Baator Hell Promotion

It is a demon pigeon, a messenger transformed by the Grand Duke of the Eighth Hell from a little devil to deliver messages.

"Little Devil Harold!" As he approached, the flames on the big bird's neck screamed. Harp didn't even know how the evil pigeon knew he was coming - it didn't even have eyes or ears.

"Lord Igari summons you. The promotion ceremony will be held in the City of Dis after three alternations of light and darkness."

Chapter 24 Promotion Ceremony I

Dis is both the name of the city in the second layer and the name of the second layer of hell itself, and the Duke who rules it is also named Dispater.

The Nine Hells have nine thrones, nine thrones with far more than nine occupants, yet the ruler of the Iron City of Dis has never changed. Dispater is so ancient that no creature in Hell remembers whether he named the city after him, or whether the city became his name.

The second and third levels were connected by a chain-filled abyss. Spiked, iron-clad carriages, pulled by ill-tempered black nightmares with bloodshot eyes, flew across the gap between the two levels, each filled with various demons that couldn't fly directly up.

Standing at the edge of the Chained Abyss is a fountain square. A ten-meter-high statue in the square depicts a unicorn being hunted by a group of goblins. Blood-red fountain water gushes from the unicorn's eyes and every wound, falling into the pool below.

A vehicle flew up from the third floor and suddenly stopped near the aqueduct built around the pool. The nightmare pulling the vehicle lowered its head and drank blood. The black door opened, and a group of imps, huddled together and unable to move, rolled out. They screamed and clamored as they untangled their tails and quickly flew to their work place.

Hap squatted on the ground for a long time before he recovered from the dizziness. If he was not in a hurry, he really didn't want to take the public facilities in Barto, especially the public facilities run by the miser Maman.

A thunderous roar accompanied by a shadow passed over the little devil's head. Harp looked up and saw a massive vehicle several times larger than the carriage of the little devil Xinoyi. Even calling it a vehicle was not appropriate. It looked more like a palace pulled by five black unicorns. It flew towards the center of Dis City with great momentum and disappeared under the black and red sky in an instant.

"Five unicorns, that's the configuration for a certain Grand Duke's spouse," the little devil pondered. "Duke Dispater's wife is the all-knowing Nama?"

When the little devil came to his senses, he found himself surrounded by black walls. The buildings in the entire Dis looked almost exactly the same pure black, and the roads paved with broken bones cut the entire city into a tiny maze. Perhaps except Dispater himself, no creature knew the full picture of the city.

He raised his paw and turned around. A bluish-blue burn mark on his forelimb caused a dull pain, and the pain kept getting worse and worse depending on the direction.

The little devil flew for a long time, following the direction of the most pronounced pain, before finally stopping in front of a building resembling a Colosseum. The burn marks left by the evil pigeon had vanished silently. Compared to the building's height, its door was almost tiny. A desk sat at the entrance, guarded by a blue-skinned, black-haired, bearded Cambion.

"Harold, attend the promotion ceremony," the little devil said before he could ask. The half-demon frowned as he checked a long form. It took him a long time to answer:

"Greetings, Sir Harold, and welcome to the Hall of Ascension. Your promotion ceremony will take place after..." He glanced at the hourglass on the table, "three rotations of the hourglass. You may go to the stands and wait."

He then stood up, bowed, and watched the little devil walk into the dark corridor. The little devil calmly accepted his courtesy, as such courtesy was an ancient tradition - the devil on the day of promotion should be respected by other devils as a reward for his contribution to hell.

The little devil quickly emerged from the passage. The Hall of Ascension was far less majestic than it appeared. It resembled an interrogation room rather than a palace. The hall was divided into three distinct sections by terraced seating, surrounding a platform at the bottom. The seats facing the passage were the fewest and most luxurious, consisting entirely of large, golden-backed chairs. Beside the golden area were black bone chairs, suitable for only mid-level devils. The chairs near the passage were ordinary gray stone, each bearing the words "Waiting Area" smudged in chalk. The devils could see in the dark; the only light came from a relief carving on the wall of the golden area, depicting a claw grasping a fiery flame—the emblem of the Lord of the Nine Hells.

Harp chose a seat closest to the aisle. There were only a handful of devils in the waiting area. A promotion on the stage below was almost over.

"Isalia, you could have been promoted to a more noble form," a huge figure in the golden seat said to the Barbed Demon standing on the platform, "but you were late for the promotion ceremony. This is a great offense to the ceremony and to all of Hell."

