Chapter 2: Japan

When they finally reached the Makashiro estate in Kyoto, Japan, Mireille and Kirika had no idea what to think.

Being naturally quiet, Kirika of course didn't say anything. But Mireille could only gawk. The Makashiro estate was ENORMOUS. It was a traditional Japanese building: pointed roofs that curled on the tips, sliding doors, tatami floors, the works.

Except for the equally large building on the estate's side, which was very recently built, and had a couple of Jacuzzis built up on the roof, the place could have been mistaken for a lord's house in the fifth century.

Wshh!

Kirika knocked her friend to the ground to protect her from the weapon that had been thrown at them. Looking up, she saw it quivering in the trunk of an overgrown bonsai tree: it was a knife.

Whipping out her Walther P99, Mireille pointed at the open door of the estate, where the knife had flown from. "I don't know what game you're playing, but if you try that again, we're leaving."

A teenager guy with a shock of light brown hair poked his head out the door. "I'm sorry, did that hit you? It was all….her fault!"

A girl of the same age as the boy had walked up to the door, fiery eyes and hair apparent. Grabbing his head, she put a knife to his throat. "You baka! You got in the way of my knife, knocked it off course and almost hit one of our allies! Oh, when Kyoko-nee-san hears about this, it's off with your head…" She mimed a slashing motion across his neck with her knife.

The teen gulped visibly. "Sorry, Sariyuki, sorry!. Could you move that knife now, please?"

A young woman now emerged from the mansion. She had jet-black hair to the small of her back, and a body that made most woman of her age jealous. With one look Kirika could diagnose that this young woman was as old as Mireille, perhaps a bit younger.

"What is it this time?" she sighed. "Wait, wait, don't tell me, Moto did something stupid again, didn't he?"

The girl called Sariyuki nodded sagely, her eyes nor face showing any emotion at all. "No wonder Harutomi-sama calls you his successor, Kyoko-nee-san."

"It was a bit obvious from the beginning, Sariyuki-chan. And just call me Kyoko-chan, will ya?"

The woman turned to Mireille and Kirika, who now had both their guns cocked and aimed. "Don't worry, it was an accident. Moto here has a criminal record a continent long. By the way, I'm Kyoko, the one who sent the e-mail to you two." She looked them up and down, her dark eyes moving quickly. "So you're Noir, eh? Nice to meet you." Kyoko extended a hand to the two assassins.

'Why is this girl being so….open for us two assassins?' "No thank you, I'd rather not." Mireille felt slightly uneasy for being so cold to this girl. "Anyway, why did you say that we needed to pack a lot?"

"The….enemy that you're supposed to assassinate, well…..let's just say we're going along with you. And in order to cooperate fully as a team, I thought it best that you live with us for a while, get to know us."

The Corsican cocked an eyebrow. "And who is 'we'? And, for whatever reason can't we do the job by ourselves?"

"'We' is my family. We're all a part of our family's ninja assassin army. Even young Sariyuki and Moto here have taken a few lives in their time. And to answer your second question.Your enemy…is not human."

"Like I'll believe that." Mireille scoffed.

"Is it like that?" A dark light suddenly surrounded Kyoko's eyes, while her hands were lit up with the same dark light. With a flick from her wrist, two beings emerged from her shadow, in the form of dragons. They entwined on her legs, like pet snakes.

On instinct, Kirika rushed past Mireille, and grabbed Kyoko around her neck, just in case the woman made a move.

"Who and what are you?" the Japanese girl whispered softly, her hands gripping even harder with every passing second.

As these words escaped her lips, the dark light in her captive's hands and eyes flared with a violent psshh! The young Yuumura was thrust off of Kyoko by…her own shadow?

The shadow had lifted itself off the ground, and pushed Kirika away from Kyoko. Then it had slithered, like a serpent, back onto the ground, where it now lay immobile, as before.

"I really don't want to make enemies of you, but if I can't convince you that Shoukyoku Mugendai is not mortal, then I'll have no use for you." Kyoko looked almost saddened at the possibility that she might have to send them away.

This won Mireille over. "Huhhh…" 'Who in the name of bloody Corsica is Shoukyoku Mugendai?' She sighed deeply. "Fine. We'll agree to your terms. But another attack like that," her periwinkle blue eyes looked quickly at the two teens, Sariyuki's blade still pressed to Moto's throat, "and you won't even get a good-bye."

The Japanese….supernatural brightened up immediately. "Oh, leave that to me."