[XW1n5t0nX]

Lighting slams down against the ground all over a quarry. Before the three Dreamrangers can register the event, they are repeatedly struck by black flashes, they being slashed at with blades, as well as punched and kick. The frequency of hits causing them to drop their weapon, they screaming out as they are hit.

The attacks stop, the rangers standing there, their suits sparking, they blackened by the blows. However before they can do anything, a wave of black and red energy entwined with lightning slams into the three, causing an explosion. The force of the blow and explosion sends the three high into the air, they flailing about as the scream in agony. They slam against the ground, their bodies twisting and contorting in agony. The force of the impact so powerful that it forces them to change back into their regular forms, their bodies blackened, each ranger’s face bleeding, as well as their hands. Their clothes torn to shreds some, revealing even more damage.

They look ahead, trying to see through the smoke, they determined to see who did this. Keiji and Paige don’t last though, and pass out shortly. Syuri stays conscious long after to see the smoke clear. As it clears, and she takes in the image in front of her, her eyes widen in horror. Before her stand two men, suited in armor similar to their own, but darker in color, and with more armament. Syuri tries to speak, but her body gives out, she slipping into unconsciousness. As she does so, the men vanish in a burst of black light

“Who…who are you!”

After a moment, the voice of the one clad in red appears, he answering Syuri’s question.

“Shingai Gundan Nightmareranger.”

---

The two then crouch back some as the fighters of Morpheus watch. Red Nightmare moves his arms back to where the two hooks of his blades are locked together, red and black energy beginning to form around them as well as himself, he growling as he charges dark energy. As he does so, Black Nightmare holds both of his sickle blades in his left hand as he crouches down more, white and black energy forming around him and his weapon just like his partner. The two continue to gather energy, the Dreamrangers trying to crawl away or even stand.

“NIGHTMARE RAZOR WIND!” The two fighters shout out.

They then push their bodies forward and release their weapons, they spinning violently towards the group of Dreamrangers. After a while the blades slam into each other, forming a circular almost cyclone blade of black, white, and red energy, lightning cackling around it. The attack then slams viciously into the Dreamrangers, the impact sending them flying into the air as well as causing the area around them to burst in an explosion, the grounds, trees, and nearby cars exploding with them, leaving a good sized crater where they once laid.

The weapons of the Nightmarerangers soon return to them, they placing them on their backs. The two then turn to walk away, the Dreamrangers slamming into the ground as they do so. The three forcefully are changed out of their suits due to the attack and impact of landing on the ground. The three lay there a broken and bloody mess, the red liquid oozing out of their skin profusely.

The Nightmarerangers start to walk away, their ears being filled with the sounds of agony they brought upon the civilians and the rangers. As they continue to walk, Syuri makes her way out of the crater; she soon followed by her teammates. With what little strength she has left, she lets out a scream towards the men who have brought her into this condition.

“J J JUST WAIT YOU TWO!”

The two men then stop.

“What is it you pathetic woman?” Black Nightmare asks annoyed.

“I I WANT TO KNOW…WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TWO!” Syuri screams at the Nightmarerangers, her voice hoarse but filled to the core with anger, her two comrades looking on.

“Why should we tell you?”

Keiji manages to make it onto his knees a bit, he supporting himself with his bloodied hand being placed on the ground. He then speaks up, his voice hoarse and pain filled. “Shouldn’t we get to know the names of our assailants? Or do you two not have enough honor to do that!”

The Nightmarerangers go deathly still at Keiji’s words, Black Nightmare clenching his fists violently in reaction. The two then look at each other, giving a slight nod to the other. They then relax their arms, their suits exploding in black energy. With their suits gone, the two men are revealed. Each one wearing a kimono of the same base color and design, pure black with Red featuring red design work, White featuring white coloring. Nightmare Red is tall, his hair long and tied up into a slight ponytail. Nightmare White has short yet long hair, his head wrapped in a white headband. The two then turn around to face the Dreamrangers, revealing their faces. The three look on in shock, they seeing how young the two look, with Red having some lines along his eyes. After minutes of silence, the two speak up.

“Red Nightmare, Kusunaki Musashi.”

“Black Nightmare, Jūbei Musashi.”

