Zero’s Reign: Reincarnated with a Gacha Clone System

The cold night air burned in Erwin's lungs as he sprinted through the dimly lit streets of Pinecrest, the unconscious child cradled tightly in his arms. Her breathing was faint, barely there, but she was still alive—a fragile thread holding her to this world.

Suddenly, in the Mind Hall, his experience was shared involuntarily with the others.

…

In the warmth of Café Leblanc's living quarters, Zero, Soma, Sebas, Gojo, and One sat around the table, enjoying their dinner—until it hit them.

A flash—the sight of small, lifeless bodies, the suffocating stench of decay, the oppressive darkness of that hidden cellar.

Soma lurched forward, gagging. Gojo went pale, gripping the edge of the table as if trying to ground himself.

Zero and One clenched their fists, their breathing unsteady, trying to hold back the wave of nausea.

The Café fell silent, filled only with the echo of Erwin's horror in the mind hall.

Then, Sebas stood up. Without a word, he turned and vanished in a blur, leaving the Mind Hall behind.

In the real world, Erwin was still running, his legs burning with exhaustion, when—A gust of wind blasted past him. In an instant, Sebas appeared before him, standing in the middle of the road, completely composed.

Before Erwin could react, Sebas reached out a single palm, pressing it against the child's chest. A golden light pulsed, engulfing her small frame.

Her breathing steadied. 

Her color returned.

Sebas exhaled, stepping back. "She is stable now, young master. She will need medical attention, but there is no longer any immediate danger."

Then, just as quickly as he appeared—Sebas vanished again, leaving only a gust of wind in his wake.

Erwin barely had time to process what happened before forcing himself forward, running toward the nearest hospital.

Erwin burst through the hospital doors, his coat soaked in sweat, carrying the child in his arms.

"Emergency! Someone get a healer!" he shouted.

Nurses and physicians rushed over, carefully taking the girl from him, checking her pulse.

One of them, a middle-aged woman, turned to him. "What happened to her?"

Erwin shook his head. "She was kidnapped. I found her in an underground chamber beneath an old gardening hut."

The nurse's face darkened. "We will do everything we can. Are you her guardian?"

"No. Contact her parents." He jotted down notes of Elle' parent information. "I have an investigation to return to."

Without another word, Erwin turned and ran back into the night.

…

By the time Erwin arrived at the alleyway, the Pinecrest Police had arrived. Detective Sergeant Lomare was standing near the barricades, talking to officers.

Celvise and Morhan stood by, waiting for him.

Erwin caught his breath, stepping forward. "Did anyone enter the hut?"

Morhan shook his head. "No. We secured the area first. I made sure of it."

Celvise crossed his arms. "So, what now?"

Erwin pulled out three pairs of thin, handcrafted gloves and handed them to Celvise and Morhan.

"Put these on."

The two detectives examined them curiously. "What's this?"

"Gloves. They're made of rubber."

Lomare stepped forward, arms crossed. "And why exactly do we need gloves? This isn't the first crime scene we've processed."

Erwin looked at them seriously. "We need to avoid contaminating the scene."

Celvise raised an eyebrow. "Contaminate? We can just wash our hands later."

Erwin sighed, rubbing his temples. "It's not about cleanliness. It's about evidence preservation."

Morhan narrowed his eyes. "Evidence?"

Erwin turned to the group, motioning toward the hut. "Tell me—how do you currently determine who was present at a crime scene?"

Lomare sighed. "Witnesses, footprints, items left behind—basic stuff."

Erwin nodded. "Right. But what if I told you there's something even more foolproof?"

The three detectives exchanged glances.

Erwin held up his hand. "Look at your fingertips. See those tiny ridges?"

Celvise inspected his hand, squinting. "Yeah?"

Erwin grinned slightly. "Those ridges are unique to every individual. No two people in the world have the same pattern."

Morhan raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"

"Fingerprints. Everyone leaves behind a unique pattern whenever they touch something. If we can find prints on objects within the crime scene, we might be able to identify exactly who was there."

Lomare's eyes widened slightly. "Are you saying… we could find the killer just by checking these 'fingerprints'?"

Erwin nodded. "Exactly."

Celvise frowned. "That sounds useful, but how do we compare them? It's not like we have records of everyone's prints."

Erwin crossed his arms. "We don't need the whole city's prints. I already have a list of potential suspects—specifically some of the teachers at Limstar Academy and Pinecrest Public School."