"Therefore, as your superior, I sentence you in the name of Grand Duke Mammon," the Barbed Devil's boss said, his voice filled with malicious pleasure as he sat in the bone chair. "You will be demoted one level and become a Needle Devil to atone for your offense."

The figure who had spoken first banged the hammer on the small table, silencing the Barbed Devil's objections. The demon on the stage let out a scream that froze the audience's blood. Its entire body exploded, its flesh writhing and coalescing into a ball of flesh. Several Cambions emerged from the passage at the bottom and pushed the ball into the passage.

In the black seating area, the devil who had just sentenced the hook devil to demotion stood up, bowed to the devil in the middle and said

"Thank you for watching, Sir Norman, the Chief of Staff."

Then, he disappeared with a loud bang.

Lord Norman, the chief officer, was taller than all his colleagues. He looked like a giant with a black dragon head. The shadow cast by his huge wings and a tail as long as his body almost covered the platform at the bottom.

Generally speaking, horned demons like Lord Norman usually serve as personal guards for the Grand Dukes. It is relatively rare to see horned demons serving as officers. He picked up a slate, carefully read the contents, and then roared in a low voice:

"Where's the little devil Harold Tim?"

The little devil hadn't heard his full real name for a long time. He was startled and jumped up from the chair, gliding directly to the platform at the bottom, standing in the bloodstains created by the explosion of the hook demon and bowing.

"Thank you, Sir Norman, Harold Tim is here."

Lord Norman nodded, then asked, "I will be watching your promotion ceremony. Has the high-ranking devil who will approve your application arrived?"

A shadow stood up from the black seating area to the right of "Igari is Here". It looked like a ten-foot-tall termite standing up. As it spoke, the mandibles on the insect's head kept opening and closing, and clouds of white mist spewed out from them.

"Very good, I like to be punctual. So, Yigali, have you seen Harold Tim's promotion application?"

The Ice Demon nodded, sat back down on the frost-covered chair, and said, "I've already seen it."

"Then do you agree to promote Harold Tim?" Lord Norman asked. The little devil suddenly felt his eyebrows jump, as if the kiss left by Ms. Xinoyi was painful again.

"Harold Tim has applied for promotion to Harvester. I've verified the souls he submitted, and the number is sufficient." The Ice Demon's head was a bluish termite with huge compound eyes. The little devil couldn't read anything from its expressionless face. However, the little devil's forehead was aching more and more, and he felt very bad.

"But he murdered his superior, Charlotte. I refuse to approve his application for promotion and request that he be demoted by at least three ranks."

Chapter 25 Promotion Ceremony II

The little devil felt blood filling his ears, and the pounding headache made it impossible for him to concentrate. This didn't make sense. How did the Ice Demon know? He forced himself to wonder if he hadn't done it properly, but Charlotte had already been reduced to ashes. It couldn't be a messenger from God personally coming to Hell to complain.

"Sir Igari," Norman said, knocking his hammer gently, a hint of dissatisfaction in his rumbling voice. "I hope everyone will respect the promotion ceremony. If you have any accusations, you can handle them before the ceremony."

The little devil looked up at Norman, but the light from the evil emblem of Astimos behind the horned demon blurred the little devil's vision, and he could not tell the horned demon's attitude at all.

"I mean no offense, Lord Norman," the Ice Demon bowed his head to Norman, indicating his retreat. "It's just that this happened suddenly, and I just learned the relevant information. I believe that if a despicable person who stole the credit is promoted, it would be the greatest blasphemy to the ceremony."

Norman didn't continue speaking. After a long moment, he spoke carefully, "Sir Yigali, I haven't received any notice from the King of the Eighth Hell. But I'm willing to give you a chance to confront me. If you can't convince me, you'll have to pay more than just an apology."

Hap understood that Igari was a high-ranking individual, and Norman was willing to exercise a little discretion on his behalf—the flexible standards of Hell.

"Little devil, do you admit that you murdered your boss, Charlotte the Harvester?" After getting Officer Si Lie's permission, the Ice Demon turned around and questioned, his compound eyes occupying half of his face reflecting thousands of tiny little devils.

"My Lord, this is sheer nonsense, sheer nonsense!" the little devil cried, his mind racing. The Ice Demon's purpose was now clear, but what was his motive? Backstabbing a superior was commonplace in Hell. There was no point in Igari bringing this up publicly; he might even be attacked by his colleagues for not keeping a tight rein on his subordinates.

