Merry Christmas! My gift to all of you is another chapter of Predicament, it was the best I could do. This chapter was kind of rushed for Christmas but I hope all of you will enjoy it.

That aside, I realised that it has already been a year since I first started this fanfic. Through this year, this story has racked up more than 26000 views, 270+ follows and 220+ favourite. Thanks for all the support, I really appreciate it.

DISCLAIMERS

MY GRAMMAR IS BAD AND I DO NOT OWN MAHOUKA KOUKOU NO RETTOUSEI


Chapter 8

She has not moved an inch from her seat ever since the morning. Her eyes fixated on the screen showing the happenings of the world outside. Her information came from various sources but are without a doubt accurate. As the leader of the arguably most powerful clan in the world, she has her ways to tap into the communications of almost any system. Maya sat majestically at her seat, sipping her cup of tea as usual. The only thing amiss is the look in her eyes. Hatred and vengeance infested her gaze. It seems that after more than a decade, the time has finally come for her to put an end to her personal war. A long overdue closure that is. As she viewed information that Jiedo Heigu is finally making his way towards Yotsuba's territory, she quivers in excitement. It has been such a long time since she had been so worked up.

"Hayama," Maya called out as she stood up from her chair. It was time for her to personally put an end to this ridiculously dragged out war, but it was perhaps just an excuse to remind the world once again of who she was. The Queen of the Night, the Demon King of the Far East, the most powerful and ruthless magician in the world.

Hayama entered the room with his head bowed, ready to execute Maya's orders to his fullest abilities.

"I will be putting an end to him personally, make the necessary preparations." In reality, there were not many preparations to be made. Her CAD does not need to be prepared since she uses Flash Cast and she does not bother to wear any sort of protective suit since she finds them completely unnecessary. The only true preparation that needs to be made is to inform the clan of her actions and send escorts as customary since all the escorts do is look.

(Scene Change)

Magic sequences are thrown recklessly through the air. Those were not friendly fire. The enemy forces have gotten stronger yet again.

"Parasites?" Tatsuya was honestly surprised when he first detected magic sequences that were not friendly. This was bad news, especially for the detached team they had formed. Even though they were handling opponents that were weak, the enemy had strength in numbers. After battling for an entire morning, fatigue has gotten to all three of them.

"Tatsuya-kun, that was not from a Parasite. The source has a similar signature to the undead that we are fighting." Mayumi had already used her Multi-scope to survey the battlefield once more.

Right after, an undead exploded, splattering organs all across the ground. One by one, those undead that fired out magic sequences exploded, with only a few surviving the purge. It was conclusive that the explosion was not caused by allied forces, it was caused by the Jiedo Heigu. His magic could somehow transform lifeform into power for the undead to wield magic momentarily before self-destructing. It was without a doubt the most inhumane magic ever used.

"Unforgivable," Miyuki muttered under her breathe, freezing all the enemies within a hundred-metre radius. She could not hold back any longer, not after seeing such a horrific magic. She could not allow any more people to fall victim to Jiedo Heigu's magic.

Mayumi was for the first time on the same page as Miyuki. Although she was still clueless in regards to who the mastermind was, she did know that such magic is definitely illegal and extremely unethical and inhumane. Whatever the cost, she felt responsible to stop it at once.

Tatsuya could only sigh in response. The probability that this was a trap by Jiedo Heigu to envoke such emotions was high. It would definitely be unwise for either one of them to continue fighting at such a rate since they were all plagued with fatigue but it would be hard for Tatsuya alone to stop either Miyuki or Mayumi from continuing now.

"Tatsuya-kun, is it possible for you to pinpoint the location of the mastermind at this point in time?" The intensity in Mayumi's eyes was never before seen, furious was an understatement.

Tatsuya decided that even trying to convince them to stop fighting at this point was futile after what Mayumi said. Complying with Mayumi, he used Elemental Sight to trace the magic back to its origin. This time, however, the magic was not cut off halfway, allowing Tatsuya to obtain the exact coordinates of the magician. However, Tatsuya felt that something was amiss. It was all too easy for him to locate the magician, there was no resistance whatsoever.

"Something is up, we have to be vigilant. I have pinpointed the location of the magician but I'm sure it is some sort of trap." Tatsuya pointed south as he spoke.

