[b][i][u]Location: Nightmare Unitia - Hakurei Shrine[/u][/i][/b]

[i]The Maestro htook the hit from Rayla's attack directly. It broke into dark shards and flew away with the wind.[/i]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/nejBcc1.png[/img]
Jin: We did it! Hell yeah!!
[img]https://i.imgur.com/i5X9Eab.png[/img]
Umbra: I can already feel some fluctuations. We might get out of here soon enough.

[i]As Umbra commented, Marina looked behind and saw the town they were living. The sky was enshrouded by a complete dark red with black clouds filling it. The moon was barely visible and while trying to find, it looked shattered.[/i]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/4CNGJSh.png[/img]
Marina: I wonder if this is the same town as it is from reality.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/ATGUitS.png[/img]
Auror: I think this is a good time to ask. Where exactly are we, anyway?
[img]https://i.imgur.com/mxSTVlL.png[/img]
Ictio: This is the Nightmare Realm. Pretty ugly, right?
[img]https://i.imgur.com/M1d5nMl.png[/img]
Auror: Nightmare Realm?
[img]https://i.imgur.com/MZy8PIf.png[/img]
Marina: Oh, I have read about it at home! This is the world where Nightmares live in, right?
Umbra: Correct. This is the world where Nightmares exist and consume people's spirits while they are asleep.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/I31LhXC.png[/img]
Auror: I see... so for us to have those horrible visions at night, a Nightmare eats our spirit. That explains why we wake up so disheartened and the day seems like a drag.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/HGLjikU.png[/img]
Alice: This leads to another question I want to make. What happened to the Dream Realm?

[i]Ictio looked surprised as Alice mentioned the Dream Realm. She seemed to know about it, which made him curious.[/i]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/cVyb5Sg.png[/img]
Ictio: You know about this stuff?
[img]https://i.imgur.com/k34FJHT.png[/img]
Reimu: It's a very long story but yes, we do. In any case, what happened to it?
Umbra: It has been devoured.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/NodlO6Q.png[/img]
Cookie: Devoured? Then...
[img]https://i.imgur.com/mnb5AdD.png[/img]
Jin: The Nightmare Realm took all of it!
[img]https://i.imgur.com/4KLRCXU.png[/img]
Kiragi: That's so cruel... why would they do such a thing?
[img]https://i.imgur.com/k6jSyUu.png[/img]
Auror: It's not hard to imagine, actually. If Dreams are supposed to bring hope and joy, Nightmares are supposed to bring despair and sadness. It's like Yin-Yang, opposites that never match.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/sElnvwR.png[/img]
Ictio: Hey, that's not true at all! I get along with my brother all the time! Right, Umbra?
[img]https://i.imgur.com/iIczHsM.png[/img]
Umbra: Don't pin this on me.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/ciEjqb3.png[/img]
Auror: Right... along all the time, you say.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/DEL0dJO.png[/img]
Marina: Maybe this is the reason why that Nightmare demon attacked this morning.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/71kyvRy.png[/img]
Kaito: She did say something about how Nightmares will devour hope and no one will dream anymore.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/mbOBZ0E.png[/img]
Auror: It's because of that we labeled this as an incident. If people don't dream anymore and only have Nightmares at bedtime, their spirits will grow weaker and weaker until they don't want to live anymore.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/Fyjw6aT.png[/img]
Marina: The result of the growing pessimism will be a crisis...

[b][i][u]Location: Spring Zone - Streets Near the Hakurei Shrine[/u][/i][/b]

[b][i]BGM:[/i][/b] [i]Dance to the Death[/i] still playing

[i]Upon hearing the call, Xaizor rolled over as the stones came flying down in the group of monsters attacking them.[/i]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/Jv6RDoR.png[/img]
Xaizor: Nice hit! Let's send those guys packing!
[img]https://i.imgur.com/ZMWVWGL.png[/img]
Xaizor: Marina ain't the only one who knows magic! [b]Dark Firaga[/b]!!

[i]Xaizor shot a ball of dark flame upon a group of monsters. It exploded once contact was made, sending them flying.[/i]