"Everyone, as you can see, I'm just a little devil waiting for a promotion," Hap said calmly. "I've already detailed the unfortunate experience of my beloved commander, Charlotte, in my performance report. We encountered the Lantern Archon at that time."

The little devil paused for a moment, whispers filling the room like a gentle breeze. Just as Harp had anticipated, the Lantern Archon was a formidable foe for all the devils present.

"Brave Lady Charlotte was unwilling to see the glory of Hell diminished, and even more unwilling to see the mission fail," the little devil recounted with gusto. None of the devils present believed a reaper could be truly heroic, but performance was always an essential part of any debate. "And I ultimately managed to kill the bond while Lady Charlotte was distracting Archon, thus severing the summoning ritual and ultimately surviving."

The little devil felt the horned demon's gaze fixed on him. Norman had been in the position of sergeant for who knew how long, and had seen countless demons. Hap believed that Norman must be very confident in his ability to read people's expressions and discern lies.

"It didn't lie," the Horned Demon said firmly at last. It looked at the Ice Demon with a little dissatisfaction, but Igari was not at all panicked.

"I've given you the chance to confess, little devil." The Ice Demon's words were colder than the breath it exhaled. "I'll call a witness to testify."

The little devil was completely bewildered, wondering if it had truly captured the Lantern Archon. But the next second, the mystery was resolved as the Ice Demon pulled out a familiar, emerald green crystal—the Soul Prism the little devil had handed over.

This is against the rules! The little devil roared in his heart. Every devil's spoils are absolutely private. After they are handed over, only the administrator of the Cheer Tower knows where they go. Other devils have no right to check them.

The Ice Demon seemed to see through Harp's heart. The Soul Prism cracked before everyone's eyes, erupting into a cloud of dust. The swirling dust continued to fall and twist, eventually forming a desiccated human body. Bansay Sassen's soul floated naked before the Ice Demon, the hole in his throat still visible from his death.

"Tell me, tell me what you saw before you died," the Ice Demon urged. "How did Charlotte the Harvester die? Is it related to that little devil down there?"

"Objection! Leading question!" the little devil screamed. The horned demon glanced at it but did not stop Bansay Sassen from speaking.

"He was pinned to the ground and executed by the Archon like a broken-back dog," Bansay Sassen's soul seemed to have lost its spirituality and only answered mechanically. "The little devil down there, as soon as he saw Charlotte was dead, he plunged the dagger into my throat."

"Very good, very good," the Ice Demon clapped his hands in a satisfied and pretentious manner. "Everyone heard it. The little devil Harold Tim waited until Charlotte was dead before taking action. According to the Supreme Code, failing to save one's superior is considered murder. Therefore, the little devil is guilty and should be punished."

"I need to question the witness, Lord Norman," the horned demon nodded, signaling the little devil to begin.

"How many creatures appeared in the room, and who were they?" The little devil thought for a moment and asked the first test question.

"Seven: me, my children, Yakon, and three demons," Bansai replied in a serious tone. The little demon grinned. As he had suspected, Bansai's soul must have been tortured, leaving him devoid of spirituality. A normal soul, confronted with its killer, couldn't calmly and comprehensively answer the killer's questions, nor would it offer answers that favored the killer.

"Before you were killed, besides me, was there any other devil present who could have killed you? If so, why didn't it kill you?" The little devil posed a second question. The ice devil opened his jaws, as if wanting to say something to influence the soul's answer, but Norman glared at him and he restrained himself.

"There was also a demon with a machete that could kill me. It left on its own when Yakong pinned Charlotte to the ground." The soul continued to answer.

"One last question, how long did it take from the time the devil with the machete left until your death?" the little devil continued to ask.

"It was very short. His departure and Charlotte's capture happened at the same time. When I was attracted to Charlotte, you killed me." When the soul said the word death, his face finally twisted a little, but finally returned to calm.

"Lord Norman, I have concluded my questioning," the little devil said, bowing. "The witnesses' words are sufficient to prove that the situation at the time was not irreversible. As soon as it changed, I immediately took corrective measures. This is how I was able to reclaim Bansey's soul. As for Lady Charlotte's death, I am only a little devil. In the presence of devils far more suited to participate in the battle, I chose to control Bansey rather than engage in direct combat. Whether this constitutes dereliction of duty, I invite your judgment."

