As Mephisto walks down a long dark corridor, he notices a music studio. He immediately recognizes the demoness on the posters. Verosika Mayday. One of those wannabe the next Lilith when it comes to fame as a music performer.
He has to admit that her singing isn't bad. However, she's nowhere near as talented as Lilith. No one is.
If he had to say, who is closest in talent to Lilith, he would say probably Beelzebub, Sin of Gluttony. And even she is far from Queen of Hell in terms of talent.
The studio door suddenly opens and two succubus, Apple and Coco, come out. They both pause at the sight of the Prince of Hell.
"H- Hello, Your Highness."
Apple greets nervously, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. Like most hellborn demons of Wrath Ring origin, Apple has red skin, a tail, and horns. In addition, she also has small wings, revealing that she is a succubus. She is wearing a denim overall with short pants and a plunging neckline revealing a black top.
What catches Mephisto's attention, however, is her tattoo on her left leg. Black snake wrapping around an apple. Some hellborn demons got similar tattoos in Mephisto's honor, when he saved Imp City from the first Extermination seven years ago.
Back then, Exorcists went after both sinners and hellborn demons. Until Mephisto decided to interfere. Afterward, the Heaven negotiated with Lucifer, who allowed them to slaughter sinners, but forbade them to attack hellborn demons and Ars Goetia.
He doesn't know if Apple has the tattoo really in his honor, or purely for aesthetic or other reasons. The reason doesn't matter. Seeing the tattoo just brought back more unpleasant memories to Mephisto.
"Are you here to meet Verosika?"
Apple asks politely. Mephisto shakes his head.
"No, I just had some business with the I.M.P"
"I.M.P huh? Those good-for-nothings caused some trouble again?"
A tall, beautiful succubus now stands in the doorway. She has an hourglass figure and hot-pink skin, which is quite uncommon among her kind.
"You could say that, Miss Mayday."
"Oh, just call me Verosika, Your Highness." Says seductively succubus, stepping closer to Mephisto.
"Are you familiar with the I.M.P, Miss Mayday?" Mephisto asks, completely ignoring the seductive tone of Verosika's voice. She's irritated by his lack of interest but doesn't show it and instead answers: "More than I would like."
Mephisto notices a tattoo on Verosika's right arm, just below the shoulder. A red heart with the name Blitz crossed out.
"I see. Apologies for keeping you from your work."
"It was an honour to meet you in person, Prince Morningstar." Verosika says with a slight curtsy. Prince returns her curtsy with a slight nod, then turns and walks away.
....
Once out of the building, Mephisto checks the time on his phone.
Damn, it's almost 1 p.m already.
He knows it would be better to handle any contracts in person, but he doesn't have time for that right now. It takes about three hours to get from the Second Circle of the Pride Ring to the First Circle. And Mephisto needs to get to Lu Lu World as soon as possible.
Hopefully Paimon will have some understanding for me.
Fortunately, Paimon is one of the Goetic Kings who are truly loyal to Lucifer and at the same time he is favorably inclined towards Mephisto. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about all the Goetic Kings.
With a conjuration spell, Mephisto summons two crows and hands over one contract to each of them. Then the two crows fly off towards King Paimon's palace, one with the contract between Stolas and Blitz, second with the contract between Mephisto and I.M.P .
....
Lu Lu World hasn't changed much in those seven years.
Mephisto thinks as his limousine drives through the park's huge, circus-themed gate. All around the main road, which is lined with torches emitting golden flames, are giant circus tents, most often tuned in red and gold colours.
A little further are giant pavilions with various animals, either infernal or earthly. Some of these animals are bred and imported from various Rings, while others have been artificially created. Previously, only Lucifer had the privilege of creating new creatures, but in recent years, demons can create hybrids from already existing creatures.
In the arena, these science-created, mutated hybrids fight against each other, against various gladiators or against technological inventions.
In addition to pavilions and arenas, there are also various merry-go-rounds, swings and roller coasters, as well as a number of stalls with refreshments, souvenirs and other attractions.
Behind the stalls, further down the road are smaller tents, decorated with various ornaments, symbols and inscriptions. These tents tend to be more purple, black or green.
And inside these tents are various seers and such. Tarot cards or crystal balls are often used in fortune-telling, same as on Earth, although the latter much less so due to their rarity.
