Zero’s Reign: Reincarnated with a Gacha Clone System

The scent of something burning wafted through the air, stirring Soma from his half-asleep state. His feet moved on autopilot, dragging him downstairs toward the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes, letting out a groggy yawn.

The moment he stepped inside, he froze.

There, standing by the stove, was Erwin—or at least, someone attempting to be a chef but currently failing spectacularly at cooking.

Soma squinted. "…What are you doing in my kitchen?"

Erwin, focused on the disastrous mess in the pan, barely glanced back. "I need to be early. Today's the day—I need to catch them."

Soma frowned, his sleepiness vanishing.

Then, without hesitation, he strode forward, grabbed a spatula, and shooed Erwin away from the stove like an angry mother bird.

"Shoo. Get out. Out of my kitchen."

Erwin blinked as Soma effortlessly took over, inspecting the abomination he had been cooking.

Soma grimaced. "What in the name of all things holy were you trying to make?"

Erwin huffed, crossing his arms. "It's not that bad."

Soma looked directly into his eyes. "It's bad in my eyes." He dumped the ruined food into the trash and reached for fresh ingredients. "Let me make you a proper breakfast."

Erwin sighed and slid onto a stool by the counter, cradling a cup of coffee in his hands. But despite the warmth in his fingers, his knee bounced anxiously, and his fingers tapped the mug's handle in a restless rhythm.

Soma glanced at him, noticing the signs immediately.

With a sigh, he plated a simple but hearty breakfast—but before setting it in front of Erwin, he didn't move away.

Instead, he leaned forward on the counter, his gaze drifting out of the café's window, watching the rain-dampened streets as the early morning light seeped through.

Then, softly, he spoke.

"…I know you're trying to distract yourself."

Erwin froze mid-sip of his coffee.

Soma continued. "You accidentally shared your memories last night… but I was just a bystander." He exhaled, his breath fogging against the cool glass. "You were actually there."

Erwin stared at his plate, his appetite suddenly feeling smaller.

Soma tapped his fingers against the counter. "I don't even know what you must've felt." His voice was quieter now, not his usual playful or teasing tone—but something honest.

"…But you know what I do know?"

Erwin glanced up.

Soma turned to face him fully, crossing his arms. "You're my brother."

Erwin blinked. "…What?"

Soma grinned, but this time, there was no teasing in it—just a simple, warm certainty. "To the world, maybe you're a clone of Zero. But you're not him. Your experiences, your choices—they make you, you."

Erwin felt his chest tighten, a strange warmth blooming where the guilt had settled before.

Soma nudged the plate closer to him. "So if you ever need food, or someone to talk to, or just a place to rest your mind…" He smirked. "Come to me. After all, I'm your big brother."

Erwin snorted, shaking his head. "Just because you were created before me doesn't make you my older brother."

Soma gasped dramatically. "Wow. My little brother is talking back to me now?"

Erwin chuckled despite himself.

Then, more quietly, he muttered, "…Thanks."

Soma just grinned and ruffled his hair. "Eat up, dumbass. You've got criminals to catch."

Erwin smiled—just a little—but this time, it felt genuine.

The morning drizzle seeped into the bones of Pinecrest, making the cold ever sharper. Erwin pulled his raincoat closer around him, thankful he had asked Gojo to make it for him the night before.

As he walked through the damp streets, the coat's sleek design caught eyes.

A small group of women, huddled under the awning of a bakery, whispered among themselves before one called out.

"Hey, young man! Where'd you get that coat?"

Erwin paused, glancing at them.

"It's custom-made," he answered. "A craftsman named Gojo made it for me."

They exchanged confused looks. "Gojo? Never heard of him. Is he new?"

Erwin realized Gojo hadn't established himself yet as a designer, so he elaborated, "He's Soma's twin brother. You know, the chef at Café Leblanc?"

Recognition dawned on their faces.

"Oh! The café with the great food!" one woman said.

Another tilted her head. "Wait, if he's a chef, why's his brother making coats?"

Erwin smirked. "Because he's not a chef. He's a tailor."

Before they could press further, Erwin tipped his head in farewell and continued on his way, the women murmuring excitedly about this mysterious new tailor.

As he stepped into the lobby of the Pinecrest Police Department, Erwin shook off the excess water from his coat. The front desk clerk, a middle-aged woman with sharp glasses and a no-nonsense demeanor, barely looked up from her logbook.

"Name?"

"Erwin. Private detective. Here to see Sergeant Lomare."

At the mention of his name, she glanced down at a note pinned to her desk.

"Expectant visitor: Erwin."

She plucked a visitor badge from a tray and slid it across the counter.

"Wear it where it's visible," she instructed. "It lets everyone know you're supposed to be here."

Erwin clipped the badge to his coat and followed an officer down the hall, the sharp scent of paper, ink, and old coffee filling his nose.

Erwin entered Sergeant Lomare's office, where the man was already deep in discussion with Detectives Morhan and Celvise. Scattered across the desk were sheets of paper covered in fingerprint markings.

Lomare looked up the moment Erwin stepped in.

"Ah, there he is. Come in, Erwin."

Erwin stepped closer and scanned the documents spread across the desk. Bunches of fingerprints, each labeled with different names.

"What's this?" he asked.

Lomare leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"Don't get offended, but I wanted to test your fingerprint theory before relying on it. So, I ran a little experiment on my division. Took prints from a few dozen officers, compared them, and…"

He smirked.

"Turns out you were right. Not a single officer had the same fingerprint pattern."

Morhan let out a short laugh, while Celvise grinned.

Erwin chuckled, shaking his head. "No offense taken. In fact, I'm glad you went through with testing it yourself. Now, other officers can't reject my findings on a whim."