Hap watched the horned demon turn its head from Igari's direction to his own. After a moment he heard the horned demon say

"I must say, Lord Igari, that the current evidence is insufficient to accuse Harold Tim. If you have no further evidence, please allow him to advance."

The Ice Demon's jaws and tentacles were constantly moving, and he looked very annoyed. However, he finally calmed down, paused, and said slowly:

"In the name of the learned, I agree to the promotion of the little devil Harold Tim. I will advance it to the long-tailed devil."

The little devil couldn't believe his ears!

Chapter 26 Promotion Ceremony III

"You can't do this. Charlotte is dead, and I should be the one to take over his position," the little devil said with forced calmness.

Long-tailed demons are even higher in rank than harvesters, and like Anzu demons, they occupy the pinnacle of mid-level demons. However, most mid-level demons would rather fight as steel demons than become long-tailed demons. The reason is simple: Long-tailed demons' duties require them to constantly interact with the old hags of the Despair Ashfield. While they're ambassadors, they're essentially servants. More seriously, this completely isolates demons from the power dynamics of Hell, reducing them to irrelevant, marginal figures with no chance of advancement.

"Whether I can do this or not is not up to you, little devil." The Ice Demon sneezed, spitting out a ball of ice, and said disdainfully, "Then please let the fair Lord Norman make the decision."

"I'll remind you again, I'm not a judge, and I don't make a ruling," Norman warned, raising his voice a little. He didn't continue until he saw the Ice Demon bow slightly to apologize.

"He's right, little devil." The horned demon turned around, only yellow eyes flickering on its backlit reptile face, like vicious and cold stars. "Whether you advance or not is determined by your contribution. However, in Baator, all devils must learn to obey the will of the Legion. If the Legion needs you to become a Long-Tailed Devil, you should become one. Obedience and selflessness are the iron laws of Baator."

"Let your iron rule go to hell." The little devil didn't dare to curse out loud. He thought hard about how to stop this, but the more he thought, the more desperate he became.

"The recommendation letter from Lord Tumnu is not enough for me to be promoted to a long-tailed demon. I'm afraid he also thinks that my ability is insufficient. I'm worried that I will disappoint you all." Hap suddenly remembered and quickly reminded the horned demon.

"It's okay, little devil. I'm sure you'll do fine." The Ice Demon's piercing voice finally changed, tinged with the smugness of a sure victory. He teased the little devil like a cat playing with a mouse, "So the promotion report I submitted to Lord Norman has the joint signatures of three high-level devils, including me."

"But my contributions aren't enough to qualify me for this level," the little devil said quickly. "Promotion to a Long-Tailed Devil requires 99 souls. I'm still far from that, and I don't deserve this honor."

"You are too modest, Harold Tim," the Ice Demon continued to tease the little devil, "Have you forgotten that Sassen is your 'first capture'? Even Lord Sfando praised the value of this soul. I believe you can do an excellent job as the Long Tail Demon."

Harp didn't know if the Abyss Demon Sfandor had truly praised Sassen's soul, but he knew he was almost finished. He could almost hear the sound of his brain racing under his skull, and the increasingly severe headache was throbbing and disturbing him.

The Horned Demon waited for a moment, and when he saw that the little devil couldn't think of any answer, he picked up his hammer again, tapped the table lightly, and said:

"Little devil Harold Tim, I declare that you will be promoted to..."

The door to the passage slammed open with a sound as loud as if it had been smashed open by a fireball. The attention of all the devils present was attracted by the loud noise. Even Norman put down his hammer and prepared to see who was so rude as to dare to interrupt the promotion ceremony.

The first to emerge from behind the door were at least two dozen young males of varying races. They were all at the peak of their strength, clad only in a few decorative silks or leathers. Their expressions were both gentle and passionate, like lovers in love. These males of different races prostrated themselves on the ground, forming a hot, robust carpet. At the end of this carpet, three dwarves squatted close together, like fleshy bridge piers. A handsome half-giant, eight feet tall, sat on the bridge pier with his arms dangling and his back straight, forming a muscular, high-backed chair.

Then appeared a group of child-sized wind fairies called Sylphs, their wings shimmering with rainbow light. With girlish faces, they sang hymns and fluttered their wings, hovering in mid-air, like colorful lanterns illuminating the dim room.

