Editor's comments and actions are denoted by [brackets]. Sound effects are written {like this}. (Parenthesis) indicate side notes in the dialogue bubble or the mangaka's note. And finally, italics are thoughts.

"The Flame of Magar."
Under the 17th Century King of Magar, after family discord that washed blood in blood, the King had the forehead of a Hindu goddess filled with a rare, massive diamond---
Carved into the pedestal were the words, "Anyone who takes this will surely find themselves cursed by God's wrath."
Just as the words said, a soldier who stold it went insane, and those involved one by one became entrapped in misfortune.
After that---- it was passed to France's Bourbon royalty, bringing the royal family the fate of the French Revolution.
Was this merely a coincidence?
Perhaps inside of the glittering mystery of that rare jewel, a "devil" was residing, twisting people's fates.
And now, that owner is being lead into new misfortune---

Florian clutches a newspaper desperately as tears flow down his face.

{sound f/x basa: fluttering of paper}

Florian: -----!

Elsewhere, Laila mans a bubbling pot.

{sound f/x gu~: bursting bubbles}

Laila: (Hm, hm-hm) Laila's Special Energy Stamina Gruel!

Laila tastes a bit. Her face becomes shadowed like death.

{sound f/x gu~}

Laila knocks on Florian's door with a bowl as two of Noir's men watch her carefully.

Man #1: (She put in newts or something, didn't she.)

Man #2: (Yup, she put them in.)

Laila: [sweatdropping] Well, it doesn't matter. Anyhow, this taste is the best for someone who's weak. Florian, I'm coming in-~! How are your injuries...

{sound f/x kacha: click of the door opening}

Florian's room is completely empty. The window stands open, a rope attached to the bed post.

{sound f/x gara: emptiness}

Laila: Man, he's so unreasonable, going out with his body like that! Besides that, running away after Noir bought him, that sounds like fraud to me!

Noir: Looks like he saw this.

{sound f/x posu: thick paper hitting the table}

Noir tosses down a newspaper. Laila picks it up.

Laila: The paper...? What's this? "Tragedy at the Rochefort Estate."

Noir: Someone killed his mother--- then set fire to the mansion. There's nothing left so it seems unlikely that it was robbery. It looks like the police suspect Florian.

Laila: What!? But he was here the who-le time. And someone who worries about their mom so much wouldn't do that kind of thing!

Noir: Well, someone definitely wants him to be suspected. In order to know where Florian is.

Laila: So you mean, someone's influencing the police!?

{sound f/x basa: fluttering of Noir's cape}

Noir: A person who could do that must have been at the party. Someone who's a relative of the Rocheforts. Can you find out, Laila?

Laila: Wait, if we compare the the book with the names of the attendees and the directory of nobles, we should know pretty soon. But why the Rocheforts?

Noir: ---The criminal who killed Madame Rochefort is aiming for the same thing I am, "The Flame of Magar." Other than some very limited Rochefort relatives, there isn't anyone who knows about that jewel's existance.

Laila: (Now that you mention it, Noir's a distant relative, too, isn't he. He don't look like nobility, though.)

At the burnt out Rochefort estate, Florian stares at the wreckage with a hooded cape around his shoulders.

Florian: ---Mother... You're dead--- I still can't believe it.

{sound f/x gya: Florian making a fist}

Florian: Why did this...

A hand comes down on Florian's shoulder.

Voice: What are you doing? This is off limits.

Florian: Uncle Morris...!

Morris leans close to whisper into Florian's ear.

Morris: Come this way. The police are watching.

Morris pushes Florian's hood over his head and guides him into a waiting carriage.

Morris: Please get into the carriage.

{sound f/x wa: rustle of Florian's hood}

Florian: Yes, sir...

Inside of the carriage, Florian explodes.

Florian: Why do you have to hide me? We have to go to the police and clear this up...

Morris: Calm down, Florian. For a suspect like yourself, no matter what you say, no one will believe you.

Florian: I... is Mot...her really--- dea...

Morris: I identified the body. It was burned badly, so it was difficult to tell, but judging from the possessions, I had to say it was my older sister. It looks like the cause of death was from being pushed down a flight of stairs...

Florian collapses against Morris sobbing.

