▁time , ▁people ▁possess ing ▁various ▁special ▁ab ilities — called ▁" Contract ors " — emer ged , ▁each ▁capable ▁of ▁different ▁super natural ▁fe ats . ▁Each ▁Cont ractor ▁has ▁a ▁corresponding ▁fake ▁star , ▁which ▁react s ▁to ▁their ▁activities . ▁As ▁such , ▁Cont ract ors ▁are ▁usually ▁identified ▁by ▁their ▁star ' s ▁Mess ier ▁catalog ue ▁number . ▁Ke pt ▁secret ▁from ▁the ▁masses , ▁these ▁individuals ▁are ▁known ▁to ▁murder ▁in ▁cold ▁blood , ▁sm other ing ▁unnecessary ▁emot ions ▁with ▁logic ▁and ▁rational ity . ▁Their ▁incred ible ▁ab ilities , ▁however , ▁are ▁gained ▁at ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁their ▁human ity ; ▁Cont ract ors ▁are ▁thus ▁named ▁because ▁of ▁an ▁invol unt ary ▁comp ulsion ▁to ▁" pay ▁the ▁price " ▁each ▁time ▁their ▁power ▁is ▁used , ▁which ▁can ▁range ▁from ▁e ating ▁particular ▁food s ▁or ▁comple ting ▁meaning less ▁tasks , ▁to ▁self - harm ▁or ▁changing ▁their ▁bodies ▁in ▁peculiar ▁ways . ▁Vari ous ▁nations ▁and ▁organizations ▁around ▁the ▁world ▁train ▁and ▁util ize ▁Cont ract ors ▁as ▁sp ies ▁and ▁assass ins , ▁resulting ▁in ▁violent ▁batt les ▁for ▁valuable ▁objects ▁and ▁information . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁dis astr ous ▁Heaven ' s ▁War , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁lost ▁its ▁dominant ▁position ▁as ▁a ▁super power ▁to ▁a ▁myster ious ▁organization ▁named ▁the ▁Sy nd icate . ▁The ▁story ▁revol ves ▁around ▁a ▁Chinese ▁contract or ▁c oden amed ▁" He i " ▁as ▁he ▁undert akes ▁various