"Noir..." "It is the name of an ancient fate." "Two maidens who govern death." "The peace of the newly born, their black hands protect." "Welcome home." "I'm home..." "You have returned, having completed your pilgrimage." "You are Altena." "Yes..." "Was I born here?" "No..." "But you did spend a very important period of your life here." "You showed signs of becoming an excellent sapling and accomplished numerous tasks ever since you were a seedling." "Of the three chosen saplings of Noir, we determined that the daughter of Corsica would be neglected." "It was so that each sapling would be raised in completely different soil." "Provided with different water and light, different winds and darkness." "Only the saplings that overcame it all and grew tough would become Noir." "The smell of blood..." "Yes..." "Once, many lives were taken in this room." "Not only this room." "This place is filled with the aura of death." "Yes, and you were also here." "This is my home, isn't it?" "Yes..." "Won't you come to my room?" "We used to live together here, though it was only for a brief time." "We each received instruction in separate places." "And you had been accomplishing tasks in far-away places since long before." "Your task in Corsica was one of those too." "You were truly the spitting image of a maiden with black hands, a Noir." "I saw you that day, and I decided then." "That I wanted to be like you." "That I wanted to be Noir and to be extolled with you, by your side." "You became an assassin because you saw me?" "Yes!" "The two hands of the Soldats are two maidens." "Blacker than black hands, burdened by sin, reaching out with mercy, Noir." "If love can kill people, surely, hatred can save people." "That is what I believe." "Yes..." "You have done well to come home." "You must be tired." "Rest well tonight." "We shall become busy starting tomorrow." "We must begin preparing for the ritual." "Goodnight." "Altena!" "What's the matter?" "Goodnight..." "Goodnight." "I have been waiting for you, Borne, Marennes." "Oh, Altena!" "I am glad to see that you seem well." "So the time has finally come." "Congratulations, Altena." "Your hard work is about to come to fruition." "No, I only accomplished the task that was assigned to me." "The revival of Noir was the will of the Soldats of old anyway, so all I did was act in accordance to their wishes." "No, without your efforts, the Grand Retour would not be possible!" "You have fought and won against various powers within the Soldats." "Your bravery in that, I praise without reservation." "You are our true leader!" "The scoundrels who question the Grand Retour nest at the heart of the Soldats." "We must push through with the ceremony no matter what." "First, an audience..." "I am Borne of the Soldats." "Likewise, Marennes." "Please leave the preparation for the ritual to us." "How beautiful..." "Those two..." "They are truly Noir." "What a wonderful yield!" "Thinking back, the trials were almost cruel." "If each of the saplings overcame the trials, that was fine." "If they could not, that was fine too." "The three saplings were all equally gifted." "But the blade that is the daughter of Corsica became dulled for having been left in the wild." "You were given the greatest discretionary power concerning Noir." "But at the same time, it could be said that because you had Noir, you were able to maintain your influence within the Soldats." "If we can fulfill the ritual without mishap, your authority will become absolute." "This power is vital, Altena." "Without this power, we will never realize our ideals." "I understand that." "Our ideal..." "I will accomplish the return to the Soldats of old without fail." "Regardless of what may happen to myself." "It's like a dream come true." "Soon, we will have undergone the ritual and become Noir." "How long we've wished and waited for this moment." "Both Altena and I..." "There is something I want to show you." "That is..." "The fork that you gave me then." "It is my treasure." "The tea party on that moonlit night..." "It was so much fun!" "When the ritual is over, let us invite your friend here too." "And let us have tea together again, the three of us." "There is no need for the third sapling." "I can do anything, if it is for you and for Altena." "I shall return this to you." "Go ahead and shoot." "If it were your task, a Noir must shoot." "Even if it is to shoot me." "What is the matter?" "You must never hesitate." "The world of man is always bound in darkness." "You too must have seen numerous dark deeds with your own eyes." "You must not look away." "Not from that darkness and not from the world full of suffering." "We have an obligation, both you and I." "And we shall bear the most unforgivable sins." "You already know, don't you?" "The answer you have been searching for is here." "You have returned to your home." "Accept the comfort you derive from that." "Those that have gathered here are all family who serve that cause." "I am a sinner." "A family that has lived committing sins..." "The sin within the sin." "We live together in darkness." "This is the only place where you will ever know peace." "The man within the man, the love within the love, the sin within the sin." "Poor child." "Don't worry." "As you live with us here, I promise, it will all go back to normal."