Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hell was vibrating with joy and euphoria. The reason? Verosika Mayday announced that she’ll close her Underworld Tour in Pentagram City. The Sinners were thrilled to have one of the most famous pop stars of the last fifty years perform at the abandoned Obsidian Dome.

Now that some souls had been redeemed, the relationship between Heaven and Hell seemed to be improving — Although Lucifer was still reluctant to answer his siblings’ or his Father’s calls, he wished he could gloat to them, but what could he do if not daydream of fake trials where he won. Sera was the only mediator between them. Let this be a lesson to her for being scathing during his trial eons ago — The gaps between the Rings were also fading away.

Thanks to the new reforms approved by the Seven Deadly Sins, the Rings went back to working together like they did at the beginning.

And if there was one or another Sinner who wanted to cause a ruckus in Pentagram City, or in the Princess of Hell’s beloved project, Lucifer only had to snap his fingers and Hell would do its thing.

“Where do it send them to?” Charlie asked him after a Vees spy smashed the hotel wall for the fifth time that week.

“It’s better to focus on those who do want to be redeemed, ducky.” Lucifer replied with a nervous smile and a chuckle that was more hypocritical than Roo’s flattery.

Clearly, he wasn’t going to tell her that Hell had awakened and was back in charge of chastising sinners. No. Charlie was still too young. Maybe when she finally wanted to get ready to be Queen, Lucifer would take her to meet it. When he explained to Charlie and her crew that the Hazbin was now a sentient being — It was the best option after that fourth explosion! — He described in great detail the new functions the building had, such as filtering out the souls who just wanted to freeload and the ones who actually sought redemption.

The Hazbin Hotel is now part of the team, which is great news for Charlie and — What was Sera’s sister’s name? Emma… Emmanuel… Emmiliane… Emily! — Emily.

But Lucifer was getting sidetracked. He was now mostly focused on listening to Charlie and how the meeting with Verosika Mayday had gone. The two met when the pop star was Lilith’s apprentice. His daughter wanted to start getting involved in diplomatic roles too, like Lilith did, so before the Vees got the media coverage of Verosika’s arrival, Charlie and Vaggie welcomed the popular succubus pop star.

Charlie walked through the doors with a cheerful grin and two thumbs up, and the whole staff and the singer herself walked in right behind her. They’d be staying on a floor just for them — The Hazbin quickly showed off its skills, spreading out another floor and set up the required rooms.

“Just don’t tell Uncle Moony that I’m not going to charge them anything.” It was the only thing Charlie asked him, with those adorable little eyes.

Lucifer opened his mouth to answer his daughter — When he heard that static-filtered voice.

“Of course, your dear Father won’t say anything to the Sin of Greed. He’s so determined to let his infernal device vibrate and ring nonstop instead of answering the constant calls.”

Lucifer spun around as fast as lightning and found himself face-to-face with the Radio Demon’s mocking smile. “You’d do the same if you had a cell phone and didn’t want to read more than 1,000 messages.”

“If it’s important information, you can always talk in person instead of relying on these worthless rectangles.”

As Alastor’s horns grew and tentacles appeared, and Lucifer spread his wings and breathed fire, Charlie had to intervene... Again. With her dad’s permission, Vaggie was allowed to attack them both if they fought. And wow! Vaggie had clearly received strict angelic training.

“Could we please not do this in front of our guests?” Charlie stood between them. Alastor automatically shrank in size, and her Dad returned to standing on the carpet. Neither of them made the slightest attempt to fade away the tendrils or wings, of course. “We should be happy about this success. What’s more, Verosika got us tickets to the Royal Circle, so we can all enjoy it up close!”

The Princess of Hell pulled six pink tickets out of the pocket of her tailor-made slacks. Her face beamed with pride as she told her Dads — Sorry, her Dad and her Mentor that she had made a great deal with Verosika’s team.

She gave each of them their respective tickets.

Lucifer took his ticket, feeling its wrinkled texture and smelling the sweet scent of damiana — A scent with which he was very familiar in those years.

Lucifer glanced at the red-haired demon, who looked at his ticket disinterestedly, holding it between his index finger and thumb. Lucifer wished they were under the table so he could kick Alastor in the shin. As much as he wanted to ignore it, Alastor’s opinion mattered a lot to Charlie.

Unfortunately, it’d have to be Lucifer who spoke first and disappointed his daughter.

“That sounds great, sweetie, but —” Oh, no! As soon as those words left his lips, Charlie’s big smile turned into a slight curve. “I’ll watch the concert from my balcony. Lilith will probably want a better view of her apprentice’s performance, too.”

His ex-wife would come and go every so often, which he had grown accustomed to as their marriage began to fall apart. This concert will surely bring her back for a few days, which she’ll use to spend time with her daughter and blackmail him. Then, she’ll decide she’s had enough of the paparazzi’s harassment and disappear to Holy Father knows where.

Furthermore, even if he were surrounded by a crowd of sinners and standing next to his beautiful daughter, Charlie would stick close to her fiancé. It was better for him to stay away so he could keep a closer eye on them. He’d ask Belle and Bee to reinforce security at the Dome’s entrances and report any suspicious activity to him.

“I’m sorry, dear, but I must decline the invitation as well.” In his characteristic gentlemanly manner, Alastor gently returned the concert ticket to Charlie’s hands. “I’ve heard of this Miss Mayday, and I don’t think that we’re on the same page when it comes to music.”

Charlie understood. Despite his powerful presence in Hell, her Dad still suffered from social anxiety, despite the masks he wore. As for Alastor, well, she saw it coming, especially knowing that the Vees would be at the concert for their own media coverage.

Vox wouldn’t miss an opportunity to insult Alastor or belittle the Hotel.

“However, if she is available after the tour, we can schedule a radio interview —”

Lucifer had to fight the urge to roll his eyes when Charlie beamed again. Alastor always knew how to avoid becoming the villain of the story. He eats people! Well, the whole cannibalism thing doesn’t bother Lucifer that much. He once bit Jophiel, after all. Just once! He is the most beautiful being in the universe!

Charlie was so excited that she was jumping up and down in her shoes. At any moment, she could have caused a small spark on the carpet in the lobby. “Why wait until the end of the concert? Let’s go see Verosika now!”

Alastor felt the tight grip around his wrist. After so many years of helping Lucifer’s daughter, he should be used to her spontaneous hugs and pats on the shoulder or back. Glancing sideways at the King of Hell, Alastor felt willing to swallow his pride and ask Lucifer to dissuade Charlie from taking him to meet the pop star.

Just to see the small, satisfied, vengeful smirk at the corner of those lipstick-painted lips.

You’ll pay for this, Lucifer. Alastor conveyed this threat with his gaze before letting Charlie drag him away to Verosika, Mayday’s crew.

Lucifer crossed his arms and stared after his daughter and Alastor as they walked away and disappeared into the crowd of guests eager to catch a glimpse of the popular singer.

Lucifer stepped away from the crowd and walked over to the heart of the Hotel: the fireplace.

“Don’t be too harsh on the snoopers.” He told the Hazbin Hotel. Once everyone in Pentagram City heard that Verosika was staying at Charlie’s hotel, more less-than-good-intentioned sinners will try to sneak in. “Charlie scolded us because you froze the pool to trap them. This time, how about you just turn them into trees?”

The green fire blazed so intensely and quickly that a piece of wood turned to ash in an instant.

Lucifer leaned against the fireplace, “Is it too much to ask for magnolias trees?” He was certain someone would cherish the view.

