The question of how to prove to Acheron that he was not a character generated by the Dreamscape left Tir Anders, who was also inside the Dreamscape, at a loss for an answer.
Given the peculiar nature of the dream of Taiyi, any answer he offered while inside it could ultimately be turned back into the argument that "this, too, was a product of the Dreamscape."
Fortunately, the question did not trouble Tir Anders for long, because a third party from outside soon intervened in their conversation.
Just as Tir Anders was considering how to answer, everyone present suddenly looked up in a certain direction, their expressions tinged with confusion.
A mere second later, their expressions turned serious. They were certain they had not misheard: something was indeed growing louder as it approached, sounding like an object traveling at high speed.
Boom!
As they wondered what it was, the roof shattered with a crash. The hole made by The Uncanny Valley gained a companion as a vehicle all too familiar to the Astral Express Crew burst inside.
Faint amber light flickered around the Express. Little Qlipoth's barrier was doing its job perfectly. Even after smashing through the wall like that, the Express suffered no damage, and there was barely even a tremor inside.
That did nothing to stop the only conscious girl aboard from panicking.
"Aaaaah! How do I stop this thing?! We hit something!!! Didn't you say Black Cleave would help?!!!!"
That excessively thrilling collision sent March 7th's blood pressure soaring. She stood in the cab, screaming in panic.
Then, a second later, she saw the lever on the console rise back into place on its own. At the same time, the readings on the dashboard began changing, and the Express rapidly slowed until it stopped.
There was not