Most Final Fantasy spells are based on English words: Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, etc. So because of that, for native English speakers, most of the names are obvious. Which means that part of the mystery here comes across as the equivalent of saying, “Oh, if only I had a something to hammer this sharp piece with! I wonder what such a tool would be called!”
So with Sara’s coronation right around the corner, Shogo and his party get special permission to attend — but as a part of her guard, not as guests. Even if they were just there to witness Sara being crowned, they still wouldn’t relax, as they know the Magus Sisters will surely try to interrupt the ceremony. Well, I say the ceremony, but everyone is really only worried about before and after, when the magic barrier will be lifted as Sara and others enter and leave.
Well, you know what they say about assuming…
So no one is prepared when the Magus Sisters crash the party, and they’re definitely unprepared for a long-lost spell rendering Mysidia’s mage corps essentially worthless. RPG players will know there are only a few ways to handle an enemy like this. It doesn’t take Shogo quite as long to figure out the Magus Sisters’ trick versus some of the other Final Fantasy Bosses he’s encountered, but unlike some of the other battles, this isn’t a matter of just knowing when to attack. So the mystery is not so much what Shogo and the others can do to stop the Magus Sisters but how they are going to acquire the ability to stop them. Although it’s a dramatic battle in both words and weapons/magic, I didn’t like how the answer is told to Shogo rather than solved.
The manga also dives into the Sisters’ past, particularly Cindy. The Magus Sisters in the games don’t have much of a backstory, but that’s not the case here. Readers have probably pieced their history and motivations together already, as they’re pretty obvious and not exactly unique. But their story is also meant to shake Sara’s beliefs and goals. With her kingdom and her dreams both on the line, she’s in an unenviable position that makes you wonder what you would say in such a situation. Plus, while Lost Stranger has always emphasized that this is not a typical Final Fantasy, having the Sisters have their own story instead of just a cameo is a nice change of pace to give this world its own identity outside of magic being restricted.
Although the manga still doesn’t explain how a poor girl ends up with basketballs on her chest…Sometimes it’s hard to take the story seriously when all the other females in the world have chests in the realistic range, and here’s Cindy trying to look all threatening when probably half the audience is hoping for a wardrobe malfunction with her lingerie-like outfit.
But the next volume preview has already confirmed a new arc is set to begin, so maybe the next antagonist will look menacing instead of overly seductive. There’s still a bit to resolve regarding the Magus Sisters, and I would have preferred the battle to have ended in volume 4. This one is not quite as strong as the previous, but readers will still want to see if Sara becomes queen of Mysidia or if the Magus Sisters get their revolution.