Ami’s Visit – A Moment of Recognition 

The day before the final stage, Ami Sakuragi met up with Haruto, Kai, and Rin near the academy premises.

Haruto wiped the sweat from his forehead, having just finished a light warm-up.

Ami crossed his arms. “I must say… I’m impressed, Haruto.”

Haruto blinked in surprise. “Me?”

Kai smirked. “You sure you don’t mean us?”

Ami chuckled. “No. I meant him.”, Pause,

”Just kidding, the three of you”, His gaze was sharp as he looked at Haruto. “You’re the most surprising fighter in this tournament. Rin, And Haruto, No one expected you to make it this far, yet here you are.”

Haruto remained silent. He didn’t know how to respond.

 Kai muttered.   “What about ME?“

She Ignored.

Ami continued, “I don’t know how you learn those moves, but… whatever it is, you’ve managed to get this far without fully revealing it. That’s an impressive feat on its own.”

Before Haruto could say anything, Satsuki Jr. and his team walked by, their expressions filled with disdain.

“You’re all just lucky,” Satsuki Jr. sneered, looking at Haruto’s team. “We’ll make sure you don’t get lucky again.”

Haruto met his gaze but said nothing.

As Satsuki Jr. walked off, Rin scoffed. “Tch. He acts like we haven’t worked for this.”

Kai shrugged. “He’s just mad we’re standing on the same stage as him.”

Haruto, still deep in thought, finally spoke. “Tomorrow… let’s give it everything we’ve got.”

Kai and Rin grinned. “You got it.”

The Day Before the Final Stage – Training and Reflection

That night, each team trained and prepared for the final battle.

Kai was curious about how Rin’s lightning power had become stronger.

“Rin,” he asked, “have you noticed? Your lightning… it’s different. Super Cool!”

Rin looked at her hand, sparks crackling between her fingers. “Now that you mention it… it does feel stronger, but I don’t know why.”

Kai narrowed his eyes. Is she awakening a higher power level?

Meanwhile, Haruto was alone, meditating. He sat in a quiet corner of the training field, building up energy, but still suppressing his true power.

I can’t lose control. I have to keep it concealed though the pain is quite severe anytime I use it.

Opening his eyes, he looked up at the stars.

Then, he turned to Kai and Rin, speaking from his heart.

“Thank you.”

Kai raised a brow. “For what?”

“For protecting me,” Haruto said softly. “For always having my back.”

Rin smirked. “You’re finally saying it, huh?”

Kai grinned. “Damn, I should’ve recorded that.”

Haruto chuckled. Tomorrow… I’ll stand and fight beside them.

……..

The Final Stage – A Battlefield of Legends

The final stage took place far from the academies, in a vast open land, designed to give fighters enough space to unleash their full power.

As the competitors arrived, the sky was eerily calm.

The Grandmasters’ voices echoed across the battlefield:

“The Final Stage begins now!”

Immediately, chaos erupted.

 • Satsuki Jr. and his team went on the offensive, using their overwhelming abilities to dominate the battlefield.

 • Kai engaged two opponents at once, using his raw strength earth element to hold them off.

 • Rin unleashed a devastating storm of lightning, taking control of the field.

Haruto stayed back, analyzing the battle. I have to wait for the right moment.

Then—

The sky cracked.

A loud, monstrous ROAR shook the battlefield.

Everyone stopped fighting.

The sky tore open, revealing a massive portal—black energy swirling inside.

A chilling aura spread across the land.

A figure stepped out.

A demon.

But not just any demon.

The older brother of the demon Haruto defeated before.

His crimson eyes burned with hatred as he scanned the fighters below.

“Where… Has that little chick gone?, I heard whispers that you've condemned my poor brother's soul to a fate in hell” his deep voice echoed.

Silence.

Then, Satsuki Jr. and his team stepped forward.

“This is part of the test, right?” one of them said.

They charged at the demon—confident, cocky.

Big mistake.

With a single wave of his hand, the demon unleashed a shockwave of pure darkness, sending all of them flying across the battlefield.

Haruto’s eyes widened. He’s stronger than the last one…

Kai clenched his fists. “Haruto. This… this isn’t part of the test, is it?”

Haruto swallowed. “No. This is real.”

Panic in the grand Monitoring Room – The Grandmasters Take Action, call on the top students

Back in the monitoring room, Ami Sakuragi and the top students were watching the battle live.

Suddenly—

A voice from the grandmaster, “CUT OFF THE COMPLETION IMMEDIATELY”

The feed went black.

The audio cut off.

One of the students frantically pressed buttons. “We lost connection! We can’t reach them!”

The Grandmasters exchanged tense looks.

“We need to move. Now.”, One of the assistance to the grandmaster whispered to Satsuki’s father(Tetsuro Araragi)

Ami clenched his fists. “Haruto… Kai… Rin… hold on.”

The Battle Against the Demon Begins

Back on the battlefield, Satsuki Jr.’s team struggled to stand.

“Damn it,” Satsuki Jr. growled. “This guy’s strong.”

The demon descended from the portal, his gaze locking onto Haruto.

“You…” His voice was like thunder. “I can feel it. You were the one who killed my brother.”

Haruto took a deep breath.

He stepped forward.

Kai and Rin turned to him.

“Haruto?” Rin asked.

Haruto clenched his fists. “Stay back.”

Kai frowned. “Wait, what?”

Haruto’s aura flared, his suppressed power leaking out slightly.

Everyone, including Satsuki Jr., turned to look at him.

The demon grinned. “There it is… Show me.”

The final battle was about to begin.

And this time, Haruto might have no choice but to reveal the truth.

…….