Florian: ---The poor thing... -----

Morris: No matter what anyone says, I don't think that you did it, Florian. There isn't any child out there who loves their mother as much as you... I will always be on your side... !?

Morris pats Florian's shoulder, where blood has soaked through both his shirt and cloak.

{sound f/x bettari: cloth sticking to skin}

Morris: Y... you're wounded!? Florian. Florian!?

Florian passes out in the carriage.

Florian: ----It feels like I'm falling to the bottom of an abyss. ----Nothing... it doesn't matter any more.

Florian wakes up in a large bed. His torso is wrapped in bandages. Next to him, his Aunt Manon tucks in his covers.

Manon: You... have a bit of a fever. (You're overdoing it.)

Florian: I'm... sorry. I'm causing you so much trouble.

Manon: What in the world happened? Those look like marks from torture.

Florian shuts his eyes and turns away.

Morris: Well, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, too. But now, you're in a pretty precarious situation. I want to be your strength. Isn't that stone a heavy burden for you now?

Florian: Stone?

Morris: "The Flame of Magar." That's the Rochefort family treasure. In order to keep yourself safe, let me be your guardian and manage that thing.

Florian: Do... do you think that it's that thing's fault that Mother is dead...?

Morris: ----There's no other reason besides that.

Florian begins sobbing into his hands.

Florian: ......! ----I understand. Why does that stone fascinate people... Just a lifeless clump of light. I leave it up to you, Uncle. Nothing--- it... doesn't matter...!

{sound f/x ban: slamming door}

Outside of the room, Manon burst out laughing.

Manon: (Ah-ha-ha-ha) I didn't think that we could carry it off this easily!

Morris: Anyone would be fragile after being mentally driven into a corner. Especially a naive child.

Morris gets onto the phone and dials.

Morris: Ah... operator? Connect me to the Paris City Police. Ahh... It's me, Morris. He's at my home right now. He came back after all. Ahh-- that's right, a typical matricide criminal.

{sound f/x su: slow movement}

{sound f/x ban: banging}

Florian's window suddenly bangs open as Noir, in full cape and hat, bursts through.

Noir: I came to take back my amethysts.

Florian: Noir!

Noir: (Hmph) If you're just going to do what you like, I should have tied you up. You'd be a lot more jewel-like like that.

{sound f/x kapo: Florian blushing furiously}

Florian: WH~

Noir: [calmly] Don't be so loud. Right now, there're cops coming in downstairs. Geez, you just hand yourself over to the enemy.

Noir stands by the open window, turning to Florian.

Noir: We'll talk after. Come here right away. Are you leaving or not!?

Florian: Why should I go with you!? You might be the one who killed my mother!

Noir: You suspect me? I was having fun with you at the time, wasn't I!

In Florian's mind, a little image forms of Noir whipping Florian.

(Having fun)

{sound f/x bashi bashi: whip whip}

Florian: I'm definitely not going with you! I don't believe you~~!

Noir: The murderer is Morris.

Florian: !?

Elsewhere in the household, policemen storm the mansion.

{sound f/x bata: loud thumping of men running up the stairs}

Policeman: He's upstairs!

Manon: (He's mad! I was so scared-!)

Noir: There are very few people who know about "The Flame of Magar." And lately, he's gotten himself in a lot of debt with his gambling. He's apparently good friends with the Chief of Police. It's not that he's involved. It just means that you can get caught by the police very easily. You couldn't see that you were your mother's one weakness.

{sound f/x bata}

Policeman: In here! Watch out, men! The criminal's apparently mad!

{sound f/x gacha: click of a door handle}

Noir: Now, Florian! Take my hand! I bought you. You're mine. I won't hand you over to anyone!

Florian: ------!

Policeman: Raise your hands!

{sound f/x ba: giant explosion}

A giant puff of smoke envelops Noir as he covers Florian in his cape.

Policeman: U...~WA What the~ I can't see anything!

Outside, Noir speeds Florian away in their getaway car.

Policeman: Dammit-~ they got away! After them--~ After them--~

Noir: AH---HA-HA-HA... Did you see their faces? (Man, that was funny) [snickering]

Florian: (Wo... wow ...more than I thought, he's, how can I say it... a brat.) He's a villian, but--- Somehow... I can't hate him. ---- "The Flame of Magar" is a cursed jewel.

