The morning sunlight streamed through the windows of the Fairy Tail guild, casting warm patches of light on Ace's face.
He opened his eyes.
The fatigue from last night's deep meditation hadn't completely faded, but the flow of Digital Soul within him had stabilized.
The energy consumption required to maintain the transcendent KaiserGreymon form was greater than he had anticipated, even after a full night of recovery, his magic power had only restored to about sixty percent.
Just then, a call echoed from the depths of his consciousness.
It wasn't a sound, but something more direct—a connection trembling at the soul level. Ace immediately recognized the frequency.
It was BlackWarGreymon.
He rolled out of bed, quickly washed up, and sent his consciousness into his D-Tector.
Within the digital space, BlackWarGreymon stood with his back to Ace, gazing out at the simulated rising sun.
The light glinted off his Black Digizoid armor, casting a dark, imposing sheen. But what caught Ace's attention was BlackWarGreymon's posture.
He was staring down at his claws, quietly examining the superficial scorch marks Laxus's lightning had left behind.
"BlackWarGreymon," Ace called out, approaching his partner.
The dark dragon slowly turned around.
The usual violent battle intent in his eyes had settled into something deep and philosophical—a quiet, warrior's contemplation.
"He grew stronger," BlackWarGreymon rumbled, his deep voice echoing in the digital space.
Ace stood beside him, nodding. He knew BlackWarGreymon was referring to Laxus.
"Three years ago, he was nothing but a fragile child swinging around brute force," BlackWarGreymon continued, running a claw over a shallow scratch on his Dramon Destroyers.
"But yesterday... he actually managed to leave a mark on my armor. His willpower and his desperate refusal to break... it was the mark of a true warrior."
He paused, his pitch-black eyes shifting to Ace.
"Humans possess a terrifying, explosive potential for growth. If I remain stagnant, there will come a day when that lightning brat—or someone like him—surpasses me." BlackWarGreymon clenched his claws into fists.
"I am your ultimate shield and sword, Ace. I cannot allow myself to fall behind."
The simulated morning breeze swept by, stirring up dust with a faint rustling sound.
Ace looked at his oldest partner, a warm, complex emotion welling up in his heart. He completely understood BlackWarGreymon's drive. The path of Digivolution was divided into strict stages—from Rookie, to Champion, to Ultimate, to Mega.
Each was a massive, qualitative leap.
BlackWarGreymon was currently at the absolute peak of the mid-Mega level, but taking that final step into the late-Mega stage could require years, or even decades, of accumulation.
"You haven't fallen behind," Ace said, reaching out to gently press his hand against his partner's dark armor.
"And who says there's no chance for you to become even stronger?"
BlackWarGreymon looked down, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.
"Last night, before the parade chaos started, BanchoLeomon sent a message from the Digital World," Ace explained. "He detected an abnormal energy fluctuation in the western continent. It's a massive concentration of dark data that might contain exactly what you need."
Ace patted the cool metal of his partner's chest plate. "Once we finish the festival here, we'll head to the Digital World and investigate that anomaly. It might just be the catalyst you need to break through your bottleneck."
BlackWarGreymon looked at Ace.
The quiet contemplation in his eyes was instantly replaced by his familiar, burning combativeness.
"Understood, Ace," he said quietly, his voice regaining its absolute firmness. "I will be ready."
"You always are," Ace smiled.
...
As night fell, the streets of Magnolia lit up with brilliant, colorful magic lights.
After a day of rest and cleanup, the grand finale of the Harvest Festival—the Fantasia Magic Parade—was finally about to begin.
Though delayed by a day due to the civil war, the atmosphere had become even more enthusiastic.
Citizens gathered early along the streets; children perched on their fathers' shoulders, couples walked hand in hand, and elderly people brought chairs to sit in front of their homes.
Everyone was eagerly awaiting the annual magical feast.
Behind the scenes at the Fairy Tail guild, the parade lineup was bustling with chaotic energy.
"Natsu, will you hold still?!" Lucy sighed, rubbing her temples as the Fire Dragon Slayer paced back and forth like a caged animal.
Unlike the other heavy hitters who were resting or bandaged up, Natsu didn't have a single scratch on him.
Because he had been completely trapped in Piedmon's cubic cage the entire night, he had entirely missed the battle with Laxus.
And he was furious about it.
"I'm all fired up, but I have nothing to punch!" Natsu yelled, shadowboxing the air so fast his fists caught fire.
"It's not fair! Ace got to fight Laxus, Gray got to fight Bickslow, and I just sat in a stupid glowing box! Hey, Ace! Fight me right now!"
"If you burn the parade floats before we even start, Erza is going to kill you," Gray warned.
He was wearing his parade costume—an outfit resembling a circus ringmaster with a dark blue cape.
"You wanna go, ice block face?!" Natsu glared, pressing his forehead against Gray's.
"Please maintain harmony, you two," Juvia said gently.
She was dressed in a water-blue cheerleader outfit with two shiny pom-poms, completely ignoring Natsu.
"The parade is about to start. We need to show Magnolia's citizens the very best side of Fairy Tail."
"Juvia's right," Levy chimed in.
She was wearing a matching cheerleader costume with golden ribbons tied around her twin-tails, holding a baton.
"The Master said this parade isn't just to celebrate the Harvest Festival. It's to show the town that the internal conflict didn't break us. Fairy Tail is still full of life!"
"Exactly!" Mirajane approached from the front of the lineup.
She was dressed in a pure white gown with a floral wreath on her head, looking exactly like a goddess descended to earth.
"So everyone, cheer up and give them our best performance!"
"YEAH!!!"
The members cheered in unison, their morale soaring through the roof.
At the very front of the procession stood Master Makarov wearing... a cat costume.
Yes, fluffy cat ears, a bell collar, and a long, self-wagging tail.
The short old man looked completely ridiculous, but he didn't mind at all.
Instead, he happily adjusted the angle of his whiskers in front of a mirror.
"Master, your outfit..." Erza sighed, massaging her forehead.
She was wearing her shining silver knight armor, but it was heavily decorated with colorful ribbons and flowers, blending her usual dignity with the festive celebration.
"What's wrong? Isn't it cute?" Makarov tilted his head, making the cat ears twitch.
"...It's very cute." Erza ultimately chose to lie for the sake of his feelings.
Ace stood near the middle of the staging area, wearing his usual guild uniform.
He watched the lively scene before him, observing these companions who had been fighting for their lives and shedding tears of betrayal just yesterday.
Now, they were laughing, bickering, and preparing to put on a show for the town.
A peculiar warmth welled up in his chest.
Here, wounds healed quickly, and hatred could easily transform back into unbreakable bonds.
Even after experiencing the darkest, most emotionally draining battles, when the sun rose the next day, they could still face life with genuine smiles.
This pure, almost naive optimism was something he deeply admired about this world.
"Ace, aren't you changing clothes?" Cana walked over, holding a massive barrel of ale on her shoulder with one hand.
"This is fine enough," Ace smiled. "I'm just a summoner; I don't need a flashy costume."
"That won't do at all!" Mirajane approached, carrying a heavy bundle of fabric.
She unrolled it with a bright, mischievous smile.
It was a perfectly tailored, crimson warrior outfit complete with dragon-scale shoulder guards and a sweeping cape.
"I stayed up all morning sewing this! It's a parade costume designed specifically in the style of KaiserGreymon! Hurry up and change!"
Amidst Ace's helpless, bitter smile and the cheering of his guildmates, he eventually accepted the outfit.