Following closely behind was the Skeleton Overlord, Zestial.
His entire form was a ghastly white skeletal frame, with ghost-blue soulfire flickering within his eye sockets.
A biting chill radiated from him, seemingly freezing the very air as he passed, leaving a lingering scent of death in his wake.
The two stepped out of the elevator and exchanged a brief glance.
Without words, they offered the customary nod of greeting before heading toward their respective seats.
The last to enter was the Dinosaur Overlord, Silla.
Massive in stature, she stood nearly four meters tall, her body covered in thick, dark brown scales.
Her limbs were sturdy, exuding a sense of raw power; with every step she took, the floor trembled slightly, creating a terrifying presence.
One by one, the Overlords filed into the conference room.
Each bore a solemn expression, radiating a powerful demonic aura.
They kept their distance from one another, their eyes filled with suspicion and wariness.
After all, in Hell, there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests.
The members took their seats, and the room was soon nearly full.
Only two chairs remained vacant: one belonged to the Arms Dealer Overlord, and the other was the most prominent yet perpetually empty seat—the throne of the Clown Overlord, which had gone unoccupied for years.
The Overlords present glanced at that empty seat, a flicker of trepidation and awe passing through their eyes.
They all knew that seat belonged to one of the most mysterious and powerful Overlords in Hell—a clown demon who had lived for eons.
However, this Overlord remained hidden year-round, never involving himself in Hell’s squabbles.
Almost no one had seen his true face, and no one dared to provoke him lightly.
As the crowd waited in silence and the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive, the crisp click of high heels echoing against the floor approached from the distance.
Everyone looked toward the door as Carmilla walked in slowly, wearing a pair of high heels newly forged from Angelic Steel.
She was dressed in a tight black military-style uniform that accentuated her curvaceous silhouette.
Compared to her tall and slender appearance in the original records, the current Carmilla possessed a far more full and exaggerated figure.
Her graceful curves exuded a mature feminine allure, complemented by a powerful aura and sharp eyes that radiated the authority and efficiency of a high-ranking ruler.
Following behind her were her two daughters, Odette and Clara.
The two young women had also grown; compared to their original counterparts, their figures had become more voluptuous, losing their innocence in favor of a more seductive charm.
Dressed in the same style as Carmilla, they followed closely behind their mother with obedient expressions that still betrayed a hint of nervousness.
The appearance of the mother and daughters instantly drew the gaze of every Overlord in the room.
Carmilla walked to the head of the table and sat down, while Odette and Clara stood solemnly behind her.
Carmilla scanned the assembled Overlords, cleared her throat, and began a polite, official opening in a steady, methodical tone.
“First, I would like to thank all the Overlords for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend this first plenary meeting of the Sinner Overlords.
I know you all usually occupy your own territories and rarely gather together.
I have called you here today to discuss a major matter concerning the survival of all Hell.” Her gaze first landed on Alastor, her eyes holding a trace of complexity.
“Alastor, after vanishing for seven years, you have finally reappeared in Hell’s sight.
Your return will undoubtedly bring a different kind of change to our realm.” Hearing this, Alastor let an arrogant smile curl his lips and gave a slight nod.
“Overlord Carmilla flutters me.
I simply grew accustomed to the life of a wandering crane.
Returning now is merely to witness the excitement.” Carmilla nodded and then turned her gaze toward the empty seat of the Clown Overlord.
Her brow furrowed slightly, a sense of doubt rising in her heart—that mysterious Clown Overlord really hadn’t come.
Pushing the thought aside, she prepared to get to the point.
“The primary reason I summoned you all today is because Heaven has prematurely initiated the Extermination…” Before she could finish explaining the soul-culling quotas Heaven had issued for each district, the screen behind her lit up.
It displayed various data points between Heaven and Hell, alongside specific quotas for the culling—dense information that caused the expressions of the Overlords to turn increasingly grim.
In that tense moment, a loud bang echoed as the conference room doors were violently thrown open.
A figure stormed in, a cell phone pressed to her ear as she shouted in a sharp, arrogant voice, completely disregarding the solemn atmosphere and shattering the silence.
