There was no explanation for how the Dearils came into existence. There once was a time when these creatures were mere myths, often found in stories to scare young children. Even when individuals sought to build upon these children's stories, to scare society, there was never any evidence to cause major panic. It used to be a time when people could sleep in peace at night knowing that those stories would never come true. However, as time passed, people began to randomly succumb to death. Even as society began to stir from this unknown outbreak, Dearils were still not believed to be the culprit. Who would blame a children’s story anyway for such a serious problem? A rare plague was believed to be the culprit because what else could it be? Though it gave a “clear” explanation for the odd behaviors and unusual symptoms found in people before they died, the community couldn’t help but stay on edge.

However, the basic explanation soon diminished when shapeshifting Dearils arrived. The morphing devils were more than enough proof to establish the existence of these predatory creatures. It took little time for it to become apparent that Dearils were demonic creatures who found pleasure in consuming the souls of humans. With clear tactics of manipulation and possession, along with the adapted skill of shapeshifting, it wasn’t long until they killed thousands of humans. Society had no reason for hope, knowing that at any second their lives could come to an end. That was until one human finally put one of these beasts to rest through a process called Sealing, becoming a subtle but prominent spark of hope. The Dearils became so agitated by this rebellion that they gave this human the name Horus, after the Egyptian god of hunting. Even the strongest of these demonic creatures had no chance against Horus.

This rebellious human was the same individual that came to discover the four standard classes of Dearils, Classes A, B, C, and D. Such a monumental discovery led to the development of an organization that grew into a defense system to protect humans against Dearils.
Paradetox.

It was only days after Paradetox was established that the first Horus was killed in the line of action. How they died was unknown, but it didn’t stop the company's momentum. New Horuses took the place of the original Horus, ready to put a stop to Dearils once and for all.

…

With sharp silver eyes and an endlessly annoyed look on his face, he surely was one to command respect out of his subordinates. Leroi stood before them; the lead captain and the first and only Horus to slay a Class Z Dearil. It had been almost a century since Paradetox’s creation and only recently was a Class Z Dearil finally sealed.

Today was the first gathering of all Horus teams in the district. Such occasions were often found to be rare, especially ones hosted by Leroi himself. “You must be wondering why you all are here today.” He was always blunt and straight to the point, watching the room closely to make sure everyone was paying attention. “This is an unknown class mission.” Hearing the word unknown was sure to run shivers down some Horuses' spines. “We are not being called to seal low-class Dearils from possessed individuals. We are instead being hired as protection. I’m sure you heard of the event hosted by Byron Sandoval. He is hosting one of the greatest gatherings of political leaders. We all know that Class A Dearils will take an interest in this, and with so many people there it will take all of us to protect them. This is an extremely important case and I expect you all to take things seriously.” Leroi wasn’t one to overly explain the importance of missions such as this one. He fully expected these teams to know the Paradetox Horus procedures.

Looking around the quiet room, his eyebrows narrowed in annoyance when a voice broke the silence. “I must propose that Evi join this mission. She is more than ready sir,” Usually nominations wait until the end, but it seemed that this Horus couldn’t wait to explain his apprentice’s readiness. Although, Leroi didn’t need to express his annoyance before another voice lifted from the group.
“For God’s sake, Evi hasn’t even sealed a Class D. You really think she would be ready to face Class A Dearils? It is a death sentence.” Jasper provoked silence amongst the team, all eyes shifting towards the young girl sitting ever so patiently in the back corner of the room. “Wow. It seems like Jasper can actually feel. I never expected him to be worried about the young newbie. I say put her in the field. She would be perfect fodder for any Dearil that dares to cross our paths.” A different teammate said across the room.

“Hush,” Leroi finally gained a sense of order as the room silenced again. An annoyed sigh left his throat. Even though most of the team didn’t get along, often battling each other’s egos, they sure worked well together when things got serious. Everyone had a reason to be here, and nothing was going to stop them from getting whatever revenge that motivated them to work in an organization like this in the first place. His attention turned towards Evi’s teacher. It didn’t take much time to come up with a decision. “If the child dies, you will be demoted.” Such rules for unsolicited nominations were cruel and harsh but it kept teachers from making rash decisions with their apprentices. If a newbie is thrown into a hard mission and ends up dying, that means the teacher had lost a prospective Horus that could benefit the company, ultimately leading to consequences. Though many have failed with these actions before and faced demotions, a few did come to succeed. It was only in hope that the young child would survive.

“Do you have confidence in the child?” He finally broke the silence.

“Yes, sir.”

“Then so be it.” Though Leroi wasn’t always open to sending a green Horus onto the field, the more they had, the better the outcome for this mission.

“Back to the case,” Leroi said. “As I have said before. This case is different from the others we are used to. We are hired as protection and prevention. Hopefully, our presence by itself will assist in scaring off the nearby Dearils. If there are, however, any signs of a Dearil's presence, even at the slightest, I order the gathering to be immediately shut down. Am I clear?”

