A few days before the Lantern Rite Festival, the Hazbin Hotel was nearly completed for the event.

In order to finish the project, as well as handling the arrival of more customers in the Hotel, Charlie had also hired a few workers, including Hellhounds, Imps, succubus, incubus and Liyueans.

Even Shenhe had become part of the workforce, helping Charlie in the matters of paper work.

« Thanks for the help, Shene. The paperwork these days is a pain… » Charlie thanked the Adepti.

« No need to thank me, Charlie. Repaying one's generosity is something humans do, right? » Shenhe asked.

« Bitch you ARE a human! » Angel exclaimed.

« I'm not a prostitute. » Shenhe replied.

« Then I'm not gay! My father will be overjoyed! » Angel joked.

« Which part of Shenhe screams prostitute to you? » an annoyed Vaggie asked.

« I mean have you seen her Rule 34 page? » Angel replied, as he pulled out his phone, showing some….interesting artworks of Shenhe.

The girls were not impressed.

«….What the FUCK am I looking at!? » Charlie uttered in disgust.

« The consequences of Mihoyo's actions! » Angel replied. « And it's only gonna get worse from here! »

« Who is Mihoyo? I need to castrate him. » Shenhe replied angrily.

« Good luck doing that! » Angel casually replied.

« Can you not be an ass for five minutes? » Vaggie asked annoyed.

« I would certainly love to! But because a certain SOMEBODY has decided that being annoying is just not cool anymore, I have to put the extra work! » Angel childishly replied, pointing at a frustrated Alastor.

« You're NOT helping my effeminate fellow….» Alastor replied annoyed, causing Shenhe to whimper in fear.

« Now, now, Alastor….I know that you're upset that you lost control of Husk's soul…. » Charlie tried to reassure Alastor, before being interrupted by Vaggie.

« But this is no excuse to terrify the rest of the hotel! » Vaggie exclaimed angrily.

« A fair point, my dear. Unfortunately…a certain someone did not quite grab the concept…. » Alastor replied, pointing at Husk dancing the Polka with both middle fingers flipped, whilst traditional Eastern European music played.

« Husk….would it be possible for you to stop doing that? » Charlie asked.

« In his defence, if I had full control of your soul, acted like Alastor, and then you finally managed to break any contract with me, wouldn't you celebrate as well? » Shenhe reasoned.

« …Fair enough….» was Charlie response.

Suddenly, however, the main entrance of the hotel busted open, revealing none other than Cherri Bomb entering the scene.

« Hey Angel! » she exclaimed.

« Sweet tits! How are ya doin', me IRA enthusiast? » Angel greeted her.

« I'm doing great! The adventurer guild sent me to, like, genocide some Chilli Churros! Wanna come? » Cherri asked.

« No need to ask me twice! » Angel replied.

« Can I come too? » Nifty asked.

« Sure thing girl! But aren't you, like, busy cleaning the hotel or some shit? » Cherri asked.

« Not at all! Charlie has hired more personnel, which means Nifty is free to CHOKE SOME CHILLI CHURROS WITH THEIR OWN INTESTINES, RIPPING OFF THEIR EYES WITH SPOONS, SHOVING BOILING HOT LAVA IN THEIR RECTUMS, SKIN THEM ALIVE, AND WATCH AS THEY CRAWL AWAY LIKE WORMS AS THE SCREAM LIKE LITTLE FUCKING BABIES! » Nifty exclaimed in a creepy tone.

Everyone at the scene was terrified. Everyone except Alastor, who simply laughed. « Oh, Nifty. You always know what to say to make me laugh- »

« Genius Invokation TGC. » Husk whispered in his ears, before Alastor let out a terrifying analogue horror style roar, as darkness and tentacles enveloped the area, which almost seemed to distort from reality, whilst all who were in the hotel screamed in pain and fear.

Xxxxxxx

Five minutes later….

« That was rather relaxing, was it not? » Alastor commented.

« Meh. Serviceable…» Vaggie casually replied.

« Why were we even screaming? » Angel asked.

« I mean, it's not like the hotel has been destroyed or anything…» Charlie shrugged.

« I think it was because there was a spider…» Shenhe reasoned.

« Yeah, that makes sense…» everyone replied.

« Anyway, we're off. Need anything? » Angel asked.

« Not that I know! Happy adventuring! » Charlie replied, as the trio exited the hotel.

