Akashic_Tales Originals
Hades, Inc.: The Billionaire God of Death's Chaotic System
Chapter 9: The K-pop Catastrophe
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Haiden Black had faced many challenges in his immortal existence. He'd judged the souls of history's greatest tyrants. He'd negotiated peace treaties between warring pantheons. He'd even survived family dinners with Chaos, Zeus, and Odin at the same table.
None of that had prepared him for the sheer sensory assault of a K-pop concert.
"Remind me again why I'm here?" he shouted to Luna over the deafening roar of the crowd.
They stood in the VIP section of Seoul's largest arena, surrounded by glowsticks, screaming fans, and enough strobe lighting to trigger seizures in lesser beings. On stage, Aria Celeste, known to her millions of fans as simply "Aria", performed with her group Celestial Glow, five young women in matching outfits executing perfectly synchronized dance moves.
"Because the System commanded it," Luna replied calmly, somehow audible despite the noise. "And because Aria requested your presence specifically."
[Quest Update: Attend K-pop Concert]
[Progress: 50%]
[Remaining Objective: Stay until finale and participate in fan chants]
Haiden groaned as the floating text reminded him of his obligation. This particular quest had appeared that morning, much to his dismay. Apparently, his father thought the God of Death needed more exposure to contemporary entertainment.
"I ruled the Underworld for millennia," he muttered. "I've judged billions of souls. And now I'm expected to wave a glowstick and chant fan slogans?"
"Consider it cultural education," Luna suggested, her lips curving in a rare smile. "Besides, Aria is actually quite talented."
On stage, Aria spun in a perfect pirouette before launching into a high note that lasted impossibly long, a subtle use of her angelic heritage that her human fans attributed to exceptional vocal training.
Haiden had to admit, she was impressive. Since joining his inner circle, Aria had proven herself to be more than just a celestial spy or a pop idol. She was intelligent, resourceful, and surprisingly adaptable for a being created to follow divine orders.
The fact that she maintained a successful music career while secretly investigating supernatural phenomena was testament to her extraordinary abilities.
"She's watching us," Luna noted, nodding toward the stage.
Indeed, Aria's eyes had found them in the VIP section. She gave an almost imperceptible nod before launching into the group's biggest hit, "Divine Love."
The crowd erupted in coordinated fan chants, waving light sticks in perfect unison. Luna joined in seamlessly, having apparently memorized the chants despite claiming to have "no interest in mortal entertainment."
Haiden stood awkwardly, feeling ridiculously out of place. The God of Death at a K-pop concert. If the other deities could see him now, he'd never hear the end of it.
[System Warning: Fan Participation Required]
[Failure to participate will result in penalty activation]
With a sigh of cosmic proportions, Haiden picked up the light stick Luna had brought for him, pink, of course, and halfheartedly joined the chanting.
"A-RI-A! CELESTIAL GLOW! A-RI-A! CELESTIAL GLOW!"
The things he did to avoid his father's penalties.
---
Two hours later, as the concert finally ended, Haiden found himself backstage, waiting in Aria's dressing room alongside Luna and an unusually agitated Cerberus. The hellhound, still in corgi form, paced nervously, occasionally growling at shadows.
"Something's wrong," Haiden observed, watching Cerberus's behavior. "He senses something."
Luna nodded, instantly alert. "Divine or infernal?"
"Neither," Haiden replied, extending his senses. "Something... in between. Fallen, perhaps."
The door burst open, and Aria rushed in, still in her performance outfit, a shimmering silver dress with subtle wing motifs that played on her stage persona without revealing her true nature. Her face was flushed with performance adrenaline, but her eyes were sharp with concern.
"We have a problem," she announced without preamble. "There was someone in the audience. Someone not human."
"There are several non-humans in your fan base," Luna pointed out. "Including that vampire boy band that follows your tour."
"Not them," Aria shook her head. "This was different. Powerful. Watching me specifically."
Haiden exchanged a glance with Luna. "Did you recognize the energy signature?"
