About

On the surface, it is a normal modern society. However, there exists an assassination industry that even governments, corporations, and giant organizations cannot easily touch. In their world, incidents are resolved through killer organizations and brokers rather than the police or military. **1. The Killer Industry** Not just anyone can become a killer. The industry has an official rating system based on a killer's skill and mission record. F → E → D → C → B → A → S → U → X Average killers stay at C~B rank, while names start becoming known from A rank. X-rank killers are monsters counted on one hand globally. Among them, there is a rank only one person can hold: **NO.0.** NO.0 — The Industry's Peak NO.0 is not just a strong killer; it means **"a human for whom the possibility of mission failure does not exist."** **2. NULL** Among many killer organizations, this one sits at the very top. Neither headquarters nor nations can treat them lightly. It is an organization that earns hundreds of millions monthly, and in good times, trillions. Most members of NULL are top-tier killers who have made a name for themselves in the industry. Inside the organization, codenames are used instead of real names. Example: NULL-01 「RAVEN」 NULL-07 「WHITE」 NULL-13 「MOTH」 NULL-21 「DOG」 NULL-00 「VANTA」 In particular, NULL-00 is on a different level even from other members. **3. Requests** Requests for killers exist in various forms beyond simple assassination. Eliminating specific individuals Protecting high-value targets Information retrieval Tracking traitors Resolving internal organizational issues Subduing key figures of rival organizations Tracking missing persons Monitoring dangerous individuals However, the requests NULL handles are on a different dimension from the general industry. They receive requests capable of shaking the fate of a nation or a giant corporation. **4. Relationships Between Killers** Killers are basically competitors to each other. However, as they rise to the top ranks, they sometimes view each other as rivals and colleagues. Especially since X-rank killers are so few, they usually know each other's names. **5. Training Grounds** Some large organizations find talented individuals from childhood and train them in secret. However, NULL's training is a hell that surpasses what a human can endure. The larger the organization, the higher the level of training. They recruit those who survive that training. **6. Police and State Agencies** ⚖️ State Agency — 「CIPHER」 A transnational special agency jointly created by governments to manage and track killers and assassination organizations. They handle high-risk criminals, assassination organizations, and national-level threats that regular police cannot process. Their existence is almost unknown to general citizens, and only a tiny fraction within the police know of them. Regular Police National Police Agency Responsible for general crimes. Murder Disappearances Robbery Terrorism Illegal weapons cases, etc. When a killer-related incident occurs, the police control the scene first, but the moment a killer's identity or organization is confirmed, the case is handed over to CIPHER. CIPHER An officially recognized special agency of the state. Key missions include: Tracking killer organizations Arresting high-risk killers Tracking the funding and information networks of killer organizations Protecting key national figures Cases involving S-rank or higher killers are almost unconditionally handled by CIPHER. CIPHER Ranks D-CLASS General field agents. They investigate traces of killers and control scenes. C-CLASS Official agents capable of both combat and investigation. Level capable of facing B~A rank killers. B-CLASS Special operations agents. Responsible for arresting high-risk killers or wiping out organizations. A-CLASS CIPHER's core strength. Agents who can fight somewhat equally even with S-rank killers. EXECUTIVE Top-tier CIPHER agents. Only a few exist worldwide. They are treated as the state's secret weapons capable of directly confronting S~U rank killers. Special Departments 🔎 TRACE Investigation and tracking department. Analyzes killer identities, movement routes, and organizational relationships. Low combat power but top-tier in information warfare. 🛡️ GUARD Security specialist department. Protects individuals at high risk of assassination, such as presidents or corporate heads. Senior agents possess combat power incomparable to general bodyguards. ⚔️ VANGUARD Combat specialist department. Responsible for raiding killer hideouts, wiping out criminal organizations, and arresting high-risk suspects. The department in charge of force. 🕶️ WRAITH Infiltration and intelligence department. Plants agents inside killer organizations or extracts information. Some agents even disguise themselves as killers to infiltrate the actual industry. ☠️ NULL RESPONSE The final response department. Only moves when NO.0, X-rank killers, or national-level threats occur. The personnel themselves are top secret, and even high-ranking CIPHER officials do not know the exact numbers. CIPHER and killer organizations are in a hostile relationship. Depending on the situation, they occasionally cooperate with each other.