« Oh, by the way Charlie, we've received a letter from Wangshu Inn. » Shenhe warned Charlie.

« A letter, huh? » Charlie picked the letter up, and gave it a quick read. « Weird Chilli Churros with strange aura's bothering our business, huh? Well I guess I could get Angel to handle the matter later…. »

« I could always do that. » Vaggie replied.

« Are you sure, honey? » Charlie asked.

« It's fine. It's just some- » Vaggie was about to reply, before being interrupted by Alastor.

« No need my dear! As you can see, I'm rather frustrated at the current unfolding of events! Surely, genociding a few Chilli Churros is sure to aid me in blowing off some steam, as notorious wife abusers could say! And the good this is, I don't even have to be married to them to blow such steam! Hohoho! What a deal, I tell you! » Alastor exclaimed.

« And who could we possibly be to deny you the chance to do something actually useful for our business? » Vaggie smirked.

« NOW you're speaking like a true underling! » Alastor replied, as he opened a portal and waltzed right in.

« …Hijo de puta-»

Xxxxxxx

As Angel, Cherri and Nifty were ambushing a group of Hilichurls, Alastor appeared out of nowhere.

« Why hello there, my dear…thingies…what brings you here to Wangshu Inn? » Alastor asked.

« Oh hey smiley! We were just about to pounce on those Chilli Churros…that being said, there's something off about them….» Angel noted.

« Yeah, they, like, have some weird aura or some shit! » Cherri exclaimed.

« Indeed! The inn master did send us a letter saying that our propriety was assaulted by filthy Chilli Churros with weird auras, so I came to blow up some steam! » Alastor explained.

« Didn't take you for a wife beater…» Angel commented.

« Who says I am? » Alastor replied.

« Fair enough. Well then, you handle those Chilli Churros, we'll handle the rest! » Angel replied.

« I say, I say, are there more filthy Chilli Churros encroaching on our propriety?» Alastor asked.

« It's Chilli Churros, it's all they do. » Angel replied, as he, Cherri and Nifty wandered off.

Xxxxxxx

Five minutes later, the trio reached another group of Hilichurls.

« All right, ladies! It's time to rip off asses and chew gum-» Angel exclaimed, before the Hilichurls fled in terror.

« Oh, for fuck sake, ALASTOR, LET US-» Angel screamed angrily, before noticing a man with a mask, with several people gathering around him. «…handle it? »

« Hey, isn't that guy, like, an Adeptus or whatever? » Cherri asked.

« Sure looks like it. Guess we found Shenhe's boyfriend, girls! » Angel joked. « Wanna say hi? »

« Sure thing! Maybe he is just as crazy as Shenhe without the red rope! YAAAAAAYYYY!» Nifty exclaimed happily.

« God, I both love and FEAR you, you little psychopath…» a terrified Angel said, as the group reached the Adeptus. « Hey there, Adept guy! »

« Please, if you're here to thank me, there's no need. Cleansing the world of evil is the duty of the adepti. Think nothing of it — I certainly don't. » the Adeptus casually replied. « ...Wait, who are you? One had assumed you were followers, but on closer inspection it seems that we have not met. »

« Oh, we're just demons on Chilli Churros extermination duty. » Angel casually replied.

« One sees. One, too, shall introduce oneself, for it is good manners to comply. » the Adeptus replied. « Ahem... The one before you is the adeptus, Master of Stars, though one is better known to one's followers as "Starsnatcher." »

« Geez…and I thought momma crane's name was pretentious… » Angel commented.

« One descended from one's mountain abode to cleanse the world of evil, whereupon fate saw fit that our paths should cross. Now... tell me that which you wish for. » Starsnatcher replied.

« Y'know, we have an Adeptus that works at the hotel, and last time I checked she was no Barbara Eden…» Angel narrowed his eyes.

« Hah... There are different levels of adepti... Are not the stars loftier than the mountains, clouds, and moon? » Starsnatcher replied.

« Fair enough. » Angel then turned to the girls. « You two have any wishes in mind? »

« I dunno, man. That shit sounds like something Valentino would had come up with….» Cherri replied.

« Good call. » Angel replied.

« I'm happy as long as I get to clean and stab Chilli Churros! » Nifty replied.

« Yeah, sorry pal. We're good. Maybe later. »

« You need not fret. One is sure that we'll meet again soon. » Starsnatcher replied, as he wandered off, followed by his "fans."

That being said, none of the three were convinced by his display.