Morhan's expression hardened. "You think someone at the school is involved?"

Erwin nodded gravely. "The missing children all shared a common path home. The timing of their disappearances aligns perfectly with school dismissal hours. Whoever is behind this had inside knowledge of their movements."

Lomare exhaled. "Damn… This could be huge."

Celvise smirked. "And here I thought you were just some newspaper celebrity."

Erwin chuckled dryly. "You still think I'm just playing detective?"

Celvise shook his head. "No. I think you're actually onto something."

Morhan adjusted his gloves. "Alright. Let's do this properly."

Lomare turned to the surrounding officers. "No one steps into the crime scene except for us. We're going to collect every trace of evidence and every fingerprint we can find."

The officers saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Erwin took a deep breath. "Then let's get to work."

…

Sebas stepped into the warm glow of the café, closing the door behind him. He had moved faster than the eye could follow, yet his posture remained dignified, his breathing steady.

Zero, leaning against the counter, immediately turned to face him. "So? How was it?"

Sebas bowed his head slightly. "She will be fine. Thanks to the Young Master's intervention, the girl is now in stable condition."

Zero and One sighed in relief, exchanging a look. "Thank god…"

A thud echoed from the staircase.

Soma had just emerged from the bathroom, gripping the wall for support. His face was pale, his usual smirk gone. "What the hell was that?" he muttered, wiping his mouth.

Gojo, who had been sitting in a chair across from them, shook his head. "Yeah… Why did Erwin's experience just get dumped into the Mind Hall like that? That was brutal."

Zero furrowed his brows. "I think it's because he was under extreme stress."

One nodded. "And maybe it's some kind of defense mechanism. His mind was under too much strain, and then—BOOM—it all just exploded into the Mind Hall."

Zero hummed in thought. "Yeah, like a dam breaking."

Sebas folded his arms. "If that is the case, then we must remain vigilant and support each other better. We should anticipate these situations so none of us have to suffer alone."

Soma sighed, rubbing his temples. "You know, they say seeing a dead kid changes your whole life perspective."

Gojo exhaled sharply. "I can't even imagine what Erwin's feeling right now…"

Inside the Mind Hall, Erwin's voice came through, steady but tense.

"I'm fine."

His real body was still at the crime scene, carefully collecting fingerprints from various surfaces. His movements were methodical, calculated. There was no room for mistakes.

Zero responded, his tone gentle. "You know you can talk to us, right?"

Erwin's answer was immediate. "I know."

But he didn't elaborate.

Soma and Gojo exchanged a glance but said nothing. They knew pushing him right now wouldn't work.

Erwin had a job to do, and he wouldn't stop until he caught the bastard responsible.

Back at the crime scene, Lomare stood in front of the hut, staring down at his own hands, flexing his fingers.

"…It's crazy," he muttered. "The fact that something so simple, something that's been with us our whole lives, could actually revolutionize how we solve crimes."

Erwin stepped out of the hut, carefully removing his gloves.

Lomare turned to him. "How's the fingerprint collection going?"

Erwin sighed, stretching his back slightly. "Smoothly. Detective Morhan and Celvise didn't touch much when we first entered, so most of the untouched objects should belong to our suspect."

Morhan nodded, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Now we just need to get the killer's prints, right?"

Erwin nodded. "Exactly. But first, I need your fingerprints."

Celvise blinked. "Ours? Why?"

Erwin tapped the side of his head, his mind already racing ahead. "Because the three of us were the first ones in that hut. That means our prints will also be there. If we don't remove our own fingerprints from the equation, we might mistake ourselves for the perpetrators."

Lomare's eyes widened slightly, realization dawning. "That… actually makes perfect sense."

Morhan grinned. "Damn. You really thought of everything."

Celvise smirked, shaking his head. "Alright, fine. What do you need us to do?"

Erwin pulled out a small ink pad and a few blank cards. "Press your fingers onto these. We'll compare them with the ones we collected inside."

One by one, Morhan and Celvise pressed their fingers down, leaving clear imprints.

Lomare watched with interest, then folded his arms. "So what's next?"

Erwin placed the fingerprint samples into a sealed envelope. "Tomorrow, I'll come to the Pinecrest Police Department. We'll take samples from our list of suspects—the teachers from Limstar Academy and Pinecrest Public School."

