"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."