---

They then witness the Nightmarerangers spreading their arms out to the side, their voices then being clearly audible to the three.

“NIGHTMARE RULER!” They begin, Red and Black then throwing one arm up into the air, the other to the ground. “RISE!”

After their shouting out, the area becomes as dark as night, the clouds becoming an ominous hue of black, purple and green, the ground becoming foggy. The ground then begins to glow dark red, it soon splitting open in a wide circle before the giant known as Dream Ruler. Inside the cockpit, the Dreamrangers look on in shock as two mechas fly out from the hole, one a red dragon roaring to the high heavens. The other mecha is that of a regular robot, it colored black and white just like its pilot. As the two beasts fly into the sky, Red Nightmare and Black Nightmare jump into the air, they flipping as they ride the air over to their respective mechs, they then phasing down into them.

After flying high enough, the robot spins its body around to face Dream Ruler. Its head then folds down into it’s body, the dragon then wrapping it’s body around the robot, it placing it’s front claws to two back of itself to reveal two connection points.

The head of Nightmare Dragon then folds itself down onto the chest of Nightmare Warrior, Nightmare Ruler’s head then sliding up to reveal itself. The wings of the dragon then spread outwards against the back of the now almost complete giant robot. Nightmare Dragon’s legs then separate themselves from the dragon’s body, the sliding into the connection points that rest where Nightmare Warrior’s legs use to be. The talons of the feet raise up, two robotic legs then sliding out form where they use to be. The dragon’s tail then shoots off of Nightmare Dragon’s body, it flying over to, and then connecting to the right arm of the robot, thus completing Nightmare Ruler, it's eyes glowing dark red.

“W what is that thing?!” Keiji questions, his voice filled with fear.

“This my dear Dreamrangers is our special friend. Behold, Nightmare Ruler!” Kuzunaki informs them.

---

"DREAMCANNON, BLAST OFF!!" The three rangers shout, Syuri slamming her hand against the trigger on the handle of the DreamShooter.

As she does so, a torrent of blue, pink, and white energy shoots out of all three weapons, it combining into a stream like ball of energy with lightning around it, it racing like a speeding train towards the Nightmarerangers.

“NIGHTMARE RAZOR WIND!” Kusunaki and Jūbei cry out in unison.

They then push their bodies forward and release their weapons, they spinning violently towards the group of Dreamrangers. After a while the blades slam into each other, forming a circular almost cyclone blade of black, white, and red energy, lightning cackling around it. The blades tear through the air, they heading on a collision course with the attack the Dreamrangers shot off.

The two attacks slam into each other viciously like colliding cars. Each attack power struggles against the other, the Nightmarerangers’ attack pushing towards the Dreamrangers at some points, the Dreamrangers’ attack pushing towards the Nightmarerangers at some points. As the two energy attacks fight against the other, they begin glowing intensely, multi colored lighting slamming down to the ground around it and the two ranger teams. After minutes of struggling against each other, the two energy attacks combine into a multi colored energy sphere, it exploding immediately upon creation. As it explodes, it sends out a giant shockwave of multicolored energy out in all directions, it tearing through the environment. The shockwave soon slams into both the Dreamrangers and the Nightmarerangers, causing immediate explosions upon collision.

---

“Syuri, Keiji, Paige, I got it!” He shouts to them.

“Got what?” Syuri responds.

“I got them! I know who they are! I know exactly who the Musashi brothers are!”

At the sound of what the good doctor has just said, the eyes of Syuri, Keiji, Paige, and Aimi widen, each one then forming a face filled with serious, they leaning in a bit to show that they are fully ready for the information about to come.

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In a world in which dreams reign supreme and bring joy to many, a dimension filled with all the world's nightmares look to take over the dream world, and are doing so by attacking civilians within the real world. To combat this, the ruler of this kingdom of dreams to combat the evils of the nightmares. These three will fight for the future of both their kingdom, and of Earth. These warriors are....

Ikiryō Sentai Dreamranger!

*Opening theme*

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Sixteenth Dream: Revealed, The Tale of the Musashi Devils!

“Get on with it then doc. What’s the scoop on those bastards?” Syuri commands, her voice as stern and cold as ever, it having a bit of anger to it from the subjects of the conversation.