"That's just it," Aria said, beginning to change into street clothes behind a privacy screen. "It felt familiar, but... wrong. Like a celestial being that's been corrupted somehow."
"Fallen," Haiden confirmed. "Cerberus sensed it too."
"Could it be connected to our financial embezzler?" Luna suggested. "Or the killer?"
"Possibly both," Haiden mused. "A fallen angel would have the knowledge to manipulate Heaven's systems and the divine fire to execute the murders."
Aria emerged from behind the screen, now dressed in jeans and a hoodie, her stage makeup partially removed. Without the performance glamour, she looked younger, more vulnerable, though Haiden knew she was actually centuries old.
"There's something else," she said hesitantly. "I think they recognized me. Not as Aria the idol, but as Ariel's operative."
This was concerning. Aria had been sent to Earth by her superior, the Archangel Ariel, long before Haiden had faked his death. Her mission had been to monitor supernatural activity in Seoul, using her music career as cover. When Haiden established Elysium Corp, she had been assigned to watch him specifically, a task that had eventually led to her becoming part of his inner circle instead.
"If they recognized your divine nature, they might make the connection to me," Haiden said grimly. "And to our investigation."
"We should move quickly," Luna advised. "The next victim—"
"Kim Sung-ho," Haiden nodded. "Detective Moon is already setting up surveillance at his residence."
"Without backup?" Aria looked alarmed. "Against a fallen angel?"
"She has iron," Haiden said, as if that explained everything.
Luna and Aria exchanged exasperated looks.
"Iron won't stop a determined celestial assassin," Aria pointed out. "Especially one that's fallen and no longer bound by Heaven's rules."
"Which is why we're going to join her," Haiden decided. "Right now."
As they prepared to leave, Haiden's phone buzzed with a text from Kyra:
*Movement outside target's penthouse. Strange lights. Coming alone was a mistake. Need backup NOW.*
"Change of plans," Haiden announced, his voice taking on the resonant quality that reminded everyone present of exactly who and what he was. "We're taking a shortcut."
Without waiting for response, he drew a symbol in the air, a gesture that tore reality itself, creating a swirling portal of darkness in the middle of the dressing room.
"A portal?" Aria gasped. "In public? Are you insane?"
"Probably," Haiden admitted. "But Detective Moon is in danger, and time is a luxury we don't have."
Luna stepped toward the portal without hesitation. "I'll go first. My senses are sharper in darkness."
She disappeared into the swirling void. Cerberus followed, transforming mid-leap from corgi to his true hellhound form, three heads snarling in anticipation.
Aria hesitated. "If I cross through your portal, Heaven will know. They monitor all unauthorized dimensional transitions."
"Heaven already knows I'm active," Haiden reminded her. "Ariel paid us a visit, remember? Besides, saving lives trumps celestial protocols."
With a resigned nod, Aria stepped into the portal, her form briefly illuminated by her own inner light before the darkness swallowed her.
Haiden followed last, the portal closing behind him with a sound like reality sighing in relief.
[Quest Interrupted: Emergency Override]
[New Quest: Save Detective Moon]
[Reward: Enhanced Divine Perception (48-hour duration)]
[Penalty: Permanent Loss of Connection to Chosen Mortal]
Even the System recognized the gravity of the situation. Haiden felt a surge of something unfamiliar, concern for a mortal that went beyond his usual detached interest. Detective Moon had somehow become important to him, not just as an investigative partner but as... something else. Something he wasn't ready to examine too closely.
The portal deposited them on the rooftop across from Kim Sung-ho's luxury penthouse. The night was clear, the city lights creating a glittering panorama below them. But Haiden's attention was immediately drawn to the disturbance at the penthouse's terrace.
A figure wreathed in golden fire hovered outside the glass doors, while inside, Detective Moon stood protectively in front of a terrified man who could only be Kim Sung-ho. She held her service weapon in one hand and what appeared to be an iron fireplace poker in the other.