Noir starts, looking at Florian in surprise.

Florian: More than that, it's said that it brings people misfortune. ---Knowing that, are you prepared to get involved with it?

Noir: [smiling] I don't believe in curses. I'll decide my own fate.

At an old castle, Florian leads Noir up to the enterance.

Noir: Is this the old Rochefort Loire Castle? It doesn't exactly take your breathe away, does it. Well, it hasn't been used since the revolution. No one would have every thought that there would be a "jewel" in a place like this.

{sound f/x kii: creaking sound}

Florian: This is a hidden door.

Pushing open the secret door, Florian and Noir wander into the depths of the dark castle amidst clouds of dust.

Noir: Jeeez~ there's a lot of dust.

{sound f/x keho: Florian coughing}

Noir: It's pitch black in here. Even with the lantern, you can't see very well.

Florian: !? Something's glittering?

Noir raises the lantern to reveal a large painting.

Noir: It's a portrait of Louis XVI...!

{sound f/x nitari: evil smirk}

The portrait suddenly appears to smirk as the eyes roll to the right.

Noir: Whoa~ I'd heard about it from my mother, but it really does give you the creeps.

Florian: It's painting twice on polarized glass. When you shine a light on it, look.

Florian follows the line of sight to a hidden handle in the floor.

Noir: I see. Its line of sight points you to the position of something!

{sound f/x gii: creaking noise}

Florian: This is the handle that opens the enterance to the jewel's hiding place. Noir, don't just stand there, help me. If you hesitate, those guys will show up!

Noir suddenly glances to one side.

Noir: FLORIAN, GET DOWN!

{sound f/x pa: CRACK}

The lantern splits in two as Noir tackles Florian to the ground. He clutches himself, where a bullet grazed his shoulder.

Florian: Noir!

Morris: We're a bit late, aren't we. That's too bad, but at least we arrived in time. Now then, if you don't back off right now, you'll lose your lives.

Manon stands behind Morris, who aims his gun at Florian and Noir. Noir suddenly produces a whip from within his cape and snaps it, knocking Morris's gun away.

{sound f/x hyu: whooshing sound}

Morris: UWA~

{sound f/x karakara: clattering sound}

Morris: You're Rei Balzac... You're the one who filled Florian's head with all those excessive thoughts! [gasp]

{sound f/x za: quick dash}

Florian suddenly darts past Morris, grabbing the gun.

Morris: Florian! You're... don't point a gun at me...! You're just feeling so miserable that you let that kind of man coax you into...

Florian: Don't come any closer, or I'll shoot you! You killed Mother!

Morris: What's that? I don't know what you're talking about. Don't you believe me? Though I have loved you since you were small.

As Florian hesitates, Manon pulls a gun.

Noir: [holding his arm] FLORIAN!

{sound f/x bashi: loud crashing sound}

Manon shoots the gun from Florian's hand.

Florian: !

{sound f/x karakara}

{sound f/x ka: clicking sound of Morris stepping on the gun}

Manon: Too bad, boy.

Holding Florian hostage with the gun, Morris and Manon slip past the portrait of Louis XVI into a secret room.

{sound f/x gii: creaking sound}

Morris: If you value his life, you won't move. After we find the treasure, we'll roast you quite thoroughly.

{sound f/x ban: pounding}

Noir: FLORIAN ---~DAMMIT, FLORIAN!

Voice: Please escape, quickly.

Noir: !? You're...!

Inside of the secret room, a Hindu goddess is carved into one wall, with a giant diamond in the middle of her forehead.

Morris: There is is! In the forehead of that goddess relief!

Manon: [staring around the room] Wait, dear, it's a mountain of treasures in here.

Morris: [inspecting the diamond] It's holding pretty tight.

Florian: ----A goddess... a jewel in her forehead. This is just like...

Morris: It doesn't matter how we do it. Manon, help me!

Manon: (Coming~)

{sound f/x ka: clicking sound}

Morris: Go... got it!

{sound f/x pushuu: hissing sound}

As Morris and Manon remove the diamond, a dense smoke pours from the hole left behind.