"As if we weren't already vigilant, Tatsuya-kun. Let's go already." The playfulness in Mayumi returned, poking fun at Tatsuya's concerns. It earned her an ever-so-slight grin from Tatsuya and a scoff from Miyuki, nothing unusual at this point.

(Scene Change)

Jiedo Heigu and Zhou Gongjin advanced quickly towards the Yotsuba main residence, with a few elite undead following them along. It was no easy feat for them to locate the Yotsuba main residence, but after a decade of planning it would be pitiful if they could not even do so much.

"Master, can I have a word?" Zhou Gongjin asked while running faster than the human eye can see.

"Hmm?" Jiedo Heigu raised one of his eyebrows, questioning what Zhou Gongjin still wanted to say as he slowed his pace to match his subordinate. He did not give permission, but neither did he stop Zhou Gongjin so Zhou Gongjin when on with it anyway.

"It has been truly my honour to fight under you and die for you."

Jiedo Heigu simply closed his eyes and acknowledged his most trusted and outstanding subordinate, pointed his finger at him and converted him into an undead soundlessly. It was his final farewell and what seemed to him as the most honourable way of death.

Zhou Gongjin was the only person he trusted after the destruction of Dahan. He was the brightest, strongest and most dedicated amongst every other pupil. As time went by, he soon became the only pupil left and became Jiedo Heigu's one and only righthand man. Letting him go is a pain but Jiedo Heigu deemed it as necessary. He would not have a shot at topping the Queen of the Night if he had not done so.

"It is about time." He was nearing the Yotsuba Residence, even if he could not see it through the barrier, he could feel it. It was not magic but instinct, raw instinct.

(Scene Change)

Tatsuya, Mayumi and Miyuki certainly had their hands full. As they tried to advance to the source of the enemies' magic, the density of enemies seemed to increase. As the effects of fatigue starting to kick in, the trio's combat ability fell drastically. Overusing magic has dire consequences that even Tatsuya will have trouble reverting and they will definitely be bothered by it sooner than later.

Tatsuya was well aware of the current situation that they are in better than both Miyuki and Mayumi involuntarily. The more he is drained of his Psion from the extensive use of magic, the more he would lose control over his innate magic. It was similar to how Miyuki would occasionally lose control of her magic while she was sealing Tatsuya's powers. Currently, his Elemental Sight forced him to involuntarily see all forms of information including the information of even Mayumi and Miyuki. He had made a mental note to cover them and lighten their combat load as their stamina continues to dwindle to a dangerous level.

Perhaps fuelled by adrenaline, determination or maybe competition with Miyuki, Mayumi did not feel as exhausted as she should be. She was still actively wielding her magic, not holding back even for a moment. She was obliterating every enemy in her sight, yet the numbers do not diminish even a bit.

Miyuki, on the other hand, was absolutely determined to outdo Mayumi in order to convince Tatsuya that she was a better fit for him to execute future missions. She was not blinded by her desire and remembered to pace herself, yet she has come to a point where even pacing does little to help. But she will not give in, not when Mayumi was still going at full force. She was endlessly freezing waves of enemies but much like the situation Mayumi was facing, the number of enemies simply does not diminish.

"Miyuki, Mayumi-senpai, we have to stop here and now. We won't be able to make it, not in our current condition." Tatsuya had already assessed the current situation, crunched some numbers in his head and came to a conclusion that it would not be possible for them, in their current conditions to even get close to killing off the source.

"No!" Both Mayumi and Miyuki chimed in at the same time, leaving a bitter taste in the both of them.

The competitive spirit of both of them was too strong, driven even further by the sense of righteousness to protect the civilians.

"At this rate, none of us—" Tatsuya was cut off abruptly when out of thin air a magic sequence materialised, catching all of them off guard whilst they were having their conversation. Even before they had a chance to react, it pierced right through Mayumi's abdomen. Blood splattered out furiously as Mayumi fell to the ground, her face turning pale rather quickly.

Tatsuya snapped, immediately using Regrowth on Mayumi. Tapping on his ever-decreasing reservoir of Psion, he used Flash Cast to Material Burst a single atom in the air, causing an explosion that was still huge enough to create collapse nearby buildings. Half the enemies were wiped out immediately. Following which he lifted Mayumi up bridal style, whispered into her ears and took her right past Miyuki into the ruins of the building.

