I made a few paces to the east and found myself free from the sandstorm, but… trapped in front of a masked Bangaa unit. They were visibly Uhlans, each holding a shining heavy spear and facing me in anger.

'Go get 'im!' one of them yelled.

I began to run, and noticed with great relief that someone was coming from the other side to fight them.

'Take that!'

Brünhild Tannhäuser was there too with her own spear, Piercing Voulge, and promptly hit the front portion of attackers. A few members of her battalion were following her, and helped decimating the group.

'Urutan-Yensa allying with Bangaa… very strange.'

Irmhild Tannhaüser had joined me as well, staying in the rear to heal her allies and temporarily strengthen their physical abilities.

'Urutans swear they won't accept help from anyone', I added.

'Exactly. Someone must have changed their mind.'

'And their geographical location is even more troubling.'

'Irm!'

She turned to her twin sister and they exchanged a knowing look.

Mist gathered around their two bodies, and I understood they were about to release Quickenings. Although Irmhild needed her Mist to keep casting spells, joining Brünhild in this was a good strategy. Several team members in a Quickening chain meant more attacks, more damage, and more chances of creating Concurrences, finishing blows in the form of intense Mist bursts of a given element.

'Sankthof Blow!'

'Sankthof Blow!'

It could have been a repeated Quickening from a given person, but it seemed the twins had the same second-level one, a big wave of energy weakening enemies in a wide range.

I stepped back, took up my bow and shot arrows to distance the Bangaas from us, as the Zodiac Sisters were amidst the Quickening process. Some from the first row had fallen. I sensed the Landisites had recharged their Mist levels, and heard:

'Gate of Schutzturm!'

'Gate of Heiligkeit!'

The two Gates seemed to be their first-level Quickenings, and triggered respectively a powerful horizontal kick and a white tornado, both of which pushed enemies away. Once again, many of them fell, but the reserve Bangaa were still a solid group. By the look of it, the Zodiac Sisters had hoped to trigger a Torrent, but that Concurrence finale needed one more second-level Quickening. Both sisters were exhausted, and receiving bullets from the rear Bangaa attackers without Brünhild being able to take up her spear, nor Irmhild to cast a plain Cura spell with her Fealty Rod.

All the arrows I could shoot were not enough to contain that situation. What could I do?

Turning at the Bangaas, I threw an Immobilize Mote, which would stop them for a few seconds. And suddenly, just before the Quickening sequence was over, I stepped in and pronounced:

'Plummeting Lighthouse!'

As soon as the earthy tower hit the closest Bangaa, all the remaining ones shook, before the Torrent finally defeated them, carrying them far away in the field.

I tossed an elixir to Irmhild, who promptly healed her battalion then the three of us.

'Landisite Concurrence. I like that. Since when do you know how to fight?' Brünhild asked.

'I never said I didn't', I answered with manifest irritation. 'I regularly train in whatever is not close combat. Including Quickenings, in which my level isn't any lower than yours.'

'So a bit like me', Irmhild smiled. 'But it doesn't show from the outside that you're made for battlefields. Not at all!'

'I didn't pass the Judge examination with corruption, you know', I sighed. 'Please, sister; bitte, Schwester!'

They both laughed and our eyes made a 360° scan to look for the others.

'Where could they have gone?' Brünhild inquired.

'The sandstorm probably took them further to the west. Let's get going. Judge Petra and Judge Chau-Anh should be easy to hear.'

And, as we began walking westwards, to Landis, to the place I had desperately wanted a chance to protect, with unknown men from the Ninth following us, and the brave Zodiac Sisters by my side, I burst out laughing.

There was no reason for it - I just needed to release all that's building inside me.

War, against mysterious opponents, without even knowing their leaders, the condition of Landis, which was finally flourishing again after all these years of recovering from the shameful invasion which leader didn't conduct with hatred in her heart, and of course my own status as a vulnerable man in front of a sword or axe…

And all I could see, for a change, was Petra's cocky gestures and Chau-Anh's proud raillery, and all I could do was laugh.

Chau-Anh was appointed to supervise the whole operation by the strongest man on Valendia – bar the Mighties. She had all reasons to be proud. But wait a minute – what would happen if a member of the Mighty Four was there, with us? How long would it take for the likes of Maximiliano Terramolina to obliterate everyone – army and tribe alike? Thirty seconds? Or maybe only three? How long would a proper Immobilize spell cast by the Feynis siblings last? Two hours?

I had a hard time realizing in which world I was actually living in, and seeing all the ones around me ignoring it made it feel like a lie. Somehow, I wished it was one. I hadn't seen any Mighty power unleashed, after all. However, if there was one thing in that fairy tale that I didn't want to be a lie, it was Vicky. Vicky had to be real.

'Hey, Gabranth! Are you with us?' Irmhild asked.

'Gabranth is thinking of his girlfriend', Brünhild dangerously concluded.

'I don't have a girlfriend', I said.

'Oh please', Irmhild chained with discountenancing confidence. 'Everyone knows Waldgott boys love the girls from Archades, and you almost never leave the capital. Don't tell us you've kept behaving well all this time, we're not gullible!'

'I'm… I swear I didn't do anything…'

'How can you blatantly lie in front of our motherland?'

I raised my look and gasped. Seeing those tracks leaving the Cowichan plains, the Archadian province just before Landis, and imagine myself running along them again, until the imperial capital, to protect my mother…

Landis's hills were visible in the clouded horizon. Like ghosts of a past where I hadn't been good enough.

'Look! M'Lady! They are here!'

One of the Ninth soldiers pointed towards a corner filled with Mist, where we could hardly distinguish anything.

'Can you check?' Irmhild asked me, and I understood she wasn't in her best shape.

