Author's note : Waaaahhhh! Sorry, sorry! I know I have let u wait so long for this one chapter... but I finally finished the whole story plot to write the rest chapters. That means u won't need to wait so long for the next one. So, let's just hurry up with this one, ok?

Mireille walked back home from the airport languidly, not even aware where her feet took her. She could think about nothing. Not even about what she was going to do next. There was only one voice echoing in her mind. Kirika's voice, screaming out her name desperately, asking Mireille to save her.
"Mireille! Please, save me!"

Something stabbed her somewhere around her chest. She couldn't help it... what should she do now? Why did all of these happen? She opened the door to their apartment and slammed it behind her before she fell on her knees and cried out loud.
Kirika, I am so sorry... I am so sorry...


Kirika didn't know where all her power had gone. She couldn't believe that she sat here without more resistance than hitting against the window and calling after Mireille before losing her out of her eyes. Yes, that was true. She was sitting in this car, with two men, each oneat each side of her. They were ready to stop her whatever she was up to. Kirika knew she had no chance to run, but surely to kill. But why didn't she do that? She could kill them all and go back to Mireille. Her fingers touched the Beretta in her pocket. She wasn't that weak! Or had the cancer started to influence her?

Tears blurred her view, but she did her best not to cry. Finally she decided to stay... wherever she would be brought to. Only three months, after all... perhaps it would be fine to get away from Mireille for some time. But how long was some time? Three months? Would she never be able to see Mireille again? Was that her wish?

A hand showed up under her chin, holding a handkerchief. Kirika looked up and saw GraiPaul's sympathetic expression. Suddenly a wave of anger built itself in her heart. She hated every millimeter of this man. She hated him. He had taken her away from Mireille. She hated him.
"Please take it, even if I can't help you more..."

Kirika took the handkerchief slowly and wiped her tears. GraiPaul turned back, sitting in the right position in his seat, while Kirika squeezed the handkerchief in both hands.
"Thanks," she said rather unwillingly.
GraiPaul smiled to himself.
"You are welcome."

After a-five-hour-ride in the car, they stopped in a queer, remoted corner of Paris. Kirika could see nothing but an old building 100 meter before them.
"What do you take me here for?" inquired Kirika, having thought that they would take her to a better place.
GraiPaul smiled.
"Relax. We are not going to harm you at all. We have not yet arrived in our destination, either. But before we go on.." he flicked with his fingers.
One of the men guarding her now held her arms tightly behind her back, tying them. Kirika wanted to free herself, but she could do nothing against the man. Another man walked nearer to her, holding something like a red piece of cloth. Then he bound the cloth around her eyes.

"Even if you bind my eyes, I will still know where we are going after we land." Kirika muttered, fed up and cross.
"I know. The cloth has another function."

Kirika listened cautiously to any sound she could hear. There was something coming nearer... something which made such a trembling sound... and the sound became louder. She could feel the wind blowing hard toward her. When she didn't mistake the sound, then it was... a helicopter.
A cold hand touched her arm and guided her to the noise source. She had guessed correctly. It was a helicopter. The hand helped her to sit comfortably on her seat.

"What? What are you.. hey!" A voice, which Kirika didn't recognize suddenly rose up.
Kirika turned at the voice's owner instinctively, although she couldn't see her. It was definitively a girl. And her voice reveal how scared and frightened she was. Her hand accidentally met the girl's hand. It was wet, perhaps because of sweat. Kirika didn't say anything more as they flew from that place, and neither did the girl.

They arrived in an unexpectedly short time. Kirika heard the girl yelling and screaming after the men took them out of the helicopter. From her words Kirika understood that she was, at least, also bound around her eyes. The same cold hand took her elbow and the owner instructed her to go through some long corridors. The whole place smelled quite strange, like a place which was older than the time itself. And suddenly a quick hand movement freed her eyes and hands. Kirika blinked around. She had ever been in this place. But it was definitely not the Manor. It was.. something others. But it wasn't unfamiliar. The place looked like an elegant, luxurious Greek temple despite some broken pillars and dirts everywhere.
GraiPaul who was standing behind her the whole time smiled slightly at her, then spoke with a deep voice, "Please come with me now, Miss... ah... Mademoiselle Yuumura, then."
Kirika followed him without asking anything. She would know the answer soon, and she was just eager to know about this place even more.

Mireille drove an old car in hurry. She had finally gathered herself and decided to run after Kirika wherever she was.
She was not going to cry any longer for Kirika and treated her as if she were already dead. She was going to find her, with any price.
After she could think clearly, the only place she could think about where she was brought to was just clear. The Manor. No doubt. It had been Soldats' big headquarter. At least until Mireille and Kirika entered it three years ago.

The old car rumbled along the dusty and rough path, but brought her safely to the Manor. Mireille set her gun up and hid it in her pocket before she got out of the car and rushed inside the Manor.
The Manor looked nearly exactly the way she last saw it, with less people, apparently. But the well-taken-care-of-wine field told her that at least somebody still ocupied this place. Mireille walked soundlessly while watching over any person who would cross her way. She herself didn't even know what she was going to do with the person. Holding her gun tightly with both hands, she slipped behind a big pillar and wait.

"Welcome home, Third Plant Mireille Bouquet."

Mireille nearly broke her neck as she hurrily turned around to see who's speaking. It was a middle-aged woman, whose clothes resembled Athena's. She looked tired and weak, perhaps because of the old age.
"You will never be able to enter the Manor secretly, since we have many effective methods to spot a stranger."

Mireille put down her Walter and stared at the woman.
"Okay, you have caught me red-handed. What are you going to do, now?" she asked rudely.
But the woman just smiled and came nearer to her. Instinctively Mireille stepped backward.
"Now, come. I am not going to harm you. Let me see you from this distance."
Mireille was rather confused by this act. Well... she reminded her of an old grandmother who was looking at her granddaughter. The woman just looked at her softly for some seconds, before she finally stepped back to Mireille's relief.
"Nowlet's come to the main topic : What are you intending to do here? Although I will not pretend to know nothing about your answer."

Mireille's eyes grew bigger.
"It was you, right? You have taken Kirika away!"
"Not directly, but yes." The woman answered, sighing meaningfully.
"Give her back to me, now! I am going to leave this place as soon as I have her." Mireille raised her gun again, pointing it at the woman.

"I am afraid that you should wait, then. She wasn't here right now. But she will be brought here, soon. Till then... stay here and wait."
Mireille frowned. She believed that she hadn't heard her last sentence correctly. Was she supposed to stay here? Surely not!

"What is it, Third Plant? This is your home. A home for all Noir candidates."