You are hereby formally invited to the Avencia Estate for an extravagant soiree. Consider this a high honor, and wear your best clothes. Punctuality is expected. A perfect opportunity to make new connections with very important persons.

-The Avencia Family

All around Hell, high-ranking and important devils were receiving such letters in their mailboxes. The Avencia family was one of the wealthiest and most well-known families in Hell, and was responsible for much of the infrastructure and renovation that had gone on in Hell within the last few centuries. Everything from improving education and healthcare, to adding luxuries that could only be found exclusively in Hell itself.

Perhaps the most famous of the Avencia family was Deremos Avencia: a businessman who had skyrocketed to fortune in just a few short decades, through both his economic knowledge and his charismatic personality. At present, he stood at a window within the Avencia manor, gazing out across the red, rocky plains that made up Hell, a glass of red wine in his hand.

"Alcarus." He spoke.

Immediately, an aged devil with white and black-streaked hair and a beard appeared behind Deremos. "Yes, my Lord." He responded quietly.

"Have the invitations been sent?" Deremos asked.

"Promptly, and as you requested, my Lord. I've received word that all the invitations have reached their intended destination."

"Stellar work as always, Alcarus."

"You are too kind, my Lord. My Lord, might I ask, have invitations been addressed to the other Sins?" Alcarus inquired. He was speaking, of course, about the other six devils who ruled over Hell, each representing one of the Seven Sins: Gluttony, Pride, Envy, Lust, Wrath, and Sloth. Deremos himself represented the Sin of Greed, a title he was more than glad to have.

Deremos's expression subtly soured. "Several. I have excluded the ones I deemed... unfit to participate."

"With such a wide invitation list, surely one of your colleagues will notice their own lack thereof." Alcarus said, speaking carefully. "How would you like to proceed?"

There was a pause, then Deremos replied "Astute as ever, Alcarus. Fortunately, I've already given the order to quadruple the security detail this evening. You need not worry. The party shall continue as planned."

"Of course, my Lord. Forgive me." Alcarus bowed his head.

"No, Alcarus. I appreciate your concern. It has kept me alive on more than one occasion." Deremos turned his head slightly in Alcarus's direction. "I would be concerned if you hadn't asked, quite frankly. But rest assured—" He turned his head back to the window, seeing a fight that had broken out across the plains between devils, likely over one of the invitations that had been sent. His lips curled into a smile. "—This is a fine business opportunity for us. I won't allow anything to ruin it tonight."

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Neikona looked at the invitation in her hand. "Very important persons?" She made a face. "We're the most important people in Hell. Or is it that he wants others to become friends with us?" She crumpled up the invitation and went back into her house, trashing it along the way. "I've got better things to do than go to one of his stupid parties." She swept her long, black hair aside, then gazed at the male devil she had chained to her bed. She grinned, whip in hand. "Shall we continue, then?"

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Lunette was intensely focused on a game on her PC. In the trash next to her was a gilded ball of paper. Her eyes turned to the chat log.

>>sorry, im back, lol

<:(

>>had to throw out some junk mail

>>invitation from the avencias

<

<

>>who cares? besides its just gonna be a bunch of rich assholes making nice with each other

>>i got better things to do

Lunette rolled her eyes. "What a pain. He doesn't even like me, why'd he send me this garbage..." She rubbed her temples, before turning her attention back to the screen.

>>bruh, my buffs just ran out, are you gonna sit there like a dumbass

<

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"Please, my friends! Remain calm!" Vazios declared. "Of course I have received an invitation to the grand party that is happening this evening, never fear! I trust that I shall see you all there! Although parting is such sweet sorrow, I must bid you all adieu for now!" He waved, moving as fast as he could away from the crowd towards his front door.

"VAZIOS! SIGN MY HAND, PLEASE!"

"Mr. Vazios, are you going to be on the cover of Infernals Weekly again?"

"VAZIOS, WE LOVE YOUUUU!"

Vazios just barely managed to get inside, slamming the door behind him and locking it with a grin. "They're insatiable today. Who knew my fans could be so unruly?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter from his pocket. "Ah, Deremos, my old friend, it's so kind of you to send this to me...I shall treasure it always." He sighed with satisfaction. "But for now, I must start preparing! The party is but hours away!" He strode to his closet, and began rifling through his suits. "Hmm, purple, black, red..."

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"Miss Aelera."

"Not now. *mmf, munch* I'm eating."

"Miss Aelera, I'm afraid this can't wait."

Aelera paused, just before taking a massive bite out of a turkey leg. "I said, I'm EATING. Or did you want to become the next meal?"