'Surely.'

I carefully walked around the fog and felt the energy from the First. Not only Chau-Anh but Judge Magister Zecht was there, too.

I made a sign for the Zodiac Sisters to join me. We advanced together towards our colleagues.

'How come you're carrying so many items?' Brühild questioned.

'Well, it happened that Lord Larsa told me it was useful shortly before our departure. He just learnt of hi-potions. It seems his strategy was the right one', I smiled.

But they didn't smile back. Witnessing the "negative" trait we shared, their toughness in war I didn't, and how we weren't evolving in the same dimension anymore, must have felt bitter for them. Lord Zargabaath must have idealized Lord Larsa to them, just like he did Lord Vayne, since they were both sons to his dear late Empress. The Solidors were the pillar of the Empire's stability, and being allowed around such treasures was indeed a privilege. A proof of high trust, at the very least, like the others I had had from the same man.

I noticed Judge Petra further to the west, facing Landis. Was she observing the land she had had to attack eleven years before? No. There was something else.

There, all the fog turned to darkness. We couldn't see each other, even from a short distance. I sensed new sources of Mist coming from all directions.

'Proceed with caution. We are surrounded', I said to any ally who could hear.

An intense lightning line crossed all imperial ranks, ending at the place Lady Petra was observing. We heard a cry of pain; then a being floated to the sky, carefully guarded by Bangaas and Urutan-Yensas piling up sand underneath. Amidst the black scenery, it was the only thing we could see.

'How dare you attack me, filthy Humes!' the being said, with a rough deep voice.

There was light around it, showing it was… a Garif. Those adventurers from the north of the wild Kerwon continent apparently felt like having a stroll in Archadia as well. Their attire was as I had seen it in books: light brown armor designed in traditional fashion, just like their mask – which was usually light brown and white, when their owners weren't painting it black to match their unlawful organization's name – with two huge horns, covering entirely their face. Garif were following peculiar customs because, yes, they were also a tribe. One that normally has nothing to do with Urutan-Yensa. Normally.

'All tribes of Ivalice, unite! Today is the last day the filthy Humes will rule on our lands.'

I wished I misheard.

'We non-Humes have always been underrepresented in everything governing this Ivalice. Even harvesting the fruit of our land work or magicites in Kerwon mines is now forbidden to us - the reason being the Humes. Always the Humes. Down with them!'

And all the hidden warriors approached – they were Garif. Axe-wielding Garifs, Foebreakers. How could they see us in this darkness? What was going on? Would I have to die in this place?

Fortunately, no Garif targeted me. However, I could easily sense several Archadian soldiers falling. I even recognized, with great terror, some that I had brought myself. I wanted to walk to them and defend them, but then I would be instantly targeted by the Garif, and, at best, be put KO. Moreover, my duty was to "observe". Was my life meant to be wasted like this? But was it meant to keep "observing" while my men were defenseless on the ground either?

'Listen, human trash, for you have been let for too long in a fantasy. Today will be your final one. Listen! I am Khedar, and have come with my honorable grandfather Etmen-Fa from Jahara village. We have come all the way here to teach all Humes a lesson. Today you sewers have evolved in information and technology. Aye, you are astute; aye, you are strong. But if we all gather, you are powerless! Today we brought our dear Bangaa partners, along with the Urutan-Yensa who have the same goal, as you have disturbed their Sandsea for way too long.'

"It is the Rozarrians, dear Khedar. The Rozarrians. Not the Archadians", I desperately thought.

'Once Archadia falls, we plan to extend our representation to the Seeq, Nu Mou and Moogles. Even the Helga leading the Bur-Omisace shrine, which your rotten land has been profaning for so long, shall recognize our worth and join our war effort! But the first step… Listen, honorable Counselor Etmen-Fa! Listen, my valiant troops! The first step is to decimate the Humes of Archadia. That empire ought not to exist. Deciding one's worth based on one's race, and being proud of a system where our hard-working Seeq are barely citizens! Such infamy has to end, and the best day for your punishment is today.'

After speaking, Khedar floated back to the ground, aided by sand.

'Mind him! He's coming down!' a soldier shouted.

'He?'

The soldier – probably in Petra's ranks – pulled out a sword and directed it to the apocalyptic Garif. The latter lifted the weapon between their large hands and abruptly threw sword and soldier aside.

'He? Where do you see a he? I am a female Garif. It seems, my dear Hume trash, that you are like those old dictators in Jahara, and only assume what you want to. I never was male. Pretending I am one because of anatomical details… only deserves one fate.'

And a flash of ice escaped her finger, piercing the soldier's armor and heart in the process.

'Not all non-Humes are worthy of respect', she added. 'My own parents think this unfair way. I left Jahara because it was too small for my standards and ambitions. The only Garif who had clear thoughts in the village was my grandfather, and that's why he's fighting with me. And of course, we met along the way other Garifs who had fled Jahara previously and support our ideas.'

The darkness was getting heavier. It seemed it had blended completely with the Mist.

'Shall we do it again?' Brünhild's voice asked.

'I strongly advise against the Quickening strategy here', I replied. 'We do not know of their number and attack types. Irmhild should stay in the back and you two can work like you usually do.'

'What made you think you can give us orders?' Irmhild said in my direction.

'My rank is higher than yours. I shall go to my troops as soon as you've started your assault.'

'See, Brün? I knew Waldgott boys were cocky, in addition to loving the wrong girls. But tell me: how are we supposed to fight sightless? I can't even target you to cast Bravery. The mystic path is disrupted...'

I heard a whirlwind sound and instantly linked it to Brünhild's attack preparation, as she boldly replied:

'Don't worry. I'll break this through right now. Have my back, Irm!'