Lomare nodded approvingly. "Alright. I'll make sure the department is ready. This could be a real game-changer, Erwin."

Erwin's eyes darkened slightly. "It's not about changing the game. It's about catching the bastard who did this before another child disappears."

Lomare placed a firm hand on Erwin's shoulder. "…Then let's catch them."

The officers began securing the perimeter, ensuring that no one tampered with the crime scene.

As Erwin walked away, his thoughts burned with resolve.

The killer was out there.

And Erwin would not stop until they were found.

…

The soft glow of Café Leblanc's lanterns flickered against the damp streets as Erwin stepped through the door. His body was exhausted, his coat soaked from the drizzle, but his mind—his mind was a battlefield of thoughts, regrets, and what-ifs.

Inside, only two figures were waiting for him.

Zero and Sebas.

They sat at the counter, as if expecting his arrival.

Erwin raised an eyebrow, his voice dry and tired. "Where's the rest?"

Zero leaned back, arms crossed. "Already asleep. It's past midnight."

Erwin sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. "I told you guys, you don't need to wait for me."

Sebas, standing behind the counter, responded smoothly as he placed a warm plate of food in front of Erwin. "We know, young master. But we also know you haven't eaten all day."

The aroma of the dish filled the air—warm, rich, and comforting, a stark contrast to the hell Erwin had just walked out of.

For a moment, he simply stared at it.

Then, without another word, he picked up his spoon and began to eat.

Zero and Sebas said nothing, simply letting him eat in peace. They knew this wasn't the time to push him.

As Erwin finished the last bite, he let out a breath and placed his spoon down. "Thanks for the meal, Sebas."

Sebas bowed his head slightly. "It is my duty, young master."

Zero, still watching him closely, finally spoke up.

"You alright?"

Erwin nodded without hesitation. "Of course."

Zero exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "You don't need to lie to me. You are me."

Erwin froze, his expression twitching for a fraction of a second.

Then, slowly, his shoulders slumped.

He turned slightly, his voice quieter now. "…I panicked."

Zero stayed silent, letting him continue.

"When I found them… those kids… they were tied up, lifeless, as if they weren't even human anymore." His hands clenched into fists. "I continuously prayed—for the first time in my goddamn life, I prayed—as I ran while holding Elle. I begged her not to let go."

His breath shuddered, and a single tear fell down his cheek.

Zero stood up and walked over to him, resting a firm hand on Erwin's shoulder.

"It's not your fault."

Erwin shook his head, his voice bitter. "But if I had gotten there sooner—if I had seen the pattern earlier—maybe the others could've still been alive."

Zero gritted his teeth.

He hated this.

Seeing himself like this.

He had no magic words to erase the pain, no cheap comfort to make it go away.

But he did have the truth.

"Hey." Zero squeezed his shoulder, forcing Erwin to look at him. "You know your work only operates with facts. So stick to the facts."

Erwin blinked.

Zero's voice was steady—unshaken. "The fact is that you were ahead of the officers in this case. The fact is that because of you, Elle is still alive."

Erwin gritted his teeth. "But the others—"

"The fact is that you can't change the past." Zero cut him off, his voice firm but not unkind. "But you can make damn sure the bastard who did this won't get away with it."

Erwin's breathing was uneven, his chest tightening.

Zero stepped in front of him, gripping both of his shoulders now. "You're not a god, Erwin. You're a detective. A damn good one. But you're not omniscient."

Sebas spoke up, his voice calm and wise. "Guilt is a heavy thing, young master. But the children who lost their lives do not need your guilt. They need your justice."

Erwin closed his eyes, trying to breathe through the weight sitting on his chest.

"You're right." His voice was barely above a whisper.

He exhaled deeply, wiping his face with his sleeve.

Then, when he looked up, there was steel in his eyes once again.

"…I'm going to catch this bastard."

Zero smirked, slapping his back. "That's what I like to hear."

Sebas nodded approvingly. "And I shall assist in any way I can."

Erwin rolled his shoulders, feeling a bit lighter than before.

Zero grinned. "Now, go get some sleep. I need my detective at 100%."

Erwin huffed a small laugh. "Fine, fine."

As he turned towards the stairs, he paused.

Then, without looking back, he muttered softly—but loud enough for them to hear.

"…Thanks."

Zero and Sebas exchanged a glance.

Zero just smirked. "What are brothers for?"