Her servant fell silent, but Aelera let out a growl of frustration. "Argh! It's too late, you've spoiled my appetite. What, what's so important that you had to interrupt my lunch?"

"You've received an invitation from the Avencias, Miss Aelera." The servant spoke up. "I believe it's rather important."

Aelera snatched the letter out of her servant's outstretched hand, grumbling aloud "Deremos? What does that prick want now?" She opened it and read the invitation inside. After a brief pause, she snarled and crumpled up the letter, before promptly throwing it in her mouth and chewing.

The servant said nothing, but raised an eyebrow. Aelera glared at him, and growled "I'm not going." She swallowed, then returned to her meal.

"Miss Aelera, think of the opportunity."

"Haah? Opportunity? What opportunity?" She sneered.

"Given the Avencia's large quantity of wealth, it's highly likely there will be food present that you haven't tried before. Surely, there will be at least a buffet."

Aelera stopped eating for a moment, and considered. "Fine. I'll go. But if they run out of food, I'm gonna start eating the guests. And don't bother trying to get me into a dress. I'm going the way I always am." With that, she reached for the next plate of food.

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The day passed by quickly, and soon enough, it was time for the party. The Avencia manor stood proudly, its bright lights casting shadows on the surrounding area. Pillars lined the outside, and hedge sculptures were scattered through the area. At the center of the courtyard was a fountain. A large 'A' was the centerpiece, slowly turning and spewing water from each of its angles. Guests were lined up around the courtyard, each waiting in line to be granted entry into the opulent mansion.

"Next." A large, burly devil wearing sunglasses stood outside of the mansion's entrance, which had been blocked by a red rope barrier. A devil stepped up and said

"Alenhad Fadjna. I was invited." The bouncer checked a clipboard, and nodded, unhooking the rope. "Enjoy your night. Next."

"Outta my way, losers!" Came a voice. A female devil pushed her way to the front of the crowd — Aelera. As always, she wore a black hoodie with a tubetop underneath, her black hair pulled into two ponytails on either side. Black bike shorts covered her lower half and on her feet were simple, black sneakers. She stepped up to the bouncer.

"Aelera Rosales. If you don't know me, you must be an idiot."

Murmurs went around the crowd, along with a few disapproving and scared looks. The bouncer, however, smiled. "Good evening, Lady Rosales. Right this way." He unhooked the rope and let her in. Aelera turned and looked at the crowd behind her, pulling down one of her eyelids and giving an obnoxiously loud "bleehhhhh" before jogging into the mansion.

"Well! Such an undignified person invited to this party? Perhaps there was a mistake!" A loud voice announced, its owner striding to the front. There stood Vazios, his black hair swept back. He wore a black suit and red tie, a rose pinned to his chest. "Never fear! Hopefully my elegance will be enough balance such...boorish behavior." He smiled at the bouncer. "Vazios Viera. I'm on the list." The bouncer said nothing, but opened the rope in annoyance. "Thank you, my good devil!" Vazios bowed, before confidently striding into the manor.

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The rest of the guests were somewhat unremarkable, and true to their word, it seemed as though Neikona and Lunette wouldn't be making an appearance.

Inside, the manor was packed on all three floors. Guests filled the rooms, glasses filled with various wines and champagnes in each hand. Cheers went up from the crowd as Deremos appeared at the top of the grand staircase. He spread his arms and bowed. His hair was short, slicked back, and of course, black. On his nose were thin-rimmed, square glasses. He wore a red suit with a black dress shirt and tie, as well as red slacks and black dress shoes.

"My lovely guests!" He tapped a spoon against his glass to quiet the crowd. "Thank you, thank you. It is my great pleasure to have you all here tonight. The high class members of our lovely society are all present, and I expect before the end of the night, you'll find many things in common!" He winked, and the crowd laughed. "However, all business aside, this is a wonderful opportunity to let yourselves go, and enjoy all the luxuries the Avencia family can give you. My lovely parents are partially to blame for my success—" More chuckles rose from the guests. "—But not just them; all of you who have helped me, the members of our prestigious information network, and those who have never doubted me for a second; this is your night as much as it is ours! So, please, drink, feast, and be merry! And worry not; anything broken can be easily be replaced!" He chuckled. "That's enough from me!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd, and they began to disperse, left to their own devices. Deremos strode down the stairs.

"Deremos, my friend!" Vazios's voice could be heard as he approached.

Deremos had to make an effort not to show disgust on his face as he turned to Vazios with a smile. "Vazios, so good to see you." He pulled Vazios into a short hug. "Glad you could make it."

