"The Path the future holds for one is unknown, but trust in the one who created you to guide you"

*Magus Maximus Daisuke*

I was rummaging through the two-foot tall pile of papers on my desk when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"I can't right now, I am busy," I said, setting aside file of papers. They were records of a certain Mahoulympics of old. One that had taken place in Kyuu Seishin and few to this day remembered. It was for the best that they didn't. If they knew about that realm and the future we faced then surely there would be chaos. One day we would face the same threat as eight years ago, but fail to push it back. That was said to be our inevitable fate, not only of Xeleria but of the other realms as well. But I wasn't going to stand by and do nothing.

"Your Highness is going to be late for the council meeting," the woman on the other side said.

Darn, I had forgotten all about it.

I rose from my desk and strided toward the door. I was met with a pencil thin smile from my dear wife, Edith. She was clearly mad at me for 'almost forgetting'.

"I, I remembered," I said, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning against the frame of the doorway.

She sighed as she turned her back to me. "I honestly doubt that. Now let us not delay further. This meeting is urgent after all."

I grumbled. "No need to tell me that."

After the trial of the boy called Lei, I had given the magic council the task of deciding whether the Mahoulympics were to continue or be suspended until further notice. We didn't wish for a repeat of said Kyuu Seishinian Mahoulympics.

Edith walked on ahead of me with her hands behind her back. "Though I'll say we have little to worry about. My brother is fully prepared for everything that could go wrong, and you know how meticulous that man can be. He is also doing it to defend his grandson."

I stared at my wife who was walking with her head lowered. "You thought the same thing I did when you saw that boy, didn't you?"

Edith smiled. "Yeah. Not only him though, but that girl he was with, the current High Priestess of Xian." She glanced up at the ceiling which contained paintings in the Xianian style, art her father had added in order to make her mother feel at home. "Both remind me of my parents."

"Well, both of them are their great-grandkids," I said, shrugging.

My wife shook her head. "No, it's not only that." She looked down and chuckled. "Maybe I'm simply overthinking things."

"That's unlike you."

"Master Daisuke, Lady Edith!" a voice called out. Both Edith and I came to a halt and turned around. Running toward us with a tablet on hand was a young man who was struggling not to trip as he ran.

"Easy now, don't trip," I said, trying not to laugh.

The young man came to a halt and took a deep breath. "Right, sir," he said, putting a hand on his chest as he caught his breath.

"What's the matter?" Edith asked, frowning.

"Hou King Kadriya has informed us that the other day a strange figure in red was spotted gathering crystals from abysmals. He believes the man might be working with others. He also fears that they might pursue the boy who was devoured but survived the darkness in order to extract the powers he absorbed. Sir Kadriya recently had Lei and his friends leave Miha through an old underground tunnel built during the creation of the second Xelerian Empire in order to avoid detection."

"Why didn't he have him teleport with their crystal?" I snapped.

"Miha's transportation crystal has grown weaker for an unexplained reason. At this point it's nothing barely above a normal stone. Sir Kadriya believes the man had something to do with it in order to lure Lei into the open. Luckily that wasn't the case as Lei arrived in Xian last night and should be enroute to Mina from which he will take their teleportation crystal to Wahkan."

Edith gasped. "Lei." She clenched her hands together. "My brother was right in his prediction." She turned toward me. "We need to protect that boy!"

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Who could this mysterious man be?"

"Sir Kadriya seemed to know or at least suspect, but he didn't state a name. He did say this man is very dangerous, someone even he 'can't defeat the way he is now'."

I gasped. "Could it be..."

"Who is it?" Edith asked, putting a hand on my shoulders.

I clenched my teeth together. "The most wanted criminal in all of Xeleria, the man who brought down the entire Hou Clan alone..."

***

*Lei*

We had gotten rather far when suddenly Iah came to a stop. He glanced around as if wary about something. For some reason he was in the process of transforming.

"Is something the matter?" I asked, putting my hands behind my head.

"Are we being followed?" Nyima asked. She stopped and looked around. "I don't sense anyone. A few animals, sure, but no person."

I closed my eyes and tried to sense if we were but I didn't feel anything other than the same forest animals she could. And none of them appeared to be familiars either.

Iah snickered. "Nope. Though it's time to get my idea in motion."

"Idea?" Nyima asked.

He got on all fours and began to shapeshift into his horned horse form.

"Long time no see, pony Iah!" I said, chuckling.

Iah glared at me. "Hey, this 'pony' defeated you, don't forget it!"

I grumbled. "No need to remind me." I crossed my hands over my chest. "Just so you know, one of these days I'll defeat you!"

"Well, that won't be for a very long time," Iah said, stepping forward proudly. "Now, get on. We'll be able to go faster this way."

"Alright!" I said, reaching for his neck.

Iah shook his head. "Sorry, but I rather Nyima ride ahead."

I crossed my arms and pouted. "Why is that?"

Nyima sighed. "He probably wants me to hold tightly on to him rather than a guy like you."

Iah laughed. "Maybe."

She rolled her eyes. "I take that as a yes. But fine, just for the sake of getting Lei and I to Wahkan as soon as possible."

Iah grinned. "Then get on!"

Nyima got on first followed by me. I held on tightly to her as Iah strode forward. He continued to run even as we neared the edge of a cliff.

"Hey! Idiot! There's a cliff ahead. Hurry up and spread out your wings or we're gonna go splat!" Nyima yelled. The guy didn't even have his wings ready!

Iah chuckled as he jumped over the edge.

Nyima hugged Iah tightly and closed her eyes. Meanwhile I prepared to raise us afloat but that wasn't needed as Iah walked through the air as if it were land.

"Huh?" the two of us said.

Iah snickered. "What's wrong? Surprised that I can walk on air?"

