Two years later X784.
With a long dragon's roar that shook the world, Ace's last partner yet to reach the Mega level—MegaSeadramon—finally achieved its evolution as a natural result of its long accumulation of power, fierce battles with strong enemies, and absorption of a massive amount of data.
It happened on the edge of a cliff adjacent to a vast sea.
After the light of evolution faded, what appeared before everyone was a colossal body over fifty meters long, entirely covered in a high-strength blue metal shell that glinted with a cold light.
Its streamlined form possessed an aesthetic that blended both power and speed.
Its head was a majestic metal dragon's head.
Merely by coiling on the coast, the immense aquatic pressure and metallic might it emanated calmed the waves of the nearby sea and made the very air feel heavy.
MetalSeadramon.
At this point, all of Ace's core Digimon partners had successfully evolved to the Mega level.
At this moment, on a high bluff not far from the site of the evolution, several figures exuding earth-shattering power stood silently beside Ace.
BlackWarGreymon, CresGarurumon, BanchoLeomon.
And beside Ace, there was another stunning and mysterious figure.
She was tall and graceful, her golden breastplate perfectly accentuating her breathtakingly full curves.
Most striking was the white and red fox mask she wore, which covered the upper half of her face, revealing only a beautifully contoured chin and a pair of cherry-pink, petal-like, alluring lips that sparked the imagination.
She wore form-fitting black pants that flawlessly outlined her pair of perfectly proportioned, straight, and slender legs.
This was the Ultimate level that Taomon had finally evolved into after a period of growth and opportunity—Sakuyamon!
Sakuyamon stood quietly to the side, her posture elegant and mysterious, as if she were one with her surroundings, yet also transcendent.
She did not deliberately exude any aura, but the profound spiritual pressure and divinity originating from her ancient lineage made it impossible for any being to ignore her.
"MetalSeadramon... Sakuyamon... Everyone's here."
Looking at his partners beside him, Ace's heart filled with an indescribable sense of pride and excitement.
As if sensing the gathering of several powerful Mega auras, especially MetalSeadramon's, BlackWarGreymon, which had always held a special interest in "the strong," slowly turned around.
"MetalSeadramon," BlackWarGreymon's voice rang out, cold and carrying a condescending, scrutinizing tone and unconcealed battle intent.
It slowly lowered its crossed arms as a faint, heart-palpitating dark energy began to emanate from its body.
"Perfect. Let's see if your defense is worthy of standing beside me."
Before its words had even faded, BlackWarGreymon's figure abruptly vanished from its spot.
In the next instant, it had appeared like a phantom above MetalSeadramon, who was still reveling in the joy of its power-up.
Its right claw, covered in black dragon armor, tore through the air with a terrifying sonic boom and an aura of destruction, swiping viciously toward MetalSeadramon's majestic metal head.
"Roar!"
Although MetalSeadramon had just evolved, its combat instincts remained.
Faced with this sudden attack, it let out an angry dragon's roar.
Its massive body displayed an astonishing agility that belied its size as it violently swung sideways into the sea.
At the same time, the cannon on its snout lit up with a blinding blue light.
"Ultimate Stream!"
An incredibly thick, highly compressed azure energy beam shot out from the cannon, not aimed at BlackWarGreymon, but at blocking its potential pursuit route.
Simultaneously, its massive metal mouth opened, spewing a cone of extremely cold frost mixed with a high-pressure water stream forward in an attempt to slow BlackWarGreymon down.
"Trifling tricks."
A golden flame flashed in BlackWarGreymon's eyes.
The momentum of its swiping claw did not change; it merely shifted slightly, precisely slapping the side of an incoming "Ultimate Stream" and knocking it off course to collide with and annihilate another energy blast.
It didn't even bother to dodge the frosty stream.
A faint light glowed on its black armor, directly repelling the frost and water pressure, while the force of its claw slashed fiercely toward MetalSeadramon's neck.
CLANG!
An ear-piercing metallic crash exploded. BlackWarGreymon's sharp claws struck viciously against MetalSeadramon's metal shell, sending sparks flying everywhere.
Although no claw marks were left on MetalSeadramon's incredibly sturdy shell, its massive body was sent sliding back dozens of meters by the immense force, plowing a deep trench in the sea's surface.
"What a hard shell."
BlackWarGreymon shook its slightly numb claw, a trace of surprise flashing in its eyes, but its battle intent only grew stronger.
"But that's all it is."
With a flap of its wings, it once again transformed into a black bolt of lightning and lunged forward.
