Maidens with Black Hands.Mireille Bouquet, an assassin based in Paris, receives an e-mail from Kirika Yuumura, inviting her on "a pilgrimage for the past". Initially, Mireille dismisses the message as cryptic nonsense, but then the e-mail plays a tune that Mireille recognizes. Mireille goes to Japan and follows Kirika to a construction site. There, they are attacked by numerous men wearing business suits. Afterwards, Mireille and Kirika go to where Kirika is living. Kirika tells Mireille that she woke up one day in her apartment alone and without any memories. She has a fake ID card, a Beretta M1934 pistol, and a pocketwatch that plays a tune when opened. Mireille agrees to help Kirika uncover her past since the watch indicates that they may have a shared history. However, Mireille also says that she will kill Kirika after their mission is complete. Back in Paris, the two announce their availability as guns-for-hire, using the codename "Noir".