio gulped nervously. “An ogre… they’d be strong enough to control other spirits… is this… our culprit?” Cain asked, taking a step forward. Rip continued to try and get the ogre’s attention, “Hey! Don’t ignore us! Oi!” Eventually Rip walked forward and touched the Ogre, the results of which sent a chill down the trio’s spines.
The ogre flopped over, hitting the ground with a resounding thud, purple blood oozing and covering the floor as Cain gasped in horror. The ogre’s most notable trait however was not the fact it was dead, nor the fact blood poured from his body… however it was the lack of his head! The head of the ogre was missing entirely, perfectly removed from the neck. Cain gagged a bit as Rip shuddered in disgust, Grace simply observed nervously pulling Cain behind her. “What… in the…” Rip was disgusted he could barely believe what he was looking at, “An Ogre… that’s a high class monster… who coulda…” Grace pondered, “Could… could it have been the commission?” Cain shook his head, “They don’t leave bodies like this… they take them in and cremate or bury them…”
As the 3 pondered this situation they heard a voice. A soft feminine voice belonging to what would seem to be an adult woman. She spoke prim and proper as if she was a high class citizen. Most notably however was the voice didn’t seem to come from anywhere, the 3 heard her speaking in their minds. “Oh? You’ve discovered my garbage haven’t you? I suppose we need to discover better ways to dispose of the trash, yes?” The three turned to find the voice but no one was there. “Oi this is weirdin’ me out…” Rip said, grabbing his pendant. Grace likewise took a defensive stance, the sleeves of her dress rolling up as one of her arms morphed its shape into a sharp blade. Cain readied his hammer taking a pocket knife out as the 3 looked all over for the owner of the mysterious voice.
“A human with the ability to manipulate shadow energy? A werewolf with a Moon’s Pendant? My my… lucky grabs…” the mysterious voice said. “Ah, a living doll as well… what garbage that is, hmph.” she said as the 3 saw a dark void of shadow energy in front of them, Cain’s fists shook in anger. Who was this mysterious assailant? But most importantly, how dare they insult his dear friend and closest confidant. From the shadowy void a figure began to step out.
She was tall, a flowing dress white and blue in color, proper and well maintained. However this woman had no head atop her neck, only an empty space there, Rip and Cain were shocked to see this however Grace remained calm as if the insult to her didn’t phase her. “The Headhunter…” Grace said, readying her arm blade as Rip steeled himself and began to morph his features becoming fierce and animalistic. His werewolf form taking over. “Oh? So the trash has heard of me… how cute…” Cain looked towards Grace then back to the Headhunter.
“Be careful Cain, Rip… she’s a deadly foe… a monster of legend. To think she’d appear here…” Grace warned her friends as the headhunter let out a hearty laugh, “Wow the little trash did her homework, how cute. Now let me take my prize. The werewolf can wait, I can find another, but a human with shadow energy? What a prize, I’ll be taking that~” With one swipe of her arm both Rip and Cain were blown away by a massive wall of shadow energy. Cain clenches his fists as he begins shadow forging his knife, forming the massive blade once more.
“Your head will fit me perfectly, your power as well!” She said charging at Cain, as Grace lept into action using the strings attached to her limbs to grab the arm of the headhunter, “You won’t be taking him Headhunter.” Grace said stoically. Cain wasted no time charging the headhunter however what happened left him in shock. As he slashed his mighty shadowforged blade, it snapped, breaking and falling to the ground against the body of the headhunter. His eyes widened as his weapon returned now a simple broken pocket knife again. The headhunter wasted no time, using her sharp nails she slashed and cut Grace’s strings and continued her attack.
“LIKE HELL YOU’RE GETTIN’ MY FRIEND!” Rip roared as he launched himself between the headhunter and Cain, grabbing her and attempting to claw her. She simply let out an ominous cracking sound as she grabbed Rip’s claw, tossing him aside as if he was a mere broken toy. Slashing his chest with her claws as he fell to the ground screaming in pain. “Cain… you will suit me well.” She said, reaching forward to grab Cain as he slowly backed away from her. “Enough!” Grace yelled charging herself using her arm to attempt to cut the Headhunter however the Headhunter was not deterred. With one swipe of her arm she snapped Grace’s arm, the porcelain of her body shattering and falling to pieces as her arm was destroyed. Before Grace could even react a kick struck her leg, shattering it as well as Grace fell to the ground hopelessly trying to crawl to save her friend.
