"Did you really think I'd let you heal?" the Mireborn King hissed. "I've watched you, every time you move your hand, every time you reach for the system. You think I wouldn't notice?"

He lifted Raito off the ground with one arm, eyes glowing brighter.

"You're done. You die here, for me."

Raito's feet kicked, his dagger clattering as pain thundered through his chest. The King slammed him to the mirrored floor, sending cracks racing like lightning.

Blood dripped from his lips as he looked up at the reflection above, his own face staring down at him through the Mireborn King's.

"I'm… being defeated… by myself," he muttered, half in disbelief, half in fury.

The Mireborn King's aura flared crimson, his shadow towering. "You understand now. You are nothing without fear."

Raito's heartbeat slowed, then steadied. His eyes burned brighter, a pulse of green flickering within them.

It wasn't over. Not yet.

He whispered under his breath, voice sharp like a blade: "System… override."

Raito gritted his teeth as a notification flickered into view before his eyes.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

▶ System Override Activated

▶ Effect: Drain all LP, suppress all emotions, user forgets self for 3 minutes

▶ Warning: High risk of total system burnout

His eyes began glowing a deep, furious red. The power surging through him was wild, unstable, primal.

The Mireborn King sensed the shift, raised his dagger, and lunged forward.

"AGHHH!" Raito roared as the blade struck, his body convulsing from the shock. Then, suddenly, the pain stopped.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

▶ System Override: FAILED

Before Raito could react, the Mireborn King drove his fist straight into the wound on Raito's chest. Blood sprayed as Raito was thrown backward, hitting the mirrored floor hard.

"Damn… how am I losing?" he muttered through gritted teeth, panting heavily. "I've been getting stronger… but why do I feel like I'm fighting myself? He's faster than me… he knows everything I'm about to do. This is hopeless…"

He sat there gasping, blood dripping down his chin, as the Mireborn King stepped forward, his form identical to Raito's in every way, pressing one leather boot onto Raito's open wound.

Raito clenched his fists, rage and pain burning in his eyes.

The Mireborn King looked down, voice sharp and cruel. "You're finished. You've given me your form, your power, your speed. But you're still weaker. I can see every move before you make it. You're just a shadow of me."

Raito spat blood, then smirked weakly. "You think… that makes you me? Don't make me laugh."

The King tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Oh? Then prove it."

He lifted his dagger high, aiming straight for Raito's throat.

Raito's vision blurred. Not again, just like the Death Knight. His body screamed in pain, his mind slipping, but deep inside, that unbreakable will, the one that refused to die, ignited once more.

"I'm not dying here," he growled. "Not now. Not ever."

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

▶ Second Mireborn General defeated by Lich

▶ LP Gained: +16,000

▶ Level Up! 20 → 25

▶ Skill Unlocked: Sparrow Punch

▶ Skill Gained: Ice Magic (acquired from Mireborn General after defeat by Lich)

Power erupted from his body. His aura flared violently, green light streaking through every crack in his armor.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

▶ Strength +100%

▶ Speed +100%

▶ LP Stabilized

The Mireborn King's dagger came crashing down, but Raito moved.

In that instant, the world slowed. His body blurred forward, catching the dagger mid-swing. His eyes glowed like burning embers.

"Your mistake…" Raito said, voice trembling with unleashed power, "was thinking you were me."

He slammed his fist into the Mireborn King's throat with devastating force. The impact sent the King's head snapping back as his body was launched upward, shattering through the roof in an explosion of shards and ice.

Raito stood beneath the falling debris, breathing hard, his aura blazing like wildfire. The glow in his eyes hadn't faded.

He had surpassed his limits. And this fight was far from over.

The Mireborn King's head was still lodged in the roof, hanging by debris. He gave a grunt, reached up, and shoved himself free. Falling from the roof, his leg slammed into the ground with a heavy thud. He looked straight at Raito, eyes burning with fury.

"How… how do you… get stronger just now? You're supposed to be weak! I was about to win!" the Mireborn King shouted.

Raito's lips curved into a smirk. "Well, you shifted into me, didn't you? Copied every move I just made. You've been watching me the whole time, memorizing my fighting style. But let me tell you something, I just leveled up. And if I level up… can you copy that too?"

The Mireborn King froze for a split second. "What do you mean, level up?"

"I leveled up," Raito said calmly, stepping forward. "That means my stats, my speed, my strength, all of it increased. You can't mirror what you haven't reached."

The Mireborn King gritted his teeth. "Never mind! It's time! I'll finish this!"

Raito's aura flared as he sprinted forward, faster than the eye could follow. The Mireborn King's knights charged at him, but Raito's speed blurred everything into streaks of blue. His fist smashed into the first knight's face, sending him flying backward before he even had a chance to react.

Raito didn't stop. He ran toward the Mireborn King, preparing another punch. The King leapt into a wall, its mirrored surface swallowing him completely. Raito struck, shattering the wall instantly, but the King had vanished.

The Mireborn King's knights burst from another mirror. Raito struck the wall again, shattering it, but still, the King wasn't there. Frustration flared in Raito's chest.

"It looks like I can't defeat you anymore. Your strength and speed… I watched you use it. But my body… can't react to this. That speed, that power, it's on a whole different level." The Mireborn King's voice echoed through the room. "Fine. I'll stay here, in this place, even for a hundred years." He laughed, a sound full of madness and pride.

Raito smiled. "Sorry, I won't let that happen."

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