Max appeared only a street away from the Hazbin Hotel, shadows peeling off of him like smoke. He exhaled in relief; the mission with I.M.P. was finally over.
"Good," he muttered, adjusting his jacket. "Now to help out a bit, maybe decorate my room more. Something cozy. Maybe wolf-themed—"
A bright yellow light slammed down around him, swallowing him whole.
"What the—?!"
In a blink, the world changed.
He found himself standing in a cavernous black chamber lined with jagged lavender spikes, the walls pulsing like a living organism. The air tasted metallic, and the only opening in the room looked into a balcony-like vantage point where four figures loomed:
Beezlebub, arms crossed but eyes unsure.
Lucifer Morningstar himself, wings unfurled.
Leviathan, radiating icy fury.
Belphegor, looking uncharacteristically awake.
Max swallowed hard.
"…Hi," he tried. "So, uh, what can I do for you?"
His mind raced. He hadn't slipped up in front of them—had he? He didn't recall—
Lucifer's voice cracked like thunder.
"What are you?!"
Weapons materialized in the hands of every Sin present. Even Bee summoned her giant stinger-staff, though her grip trembled.
Max raised both palms slowly. "I have no idea what you mean. I'm just a sinner. A cute one. Ask Bee! We've—uh—been on dates."
Bee didn't look at him. That scared him more than Lucifer's glare.
Lucifer stepped forward, eyes glowing. "We have video proof of you teleporting through Hell like it's your personal playground. As well as footage of you killing an Angel with magic none of us recognize. Vox sent it to us."
Max froze.
Then his eye twitched.
"…God damn that flat-faced fuck."
Lucifer snapped again, voice sharp. "I'll ask only once more. What. Are. You?"
Max glanced at Bee, silently begging for backup.
"Bee, come on. You know me."
But she still couldn't look at him, voice soft and shaking. "I… I don't know what to believe, Max. But if you don't show us your true self right now… I will rip up our contract."
Max felt that like a knife.
Even though it had only been a day, his reincarnated mind had forcibly blended twenty years of life experiences into his emotions. He genuinely loved all his partners—not magically, but personally.
He closed his eyes, inhaling slowly.
"Okay. Okay. Don't do anything rash, Bee."
He stepped into the center of the room.
"I'll do it. I'll show you. But this does not leave this room. And Bee…"
He met her eyes finally, voice dropping.
"You're still free to rip up the contract if you want."
She flinched—but nodded.
Max let go.
A surge of power erupted from his body, darkness expanding outward in a massive pulse. The lavender lights flickered, then died. The lava-like glow from the walls was swallowed whole. Every bit of illumination recoiled from him like prey before a predator.
All that remained visible were two massive, blood-red eyes.
The abyss itself had taken form around him.
His voice echoed with layered tones—human, demonic, celestial, and something older.
"I am the brother of God. The first shadow. The original chaos. My existence is Hell itself, and the dark corners every soul fears. I am Max."
The ground cracked beneath him. The Sins visibly recoiled from the sheer pressure—except Bee, who stared in stunned silence.
Max forced the power down, compressing it until his humanoid form returned.
Lucifer exhaled shakily. His weapon dissolved into feathers.
"…I thought you were gone," he admitted, voice low.
Max gave him a sad smile. "I was never 'gone.' I watched Hell through every Purge. Every rebellion. Every Overlord rising and falling. But I stayed separate—for good reason."
Bee stepped closer, the soul-chain on her chest shimmering violently. Max could feel it tremble with her emotions.
"I created this body a couple of years ago," he continued. "Just a vessel. I wanted to understand demons. To see the world through their eyes. I never expected to be capable of… love." His gaze softened. "You. Loona. Vaggie. Charlie. Octavia. I care for you all. Deeply."
He placed a hand over his heart.
"But that's also why I hide it. I am Hell. Every demon is technically at my mercy. I've never used my power against them—not for control, not for love, not for advantage. Killing an angel here and there, teleporting… that's the worst I've done."
The room fell silent.
Leviathan stared. Belphegor blinked slowly, for once awake enough to understand the gravity of the moment.
Bee moved first.
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"You absolute dumbass," she said into his chest. "Those are such human emotions. Of course we'd love a strong partner. Especially one so mysterious! Do you know how rare that is in Hell?"
Max let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
Bee pulled back slightly, wiping a tear. "And you think hiding this makes you safer? Or more lovable? I don't know why you'd hide something like that."
Max sighed. "Because… God is supposed to be almighty. And having a technical brother? It complicates things. Please—don't tell the others yet."
Bee shrugged. "Fine. But you should eventually."
She poked his chest. "And by the way—I was joking about tearing up the contract. I'm not fragile. I just had to put on a hell of an act."
With a wink, she vanished in a burst of glittering gold.
Leviathan and Belphegor followed, teleporting out silently.
Lucifer stared at Max uncertainly for a long moment. Then, choosing not to deal with any of this, he simply vanished without a word.
Max stood alone.
"…So I have to find my own way home? Great."
He shook his head, shifted into shadow, and melted out of existence.