"Brave but foolish," Luna observed. "She's no match for a fallen angel."
"Then it's a good thing she has us," Haiden replied, his form beginning to shift subtly as he allowed more of his true nature to surface. Shadows gathered around him, and the air grew heavy with the weight of his divine presence.
Aria's eyes widened. "You're not going to reveal yourself? The consequences—"
"Are irrelevant compared to the detective's life," Haiden cut her off. "Luna, circle around and extract Kim Sung-ho. Aria, provide celestial interference, anything to disrupt the fallen one's concentration. Cerberus, come with me."
Without waiting for acknowledgment, Haiden leapt from the rooftop, shadows billowing around him like wings as he crossed the impossible distance between buildings. Cerberus followed, his massive form bounding through the air with supernatural grace.
The fallen angel turned just as Haiden landed on the terrace, surprise evident even through the golden flames that surrounded it.
"Impossible," it hissed, its voice a corrupted version of celestial harmonics. "You're dead. The Underworld mourns its lost king."
"Reports of my death were greatly exaggerated," Haiden replied, stepping forward. The shadows around him solidified, forming a armor-like second skin. "Now, step away from the mortals."
The fallen angel laughed, a sound like breaking glass. "The mighty Hades, defending mortals? How far you've fallen."
"Says the angel who's literally fallen," Haiden countered. "Let me guess, Zadkiel? You always were ambitious beyond your rank."
The golden flames flickered, confirming Haiden's guess. Zadkiel had been a minor angel in Heaven's accounting division, with access to redemption credits and soul allocations.
"You understand nothing," Zadkiel snarled. "Heaven wastes its resources on undeserving souls while the truly worthy are condemned to your realm. I merely... redistributed divine favor to those who could appreciate it."
"By selling stolen redemption credits to the highest bidder," Haiden concluded. "And then killing your clients when they discovered the truth."
Inside the penthouse, Kyra watched the confrontation with wide eyes, her weapon still trained on the flaming figure but her attention now split between the immediate threat and the impossible sight of Haiden Black transforming into something... else. Something ancient and powerful and decidedly not human.
Luna appeared silently beside her, making her jump.
"We need to get Mr. Kim out of here," the CFO said calmly, as if supernatural battles on penthouse terraces were a regular occurrence. "This is about to get messy."
"What... who is he?" Kyra managed, unable to tear her eyes from Haiden's transformed state.
"Someone you really don't want to see angry," Luna replied, helping the shell-shocked Kim Sung-ho to his feet. "Now move."
Outside, the confrontation escalated as Aria arrived, her own celestial nature now fully manifest. Gone was the K-pop idol; in her place stood a warrior of Heaven, her wings a brilliant white that contrasted sharply with the fallen angel's corrupted gold.
"Traitor," Zadkiel spat upon seeing her. "You side with the Lord of Death against your own kind?"
"You stopped being 'my kind' when you betrayed Heaven's trust," Aria replied, her voice carrying the pure harmonics of true celestial speech. "And when you murdered innocents."
"Innocents?" Zadkiel laughed again. "They were wealthy sinners who thought they could buy their way into Heaven. They deserved their fate."
"That wasn't your judgment to make," Haiden said, his voice now containing echoes of the countless souls he had judged. "Soul allocation is governed by cosmic law, laws you swore to uphold."
"Laws that favor the status quo," Zadkiel countered. "That keep you and the other ancient gods in power while the rest of us serve eternally."
Haiden's expression darkened. "Is that what this is about? Divine politics?"
"It's about justice," Zadkiel declared, the golden flames intensifying. "And creating a new order, one where divine favor is earned, not assigned by outdated systems."
"By selling it to the highest bidder?" Aria asked incredulously. "That's not justice, it's corruption."
"Enough talk," Zadkiel snarled, gathering fire in his hands. "You've found me out, but you won't stop what's coming. The system is already changing. This is just the beginning."
He hurled a ball of golden flame directly at Haiden, who didn't even attempt to dodge. The divine fire engulfed him completely, then sputtered out, leaving him untouched.