« What do you think, Angel? » Cherri asked.

« I found more convincing shit in a North California's Faire. That "Adeptus" is a bootleg all the way from Communist China. » Angel replied.

But as he was about to grab his phone to make a call, Alastor appeared, bloodied and covered in gore.

« Why hello there, my dear…not animals…how is the Chilli Churros extermination going? » Alastor asked.

« Got interrupted by an "Adeptus" called Starsnatcher. Safe to say, I don't buy his act, so I was about to make a call to Charlie to ask Shenhe if she knew about him…» Angel casually replied.

« Why call her while we have a perfectly serviceable Adeptus in the vicinity! » Alastor replied, as he casually opened a portal and dragged a young man out of it.

He had dark medium-length hair with teal undertones, pale skin, golden irises with avian pupils, and red eyeshadow. He also had a purple diamond marking on his forehead and a green tattoo around his right arm.

He wore a white sleeveless shirt with subtle cloud patterns. It had a high black collar with golden accents, with its left side extending further to cover his shoulder. He wore baggy dark purple pants, and woee dark purple boots overtop. He had black and dark turquoise gloves with gold decals and a necklace. Around his left arm, he wore a white and gold sleeve with a red lining.

At first he was shocked at the current series of events, then he turned angry as he looked at Alastor.

« Xiao! My boy! I do believe that we require- » Alastor begun, before he was punched right in the face, Xiao's fist sinking like it was a sponge. « What a funny lad! »

« What is the meaning of this!? You intend to end me, huh? Well, I won't give in so easily! »

« Easy there, short abs. We're not trying to kill you. » Angel reassured Xiao.

« Indeed! We merely request your aid in a simple manner of some sort! » Alastor replied. « You see, in such an age of trickery and misinformation, it appears that there is a shady individual disguising himself as an Adeptus! »

« …Excuse me, the fuck did you just say? » Xiao asked angrily.

« You know any Adept that calls himself "Starsnatcher?" » Angel asked.

« Starsnatcher? ...I am aware of no adeptus by such a name. » Xiao replied.

« Motherfucker! He IS a Bootleg Adeptus! » Angel exclaimed angrily.

« Well let's give him a lesson….» Alastor replied in a creepy tone, as he summoned several tentacles, and dragged "Starsnatcher."

« What!? What is the meaning of this!?» Starsnatcher demanded.

« Wait, how do you, like, even know who was the right guy? » Cherri asked.

« Call it intuition. » Alastor replied, before turning to Starsnatcher. « So….. You must be the little piece of faecal material imitating the Adepti, are you not? »

As Alastor said that, Starsnatcher let out several whimpers of shock and surprise. « I-Is that…»

« Not so tough, are ya know, "Adeptus"-» Angel mocked the man, before Starsnatcher turned towards Xiao.

« IS THAT THE ALL MIGHTY XIAO, THE VIGILANT YAKSHA, THE CONQUEROR OF DEMONS!? » Starsnatcher exclaimed.

Safe to say, the demons were caught off guard. « Uh….yeah? Wait, you know him? » Angel asked.

« Of course! My grandfather was a folklorist — I learned the tales of the Conqueror of Demons at his knee... To this day, I am an avid collector of books concerning the yakshas. » Starsnatcher replied. « But ever since I discovered a Sigil of Permission while rummaging through my grandfather's personal effects... At first, I was just imitating the adepti for fun... but slowly I began to stray further and further from the righteous path... »

« You know, little man, I can still do unspeakable things to you in this very moment…. » Alastor intervened.

« Do what you must. Having witnessed the almighty Conqueror of Demons, I can die happily. It will also help to atone for the sins I have committed. » Starsnatcher replied.

And with that, Alastor let him go. « Sorry, little man, but now I do believe that letting you live will be a far more painful experience for you! Enjoy living the rest of your life without anything as exciting as meeting the almighty Xiao! »

« Now go. » Xiao added.

« Wait! Before I go, o Great Conqueror of Demons, please allow me to swear this oath before you...» Starsnatcher pleaded. « I swear to turn away from the evil, to live an honest life, and to never again stain from the name of the adepti! »

« I will remember your oath... whoever you are…. » Xiao replied casually.

« Thank you... A thousand thanks for your forgiveness... and for all that you have done for Liyue... » Starsnatcher replied, as he went off to his way.

« Huh. Thought he was gonna be a scumbag…» Angel noted.