This time, the fire sparked in a mocking way.

Lucifer waved his hand, trying to downplay it, but the golden blush on his cheeks gave him away. “If you don’t change your tone, I’ll give Alastor permission to change the decor again.”

This time, the fire made an explosion-like sound.

“It was nice talking with you.” Lucifer grinned smugly and walked away before any other sinners could see him talking to the fire. He didn’t want anyone to comment on how crazy the situation was, that if they wanted the hotel to keep its rooms within the permitted limits of the hill. Yes, the Hazbin Hotel could be a brat.

Taking the elevator, he reached his floor at the hotel and the doors to his room opened as soon as he approached.

Lucifer entered his room and made a beeline for his wardrobe. He hung his jacket on the rack and placed his hat and crown on a giant rubber duck. Now breathing more easily, the platinum blonde walked over to his desk, where a new pile of papers waited for him.

He asked his Palace staff to send all relevant reports and documents to the Hazbin Hotel. The Goetia agreed on the condition that he return to attend their parties.

“You’re not missing much. They only serve canapés now.” Bee commented with her mouth full of muffins.

“They got cocky.” Both of Levi’s heads rolled their eyes.

“And they’ve been pouring supermarket wine.” Moony complained, crossing his three pairs of arms.

“They are still upset because you gave Octavia Stolas’ legions.” Satan exchanged glances with him.

Lucifer immediately defended himself. “Well, it was her right as his heiress. Stolas’ hundred years of punishment aren’t over yet.” By the time they were, Octavia would be of legal age in the Goetia, with her own sigil. In this case, she’d inherit her exiled father’s. “Actually, they should be upset with you.”

Lucifer pointed to Ozzie — Who redirected his finger at the biggest one. Poor Lulu, he had drunk too much beelzejuice.

No, Lucifer went back to pointing at Ozzie.

“You didn’t mention it was a trial for adultery.”

“Excuse me?!” The rooster-like Sin placed a hand on his chest, and the three heads made an offended expression. “I was told it was a trial for attempted murder.” He looked over at Belle, who was snoring on a table surrounded by a pile of glasses of beelzejuice or cough syrup.

Beyond that, Lucifer doesn’t remember much. Bee kept bringing out jugs of Beelzejuice, and BeeEats food deliveries kept coming until a demon showed up at the Gluttony Queen’s mansion. He only remembers someone carrying him as if he were a sack of potatoes.

Lucifer snapped his fingers, and a case appeared with a seal. Just like in a children’s movie, it started stamping the papers one by one.

Now he had one less thing to worry about — And thank goodness, because Lucifer didn’t feel like reading them one by one, at least not when he knew that this concert in Pentagram City would leave him exhausted. He went straight to the corner of his room, where there was a small workshop.

On the small shelves around the work table, there were hordes of personalized rubber ducks with each hotel guest’s name, and one section was just for the ones that had been redeemed. Although there was a mural for the sinners who had become winners, Charlie sometimes visited his room just to see them. To her, this was a sign of her Dad’s support and respect for her project. There were only a few of them, but their presence meant that Charlie’s efforts were on the right track.

The walls of his room morphed into a vast bayou filled with cypress trees, weeping willows, and small streams. Tiny fireflies flew around the pond, and the croaking of hellfrogs could be heard as they hopped from lily pad to lily pad.

A pair of arms wrapped around his waist. Lucifer placed his hand on the claws and smiled contentedly when a head rested on his.

“It was awful of you to abandon me, sha.” Alastor muttered under his breath. He didn’t mean it maliciously; he was simply worn out.

Lucifer laughed softly and ran one of his hands through Alastor’s dark curls, tracing the shape of his ears and horns. Pride swelled within him when he noticed his lover trembling. “Well, if you hadn’t read my messages —”

Alastor snorted, “You don’t read them.” He straightened his posture and turned Lucifer on his axis so that they faced each other, where the ruby met the gold. “Someone has to keep you informed about what’s happening in the other Rings.”

Lucifer let himself fall into Alastor’s arms, closing his eyes, arching his back, and bringing a hand to his forehead, “I’d be lost without you, my trusty right-hand man!” The king opened one eye and looked at Alastor’s unaffected face. “How could I pay for your services?”

“I have a few ideas.” Alastor looked toward his bayou.

So, the damiana scent had worked its magic on Alastor too. “I’m not going to let you hunt me down again.”

As much fun as the chase and the wild sex that followed were, the gash took three days to heal, and he wasn’t going to go to Belle’s hospital to tell her that he had let Alastor rearrange his guts — But the orgasms he had were worth it.

“As delightful as the experience was, I was referring to hunting down the pesky snoops that the hotel caught.”

“We’ll have to postpone it until after the concert. I need to talk to my sisters first.” Lucifer took his phone out of his pocket and opened the HexChat app, “I’m going to die of boredom if —” The platinum blonde’s eyes lit up at a bright idea. “You should come with me!” Lucifer saw the negative response that was about to come out of Alastor’s mouth, so he quickly said: “I know you’re not a fan of the new songs, but I could put a dome over us to keep the noise down.”

Alastor still seemed reluctant to go. “Won’t Lilith be with us too?”

“Yesssss~” Lucifer couldn’t help dragging out the word, “But she knows about us, so she won’t mind.”

“Lilith hasn’t shown up in a couple of years,” Alastor explained, “Which would be enough time for Vox and his reporters to speculate her return. I’d prefer it if his cameras weren’t on us.”

Oh, Father, if someone had told him that he would end up having a secret relationship with the sinner who wanted to take his place as Charlie’s father, he’d surely have banished them to Wonderland to be hunted and devoured by the wonder beasts.

“I say we’re safe. Look at us,” Lucifer said, pointing to himself and his lover. “We’ve been hiding our relationship for years, and there’s only one person in all of Hell—” The King of Hell raised a finger to illustrate his point. “—Who knows about us.” And she teases him relentlessly when she comes.

“And Rosie.”

“Okey, two.” Lucifer raised another finger.

“And Mimzy.”

Lucifer refrained from raising another finger, “Three is still a small number.”

“Niffty.”

Alright, they hadn’t been as discreet as they both thought. “… I gave her a promotion to Head of Cleaning to get her to stop sending me fan art and fan fiction.”

In a kinks competition, at least he already knew who would win.

“The Hotel.”

“It doesn’t count. It’s a building, not a person.” Lucifer growled, turning a blind eye to the light bulb in his room flickering on and off. “What do you think? Bring your friends to my balcony, so no one will suspect anything. If the cameras focus on us, you can always cause glitches.”

With the King of Hell and the Radio Demon at the concert, the Sinners would think twice before trying to disrupt the rare peace the city gets.

Lucifer felt a spark of hope when he saw his lover’s thoughtful face. They had both promised to keep their relationship secret until they felt ready — or until they were sure it wasn’t just a fling... And it wasn’t.

But when rumors got out that they were an alleged couple at one of Charlie’s seminars, everyone thought it was a joke.

Alastor and Lucifer as bickering co-parents fighting for their daughter’s attention? I’ll buy it.

Alastor and Lucifer as a couple who like to spend their evenings reading and cuddling while listening to jazz? Maybe you should rip your eyes out and wait for them to regenerate, because you weren’t seeing clearly.

So, no. If no one else cared that Lucifer would live as a divorced man forever and Alastor stayed the most popular bachelor among all sinners, they saw no need to make their relationship public. They might tell Charlie at some point, but not now.