It may have been her second time experiencing it, but Mayumi was still consternated by Tatsuya's Regrowth. It worked like magic(pun intended), yet there was not a trick to it. She had not even been able to recover from her consternation to hear what Tatsuya had whispered in her ears, but she was glad. She was glad that Tatsuya saved her, she was even happier when Tatsuya whispered in her ears and took her straight past Miyuki. At that moment, she felt as if she was the centre of Tatsuya's world. That Tatsuya's world revolved around her, even if it was just for a moment. The attention and affection Tatsuya gave her were intoxicating, almost like a drug to her.

A quick "thank you" was all Mayumi could say as Tatsuya lowered her to the ground gently before going right back to the battlefield.

Even for Tatsuya with the highest Psion count ever recorded, using Strategic Class magic even on a small scale drained him tremendously. More than ever he needed to end the battle immediately and preferably individually. He did not want to face Miyuki right now, not in the middle of a battle.

He evaluated his options and it boiled down to two. Using Mist Dispersion in quick succession or firing another Material Burst. Keeping in mind that Material Burst was a highly classified Strategic Class magic and that he had already violated his sworn promise of secrecy with his initial outburst, he decided to stick to Mist Dispersion.

Using Flash Cast, Tatsuya was able to use Mist Dispersion in quick succession. Combine it with the swiftness he had acquired through Ninjutsu, he zoomed around and bodies disappeared in quick succession. It did not take long before he wiped out the remaining undead, but he could tell that more was coming. They had to get out fast, even he was nearing his limits.

Disappearing from her line of sight in a flash, Miyuki barely caught Tatsuya going back to pick up Mayumi from the building. By this time Miyuki had enough time to fully process and comprehend what was going on. Needless to say, she was infuriated.

"We are getting out of here, Miyuki," Tatsuya said as he carried Mayumi bridal style past Miyuki once again, this time away from the battle. He made it sound more like an order than a request but it did not bother him one bit. He did not want to start another petty fight with Miyuki right in the middle of this battle, it would be courting death.

"Wha-." In a single leap, Tatsuya took off along with Mayumi before Miyuki could even start her rant. This left Miyuki with not much of a choice, following her brother while she tried to keep her rage under control to prevent levelling the whole city.

(Scene Change)

Just minutes past before Jiedo Heigu was enveloped in pure darkness. Halting immediately, he barely saw a human figure he assumed as Maya.

"I would give you credit for not running with your tail between your legs by now." The voice of Maya was ever so threatening yet mesmerising. It would have sent chills and shivers down anybody's spine, but not Jiedo Heigu. His fear was replaced by determination and vengeance.

"Hmm, so you killed even your righthand man. Was it to toughen yourself up emotionally or are you just afraid that he would be a burden in this battle?" Maya was exposing Jiedo Heigu bit by bit. She knew that she was correct, she could tell that Jiedo Heigu was getting increasingly tensed up the more she spoke although he was trying his very best to hide it.

"You came here knowing that your life will be taken, wouldn't you? You didn't plan to kill me, you planned to tarnish the name of my clan. That is what you are after, aren't you? That was the best you thought you could do since you had no chance of winning against me."

"…" He still chose to keep silent, but deep down he knew that he had already been outsmarted. He knew that a decade's worth of planning and sacrifice has gone to waste. He has failed his final, most important mission and he was about to pay for it. Still, he could not bring himself to surrender. Still, he was determined to fight it out till the end. Still, he was struggling to find a glimpse of hope. He would not go down without a fight.

"Admirable, truly admirable. You have yet to give up on your will and I must credit you for that. But if you think I will give you a warrior's death, then you should really consider running." Maya had concluded that everything she had seen through and accurately exposed every single part of Jiedo Heigu's plan. She now knows everything, all she has to do now is to dispose of him.

A period of silence followed. Maya, in light of Jiedo Heigu's bravery, decided to give the advantage of making the first move to Jiedo Heigu. He, however, was trying as best as he can to survey Maya for her weakness. It was obviously to no avail since he could barely locate her in the pitch blackness created by her Night.

