Chapter 1 – I Reincarnated as Both the Hero and the Demon King, and Now the Yanderes Won’t Let Me Go

I won the genetic lottery.

No, scratch that.

I hacked the mainframe of the universe and set all my stats to max.

The sunlight hit my face, but it didn’t burn my eyes like the fluorescent lights of my old cubicle—it felt like a warm, heavenly notification… A notification that said Welcome to the Main Character Life.

I sat up in bed.

The sheets were silk—high thread count, expensive. The kind of fabric that would cost my entire previous annual salary.

I looked at my hands.

They weren’t the clammy, keyboard-calloused claws of a code monkey. They were strong… Large. Veins popped in all the right places, running up forearms that looked carved from marble.

I scrambled out of bed and rushed to the full-length mirror standing in the corner of the opulent room.

The reflection staring back wasn’t me.

“Holy…”

I touched my face.

The guy in the mirror touched his face.

He was tall—broad shoulders, abs that looked like a jagged mountain range. His hair was a perfectly messy mop of golden blonde that defied gravity without a single drop of product. And the eyes? Electric blue… They literally glowed.

“I’m a gigachad.”

I flexed.

The reflection flexed—a bicep the size of a cantaloupe bulged effortlessly.

“I’m actually him. I’m the main character.”

My voice was deep, baritone. It vibrated in my chest like a subwoofer.

I started laughing—it was a manic, joyful sound. The memories of my past life were already fading like a closed browser tab… The deadline crunch? Gone. The instant ramen dinners? Deleted. The crippling loneliness? Replaced by this absolute unit of a body.

This was the Isekai package—the premium subscription.

I felt a hum in my chest… A reservoir of energy that felt like a nuclear reactor idling in neutral. Magic. Infinite, overwhelming magic.

“Status window?”

Nothing happened.

“System?”

Still nothing.

“Okay, no HUD. Hardcore mode… I respect it.”

I didn’t need a menu to know I was overpowered—I could feel it. The mana flowed through my veins like caffeine, but without the jitters. I was the Hero, the chosen one, the guy on the cover of the light novel.

“Time to see the world. Time to find the harem.”

I winked at myself in the mirror.

“Easy mode, baby. No cap.”

The heavy oak door to my room creaked open.

I spun around, throwing up a casual pose. I leaned against the vanity, crossing my arms to accentuate the triceps… First impressions were everything.

“Oh, you’re finally awake.”

The voice was like melted honey—smooth, sweet, and sticky.

I froze.

The girl standing in the doorway was a cheat code.

She had sleek black hair that transitioned to golden-brown at the tips, styled in soft waves that framed her face perfectly. Her skin was pale porcelain, flawless and glowing. She wore an elegant blue military-style uniform jacket with gold trim and ornate embroidery, a crisp white shirt underneath, and a red ribbon tied at her collar. The outfit was immaculate, sophisticated—but the way it hugged her curves was anything but innocent. The fabric emphasized everything in ways that made my teenage brain short-circuit.

“I…”

My throat went dry.

She didn’t stay at the door.

She moved—fast.

One second she was across the room—the next, she was in my personal space.

“My Hero.”

She slammed into me.

It wasn’t a tackle—it was an embrace. Her arms wrapped around my waist, locking tight. She buried her face in my bare chest.

“Whoa—”

I stumbled back, hitting the mirror.

She didn’t let go… She squeezed harder.

“I was so worried. You were asleep for three days… Three whole days without seeing your eyes open.”

I could feel her breathing—hot puffs of air against my skin.

“Three days?”

“I counted every second. Two hundred and fifty-nine thousand, two hundred seconds.”

She looked up.

Her eyes were cyan-blue—bright, electric, mesmerizing. But they were wide… Just a fraction too wide. The intensity in them bordered on unhinged, swirling with obsessive devotion.

“I watched you breathe.”

She pressed closer.

The contact was electric. I could feel every curve, every soft inch of her pressing against me… It was overwhelming. My brain was throwing up error messages, unable to process the sheer level of female in my immediate vicinity.

“You… watched me?”

“Every breath. I had to make sure you were safe… I had to make sure no bugs crawled on you. No dust settled on your perfect skin.”

She lifted a hand—her fingers were slender, cold. She traced the line of my jaw.

“So handsome. So pure.”

This was it… The waifu. The dedicated childhood friend or the saintess. She was obsessed with me.

“What’s your name?”

I tried to sound cool, suave.

“Elizabeth. But you can call me yours.”

She giggled—the sound was light, but it had a jagged edge to it.

“Elizabeth. Nice name.”

“I prayed for you. I prayed that the Goddess would send the Hero of Light to me… And she did.”