Lucifer returned to embrace Alastor, feeling his lover’s claws gently combing through his hair. “If the music isn’t your thing, the view is breathtaking. If Verosika is anything like Lilith was in her concerts, it’s going to be an experience you won’t want to miss.”

Alastor let out a sigh, defeated. He wouldn’t be able to change Lucifer’s mind, and maybe scaring a few nosy sinners alongside his King was hard to resist. He felt bad for lying to Charlie, but he figured he could win back her trust by doing a few favors for her and cheering her up.

Lucifer felt Alastor’s arms wrap around him — No, they weren’t his lover’s arms, but dark tendrils. And before Lucifer knew what the red-haired demon would do next, he threw him face down onto the bed and, with the help of the tendrils, unbuttoned his shirt.

“The least I can do is help you to groom your delicious wings, sha.”

Chapter Text

The deafening, euphoric cheers of the crowd brought a nostalgic smile to Lilith’s lips.

It’d been ages since she’d left the stage behind. She’s toured in the Seven Rings, tickets sold out in seconds, has met her most devoted fans. And still… She couldn’t fill that emptiness in her soul. Her voice wasn’t being heard or admired by her people. And for several years, she resented Lucifer for giving up on helping sinners.

With Charlie’s unexpected birth, they decided to hold off on the divorce and give their marriage a chance. It was meant to be a clean slate.

But she wasn’t here to think about her failed marriage, even if she and Lucifer now were friends. She was here to see Verosika Mayday’s hard work, and because her beloved daughter, Charlie, had asked her to come.

She couldn’t believe it when she saw Charlie’s name pop up on her caller ID. Her daughter hardly ever called unless it was something really important. Lilith still has all the messages Charlie sent her during her years in Paradise. She was afraid of what to say to her or how to reach out to Charlie after she left one night with only a note. She thought that at some point Charlie might contact her father as soon as she wanted to know her whereabouts.

Lilith never thought Charlie wouldn’t call Lucifer.

If her lover hadn’t pushed her to answer her daughter’s call, Lilith might’ve missed out on some well-needed quiet time with her daughter. She missed Charlie, but the harm she had caused when she took her daughter away from Lucifer (thinking she was doing the right thing for both of them) left her with a bad taste in her mouth.

When Charlie picked up the phone, Lilith was worried that her voice might betray her and lead to misunderstandings, but Charlie was direct, inviting her to Verosika Mayday concert with the same positive tone she’d heard in Lucifer.

Charlie was taking her role as future Queen of Hell to heart. Lilith knew that when the time came to crown her daughter, she wanted to be there by her side — Hoping that Charlie would listen to her advice before retiring and returning to live simply in her home.

“A penny for your thoughts?” A melodious voice snapped her out of her reverie.

Lilith looked up and saw the trio of sinner women joining her on the balcony — Rosie, the elegant Overlord of Cannibal Town; Mimzy, the stylish owner of the popular cabaret ‘La Goulue’; and Niffty, the eccentric head maid at the Hazbin. The First Sinner beamed at them, leaning over to talk to the Overlord.

A red fire portal appeared on the balcony, and Lucifer stepped forward. The portal just disappeared in a red smoke with golden sparkles that fell on the King. Sighing as soon he saw his friends on the balcony, tapping his apple cane on the floor.

“I told you no one gave a damn about us.” The King of Hell looked down, specifically at his shadow, which split apart, then Alastor solidified.

Alastor ignored the chiding, not even batting an eye. “And I said I wasn’t going to deal with an annoying drone hovering over us.”

At the last Overlords meeting, Vox kept on and on about how he wanted to have Mayday on his talk show. Having one of the top Hellborns on the show would make his ratings go up, he figured he could make deals with other sinners who’d want to be like her. Even Valentino mentioned that he wanted her to star in his new movie.

Now that he had lost Angel, the Porn Overlord was desperate for deals to keep his status as Overlord.

Alastor went over to the railing where Niffty was sitting, swinging her feet and looking pretty hyped. There were fans in the audience who were in tears and cheering for the chance to see their favorite artist. There was one delusional fan who tried to run toward the stage — And got hit by the dome around the stage or torn apart by a hellhound staff.

His eyes finally found Charlie and her friends in the Royal Circle seats. Even though they were a bit far from the stage, the level made it easy to move around and see everything. His apprentice was holding Vaggie’s hand, and the other was holding Emily’s. The young Seraphim was Charlie’s guest of honor. Lucifer had to promise Sera that her sister will be fine and that no harm would come to her.

With Charlie’s and Lucifer’s help, the Seraphim hid her halo, and Emily, wearing some of Charlie’s emo clothes, passed as a regular Hellborn.

Next to Vaggie were Cherri and Angel, whose platinum fur was dyed a bright neon color that reminded him of Zeezi’s hair. Frank was on the bomb-loving cyclops’ shoulders. He had been painted pink with X’s, O’s, and black and white stars around his shell.

Next to Angel was Husk. The old cat, though, was in his seat with one hand under his head, bored to death. He could’ve turned down the ticket Charlie offered him, just like Baxter did, but some spider knew how to convince him... It was Angel or the irritable Crymini who seemed ready to stick those plastic wands (“Lightsticks!” Charlie and Angel called them right away as soon as they took them out of the boxes) into the Sinner’s neck, who kept shaking his mane and hitting her snout.

The lights went out, and the auditorium went wild. Hundreds of pink and purple neon dots lit up one by one among the seats below. Niffty was the only person on her balcony with a lightstick. Charlie gifted it to her, thinking that the little cyclops wouldn’t go to the concert because Baxter wasn’t going either.

When the spotlights came back on, they focused on the center of the stage, where three succubi were sitting on a fancy red velvet Chesterfield sofa.

The succubus in the center had short, spiky blue hair and was dressed in a revealing lingerie set consisting of a black top, a short skirt, and cross-legged with her hands resting on her thighs. The succubus on the right had brown afro hair and was dressed in a fishnet top that showed the top of her breasts and a thin black choker around her neck. And finally, the succubus on the right had long, straight, black hair down to her shoulders, wearing a long black satin robe-style top, underneath which she wore a tight corset. She was sitting more suggestively with her legs open, showing her fishnet stockings, and like the succubus on the right, she wore a choker.

♫ You let me violate you ♫

The succubus in the middle started singing, her voice alluring like a siren’s, raising her hands to show that the chokers were actually leashes. She stood up, and the other two rose to assume the doggy position. The audience erupted into cheers and whistles, so loud that one could feel the walls of the auditorium vibrating.

♫ You let me desecrate you

You let me penetrate you

You let me complicate you ♫

If looks could kill, Lucifer was sure he’d already have at least five stab wounds in his side. “Could you please not act like we’ve never done at least one thing shown here?” Lucifer asked without even looking at his lover.

The song didn’t exactly describe romantic, but there was something undeniably sexy about it, like when their date night took a turn for some hunting.

The sound of an electric guitar and drums drowned out the fans’ enthusiastic screams. They were jumping up and down like they were rock stars themselves. It kind of reminded him of the show-off Adam.

♫ I wanna fuck you like an animal

I wanna feel you from the inside ♫

The plump succubus let go of the leash, handing the rope to the other woman as she lay down at the edge of the stage and gently ran her hands over her body, arching her back.

If she’d had a microphone, maybe she would’ve licked it.

That would’ve added a certain touch. Lucifer tried not to think about the times Alastor’s microphone had been used in their foreplay.

♫ I wanna fuck you like an animal

My whole existence is flawed

You get me closer to God ♫

The succubus was lifted off the floor by her two partners, who then dragged her back to the sofa. They stood her up on the cushions and tied her wrists, securing her with a pair of green and gold leather handcuffs.