This time, it attacked with both claws, tearing out a sky full of black claw afterimages that assailed MetalSeadramon from all angles at a dazzling speed.
MetalSeadramon roared repeatedly, unleashing the full power of a deep-sea sovereign.
It would sometimes dive into the sea, stirring up monstrous waves and undercurrents to counterattack; other times, it would leap from the water, using its cannon and the frost from its mouth for long-range bombardment; and at other times, it would use its massive body and tough metal frame to ram and defend.
Its tactics were flexible and varied, making full use of the environment and its own characteristics.
However, BlackWarGreymon's combat experience and absolute power were ultimately superior.
It stuck to MetalSeadramon like a persistent shadow, every attack heavy and powerful. MetalSeadramon could only defend passively, its occasional counterattacks easily neutralized by BlackWarGreymon.
"It just evolved. Its energy control isn't refined yet, and its fighting style leans toward bombardment and positional warfare. It's being countered by a close-quarters brawler like BlackWarGreymon," CresGarurumon analyzed calmly.
"It needs time to adapt and develop a fighting style more suited for an Ultimate," Sakuyamon's clear, ethereal voice sounded, carrying a serene detachment that saw through everything.
Ace frowned slightly.
Watching MetalSeadramon fall into a disadvantage, he was just considering whether to step in and stop this "test" when—
"That's enough."
A steady, domineering, and unquestionable voice rang out.
BanchoLeomon took a step forward, its deep blue figure instantly inserting itself between the two combatants.
It didn't attack.
It simply raised its right arm, covered in a deep blue gauntlet, and threw a simple straight punch toward BlackWarGreymon's pursuing claw attacks, while its left arm horizontally blocked MetalSeadramon's massive tail as it swung in a reflexive counterattack.
Bang! Bang!
Two muffled sounds rang out almost simultaneously.
BlackWarGreymon's fierce claw attacks were scattered by BanchoLeomon's punch, its body pausing for a moment.
MetalSeadramon's massive tail was also firmly blocked by a force that was both firm and yielding, unable to advance an inch.
With one move, he separated the two fierce fighters.
"Hm?" BlackWarGreymon's eyes turned cold as he looked at BanchoLeomon, the golden flames in his eyes flickering.
"You're interfering?"
"A test is fine, but know your limits." BanchoLeomon retracted its arms, crossing them over its chest.
Its golden lion eyes calmly met BlackWarGreymon's, its tone flat but carrying an invisible pressure.
"MetalSeadramon has just evolved. What it needs is to familiarize itself with its power, not to be used as your punching bag until it loses its confidence. Besides..."
It paused, a disdainful light flashing in its eyes. "Or are you planning to test my strength? How does your current power compare to last time?"
As soon as these words were spoken, a look of understanding flashed through CresGarurumon's eyes, and the corners of Sakuyamon's lips under her mask seemed to curve into a very faint smile.
The aura around BlackWarGreymon suddenly condensed.
Its burning golden eyes stared intently at BanchoLeomon.
After a long moment, it let out an ambiguous cold snort and slowly reined in its battle intent.
Yes, it remembered.
Not long after BanchoLeomon had evolved, when its aura had not yet fully stabilized, it had similarly been "on a whim" and wanted to test the capabilities of this new, rather domineering fellow.
The result... was an extremely brief but deeply impressive clash.
At that time, facing his surprise attack, BanchoLeomon had used only three punches.
The first punch scattered its Black Tornado and forced him back.
The second punch broke through its Terra Destroyer and landed squarely on its chest, making its blood churn.
The third punch, at the very moment it tried to counterattack, struck it jaw with greater speed and unparalleled power, arriving first despite being launched later.
It knocked BlackWarGreymon completely off its feet and sent him flying backward.
Although it immediately adjusted its posture to land, the momentary defeat and disheveled state were facts.
Three punches, clean and decisive, without a single wasted motion.
It hadn't used any flashy skills, just a pure suppression of power, speed, technique, and fighting will.
It was the first display of BanchoLeomon's "Bancho" spirit and battle-hardened experience, and it also made BlackWarGreymon understand that this newly evolved guy was by no means an opponent it could trifle with.
"Hmph, a boring old story."
BlackWarGreymon turned its head away, no longer looking at BanchoLeomon or MetalSeadramon, as if the fierce battle just now had never happened.
MetalSeadramon panted, its huge dragon eyes looking at BanchoLeomon, then at BlackWarGreymon.
It now understood the gap between itself and a top-tier mega, and it understood that the mega level was just the beginning.
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