I died trying to be a hero, saving someone who would never remember my name.
Now I'm a demon.
And this time… I won't die quietly.
Sirus Rose, ex-soldier and-until recently-a business owner. Or perhaps I should say former business owner
It was late, far past the hour I usually head home. Instead of returning straightaway, I decided to unwind at my favorite ramen shop, just a few blocks from my office. I was tired—my limbs heavy, thoughts fogged—so I took a shortcut.
The alley was familiar, though not frequently used. Homeless souls and alcoholics haunted its length, and it reeked of decay, urine, and forgotten lives. Still, I turned the corner.
What a mistake.
And then I heard it. A scream—sharp, feminine, desperate.
So what do I do you may ask? Why as a man I would obviously help a fellow human being shouting in the middle of the night. Humans could do that much, right?
She was backed against a wall, trembling, hands pressed flat behind her as if to vanish into the bricks. Knees together, clothes torn, fear spilling from her eyes. Two men loomed over her—both in black. One wore an oni mask, ridiculous if the moment weren't so real. He held a bat. The other, hand trembling, aimed a Glock 17.
Lightweight. Semi-automatic. Accurate. Familiar.
The alley was dim, the air tense and sour. The woman looked like she was being robbed, but her torn shirt hinted at something worse. Much worse.
I had no weapon—just muscle memory and instincts dulled by peacetime and ramen.
It was already too late to run back as the woman and the criminals were already aware of my presence. Not that I was planning to flee out of this one. Fortunately, I was still a fair distance away from the scene as that way I could assess the situation.
Sirus keenly observed the situation and his limited options while he tensely locked eye contact with the masked men.
The masked men looked at each other slowly and the one with the bat slowly nodded his head and whispered to his partner with a shaken voice. "H-hey man… I'm n-not ready for this yet…
His partner looked away and stared towards Sirus with tense shoulders.
"We got nothing to do with you buddy! Just go back to wherever you came from and you won't get hurt!"
Sirus raised his hands, slow-deliberate steps forward. My eyes locked with his. I spoke calmly.
'I still have a few metres between us, it's going to be tricky to do anything at all while I'm far away.'
"Look here! I am sure we can work things out, just me and you, and your buddy there, so drop the gun and the bat, take her purse but let her live, you don't want to stain your hands and believe me when I say this.'
As I was slowly taking each small step, trying to talk the men out of this. But fate tripped me. My wallet slipped from my coat and hit the ground with a soft thud, causing the gunman to get startled by this sudden occurrence of the sound.
The man looked at the wallet and noticed Sirus creeping over. He raised his gun with both hands and shouts.
"Don't fuck with me pal!" He shouted. "Take another step and your head is as good as gone! Y-you hear me!?"
I froze, hands still raised. I smiled slightly, tilting my head toward the woman—hoping she'd understand.
She did, promptly lets go of her purse and sneaks away while the two men are distracted.
The man with the bat notices Sirus smile and looks behind him, forgetting the woman.
The man with the bat shouted, "H-Hey! Don't move!" and ran after her, leaving the gunman momentarily distracted.
She bolted.
The gunman, distracted by the occurrence behind him. Sirus takes this opportunity and bolts. Trying his first move to remove the gun with one swift action.
He turned just in time, stumbling back, one hand on the ground, the other lifting the gun. I tried to kick it from his grip—misjudged the distance.
"FUCK YOU!" he screamed.
He fired. Wasted in panic.
By the third shot, my body slammed against the concrete. Warm blood soaked through my shirt in heavy pulses, every heartbeat weaker than the last. I couldn't move.
But the man kept shooting—rage tightening his grip, fear dulling his reason. He emptied the magazine into a bleeding body already fading, each shot more pointless than the last.
Click. The chamber ran dry.
Panting, trembling, he dropped the gun beside me. His eyes flicked toward the woman.
"That's what you get for playing hero, bastard…" he muttered, breath ragged.
My vision blurred. My hand twitched—reaching, failing. I watched as the woman staggered, calling for help, her voice weak.
"I got her!" shouted the man with the bat, finally catching up. But the sight of me sprawled in a growing pool of blood gave him pause. His eyes widened.
He dropped the bat. Turned. Ran.
"HEY! Where the hell are you going?!" the gunman yelled, but there was no answer. Just retreating footsteps and silence.
My hand fell to the ground. Cold.
'I'm... s-sorry. I couldn't help you…'
…
"...Another one from Earth. They sure do like dying," muttered a floating cube.
It hovered silently in a vast void, watching a new silhouette emerge in a pillar of light.
Sirus opened his eyes.
Nothing made sense.
He was suspended mid-air, the world around him glowing in a surreal, ethereal white. The only shape of certainty was a massive metallic cube, slowly orbiting him like a judgmental god.
'W-Where... am I?'
"You're dead," the cube said bluntly. "Welcome to the Realm of Reincarnation. You got lucky."
Sirus scanned the void warily. "So… you can hear my thoughts."
"Obviously," the cube replied, sighing. "Computer, open profile: Code Name #Sirus Rose#. Display options."
Light burst behind the cube—rows of translucent containers holding motionless fantasy creatures one might see in an anime or a dream. A shimmering interface hovered before him.
"Choose your race," the cube instructed.
Above each capsule, a [+] icon pulsed.
[Human] [+]
[Demon]
[Beast-Men] [+]
[Elf] [+]
[Giants] [+]
[Vampire]
[Dwarf]
[Goblin]
[Arachne]
[Gordon]
"What are the icons for?" Sirus asked.
"Think about one, and it'll show you sub-races. For example, Elf breaks into [Forest Elf], [Dark Elf], [Mountain Elf]... yada yada."
Sirus didn't hesitate. "The Demon race. What are my options?"
The display shifted.
[Race] Demon [Selected]
[Role] incalculable
[World: Ozbark]
[Demon]
The cube paused. Then, a second voice—cold and metallic—cut in.
"Special conditions met. Uploading additional options."
[Noble Demon]
[Royal Demon]
[Awaiting Role Selection]
Sirus's lips curled. "Special, huh? I'll take Noble Demon."
The cube flickered. "Interesting choice. All your memories will carry over. You'll have access to a private command menu. Think 'Menu' and it will appear. Only you can see it."
It hovered closer, its surface pulsing with faint glyphs. "Interact with it like you would a smartphone. Simple enough. I've got other souls to deal with, so—BEGONE!"
Particles began lifting from Sirus's body. He floated upward, his shape dissolving.