"Damn right," Lomare said. "We just might be looking at a game-changer in criminal investigations."

Celvise tapped the desk, bringing them back to the case at hand.

"Alright, back to our missing children case. We've already got officers undercover at both schools. They're monitoring the school grounds, keeping track of everyone coming in and out."

Morhan nodded. "When we arrive, no one leaves without giving us a fingerprint sample."

Erwin's expression sharpened, his focus returning.

"Good. Let's go."

Celvise grabbed their case files, while Morhan led Erwin toward the exit. The hunt for the perpetrator was about to begin.

Inside the moving car, rain pattered against the windshield, the city streets blurring past as Morhan drove toward Limstar Academy. In the cramped back seat, Erwin and Celvise sorted through fingerprint evidence, comparing them against their own prints, Morhan's, and those of the missing children.

Erwin, hunched over a clipboard, worked methodically. "This one is mine," he muttered, scratching out a print from the list.

Celvise, beside him, nodded and flipped through his own copies. "This one's Morhan's." He discarded another print.

The process was slow, but crucial. The fewer prints they had to compare, the easier it would be to pinpoint suspects.

Then, Erwin's eyes narrowed. He tapped a print with his pen.

"This one... doesn't belong to any of us."

Celvise leaned in. "That means we have at least one unknown print."

Erwin continued scanning the evidence, then cursed under his breath.

"No. It's more than one. We have multiple suspects."

Celvise's face darkened. "Shit. That complicates things."

Before they could say more, the crystal transponder on the dashboard crackled to life.

"5-Paul-16, we've secured the perimeter of Limstar Academy. School gates are closed. Over."

Morhan grabbed the transponder, replying, "Copy that, we're en route."

He pressed down on the accelerator, the car jerking forward as they sped toward the school.

"Let's hope we only need to check one school," Morhan muttered.

…

Meanwhile, at Leblanc Cafe, the morning rush was in full swing. Zero and Soma moved in perfect sync, brewing coffee, plating food, and chatting with the usual guests.

"Soma, another quail egg porridge for table four!"

"Got it!" Soma flipped a pan with expert ease, sending the eggs soaring for a second before landing perfectly on a fresh plate of steaming rice porridge.

Across the room, regular guests laughed and bantered, the atmosphere warm despite the rainy weather outside.

Then, Gojo walked down from the living quarters, carrying something folded under his arm.

"Soma!" he called over the noise. "Can I sell this at the cafe?"

Zero and Soma both turned, along with several curious guests. Gojo unfolded the item dramatically—his raincoat.

Some of the guests tilted their heads, confused.

"What is that?" an elf woman asked.

"It's a raincoat," Gojo explained, standing proudly. "It keeps you dry without needing an umbrella."

A dwarf scoffed. "Why would anyone need that? We've got umbrellas for that."

A few guests nodded in agreement, shrugging off the idea. "A coat just for rain? Sounds unnecessary."

But Gojo was prepared for the pushback. He raised a hand, smirking.

"Alright, let me explain. Let's say you have an umbrella. What happens when you enter a shop or a cafe?"

The dwarf blinked. "Uh... you shake it off and bring it inside?"

Gojo wagged a finger. "And in the meantime, you're dripping water all over the place. You're also holding up an umbrella wherever you go."

Some guests murmured, considering his point.

"Now imagine this—" Gojo slipped the coat on. "With a raincoat, you're completely protected from the rain. When you get inside, you just take it off—no dripping, no hassle, and both your hands are free the entire time."

Some of the more skeptical guests exchanged glances, still unsure.

But others, looking outside at the continued drizzle, started to see the appeal.

"Huh. I never thought about that..."

Another guest leaned forward. "What's it made of?"

Gojo smiled, sensing the shift. "A custom water-resistant material. It's lightweight, breathable, and keeps you dry without making you sweat."

More interest grew. Some were starting to buy into it—not just because of the explanation, but because Gojo was Soma's brother.

"Alright," the elf woman said. "How much?"

Gojo's smile widened. "Special discount for Leblanc customers—eight silver per coat."

The elf nodded. "Fine. I'll take one."

Then, another customer raised his hand. "I'll buy one too."

"Make that two for me!"

More voices joined in, and before Gojo knew it, he had several sales already lined up.

Soma whistled, "Not bad, little brother. Not bad."

Zero just shook his head, smiling. "Looks like we're adding raincoats to the menu now."

…

Erwin stepped out of the car, adjusting his coat as the drizzle continued. Beside him, Celvise and Morhan, both in their detective coats, moved toward the front gate of Limstar Academy.

The school looked normal at first glance—a well-kept school with a gated entrance, neat gardens, and a large central building. But to Erwin, it felt different now. Knowing what had happened to the children who had walked through these gates every morning, knowing that some never made it home… it sent a chill through his spine.

As they approached, a uniformed school guard stepped forward, gripping his club at his waist.

"Morning, detectives," the guard said, voice wary. He glanced at Erwin, recognizing him from the papers. "This is about the kids, ain't it?"

Morhan, already impatient, cut in. "Just open the damn gate."

The guard hesitated for a second before unlocking and swinging the metal gate open. As the detectives stepped through, Erwin motioned toward him.

"You're coming with us."

The guard furrowed his brows. "What? I have to stay here. My post—"

Celvise flashed his badge. "There are already patrols stationed around the school perimeter. You'll be coming in for questioning."

The guard shifted uncomfortably but nodded. "Alright… if it's part of the investigation."

Morhan grabbed the transponder from his belt. "5-Paul-16, we're inside. We'll begin questioning now."

"Copy that, 5-Paul-16. Perimeter is secured."

With that, they walked toward the main building, their boots splashing lightly against the damp pavement.