TV psychic Hiroshi "Esper" Watanabe "levitates" a train car for his television show when a voice mocks his act. A spotlight reveals the voice to belong to another TV psychic, Gil de l'Enfer, who says that Watanabe is a fraud. Watanabe says that he wasn't told he'd be facing an opponent, but Gil attacks his mind with a vision of flying boulders, causing Watanabe to realize that Gil is the real deal. Gil tells Watanabe to admit that he's a fraud. Watanabe refuses and Gil changes the vision to one of hellfire and brimstone. Meanwhile, Ai's minions head out to investigate the Shibatas and try to come up with a cover story in case Ai finds out. They arrive at Hajime's house and hear screaming coming from inside. Ichimoku Ren uses his eye to look inside and discovers that the noise is coming from the television. Hajime says that the show is fake, but Tsugumi isn't so sure and reminds Hajime that he believes in the Hell Girl. Meanwhile, Watanabe confesses to being a fraud onscreen. The minions are surprised to hear Hajime say that revenge is not a solution. Hajime brings up Tsugumi's visions and Wanyuudo realizes that Tsugumi has a connection to Ai. Ren closes his eye and the minions get ready to leave, but Gil says that he has given Watanabe a vision of Hell. Both Hajime and Ren find the idea absurd and the minions leave. Back at the studio, Ms. Abe, the director, decides to make Gil the new star of the show. Gil readily agrees and says that he has more plans for Watanabe. Gil says that he wants to get the Hell Girl to show up. Abe wonders how they can contact the Hell Girl, but Gil says that Watanabe will do it for them.
In the sunset world, the minions ask Ai about Tsugumi's visions. Ai knows nothing about it, which leads Hone Onna to suspect that the visions only go to Tsugumi. Hone Onna almost brings up the television show when Wanyuudo shushes her and gestures toward the spider, which is hanging from the rafters. Meanwhile, Watanabe tries halfheartedly to hang himself over his ruined career when he gets a call from Abe asking him to have a rematch against Gil. Watanabe enthusiastically agrees to show up at nine o'clock the next evening. The next day, Gil and Abe observe the construction of the set. Gil asks when the show will be aired and Abe says that since they're filming at midnight, the broadcast will be the next day. Abe tries to iron out the details with Gil, but the two are interrupted by Hajime. Hajime asks if Gil's story of having been to Hell is true, which Gil confirms. Hajime then asks about the Hell Girl, which catches Gil's attention. Hajime asks Gil to tell the Hell Girl that revenge solves nothing. Gil says that while Hajime's sentiment may be genuine, he argues that wanting revenge is completely natural. Gil says that one should indulge one's anger and sends Hajime a vision of his wife's gravestone flying at him. Gil agrees to relay Hajime's message but says that he doesn't expect a response. Later, the producers tell Watanabe, who has been brought to a room on the set, that Gil's shoot for another show is going overtime and force-feed him hot food to get him angry. Watanabe notices a laptop on the table next to him and accesses the Hell Correspondence. In the sunset world, Ai's minions continue to speculate where Tsugumi's visions of Ai's clients come from. Wanyuudo says that there may be a connection between Ai and Tsugumi. Before they can speculate any further, Ai comes out of the hut and says that they have a client. Ai boards Wanyuudo's carriage form and brings Ren and Hone Onna along in their straw doll forms.
