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Cathedral Ruins
The forgotten cathedral of the Gun Savior, almost as shown in Episode 41 of "Blasting Fist". Here, the followers of the Holy Trigger and the Headcannon Gang prepared their plan to overtake Slumslum City by eliminating the last threat to their plan - Junrao Kurakurapiko. The dream version of this fictional place of cult retains most of its original features, but somehow misses the statues of the various gun-headed people that were dotting it in the original. The most striking absence is that of the Cross of the Holy Trigger itself, which used to decorate the altar.
In the show, the cathedral was destroyed by Blasting Fist himself using his explosion judo techniques, prompting the Headcannon Gang to have to look for another hideout. Cannon Fodder was first shown here, anchoring his presence in the dream to this specific location.
BGM: "Glock'n'Spiel"
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Closest to God
A valley filled with ancient statues that peak from the horizon in broken patterns, with temples all around. It's a mystery how Shaz's brain came up with this arrangement and how it thought that having a minefield in the arms of a symbol of peace were a good idea. However, dreams are a weird realm where things seldom make sense, if at all. At least, the breathtaking panorama enjoyed while being blasted closer to heaven is a treat to the loser - a treat that they might have probably preferred not to partake in, though.
BGM: "The Man Closest to God"
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Digital Madness
What's left of a dream, when the curtain closes? This wireframe reproduction of the arena is how the MEMORIAN builds them in its systems, storing them as bits and pieces of information and reconstructing them when needed. This arena is missing textures and details, as if the loading process was interrupted midway. Who or what caused it is still an open question, but glitches can't be ruled out - even in alleged dreams or virtual reality worlds.
BGM: "Randomizer Judo Glitchfest"
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Dojo
A simple square-grid training ground, like those seen in many other video games. Shaz might have played one or two of them with Todd, without really understanding a lot about them. Yet, despite finding the grid "the plainest stage ever", it somehow made way well into his dream, in all its boring-yet-practical glory.
BGM: "Come On (Get Serious)"
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Exploding Judo Federation Arena
A sports arena with the Exploding Judo Federation logo, surrounded by several identical taiko drummers in the middle of their play. Shaz's mind conceived this place by mixing scenes from Blasting Fist and the European Judo Championship won by Bea Gattonero. This is the beginning of his dream, this might be the end of his dream. Among cries for EXPLOSION and BLAST, among bursting bombs and throws to the mat, the deepest slumber just began. Where this will bring him, nobody knows - maybe except [EXPUNGED].
BGM: "Taiko Overdrive"
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Green Screen
An all-green stage so players can take screenshots and easily manipulate the background.
BGM: "Come On (Get Serious)"
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Last Stop
The train station of the city of Blitzhafen - a place that does not exist - featuring a blurry timetable defaced by graffiti and obscene pictures. The station has two Platform 3s, where the fights happen, against all logic but within the boundaries of Shaz's dream. After his meeting with Krave on the Encorp train, Shaz developed a sort of fear of trains and takes them very reluctantly - only when he has no alternatives. Krave's connection with trains is even more outlined by the "KRAVE LIVES!" spray paint on the timetable, further cementing how the two concepts are connected in Shaz's brain. The flickering lights and eerie atmosphere are due to his psychological insecurity about travelling alone - especially after the fight that ended in a sucker assault by a killer robot. If Krave were still around and not MIA, he would probably hate this place too for the same reason - being kicked off the roof of a running train is not the most pleasant experience after all.
BGM: "Leerfahrt"
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Peak of Passion
A rusted platform dangerously standing close to the peak of a snowy mountain in the Alps. The black sky and constant snowstorms add to the feeling of loneliness and isolation that this place evokes. This construct might have been caused by the association between the danger of exploding judo and the untamed nature of the mountain peaks. Whatever the combination that spawned this place in Shaz's theater of mind, its reek of lurking danger and abandonment contrast with the candid cleanliness of the snow, which keeps falling and falling no matter how many bombs detonate...
