A few years ago, Laxus had publicly challenged Ace, only to be utterly crushed by BlackWarGreymon.
That battle was no secret within the guild, and it remained a painful, humiliating thorn in Laxus's pride.
Ace didn't answer the taunt.
He just slowly lowered his hand.
The dark gold light screen shattered into fading sparks, yet the Digisoul radiating around him didn't weaken at all.
Instead, it began to steadily climb.
The afternoon sun still beat down, yet the temperature around the courtyard dropped noticeably.
Rather than a chill, a suffocating pressure bore down directly on everyone's souls.
Jet and Droy gasped for breath, instinctively backing away.
Gajeel gritted his teeth and took a few steps back as well.
Only Laxus held his ground.
In fact, he took a step forward.
"For the past few years," Laxus sneered, staring at Ace with golden lightning dancing across his eyes.
"I've thought about fighting you again every single day. I've dreamed about crushing your summoned beasts."
He raised his hand.
Golden lightning hissed and cracked across his palm, ionizing the air into a shower of bright sparks.
His voice dropped low, dripping with a twisted obsession.
"I can't wait to tear you apart. I'm going to show everyone who the strongest mage in Fairy Tail truly is. It's me, Laxus Dreyar. Not you, Ace."
Golden electricity exploded around him, twisting into violent, snake-like bolts that lashed wildly at the air.
A terrifying wave of magic power crashed outward like a tsunami, lifting loose gravel right off the ground.
The sheer weight of his aura far surpassed an ordinary S-Class Mage, packing enough power to make a normal wizard's soul tremble in fear.
Ace remained completely calm.
He didn't even channel his Digisoul to counter the pressure.
He simply stood there, quietly watching Laxus the same way an adult might watch a toddler throwing a tantrum.
That deadpan look insulted Laxus more than any words ever could.
Laxus's face darkened with rage, and the lightning around him flared even more violently.
"What's with that look? Are you looking down on me?!" he hissed.
"You think you're untouchable just because you have those summoned beasts? Let me tell you, things are different now! I'll use my own two hands to prove who the real king of this guild is!"
"Can you just shut the fuck up for a second..." Ace finally spoke.
His voice was quiet and even, yet it effortlessly pierced through the roaring thunder to reach everyone's ears.
A second later, Ace moved.
Laxus's pupils shrank in panic.
Ace simply took a single step forward, offering neither an attack nor a defensive stance.
Yet, with that one step, his Digisoul erupted.
A dark gold light bloomed like a rising sun, instantly swallowing Laxus's golden lightning.
This completely bypassed a standard magical clash.
The energy acted as a higher-dimensional pressure born from the very essence of "data," crushing directly down on Laxus's spirit.
The moment Laxus's lightning touched the dark gold halo, it began to unravel on its own.
The magic didn't just break; the actual structure of his lightning was forcibly analyzed and erased by a much higher-level power.
"Ugh—!"
Laxus grunted, stumbling back three steps.
For the first time, his arrogant expression completely shattered.
He could actually feel the magic power inside his own body slowing down, rapidly dismantled by the dark gold light.
"What... what is this power...?" Shock flashed clearly in Laxus's eyes.
"Get lost," Ace said.
His voice stayed level, yet every single word dripped with a bone-chilling threat.
"If you ever try to kill a guildmate again, I will personally force you out of Fairy Tail."
Laxus's face flashed between pale shock and bright red fury.
He desperately wanted to talk back, to launch an attack, to do something.
However, his own survival instincts screamed at him.
The Ace standing in front of him was drastically stronger than he had been years ago.
Furthermore, that bizarre golden power completely neutralized his lightning magic.
If he kept fighting, he would absolutely lose.
Worse, he might actually die.
Realizing this delivered a crushing blow to Laxus's massive ego.
He glared at Ace, grinding his teeth so hard they audibly creaked. The lightning around his body flickered violently as he clearly fought to hold back his urge to attack.
After a long, tense standoff, he finally forced a few words through his clenched jaw.
"...Very well, Ace. You just wait. I'll show you my true power."
With that, he spun on his heel.
Golden lightning swallowed his body, and he shot up into the sky like a bolt of energy, disappearing over the horizon in the blink of an eye.
The clearing fell dead silent.
The only sounds left were the rustling wind and the quiet drip, drip of blood falling from Gajeel's wounds.
Only then did Levy peek out from behind Ace's back.
Her small face remained pale, but her terror had faded, quickly replaced by deep concern.
"Ace, are you okay?"
Ace shook his head, the freezing glare in his eyes melting away into gentle warmth as he looked down at her.
"I'm perfectly fine. What about you? Are you hurt?"
"I-I'm fine..." Levy muttered, staring at the ground. "Thank you for saving me..."