Vazios laughed. "Ah, my fans were simply ferocious this afternoon, but I managed to slip away long enough to attend your celebration! And I must say, you've outdone yourself this time around! The decor is simply marvelous! Say, how would you like to come to one of my book signings? I'm giving away copies of my autobiography for free! Not that you couldn't afford it full price, my friend!" Vazios gave him a knowing smile.

Deremos kept up his false warmth and said "Oh, that does sound enticing, but I'm afraid I'm fully booked out for the next month or two. Terrible thing, that."

"Busy as ever, eh? Well, nevertheless, I'll sign a copy and mail it to you! My treat!" Vazios insisted. "You're going to love it. It's all about how..."

As Vazios talked, Deremos pretended to nod and listen. However something caught his eye in one of the rooms. A girl with a long, black braid tied to one side, clad in a beige cardigan and jeans, glaring right at him. The other guests seemed to be simply ignoring her, as if she didn't exist. Deremos's eyes widened, and he started towards her, but as soon as a guest passed in front of her, she was gone.

"Did you hear me?" Vazios asked.

Deremos paused, then turned to Vazios. "I'm sorry, dear Vazios. Work must be taking my edge off; what were you saying?"

Vazios smiled. "I was asking, what about that new casino you're opening on Eistros? With all those refugees, I imagine it'll be quite profitable!"

Deremos gave him an odd look. "Eistros? I have no plans to open a casino on Eistros."

Vazios clapped his hand to his head. "Ah! The rumor mill has struck again! It seems my info was merely word-of-mouth. Well, in any case, I trust your other businesses are going well?"

Deremos tried his best to hide the irritation in his voice as he said "Yes, of course. Um. I'm terribly sorry, there's a matter that I must be tending to at the moment. Rather important, so if you don't mind—"

"Say no more, my friend!" Vazios chuckled. "Wealth never rests, eh? I'll let you get back to it. Still, you should enjoy the party, even as the host!" Vazios waved and walked off. Deremos strode up the stairs, and into one of the empty bedrooms.

"Alcarus." Deremos growled.

"Yes, my Lord." Alcarus appeared in front of Deremos in a burst of smoke.

"I'm quite sure Envy wasn't on the guest list. Would you care to explain to me how she got here?"

Alcarus remained composed. "Forgive me, my Lord. We were not aware she was even present. Where was she spotted last?"

"Living room, west wing, second from the right." Deremos responded swiftly. "How is our security detail?"

"As robust as ever, my Lord. If I may be so bold, is it possible that she's masking her presence?" Alcarus asked.

Deremos fell silent, then slammed his hand on a windowsill, putting cracks in the wood.

"Understood, my Lord. We shall release anti-spells around the mansion as soon as possible. We'll place the manor under lockdown as well. How would you like to inform the guests?"

"I don't care how. Make it happen." Deremos snapped.

"Understood, my Lord. It shall be done. Again, forgive us for not detecting her sooner. A thousand pardons." Alcarus bowed, then disappeared.

The room was silent for a time, and then Deremos growled to himself. "Damn her. I won't allow her to ruin this gathering. We've spent months on this, planning in advance, hiring, firing, commissioning. I'll ensure this is over before it's even begun." Deremos stood up, straightened his tie, and pushed the loose hair that had fallen into his face aside. With that, he walked out.

At the bottom of the stairs stood Aelera, her hands on her hips. "Hey, asshole! I only came because I heard there was gonna be fancy food! Where is it?"

Deremos sighed. "The dining hall is past the stairs to the right. And please, try not to make a mess?"

"No promises!" Aelera snarked, before dashing off.

Deremos massaged his forehead. When he looked up, there she was again, standing before the front door. Beige cardigan, jeans. Long, black braid. And a look that made Deremos's blood run cold. She pulled out a short, black dagger from her sleeve, and tossed it into the air, before grabbing by the handle. After a moment, she vanished.

"Sir."

A voice sounded behind Deremos, and he jumped almost a foot in the air. He turned, angrily. "WHAT?!" Alcarus stood behind him, and Deremos's expression softened. "...Apologies, Alcarus—"

"Think nothing of it, my lord. Anti-spells have been meticulously around the mansion. You need only give the signal, and they will activate."

"Get all the guests into the courtyard. Then, pull the trigger." Deremos growled. "Lock this place tighter than the Gates of Hell."

"It will be done, my Lord." Alcarus nodded.