“The first team will be stationed on the outside of the building. Any nearby alerts of possessions will likely be the first sign before we are hit by Dearils. If any civilians nearby come off suspicious, you are to detain them immediately as they may be possessed. The youngster will be put on this team.” He spoke in a clear voice, gesturing towards Evi. The excitement on her face was enough to show how naïve she was. “Second team will be outside of the hall doors, examining each political leader that arrives. Every individual is to have a sealing ritual performed on them, whether they are showing signs or not.” He gave a swift nod toward the second team. “Finally, the third team will be inside the gathering hall with the political leaders during their gathering. No matter what they say, you are not to leave the room. Whatever conversations they have are to be kept confidential, as I am sure they will be worried about potential leakage of information. You are sure to have trouble with a few of them, but they hired us for a reason. Everyone is to be carrying weapons at all times. Stay safe.” Without hearing out any questions or further nominations, Leroi left the room without another word.

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Nova watched Leroi leave the room before standing up and taking a few deep breaths. She glanced around at all the people, some getting ready and some chatting. She relaxed her shoulders while fishing the gun holster on her right thigh. She walked over to a corner of the room and just stood there. Nova didn't really like to socialize at Paradetox, she found no point, she could never keep friends during her life. She focuses on ridding the world of Dearils, while off work she talks to people. She ran over some of the details of the mission through her mind. Never had she been called for a protection mission, but she does what she is told. Fising her hair she glanced and the young agent, Evi, before shifting her gaze back to the ground.

(Sorry this might be a little short)

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This mission was surely an unusual one. It wasn’t every day that they were given a protective mission. It was practically unheard of. With this many teams, it must be something extremely important. It was either that or the company was getting a good paycheck. A “difficult” mission like this one was sure to excite the other teams. The likelihood of the inexperienced Horuses being assigned to this mission was naturally slim to none, so their excitement was based on a naïve perception of how it would turn out. Many wouldn’t live to see the day they get assigned to a case of potential Class A Dearils. To Jasper, this was just a boring one that he somehow got sucked into. A protective mission wasn’t anything to be excited about. Jasper was one of the more specially experienced Horuses and he was always given the selectively harder missions that others would feel extremely lucky to even be assigned to.

With warm features and a wolf-cut hairstyle that framed his face, only his drained eyes spoke of what he had come to witness in this line of work. A look of pure lust to kill was more than enough to scare those around him. His eyes were his most chilling feature. The bags under his eyes gave him no justice when he locked his gaze on someone. Though he had been given the rare privilege of respectable missions, his naturally bland and cold demeanor and unusual taste in weaponry tended to ward off people’s praise.

After Leroi dismissed the room, Jasper was one of the only ones to remain in his seat. His back naturally slumped as he rested his chin on his hand. His other hand attempted to force his fidgety leg to stop bouncing. He had no itch to leave, clearly making the statement when he slumped back in his chair, propping his feet up on the surface in front of him. Closing his eyes as he crossed his arms against his chest, he was given little time to enjoy a sense of relaxation before the mission. A poke to the shoulder was enough to make his eyes jerk open. He wasn’t quick to react when he nonchalantly turned his head to the figure that was seemingly too close for his comfort. Jasper was nearly forced to fall out of his chair when a young face abruptly leaned toward him. Though the impulse was hard to resist, he didn’t reactively sway out of the way, but the annoyed expression on his face spoke for itself.

“I appreciate you sticking up for me…Jasper, was it?” A young girl, who he quickly determined to be Evi, said. A naïve look lingered on her face like she didn’t even know who she was talking to. His feet slid off the table, forcing himself to stand up. His 5’7” figure was little to tower over her, but his sudden movement was enough to make her stumble backward. “I did not need to be bothered by your so-called appreciation, kid,” he paused, letting out the softest sigh. “But it is Jasper if you must know.”

Her lips puckered in disappointment at his response almost like she expected him to be jumping in joy at her words. “Is it true that you have sealed a Class A Dearil?” The young girl’s smile sent the child down his spine. What was wrong with her? His thoughts were blunt, but even with her apparent innocence, there was something odd about her. And how did he end up in a full conversation with this kid in the first place? “Unfortunately, it is,” He grimaced when Evi landed her wide eyes on his Scythe. At least she had the decency to not touch another Horuses weapon. With an eagerness to escape the extroverted conversation, he began to gather his things. Somehow in that time, his gaze naturally drifted toward Nova. She always seemed to linger in the shadows. He had seen her around Paradetox many times before this meeting and was nothing more than acquainted with her. Jasper was sure they both had been assigned together on some tough missions before. She was one of the few he found himself deeply respecting. Catching eyes with her, he allowed his head to casually nod in respect before turning to head out the door. So much for being the last out. Evi was close at his heels, pestering him with questions before she was practically dragged away by her mentor.

