The meeting room was spacious and bright, centered around a massive round table.
Seated at the head of the table was a truly bizarre entity.
It was a portly, round-bellied demon (or angel), wearing a grotesque goat-head mask.
The horns on the mask were curved and sharp, the gaze fierce.
Yet, from his back sprouted a pair of massive, pure white angel wings, their feathers soft and fluffy—a jarring contrast to his crude, obese frame.
This man was none other than Adam, the First Man, supreme commander of Heaven’s Exorcist army, and the primary culprit behind every Extermination of Hell!
Standing beside Adam was a figure with a tall, straight posture clad in the standard uniform of an Exorcist.
This individual also wore a goat-head mask and stood with cold indifference.
This was Adam’s most loyal and capable lieutenant—Lute.
Lute stood at Adam’s side, silent, staring coldly at Charlie as she walked in.
The lieutenant radiated an oppressive aura that caused Charlie to stiffen instantly, nearly forgetting to breathe.
Seeing Charlie enter, Adam’s fat face crinkled into a mocking smile.
He slowly stood up, extending a coarse, large hand toward her.
His tone was faux-gentle, though dripping with sarcasm.
“Oh?
If it isn’t the little Princess of Hell, Charlie?
What a rare guest.
Come here, let me get a good look at you.
Welcome to Heaven.” Charlie looked at the hand Adam held out.
She was terrified, but she forced herself to remain composed, thinking she needed to maintain protocol.
She reached out her own hand, prepared to shake his.
But just as her hand was about to touch his palm, Adam suddenly jerked his hand back.
Charlie’s hand swept through empty air!
Charlie’s pupils dilated.
A look of horror crossed her face as she snapped her hand back, her eyes wide and her face pale.
she froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.
“Ah!!” She let out a small, involuntary cry.
Her heart hammered against her chest; she was so startled she nearly burst into tears.
She shook her hand repeatedly as if she had touched something filthy, muttering incoherently.
“W-What was that…
What just happened?
That scared me to death!
Adam…
he did that on purpose!
That’s so mean!” Seeing Charlie look so utterly terrified and pale, Adam could no longer contain himself.
He burst into boisterous laughter, his voice coarse and grating, filled with mockery.
His arrogant laughter echoed throughout the meeting room.
“Hahahaha!
Oh, man, that’s priceless!
Look at you, kid!
Scared out of your wits over that?
You’re way too much fun!” Adam laughed until he was doubling over, his obese body shaking and his angel wings flapping about.
He made no effort to hide his malice and derision.
Lute stood by, face still hidden and expressionless, though a flash of disdain crossed the lieutenant’s eyes.
It was clear Lute felt nothing but contempt for this cowardly, naive Princess of Hell.
Charlie stood there, a mix of fear and anger.
Her face flushed red, and her eyes welled up.
She cursed Adam furiously in her mind.
*Vile Adam!
I hate him!
He scared me on purpose!
Some leader of the angels—he’s just a rude jerk!
Picking on a girl, what kind of strength is that?* She cursed him a thousand times in her head, but she didn’t dare show it on the surface.
She could only grit her teeth, endure the humiliation, and wait for Adam to finish laughing.
After a long while, Adam’s laughter finally subsided.
He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and waved a hand.
His tone instantly turned cold and impatient, showing zero interest in hearing what Charlie had to say.
“Alright, alright, don’t just stand there like a statue.
I don’t have time for your ‘redeeming demons’ or ‘stopping the Extermination’ nonsense!
Blah blah blah, it’s all annoying to listen to!” Adam waved his hand as if shooing a fly, shouting at Charlie with irritation.
“Get your ass back to Hell!
You’re an eyesore!
And let me tell you, the original schedule for the Extermination?
It’s been changed.
We’re moving it up to six months from now!
In six months, I’m bringing the Exorcist army down to level the entirety of Hell.
Not a single demon will be left standing!” Hearing this, Charlie felt as though she’d been struck by a physical blow.
She was stunned.
The light in her eyes vanished, and her face turned as white as paper.
she stood frozen, unable to utter a single word.
Six months?!
It had been moved up by that much!
All her hopes, all her plans, all her hard work—in that single moment, it all turned to ash.
