The Next Day.
Ace stood with his arms crossed, his eyes locked on the center of the field.
Garurumon and Leomon were in the middle of a fierce clash.
The agile wolf and the nimble golden warrior blurred past each other at high speed, claws and blades colliding with loud metallic clangs.
Shockwaves swept through the area, kicking up grass and gravel.
This was their daily sparring session, meant to sharpen their combat skills and teamwork.
Leomon's sword strikes were broad and heavy, carrying a steady force, while Garurumon used his natural mix of raw power and speed to keep up.
Leomon suddenly leaped back to create some distance.
He held his "Leo's Sword" horizontally, bracing himself for Garurumon's next explosive attack.
A flash of blue light flared in Garurumon's eyes.
He let out a howling roar, erupting in a brilliant evolution glow!
Inside the light, his form grew taller, transforming into something more robust and human-like.
He rose onto his hind legs, evolving into WereGarurumon.
His blue-and-white fur shimmered with a metallic tint under the sun, and his limbs looked long and powerful.
A vibe of cold, elegant strength radiated from him—a perfect mix of power and agility.
"It worked! It actually worked!" Ace clenched his fists, excitement flashing in his eyes.
After all the adjustments, training, and getting a better grip on his Digi-Soul, everything finally clicked today!
Feeling the stable, powerful energy humming inside WereGarurumon, Ace felt a massive wave of satisfaction.
Leomon watched his partner, who was now radiating way more intensity.
He gave a steady nod and slowly sheathed his sword. "Your power has reached a new level. Let's end today's sparring here."
He wasn't scared, he just understood that WereGarurumon needed time to adjust to this new form.
Dragging out a fight right now wouldn't prove anything.
WereGarurumon nodded at Leomon, then turned to look at Ace, his eyes gleaming with eagerness.
He was itching for a real fight to test out this new power.
Ace smiled, getting the message. "Alright, that's enough training for today. Who knows? An opportunity might come sooner than you think."
...
By the time Ace got to the Fairy Tail guild hall, it was nearly noon.
The place was as loud as ever, but today, the noise felt different—like everyone was waiting for something.
The moment Ace stepped through the door, a clear, firm voice cut through the chatter.
"Ace. You're back."
The crowd instinctively parted to make a path.
Standing right in the center of the hall was Erza Scarlet.
She was decked out in her heavy armor, her scarlet hair tied in a high ponytail, and her eyes burned with intense fighting spirit as she stared right at him.
The air was thick with a "finally, you're here" vibe.
"Erza?" Ace stopped, a little surprised, though he probably should have seen this coming.
With her personality, it was only a matter of time before she hunted him down for a match.
"Fight me," Erza stated bluntly. No small talk, just straight to the point.
The guild went silent instantly.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare. Natsu and Gray shoved their way to the front, eyes wide with hype.
'As expected...' Ace thought.
Seeing that pure desire for battle burning in Erza's eyes, he felt his own blood start to boil!
Fighting a warrior on Erza's level was the perfect test for WereGarurumon's capabilities!
"Alright!" Ace accepted the challenge without hesitation, his gaze sharpening.
Without another word, they walked toward the designated training ground behind the guild hall, which was reinforced with magic specifically for sparring.
The guild members surged out like a tidal wave, surrounding the arena until there wasn't a single empty spot.
The cheering was loud enough to lift the roof.
"Place your bets! Erza versus Ace! Three-to-one odds!" Macao shouted, stirring the pot.
"I'm betting on Erza!"
"I'll put money on Ace! That black wolf of his is way too cool!"
"Yeah, that wolf last time even managed to..."
"Quiet!" Master Makarov's voice boomed like a bell, shutting everyone up.
He stood behind the second-floor railing with a stern look.
"Fight with restraint!"
Despite his strict tone, a curious glimmer shone in the old man's eyes.
In the center of the arena, Ace and Erza stood facing each other.
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the Magic Circle summoned the majestic WereGarurumon!
He stood firmly on two feet, his blue-and-white striped fur gleaming in the sun and he unleashed a powerful aura that swept across the field.
"It appeared! Wait, how is Garurumon standing up like that?!"
"Such intense pressure! It feels totally different from the black version he used last time!"
