"Welcome to Dream City."
Angel pushed open the heavy black archway. She had barely stepped over the threshold and descended the towering stairs, which seemed designed for giants, when she heard a chorus of voices.
A broad street ran across her path, with a row of black streetlamps stretching into the distance along the sidewalk. Their dim yellow light illuminated the nighttime street. Rows of black houses stood on either side, mostly two or three stories tall, with asymmetrical designs that rose higher on the left than the right. Their similar styles and layouts suggested they had all been built during the same period.
Before her, two strangers, a man and a woman, bowed in greeting. They wore elaborate but somewhat peculiar clothing. Behind them stood two rows of honor guards in crisp uniforms, holding wooden rifles.
Now, everyone called out in Ancient Feysac once more:
"Welcome to Dream City!"
Their voices swelled in a magnificent chorus that echoed down the entire street.
What is all this about... Didn't I come to the Ghost Empire? Why is this a city? Could the stories describing it as "bigger than a city" actually be true?
Faced with so many strangers, Angel instinctively wanted to hide in the Mirror World and unleash a plague for good measure. But she quickly realized that the people before her really were only welcoming her, without making any other moves.
Moreover, although their movements appeared perfectly synchronized, there were subtle differences, and their expressions were vivid. They were clearly living people, not marionettes or illusions.
"Dream City?"
She repeated the name in confusion, directing her gaze toward the woman among the two bowing greeters.
The woman was short, but exceptionally full-busted, with beautiful long black hair and eyes of the same color. Her relatively soft features reminded