Nyima slowly loosened her grip. "So not only on water but on air too. You're amazing, Iah!"

The Minan prince chuckled. "Thanks but please tell me something I don't know."

Nyima rolled her eyes. "I'll be sure not to compliment you again."

I giggled. This guy. He really is a work of art.

Iah's legs glided through the air as clouds of dense water vapor gathered around his legs.

"Say, this form of yours, it's a qilin. Isn't it?" Nyima asked, staring at his legs.

Iah snickered. "Took you long enough to figure it out, Ms. Keeper of Ancient Secrets."

Nyima's face flushed. She turned to look at the beautiful dense forests. "I may hold that as one of my titles, but I don't know everything."

I hummed. "It's fine if you don't, this world is large with a long history and various peoples. Even beyond this planet there are tons of other inhabited worlds. And that's not even taking into account the realms beyond this one either. To know everything in not only Xeleria but the entire multiverse is impossible for a mere mortal."

Nyima smiled. "You're right."

I smiled back. It wasn't everyday she said I was right.

Iah chuckled again. "You're feeling okay? Complimenting us?"

Nyima scoffed. "You act as if I haven't done so before." Iah and I giggled. Nyima laughed. "You pair of boneheads!"

After that we remained quiet for the most part, enjoying the verdant and mountainous scenery. Though it didn't take Iah long to reach Mina.

Though it was a tad difficult to tell the difference at first, considering the eastern province of Mina was as green and mountainous as Xian. It wasn't until we reached central Mina that it became obvious.

Surrounded by a twenty-foot yellow brick wall was an enormous city which incorporated modern architecture with the traditional Wudian style, which heavily borrowed from Xian. Though I guess that was to be expected since the founder of Mina and the Wudi clan itself was a Xian prince.

The largest structure was a golden palace built on top a hill which allowed it to be seen from nearly all angles. It was surrounded by four smaller palaces, each a different color and flare.

Iah zoomed past the magical barrier the city wall radiated as if it weren't even there.

"Iah!" a voice boomed.

Iah suddenly halted in midair and glanced back. Nyima and I followed his eyesight and saw a green dragon flying toward us.

"It's really you! I had heard you returned two days ago but that you left as soon as you did," the dragon said in a female voice. She narrowed her large blue snake-like eyes at us, more specifically at Nyima. "Who is this?"

"This is my wife and our son," Iah said in a serious voice.

"Son? You ain't my Papa!" I said, sticking my tongue out.

Nyima chuckled. "Lei. He was kidding. Though that was a bad joke."

I chuckled. "I know, just wanted to say that!"

The girl glared at all three of us. "Enough joking around, Iah! Who are they?"

Iah sighed. "These are Nyima and Lei, my teammates."

"I thought so, but why is that girl clinging on to you like that? Doesn't she know you have a girlfriend?"

Nyima smiled at Iah. "Girlfriend? I thought you said that you had broken up with your previous girlfriend! You mean you were hitting on me all this time despite still having one?" she asked, tightening her grip on his neck. "You know I hate players!"

"I don't have one! This is that ex I mentioned!"

"Ah, so she's the crazy one," I blurted.

The dragoness scoffed. "Ex? And what does this kid mean by 'crazy'? Please, explain yourself, dear."

Iah narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't act. You clearly know that we broke up right before I departed the harbor to go to Wahkan. Now excuse me, I need to take my teammates home."

"Hmph. Just don't take that slutty looking girl into your room."

Nyima turned around and unleashed blades of water on the girl but the girl's body easily absorbed them.

"What did you just say?" Nyima asked as droplets flew in the air.

The dragoness drew closer. "You heard me you whore! I bet you already tried to seduce my dear prince."

Nyima stood up on Iah's back. Her eyes were dark. "You have a death wish? Because if so then I will happily oblige!"

Iah glared at his ex. "Lei, take Nyima toward the place complex. I need to have a talk with my ex."

Nyima smiled. "Thanks, but I can fight my own battles. Fighting them for me will only make things worse."

Iah nodded and turned around and moved as fast as he could. Nyima would've fallen off if I hadn't caught her.

"What are you doing?" Nyima screamed as she sat back down.

"Listen, you're no match for her! Not match up wise."

"I got light magic too as well as my martial arts!" Nyima protested.

"That's true," I said. "She can take down that wit- uh ex of yours."

Iah snickered as we neared the palace. "Perhaps, but Cìjī's fighting style isn't one you can defeat with physical attacks."

"Her fighting style?" Nyima asked, curious.

"You'll see what I mean at the Mahoulypics. That should be where you should aim to face her, not here."

"You're really afraid that I'll lose to her?" she asked, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Not if you improve between now and the games," he responded as he descended before the palace walls.

I turned around and glanced up at the sky. "Odd that she didn't follow."

"She knows it's foolish to come to these grounds. I had the guards put her on a blacklist, knowing how clingy she can be."

"That's smart of you," Nyima said, grinning as both of us got off of Iah's back.

Iah reverted back to normal and smiled. "Two compliments from you in a day? I must be testing my luck."

She grumbled. "Seems I broke my compliment ban for you already. I'll be sure not to slip in another anytime soon."

The prince chuckled as he pushed the palace gates open. "Let's go, Wahkan awaits you two."

Nyima and I nodded. Our way back home laid in this castle. As soon as we stepped foot back on Wahkan, our battle for a spot in the Mahoulympics was to begin. In a way, Nyima would be my rival alongside the rest of my friends. But I wasn't going to let sentiment get in the way of achieving my dreams. Everything was a stepping stone to that dream, to become the next Magus Maximus.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter. This is the republished old Ep. 44 I unpublished last month (or is it two months now?) for those who are wondering why it seems familiar xD. Thoughts on Iah's ex? How do you think Lei and Nyima will do?**