Ace quickly walked over to the unconscious Elfman and checked his condition—his breathing was steady, and although his magical power fluctuations were weak and chaotic, there were no longer signs of him going berserk.
The burns on his body looked severe but were mostly superficial.
With a mage's constitution and subsequent treatment, they shouldn't be a major issue.
The main problems were severe mental and magical exhaustion.
"Ace-nii!" Lisanna cried out, throwing herself into Ace's arms.
Her shoulders trembled violently as tears of lingering fear and relief instantly soaked his shirt.
"You scared me to death... I thought... I thought my brother..."
"It's okay, it's okay now, Lisanna," Ace said, gently patting her back, his voice softer than he himself realized.
"Elfman just passed out from exhaustion. The berserk state has been lifted. He'll be fine after some rest."
On the other side, Mirajane also struggled to her feet and staggered over to Elfman.
She knelt, her trembling hand checking her brother's breathing and then his injuries.
Only then did her tightly wound nerves finally relax.
Her body swayed, and she nearly collapsed, but Ace caught her with his quick hand.
"Thank you... Ace," Mirajane's voice was hoarse and weak.
Her blue eyes, which always held a touch of pride, were now filled with lingering terror, deep exhaustion, and an incredibly dense gratitude... along with a trace of a complex, unreadable emotion.
She looked at Ace, the boy whom she had once considered a rival in the guild, who had defeated her and who had now descended like a god to save her brother and sister in their moment of desperation.
Her heart was a whirlwind of emotions.
If Ace hadn't arrived in time on this mission, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Not only would she have lost her brother, but she would have had to watch her sister die tragically at the hands of her out-of-control brother.
That sense of despair and powerlessness had nearly broken her.
What Ace had displayed was not just immense strength, but also a composure far beyond his years and an unwavering determination to protect his friends.
Looking at the siblings huddling together and then at the crying Lisanna in his arms, Ace was also filled with emotion.
Had he changed the plot?
In the original story, Lisanna "fell" here, a blow that devastated Mirajane, causing a drastic change in her personality.
She reined in her sharp edges and faced the world with a gentle smile, but the sorrow and self-blame in her eyes could never be erased.
Elfman was burdened with a heavy psychological shackle, his shouts of "manliness" becoming even more obsessive.
Now, Lisanna was safe and sound.
Although Elfman was heavily injured and unconscious, his life was not in danger, and his rampage had been stopped.
And Mirajane... after experiencing such a brush with death, witnessing her brother's loss of control and her sister's near-death experience, would she still become the "Mirajane" from the original story?
Perhaps she would walk a different path.
Perhaps that gentleness would contain a tougher core.
Or perhaps... she would still choose to face the world with a smile, but the weight and meaning behind that smile would now be different.
Regardless, a change had occurred and Ace gladly accepted this change.
Just as his thoughts were drifting, the system's notification sound rang in his mind on cue.
[Ding! Detected that the host, during a mission, defeated (subdued) the mage "Elfman Strauss" who had entered a berserk state with a full-body takeover. Awarding special reward: Kijū Engetsutou.]
[Kijū Engetsutou: An ornate longsword, its blade inscribed with ancient runes. This is no mere weapon; it houses a portion of the soul and inherited power of a legendary CresGarurumon.]
"Kijū... Engetsutou?" Ace's heart skipped a beat.
His consciousness sank into the system space, where he saw the longsword quietly floating, emitting a faint golden glow.
An irrepressible thought surfaced.
'This can't be... the one from Digimon Adventure: (2020) that Garurumon obtained and later used to evolve into CresGarurumon, can it?!'
In the source material, it was precisely by obtaining the sword that housed the soul of CreGarurumon that Garurumon was able to evolve and master the "Kijū Engetsutou."
Even if WereGarurumon couldn't evolve into CresGarurumon, it still had many other evolutionary paths.
But Ace had always felt the chances of finding the special medium required for the "CresGarurumon" evolution line were slim.
Could it be... that the system had just delivered the key item directly to him?
If that was the case, a whole new door would open for WereGarurumon's future!
CresGarurumon wore armor made of Gold Digizoid that could repel attacks and wielded a large blade, the Kijuu Engetsutou.
Suppressing his excitement, Ace turned his attention back to reality.
Now was not the time to study the reward.
The priority was to deal with the situation at hand and get the injured back.
The exhaustion of survival, the pain of their injuries, and the uncertainty of the future hung over Mirajane and Lisanna.
Ace took on most of the burden of carrying and standing guard, trying to make conversation to ease the oppressive atmosphere.
He talked about the strange altar and spatial rift he encountered in the dark forest during his solo S-Class quest, and described the comical way the leader of the "Bone-Splitting Guild" begged for mercy when he wiped them out.