A pair of incubi walked on either side of the stage. The white-haired incubus held a seven-string whip, and the black-haired incubus had a black paddle. They approached the gagged succubus and teased her, rubbing the toys against her body.

♫ You tear down my reason

It’s your sex I can smell

You make me perfect

Help me become somebody else ♫

“I seem to remember,” Alastor placed his hand on Lucifer’s shoulder, leaning in slightly to whisper in his ear, “Seeing something odd in your chest.”

Lucifer shrugged it off. “Well, it’s our deal when you’re not interested.”

“And what curious item is so important that it must be hidden in that sigil-protected box, sha?”

Lucifer turned to look at him, and gave a weak smile. “You didn’t open it, did you? Did you?” Oh Father, he shouldn’t have taught Alastor any of the spells from his grimoire, but the jerk tricked him into it with a tasty glass of whiskey and tales of horror.

Alastor only responded nonchalantly, grinning. “Maybe.”

Lucifer buried his face in his hands, relieved to hide in the darkness of the auditorium. Otherwise, the golden blush on his cheeks would have been visible... Maybe even more golden than the ropes the lead singer was swinging from side to side, passing by each of her other bandmates.

Wow, those ropes were really strong. Lucifer wondered if his newly acquired toy would last as long. The old ones held Alastor really well, so of course these new ones would hold him even as a kaiju.

♫ Through every forest

Above the trees

Within my stomach ♫

Lucifer could swear he heard Alastor chuckle.

♫ Scraped off my knees

I drink the honey

Inside your hive ♫

Oh, okay, he get why he was laughing. Who wrote this? That last part was very personal.

Sometimes he left the scars from his lover’s fangs just to tease him.

♫ You are the reason

I stay alive ♫

The five incubi and succubi stayed wrapped up like a cocoon, giving the sinners butterfly-like glances that made them run toward the stage. But the force field sent them back into their seats, throwing them around.

The audience got more agitated, though, the more forbidden something is, the more people want it.

The stage was engulfed in white smoke, and the spotlights were centered on the platform, where three images appeared: An O and an X placed on top of a colossal star, emerging from a burst of pink smoke, Verosika Mayday stepped into view, covered in a bulky white coat.

“Is everyone having a perfectly fucked-up night?!” The succubus’ smooth voice filled the auditorium, sending shivers down every sinner fan’s spine. “Hey,” Her voice echoed, “Let’s give a big round of applause to my bitches, Sinphony, for their big debut!”

The five hellborns returned to the stage and stood by the famous singer, embracing her.

“It’s been my pleasure teaching you everything I know, and I’m rooting for you to go out there and eat the world up!” Verosika admitted as she walked to the edge of the stage, eyeing her fans, her fluffy coat trailing behind her, but her impeccable white coat maintained its shine. “I’m really flattered by the lovely welcome from Pentagram City, But you didn’t come here to listen to me chat. You came to sing, moan, and pant until our throats are hoarse and our legs are weak as a newborn fawn’s!”

“Pffft, tell me something I don’t know.” Vox rolled his eyes, barely keeping his disdain hidden.

“Ouch,” Valentino said, leaning in close to his lover and wrapping his arms around the TV Overlord’s body. He slowly slid a finger along the edge of his television-shaped head, “Turning that deer into a hot, wet spaghetti still gives you nightmares, Papi?”

“Here you papi didn’t want to use my potions.” Velvette looked away from her phone for a few seconds, separating her hand from her wrist and hovering it in the air to get a more panoramic selfie, and blew a kiss into the air. Like a magnet, her hand came right back to stick to her wrist.

“And get left with half a building again?”

“And without a recording studio, too!” Valentino protested indignantly. He wouldn’t dream of filming his movies on the street. He wasn’t going to give them a free preview.

Verosika got a whiff of sin, lust, envy, murderous desires, cheap cologne, and adulterated alcohol. It was just like what she saw on a beach full of party-hardy college students, except that here, no one was trying to hide their worst behavior. “Tonight, we’ll make all your dreams come true!”

Verosika dropped her coat, showing off a white lace bodysuit with pearls and flowers that highlighted her hourglass figure. Her bat wings made an appearance, unfurling majestically and shining like onyx itself.

♫ Heard your boyfriend was away this weekend

Wanna meet at my place?

Heard that we both got nothin’ to do

When I lay in bed, I touch myself and think o’ you ♫

If only that idiot Blitzø had shown up at his concert (He was all, “You don’t know how to take a break, tipsy bitch. Before you know it, you’ll be writing something catchy.”) with his sweetie Goetia boyfriend — The Ars Goetia had caused quite a stir when she climbed onto Blitzø and Stolas on stage and rubbed herself against them.

They were all over the internet for a few weeks until Stolas’s ex-wife’s affair with that imp cowboy was leaked and her name stopped trending.

Well, if her marketing team knew anything, it was that the citizens of Pentagram City were the biggest social media junkies — She couldn’t blame them. If she was stuck in one place never getting to see the wonders of Hell or return to the human world, she’d probably be glued to her phone or scrambling her brains, too, trying to forget that.

Verosika walked up to the edge of the stage, crouched down, and with a playful giggle, she said, “I can’t believe I’m telling you this. But I’ve had a couple of drinks.”

The Bephemot supervising her sobriety therapy sessions probably wouldn’t bat an eye at this.

The audience raised their cans and barrels of beer and liquor.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow, confused. “Alcohol was supposed to be prohibited.” Charlie was worried that her guests might start picking up the bad habits they had before, so he asked Husk to stick to serving mocktails.

“You’d be surprised to know where a man can hide a bottle.” Mimzy remembered her old days.

“I’m not sure if I even want to hear the answer.” Lilith thought about it.

Lucifer answered before Alastor, “it’s just to show off their taxidermy skills from back when they were alive.”

Tonight, when it’s time to return, maybe not all guests will find their rooms. Well, Lucifer can deal with that temperamental Hotel later.

Verosika grinned, “No one here is innocent, and that’s how we like it!” She exclaimed, before half-turning to point at the big screen in the auditorium.

The camera kept switching between different sinners, jumping around in their seats or waving at the screen as soon as they had a few seconds on the big plasma screen, sponsored by VoxTech™.

Vox, on the other hand, smiled and patted his jacket like a man who had just closed a big deal. He knew he couldn’t broadcast the concert livestream on his TV channels or any other social media platform until the show was over. Somehow, or at least that was what his conspiracy-minded thoughts concluded, Alastor was behind this.

Absolutely! He didn’t manage to snag a front-row seat near the King and Queen, even though he had all his workers lined up, both virtually and in person, as soon as the ticket sales kicked off.

“I would have given anything to tear him to pieces and feed him to his friends.”

“Tranquilízate, papito, You don’t want to cause another blackout.” Valentino massaged his lover’s shoulders. “Save that anger for later. You know how I like it.”

The audience’s attention was pulled back to the stage by the sound of a loud noise.

There was white smoke all over the stage, barely allowing a few silhouettes to be seen.

♫ Hey sister! Go sister

Soul sister

Go sister ♫

The stage brightened up as the lights came on. The stage was decorated with four huge, sparkling heart-shaped decorations, with shimmering golden and ruby lights all around. Instead of thrones, there were four two-seater sofas in front of them. Verosika was sprawled out on one of the middle sofas. Dressed in a red velvet satin corset with gold beading, she had on a wedding-like tulle skirt, fishnet stockings with stiletto heels, and a small red hat with black details placed on her platinum hair.