Ai gives Watanabe Wanyuudo's straw doll and lays out the terms of the deal. Watanabe has second thoughts and Ai asks if the idea of selling his soul scares him. Gil says that the idea petrifies him and the walls lift up to reveal the set. Gil introduces himself to Ai. Watanabe tries to interrupt, but Gil flings more hot food at him. Gil challenges Ai to a duel and Ai summons Ren and Hone Onna, but Abe says that she and the camera crew can't see Ai or her minions. Watanabe is shocked to see that they don't appear on the camera. Hone Onna makes her face appear on the camera with her skull showing and Ren projects his eye into all of the camera feeds. The equipment seems to come alive as it ensnares Abe and dangles her from the ceiling while the camera crew runs away. Gil then shackles Ren and Hone Onna to the wall. He then relays Hajime's message, but says that Hajime should write and article about Hell, though he would have no way to return and would find it too horrible to comprehend. Appearing next to Ai, Gil says that his parents killed him because of his psychic powers, but that he returned from Hell to kill them in revenge. A door bursts open revealing a wall of fire as Gil says that killing his parents was the perfect crime with no witnesses and no consequences, which seems to shock Ai. Gil then tries to downplay his previous statements by saying that his powers have only brought him misery and now he banishes people who provoke him to Hell because he can. This causes Ai to glare at him. Gil asks if she understands, but gets angry when Ai says nothing. Gil uses his powers to fling Ai around the room and Ren yells at Wanyuudo to do something, but Wanyuudo says that he is powerless until the thread is untied. Gil continues to throw Ai around and says that she should use her power for herself. Gil pins her to the wall and changes her outfit to a doll-like dress before lighting her on fire. Gil then declares that "Hell Girl's reign is over" and releases Ren and Hone Onna, but Ai reappears completely unharmed. When her minions ask why she didn't do anything, Ai says they was thinking about something. Hone Onna tries to get Ai to fight back, but Ai says that no matter what she feels about Gil, the thread is still tied. Ai is about to leave when Watanabe says that Gil must be stopped. Watanabe says that Gil is going to send him to Hell eventually for trying to get revenge. Gil says that he forgives Watanabe who doesn't believe him says that his pride is all he has left. Watanabe pulls the thread and a giant hand crashes through the window to grab Gil. Gil is gnawed on be imps with the faces of the people he killed as Ai banishes him to Hell in front of a painting of demons. This imps continue to gnaw on Gil, who swears to break out of Hell again as Ai ferries him through Hell's gate.
Back in the world of the living, Watanabe is relieved that the whole ordeal is behind him, not noticing Hell's seal on his chest. In the sunset realm, Ai gets ready to meet another client, but sees an apparition of a young boy dressed in medieval Japanese peasant attire. The image vanishes as suddenly as it appeared and a candle with Watanabe's name is lit.
This episode contains examples of:
- Blessed with Suck: Averted. Gil de l'Enfer says that his powers bring him nothing but misery, but it's obvious that he's just fishing for sympathy.
- Clothing Damage: Gil does this to Ai by throwing her around the room. She reappears with the damage gone.
- Death Glare: In a first for the show, Ai gives one to Gil after his monologue. A later episode revealed that she did something similar after her death and the second season reveals that she was forced to become the Hell Girl because of it. Suffice it to say, Ai understood perfectly.
- Dragged Off to Hell: Gil claims he can do this, but it happens to him in the end.
- Dramatic Drop: The normally stoic Ai drops the flute she was cleaning when she sees a young boy's apparition at the end of the episode.
- Driven to Suicide: Watanabe tries halfheartedly to hang himself after Gil ruins his career.
- Elegant Gothic Lolita: The new outfit Gil gives Ai evokes this.
- Eyes Do Not Belong There: Ren projects his eye into the camera feeds.
- Foreshadowing: Ai's reaction to Gil's monologue foreshadows her own backstory.
- Ironic Hell: Gil gets gnawed on by imps in the shape of the people he killed while being ferried to Hell.
- Kill It with Fire: Gil tries to do this to Ai, but he fails to even hurt her at all.
- Large Ham: Watanabe is very hammy, which is lampshaded by Gil who hams it up somewhat as well.
- Leitmotif: Gil gets his own theme, though it doesn't get much use.
- Mind Rape: Gil seems to enjoy doing this to people.
- Number of the Beast: There's a 666 on the set's carpet, but it's not significant in any way.
- Ominous Pipe Organ: Gil's musical theme
, which can also be heard on the television In-Universe, utilizes this. - Psychic Powers: Gil has them and thinks that Ai does, too. Her powers are something else entirely.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Supernatural Powers!: Gil thinks so. Ai's Death Glare suggests that she disagrees.
- Self-Made Orphan: Gil murdered his parents in revenge for them killing him.
- Smug Snake/Smug Super: The only time that Gil isn't smug is when he gets ferried to Hell.