She buried her face in my neck now. She inhaled deeply—a long, shuddering sniff that went on for an uncomfortable amount of time.

“You smell like destiny.”

She whispered it against my skin… Her lips grazed my collarbone.

“And a little bit like sweat. It’s intoxicating.”

Okay, red flag—a small one. A crimson little pennant waving in the wind. But look at her… She was a ten out of ten. A solid twelve. I could ignore a little bit of obsessive sniffing. That’s just passion, right? She was lowkey intense — but I was highkey into it.

“So, Elizabeth… What’s the plan?”

I tried to gently pry her off to get some breathing room.

She didn’t budge—she was like a limpet mine attached to a battleship.

“The plan?”

She pulled back just enough to look me in the eye again. That cyan gaze drilled into my skull.

“We go to the Dark Lands.”

Her voice dropped an octave—it went from honey to gravel.

“We find the Demon King.”

She smiled.

It wasn’t a nice smile—it was the kind of smile a shark gives before it tears a seal in half.

“And we kill him.”

“Right. Kill the bad guy… Classic.”

“No. Not just kill.”

She leaned in closer… Her nose brushed mine. Her eyes were manic now, swirling with a terrifying light.

“We’re going to tear him apart—limb from limb. I want to hear him scream. I want to bathe in his filthy black blood with you… Just the two of us. Soaked in gore. Holding hands over his severed head.”

“Uh…”

I blinked. That was specific.

“I want to peel his skin off… Slowly. And make a coat for you.”

She kissed my cheek—a wet, heavy peck.

“Wouldn’t that be romantic?”

My survival instinct flickered—just a little. This girl was unhinged… She was a whole box of loose screws. But she was also clinging to me like I was the last life raft on the Titanic, and the sensation of her softness was overriding my common sense.

“Yeah — totally. Sounds… metal.”

“It will be glorious.”

She hugged me tighter, if that was even possible… Her grip was bordering on painful.

“Just you and me. The Hero and his devoted Saintess… Eradicating the filth.”

“Right. The Demon King. He’s toast — cooked. Done for.”

I patted her head… Her hair was incredibly soft.

“I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

I felt confident. I had the power, I had the girl (even if she was a little scary). This was going to be a breeze… I was going to stomp this Demon King, get the loot, and live happily ever after.

“I love you.”

She whispered it into my chest.

“I love you so much I could eat you.”

“Let’s stick to the Demon King for now.”

I laughed nervously.

Then the world stopped.

Literally.

The dust motes dancing in the sunlight froze in mid-air—the sound of birds chirping outside cut off like a muted speaker. Even Elizabeth went still, her breath caught in her lungs, her warmth turning static.

What the…

A noise rang out—a sharp, digital ping.

A blue rectangle materialized in front of my face… It hovered there, translucent and glowing, right over Elizabeth’s frozen head.

《 Synchronization with Hero Body: Complete. 》

The text scrolled across the blue box.

“Finally. The HUD.”

I grinned—about time the tutorial kicked in. I expected to see my stats: Strength 999, Charisma 999, Luck 999.

Another box popped up.

《 Initiating Phase 2… 》

“Phase 2? Already? I haven’t even killed a slime yet.”

The text turned red—angry, pulsing red.

《 WARNING: Soul Split Detected. 》

My grin faltered.

“Soul split? Is that a bug?”

《 Error 404: Consciousness Overflow. 》

《 Rerouting excess soul data. 》

Rerouting? Rerouting where?

I tried to move, but I couldn’t… My body was locked in place, just like the room. Only my eyes could move, scanning the terrifying red text.

《 Primary Vessel: HERO (Occupied 50%) 》

Okay, fifty percent. That’s fine… Where’s the other fifty?

《 Transferring consciousness to Secondary Vessel… 》

《 Target Found: THE DEMON KING. 》

My heart stopped.

I read it again.

《 Target: THE DEMON KING. 》

“No.”

The word died in my throat.

《 Transfer Complete. Dual-Link Established. 》

《 You are now connected to: THE DEMON KING. 》

A vision flashed in my mind.

I saw a dark throne room—spikes, fire. A massive, hulking body covered in black armor… I could feel that body. I could feel the cold iron of the throne against a different back. I could feel the heavy, jagged sword in a different hand.

I was him.

I was the Hero.

And I was the Demon King.

The world unpaused.

Time rushed back in with a roar.

“I can’t wait to rip his guts out!”

Elizabeth squealed, squeezing me with renewed vigor—her face was flushed with the anticipation of violence.

“I’m going to use his spine as a necklace!”

She looked up at me, eyes sparkling with adoration and bloodlust.

“We’re going to make him suffer, right, darling? We’re going to make him beg for death.”

She was talking about me.

Technically.