124 – The Battle Where Assured Victory Was Predestined #1
The shareholders' meeting commenced.
The God of "Happy World"
Zagreus.
Has descended.
Clang! The conference room doors swung open, and in swept Zagreus, his red cape billowing dramatically, flanked by his faction.
"Nemesis, Hypnos... the prince's faction is impressive as ever."
"He even brought all his wives this time. That confident, huh?"
A mix of anticipation and tension hung in the air. Now the executives eyed the empty seat reserved for Princess Melinoë. The meeting was set to kick off at exactly 9 p.m.—just five minutes away.
"Shouldn't she be here ten minutes early? Melinoë still hasn't kicked that habit of showing up late. Or maybe she's scared of me and ran off."
Haha. The prince's hearty laugh echoed, and half the room joined in with their own ha-has. Half. That meant half the shareholders backed Zagreus.
In this standoff, Moros—the executive in charge of managing catastrophic business risks—pondered deeply.
After the Business Renewal, Prince Zagreus posted astonishing results. He kicked off civil engineering projects, cleaned up the riverbanks, and massively expanded Soul Society's apartments.
Everyone had called it reckless, but the civil works succeeded. Even rebranding the underworld's core headache—Tartarus—into "Happy World" and launching radical changes had been a smashing hit. Stock prices were soaring, bolstering Zagreus's position immensely.
In this situation, the odds are maybe 80-20 at best.
As the clock ticked to just seconds before 9 p.m.—
Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack. Footsteps echoed from the corridor beyond.
All eyes turned to the entrance. Would a new challenger emerge from there? The downfall of the old order? Or nothing at all—!
【NEO】
【New Moon and Ghost Goddess - Melinoë】
【Perfect and Beautiful Goddess】
The goddess in her pitch-black suit left everyone speechless. The most beautiful and perfect goddess, indeed. That arrogance was straight out of Cronus's bloodline.
But no one mocked it. The overwhelming spiritual pressure of her authority was anything but ordinary.
Rrrrrumble—
Moros narrowed his eyes at the surging black aura.
Rumors said she'd absorbed a massive amount of Divine Shares lately. This pressure rivals—or surpasses—the former Happy World president, Thanatos!
Moros was always composed. Yet even his heart raced now, after years without such thrill.
Powerful spiritual pressure. Her share percentage hovered near 50%. Almost matching what Melinoë had held right before her crushing defeat against Prince Zagreus.
Everyone thought it'd take centuries to recover that. But in mere years—just days, from the immortals' perspective—she'd fully restored it.
In that moment, the executives' gazes shifted.
"If she's gathered that many shares, we should at least hear her out."
"Yeah. In a shareholders' meeting, shares are everything."
This fight—might actually be worth watching.
"With everyone seated, I declare the shareholders' meeting open."
The CEO, silent as stone until now, finally spoke. As if on cue, Zagreus rose.
"Everyone's busy, so no point wasting time. Straight to the point."
His attitude was like a swaggering thug. Chairman Hades scowled.
"Zagreus, you insolent brat. Have you forgotten Nix and Erebos—far your seniors—are here? Mind your words."
All eyes flicked to Nix and Erebos. Once the underworld's top shareholders, their influence still rivaled the CEO family.
Nix, the night mother, smiled leisurely, as if watching amusing antics.
"No, it's fine. Zagreus has more than proven his worth so far. Empty bravado from the weak is arrogance, but the winner's audacity is rightful prerogative, no?"
True enough. Zagreus had won before—and kept proving it.
He spread his arms wide.
"Look at my Business Renewal. From the "Happy World" rebranding to every project—total success. Soul Society stocks have multiplied."
The comprehensive index, Hellsfi, had long surpassed 5,000. All proof of Zagreus's triumphs.
"Yeah! Keep it up!"
"Hellsfi hitting 10,000 next!"
"Sisyphus Electric's daily limit-up streak!"
Zagreus's supporters raised their voices. His demeanor grew bolder.
"My stance now? Status quo. That should be enough, right?"
Utter confidence in his victory. Now it was Princess Melinoë's turn.
Her expression remained serene.
"Zagreus. I acknowledge your Business Renewal's success. Back then, it was probably the best move. My loss was no fluke. But now? You're wrong. It's time for change again."
"Change?"
"The Tartarus rebels are a clear side effect of your renewal. An ongoing problem. And you haven't even grasped a solution."
"......"
The prince, who'd dominated the mood, fell silent. Had she struck a nerve?