“Are you sure you guys are ready for this? It’s a long story.” Edogawa asks of his fighters, he wanting to prepare them for the time they were about to spend to learn of their strongest foes.

“Of course we are.” Kieji responds in a manner that comes off as very aggressive. Though to everybody, it is understandable due to the situation.

“The Nightmarerangers have proven to be our strongest adversaries. Perhaps if we knew about them we’d be able to formulate a way to fight back against them. Maybe even get a win over them.” Paige explains, she trying to make sense of how dire the information the doctor holds could be.

Dr. Edogawa looks down and off to the side, he contemplating whether or not he should tell the Dreamrangers or not. Syuri then moves closer to the computer some, her action catching the rangers and Aimi off guard. Feeling eyes staring at him Edogawa lifts his head up to look at Syuri, her facial expression one of quietness. When she speaks to him, her voice becomes smooth and soothing, a hint of desperateness in it.

“Dr. Edogawa, please tell us about them. We don’t need to know, we have to know.”

Edogawa releases a sigh before taking a deep breath. When he releases it he nods his head towards his audience.

“Alright, I’ll tell you all then.”

The Dreamrangers and Aimi nod their heads in response, each one sitting as comfortably as they can for the story they were about to hear. The room stays quiet for minutes, the only sound audible being a clock ticking and tocking. Eventually Edogawa speaks up, his voice steady and serious.

“Kusunaki and Jūbei Musashi were born in 1735, they being descendents of the legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi. They, along with their parents lived with a small city that was occupied by other Musashi clan members, with the city itself being in the Kyoto region. As the two brothers grew older they were trained by their father to be samurai, just like most of the men in the city and clan. By the time they were 15 they were touted as being some of the best warriors within the clan.

When they were 20 they helped bring the clan to the forefront, so much so that the emperor hired the Musashi clan to train his royal army, and even brought some of them in to be members of the army itself, the brothers being scouted as being generals. The Miyamoto clan while small became recognized within the nation with this news. They of course had rivals in other clans, but no clan that went head on with the Musashis came out alive. The brothers themselves gained a reputation of being the deadliest men on the battlefield, it almost as if they had thrown away their humanity to fight as hard as they did. They soon gained the nickname of the Musashi Devils due to this. With the clan being hired by the emperor, and their reputation growing by the day, Kusanaki, Jūbei, and the Musashi clan itself was on the forefront of becoming one of the most dominating clans in Japanese history.

*Music Cue*

However, a tragedy soon befell the clan almost as if it was from a Greek Tragedy. In the middle of the night in fall, the brothers woke up to screams that they had only heard when they had killed somebody. The two immediately went to investigate, they finding everybody within the clan slaughtered. Fearing for the life of their parents, they returned to their home and ran through the place, hoping they’d find their mother and father still alive. The brothers found them alive, but upon seeing them, the parents were slaughtered before their eyes. The killer then vanished into the night, the brothers unable to track them.

When it came to trying to figure out who did it, they came to the conclusion that it was the Harunobu clan that committed the act. They were the clan that was originally suppose to work for the emperor, and so the brothers assumed that this was their way of paying the Musashis back, as well as try to retake what was originally theirs. Specifically, they believed it was a samurai named Ekei Harunobu who did it. Rumors were circulating that he was trained in the art of ninjitsu, Kusunaki and Jūbei believing that it must have been him due to how quickly the assailant vanished.

A few nights later, Jūbei and Kusunaki stormed into a Harunobu ran city where Ekei was living. In that one night the two young men lived up to their reputation of being devils, they brutally wiping out every Harunobu clansman they found, they even butchering the children they found as their own young Musashi members were. They soon came to Ekei’s home, they outdoing themselves with how monsterous their slaying was. The two burnt Ekei’s daughters alive and forced the mother to eat the remains before forcing her to commit hara-kiri. Under the idea that Ekei was hiding somewhere, the brothers set fire to the city, virtually wiping it off the map.

