Kaito woke in the middle of the night, gasping.
The dream had been clearer this time.
Not just a battlefield… but a reflection.
A copy of him. Same eyes. Same stance. Same voice. But it smiled without warmth and moved like death wrapped in memory.
It whispered one word before fading—
> "Reject."
Kaito sat up, sweat tracing lines down his face despite the cool air. He looked down at his hands—mutated, empowered, still unfamiliar.
Was he still Kaito?
Or just something wearing that name?
---
The Forest Calls
The following day, Seiko's warding talismans burned to ash at the edge of the forest.
"Something crossed the line," she muttered, brushing soot from her fingers. "Something deliberate."
Kaito didn't hesitate. He left before the others could stop him, following the invisible pull into the deeper woods. Past the seals. Past the yokai shrines.
He was being drawn. Lured.
Not by force.
By recognition.
---
In the Heart of the Forest
A clearing opened where there hadn't been one yesterday. And standing in the center—
Was him.
A perfect copy.
Golden eyes.
Circuit-marked arms.
Even the same pendant around its neck.
But this version smiled with an emptiness Kaito had never known.
> "You made it."
Kaito's fists clenched. "You're not me."
The clone tilted its head. "No. I'm what you would've been—if you didn't have those… attachments."
He stepped forward.
> "I am Evolution without restraint."
---
The First Strike
The clone moved without warning.
Faster than light.
Its fist cracked into Kaito's jaw, sending him flying into the trees. Bark shattered. Bones twisted. Pain erupted through him.
But Kaito's body surged again—adapting. The fracture sealed. Tendons snapped back into place.
He landed hard, rolled, and rose.
"You're not the first pain I've survived," he growled.
They clashed in the air, fists colliding, energy flaring with each blow. For every move Kaito made, the clone countered with precision—knowing his instincts, matching his rhythm.
Because it was him.
Just less human.
---
Meanwhile – Momo and Rin Feel It
Back at the house, Momo's blade buzzed against the wall where it hung.
Rin doubled over on the floor, eyes wide. "Something's happening. Kaito—he's fighting something that shouldn't exist."
Seiko's eyes narrowed.
> "It's begun."
Momo grabbed the blade. "Then we're going."
Seiko didn't stop them this time.
---
Inside the Mirror
The fight dragged into the mental plane.
Suddenly, Kaito wasn't in the forest.
He was inside a memory.
His own childhood — a room filled with warmth and light.
Then shattered glass.
Screams.
Abandonment.
The mirror version stood across from him.
> "You hide from what made you. But I used it. I was born in that trauma."
Kaito looked down at the broken pieces.
And saw his reflection shifting between boy and beast.
"Pain isn't permission," he whispered. "It's a path. But I chose where it led me."
---
Mutation Triggered Again
His body ignited.
The pendant glowed pure white.
> Adaptation Spike: Emotional Anchor Achieved.
Core identity stabilized. Mutation resisting hostile overwrite.
New ability unlocked: Adaptive Echofield.
Power surged through him, and he struck the clone with a wave of pure intention.
It staggered—eyes flickering.
> "What is this?"
Kaito stepped forward.
"A gift I got from not being alone."
---
The Others Arrive
Momo burst through the tree line, blade drawn, Rin beside her with a barrier primed. They saw both Kaitos and froze.
"Which one is—"
The clone turned and snarled. "Weaknesses. All of them."
Momo didn't wait. She dashed forward and slashed the clone's leg, symbols bursting on contact. Rin caught it mid-air in a psychic bind.
Kaito used the moment.
He dashed forward, hand glowing with energy absorbed from the fight, from the pain, from the fear.
And he drove his fist straight into the clone's chest.
> "You are not me."
---
The Mirror Breaks
The clone shattered—not into blood, but into a swirl of dark memory and lightless dust.
A dying echo whispered:
> "The Cullers… will not send mirrors next time."
And then it was gone.
Kaito fell to one knee, breath heavy.
Rin caught him with her mind. Momo helped him to his feet.
He looked at them—really looked—and for the first time since his evolution began… he smiled without fear.
---
Final Scene – On the Culler Ship
Deep in orbit, the Cullers reviewed the footage.
One spoke.
> "The Mutation has stabilized. And retained emotional anchors."
Another: "This was unexpected."
A third: "He will no longer destroy himself."
A long pause.
Then—
> "Send the Hunter."