Just as Maya was getting impatient, Jiedo Heigu made his first move. He hurled the undead towards her way, but it missed Maya entirely.

Feeling extra savage, Maya decided to toy around with Jiedo Heigu. She started off by destroying every undead except for Zhou Gongjin instantaneously even before Jiedo Heigu could react. Following which she stood totally still, taunting Jiedo Heigu to make his next move.

The difference in strength is evident, even bigger than what Jiedo Heigu had expected. He thought he could at least bother Maya a little more, but right now his powers are nothing more than a fly compared to Maya. A tinge of regret seeped into his resolve but he has yet to give up. He made Zhou Gongjin his body shield as he began his incarnation, hoping that the arrogance of Maya would blind her from stopping him.

"You take me for a fool?" Maya was beyond surprised at the stupidity of Jiedo Heigu. In terms of direct combat, it was true that Maya was a thousand years more superior to Jiedo Heigu. But nevertheless, Jiedo Heigu was an incredibly proficient Ancient magician, allowing him to incarnate a strong ancient magic could mean trouble even for Maya.

Maya simply used a ray of light to pierce a hole through Zhou Gongjin's leg and ultimately Jiedo Heigu's arm, stopping him from incarnating entirely. His actions made Maya seriously annoyed. She had thought that he would be at least a little more prepared than he is.

"Is that all that you have got?" Maya taunted after Jiedo Heigu finally initialised the pain in his arm, now screaming.

Fuelled entirely by resolve and determination, Jiedo Heigu has not given up yet. It had barely been five minutes since the battle started, he knew he still had a couple of tricks up his sleeve that could possibly harm Maya. He started to run in a circle around Maya, throwing several low-level magic at Maya while incarnating stronger ones. It was to little avail. He was forced to stop his incarnation time and time again by Maya who was unaffected by the weak magic he threw at her. But he did not give up, for he had already expected this to happen. He continued to push himself, using his resolve and determination as a painkiller for his wounds.

As much as he wanted to continue fighting, he knew his end was near. Constantly running around while throwing and incarnating magic leeched him of his stamina. He was at his physical limit. No amount of resolve or determination could fuel him any longer. In accordance with his tradition in Dahan, he chose death before dishonour.

With one final incarnation, he decided to end himself.

Much to his despair, Maya would not let him have his way. Using Zone Interference, Maya was able to exude enough power to force Jiedo Heigu to his knees and stopping him from using any form of magic.

"Playtime is over it seems, not having much fun, are you?" Maya said with a smirk. "You really think I would let you die? You make an excellent research specimen. Your magic that is." She would not let such a unique opportunity to escape from her. Jiedo Heigu's magic may be inhumane, but it was definitely one of a kind.

"I would be surprised if you still had time to dissect me after today. I may have lost a battle, but I certainly did not lose the war." Everything, right down to his capture, was calculated and accounted for in his plan. It was not perfect and there were several key miscalculations, but in the end, it still turned out the way he wanted it to. His duty was done, he had already won.

Maya knew enough of his intricate plan to understand what he was driving at. What frustrated her the most was the fact that she could not do anything to prevent it. No matter the circumstance, Jiedo Heigu would still be the victor in the end. There was no way for her to take any sort of precaution or to mitigate the damage. His plan was impeccable.

With a clenched fist, Maya blinded both Jiedo Heigu and Zhou Gongjin with her magic, knocking them both unconscious. The henchman of the Kuroba family quickly appeared to bring the bodies back to the research lab. Jiedo Heigu and Zhou Gongjin are done for, but the repercussion lives on.

(Scene Change)

With Jiedo Heigu dead, his army died along with him. The city fell to an eerie silence, finally tranquil. It did not take long for buzz all over the city to start. Rescue works now in full swing, fires slowly but surely being put out. Civilians and magicians, crying over their lost ones alike. The damage done is catastrophic, some unable to be measured.

As he journeyed straight for the Saegusa Residence with Mayumi in his hand, he could not help but notice that all the undead ceased to exist. The atmosphere lightened, animosity and bloodlust that plagued the city subsided. It was to his relief, he would not have known what to do if the war had not ended by now.