♫ He met Marmalade down in Old New Orleans

Struttin’ her stuff on the street

She said, Hello, hey Joe, you wanna give it a go? ♫

The other three succubi wore gold flapper dresses covered in sparkling sequins, with strips of shiny rhinestones cascading from their waists to their knees. They had tiaras on their foreheads with a white feather and red feather boas on their arms and shoulders.

♫ Getcha getcha ya ya da da

Getcha getcha ya ya here

Mocha chocolata ya ya creole Lady Marmalade ♫

“Mmmm.” Angel Dust was keeping an eye on Verosika’s and Sinphony’s dance moves. “This could work on my HellHotties. Hey, Husker, wanna hear it? I was thinking, maybe we could do a cabaret scene?”

“No.” The former Gambling Overlord snapped back, wishing he could choke down the bitter taste of vodka hidden in his pocket flask. But he had to stay sober, in case someone hit on Angel, former clients still hung around the hotel, or Crymini gouged someone’s eye out, which, judging by the young Sinner’s bristling fur and bared fangs, wasn’t off the table.

“Ouch!” Angel leaned on Husk, the cat, whose arm was buried in his shiny fur. It was a pretty convenient coincidence that they were the same height. “Or maybe you want to role-play to get into the idea. You could pretend my name is Satine — Augh!”

Angel was pulled until he fell into Husk’s arms. His surprised was forgotten at seeing Husk’s haughty smirk. “If I’m going to scream someone’s name,” Husk said, putting his face close to Angel’s, “I’d choose Angel.”

He let out only a broken gasp before Husk captured his lips in a passionate kiss. And, like a romantic teen movie, Angel wrapped his four arms around Husk’s neck and torso, ignoring — or rather choosing to ignore — Crymini’s gagging.

♫ Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir ?

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ? ♫

“Is it true that French sounds sexy in bed?” Lilith asked Lucifer.

The King of Hell was caught off guard, racking his brain for a lie. “What made you ask that?”

Lilith flopped into her seat, lungs filling with the smoky air of the sinful city. Tapping a finger against her temple, she rested her face on her palm. “Enochian just doesn’t have the same sex appeal, you know?”

The song wrapped up with a burst of sparkles and the sinners’ jubilant cheers, right before the massive blue VoxTech™ logo popped up on the huge screen and started showing random sinners.

There was a canary-like Sinner who, upon seeing herself on screen, couldn’t contain her excitement and started jumping up and down in her seat, spilling all her beer on the sinners in front of her.

Moving quickly where a black-haired Sinner in a green ballerina dress was leaning her head on an owl-like Sinner. She smiled when she saw herself on the big screen, turning her head to kiss her date — Only for the axe embedded in the back of her skull to strike a spotted hyena-like Sinner, who growled at them before lunging at her.

Yeah, the camera never moved.

“An axe? That takes me back.” Rosie cackled beside Alastor.

“Well, we didn’t know you swing it that way.”

“Onlly for the occasional handsome one, dear.”

Handsome? Lucifer mused sarcastically, the snacks at her tea parties didn't seem like it, his attention now focused on how the camera added an edited winner sticker when Crymini finished off the Sinner, the axe between her fangs.

Where were Husk and Angel?

There was a sudden loud noise, like a whip, and everyone looked back at the stage.

Verosika was suspended in the air, sitting on a ring, dressed in a white leotard with a double-tailed jacket of the same color, a top hat, and a whip in her hands.

“There’s only two types of people in the world~” Verosika sang, “The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe. So, where do y’all fit in?” She took a leap and landed on the stage, which lit up to show that, instead of the cabaret from the last act, this was a circus.

Lucifer’s cheeks went golden as he saw his usual ringmaster’s costume in a sluttier, skimpier style, as well as Verosika’s other companions wearing costumes that gave nods to his Deadly Sins.

Wait, Mammon’s hat was in Incubi’s crotch because — Woop, never mind, he already understood why.

Knowing Mammon, he’ll probably look for a way to profit from the costumes, unless Leviathan finds out first and decides to hire the singers as models, or Asmodeus offers them a contract to advertise his lingerie line.

♫ When I put on a show

I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins

Spotlight on me and I’m ready to break

I’m like a performer, the dance floor is my stage

Better be ready, hope that you feel the same ♫

To the beat of the music, Verosika swung her whip, cracking it through the air. She threw it off the stage and wrapped it around a fan in the front row, pulling him onto the stage with one quick move —And, surprisingly, passing through the dome without any problem.

Dancing around him, the whip moved like a snake over the sinner’s body, who tried to touch Verosika but he was left breathless when the whip wrapped itself around his body, squeezing and crushing him until the air left his lungs and Verosika’s melodious voice was all that reached his neurons, as his vision faded.

♫ All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus

When I crack that whip everybody gon’ trip just like a circus

Don’t stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do

Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor just like a circus ♫

Verosika and Sinphony wrapped up their performance, doing a little pose around the now-mummy-wrapped Sinner, as the stage lights were starting to fade and the auditorium cameras moved around the audience.

“Where the hell did you go?” Vaggie asked furiously as soon as she saw Husk and Angel return to their row.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist.” Angel grumbled, “I just went to touch up my makeup, it’s no big deal.”

“It’s not a — !” Vaggie muttered under her breath, breathing deeply so as not to lose her temper. “Crymini smashed a Sinner’s skull — ”

“Recorded in full HD 4K for everyone to enjoy!” Thanks, Cherri.

“It could damage the Hazbin’s reputation!” Vaggie scolded the carefree spider. All of Charlie’s hard work would be for nothing because they couldn’t control a single Sinner.

Angel gasped and turned to look at Crymini. The hyena-like sinner didn’t seem to care about the people around her. She was more focused on taking photos of herself showing off an old axe. “No, cucciola, that pose is terrible. You have to see how to start a trend on CrypTok — Aggghh!” Angel spun around to see the former exterminator’s furious face. “Now what?!

“I hope you aren’t busy tonight when we get back. Someone’s gotta help me make the collage for next week’s sessions.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Angel muttered under his breath.

Vaggie flashed a satisfied smile. “Your precious fur is already dyed, I don’t think you’d mind. Charlie bought some glue with extra glitter.”

Wretched daughter of — “You know how long it takes me to get the glue off without it stinging.”

“Oh, please, Angel, you’ve shown us behind-the-scenes footage from your old porn movies.”

“Are you going to kiss her or not?!”

“What kind of sexual tension is this?!”

Vaggie and Angel were flabbergasted when they heard the crowd’s collective yells. Their heads snapped back and forth like branches breaking in half, and then they saw themselves on the big screen above the stage.

Vaggie pushed Angel to the other side of his seat, her mind frozen. What should she do? Throw a spear on the screen? Should she hide her face? The cries of “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” echoed, and —

“Fuck it.” Angel groaned, waving his hand to get the camera to focus on him, and with a smooth move, the spider-like sinner buried his face in Husk’s crotch.

“This is totally worth the price of the ticket.” A Sinner laughed at with his friends, only to have a bullet go through his brain seconds later.

Meanwhile, on the royal balcony...

“Charlie’s friends have a knack for getting eyes on themselves.” Lilith snickered.

“There’s no such thing as good or bad advertising.” Alastor said he didn’t like the effeminate guest’s methods, but he was grateful to him for getting more guests interested in the Hazbin Hotel after he broke his deal with Valentino.

