Next Day...

Today was the day when Makoto and Haruki would spar and finally be able to put a close to this year-long vendetta. As multiple students were filling up the battlegrounds to watch the fights, Makoto was still trying to absorb the events inside her mindscape. "Just what was that?" She says pensively, walking down the hall towards the match. "I don't think it was my Zanpakuto, but there's no other explanation." Sighing, she decides to perish the thought for now and focus on the battle ahead.

Outside on the battlefield

"Look who finally decided to show up," Haruki announced. "And I thought you were all bark and no bite," He taunted with his annoyingly smug look. Makoto ignored his jabs and took her place on the battlefield. "I'm not in the mood, so let's get this over with." She deadpanned preparing for battle. The exam proctor waved his hand vertically down the middle of the field signaling for us to start. "Bakudo #4 Haiwana. Wasting no time, she shot out a yellow rope toward her enemy to bind them, but Haruki countered with a spell of his own. "Hado #1, Sho" The familiar white lock intercepts my rope causing both of them to fizzle out.

"Hado #31, Shakkaho."

"Bakudo #39, Enkosen." Putting a yellow circular shield to block the attack and without missing a beat she started uttering the next spell. "Hado #4 Byakurai." He swiftly evades her attack and sprints towards Makoto unsheathing his katana.

"Hmph!" clink Makoto blocks with her weapon locking them both in a stalemate. However, this did not stop Haruki from smirking and raising his hand. "Hado #11, Tsuzuri Raiden." He places his hand on the blade causing a yellow electric current to travel through it and conduct through Makoto's sword. To avoid the damage she lets go of her weapon and retreats.

"Tsk. Bakudo #30 Shitotsu Sansen!" Makoto draws out a yellow triangular shape in the air and throws it at Haruki pinning him to the nearby tree. "Finally got you! "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado #31, Shakkaho!" As Haruki was sealed, Makoto took the time to say the incantation to release a much more dangerous Shakkaho hurling toward him hitting the tree in an explosive blast. "Did I get him?" She pondered.

"Bakudo #26 Kyokko." Makoto was stunned. She never expected him to show up behind her.

"H-How?" She stutters from shock. "Quite simple. While you were enchanting, I used Bakudo #26 Kyokko to bend the light around me. This way, the position you saw me in was a mirage or a reflection of where I originally was. "If that was the case then I would've sensed something was off!" Haruki let out an unsettling chuckle, "But that's where you're wrong, Kyokko can also hide one's Reiryoku." Without wasting any more, Haruki pressed for the advantage but Makoto managed to block while still in her stunned state. The recoil threw Haruki into the air. He used this chance to tie her up with Hainawa and fire another hado spell while in the air. "Why is this tighter than usual!" Makoto panicked trying to set herself free. "Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams...

Giving up on freeing herself, Makoto decides to counteract instead. She faces her palms towards the ground. "Bakudo #21 Sekeinton." As she fired her spell, crimson-red smoke enveloped her blocking Haruki's line of sight.

What? Haruki thought.

...unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws! Hado #33 Sokatsui!" Unable to stop his Kido spell, unless he wants it to combust in his face, he sends the blue flames down towards the smoke randomly hoping to hit something. *Boom* Haruki lands on the ground short of breath due to firing such a strenuous hado. The whole crowd was looking expectantly at the red fog as it started to clear up revealing Makoto holding a fully-charged yellow orb in front of her sword tip. "Crap! When did she manage to grab that!"

"I'll have to thank you for freeing me from that bind." She laughs pointing to the burnt cloth around her wrists and waist. "Just what-" Haruki stutters which is followed by another sly smirk from Makoto. "Hado #32 Okasen!" She swipes her sword horizontally as the fully charged orb starts to shape into a crescent slash gliding towards Haruki who is already too tired to dodge effectively knocking him out. It all happened so fast that the crowd didn't even know what happened until the proctor explained the sequence of events.

"Genius, by using Sekeinton to block Haruki's sight you were not only able to avoid his strike but position yourself in a way to where the hado destroyed the rope for you. Furthermore, you wasted no time grabbing your sword and using the short time you had to charge a fully-powered Okasen which is equal to that of a number 40 or higher Hado even without the incantation. I must say, well done Miss Hayumi." After the professor's explanation, everyone understood the events and roared in applause.

"I can't believe such an extreme battle of kido was done by first years."

"They're both really talented!"

"The way Haruki used Kyokko to dodge the blast was magnificent!"

"But Haruki's plan wasn't anything to sniff at either."

After the buzz started to die down, they grabbed Haruki and took him to the infirmary. 'I hope I didn't go overboard." She says worriedly. "MAKO!" A familiar voice was heard in the distance which turned out to be Rin and Naomi standing on the margins of the field. "You did so good! I knew you could do it!" Rin squeals hugging her tightly. "Mhm, I'm proud of you as well." The taller woman brings her hand forward to pat Makoto's head. "Hehe, Thanks guys." She said joyfully.

2 Days Later...

"The written exam was horror. Thank god it's finally over." Makoto says to her friends. "Right!? I'm gonna take a nice, long, bath when I get to the dorms. Rin yawned which left Naomi amused. "Oh? I didn't think it was all that bad."

"Of course someone like you would like it.." Naomi pouts. "Now what's that supposed to mean?!" We all laughed and had fun until I was called to the infirmary.

...

"Hello Miss Hayumi, Fukuhara (Haruki's Last Name) and his parents have requested for you to come. Nodding, Makoto heads towards Haruki's bed. "You called?" She said opening the layer of the cloth. "HAYUMI PLEASE DON'T DO THIS TO MY SON. I BEG OF YOU!" Startled, Makoto jumps back at the middle-aged man who almost tackled her. "Pardon?" She inquires. "My son here was just telling us that you made a bet and now he has to leave the academy." Makoto turns towards Haruki with his eyes downcast unable to meet her gaze. She let out a long sigh, "It's fine. He doesn't have to leave if he doesn't want to." She said with a hint of pity, "I'm not heartless."

At the response, Haruki looked up from the bed hopeful. "You have our sincerest gratitude." The mom spouted, bowing. "No, it was really nothing at all." Shaking her hands in front of her. "It would be a waste to lose such a talent." She added.

Honestly, with such a stuck-up person, his parents are so nice. Makoto thought. "If that's all then I should get going then-" "Makoto wait." Interrupted, Haruki stands up from his bed. "Thanks again for this, and I'm truly sorry." His apology was met with a soft smile "Haha, so we're cool?" She says reaching to shake his hand. A smile, genuine this time, formed on his lips "We're cool."

Makoto left the infirmity to return to her dorm to get some rest after a long day. Although she was tired, she couldn't stop the smile that was plastered on her face.

Can't wait for next year...