Ace smiled and gently ruffled her hair. "Don't be silly. anyone would be willing to protect a cute girl likeyou."
His gaze shifted over to Gajeel, and his brow furrowed.
Gajeel was still bleeding heavily, his face pale from blood loss, yet he stubbornly stayed on his feet.
"Gajeel, are you holding up?"
Gajeel glanced at Ace, then flicked his eyes toward Levy.
He stayed quiet for a few seconds before answering in a hoarse voice.
"Don't worry about me."
He turned around and stumbled toward the guild's temporary medical tent.
Every step left a bloody footprint in the dirt, but he never stopped moving and absolutely refused to ask for help.
Levy watched him walk away, her eyes softening with pity. "Ace, he's bleeding so much..."
"Don't worry. He's the Iron Dragon Slayer. His body is significantly tougher than a normal person's, so he won't die," Ace reassured her softly.
"Besides, he chose to take those hits. Some debts have to be paid in blood before people can move on."
Levy nodded slowly, seemingly understanding his point.
Still, her eyes tracked Gajeel until he vanished behind the medical tent.
She finally looked back up at Ace, a bright blush suddenly creeping across her cheeks.
"Um... Ace..." Her voice dropped to a nervous whisper. "What you said just now... did you mean it?"
Ace blinked in confusion. "Mean what?"
"When... when you said 'anyone would like to protect a girl like you'..." Levy kept her head down, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her shirt.
She finally looked up, her eyes shining with a nervousness.
Ace suddenly realized his casual words had sparked a massive misunderstanding.
Seeing her flushed cheeks and the hopeful, anxious look in her eyes, he completely froze, unsure of how to answer.
He genuinely viewed her as a little sister and an important friend who needed looking after.
However, given the situation, his phrasing definitely sounded like a romantic confession.
"Levy," Ace started gently, carefully choosing his next words.
Levy suddenly interrupted him.
Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, but her gaze stayed locked onto his.
"I just... I just wanted to know for sure..."
She took a deep breath, gathered all her courage, and spoke in a quiet but painfully clear voice.
"I don't mind... being seen as someone Ace needs to protect. Because... because Ace is a very special and important person to me, too."
Having spent every last ounce of her bravery, she spun around and sprinted away.
She vanished behind the tent in a flash, leaving Ace standing completely alone in the dirt, blinking in a bewildered daze.
Jet and Droy finally dusted themselves off and walked over.
Their faces showed a messy mix of lingering fear, deep gratitude, and heavy shame.
"Ace, about what just happened... thank you," Jet muttered, refusing to make eye contact.
"If you hadn't stepped in, Levy..."
"We lost our tempers," Droy added, hanging his head. "The Master explicitly told us to give Gajeel a chance, and we still messed up..."
Ace waved a hand, cutting off their apologies.
"Leave the past in the past. Focus on right now, and focus on the future." He looked at the two wizards with a firm but forgiving stare.
"Gajeel has already suffered the consequences of his actions, and he is genuinely trying to change. Giving him a second chance means giving yourselves one, too. The Fairy Tail family shouldn't tear each other apart."
Jet and Droy shared a look, a clear sense of relief washing over both of them.
"You're right," Jet agreed with a firm nod. "Starting today, we'll try to accept him."
"But if he ever dares to hurt one of us," Droy added, tightly clenching his fist, "I'll never forgive him."
"We'll cross that bridge if we ever get to it," Ace chuckled, patting them both on the shoulder.
"Alright, go help Mirajane get dinner ready. It's been a wildly stressful afternoon, and everyone needs a good meal to calm down."
The two men nodded and headed back toward the main tent.
Ace stayed in the courtyard, staring up at the empty sky where Laxus had disappeared.
The friendly warmth in his eyes slowly faded away, replaced by a heavy, grim seriousness.
A civil war was breewing inside the guild...
He had tried to change it, but the inevitable was rushing toward them.
Laxus's blind ambition, his toxic obsession with strength, his disgust for the guild's current state, and his sudden, massive spike in power all pointed to one terrifying conclusion.
A massive storm was about to rip Fairy Tail apart.
And Ace would undoubtedly be standing right at the center of it.
"The Thunder God Tribe..." Ace muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing to cold slits.
If Laxus actually dared to launch an attack on the guild and hurt their friends... Ace would show absolutely no mercy.
His Digisoul pulsed warmly through his veins.
Deep within his spirit, he felt the steady, comforting connection to the Digital World.
BlackWarGreymon, MetalSeadramon, HerculesKabuterimon... all of his partners felt his rising tension and stood completely ready to fight by his side.
However, he desperately wanted to keep this war away from the guild hall.
Taking a deep breath, Ace pushed the dark thoughts out of his mind.
Whatever horrors the future held, he was going to protect this guild for as long as he possibly could.
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