Lucifer agreed with Alastor, but part of him also thought that Angel did it to save Vaggie — If she was apologizing for not knowing how to act, he could understand her in that.

When he looked over, he saw Lilith smiling at him. “I wonder when the day will come when I see them tying the knot.”

He expected the same from his daughter and future daughter-in-law.

When his daughter came to pick him up from his room or to have tea with him at the Palace, Charlie had told him about her future plans, not only for the hotel, but also her personal plans, one of which was to settle down with Vaggie. A lovely candlelit dinner, fine wine, and the most beautiful ring in the entire universe.

Lucifer couldn’t get any sleep, so he started pacing around his room. Eventually, he took his ring and went out looking for Lilith. He told her how this beautiful symbol got a second chance to shine again.

The screen shifted its focus back to the stage, specifically to the Sinner who was wrapped in the whip like a mummy.

♫ I made it through the wilderness

Somehow, I made it through

Didn’t know how lost I was

Until I found you ♫

Sinphony’s succubus wore small, low-cut bridal-like leotards, tulle veils down to their waists, white ankle-high stockings, white silk gloves up to their elbows, small bouquets of red roses around their wrists, and sparkling pearl necklaces around their necks.

Verosika showed up at the top of the stage on top of a wedding cake, but she wasn’t wearing a wedding dress. Instead, she was wearing an elegant, loose-fitting groom’s suit.

Lucifer could have sworn that the sinner women were the ones who went crazy for it.

Slowly descending the steps until she reached the guest mummy, Verosika gave a single tug on the tip of her whip, and the mummy spun around several times until he was free and revealed himself dressed as a priest.

♫ But you made me feel

Yeah, you made me feel shiny and new ♫

“When Lilith asked me to go with her to the palace,” Alastor said out of the blue, grabbing Lucifer’s attention, “After she had returned — ”

Lucifer’s brain clicked as he thought back.

It happened when they were both in that strange early stage where the line between wanting to tear each other’s throats out or each other’s clothes off was blurred. Lilith, after seven years of absence, had returned to Hell. Only to announce she was leaving again (which broke Charlie’s heart) and that she needed to get her old things back for this journey.

Lucifer, wanting Alastor out of the picture (and the uncomfortable feelings that the Overlord provoked in him), whispered in Charlie’s ear that she and her friends should go with Lilith. Everyone won, Charlie could spend time with her Mother, even if it was just a brief moment, and he could clear his head of his disastrous thoughts.

“I needed to sort out my feelings about you, and I thought that if I caught even the tiniest hint that you or Lilith wanted to get back together, I’d just step aside and move on with my life. But the more pictures of you with her and Charlie that I found, and how she just left them behind or refused to look at them, it was like a spark became a wildfire.”

Lucifer was surprised. They didn’t start the relationship the usual way, and by the time Lucifer realized he was in love with Alastor, and with Vox’s history of relentless harassment and obsession, Lucifer offered him a no-strings-attached friendship, only for his world to turn upside down in one night of drinking.

♫ Gonna give you all my love, boy

My fear is fading fast

Been saving it all for you, ‘cause only love can last

You’re so fine, and you’re mine ♫

Lucifer put his hand on the deer’s cheek, hoping that Alastor was having one of those days when he was in a good mood enough to be touched. “Why the late confession? Are you sick or am I dying, my dear?” He asked, trying to get to the bottom of Alastor’s thoughts or at least lighten whatever mood his beloved deer was in.

Alastor closed his eyes and laughed, then took Lucifer’s hands and ran his claws over them gently. “Don’t ruin it, sha.”

“I just want to know. It’s unusual for you to be sentimental. Don’t tell me we’re close to your season — Mph!”

“Well, you officially ruined it.” Alastor grumbled, pulling Lucifer toward him and covering his mouth with his hand.

“No, sorry, sorry, sorry!” Lucifer whined, “I want to know what it is.”

Alastor let out a sigh, resting his chin on his partner’s blond hair, trying to hide how pleased he was to feel him squirm in his arms — And from Rosie’s gaze, who simply gave him a thumbs up.

♫ Like a virgin

Feels so good inside when you hold me

And your heart beats, and you love me

Can’t you hear my heart beat for the very first time? ♫

Verosika and Sinphony ran to the front of the stage, turning their backs to the audience and throwing the three small bouquets and a top hat into the crowd.

As you might’ve guessed, VoxTech™ made sure to show the lucky winning Sinners on the big screen, and the drama that followed when they got their bridal bouquets. There was even a chase around the Grand Circle, which was below the balconies.

Velvette raised an eyebrow. “That’s weird. Lucifer’s not with the Queen.”

“And?” Valentino asked, “What changes? He’s probably hovering over his spoiled little princesa.”

“He had no interest in mingling with us lowlifes, Val. A waste of King.”

Velvette let out a growl, frustrated. “Why don’t you two dimwits look at her fancy company?”

The dim lighting in the auditorium didn’t help much, but the silhouette of the Cannibal Overlord was impossible to miss, and Valentino felt a chill run down his wings when he noticed the little maid from the Hotel. There was a third person sitting next to Rosie, and they recognized her as one of Alastor’s friends.

What were they doing there next to the Queen?

Since when did Lilith know all of them?

Was Alastor around here?

And, where is Lucifer?

Vox stood up, pursing his lips. Something about it felt a bit off. “I’ll be right back.”

“I hope everyone’s having a wonderful time tonight.” Verosika appreciated the audience’s enthusiasm, saying, “You folks are a delightful audience. I don’t say this to everyone, but I’ll always remember my first time with you.” With a playful wink and a mischievous laugh, she perked up as the wild chaos around her continued to escalate. “For real, guys, you’ve got me all tired, sweaty, and my legs hurt so bad I just wanna lay down.”

Verosika collapsed on the stage, and then a phone rang in the auditorium. Verosika got back up, checked the call, hung up, and threw the phone off the stage.

“Oh boy. I guess we don’t all mature at the same time. I wish I knew how to keep them away — Wait! I know how.”

And then the lights went out, so now Verosika’s symbolic figures were illuminated.

♫ You said your phone was broken

Just forgot to charge it

Whole outfit you’re wearing

I hope it’s ironic

Did you just say you’re finished?

Didn’t know we started ♫

Verosika appeared walking slowly behind the gigantic, luminous shapes, wearing a black leather top with bare shoulders, tight leather pants that exposed her midriff, bright red stiletto heels, and the bases of her horns had been covered in glittering gold.

♫ Manchild

Why you always come a running to me?

Fuck my life

Won’t you let an innocent woman be? ♫

Sparks shot from his hands, and totally fed up, Vox spun around when the hellhounds wouldn’t let him onto the balconies. He showed them his business card and told them he was the most influential Overlord in Pentagram City, but those rabid hellhounds didn’t budge. Well, they did step aside for a trio of imps to get in, but that’s about it.

Imps! This was the last straw. Since when did the lowest rank in the Hellborn hierarchy have more privileges than him? As soon as they left the concert, he’d go straight to the security cameras.

Vox took his phone out of his pocket and told his employees to start working on his smear campaign a report for his news channel.

He’ll have to do it the hard way.

♫ Why so sexy

If so dumb?

And how survive the earth so long?

If I’m not there it won’t get done

I choose to blame your mom ♫

Alastor snorted. His Maman was the kindest woman in the world — And yet he’d strayed from the path of morality and ethics... But he had to agree with Miss Mayday on one thing: How humanity had survived until now.

Over the years, he’s known all kinds of sinners, from the most extreme to the most ridiculous.