"The war has ended, Tatsuya-kun." Mayumi's red eyes met Tatsuya's blue eyes. It was the first time in a long while both of them spent time together, but circumstances forced them to spend it on the move.

"So it would seem, it was rough wasn't it." Tatsuya looked up, choosing to stare straight ahead instead. He knew what questions are going to come out of Mayumi and he was not in a position to answer them. He could only avoid them.

"You have a lot of secrets, Tatsuya. I have come to accept that, so I won't ask you anything. But look at me, won't you?"

Tatsuya was caught off guard. Not only by Mayumi's response but also the sincerity of her words. The fact that he was accepted as who he was, although he still had much of his identity shrouded in darkness. With her words reaching the depths of his heart, Tatsuya decided to fulfil Mayumi's request. He gazed straight into Mayumi's eyes silently, using his Elemental Sight to navigate instead.

"Th-Thanks for today, that makes it the second time you revived me." All of a sudden with Tatsuya looking right into her eyes Mayumi became nervous.

In response, Tatsuya merely raised one of his eyebrows. He knew her agenda was not as simple as a word of gratitude, she has not said what she had intended to say.

"You jerk, you know that I am nervous, don't raise your eyebrow one me, at least say something!" Mayumi flared up in a teasing manner, breaking out of character and chuckled straight after. Her efforts did earn her a little smile from Tatsuya which to her was more than enough.

"From the looks of it, we aren't going to see eat other for quite some time after this, am I right?"

"I'm doubtful that I will attend school," Tatsuya confirmed Mayumi's suspicion.

Mayumi lowered her head involuntarily, her lips forming an unwarranted frown. "Before you leave me again, I just want to say that I…" Her lips quivered, she squeezed her eyes shut to fight back the tears.

Tatsuya once again chose to remain silent as he waited for Mayumi to recover emotionally.

Taking Tatsuya by complete surprise again, instead of finish the sentence after she had opened her eyes again, Mayumi mustered her courage and sprang up from Tatsuya's arms to give him a kiss on his cheeks.

Tatsuya did not respond to Mayumi's kiss. He did not accept it, he was in no position to. At the same time, he did not reject it, he would be lying if he said he did not want it. He just chose to look back up towards the sunset instead of Mayumi.

Mayumi's own cheeks were burning hot after what she did. She was thankful to Tatsuya, not only for not rejecting her but also looking away right after. She was spared from embarrassment as a consequence. Now she just snuggled in Tatsuya's arms, hiding her face.

"Anything else?" Tatsuya looked down, trying to find the gaze of Mayumi.

"You are so demanding, what else do you want?" Mayumi could not stand being teased by Tatsuya, her cheeks were still burning from embarrassment.

"Your house is in sight and it will be sometime before we see each other again, so do you have any parting words?" Tatsuya stated it in a matter of fact tone.

"Meet me sometime soon, okay? It doesn't have to be at school or at my house, it can be anywhere." Mayumi raised her head to meet Tatsuya's gaze, giving him a wink.

All Tatsuya could give her in return was a bitter smile, but it was all Mayumi needed to know. She could not say that she understood the reasons Tatsuya had, but she is sure that Tatsuya would meet her if he could. The smile confirmed it, she was sure.

Tatsuya's luck ran out as he was greeted by Saegusa Koichi himself at the back door of the Saegusa Residence. Miyuki, finally catching up to Tatsuya, was forced to put on a façade in front of Koichi.

It was a rather awkward exchange, but it was expected. Tatsuya owed Koichi a mountain of explanation, but it was impossible for him to explain it to Koichi without shedding light on his identity. This very naturally resulted in the most awkward encounters one could ever get. It took Tatsuya a great deal of skill to dodge all the questions Koichi threw at him but he pulled it off after all.

At the end of it all, as Mayumi and Koichi bid Tatsuya and Miyuki farewell, Tatsuya could not help but sigh inwardly. The war has yet to end for him and it continues for him the moment he reaches home.

(Scene Change)

Mayumi quickly excused herself to her room right after Tatsuya had left. She was not in the mood to entertain her father's questions, her heart already aches for Tatsuya. As she closed the door behind her, she went straight for the shower. Even the shower failed to hide her tears.