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After all the guests had been evacuated, Deremos turned to Alcarus, and walked back inside, waving his fingers. Alcarus put a hand to his head, paused, and then nodded to Deremos. Instantly, the mansion gained a reddish-purple glow to it, intricate sigils and writing covering the exterior.

Gasps erupted from the crowd as they watched, but Alcarus rose his voice. "Do not be alarmed, fair guests! The master of the household has everything under control. If all goes well, this shall only take a few minutes. In the meantime, I encourage you all to continue as normal! Please, enjoy yourselves! The servants have prepared an outdoor refreshment area, which I encourage you all to try!"

Inside the mansion, at the top of the steps, there she was. She glared at Deremos, who stood at the bottom.

"Bastard." She hissed.

"It's good to see you too, Selena." Deremos snarled.

Selena twirled the knife in her hand. "Bastard." She repeated. "Underhanded. Locking me in here, and canceling my masking abilities. How much more can you throw mud in my face?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about—" Deremos began.

"LIAR!" She yelled. "You never sent an invite to ME. For this stupid party. Vazios and Aelera are here. You must've sent invites to them."

Deremos was quiet for a time, then replied "Yes. I did."

Selena gritted her teeth and pressed the blade into her hand. "Then why wasn't I invited?! You probably sent invites to all the other Sins. Abhorrent prick."

"That's not true." Deremos responded. "I only sent invites to Lunette, Vazios, Neikona, and Aelera. I didn't send them to you...or Rylitus."

This only made Selena angrier. "You sent invites to everyone but me and WRATH. How dare you lump me in with him?" She spat.

"Enough." Deremos said sharply. "You are endangering Hell's upper class with this petty grudge. Leave now, or I, and my security detail, shall make you."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm leaving." Selena chuckled. "But not until I destroy every inch of this manor you call home. What was it again? 'Anything broken can be easily replaced?'" She smirked. Deremos clenched his fists tightly. On his hands, golden knuckles shimmered into existence. "Oho, using our Sin weapon, are we? What an honor." Selena said in disgust. In her hand, the knife began to glow. "I suppose I'll meet you halfway, then."

Without warning, she launched herself at Deremos. He put his hands up to block, but not fast enough: Selena's knife ran swiftly across his throat, before being plunged into his chest, then his sides, and finally his lower legs. She leaped back as blood began to fountain from each of the places she had stabbed him. It wasn't long before the bleeding stopped, however, the wounds healing in seconds. Deremos let out a growl, and retaliated by planting his fist against Selena's face, sending her flying in a devastating blow. She burst through wall after wall, finally slumping at the end of the hallway. She hissed, spitting blood onto the floor, before getting up and flying at Deremos once more.

He grabbed her hands and they struggled against each other. Eventually Deremos began to push harder, overpowering Selena and throwing her to the ground. There, he threw blow after blow, hitting Selena as hard as he could with the spiked golden knuckles. Craters formed in the floor after each punch, and blood was sent flying from Selena's face. Some of it landed on Deremos's suit, and at this, he yelled in anger, only hitting Selena harder.

For almost fifteen minutes, Deremos assaulted Selena, doing everything he could to incapacitate her; breaking her wrists and legs, hitting as hard as he could at her internal organs. Finally, he stood up, panting heavily, his suit now coated in blood. He spat on Selena, who had long since fallen unconscious. Her face was already healing from Deremos's attack, but Deremos didn't care. He swiftly pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Neikona." He said once she picked up. "Your 'friend' is here. Get here, and get her out of my sight, before I kill her." Without waiting for a response, he hung up, and threw the phone at Selena.

"Alcarus." Deremos called.

"Yes, my Lord." Alcarus said, appearing before Deremos once again.

"Clean up this mess. And drag this arrogant bitch to the courtyard. Leave her there and keep an eye out for Lust; she'll be picking her up."

"Yes, my Lord." Alcarus bowed, before vanishing in a burst of black vapor.

Deremos unbuttoned his bloody suit and threw it to the floor in disgust. He slicked his hair back and straightened his glasses, before striding out into the courtyard, eliciting gasps from the crowd. He looked down and noticed his slacks were covered in dark bloodstains. With as much of a smile as he could muster, he announced "I apologize, ladies and gentlemen! We received a threatening message yesterday, and it seems the thief has shown herself. Not to worry though, we have dealt with the threat accordingly, and, in a few minutes, the manor shall be cleaned and you may re-enter. For now, I'd like to make a few recommendations on the refreshments here in the courtyard! In my personal experience..."

As Deremos continued to entertain the guests, Alcarus sighed inside the mansion, watching the other servants work. "What a mess..." He grumbled, before getting to work, himself.