CHAPTER 5 A LOOK IN THE MIRROR [POWERS EXPLAINED A BIT]
Ren followed the man through the winding, dimly lit hallway, old floor creaking under their weight. The place smelled of mildew, like it hadn't been cleaned in years. With each step, his bare feet brushed against the cold floor, and his mind buzzed with thoughts he couldn't quite pin down.
This wasn't some arbitrary criminal hideout-he knew that much. The man in front of him moved like someone who expected the world to step aside. His long black coat swayed with every step, its fabric brushing against his legs strangely soothing in the quiet. Ren kept his head low but his eyes darting to every door they passed, cataloging exits and anything that could be useful if he needed to escape.
Relax, Ren. You're not dead yet.
His mixed memories from two lives kept swirling together, making it hard to tell which emotions were his and which belonged to the boy whose body he now inhabited. He didn't mind the confusion, though—it kept him sharp. As long as he wasn't the scared little kid the man thought he was, he'd be fine.
They turned a corner, and that's when Ren saw him.
A boy, with messy white hair, leaned against the wall, scratching his neck and arms as if something was crawling beneath his skin. His fingers spasmed with every twitch, his eyes blank, distant. The kid wasn't that much younger than Ren-maybe five or six-but something in the unsettled aura hovering around him seemed to make him older, a person who knew things no child should.
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly. The messed-up hair, the fidgeting nonstop, the blank stare. No fricking way.
Shigaraki? His heart raced for a second, but he just couldn't be certain. The kid wasn't covered in any dust, and those creepy hands were nowhere to be seen. Still-the resemblance was too apparent. If this is Shigaraki, then. wait, what am I doing? Shouldn't I be freaking out right about now?
Instead, he smiled to himself. This isn't bad. If anything, this could work in my favor. Main characters, villains or heroes—they're all opportunities. His mixed consciousness didn't care about good and evil. The only thing that mattered was survival, and surviving meant finding people who could help him grow stronger.
Let's see what happens.
"Hey," Ren said, giving a small wave. "What's up?"
The scratching in the wall slowed for a moment, and the boy's head rose, his pale eyes staring at Ren unseeing and empty. For a moment, Ren thought he'd say something, but the boy simply blinked once and turned away, padding silently down the hall.
Ren watched him disappear around the corner, the faintest echo of his feet off the buildings until it was lost. He let out a small laugh under his breath. "Yeah, that's about what I expected.
The man leading him stopped in front of a door and pushed it open. Ren followed him inside, his gaze quickly scanning the room. It was small and plain—just a bed, a nightstand, and a cracked mirror hanging on the wall.
"This will be your room," the man said, his voice calm and measured. "Rest for now. We'll begin tomorrow."
Ren nodded and stepped inside, and the door swung softly shut behind him. The instant he was alone, he went to the mirror and stared at his reflection.
His jet-black hair was a little mussed, strands falling just above his eyebrows in soft, natural waves. His skin was pale, almost glowing under the dim light, his high cheekbones giving him an ethereal, almost fragile appearance. But the sharp angles of his jawline and the slight curl of his full lips gave a masculine edge to his otherwise delicate features. His golden, cat-like eyes reflected the light until they seemed to glow.
He traced his reflection with a fingertip, studying himself. "I look like someone who'd be cast as the mysterious transfer student in an anime," he muttered. "The one who's either secretly OP or has a tragic backstory." He smirked. "I guess I'm both."
But beneath that sarcasm, the crushing weight of reality finally settled upon his shoulders. It wasn't a fun reincarnation isekai; it was real, and the man at his door was dangerous-probably All For One dangerous.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. All right, then. Let's just say this guy is who I think he is. If I'm right, then I just walked into the orbit of one of the most dangerous people in this world. But that's not a bad thing.
Ren did not see villains and heroes like most people did. He had read the manga, watched the anime, and he knew how people like All For One worked. Villains did not intimidate him; he saw worse in his past life. What mattered now was figuring out how to use them.
The system wants me to interact with key people. Well, mission accomplished. I'm standing in the middle of future plot points. Let's see how much I can milk this.
A faint glow appeared in the corner of his vision.
.
System Notification:
Influence Points: 50
Ability Slot 1 Active: Blood Manipulation
Another line appeared:
Next Ability Slot Unlock: Level 2 (100 Influence Points Required)
Ren's smirk returned. Influence Points. The more I get, the more powers I can unlock. Killing people wasn't the only way to earn them, which was good. He wasn't a fan of mindless murder—it was messy, risky, and usually unnecessary. But interacting with important people? That, he could do.
"Tomorrow," he whispered, leaning closer to the mirror. His golden eyes glowed faintly, the sharpness of his canines catching the light. "Let's see what All For One really wants.