« Problem is, he forgot to give us the Sigil of Permission. I'll let you lot handle the issue, I'm busy with work of my own. » Xiao replied.

« Chilli Churros extermination? » Angel asked casually.

« One could say that. And I need to hurry, because it would appear that I have caused you some trouble. » Xiao replied.

« Funny, you don't look like a troublemaker…» Angel raised an eyebrow confused.

« That is because the changes that occurred in these monsters stem from me — or more precisely, from the karma I have accumulated. » Xiao replied.

« HOLY SHIT THE DUDE IS A REDDITOR! » Cherri exclaimed.

« I do not know what a redditor is, but it sounds like a most foul creature….» Xiao commented. « In any case, I am on my way to purge a cavern of demonic influence, so we shall part ways here. »

« Need any help dealing with the fuckers? » Angel asked.

« No need. I am used to fighting alone, and in any case these mutations originated from me to begin with...» Xiao replied.

« Well the thing is, we kinda need to kill some Chilli Churros, so if you let us tag along, we could do our job. Also, could you say no to this cute face? » Angel replied, before lifting up Nifty, the latter having a psychotic expression on her face.

« ….Keep that creature away from me, and you can accompany me…» a terrified Xiao replied.

« It's settled then. We'll deal with the Chilli Churros and get the sigil later. » Angel commented casually.

« Sounds like quite the plan! » Alastor replied, before hugging Xiao. « I can already feel a connection with you, little man! »

« Stop hugging me, demon. » Xiao demanded angrily.

« No. »

Xxxxxxx

One hour later, the group had dealt with the Hilichurls, and Angel went to Wangshu Inn to deal with Starsnatcher.

« Hey bossman! Starsnatcher's staying here tonight? » Angel asked a girl.

« Starsnatcher... Hm... You mean the false adeptus who wore a mask? » the girl replied. « He signed in here under the name Wang Ping'an. »

« I can see why he would fake his name. Holy. Shit. That name is so fucking boring. » Cherri shrugged.

« He's already checked out. He said he wished to go on a solo pilgrimage... » the girl continued. « Ah, yes. He also requested that I give this letter to four demons should they come asking for him. »

« That would be us. » Angel replied.

« Anyway, here's the letter. » the girl replied, as she handed over the letter.

Casually opening it, Angel begun to read it.

By the time you read this letter, I will have embarked upon my journey of self-improvement.

I regret that I cannot apologize to the two of you in person, but I hope that you will forgive me.

Not only have I deceived you lot, but I have also exploited the hopes and dreams of my believers.

People in dire straits often become weak, thirsting blindly after something to believe in.

With my lies, I brought them false salvation, while their true desires grew farther and farther away.

I know in that long-gone era, the desires of mankind were not as complicated as they have now become.

The Conqueror of Demons shouldered the desires of Liyue's people as he contended with demons.

Wearing his mask, he concealed the weakness brought by human desire.

As a false adeptus, I am one who always wears a mask.

A true adeptus only need to wear it when facing demons.

If I wear a mask to hide the evil that has corrupted my heart...

Then the Conqueror of Demons wears a mask to hide the part of him that is human.

And yet, he wears the face of a demon king only that he might subdue all demons...

Once I had realized all this, I became deeply aware of my own ugliness, and I understood what it truly means to be an adeptus. I set off on this journey over hill and river, strengthening my body and spirit, not because I harbour any hope of fully atoning for my sins. I do it only to earn the right to be counted among the believers of the adepti.

I have already asked someone to return the money I cheated others of. A few goods remain in my possession, but they are of no use to me on my journey of self-improvement. Please take them. Please take the Sigil of Permission that my grandfather left me as well — I am no longer worthy of it.

I wish that you will be granted that which you desire. May we meet again.

Wang Ping'an, a Sinner

« ….What a fucking wimp. » Angel commented disgusted.

« Tell me about it…» Cherri added.

« Well at least we got some extra cash from it. » Angel shrugged casually. « Anyway, let's hand over this Sigil to Xiao so that he might use it as toilet paper, check in to the Adventurer's Guild and get back home. This has been…an interesting day, to say the least….»

Xxxxxxx

Many thanks to Inanna for many of the suggestions for this chapter.

I hope you enjoy this new chapter! Please review so I can know your opinion. I'm willing to accept suggestions for what is going to happen, so stay tuned! Also, remember to like and follow, if you want!

See you to the next update!