"Is that a werewolf form? That's insane!"
The crowd erupted in shock and debate.
Erza felt the aura coming from WereGarurumon—it was far more condensed and dangerous than his previous form.
Her fighting spirit ignited to its peak. "Excellent! This is worthy of my full strength! Be careful, Ace!"
Before the words even left her mouth, Erza vanished!
It wasn't magic—just pure, explosive speed!
She crossed over a dozen meters in a flash, her longsword slicing through the air with a sharp whistle, aiming right for WereGarurumon's head.
But WereGarurumon was faster!
The moment the blade came down, he didn't dodge. Instead, he threw a right uppercut like a fired cannonball, his knuckles coated in a layer of icy energy.
CLANG——!!!
A deafening metallic crash echoed as shockwaves exploded from the impact!
Erza's strike was blocked head-on by WereGarurumon's bare fist.
The recoil traveled up the greatsword, numbing Erza's arm.
She used the momentum to backflip and land gracefully, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
'Such immense strength..... and his fists are as hard as steel'
Having blocked the attack, WereGarurumon didn't pause.
The ground beneath his feet cracked as he closed the distance like a phantom. He was so fast the spectators could only see a blurry afterimage!
WereGarurumon unleashed a storm of punches, raining down on Erza like a violent tempest.
Each blow had enough force to shatter stone, moving so fast they left trails of icy light in the air.
Erza's pupils contracted.
She brandished her sword with incredible speed, creating a wall of blade shadows to defend herself.
Bang bang bang bang bang...!!!
The sound was continuous, like heavy rain hitting a tin roof! Fists and swords collided, sending sparks flying everywhere.
WereGarurumon's punching speed was too fast, his power too heavy.
Even while defending with everything she had, Erza was forced back step by step, her boots leaving deep furrows in the ground.
Before the momentum of the punches could fade, the legs followed.
WereGarurumon launched a fierce sweeping kick at Erza's legs like a steel whip, forcing her to leap into the air to dodge.
The moment she jumped, WereGarurumon was already airborne, his legs spinning like a windmill.
The Garuru Kick turned into a blur of shadows, sealing off her escape routes!
"Requip: The Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
Suspended mid-air with no leverage, Erza remained calm.
She let out a sharp cry, and dazzling light enveloped her body.
Her heavy armor vanished, replaced by a magnificent silver-white set—The Heaven's Wheel Armor!
From her back, four huge, ornate wings made of magical blades snapped open with a swish.
The armor was bold—while it protected her vital areas, it left plenty of skin exposed, outlining her curves.
"Wooah!!" The guild male members immediately erupted with wolf whistles and catcalls.
Natsu and Gray, of course, ignored the view completely, focused only on the battle.
WereGarurumon ignored the "scenery" too, his cold eyes fixed only on his opponent's openings.
The Requip finished in an instant.
Using the metal wings, Erza gracefully turned in mid-air to face the incoming kick.
With her hands empty, dozens of magical swords materialized around her in a circle!
"Heaven's Wheel: Encircling Swords!"
With a clear shout, the magical swords came to life like silver streams of light, shooting toward WereGarurumon from all directions!
The sword lights were as dense as rain, the sound of them cutting the air sharp and ear-piercing.
It looked like the attack was about to shred the entire space apart.
Facing a sword formation capable of wiping out an army, WereGarurumon let out a battle-thirsty roar.
He pulled his fists back to his waist, muscles tensing as icy blue flames ignited around his body.
The next moment, he moved!
His fists shot out at speeds the naked eye couldn't track—creating a wall of pressure generated purely by extreme speed and power!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!!
To everyone's shock, the incoming magical swords slammed into the storm of punches.
But instead of exploding, they were knocked off course, twisted, and shattered into pieces before vanishing into thin air!
"What?!"
"He... he just punched the magic away?!"
"Even Erza's attack was handled that easily..."
The crowd couldn't believe it.
Erza's Heaven's Wheel usually finished fights instantly, yet he had countered it head-on with nothing but brute strength.
Hovering in mid-air with her wings fluttering, Erza looked down.
"Impressive... Then, how about this move?" Erza's voice carried a new level of seriousness.
WereGarurumon also took a battle stance, its cold eyes reflecting Erza's figure.