Melinoë pressed on.
"Tartarus's gang attacked Artemis and stole her authority. Who knows who's next? Their power grows daily. Unpredictable."
The Tartarus rebels were a serious thorn. Without Deputy Director Jo's heroics halting their advance, chaos would have tanked the markets.
"Those Tartarus bastards!"
"Why keep stirring shit!?"
"Stocks drop, people die!"
Shareholders vented frustration. Moros, frankly, was impressed.
Princess Melinoë's grown so composed. Nothing like her defeated self last meeting. No rush, no nerves. Pinpointing Zagreus's weaknesses perfectly.
Finally, she looked the part of a goddess. Finally, on equal footing with Zagreus.
That was the problem.
"Melly, you've grown up nicely."
"I've always been grown."
"True. New Moon and Ghost Goddess Melinoë—I, Zagreus, recognize you as my worthy rival. Now you're finally worth sitting at the negotiation table."
"What?"
Melinoë scowled, annoyed. Moros caught a flicker of tension in her furrowed brow.
Prince Zagreus never backs down from a challenge. From now on, he'll treat Princess Melinoë not as a bratty sister, but a true competitor.
His skill and ruthlessness were undisputed among executives. But he'd spared Melinoë before—for shared blood.
No more.
"That confidence—is it thanks to Deputy Director Jo? Can't deny his influence in you calling this meeting."
Zagreus voiced what everyone thought. A bold strike at the weak point, no mercy—his specialty.
"...Deputy Director Jo has nothing to do with this meeting."
Melinoë deflected lightly. But her fingers fidgeted!
"Nothing at all? Doesn't match what I've heard."
Zagreus's eyes narrowed slyly. Everyone wondered:
Will he dig deeper into Jo?
It could turn into a mudslinging mess. But Zagreus stepped back.
"So, what about Tartarus? Spill more. You're not some amateur biting blindly without a plan."
Ceding the attack in this moment? Everyone was stunned—even his wives gaped.
"Ooh, shit...! Hotshot, did you eat something bad? Backing off a prime chance?"
"Nixdoty, was that mint choco pie you gave him this morning off?"
"I puked after eating it."
Whatever. Melinoë stayed calm. She had to be different this time—and she was. She had a solid pillar supporting her.
Thinking of that absent man bolstered her courage.
"Everyone knows where the Tartarus crew gets their power. No need to spell out their root. We target that core."
Exhale.
Soul Society, changed by Business Renewal, would change again—like a larva pupating into a butterfly.
"Soul Society is an eternal prison. But stagnant water rots. We need circulation. Hence, introduce a reincarnation system."
"Reincarnation?"
"Turning Soul Society into a mere transit stop!?"
"Order crumbles completely."
Executives clicked their tongues. As radical as the renewal itself.
"But it makes sense. Stagnant souls are ghostifying and rotting."
"Sacrifice the few for the many."
"More ghosts, and the shattered throne gains ground..."
Many nodded to Melinoë's pitch. Emboldened, she added:
"Not indiscriminate reincarnation. Only select candidates."
"Ho, how to select?"
"Make the process a special entertainment activity. Could fill Soul Society's gap in recreation and welfare."
"Entertainment? Gather reincarnation hopefuls for games?"
"Deathmatch sounds fun."
"Give idle souls work to delay ghostification."
"Reincarnate 'em, no ghosts."
Some shareholders found it intriguing. But Chairman Hades slammed the table.
"What!?"
"Executive Melinoë, this isn't a playground for your delusions and experiments. Souls and lives are no entertainment! Have you no awareness as Ghost Goddess?"
Melinoë's confident face hardened. Her hands trembled; executives flinched at the rebuke.
"Melinoë, confine yourself to your temple for reflection! Ten years. No leaving without my permission! Defy it, and face the law of blood and fire."
The chairman's fury shattered his neutrality. Unforeseen, everyone was shocked—even Nix and Erebos.
The daughter-obsessed fool who'd fetch stars from the sky...
Not that big a deal, though.
"......"
Under all eyes, Melinoë's widened in shock. Tears welled, spilling down her cheeks—then she whirled away.
The meeting ended there.
The chairman's unexpected rage chilled executives to the bone.
He bellowed to all:
"No one approach Melinoë during confinement! No one! Violators face strict, harsh punishment!"
It seemed aimed at everyone. But all pictured one man—her loyal retainer. How would he handle this?
Executives and major shareholders whispered to their intel networks.