Morris: Wh... What's this~

Manon: I... can't breathe...~

The words in the pedestal of an ancient Hindu goddess: "Anyone who takes this will surely find themselves cursed by God's wrath."

{sound f/x bata: hitting the ground}

Morris and Manon fall to the floor, dead.

Florian: Ah... Aahh... I have to escape... [pounding on the door] ! Someone... Noir! It won't open... Open this up!! Aahh...

{sound f/x yura: smoke whirling}

Florian: My head's spinning. My breathe's... stopped. [cough]

{sound f/x zuru: Florian sliding down the wall}

Florian: Right here... like this--- am I going to die...!

A figure appears through the smoke

Florian: ---huh... Noir!? How did he...

Noir: FLORIAN!

Noir catches Florian as he falls to the ground.

Florian: ----You're... truly a phantom.

{sound f/x pashi: light slapping}

Florian: ---mm.

Noir: Do you want to die in vain like this! Wake up! You're not living for anything but being my chosen treasure! If you're going to die, then die proudly by my whip~!

{sound f/x piki: spark of anger}

Florian: Pervert.

Noir and Florian flee down a crumbling hall.

Noir: Are you okay?

Florian: [cough cough] ---- Yeah.

Noir: This is going to collapse soon. ----This way.

Florian: There's a tunnel in here!

{sound f/x gogo: rumbling}

Noir: Hurry up, Florian!

Florian: How did you know about this passage!?

Noir: It doesn't matter. Hurry, come on!

Florian: WA~ (Don't be so violent~!)

Noir: ----That's right... it doesn't matter. As long as you achieve the pride of your family----

In the tunnel, Florian's mother watches them run away.

Florian: But why is the castle collapsing----

Noir: Apparently, that relief is part of the wall, and it's made so that if you remove the diamond, everything will collapse. Carbonic acid gas accumulates underground in this area, so the foundation itself was also loosened.

Florian: So then why did they!?

Noir: That gas. If human beings inhale a large amount of carbon dioxide at once, they'll be killed at once. Let's go. As long as you---

Noir remembers the events of a short time before.

Noir: Madame Rochefort! You're still alive!

Madame: When Morris pushed me down the stairs, he thought that I died. I couldn't believe that my own younger brother would try to take my life... It's all because of that detestable jewel. It would be better if that jewel didn't exist in this world. I killed my maid as a substitute for myself. --And then I concealed myself in the castle and waited for an opportunity. Morris would certainly come here, but he wouldn't know the tricks of this castle. Everything would sink into darkness. That is what I decided.

Noir: Then why did you hide yourself from Florian?

Madame: I don't want to get him envolved in this. I should be the only one bound by old noble blood.

In the present, Florian and Noir watch the castle collapse.

Florian: Ahh, the castle, it's----

Madame: My ancestors recieved the "jewel" from the king, and were given the duty to watch over it---

{sound f/x gooo: the castle collapsing}

Madame: This is the family's---- The family's last pride.

Noir lights himself a cigar as Florian stares at the rubble.

Florian: Noir. In that "tunnel", who was---

Noir: ----

Florian: ---- No... Never mind... it's nothing.

Tears run down Florian's cheeks.

Noir: The reason for those tears... I knew it without asking--- "The Flame of Magar" was quite a pitiful thing...

Noir calmly brings Florian's head to rest on his shoulder.

Noir: Don't cry. You'll cloud your amethysts. It's "everything into darkness"----

Back at home, Laila "comforts" the two.

Man: [holding nose] (Laila, that's...?) (It stinks-~)

Laila: [merrily] (It's because they're both so exhausted.) (Especially for Florian and Noir, it's Laila's EXTRA Special Energy Stamina Soup~!)

Part 1a | Part 1b | Part 2a

Manga belongs to Higuri You, Eyes Comics, and Shuueisha, taken from the Gorgeous Carat -Kurayami no Bitoku- manga, ISBN4-8342-6122-0. Not like the story makes sense if you haven't read the manga anyway. Romanized and translated into English very badly by Mina-P, with desperately needed help, as always, by Mako-chan. Any comments or corrections can be mailed to Mina-P at Minako@senshigakuen.com.

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