It’s like that drunk clown in the entertainment district who got tired of blowing up balloons at traffic lights and thought it’d be more fun to blow up his own balls.

♫ Never heard of self care

Half your brain just ain’t there

Manchild

Why you always come a running

Taking all my loving from me? ♫

“Ah!” Charlie fidgeted in place, startling Vaggie, but not Emily, who kept her eyes fixed on the succubus, mesmerized like an eight-year-old staring at a tablet.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Vaggie asked, her eyes darting around nervously, just in case anyone had dared to bother Charlie.

“The concert will be over soon.” The Princess took out her phone. She’d asked Baxter that if there were any problems at the Hazbin, or if Alastor needed to contact her, he should call her right away or at least send her a message.

Her inbox was empty, and it was a miracle to have a quiet night at the hotel. There were no explosions, no screams, no running through the endless corridors, and no threats to eat someone or scrambling their brains.

“Alastor’s got this.” Vaggie gave her a thorough look, and Charlie’s eyes softened as she put away her phone.

“I almost forgot!” Charlie snapped her fingers before letting go of Vaggie’s hand, but not before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and stumbling down the aisle.

“Hey, Charlie, wait!” Vaggie also tried to follow her girlfriend, but then she remembered that Emily was a high-priority guest with security protection. She’d promised Lucifer that she wouldn’t let anything happen to the young seraph.

♫ Oh, I like my boys playing hard to get

And I like my men all incompetent

And I swear they choose me

I’m not choosing them ♫

“I know these steps!” Niffty jumped up from her spot on the railing, waving the lightstick, “Come on, come on, stand up, you have to dance to this, follow my lead!”

Everyone else just looked at each other, amused, but going along with what the excited cyclops was showing them.

♫ Manchild

Why you always come a running to me?

Always come a running to me

Fuck my life

Won’t you let an innocent woman be? ♫

“I don’t have that song on the setlist.” The Stage Manager looked over her logistics papers and asked, “What about you, Spring? Got that song?”

The Infestor shook his head.

“I’ve got the file on this USB stick.” Charlie explained, taking the device out of her pocket. “Please, I need this favor.” The performance was coming to a close, but from the looks of it, the set and costume changes were happening at breakneck speed. With all the props they were preparing behind the scenes for the grand finale, Verosika was too busy to even bat an eye at her.

Both hellborn looked at each other — Charlie began to wonder if she should assert her authority as Princess — until they both finally gave in.

“We ain’t making any promises, Your Majesty.” The Stage Manager held out her hand, and Charlie gladly gave her the USB drive.

♫ Oh, I like my boys playing hard to get

And I like my men all incompetent

And I swear they choose me

I’m not choosing them

Amen

Hey men! ♫

“I’m willing to bet that my Father in Heaven is eating His heart out right now.” Lucifer whispered to Alastor, “I don’t know of any preacher who has ever made people chant ‘Amen!’ in ecstasy.”

“There were a few in my day who kept repeating that.” Alastor shared.

“At a church?” Even though Lucifer already knew the answer, he asked anyway.

“When they prayed not to lose a leg or another finger.”

Verosika ran her fingers through her hair and adjusted the mic. “I really appreciate all your enthusiasm tonight. It’d be great to get to know all of you better.”

“Step on me, Verosika!”

“I wish I could, but these boots were made for walkin’.”

“We love you, Verosika!”

“And I love you, random fan!” Verosika gave the audience a kiss, and with a snap of her fingers, the stage went completely dark.

Unlike in the past, the stage wasn’t lit by bright spotlights, but by torches placed around the stage and even on some of the columns in the auditorium. There was a huge castle in the middle, and Verosika came out from behind the metal bars wearing a knight’s shiny armor.

♫ It’s fine, it’s cool

You can say that we are nothing, but you know the truth

And guess I’m the fool

With her arms out like an angel through the car sunroof ♫

From inside the castle, balls of fire started rising into the air, and incubi and succubi appeared as soon as the fire dispersed to fly alongside Verosika, who, also dressed in armor, acted like she was leading and fighting a battle.

♫ You can kiss a hundred boys in bars

Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling

You can say it’s just the way you are

Make a new excuse, another stupid reason

Good luck, babe ♫

“You must be Mr. Vox.” The Stage Manager gave the TV-headed Sinner a handshake, surprised by the sudden visit from the Overlord.

Vox smiled, all the while keeping his eyes on the hellborn working on the TV cameras. “I was just wondering if you had any technical issues, that’s all.”

The Stage Manager waved her hand, “Nope, one of our folks checked the zoom before we started broadcasting and said he could see Imp City. I think he spied on his ex.”

So, they gave them the good cameras. When he got back to the Tower, he’d sit down with his sellers. “I’m glad to hear that. At VoxTech™, we’re all about top-notch quality.” Vox took a step toward the console. “As CEO, I’m always innovating and upgrading our tech, and it’s taken me away from what I’m best at. Do you think I could coordinate them?”

♫ I’m cliché, who cares?

It’s a sexually explicit kind of love affair

And I cry, it’s not fair

I just need a little lovin’, I just need a little air ♫

“Where did you go, honey?” Vaggie asked as soon as Charlie returned to her side.

“I went to ask for a small favor.” She said, taking Vaggie’s hand and kissing her knuckles.

Vaggie blushed and smiled, “You aren’t planning on telling me, are you?”

“I swear, there’s nothing else in the world I’d rather be doing than telling you everything.” Charlie screeched, it was impossible for her to keep secrets from her soon-to-be fiancée. “But I won’t do it either if they don’t.”

“Let it burn! Verosika was engulfed by a massive fireball in front of her fans, then suddenly reappeared in a red Renaissance dress, her horns holding a huge, long red veil that danced like the flames consuming the castle.

♫ And when you think about me, all of those years ago

You’re standing face to face with “I told you so”

You know I hate to say, “I told you so”

You know I hate to say, but ♫

“I told you so!” Verosika waved goodbye while laughing, tears rolling down her cheeks, and her former bandmates kept singing. “I’d like to shout out my Sinphony colleagues — Milky, Coco, Kiki, Josh, and Ace — may your future be stuffed with pleasure and delight.”

♫ You can kiss a hundred boys in bars

Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling ♫

“You better make me moan every time your songs play on the radio.”

Verosika was just about to step onto the edge of the stage when she saw her Manager signaling her to come closer, so she subtly moved away, staying behind her friends.

♫ You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling ♫

The audience cheered and wept as soon as the musical number ended.

“That was great!” Emily finally collapsed, exhausted, into her seat after standing for too long, not wanting to miss a single detail of everything that was happening before her eyes. She was pretty sure she wasn’t going to be able to sleep in the room that Charlie and Mr. Lucifer had offered her. Maybe Sera hadn’t fallen asleep yet, and she could ask Mr. Lucifer to give her his direct line to Heaven.

“There, there.” Vaggie stroked Charlie’s blond head. Her girlfriend’s spirits seemed to deflate like a balloon at a birthday party, slumping down on her and hiding her face in her neck.

“At the request of an old and dear friend of mine,” Verosika popped up again, and the succubus reappeared, taking the stage to stop any Sinner from leaving the auditorium. “They’re asking me for one last song. It’s not really my style, but I’m sure you know it. Maestro!”

The piano started up, and Verosika’s smooth, sweet voice came through.

♫ L is for the way you look at me

O is for the only one I see ♫

“Come on, everyone sing.” Verosika asked.