Adam didn’t give her time to react.
He gave Lute a look, and Lute immediately stepped forward, making a wordless gesture to drive her out, signaling for Charlie to leave at once.
Charlie was shell-shocked.
It was as if all the strength had been drained from her body.
With trembling legs, she was ushered out of the meeting room and back to the elevator.
She walked out of that holy, frigid palace in a daze, heading back toward the Hazbin Hotel, her entire being shrouded in despair.
[Hell · Inside the Hazbin Hotel] While Charlie was away in Heaven, the Hazbin Hotel was a whirlwind of activity, following the original course of events.
Because the news of the Extermination had already sent the resident demons into a panic, and with the deadline drawing closer, Vaggie—as Charlie’s most capable assistant—was anxious.
She knew that if they wanted to save Hell and keep Charlie’s redemption plan alive, they had to do something to expand the hotel’s influence.
Thus, Vaggie made a bold decision: they would film a promotional commercial for the Hazbin Hotel.
She knew that her and Charlie’s strength alone wouldn’t be enough to convince more demons of the redemption plan in such a short time.
They had to enlist the help of Hell’s most influential and mysteriously powerful entity.
That entity was Alastor—the infamous Radio Demon.
He was chaotic, eerie, powerful, and loved nothing more than witnessing the drama and mayhem of Hell.
Vaggie sought out Alastor, and the two held a secret negotiation in the hotel lobby.
The lobby was dim and cluttered.
The sofas were stained, and the coffee table was covered in empty bottles and leftover demon snacks.
The air carried a faint scent of tobacco and demonic energy.
Vaggie stood before Alastor, her expression solemn and her gaze resolute.
Her tone carried a hint of entreaty, yet remained firm.
“Alastor, I know you’re interested in Charlie’s redemption plan.
I also know you want to see a show.
So, I’m making a deal with you—you help us film the hotel’s commercial and make sure all of Hell sees our plan.
In exchange, I’ll give you the chaos and entertainment you want.
I’ll make this redemption game even more interesting for you.” Alastor tilted his head slightly, that signature eerie and manic grin plastered on his face.
His red eyes shimmered with excitement.
He lightly stroked his chin, his tone languid and mocking.
“Oh?
An intriguing trade~ I do so love interesting things.
Miss Vaggie, you’re clever; you know exactly what I want.
Very well, I accept.
After all, watching Princess Charlie in all her innocent glory trying to redeem a bunch of hopeless demons is far too entertaining.
I wouldn’t want this show to end so soon~” The deal was struck.
Following that, the hotel became a hive of activity.
Alastor used his powers to quickly assemble a crude filming set, while Vaggie busied herself organizing the script and directing the demons to set the scene.
Everyone was run off their feet.
Complaints and shouts rang out constantly; the entire hotel was filled with a chaotic yet lively atmosphere.
“Hey!
You!
Hold that sign straight!
What kind of mess is that?” “Remember the lines!
Don’t forget them when we start!
Charlie will be upset if she sees this!” “Mr.
Alastor, please try to control your shadows.
Don’t break the set again!
We’ve already fixed it three times!” Alastor stood to the side, laughing maniacally.
He caused minor disruptions from time to time, finding the sight of everyone scrambling in a panic increasingly delightful.
His radio-distorted “Hahaha” echoed through the halls, eerie and piercing.
After much labor, the promotional commercial was finally completed.
Not long after the filming wrapped up, a broken Charlie finally dragged her heavy footsteps back to the Hazbin Hotel.
The moment she pushed the door open, she looked completely wilted.
Her golden curls were matted against her cheeks, her blue eyes were filled with despair and tears, and her face was deathly pale.
Her gait was unsteady, as if her soul had been hollowed out.
She was the polar opposite of the confident girl who had left earlier.
Seeing Charlie in this state, Vaggie’s heart sank.
She knew instantly that things had gone horribly in Heaven and that the negotiations had been an utter failure.
She rushed forward, supporting the swaying Charlie, and spoke in a soft, comforting voice.
“Charlie, don’t be sad.
Take a breath.
We just finished filming the hotel’s commercial.
Come take a look; maybe it’ll make you feel a bit better.”