Finally, a slender, bright red foot touched the carpet, and out of the darkness emerged a woman with skin as red as a pomegranate and black hair that flowed effortlessly. Her perfect form was enveloped in a low-cut gown woven from a dense black mist, which swirled and tumbled as she moved, revealing her form indistinctly. Aside from a snake slung across her shoulder, she wore no ornaments, nor did she need any, for no jewelry could enhance her beauty.

As soon as she appeared, all the demons, including the almighty Lord Norman, began to breathe rapidly. The temperature in the room seemed to become warm and comfortable as she walked gracefully. The wind blowing from nowhere filled the air with the scent of saffron and musk.

Every step she took seemed to require careful consideration, making her swaying even more graceful. The carpet she stepped on made an indistinct groan. It was not until she reached the end of the carpet and sat gracefully on the half-giant's lap that all the demons came to their senses. They unconsciously held their breath and watched her walk the whole way, without any other reaction.

She made no attempt to introduce herself, merely leaning against the half-giant's outstretched arm, one foot idly rolling back and forth on the surface of a carpet. But all the demons already knew who she was.

All the demons knelt on the spot, not daring to speak. Only the voice of the Horned Demon Norman was heard:

"I admire your beauty. I am truly honored to have you here, Your Excellency Lady Lilith."

"Sorry to interrupt your work, Lord Norman." Lilith's plump lips opened and closed, making the horned demon almost unable to hear what she said.

"It is my duty to serve Grand Duke Dis, Grand Duke Baalzebul, and you," the horned demon flattered, not forgetting to mention his superior and the correct order of address. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"You are so thoughtful, Norman." Lilith said with a smile. "It's a little insignificant thing, not about me, but about my dear Xino..."

Hearing Sinoi's name, Harp raised his head slightly. Sure enough, standing behind Lilith's "chair" were three succubi, draped in black and white robes, their figures slender and black-winged. Lilith's presence overshadowed their brilliance. But no creature in Hell dared to ignore them. These succubi were the three angels who had tried to persuade Lilith to do good. Now collectively known as the "Sisters of Night," they practically symbolized Lilith herself.

The lust demon standing on the left chuckled, walked forward confidently and took off her hood. Her neatly combed golden hair fell to her heels like the sun. It was the charming demon Xinoyi.

"Let me explain to Lord Norman," she said sweetly to Lilith, who pulled her hair lovingly and lazily without objecting.

"We have no intention of disturbing your work, Lord Norman." Although he said so, Norman didn't dare to respond at all. Xino was famous for being spoiled, naive and willful.

"Lady Lilith came to the Second Prison at the invitation of Grand Duke Dis," she explained. "We were taking a break. I suddenly felt that the blessing I gave a while ago was touched. Since everyone was bored, I came over to take a look."

The little devil could have sworn that Xino winked at him with absolute certainty.

He seemed to know why his forehead hurt.

Chapter 27 Promotion Ceremony IV

"Are you referring to this little devil?" The horned demon naturally also saw Xinoyi's little movements and asked tentatively.

"Aha, it's really you, lovely Hap," Xino said, clapping her hands. She acted like a little girl who suddenly found a kitten in her garden. "Last time we parted in such a hurry that I didn't have time to thank you."

"My dear lady, it was just a trivial task. Thank you for remembering me." The little devil didn't know why Xino came here, but he had to seize this opportunity. "Forgive me for not inviting you to my promotion ceremony."

"I see. I'm sorry if I disturbed you," she said with a giggle, without even a trace of apology on her face. "So, what position will you be promoted to?"

"Ice Demon Igari-sama wants me to take on the responsibility of communicating with the old hags of Haibara and is preparing to promote me to Long-tailed Demon."

"That won't do. A little mouse like you will be eaten by those old ladies." Xino's voice was shrill and artificial, and he deliberately dragged his words. "Let me ask Lady Lilith to ask Igari's superiors to revoke the appointment for you."

After that, she turned to the only Ice Demon present and asked, "Which general of the Eighth Hell, Kania, do you serve under? Bifulong, Hutikin, or the pathetically abandoned Tuhedze?"

The Ice Demon's jaws moved several times, and he spoke with resentment, "My dear lady, I am the deputy commander of the second column under the command of Lord Sfando, the Abyssal Demon of the Seventh Legion of Kania."

"Ah, then I'm at my wit's end, little devil. My position isn't as high as the commander of the Kania Legion." The little devil covered her mouth, pretending to be embarrassed, and then turned to the ever-smiling Lilith and said, "My dear lady, please help this poor little thing. We can't let him become firewood for the old witches."