Tiky Mikk was running frantically in down the corridor.
The Tiky Mikk who was one of the twelve Marshals under the direct orders of the Millennium Earl.
The Tiky Mikk who could order around all the members of the N.O.A.H organization, even the most trustworthy agent or the most skilled assassin.
The Tiky Mikk who was so devilishly handsome and cared so much about how he looked, even during battle, it became frightening.
The same Tiky Mikk who was now racing in the corridors in such haste that his top hat flew off, falling on the wooden floor.
He finally arrived to an office door, which he flung open.
"Earl! You can't possibly be serious about this!" he screamed.
"But of course I am, Tiky-pet. Would I have issued the order if I was not?" the fat man at the desk answered. He seemed so surreal, with his round and fat belly, heavily decorated top hat and wide unchanging smile. But the anger in his eyes was unmistakable: that man was indeed the cold-hearted killer his reputation claimed him to be.
"But Earl," Tiky replied, lowering his voice from frantic screams to regular speech "Lulubelle is our best tracker and assassin; she is also a Marshal, and she failed! How can a mere boy succeed where a master assassin was clueless?"
"It is not," the Millennium Earl said, his wide smile never reaching his eyes "because Lulubelle failed, that no one can succeed. Even more Tiky-pet, I raised this boy myself and taught him the art of tracking, deceiving and killing. He will succeed."
"Fine," Tiky sighted, surrendering, "but at least give him the intelligence Lulubelle gathered!"
"So was my intention." The Earl said calmly, grin plastered over his face. "Here, I was going to give him his instructions." He told Tiky. "Come in!" he called.
A boy, perhaps eighteen or seventeen, stepped in. He wore a hood which casted shadows on most of his face, but his jaw line and dim features clearly stated that he was fairly handsome. He was quite tall, and obviously had long hair since it showed from under his hood. He held an ancient-looking Japanese sword in his left hand.
He slightly bowed his head to Tiky, but keeled fully in front of the Millennium Earl. Satisfaction and superiority showed in the Earl's eyes; he acknowledged the bow by a slight nod, gesturing for him to rise. He took a file from his desk drawer and handed it to him.
"Here is your information file and target data. Your instructions are in there. You have six months to complete your mission… Do not come back empty handed" he added these last words threateningly "You are dismissed." Tiky shivered. He sensed that if the boy came back without his target, his lightest and most merciful punition would be a terrible death.
The boy walked out calmly; file in hand, as if he never heard the Earl's threat.
"Are you sure this is going to work, Prince?" Tiky uttered a moment after the boy's exit.
"Why, of course!" the Earl answered gleefully "he is Kanda Yuu, after all." And the Millennium Earl, supreme leader of the N.O.A.H society, stepped out, leaving Tiky Mikk puzzled in an empty room.
Meanwhile, said Kanda Yuu, sitting down in a coffee house, sipping tea and ignoring the love stuck looks the girls there gave him, his sword next to him to discourage anyone who would think about bothering him, studied the data file his master gave him a while ago.
Orders: localize, identify, deceive, capture. Minimize casualties.
He sneered in disgust. They haven't allowed him to kill. He will be bored to death.
Deadline: six months
Communication: non required
He stared at the photo of his target.
"Tch. One fucking beansprout. This gonna be one hell of a boring mission."
He stuffed the file in his backpack and left, a single sheet of paper remained, with four words printed on it:
Target name: Allen Walker