“Well, I can’t be too upset,” said Tralle as I helped him up, “this wasn’t fully a training fight anyway—we set it up as an exhibition match.”

As he turned to go, Tralle said, “though it looks like I might really need the extra AP from the battle for Sorousoros. Just you make sure to leave some of the Kinetice for me when that time comes, all right? I heard about your kill count at Luuxis.

You’re one crazy guy, in your own way.”

“Damn straight I am,” I said, “but yeah, the Sanctuaries are no joke. You seen the footage yet?”

“No, not yet. They told me they’ve arranged for me to have a look after we’re finished at Sorosouros.”

“Well, for now let’s just say the additional AP will help...but the Sanctuaries test more than just stats and battle skills.”

“That so?” said Tralle, “Thanks for the advice. See you around.”

With that, we rejoined our respective groups. “Nice going, tough guy,” said Mewi, “you know though, it wouldn’t kill you to act more like you’re having fun, at least in a friendly match like this. I know you were.”

“Well, I mean, I get that but like--” I paused, mortified as the others laughed, good-naturedly, at how flustered I was, “not in front of a guy like THAT, I mean! Like I’d give him that kind of satisfaction! Besides, I’m happy with the no-nonsense part of my image, I don’t wanna ruin it!”

Mewi laughed too, with that. “Fair enough. So, shall we be getting back?”

“Actually,” said Anna, “if we have a little time to spare, there’s someone I need to introduce if we can get some privacy.”

“Ohohoho! You cleared the Guardian level challenge too, then?” I said.

“As if any of you doubted me!”

“Of course not. I was just wondering why we hadn’t had this conversation sooner.”

For just a moment, that remark made a chink in Anna’s poker face. “Well, there wasn’t really a good time. They’re, how do I put this...a bit tricky to find a way to let enter the virtual space, compared to Serayne.”

As she spoke, she brushed her hair aside with her hand, displaying a hairpin she hadn’t been wearing before. It gleamed with a golden shine, but I didn’t spot a gem or anything else that could act as a summoning component like with my bracelet.

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We got in contact with our respective flagships, explaining there would be a short delay before we returned. Then, we headed a good distance away from the planet’s cities, with no one else around.

“Okay, here goes,” said Anna, but I held up my hand.

“Hang on just a sec. I’m sure Serayne will want to meet them too.”

She nodded, and I triggered my bracelet after explaining the situation to her through it. She arrived in her true form, intending to meet them as Guardian Familiar to same.

Anna nodded to Serayne when she arrived, and her gold hairpin flashed. A moment later, an orb of warm, golden light, slightly larger than a bowling ball appeared right by her head.

It spoke—or well, that’s what it did for practical intents and purposes. It was sort of like the opposite experience of when the Wisp Emperor talked to me; instead of their voice sounding inside my head yet clearly coming from them, it sounded as though it was coming from everywhere and nowhere. The voice itself was soft and lilting, and I couldn’t quite place it as seeming male or female. “It’s a pleasure to meet the rest of Anna’s team. I am what is known as a Luxian. My race’s native language is non-auditory, and even if you all used devices to upgrade auto-translation to be compatible, our names don’t translate well even into other visual languages, let alone auditory.

So, Anna and I agreed, as is common for when one of my kind is selected as a Guardian Familiar, for me to go by an alias to you all, for convenience’s sake. Call me Lee.”

Serayne spoke up first. “A pleasure to meet you, Lee. I am the Fire Familiar, Serayne. If I recall, illusion is the specialty of Luxians?”

“That is correct.”

I whistled. “That means Anna basically now has access to both the ‘healer type’ and ‘element type’ powersets of Light element.”

“Also correct,” said Lee, with a trace of smugness, “however, I lack corporeality, so most methods of accessing the Tower’s virtual space are incompatible with me. However, Anna’s faction has assured us that they have begun the process of procuring one of the rare devices that are capable of directly linking a non-corporeal consciousness to that space. One should be ready for us within a week’s time.”

“Well, welcome to the team, Lee,” said Bruzigan, “I might have a few words with Clatenis to expedite that equipment if possible. After all, we’re already behind schedule for training for the 8th Floor.”

“You’ll want to glamor yourself on occasions you’re in public with Anna,” said Serayne, “I can help you tweak the appearance of a disguise.”

She briefly demonstrated her own humanoid form. “We Familiars are to be hidden cards for the time being, then,” said Lee, “I understand. For now, let us return to this Liberation Armada. I look forward to working with all of you.”

On the way back to the Firebrand, I did my best to come down from my heart having caught in my throat when Bruzigan mentioned training for the 8th Floor. That place was, in another lifetime, apparently the last Floor I ever saw. I had every reason to believe we’d find more success with how much stronger me and Mewi were both, not to mention our whole team, but it was still impossible not to be nervous.

There were still three more days scheduled for repair and maintenance of the armada, then to reach Sorousoros would take another ten days. With Bruzigan’s prodding, the consciousness connecting device reached Anna and Lee the day before the armada set off. I was able to mostly forget my worries through training, and undertaking more liberation missions.