Zero’s Reign: Reincarnated with a Gacha Clone System

Soma stood behind the café counter, his hands resting on the smooth wood, doing his best to mask his nerves.

The leader sat comfortably, as if they owned the place.

The leader—a man in a dark navy suit with a gold pocket watch—leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, an amused smirk on his face. His two guards remained standing near the entrance, watching the door like hawks.

Soma could feel their eyes on him.

The leader tilted his head slightly, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"You're too young to be the owner."

Soma forced a polite chuckle. "I get that a lot."

The man continued, his voice smooth.

"See, I heard the owner was a demon. Why don't you go ahead and bring him out here?"

Soma's smile didn't falter, but he could feel his pulse quicken.

"Of course. Give me a moment."

Turning on his heels, he hurried toward the stairs, keeping his movements casual.

The moment he stepped into the living quarters, Soma found Zero lounging on the couch, casually flipping through a notebook.

"We got a situation downstairs"

Zero glanced up, raising an eyebrow.

"We're not open yet. Tell them to come back for lunch."

Soma ran a hand through his hair.

"They're not guests."

Zero sat up a little straighter.

Soma lowered his voice.

"Looks like thugs. Or a mob. I don't know—but they have a gun."

Zero's expression didn't change, but there was a shift in his posture—more alert, more focused.

He set the notebook aside and stood up.

"Alright. Let's go."

As Zero descended the stairs, his eyes swept across the room.

The leader sat casually, inspecting his nails. The two guards near the entrance barely gave Zero a glance—but their hands rested near their holsters.

Zero took a deep breath, plastering on a calm, composed expression before stepping forward.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?"

The leader's eyes lit up with amusement as he gestured toward Zero.

"Ah, there he is. The demon himself."

Zero held his ground, keeping his posture relaxed.

"That's me. If you're here for a meal, we're closed until the evening. But since you came all this way, I can make an exception."

The leader chuckled. "You're quick. I like that. But no, I'm not here for coffee. I'm here for business."

Zero feigned mild interest. "Oh? What kind of business?"

The leader leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

"Protection money. You know how it is. A nice little place like this? Unfortunate things could happen. Accidents. Fires. Broken windows."

Zero tilted his head. "Huh. Funny, I don't remember signing up for a protection plan."

The leader's grin widened. "Oh, you don't have to sign up. We're generous like that."

Zero placed a hand on his chin, mockingly thoughtful.

"That is generous. But here's the thing—I've already got the best security."

The leader raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And who might that be?"

Zero smiled. "The Pinecrest Police Department. They're practically my neighbors. Very responsive. Very thorough."

For a split second, the leader's smirk faltered.

But then he laughed—loud and boisterous.

His men followed suit, their laughter filling the café as if Zero had told the funniest joke of the year.

Zero stood still, unflinching.

Then—without warning—the leader's laughter cut off sharply.

In a single, swift motion, he grabbed one of Zero's horns and slammed his head against the counter.

Once.

Twice.

The impact rattled the coffee cups on the shelves, and Soma flinched.

Blood dripped from Zero's nose, but his expression remained eerily calm.

The leader released his grip, patting Zero's cheek mockingly.

"You demons sure are resilient. That's why you make such good slaves."

Zero didn't react.

Instead, he simply moved his lips—silent words toward Soma.

I'm okay.

Soma clenched his fists.

"Let me make you lunch." His voice shook slightly.

The leader tilted his head, intrigued.

Soma straightened his back, trying to suppress his trembling hands.

"Take it as a courtesy. For letting my boss go."

The leader considered it for a moment before grinning.

"Alright. But I want a full-course meal. Treat me and my men like the Kings of Kaldarion."

Soma nodded. "Deal. But let my boss go first."

The leader smirked, grabbing Zero's hair before tossing him backward.

Zero crashed into the coffee jars behind the counter, sending glass shattering onto the floor.

The leader laughed.

"There. Now he smells like a coffee owner. Not a slave."

Soma inhaled slowly, forcing himself to remain composed.

Zero walked past him, whispering under his breath.

"I know what you're thinking. Don't poison them."

Soma whispered back, "What? But—"

Zero cut him off.

"I already burned their faces into my memory. I'm not letting this slide. But for now, we play along."

Soma clenched his jaw. Then, after a long moment, he sighed.

"Alright. I hope you already have a plan cooking."

Zero grinned.

"Always."

…

Soma moved with practiced precision, his knife dancing across the cutting board as he prepared the full-course meal.

He had considered every petty revenge tactic possible.

Spitting in their food? Too childish.

Lacing it with dog shit or cat vomit? Satisfying in theory—but he was a chef first and foremost. He couldn't disrespect food like that.

No matter how much he despised them, his hands still moved with muscle memory, ensuring each dish was perfectly crafted.

'Damn it. Even now, I just want to make the best meal I can.'

The scent of seared meat, rich sauces, and freshly baked bread filled the air as he plated each course.

Outside, the men laughed and chatted, completely unaware of the turmoil brewing inside him.