The emperor soon found out about this and summoned the two to his palace. The two were then shocked when they arrested upon being sighted. The emperor informed them that at the time of the Musashi massacre, Ekei Harunobu was with him in court and thus could not have committed the attack. Ekei then told the brothers that his clan would have never performed such an atrocity over losing their spot. He felt dishonored, but knew that attacking the Musashi clan would truly dishonor him in the eyes of his emperor and would have been killed for attacking a governmental family at that point.

Due to the nature of the crime, and because of the fact that they had virtually wiped out an important city to the government, Kusunaki and Jūbei Musashi were executed a week later in the imperial city in front of a crowd, their remains later burned, just like they burned the city they attacked.”

By the time Edogawa had finished the tale it was now night. Syuri, Keiji, Paige, and Aimi sat there in silence, their faces conveying shock at the horror they had just heard. Keiji soon became the first to speak after Edogawa had finished his voice shaky and filled with confusion and fear.
“W wait a minute. If they were killed, then how come they’ve been here, kicking our asses?”

“I wondered about that as well. However it is my opinion that Jung has probably brought them back to life for the purposes of using them against you. It isn’t fully out of the realm of possibilities; after all, Jung has revived the dead before.” The doctor explains.

“But why send them after us? If she wanted to defeat us with a powerful force, then she could have easily created one. So what would be the point in bringing two dead samurai back from the dead?” Paige questions, she like the rest of the team confused now as to the reason for the Musashis being here.

“Agreed. They even said they wanted to kill us. I know we hear that all the time, but the way they said it was almost like it was their lifelong mission to do so.” Syuri throws in.

“Jung is the only one who knows. And I find it doubtful that she’d be willing to tell us. All we know for now is their history and that they want to eliminate you all.” Aimi chimes in, her voice calm but chilling in it’s delivery.

“Indeed, and perhaps that is even more fearful then their history. Killers with no motive is all the more frightening, especially in the case of these two.” Dr. Edogawa explains. The four in the apartment then lean back some in an attempt to relax, their minds now filled with images of what Kusunaki and Jūbei had done not only to them, but to an entire clan.

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The Nightmare realm illuminates with repeated strikes of lightning, an acidic rain pouring down on the inhabitants of it. Like many a stormy day, the castle sits in the middle of this hellish world, it standing in the middle of the chaos. Also like many days, Jung Moroi sits in her throne room. The queen of nightmares sits there with her two warriors Kusunaki and Jūbei Musashi kneeling at her feet, her loyal servant Raison standing behind them.

Jung stares down at her strongest fighters, she grinning ear to ear, her visible eye gleaming with ecstatic delight.

“You boys truly are the only ones I can rely on to put the hurting on those annoying Dreamrangers. True other wraiths have come close to doing the deed, but none ever more closely then you two. Sure they took a bit out of you in your last encounter, but from what my scouts told me you two were still standing while they way laying broken and beaten. Jūbei, Kusunaki, I truly love you from the bottom of my heart.” Jung states to her two warriors, her voice as seductive and icy as it usually is when she is speaking to the young men.

“We are pleased to have made you happy Lord Moroi.” Kusunaki replies, his head like his brother’s bowed as they continue to kneel towards their queen.

“It is truly an honor to serve you.” Jūbei adds in to the words of his brother.

“You two flatter me so much. But it isn’t hard to see why. After all, I am the one responsible for your resurrection.”

“And we are still truly grateful for that.” Kusunaki answers to his queen.

“As you should be. For if I had not revived you, and then you could not exact your revenge. That Morpheus may come off as a divine and heavenly being that would never hurt a fly, but it’s only an act. He’s truly a bastard of a being. Who else would order his soldiers to wipe out an entire clan just because there was nothing better to do? Morpheus is the one who sent the Dreamrangers down to Earth to slaughter your beloved family. He had nothing to gain by doing it. He did it because he could; it’s as simple as that.” Jung carries on, her voice becoming more serious and hatred filled as she continues to speak to the two brothers.

“Do not fret Lord Moroi. We’ll show him how weak his precious Dreamrangers are. We will show him that nobody can escape punishment and that everybody must pay for what sins they commit. We will make he who is stronger than God weep with sorrow as we destroy his most precious things!” Jūbei states in an almost sadistic manner, the glee in his voice even sending a shiver through Jung’s body.