After the fortune teller tents, there are pink and white tents for acrobats, blue tents for magicians and sorcerers, and orange and yellow tents for clowns and jesters.
And at the end of the main road on a high ground stands the biggest tent of all in Lu Lu World and probably the biggest tent ever.
It is toned in magenta and black, decorated with golden symbols and inscriptions in a language understood only by the highest ranking seventy two Goetic Demons and the royal family of Hell – Enochian.
Inside this tent is a stage where only the most talented demons from all of the Seven Rings can perform. The stage where Lilith last performed on the day of the first Extermination.
A convoy of security cars and a limousine stops in a private parking lot a short distance from the main tent.
Here we go again.
....
Inside the tent, Mephisto runs into someone he really wouldn't expect.
"Seviathan?"
"Mephisto? Uh, hey. How you've been?"
"Good."
Silence.
The two stare at each other, Seviathan awkwardly, Mephisto with a blank expression.
Seviathan von Eldritch, son of Frederick von Eldritch, one of the powerful hellborn demons. Although von Eldritch aren't aristocrats, since they aren't blood related to any of the seventy two Goetic demons, they are still quite high in the social ladder. Seviathan used to date Charlie and he and Mephisto used to be a very good friends.
However, after Seviathan and Charlie broke up, he also stopped seeing Mephisto. Mephisto always assumed it was because Seviathan felt awkward in front of him, but he was never sure.
I was quite hurt that Seviathan didn't want to hang out with me anymore... I guess...
Seviathan has dark, bluish-gray skin that, in the tent lit by violet flames, naturally has a purple tinge to it, giving Seviathan a mystical air. Like Mephisto, Seviathan also appeares to be physically in his early to mid twenties, while in truth they are both much older.
After a moment of awkward silence, Seviathan runs a hand through his dark green short hair that are slicked back and asks:
"Is Charlie here with you too?"
"No."
"I see. Well, what brings you here?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
They both remain silent, waiting for the other to answer first. After a while Seviathan finally gives up and answers.
"I'm here to take part in the New Year's performance. I've already arranged it with Lucifer."
"To you, he is the King of Hell."
Seviathan just rolls his neon green eyes.
"Well, unlike you, I didn't leave. And the King of Hell seems to appreciate me helping him out after both of his children have already taken a stab at him." Says Seviathan, now with a smirk.
"Enlighten me, what have you been helping him with?" Mephisto doesn't like the word 'helping' one bit in association with anyone in the von Eldritch family.
"With Lu Lu World, what else? Your father has not been very interested in politics for some time. Neither am I."
"What about your father? Is he interested in politics?"
Mephisto asks venomously. Seviathan understands why. Frederick von Eldritch is an ambitious demon, which is considered a virtue in Hell. When Seviathan was dating Charlie, Frederick hoped that they might eventually marry and he himself would rise to a much higher position.
Seviathan understands Mephisto's causticness, but at the same time regrets that his former friend thinks so low of him as to compare him to his father.
"I don't know, we don't talk much."
Mephisto doesn't answer and is instead looking around the tent.
Where are those four?
"So what brings you here?"
Seviathan repeats his previous question.
It seems like I'm boring him and he probably hates me because of Charlie, but I'd still like to be friends with him again.
"Same thing that brought you here – New Year's performance." With that, Mephisto leaves Seviathan without sparing him another glance.
....
"I wonder why the crappy New Year's performance is on December 30th and not December 31st."
Blitz asks as he and the others wander through Lu Lu World. Loona's eyes are still glued to her mobile screen, while Millie and Moxxie run around admiring the theme park, which they now discover is much better and far more beautiful than Loo Loo Land.
"It probably has to do something with that Extermination thing." Loona replies without looking up from the display.
"Oh, that thing. Must suck to be a sinner in this time of year."
"Here you are. Did you get lost or something?"
Suddenly Mephisto appears next to Blitz with a sour look on his face.
"Ah, our 'benevolent prince'. Don't worry, as long as we are with you, no one will even dare to look – how's the word for that, ah – 'askance' at you."
Mephisto looks at Blitz, first with amazement then with amusement on his face.
This imp will never cease to amuse me.
A slight smile appears on the prince's lips.
"Well then, my temporary protectors. Please follow me to the main tent. You need to be shown where you will be patrolling during the show and –" Mephisto pauses and looks at the sniper rifles, knives and axe that the I.M.P have brought with them. "You will also need better weapons."