On the street, SaberLeomon grew increasingly sluggish and disoriented as the "Skyscraper" illusion ate away at his mind.
The eerie purple glow in his eyes flickered as he blindly battled invisible enemies.
The illusions, born from his deepest fears, wrapped around his consciousness, blurring the line between reality and nightmares.
"Roar... Groan..."
He let out a pained, struggling growl, wildly swinging his fangs and claws only to tear at empty air.
Mystogan maintained the five-layered magic circle, his face pale but his gaze locked in determination.
He knew that if he just held on a little longer, the massive beast would completely mentally collapse.
Ace frowned.
Illusions—especially those that directly attacked the mind and emotions—were the ultimate weakness of physical fighters like SaberLeomon
While the Mega Digimon wasn't entirely defenseless, "Skyscraper" was Mystogan's masterpiece.
Even Laxus had struggled against it.
If this kept up, SaberLeomon could suffer permanent mental damage.
He needed a warrior who wasn't afraid of illusions.
Someone with a will strong enough to shatter nightmares, and the power to cut straight through magic.
Ace closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness deep into his Digital Soul.
Countless streams of data shimmered like stars, each connecting to a partner in the Digital World.
He bypassed SaberLeomon's chaotic data node and reached deeper.
Then, he found it.
A brilliant golden data stream, as calm and deep as a frozen lake.
Yet, beneath the still surface surged an endless will to fight, forged through countless battles and never extinguished.
The owner of that data stream was his true "first" Digimon—no, more accurately, the partner who had fought alongside him the longest.
"Old friend..." Ace's mind gently brushed against the data.
A calm, moon-like ripple responded, carrying a quiet question.
"Do you need me?"
Simple, direct, and completely calm, just like always.
"Yes," Ace replied mentally. "There's a troublesome opponent using illusions and mental attacks. SaberLeomon is pinned down."
"Illusions?" A rare flicker of disdain rippled through the connection. "Mere tricks. I will cut them down."
"Then I leave it to you."
"Give me three seconds."
The connection severed.
Ace opened his eyes.
After three seconds a few things happen suddenly.
One: SaberLeomon's struggles suddenly stopped.
He stood dazed in the middle of the street, the wild light in his eyes completely gone.
His massive body swayed as the illusion prepared to swallow his mind completely.
Two: The air in front of Ace began to warp.
It wasn't a magic circle, but a physical tear in space that looked like shattered glass.
Brilliant golden light poured out of the rift as freezing ice crystals formed in the air.
Three.
A low, ringing hum of a blade echoed from the rift.
A towering warrior stepped through the shattered space and into reality. He stood over two and a half meters tall, clad in shining Gold Digizoid armor.
The armor was sleek and deadly, featuring crescent moon shoulder guards and a breastplate resembling solid ice.
Data streams flowed across the metal plates.
In his hands, he carried a magnificent golden weapon—the Yellow Beast Crescent Blade.
The blade was curved like a new moon and glowed with an icy blue edge.
CresGarurumon.
The Mega-level evolution of the Garurumon line, having transcended from a beast into a pure warrior.
His weapon wasn't just physical steel; it was a conceptual blade forged from frozen data and sheer willpower, capable of cutting through flesh, magic, and even illusions.
He landed softly, the tip of his blade lightly tapping the ground. Instantly, pale blue frost rippled outward, freezing the entire street.
The twisted illusions of the "Skyscraper" dissolved and evaporated the moment they touched the frost, vanishing like snowflakes in a fire.
The five-layered magic circle violently shattered.
Mystogan grunted, stumbling back three steps as a trail of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. "Skyscraper" had been forcefully broken, hitting him with severe magical backlash.
CresGarurumon slowly raised his head, his icy blue eyes scanning the battlefield.
He glanced at SaberLeomon, who was shaking his huge head in confusion as his mind cleared.
Then, his eyes locked onto Mystogan.
"It's you," CresGarurumon said.
His voice was cold as ice but held a deep warrior's respect.
"Three years ago, during the S-Class trials, you used illusions to suppress me when I was still WereGarurumon."
Mystogan wiped the blood from his chin and stood tall.
He looked at CresGarurumon, shock flashing in his dark purple eyes before he forced himself to calm down.
"You evolved," Mystogan murmured. "From WereGarurumon to this form... It seems you haven't wasted these past three years."
"A Digimon's purpose is to fight for their partner," CresGarurumon said, leveling his blade.
"Evolution is simply the path we take to find the strength to do so." He paused.
"Also... thank you for that battle."
"Thank me?" Mystogan looked surprised.
"If you hadn't pushed WereGarurumon to the absolute limit back then, I would never have awakened the power to clad myself in metal," CresGarurumon said calmly. "Without that desperate breakthrough, I wouldn't be who I am today. So, thank you."
Turning to Ace, he gave a respectful nod. "Ace. Apologies for making you wait."
"Sorry for interrupting your training," Ace said.
He knew CresGarurumon had been trying to refine his power to reach an even higher stage, and this sudden summon had pulled him away.
"It's fine," CresGarurumon shook his head. "We are born to fight alongside our partners. Besides, battle is the best form of training."
He looked over at SaberLeomon and slightly lowered his crescent blade, silently asking Ace if this was a new ally.
"Yes," Ace confirmed, gesturing to the massive lion. "He's a new companion. BanchoLeomon recently took him under his wing."
"Understood." CresGarurumon turned his icy gaze back to Mystogan.
"Then let's begin round two."
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