The headhunter had reached him, however as she reached for Cain, she could never expect what happened next. Suddenly with his chest still bleeding from his wound, Rip charged once more, shoving Cain out of the way as he was grabbed. “Oh? A werewolf still hm… not a bad get.” As now Rip was grabbed and lifted by the deadly foe, “NO! You give him back!” Cain said steeling his resolve and charging the headhunter, a quick kick struck his abdomen sending him flying back as the wind was knocked from him. He was hopeless to move as the headhunter formed another shadow void, “Rip! RIIIIIIIP!” Cain hopelessly cried as he tried to stand once more, Rip simply smirked at his friend as he was taken. “Sorry Cain…” he simply said as the 2 vanished into a void of shadow.
Suddenly… the park was silent, Grace laid on the ground missing one arm and one leg… Cain slowly regained his breath and stood as he dropped to his knees punching the ground in fury. “No… NO…. NOOOOOOOOOO! RIP… THAT… SHE TOOK HIM… I’LL KILL HER…” the usually quiet Cain snapped fury in his voice. “She’ll pay… she’ll pay… I’ll make her suffer… I’ll make her beg for mercy… and even when she does… I’ll finish her… Headhunter… your days are numbered.” He then got up and shouted into the sky, “YOU HEAR ME?! YOU’RE DONE! I WON’T REST UNTIL YOU’RE DEAD IN THE GROUND! BUT EVEN DEATH WON’T BE ENOUGH FOR SCUM LIKE YOU!” As Cain cursed her he noticed Grace injured, quickly he ran to her seeing her shattered body.
“Grace… I… I’m…” Grace used her one hand to gently hold Cain’s “It’s ok…” she said softly. Cain nodded and took his hammer out gathering what porcelain shards he could, “Don’t move… I’m gonna repair you…” Slam. Slam. Slam. The sounds of his hammer and his shadow forging resounded, slowly but surely the missing limbs of grace were reforming, “Thank goodness… she only got the limbs…” Cain said softly as he finished his job. Grace stood and moved her arm and leg again, her clothing was still damaged, the sleeve of her dress ripped and one sock and shoe gone. However Grace’s body itself was fixed, Cain punched the ground lamenting his mistakes.
“It’s all my fault… Rip’s gone and it’s my fault! If I hadn’t wanted to stop the culprit… if I hadn’t been so stupid! Rip…” He said tears were forming in his eyes, Lala simply put a hand on his shoulder and spoke. “Cain… we have to rescue him don’t we?” Cain shook his head, “How… miss Seraphina told us to avoid her… and yet…” Grace smiled softly, “I’ve registered the signature of her shadow energy… I can track her. If you can forge something to do it.” Cain looked up at her, his eyes shining. “We can… find her base can’t we? We can get Rip back!”
Grace nodded and looked to the distance, “It seems our return home is going to be quite delayed won’t it?” Cain nodded, there was no way he could show his face back in the circus without his beloved friend. He stood up and readied his hammer, “Let’s go… I’ll make the tool.” he said, together the two set back off towards town, a small compass shop as Cain purchased a compass and sat outside.
A few swings of his hammer and the device was ready, The Shadow Tracker, a shadowforged tool that could detect and read shadow energy based on signature. As well as pointing towards it, “Good work Cain…” as Grace began to work on it the two heard voices from above, “HEYYY! I SEE THEM!” One voice said, the other followed, “Cain! Grace! There you are!” Down landed a bat and a demon as both returned to normal form, Cain smiled as he saw them as his friends.
“Camilla! Elizabeth you guys!” Cain quickly got a serious look, “Sorry girls… you gotta head back we’re doing something…” The two shook their heads, “No way! Where’s Rip…?” Elizabeth asked, noting him missing. Cain sighed and explained the situation to them. Both of the two were furious as Camilla stepped forward, “We’re going with you! I won’t let the headhunter take away Rip and just go home!” Elizabeth nodded and stepped up as well, “Yeah! I don’t care if we get in trouble, I'm getting Rip back!” Grace whispered to Cain, “They’re determined if we turn them away they’ll follow…” Cain sighed and nodded, “Yeah… alright then you can come with us!” The two beamed with joy as Cain handed The Shadow Tracker to Grace as she loaded the signature, without another word the 4 set off, their destination is simple. They began to follow the compass and make their way to the base of the Headhunter, they would get their friend back.