Koichi could tell that his daughter had been through too much in a day. In fact, he noticed that his daughter has not been like herself for the past week leading up, which coincides with the absence of Tatsuya. 'Youths give their hearts away too willingly, but that is what it means to be young isn't it?' He thought inwardly as he went into his study to hear out the report from Nakura.

The report was mundane as usual although it was concise. The only part he looked forward to was the report on Tatsuya. He took full use of the opportunity today and ordered Nakura to follow Tatsuya once more to see him at full strength without holding back. As he went into a bubble of his own, he tuned out whatever Nakura said until he heard the magic word 'Tatsuya'.

"What? Repeat that again for me." Koichi did not quite catch it, or rather he did not quite believe what he had heard, looking at Nakura doubtfully.

"That boy Tatsuya-san has the powers of the rumoured Mahesvara, or perhaps he is Mahesvara himself," Nakura repeated himself for the disbelief Koichi.

"Do you have concrete evidence?" Koichi was beyond euphoric. He had hit the jackpot, it was going to be a pivotal point in not only his investigation but for his entire clan. He instantly came up with hundreds of scenarios that could possibly happen when he acquires Tatsuya for his clan. The power he will have under his command would definitely put the Saegusa clan above the Yotsuba. He might even be immortal with the help of Tatsuya.

To Koichi's question, Nakura used his terminal to display footage of Tatsuya saving Mayumi with his Regrowth and obliterating the enemies with Mist Dispersion and Material Burst. It was concrete evidence to back up his claim and it set off Koichi, making him laugh triumphantly like a lunatic.

(Scene Change)

"Onii-sama, you have gotten back your emotions haven't you?" Miyuki's voice was hollow, the first Tatsuya has witnessed.

"Gradually, yes."

Miyuki stared at Tatsuya intensely as he replied, holding back tears. Her beautiful face creased and her quivering lips formed a frown. Mayumi accomplished what she wanted to do personally for Tatsuya. She had to bitterly admit that Mayumi's impact on Tatsuya had already transcended the realm of magic and needless to say her abilities. She has already lost to Mayumi.

As the first tear began to fall loose, Miyuki abruptly ran into her room. Closing the door behind her, she fell on to the floor. A stream of tears gushed down her cheeks.

She could not help but to constantly think of how much happier her brother actually was around Mayumi than herself. When he did not stop Mayumi from kissing him. When Mayumi enabled Tatsuya to feel emotions. When Tatsuya reacted the same way he did to Mayumi's injury as the Okinawa incident. It as clear as day to her that her brother prefers Mayumi to herself, she just did not want to hand Tatsuya over. She did not want to admit defeat, but she had no other options.

Tatsuya went back to his room as well. Today was nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster for him, he knew that everyone went through much more than they should have. He also sympathised that Miyuki had the worst of it. She had suffered since a week ago and today was the biggest blow to her.

As Tatsuya lied on his bed, he could not help but be reflective. He should be by Miyuki's side, comforting her as her brother, yet he could not do so. He should be by Mayumi's side as well, making sure that she is all fine and well, but he could not do so as well.

"What a failure I am, trying to keep both led me to have none in the end," Tatsuya said with a heavy heart. He really wished he could fix his heart with his Regrowth, it was in such a turmoil.

(Scene Change)

"Maya-sama, what should we start with on Jiedo Heigu and Zhou Gongjin?" Hayama asked.

"Seal them up completely, but of course make sure that they are not damaged." Maya rubbed her temples as she was once again seated in her throne-like seat.

"Understood. Moving forward, what are your plans to deal with the upcoming conflicts, if I may ask." Hayama understood that Maya had other agendas on hand so she will not be able to allocate any resources into researching Jiedo Heigu and Zhou Gongjin.

"It will be troublesome indeed, I have yet to have any plans. I knew this was coming, but I couldn't prepare for it. It looks like Jiedo Heigu did win this one." It was not easy for Maya to admit defeat, but she had to give credit where credit was due. The war they fought today was just the appetiser, now it is the beginning of the end.


A/N: This just about wraps up this Jiedo Heigu Arc, the next chapter will start the final arc of my fanfic. All forms of constructive feedback is welcomed and I might incorporate it in my story if I can. Once again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, here is to a better 2019. May we meet again in January(?)