His tone was light, occasionally tinged with teasing, making the dangerous experiences sound like a fun adventure.
Gradually, some color returned to Lisanna's pale face.
Captivated by Ace's stories, she would occasionally ask for details, the light of curiosity and vitality returning to her eyes.
Although Mirajane remained tired and silent, the tense line of her mouth relaxed slightly.
She would occasionally glance over, but the wariness and distance within it seemed to have dissipated significantly.
"Ace-nii, weren't you scared facing so many dark guilds all by yourself?" Lisanna asked, tilting her little face up.
"Of course I was scared. How could I not be?" Ace smiled, adjusting Elfman's position on his back.
"But being scared is useless. Since I chose this path, when I run into things that need to be done, I have to face them head-on. Besides, I'm not alone. I have my Digimon, and..." He paused, looking at Mirajane and Lisanna.
"And everyone at the guild. The thought of having to come back and see you all means I can't just fall down so easily."
Lisanna's eyes curved into crescents.
She gave a firm "Mhm!" and hugged one of Ace's arms tightly.
Mirajane also turned her head slightly.
In the moonlight, the lines of her face had softened considerably.
"By the way, Ace," Mirajane suddenly spoke in a low voice, still hoarse but much clearer. "You mentioned earlier that you ran into a 'somewhat troublesome' guy named 'Shadow King'? What was that about?"
Ace's heart tensed.
He knew he couldn't hide it, so he gave a simplified account of his encounter with the "Shadow King," focusing on the man's bizarre domain ability and his escape using a spatial scroll.
He omitted the details about BlackWarGreymon, only saying that he had used a "trump card" to force him to retreat.
"Shadow King... I've never heard of anyone like that," Mirajane murmured, frowning in thought. "To possess that kind of domain ability, he can't be a nobody. His final words... it seems he's targeting you. You'll have to be more careful from now on."
"I will," Ace nodded, feeling a renewed sense of vigilance.
That "Shadow King" was definitely big trouble.
....
After a night of trekking and a short rest, they finally walked out of the Kardia Mountains the next afternoon and reached the nearest town.
After taking Elfman to the town's magic infirmary for emergency treatment to stabilize his condition and contacting the guild to send a transportation to pick them up, the three of them finally breathed a true sigh of relief.
On the return trip, the atmosphere was much more relaxed.
Lisanna had completely recovered her energy and was pestering Ace to tell her about his S-Class quest—a part he had previously glossed over.
Unable to refuse her, Ace had to weave a half-true, half-false tale.
He told it with great flair, describing his battles as tactical masterclasses.
(Even though he was only hiding and mantaining his distance while his Digimon do all his fighting).
Lisanna's eyes sparkled as she listened, letting out gasps of amazement.
Mirajane listened quietly from the side, not bothering to expose Ace's bullshit.
Watching Ace's face as he dealt with Lisanna's questions with a mix of pride and exasperation, and then looking at her sister's expression of complete trust and admiration, Mirajane felt the gloom that had settled in her heart from her brother's severe injuries and the failed mission dissipate slightly.
This boy was strong and reliable, yet he also had a considerate and sensitive side.
Perhaps the future of Fairy Tail really would be different because of him.
As the sun set, the flying beast slowly landed on the outskirts of Magnolia.
After bidding farewell to Mirajane, who was heading to a major hospital affiliated with the guild to settle Elfman in, Ace and Lisanna walked side by side toward the town center, toward the building that served as a beacon guiding them home.
In the distance, they could already see the unique roofline of the Fairy Tail guild hall.
After days of life-and-death struggles and intense battles, seeing this familiar sight filled Ace's heart with an indescribable warmth and sense of security.
He should prepare to head to the Digital World soon, since he might not be able to come back for a while.
As they reached the guild's main entrance, Lisanna suddenly stopped.
She turned around, her back to the heavy wooden doors painted with a smiling fairy.
The afterglow of the sunset cast a soft golden halo around her, and a gentle breeze stirred her silver hair.
She looked at Ace, her face breaking into the brightest, most radiant, and most untroubled smile she had shown in days, as pure and warm as when they first met.
Then, she opened her arms wide towards Ace in a hugging gesture, her clear and pleasant voice filled with joy and a sense of belonging.
"Ace-nii! We're back at—Fairy Tail!"
In that moment, all his fatigue and tension seemed to be dispelled by her smile and words.
He stepped forward and gently ruffled Lisanna's hair.
"Yeah, we're back."
Pushing open the guild doors, the clamor and warm light instantly enveloped them both.
The feeling of home instantly washed over them.