BGM: "Where Clouds Meet the Heart"
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Stratosphere Underground
An underground arena decorated with the logo of Stratosphere s.r.o. and featuring a large Chaingear watching the fight unfold - unless it's not taking part itself, that is. Shaz's brain modelled this area based on real pictures of the Rapture, but this place does not exist in reality. For all its shadiness, Stratosphere doesn't have a giant underground place used for summary executions. Nevertheless, this version of the arena might be close to what Reiner Greschnik originally planned for his death game - thus keeping some shades of authenticity, in a way. The logo at the center of the stage is a representation of Eikon, the Biblically Accurate Angel - the official mascot of Stratosphere, which was shelved as soon as the Chaingear became the de facto symbol of the company.
BGM: "Chaingear Symphony MK. IV"
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Sunken Nightmares
A graveyard of sinking, rusted ships, swallowed by an endless dark sea under the fading moonlight. This haunting place was spawned by several deep-rooted traumas from Shaz's subconscious, including his inability to swim and the death of his favorite idol singer - Combat Idol MIRAI Nanami. The incident that caused Nanami to sink into the depths of the ocean happened on a floating platform, during the last preparations before her concert in September 2067. Her quick replacement with Nanami v2 made Shaz feel even worse about her tragic passing.
The dire conditions of this abandoned ship graveyard reflect, in part, the loss of a ray of sunshine that graced Shaz's disastrous life. A loss that was mitigated by meeting Todd McGilligan and I.N.A.B.A.'s enigmatic definitely-not-oilmate Nanashi. Shaz would swear she reminds him of the long lost original Nanami, but that cannot be physically possible, can it? Better let Nanami rest in her underwater tomb and don't dwell too long where the dead ships sink.
BGM: "Phantom Paradise"
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The Deepest Layer
There is something to be said about dreams: no matter how weird, they can become weirder. This is the deepest layer of Shaz's dream, a mix of static and glowing lights that blink to no end. The patterns keep repeating, without reason or meaning - or do they? When the dream becomes so strange that it stops resembling reality, that's when the darkest hour begins. The Court of the Nightmare Queen is open. Shall you do the first step and seek her, in the weirdest corners of your subconscious?
BGM: "My Imperfect Perfect World"
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Tori Graveyard
A crater filled with shallow water, surrounded by broken down temples and gates and by the wisps of the deceased. This place outside time and space looks like a hymn to quiet isolation and meditation, surrounded by the ruins of something that was and now isn't anymore. How Shaz's brain conceived it is unknown, but might have been spawned by his latent fear of being forgotten - something that he doesn't openly show but keeps haunting him in the deepest depths of his soul. The broken down temples are a reflection of this inner turmoil, in contrast with the calm, tranquil atmosphere that pervades this ancient-looking valley.
BGM: "Ironic Echo"
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What's Left Behind
Smoldering ruins under a scorching sun, a place forgotten by gods and humans alike. This post-apocalytpic wasteland is a dream rendition of Old St. Patrick, a city that was wiped by the phage outbreak back in 2013, leading to the creation of the two barrier cities of Correa DOME and St. Patrick SHIELD. Shaz wasn't there, of course - almost none of the survivors are still around. Still, documentaries about this doomed place that was once bustling with life.
Old St. Patrick is a faded memory of what happens when humans play with forces they cannot understand. The symbolism of the sandstorm and of the buildings corroded by time serves as a reminder - for Shaz above all - that some disasters cannot be averted, no matter how hard one tries.
Still, the old Dead Zone is slowly becoming a more complex ecosystem, one where all of its chaotic parts are finally forming a new equilibrium - be it the phages, the sand blood flowers or the illegal human settlements that dot the deserted center of Ireland.
Despite this spark of hope, the nameless ruins in the dream are barren and devoid of life, reflecting the reality of a desolate abode that does not exist anymore - or, maybe, never existed in the first place.
BGM: "Scarred Hound Groove (Tryadine Mix)"
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