Max got the call late.
Too late for a normal night.
Perfect timing for a bad one.
Bee's voice crackled through the phone, already loud, already laughing.
"Party in Gluttony. You're coming."
It wasn't a question.
Normally he would've declined.
Too loud.
Too chaotic.
Too much.
But tonight?
Tonight he needed noise to drown out his thoughts.
Before leaving, he muttered quietly,
"Raphael… disable poison immunity. I wanna actually drink."
A warm chime rang inside his skull.
[Poison Immunity Disabled.][Resistance Lowered.]
Good.
Gluttony Ring – Bee's Party
The moment he stepped through the portal, sound hit him like a physical wall.
Engines roared.
Music pounded.
Demons screamed in joy as vehicles flipped across a massive underground racetrack lit in neon. Sparks flew. Fire belched. Someone cheered when a car exploded.
Food booths lined the walls. Rivers of alcohol flowed from pipes like public fountains.
The air smelled like sugar, oil, and bad decisions.
Max pushed through the crowd, searching for Bee.
She was never hard to find.
Four arms wrapped around him from behind.
Two covered his eyes.
Two locked his arms.
"Bee?" he guessed.
A sloppy kiss landed on his cheek.
The hands vanished.
She stood in front of him, grinning wildly, empty barrels scattered like trophies.
"What up, Max!" she laughed. "Didn't peg you for the wild Gluttony party type."
Max shrugged, shifting into clothes he didn't care about ruining.
"Had a day," he said. "Tried talking to everyone about tomorrow. Nobody would tell me anything. Not even Octavia. And she's the most honest one in the whole harem."
Bee snorted.
"Only 'cause she's the youngest. She's nineteen. Give her a year."
She conjured a massive glass of glowing Beelzejuice and shoved it into his hands.
"Well," Max muttered, taking a long drink, "either I learn something tonight… or I'll be too drunk to care."
Bee's laughter shook the air.
"Hah! That's the spirit! Race you to unconsciousness!"
She drained a barrel.
Max grabbed one from the tap.
Then another.
Then another.
Other demons joined the contest.
They didn't last long.
One by one they collapsed, laughing, groaning, surrendering.
Bee and Max kept going.
Raphael quietly adjusted Max's resistance in the background — just enough to keep him upright, not enough to dull the alcohol.
An hour later, twenty-two barrels lay empty.
They sat shoulder to shoulder on the floor, leaning into each other, giggling at absolutely nothing.
The room swayed like it was breathing.
"You know…" Bee slurred, pouring another drink she didn't need, "I thought your proposal was a joke when we met. No downside. Funny guy. Strong guy. Why not?"
Max nodded lazily.
"Fair."
"And then it's been… what… a year and a half?" she continued. "I even offered to upgrade the contract. Next level. And you said no. Why?"
Max sighed.
The laughter drained out of him.
"A hidden clause," he said quietly. "Each of you added one. If I guarantee they succeed, the contract upgrades automatically. But I expected at least one of you to leave."
Bee nearly choked.
"WHAT?!" she barked. "Max, that would tear your soul apart! That's why demons don't bind like that! I thought you had a loophole!"
"Nope," he laughed weakly. "What's the point of a contract if I exploit it? If one breaks… they all break. And I go with them."
Bee froze.
Max kept talking.
Didn't notice the tears.
"I told everyone there was no backlash," he whispered. "So they wouldn't fear me. I even built a failsafe. If they all leave… I fade out of your memories. I just stop existing."
A tear rolled down his cheek.
He didn't feel it.
Bee grabbed his shirt.
Her voice shook.
"So we all suffer if one person leaves?!"
"No," Max said quickly. "The clause protects that. If the break isn't tied to their personal condition, nothing happens. I've been trying to treat everyone right. After tomorrow… I can visit more. Be present. My Overlord status won't be a secret anymore."
Bee's grip softened.
"That… would be nice," she admitted quietly. "But damn, Max. Heavy talk for a party."
He groaned.
"Took an hour and twenty barrels to get you to spill anything."
She rolled her eyes.
"Fine. You wanna know tomorrow?"
Max squinted.
"Yeah?"
"There are rules in Hell," she said. "Some things need Sin approval."
"…Okay?"
"We're going to Lust," Bee said. "To file an engagement license. Gotta get Asmodeus to stamp it."
Max spit his drink everywhere.
"ENGAGEMENT?!"
Bee nodded like this was obvious.
"We couldn't figure out how to upgrade the contracts ourselves. So we went official. Octavia booked the appointment. Ozzie's excited to meet you."
Max opened his mouth.
The world tilted.
The music stretched into a long warped note.
He blacked out smiling.