"Did you forget who I am?" Haiden asked quietly. "I am the God of Death. I existed before your kind was even a thought in Creation's mind. Divine fire cannot harm me."
For the first time, uncertainty flickered across Zadkiel's face.
"You, on the other hand," Haiden continued, stepping forward, "are vulnerable to something far older than Heaven's justice."
He raised his hand, and darkness pooled in his palm, not the absence of light, but something more fundamental. The void between stars. The emptiness before creation. The ultimate end of all things.
"Wait," Zadkiel pleaded, his confidence evaporating. "I can explain everything. I have information, about a larger conspiracy. I'm just a pawn."
"A pawn who murdered four people," Haiden replied coldly. "Their souls cry out for justice."
"The System," Luna called from inside. "It's updating."
[Quest Update: Fallen Angel Confronted]
[New Objective: Extract Information Before Judgment]
[Warning: Cosmic Conspiracy Confirmed]
Haiden paused, the void still swirling in his palm. "Talk, Quickly."
Zadkiel's golden flames dimmed as he lowered himself to the terrace. "It wasn't my idea. I was approached, by someone powerful. Someone with access to both realms."
"Who?" Aria demanded.
"I don't know their true identity," Zadkiel admitted. "They contacted me through encrypted channels. Called themselves 'The Mediator.' Said the divine order was stagnating and needed... disruption."
"And you believed them?" Haiden asked skeptically.
"They had credentials," Zadkiel insisted. "Knowledge that only someone with high clearance could possess. They showed me proof that the system was rigged, that souls were being misallocated for political purposes."
Luna emerged onto the terrace, leaving Kyra and Kim inside. "That aligns with the financial discrepancies I found. Someone's been manipulating the system from both sides."
"The murders," Haiden pressed. "Why kill your clients?"
"They weren't supposed to die," Zadkiel said, his voice dropping. "They were supposed to be... reallocated. Their souls extracted and placed in a neutral holding pattern until the new system was established. But something went wrong with the extraction process."
"You botched the soul removal," Aria realized. "Divine fire is meant to purify, not destroy. You lost control."
Zadkiel nodded miserably. "The first one was an accident. But then The Mediator said we had to eliminate all traces. That the plan was too important to fail because of a few mortal lives."
Haiden exchanged glances with Luna and Aria. This was bigger than they had imagined, not just embezzlement and murder, but a conspiracy to reshape the cosmic order itself.
"Where were the stolen souls and redemption credits going?" Luna asked. "I couldn't trace the final destination."
"A buffer realm," Zadkiel replied. "Something new. Neither Heaven nor Hell. A third option being built by The Mediator."
"Impossible," Aria declared. "Creating a new afterlife realm would require power on the scale of—"
"A primordial deity," Haiden finished, his expression grim. "Or several lesser gods working together."
Inside the penthouse, Kyra watched the exchange with growing confusion and alarm. The conversation had moved beyond her understanding, but one thing was clear: Haiden Black was not human. Neither were Luna, Aria, or the massive three-headed dog that now prowled the terrace.
And somehow, she wasn't as surprised as she should have been.
Pieces were falling into place, Haiden's impossible knowledge, his cryptic comments about the "afterlife industry," the way reality seemed to bend slightly around him. She had been investigating him, but she had never expected... this.
"What happens now?" she whispered to herself.
As if hearing her, Haiden turned toward the penthouse, his eyes meeting hers through the glass. For a moment, his expression softened, becoming almost apologetic.
Then he turned back to Zadkiel, decision made.
"You will be judged," he declared, his voice once again resonating with divine authority. "Not by me, I'm retired, after all, but by the proper authorities."
He made a complex gesture, and golden chains materialized around the fallen angel, binding his wings and power.
"Aria, contact Ariel. Tell her we have a prisoner who needs celestial containment and interrogation." He turned to Luna. "Secure Kim Sung-ho. He's still a target until we find this 'Mediator.'"
