Kaito slammed his locker shut, grinning as his friends laughed behind him.
"Did you see his face today?" one of them said. "Thought he was gonna cry."
Kaito snorted. "That guy? Please. He's been like that forever. Quiet, creepy, always reading those dumb hero novels."
He didn't hate the boy. Not really.
But picking on him felt… easy.
Kaito had always been popular. Good looks, decent grades, athletic. Teachers liked him. Girls noticed him. Life was smooth, predictable.
Heroes were supposed to be people like him, not some nobody hiding behind books.
That night, Kaito lay on his bed, scrolling through his phone. A fantasy anime played in the background—some chosen hero wielding a glowing sword.
"Tch," he muttered. "If heroes were real, I'd obviously be one."
The thought made him chuckle and smile.
He closed his eyes, still smiling.
And never woke up.
Darkness swallowed him.
"What the—?"
Kaito's eyes snapped open.
He wasn't in his room.
He floated in a vast white space, warm and endless. His body felt light—no weight, no pain.
"Am I dreaming?" he asked.
A voice answered.
"No."
It echoed from everywhere and nowhere.
Kaito's heart pounded. "Did I die?"
"Yes."
Fear flared—but only for a second.
A grin spread across his face.
"So… this is it?" he said. "Reincarnation? Don't tell me—am I getting powers?"
Light gathered before him, forming a towering figure cloaked in radiance.
"You will be reborn in another world."
Kaito clenched his fists, excitement surging.
"Yes! I knew it! I'm the chosen one, right? A hero?"
The being paused.
"…Yes."
Laughter burst from Kaito's chest. "I knew it. I knew I was special!"
Images flooded his mind—dragons slain, crowds cheering, a sword blazing with holy light.
Power.
Respect.
Everything he deserved.
"You won't regret choosing me," Kaito said confidently. "I'll be a hero to everyone."
The light intensified.
"Very well."
Pain.
Then breath.
Kaito screamed as air rushed into his lungs. He collapsed onto soft grass beneath a bright blue sky.
"What—what the hell—?"
He pushed himself up.
His body felt different. Stronger. Lighter. His reflection shimmered in a nearby stream.
Blond hair. Sharp eyes. A face that looked like something straight out of a fantasy illustration.
Before he could admire himself further, voices erupted around him.
"He's awake!"
"The Hero has awakened!"
Kaito looked up.
Knights knelt before him. A beautiful woman in robes clasped her hands in relief, tears in her eyes.
"Thank the gods," she said. "Hero, you have finally arrived."
Hero.
The word sent a thrill through his spine.
"So… this is real," Kaito murmured.
A translucent blue screen flickered into existence before his eyes.
[Hero System Initialized]
Name: Kaito Galdin
Class: Chosen Hero
Blessings: Divine Strength, Sacred Resistance, Hero's Growth
Unique Skill: Light of Salvation (Locked)
His breath caught.
This was better than any game. Any novel.
"This is insane…" he whispered, then laughed. "This is perfect."
The robed woman smiled gently. "Hero, when the Demon King awakens he will threatens our world. Only you can defeat him."
Demon King.
For a split second, an image flashed in Kaito's mind.
A quiet boy. Head lowered. Reading novels alone.
He frowned.
Why did that matter?
Kaito straightened, confidence returning.
"Don't worry," he said, placing a hand over his chest. "I'll kill the Demon King. I'll save this world."
Cheers erupted around him.
Knights bowed lower.
Kaito basked in it—the attention, the admiration, the certainty that fate itself was on his side.
Far away, in the depths of the Demon Realm, a newly awakened demon felt a chill crawl down his spine.
Two souls reborn.
One as the hero.
One as the demon.
And neither yet understood the irony of fate that bound them together.