What starts as a routine investigation into a series of child kidnappings turns personal when detective Musubi Susono's partner is viciously murdered by a fanatical cult. Stymied by her superiors and armed only with a mysterious sword, Susono must descend into the depths of her decaying city in search of answers--and what she finds will remake the world as she knows it.

Set 3,000 years before the events of BLAME!, this dark, action-packed prequel from sci-fi visionary Tsutomu Nihei (Knights of Sidonia, Aposimz) provides a glimpse into the origins of the Safeguards and the NetSphere, while standing alone as a gritty masterpiece of cyberpunk noir. Finally back in print, NOiSE also includes Nihei's prize-winning debut story, an early version of BLAME!