'If I had my way, I'd make sure this was their last meal.'

But Zero had told him not to poison them.

'Tch. Fine. But that doesn't mean we'll let this slide.'

Soma carefully set the dishes in front of them, his expression unreadable.

The leader picked up his fork, twirling it between his fingers.

"Let's see if you're as good as they say."

The first bite—

A moment of silence.

Then, a low hum of approval.

"Hah. You're wasted in this dump."

…

Meanwhile, upstairs in the living quarters, Zero stood in the bathroom, gripping the edges of the sink as he stared at his reflection.

A trickle of dried blood ran from his nose down to his lips, smearing slightly across his cheek.

He reached up, pressing his fingers against his horns, wincing slightly from where they had been yanked earlier.

His own golden eyes stared back at him, unblinking.

'Well, at least I know I'm resilient as fuck.'

He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Guess it was only a matter of time before I ended up like this. I am a demon, after all."

He ran a hand through his hair, sighing.

Then, with a mock-serious expression, he pointed at himself in the mirror.

"Still handsome as ever, though."

His lips curled into a grin.

"If we were in our past life, we'd be top-tier celebrities with this face."

But then—as if a switch had flipped—his laughter faded instantly.

His expression darkened.

'I'll make them pay.

Ten times over.'

His fingers curled into a tight fist.

He exhaled slowly, looking down at his hands.

'Should I handle this myself… or should I let my clones do it?'

The thought lingered.

And then—he smirked.

'Why hesitate? It's my life now.

I'll use every tool at my disposal.'

With that decision made, he shrugged off his shirt and stepped into the bathtub, letting the warm water soothe his muscles.

For now, he would wait.

But soon—very soon—they would regret ever stepping into his café.

…

Downstairs, the leader leaned back in his chair, setting his utensils down.

"You're an amazing cook."

Soma didn't react, simply waiting for the inevitable.

The leader licked his lips, savoring the aftertaste.

Then—

"Come work for our boss."

Soma finally looked up.

His voice was calm, unwavering.

"Unfortunately, my existence is for this café, sir."

His eyes hardened.

"I will not, under any circumstances, leave this place to work anywhere else."

A tense silence.

Then—the leader laughed.

"Shame."

He stood up, adjusting his coat, before heading for the door. His men followed, stepping onto the street.

Soma let out a quiet breath, finally allowing himself to relax.

And then—

BANG.

A gunshot rang out.

Soma jerked back, his cheek stinging sharply as the bullet grazed his skin.

The leader stood at the doorway, lowering his pistol, smirking.

"Think it through, stupid chef. My offer wasn't out of weakness. It was out of kindness."

With that, he turned and walked away, his men following close behind.

Soma stood frozen, the faint sting of the wound nothing compared to the rage boiling inside him.

His legs finally gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor, gripping the edge of the counter.

"Goddamn it… I should've put dog poop in that ice cream."

…

The cold night air bit against Erwin's skin as he made his way through the quiet streets of Pinecrest.

His coat billowed slightly as the wind picked up, but his focus was locked on Café Leblanc's darkened storefront.

'That's strange…'

Leblanc was closed.

Not just for the night shift—fully shut down.

His pace quickened.

The moment he stepped inside, his eyes swept the room, scanning every detail like an investigator piecing together a crime scene.

The first thing he noticed—

Shattered coffee jars behind the counter.

Someone had been thrown into them.

Next—

Blood smeared on the wooden counter.

Not enough for a fatal wound, but enough to tell him someone was slammed into it. Hard.

And then—

A bullet hole in the wall.

His gaze lowered—

A small pool of blood, dried but fresh and parallel to the bullet hole.

His jaw tightened.

Something had happened while he was gone.

Erwin stormed upstairs to the living quarters, his coat still flowing behind him.

He flung the door open.

Zero and Soma sat at the table, lazily eating ice cream.

Erwin's eye twitched.

"What the hell happened?"

Zero licked his spoon. "It's faster if I just show you."

Erwin narrowed his eyes. "You mean thought transmission?"

Zero smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Forehead touching."

Erwin sighed, stepping forward and pressing his forehead against Zero's.

The moment their heads connected—

Memories flooded in.

Zero's day. The thugs. The slam. The gunshot.

At the same time, Zero saw Erwin's day. The merchants. The gang shake-down. The protection racket.

As they pulled back, Zero leaned back in his chair.

He scoffed. "Man, what a boring day you had."

Erwin cracked his knuckles. "We'll do everything we can to ruin that bastard."

Soma smiled. "Why stop there? Let's ruin his whole gang while we're at it. I wanna slam their boss's head into dog poop."

Zero chuckled darkly. "I like the way you think."

Then—his expression changed.

"Change of plans. How many Gacha Points do we have now?"

Soma leaned back, thinking.

"Last I checked? 1004."

Zero's grin widened.

"Perfect."

Soma yawned, stretching. "Alright, let me take a bath first—"

Zero grabbed his wrist, dragging him toward the stairs.

"No need. We're rolling now."