diff --git a/src/types/DeepStrictMerge.ts b/src/types/DeepStrictMerge.ts
index 8fa07c3..d40d651 100644
--- a/src/types/DeepStrictMerge.ts
+++ b/src/types/DeepStrictMerge.ts
@@ -29,21 +29,7 @@ namespace DeepStrictMerge {
           : Target[key] // If `Target` is not an object, take `Target`'s value
         : Target[key] // If `key` is only in `Target`, take `Target`'s value
       : key extends keyof Source
-        ? key extends keyof Target
-          ? Source[key] extends object
-            ? Source[key] extends Date
-              ? Target[key] // Date is a leaf type, Target wins
-              : Target[key] extends object
-                ? Target[key] extends Date
-                  ? Target[key] // Target is Date leaf, preserve as-is
-                  : Target[key] extends Array<infer TE extends object>
-                    ? Source[key] extends Array<infer PE extends object>
-                      ? Array<Infer<TE, PE>> // If both are arrays of objects, merge their elements into a new array
-                      : never // If one is an array and the other is not, merging is not possible
-                    : Infer<Target[key], Source[key]> // If both are objects, merge them recursively
-                : Source[key] // If `Source` is an object but `Target` is not, take `Source`'s value
-            : Source[key] // If `Source` is not an object, take `Source`'s value
-          : Source[key] // If `key` is only in `Source`, take `Source`'s value
+        ? Source[key] // If `key` is only in `Source`, take `Source`'s value
         : never; // If `key` is in neither `Target` nor `Source`, return `never`
   };
 }
diff --git a/test/features/DeepStrictMerge.ts b/test/features/DeepStrictMerge.ts
index 4e21ded..fd8c60f 100644
--- a/test/features/DeepStrictMerge.ts
+++ b/test/features/DeepStrictMerge.ts
@@ -118,3 +118,44 @@ export function test_types_deep_strict_merge_nested_date() {
   type Answer = Equal<Question, { a: { createdAt: Date; b: number; updatedAt: Date; c: string } }>;
   ok(typia.random<Answer>());
 }
+
+/**
+ * Tests that a Source-only key with a Date value is taken directly from Source.
+ * This proves the dead-code branch (re-checking `key extends keyof Target`) was unreachable:
+ * if `key` is only in Source, the result must be `Source[key]` regardless of type.
+ */
+export function test_types_deep_strict_merge_source_only_date() {
+  type Question = DeepStrictMerge<{ a: number }, { createdAt: Date }>;
+  type Answer = Equal<Question, { a: number; createdAt: Date }>;
+  ok(typia.random<Answer>());
+}
+
+/**
+ * Tests that a Source-only key with a nested object value is taken directly from Source.
+ * The dead code attempted to recursively merge Source[key] with Target[key],
+ * but Target[key] doesn't exist for Source-only keys.
+ */
+export function test_types_deep_strict_merge_source_only_nested_object() {
+  type Question = DeepStrictMerge<{ a: number }, { b: { c: string; d: boolean } }>;
+  type Answer = Equal<Question, { a: number; b: { c: string; d: boolean } }>;
+  ok(typia.random<Answer>());
+}
+
+/**
+ * Tests that a Source-only key with an array-of-objects value is taken directly from Source.
+ * The dead code attempted to merge array elements, but that's impossible for Source-only keys.
+ */
+export function test_types_deep_strict_merge_source_only_array_of_objects() {
+  type Question = DeepStrictMerge<{ a: number }, { items: { id: number; name: string }[] }>;
+  type Answer = Equal<Question, { a: number; items: { id: number; name: string }[] }>;
+  ok(typia.random<Answer>());
+}
+
+/**
+ * Tests that a Source-only key with a deeply nested object is taken as-is from Source.
+ */
+export function test_types_deep_strict_merge_source_only_deeply_nested_object() {
+  type Question = DeepStrictMerge<{ x: number }, { y: { z: { w: string; v: Date } } }>;
+  type Answer = Equal<Question, { x: number; y: { z: { w: string; v: Date } } }>;
+  ok(typia.random<Answer>());
+}