At that moment, a shadow swept into the room. The Lich appeared, flying with its horde of undead. Raito glanced back. "Oh… you came here? There's no need. Go back to Hunter Domain."

He raised his hand, commanding authority. The Lich paused, bowed slightly, and began fading, returning to the Hunter Domain. The undead dissipated, leaving the room silent once more.

Raito's lips curved into a determined smile. Finally… Level 25.

"I can now use Sparrow Punch," he whispered.

He tapped his interface. "System, open start."

The screen blinked to life.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

▶ Level Up: 25

▶ Skill Unlocked: Sparrow Punch

▶ Skill Activated: Will last 5 minutes

Blue energy swirled around Raito's fist, forming a glowing, powerful aura. He clenched his hand, feeling the raw power coursing through him.

As Sparrow Punch activated, the Hall of Reflection trembled. Blue energy streaked from Raito's fist, radiating heat that warped the mirrored walls. The aura around him flared violently, filling the room with an almost tangible pressure.

From somewhere within the endless mirrors, a voice—his own voice—echoed.

"Is that all you've got?" it sneered. "I can see you… but you won't stop me."

Raito froze. That tone, that cadence… it was him. But it wasn't. His stomach twisted. The Mireborn King had shifted into his form, his leather tunic, his boots, even the way his hands gripped his dagger. Every move, every instinct mirrored perfectly.

"You can't find me," the King continued, stepping lightly across the mirrored floor as if he had grown out of the reflections themselves. "I can move through these mirrors. Chase me if you dare, but you'll never catch me."

Raito clenched his teeth, energy coiling through his muscles. The thought didn't terrify him—it enraged him. So this is what I'm up against… myself.

The mirrored figure lunged, dagger aimed with the same speed and precision as Raito's own attacks. Every strike mirrored his technique, every motion anticipated. Raito barely blocked, the clash of steel sending shockwaves through the hall.

"You bastard," the mirrored Raito who was still the Mireborn King spat, eyes blazing. "I've watched every move you make since you stepped in here. Every step, every strike—I know you!"

Raito's lips curled into a smirk, despite the pressure. "You think knowing me makes you me? You're strong… but you're not me."

Energy pulsed from his fist as he prepared to strike again. Every nerve in his body screamed to move faster, strike harder. The Sparrow Punch glowed with raw power, the blue aura forming a fist of concentrated energy, humming with destructive force.

"I'll show you," Raito growled, voice low and controlled. "You can mimic me all you want, but you can't surpass me."

"How… how did you do this?" the Mireborn King stammered, still in Raito's form. His expression twisted with disbelief. "How are you this strong? What are you? In fact, who are you? This has never happened before!"

He staggered backward, his copied face drenched in sweat. "Anyone I've watched… I could mimic their skill. But you—no! The speed you used in the building before it collapsed, I can't copy that. When you punched me in the jaw, your strength, your precision, I can't replicate it. And that blue energy around your hand, that fist of power—I can't copy that either. What is happening?"

Raito lowered his glowing fist, eyes locked coldly on his double. "You've copied my face, my moves, even my instincts, but you'll never copy what drives me. It's time you were put to rest."

"Damn you, bastard!" the Mireborn King screamed, voice echoing through the shattered mirrors. "You destroyed my civilization! You ruined everything I built! You weren't supposed to exist! Everything was going as planned! I've been here for a thousand years, devouring human civilizations one by one! I was ready to leave this place, but you—"

"I ended it," Raito interrupted, stepping forward. The blue aura around his hand flared brighter, burning with heat and energy. Each step he took made the ground crack beneath his boots.

The Mireborn King's eyes widened in panic. He stepped back, then bolted toward the far wall. "No! I'm not going to die! I won't die here!"

Raito vanished.

The King spun around, desperate. Raito appeared in front of him. He turned left, Raito was there too. He turned right, gone. Behind him, nothing but blue light and silence.

Then

THUD!

A devastating kick struck him square in the back, launching him across the floor. The King hit the ground hard, rolling as he gasped, the illusion of Raito's form flickering like static.

Slowly, he pushed himself up, only to see the real Raito standing over him, aura blazing.

"You're evil," Raito said, voice low and steady. "You were never meant to exist. You've slaughtered countless lives, absorbing their knowledge, their memories, their very souls. You get stronger by killing humans and stealing who they are. That's unforgivable."

Raito's fist glowed fiercely, the Sparrow Punch at full power. "You have to die."

He slammed his fist into the Mireborn King's stomach.

The impact tore through the hall with an explosion of blue light and shockwaves that shattered the remaining mirrors. The King screamed, his copied body fracturing as his true form emerged, pure black, made of writhing dark mana, no mouth, no eyes, no humanity left within it.

He let out one final, agonized shriek, then his body cracked, splintered, and shattered into dust.

Raito stood still, breathing hard, his arm trembling from the recoil.

"It's over," he muttered.

All around the city, the remaining Mireborn began to dissolve. Without their king, their existence unraveled. One by one, their bodies vanished, erased, just like their master.

Then a notification flickered onto Raito's vision.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

▶ Time's Up

▶ Skill "Sparrow Punch" deactivated

▶ Effect ended. Power faded from hand

The blue energy around his fist dissolved into nothing. Raito exhaled slowly, finally letting himself breathe.

"Finally," he muttered, shoulders slumping as relief washed over him. He had done it.

Almost immediately, another notification appeared, bright and crisp on the screen:

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

▶ Mireborn King defeated

▶ LP Gained: [amount depends on previous scaling]

▶ Skill Acquired: Coropy — Ability to Copy Defeated Opponent's Skills

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.