“That’s what I want to hear! That’s what I love to hear you say my young Jūbei! Make Morpheus and the Dreamrangers pay for their sins!”

“Gladly.” Kusunaki replies, a smirk finding it’s way painted across his lips.

“You two are now fully healed from your last encounter with those wretched souls. The time to strike is now! They’re coming off of a grueling battle and are weakened by it. Go now Kusunaki, Jūbei! Go now and kill the Dreamrangers!” Jung shouts at the young men.

“YES LORD MOROI!” They shout back in unison. The brothers then stand up and storm out of the throne room.

“Perfect.” Jung says coolly after the two have left.

The two brothers stand in the hallway outside of the throne room, they staring at each other with a gleeful delight.

“Shall we strike now as she suggested?” Jūbei asks of his brother.

“But of course. Jūbei my brother, we shall end this right now and avenge our family. We will show those pathetic ‘heroes’ why we are called the Musashi Devils.” Kusunaki replies.

“This is going to be so much fun.” Jūbei shoots back with a grin.

“Oh yes, yes it will.” Kusunaki tells his brother, the two then grinning and laughing simultaneously.

The sun fully rises into the sky, it signaling that of a new day. As its light shines across Nakano it peeks into the living quarters of the Dreamrangers. The three fighters and Aimi sit in the living room, they never having gone to sleep since their conversation with Edogawa. They tried to go to sleep, but the images of the Nightmarerangers doing the dastardly things they did made it impossible to sleep for long. Everyone decided to stay up in the living room together. Anybody barely talked, everybody keeping to themselves and ingesting the news in whatever way they decided to do so.

The group stayed this way as the minutes passed and the hours came and went. Nobody seemed willing to speak. At twelve PM a ball of fire crashed through the window of the Dreamranger’s apartment, the sound of breaking glass getting everybody’s attention. Keiji and Syuri jumped to their feet and rushed to where the ball of fire landed, they stomping on it ferociously to put it out, Aimi and Paige watching on. After a couple minutes of slamming their feet against the flames, the fire died out.
Paige and Aimi walked over to see what damage was done, they first looking at Keiji and Syuri to see if they were hurt. When their eyes fell upon their comrades’ faces they saw fury in them. The two girls then looked down at the ground, the floor burnt as one would expect. However the burn mark was special, it made to display a message after being put out.

“Meet us in the outskirts of the forest. If you are not here in thirty minutes, then all of Nakano dies.”

It was clear who the message was from, and thus who hurled the ball of fire into the apartment. Syuri, Keiji, and Paige moved at once towards the window, they ready to deploy and take care of the Nightmarerangers, hopefully once and for all.

“Wait!” Aimi calls out to her friends, they stopping at the sound of her voice.

The three stand still, their backs to Aimi. She looks at them in silence, she finding it hard to talk all of a sudden, tears beginning to roll down her face.

“Aimi.” Syuri’s voice appears, it flowing it’s way through Aimi’s head. The rangers do not turn to look at Aimi, they keeping their backs to her. Syuri scoffs though before speaking again, her voice in it’s usual sarcastically warm tone. “Make us something good for dinner.”

Aimi, blindsided by Syuri’s words begins to laugh a bit, she eventually stopping to reply. “I’ll make you all a nice pork dish.”

“Perfect.” Syuri says, she and the others then vanishing into thin air, they leaving Aimi with her thoughts.

Kusunkai and Jūbei stand in the desert like environment of the forest outskirts, they surrounded by mountains and dirt. They keep their eyes focused forward, they waiting for their opponents to arrive and enter the arena of combat. The wind is present, it blowing the hair of the two young men into their face as well as some dirt, it the only sound audible in this place.

At one to 12:30, the eyes of the Nightmarerangers become a bit wider and fiercer, they set upon the Syuri, Keiji, and Paige as they walk into the area. They walk until they stand across from the two evil fighters, they apart enough for there to be a good sized piece of the desert like environment to be between them. The two sides keep their eyes locked on the other, the stares so sharp that they could cut through a tank. The adversaries continue to stare at each other, waiting for the first move, the wind howling as it blows through the area.

...To be continued

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*Ending Theme*

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*Music Used*

Hien by Kalimero - Musashi Requiem