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Nova nodded to Jasper on his way out before resting her head on the wall behind her. She found this mission odd in many ways, in the years she has worked here she never heard of a 'protective mission'. Whatever was going down had to be important. She glanced down to the floor before fixing her jacket and pulling out her gun. She always made sure her weapons her clean and loaded before missions. She checked her belt for extra ammo, some small knives, and the essentials. Her thoughts kept racing, kept wondering about this mission. Could Paradetox know if a certain Dearil class was roaming around? What if they knew a Class A was running around and they want to rid of the Dearil tonight? Nothing made sense so she shook her head lightly, hoping it would clear her mind enough for her to focus on the mission, and not mess anything up. She glanced around the room and at the time, she wasn't really paying attention to Leroi, but she didn't remember him saying what time the mission was, so she thought she should make sure she has everything before they need to move out. She pushed herself off the wall and slipped out of the room.

(Hope this is good as it is the 4th of July and I'm a little brain dead rn)

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(You're alright. This is a little bit shorter than what I’d usually write. Hope this is okay. )

The only thing Jasper was the tiniest bit excited about in this mission was the potential Dearils that lurked around. They were his only hope for entertainment on this mission. Everything else was sure to cause him to be miserably bored. He knew that the ‘set in their old-timer ways’ political leaders would annoy the hell out of him with their pestering comments and the inability to keep their mouths shut when eating. At least he was placed on the third team so if anything did happen then he would at least be in on the action. So long story short, he was more than willing to put up with their bullshit as long as he got a taste of Dearil.

His hand twisted around the snath and grip of his scythe as he secured a tight grip. Leisurely walking, he was already sharpening the belly of the blade, the smallest twinge of excitement on his face. The scythe was already a mysterious weapon, with extreme difficulty in mastering it. Its rather big size was always easy to mishandle as it regularly took a lot of energy to wield it. Its snath was ridged in heavy metal, even worse in heaviness than its usual wooden body. Jasper always believed that the heavier the snath is, the more power it has in a single swing. The details edged into the metal material gave it a unique characteristic that seemed to shimmer in an odd ambiance. The mineral/gem-like material that would change its shade of color upon detection of a Dearil wrapped around the attachment ring and rib of the blade. It was rather big compared to other weapons. Jasper’s taste in weaponry was always strongly judged by the other Horuses. Yet, here he was, as one of the top Horuses, while those who were judgmental were merely feeding off of mere Class C Dearils.

…

Jasper was always fashionably late, not late enough to miss the action though. Upon his somewhat late arrival, the first team was already stationed outside of the building. Some were even missing, taking their mission seriously when citizens nearby began to act suspiciously. Kudos to them for still being spirited in this field of work. The Horuses outside of the building were experienced enough to know the signs of Dearils while still being able to defend themselves. Well…everyone but the familiar face of the girl who pestered him a mere hour or two ago. Nothing was going to scare that young girl off. Maybe a near-death scare would frighten that eager look off of her face. Proceeding through the building’s doors, it was moments before he found himself outside of the gathering hall doors. “Hey, you.” He heard a voice lift amongst the second team, who were just getting set up as well. “You can't enter. We need to make sure a Dearil isn’t possessing you.” They teased him, snickering with their teammates. Luckily it was old colleagues who nagged at him, as he wasn't in the mood for anyone's snarky comments. A chuckle lifted from Jasper’s throat. “You’re funny,” he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes playfully. Pushing himself through the doors, he was shocked by the smell of bubbling beverages and finger foods. “So, this was what the political leaders do instead of doing their jobs.” He mumbled under his breath.

After stationing himself with some other very experienced Horuses, it wasn’t but a little bit longer until the political leaders began to shuffle in. Many were already pissed that they had to be screened with a sealing process before they could even enter the door. This was surely going to be a long night.

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Nova sighed as she carefully made her way through the crowd to the outskirts of the room. She didn't know why she was inside but she just stayed where she could see almost everything. Her eyes jumped from one political leader to the next, keeping her mouth shut and her arms crossed as she leaned against the back wall. She made sure her weapons were hidden from the sight of others, that way they could party and not feel uncomfortable, but she had a good amount on her, all in easy reach too. She probably looked a little judgy, though no one seemed to pay attention to her, which she was fine with. She did end up walking around a little, trying to get a better view but also to get a lay of her surroundings.

As she slowly made her way back to the corner, she noted a lot of pissed-off people, probably because they were here making getting in here 100x more difficult with the screening and sealing process. Yet as she kept getting closer to the back of the room, her gut was telling her something was off. Now she didn't want to leave her position and tell someone that they were doing something wrong, so she ignored it, her git has been wrong before. "Always follow the facts. Not your gut." She thought to herself as she got back on track with her position in the back corner.

(Here. Again, sorry for the long wait)

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