Both women nodded and moved to their tasks. Cerberus remained vigilant, all three heads watching Zadkiel with predatory focus.
Haiden approached the penthouse doors, hesitating before sliding them open to face Detective Moon.
Kyra stood her ground, service weapon now pointed directly at him. Her hand was steady, but her eyes revealed her inner turmoil.
"Detective," he began.
"Don't," she cut him off. "Just... don't. I need a minute to process... whatever this is." She gestured vaguely at his transformed appearance.
Haiden nodded, allowing his manifestation to recede. Shadows withdrew, and his form became more human-like, though an aura of power still surrounded him.
"You're not human," Kyra stated flatly.
"No," Haiden admitted. "I'm not."
"What are you?"
Haiden considered his answer carefully. The truth could break her mind, but lies would break the trust they had built.
"I think you already know," he said gently. "You've been putting the pieces together since we met."
Kyra's grip on her weapon tightened. "Say it. I want to hear you say it."
"My name is Haiden Black now," he said. "But for most of existence, I've been known as Hades. God of the Underworld. Lord of the Dead."
Kyra's face went pale, but she didn't lower her gun. "That's impossible."
"Says the woman who just witnessed a battle between celestial beings on a penthouse terrace," Haiden pointed out with a hint of his usual dry humor.
Despite everything, Kyra felt a hysterical laugh bubble up. "This is insane. I'm insane. Or hallucinating."
"You're neither," Haiden assured her. "You're just experiencing a significant paradigm shift. It happens to everyone eventually."
"Everyone doesn't discover that Greek mythology is real and their consultant is actually the God of Death," Kyra countered.
"Fair point," Haiden conceded.
They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of revelation hanging between them.
"The murders," Kyra said finally. "They were committed by... an angel?"
"A fallen angel," Haiden corrected. "Working for someone more powerful, someone trying to reshape the cosmic order."
"And you're investigating because..."
"Because it affects my former domain," Haiden explained. "And because innocent souls are being manipulated. Just because I'm retired doesn't mean I've abandoned my responsibilities entirely."
Kyra finally lowered her weapon, though she kept it in hand. "This is a lot to process."
"I know," Haiden said sympathetically. "If it helps, you're handling it better than most mortals. Usually there's more screaming and existential crisis."
"The night's still young," Kyra replied dryly.
Haiden smiled, relieved to see her spirit intact despite the shock. "We should get you and Mr. Kim somewhere safe. This conspiracy is bigger than we thought, and you're both witnesses now."
"I'm still a detective," Kyra reminded him. "This is still my case."
"Of course," Haiden agreed. "Just with a slightly expanded jurisdiction."
"From Seoul homicide to... cosmic crime?" Kyra suggested, a hint of her usual sharpness returning.
"Exactly," Haiden nodded. "Welcome to the supernatural division, Detective Moon. The hours are terrible, the dangers are literally otherworldly, and the paperwork spans multiple dimensions."
"But the company is interesting," Kyra finished, holstering her weapon at last.
Haiden's smile widened. "Never a dull moment, I promise you that."
Outside, Aria had opened a communication channel to Heaven, a beam of light stretching from her palm into the night sky. Luna was speaking quietly with Kim Sung-ho, who appeared to be in shock. Cerberus maintained his guard over Zadkiel, who sat defeated on the terrace floor.
[Quest Complete: Detective Moon Saved]
[Reward: Enhanced Divine Perception unlocked for 48 hours]
[Bonus: Mortal Connection Strengthened]
The System's approval glowed before Haiden, but for once, he paid it little attention. His focus remained on Kyra, who stood at the threshold between her old understanding of reality and a new, vastly expanded one.
The fact that she was still standing, still thinking, still determined to solve the case despite everything she had witnessed, it confirmed what he had suspected from their first meeting.
Detective Kyra Moon was extraordinary.
And in an existence spanning eons, "extraordinary" was perhaps the rarest and most valuable quality of all.