“Vox!
Did you even hear a word I said?!
Those guys in Heaven are starting the Extermination, and we can’t just sit here and wait for death!
Do exactly as I said, do you hear me?!
Stop dragging your feet!” The newcomer was Velvette, a core member of the Vees.
She wore bright red clothing and exaggerated makeup, her expression haughty and filled with disdain.
She clearly looked down on the Overlords present as she strolled into the room while still on her call, her steps light and devoid of any sense of decorum.
The Overlords, interrupted by this sudden intrusion, frowned in displeasure.
However, wary of Velvette’s strength, they refrained from speaking out.
Carmilla’s face darkened instantly.
Suppressing her rising anger, she glared at Velvette with cold eyes, clearly incensed by such rude behavior.
Velvette slowly hung up the phone and casually scanned the room.
She gave a dismissive wave, her tone flippant.
“Oh, the Overlords are all here.
Sorry I’m late, I was just discussing some business with Vox.” Ignoring the unhappy glares, she walked over to her seat and sat down, crossing her legs with a fearless, defiant air.
Carmilla took a deep breath to suppress her rage, choosing not to bicker with her in favor of finishing the business at hand.
“Velvette, since you’re here, sit quietly and listen.
We are discussing serious matters.
Heaven…” Halfway through her sentence, Velvette suddenly raised a hand to interrupt.
Her tone was arrogant and disrespectful.
“Wait, Carmilla.
Don’t be in such a hurry to spout useless nonsense.
I have something good to show the Overlords—something that will let everyone know those angels from Heaven aren’t invincible!” Carmilla’s brow furrowed deeper, her voice icy.
“Velvette, now is the time for official business.
Whatever you have can wait until after the meeting!” “After the meeting?
Where’s the fun in that?” Velvette chuckled carelessly and tossed an object straight onto the conference table.
With a thud, the object landed on the table, emitting a dull sound.
As the crowd leaned in to look, a collective gasp filled the room, followed by an immediate uproar.
It was the head of an angel!
The angel’s face still bore a look of sheer terror.
The golden blood had long since dried, and fragments of wings were tangled in its hair.
All traces of holiness had vanished, replaced only by the cold aura of death.
In the established rules of Hell, there had always been an unwritten understanding: angels were sacred and inviolable.
Demons could not truly kill angels; at most, they could only wound or repel them.
Now, seeing a complete angelic head before their eyes undoubtedly shattered everyone’s perception of reality.
The four powerful Overlords present began whispering among themselves, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
“They actually killed an angel?” “Aren’t the angels of Heaven immortal?” “How on earth did Velvette do it?” Upon seeing the head, a flicker of panic flashed in Carmilla’s eyes, and her heart sank.
She knew very well that killing an angel meant a complete break with Heaven.
An all-out war would become unavoidable, and Hell would be plunged into an unprecedented crisis.
However, as one of the rulers of Hell, she quickly regained her composure.
Her face returned to a stern, cold mask.
She looked sharply at Velvette, preparing to interrogate her, but Velvette beat her to the punch.
Velvette stood up, looking at the Overlords with triumphant glee.
Her voice was impassioned as she stepped onto the conference table, standing before everyone to deliver a loud, stirring speech.
“Overlords!
Do you see?
The angels aren’t invincible!
They can be killed!
Heaven wants to exterminate us, to devour our souls—are we just going to sit here and take it?
No!
We must resist!
We must unite and go to war with Heaven!
We’ll kick those hypocritical angels out of Hell and show them that we demons are not lambs for the slaughter!” Her voice was sharp and manipulative, her words spoken with such fervor that the eyes of many Overlords began to burn with the desire for battle.
The atmosphere in the room turned frantic as they echoed Velvette’s words, advocating for war against Heaven.
Velvette watched their reactions, her smile growing more derisive and arrogant as she thought she had taken control of the room.
Just as the fervor reached its peak, a clear, loud sound of tea being sipped suddenly rang out through the noisy room.
“Sip.” The sound wasn’t loud, yet it was exceptionally clear, instantly cutting through the clamor.
The noise in the conference room came to a dead stop.