♫ V is very, very extraordinary

E is even more than anyone that you adore can ♫

Charlie couldn’t help but let out a squeak of joy. “My song!”

Charlie’s joy was so heart-melting that sometimes Vaggie couldn’t believe it — She, of all people, had a girlfriend who was so beautiful and loving. “See? Anything is possible, babe.”

Charlie fidgeted her hands, “Well, maybe I used a dash of Morningstar charm and Alastor’s persuasion lessons.”

She used her puppy dog eyes, and it was super effective.

Vaggie just nodded her head. She wouldn’t admit it, at least not out loud, that Alastor knew how to get what he wanted — Except that Charlie called him ‘Dad’ every time Lucifer appeared just to piss off the King of Hell and start a spat over who was the better parent.

“You know,” Charlie said, thinking out loud, “I should host a karaoke night with the group. We could share our playlists, so our guests could express themselves more artistically, and perhaps we’d form new bonds.”

“That sounds like a good idea, Charlie.”

“I’ll ask my Dad and Alastor for help; They love musicals.”

Now it’s not as good of an idea. “You sure about that, sweetie? Remember that last time we let them both lead an activity, the Hazbin kicked us out and we couldn’t come back until the next day.”

Charlie gave it some thought for a few seconds and said, “I’ll make them promise to get along and not trash the lobby like last time.”

“That asshole is around here somewhere.” Vox hissed under his breath, guiding the cameramen around the stage, ready to spot any glitch in the signals right away.

The style of the song screamed: “I’m an old-fashioned old man who only loves the classics.”

He could already picture the headlines in the news: “The Radio Demon causes blackout in the Auditorium.” The idiot wasn’t as old-fashioned as he claimed to be if he, of all people, came to a concert that was nothing like his aesthetic.

“The Princess has good taste.” One of the cameramen told his colleague.

Wait, Lucifer’s spawn wanted this song? Great, he could subtly strike there. “Princess Morningstar is exploiting her privilege with her subjects.” Risky? Yes. Will Lucifer be wanting his head on a pike? At least he had the pleasure of pissing off more than one person. Going after the Princess is like going after Alastor.

“Weird.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I could swear there was a glitch. The image was distorted, but maybe that was just a lag on — Wow!” The Hellborn jumped when a hand squeezed his shoulder, meeting a pair of strange eyes.

“Where exactly?”

♫ Take my heart and please don’t break it

Love was made for me and you ♫

Sinphony and other Hellborns popped up behind Verosika, holding trumpets, saxophones, drums, a cello, and a guitar. And one by one, they started dancing with Verosika on stage, even the Sinner, who was still dressed as a priest.

Lucifer was tapping his foot to the music when a long hand with claws as red as blood appeared in front of him.

“Can I get this dance?”

Lucifer chuckled. “How can I say no to this?” He took his lover’s hand, holding Alastor’s shoulder and waist, and even though the balcony was pretty small, it wasn’t a problem as they waltzed around the room.

With their friends looking on and smiling.

“I think this is my favorite part of the whole night.” Niffty said, sounding a bit dreamy.

Lilith couldn’t help but smile when she saw Lucifer’s overwhelming joy. No matter how their marriage ended, before everything, the Fallen Angel had always been her first best friend. “And it’s theirs, for sure.”

“I want to dance too.” Mimzy groaned, and Rosie took her hand, leading them both in a dance.

“Want to dance too, Niffty?” Lilith asked, leaning against the railing and feeling a little body climb onto her until it sat on her shoulders.

“I’d love to, but Baxter’s away.” Otherwise, she would’ve already jumped off the balcony for him.

“My lover wanted to stay too.” She couldn’t wait to get home and tell Eve everything.

♫ L is for the way you look at me

O is for the only one I see

V is very, very extraordinary

E is even more than anyone that you adore can ♫

Verosika smiled when all her fans made the L O V E sign with their hands while she sang. There was even a group in the Royal Circle who formed the word with themselves. Right, sinners could regenerate their limbs.

“Thank you so much for being part of this magical night. Verosika saw her Manager gesturing to the audience from the corner of her eye. She didn’t quite understand at first, but then she saw that she was forming a crown with her fingers.

She wished she could use her wings and fly right to Charlie. Her vision wasn’t great, but none of the people in the balcony with the royal family looked like Charlie. She could recognize her former mentor, Lilith, and maybe the King by his size, but the other silhouettes were unfamiliar to her, no Goetia or Deadly Sins.

“Thanks to Charlie Morningstar!” Verosika asked, and the image of her friend and her girlfriend embracing appeared on the screen. “And I hope everyone has someone who looks at you like she looks at our Princess.”

♫ Love is all that I can give to you

Love is more than just a game for two

Two in love can make it ♫

“We had a great time tonight.” Lucifer stated this when Alastor stopped dragging him across the balcony. “I’m not sure I can sleep with all this fuss. Do you think it’d be all right if we used our energy to walk back to the Hotel? We could have a private party at the Emporium with them.”

“Tempting offer, sha.” Alastor thought about this, and it brought a smile to his face, since it was rare for Lucifer to get a burst of energy that didn’t just send him hiding away in his workshop. “But,” The Overlord tightened his grip on his lover, pulling him closer and leaning in until their lips brushed. “I’d love to head to our bedroom and have our own soirée.”

Lucifer ran his thumb along Alastor’s cheekbones, saying, “I love the sound of that.” Standing on tiptoes to kiss him.

♫ Take my heart and please don’t break it

Love was made for me and you ♫

“And a special thanks to — ”

♫ Love was made for me and you

Love was made for me and you ♫

“Our Queen, Lilith Morningstar, and our King, Lucifer Morningstar!” Verosika pointed to the royal balcony.

Then, everyone in the auditorium went quiet.

“Oh, crap.” That was all Lilith said when she turned around. She could feel the change in the atmosphere, like hundreds of butter knives had been stuck into her back.

“Fuck me gently with a chainsaw! What the Hell?!” Velvette exclaimed, standing up as Valentino spat his drink at the Sinners sitting in the next row, who had their jaws on the floor.

“I wasn’t delusional about that sexual tension!” Angel shouted after a few seconds of processing the transmission. “Shit,” he said when he realized who his friends were. “Is that Niffty?” He thought the quirky maid turned down the invite to the concert because of Baxter. “And the nerve of them to be offended when I call them Old Man Yaoi.”

“I don’t think now’s the time to talk about that.” Husk gave him a discreet nudge, and with a claw pointed toward where Charlie was standing.

The Princess of Hell looked paler than usual, her eyes wide with surprise, and her mouth open like a fish gasping for air. What’s going on here? Were her dad and her not-dad Alastor a… Couple?! How could she not have seen the signs? Since when did those two have — Whatever this was?! She turned to look at her girlfriend, but Vaggie was more focused on hitting a Sinner (who must’ve said unkind words to Charlie, Lucifer, or even Alastor).

Alastor’s ears perked up, and then he was yanked away from Lucifer. When he started looking for the culprit, his radio-dials eyes focused on his shadow. But before he could chastise him or even ask for such a pardon, the frenetic shadow raised his hand in the air with a claw pointing in a certain direction.

The secret lovers stood still like statues.

On the screen, the King of Hell was clearly shown locked in a passionate kiss with the Radio Demon, totally unaware of the audience’s reaction of surprise and disbelief.

Alastor had disappeared right away, blending into the shadows, and Lucifer’s wings appeared as the King of Hell flew away until he was out of sight.

“They’re either really shy or having an affair.” Verosika laughed nervously before a massive blackout hit Pentagram City.