The afternoon sun pierced through the not-yet-fully-repaired stained glass windows of the Fairy Tail guild hall.
Beams of moted light danced across the floor, highlighting the myriad of scratches, burn marks, and stubborn wine stains that told the history of a thousand parties.
The air was filled with the heavy comforting scent of stale ale, aged wood, and the faint, lingering smell of gunpowder left over from the previous day's chaos.
The clamor of boisterous voices, the clatter of wooden tankards against tables, and the occasional small explosion from a corner—undoubtedly Natsu's handiwork—intertwined to form the unique, vibrant background noise that was the heartbeat of the guild.
At this moment, Ace stood before the request board, his eyes scanning the dense array of paper jobs pinned to the wood.
After two days of settling in and intense training, he felt that his rapport with his Digimon had deepened, and his control over the volatile Digital Soul had stabilized.
It was time to set out again.
He needed to test and solidify his progress through actual combat.
More importantly, his partners were hitting a wall; his Digimon needed a vast amount of combat data and experience to break through their limits and evolve to the Ultimate level.
The question was: Should he team up with someone this time? And if so, who?
His gaze subconsciously swept across the bustling guild hall, and a mental dossier of key candidates flashed through his mind.
Erza was, without a doubt, Ace's top choice.
She was powerful, calm, and reliable—attributes that would minimize unnecessary trouble during high-stakes missions.
Plus, he wouldn't deny that she was easy on the eyes, which served as excellent motivation to work harder.
However, Ace recalled a conversation from yesterday; Erza had taken a long-distance escort mission and had already departed the city.
She was off the table.
Choosing Natsu meant securing excellent raw combat power; the Dragon Slayer was a walking engine of destruction perfect for a frontal assault.
But when Ace thought of Natsu's "charge straight into the enemy camp and ask questions later" style of action—not to mention the sheer headache of dealing with his motion sickness making any form of transportation a living hell—he hesitated.
Field missions required caution and observation.
With Natsu, Ace felt he would have to worry less about the enemy and more about whether his own "protagonist plot armor" was strong enough to survive Natsu's collateral damage.
Then there was Gray.
As Fairy Tail's secondary male lead, his strength was unquestionable.
His Ice-Make magic was outstanding in both offense and defense, making him a versatile all-around fighter.
In terms of personality, he was generally much calmer and more rational than Natsu, meaning effective tactical communication should be possible.
But...
The corner of Ace's mouth twitched involuntarily as his gaze landed on Gray, who was talking to someone near the entrance.
In just that short span of time, Gray's shirt had once again vanished into the void and he was chatting away bare-chested, completely oblivious to his state of undress.
'If I go out with him, I'll have to constantly deal with a dude who might 'bare it all' at any moment regardless of the social situation,' Ace thought, mentally facepalming.
'That image is too much to handle. It requires immense mental fortitude to ignore.'
Ace could almost hear Gray justifying it in his head, claiming his solid muscles and fine physique were a necessary contribution to the female market of Fiore.
Reliable or not, that stripping habit was a chaotic variable Ace wasn't sure he wanted to manage today.
He glanced further.
Cana's Card Magic was decent, but her lack of powerful finishing spells was the primary reason she always stalled at the S-Class trials.
He wouldn't have to worry about her stealing his kills, but she seemed to love alcohol more than life itself.
At this very moment, she was slumped over, fast asleep while hugging a keg of beer like a lover.
As for Levy's team, Shadow Gear... Jet and Droy clearly harbored unusual and intense feelings for Levy.
If Ace tried to insert himself into their dynamic, he would likely be met with jealousy rather than teamwork.
"Sigh..."
Ace let out a soft breath, feeling a bit conflicted.
Did he really have to endure Gray's exhibitionism?
Should he bother the Master to ask for recommendations?
Or... should he just trust in his own growing strength and apply to go solo?
"Hey, Ace, you've been standing here for a while. Can't find a mission you're interested in?"
"How about a fight with me instead?"
Ace turned his head to find that Gray had walked over at some point.
He was... well, still shirtless, standing with his arms crossed and a cool, aloof expression on his face, completely ignoring the fact that he was half-naked in public.
Almost as soon as Gray's words fell, another energetic voice shot over like a cannonball.
"Oh! Is Ace going on a mission? Take me with you! I promise to send anything suspicious flying!"
Natsu squeezed in on Ace's other side, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he stared at the request board.
He was so focused on the prospect of a fight that he was completely oblivious—or perhaps indifferent—to the fact that he had just bodied Gray.
"Hey! Slanty-eyes! You bumped into me!" Gray, knocked off balance by Natsu's entrance, immediately roared in annoyance.
Natsu's temper flared instantly!
"What did you say?! Droopy-eyes! You were the one standing in the middle of the path like an ice sculpture!"
"You wanna fight? You slanty-eyed bastard!"
"Bring it on! Who's afraid of who! You droopy-eyed exhibitionist!"
In an instant, they were forehead to forehead, nose to nose, grinding their teeth.
Spittle flew as they shouted insults, completely forgetting that Ace was standing right there, sandwiched between the fire and the ice.
"..."
Ace watched this familiar Fairy Tail scene unfold.
His earlier internal conflict vanished in a puff of smoke, replaced by a crystal-clear realization: 'Teaming up with these two? I'd waste a ton of time just playing referee on the road.'
He silently and firmly took a step back, removing himself from the blast zone.
He turned on his heel and walked decisively toward Master Makarov behind the bar.
"Master," Ace's voice was unusually calm and resolute. "I've decided to take the investigation mission in the eastern forest. This time, I'd like to go solo to train my ability to handle complex situations independently."
Makarov looked at Ace, then glanced over the boy's shoulder at Natsu and Gray, who were now rolling on the floor in a ball of dust and violence while hurling creative insults at each other.
The old man seemed to understand everything in an instant.
A knowing, slightly sympathetic smile appeared on his face as he nodded like a sage.
"Mm, wise choice. Training independently is crucial for growth. Choose a mission of A-rank or below, and be careful on the road."
Ace nodded solemnly.
He walked back to the board, deftly tore off the B-rank request he had been eyeing, and walked toward the guild's main doors without a backward glance.
Behind him, the sounds of Natsu and Gray's argument—and the wet sound of fists hitting faces—became the perfect background music for his decision.
[Request: Investigate and clear the source of abnormal magic in the depths of the forest east of Magnolia]
[Request Rank: B-Rank]
[Details: Lumberjacks and hunters have recently reported abnormal energy fluctuations and the frenzied roars of wild beasts from deep within the forest. Several people have already been injured. It is suspected that a powerful Magical Beast or an abnormal magical phenomenon has appeared. It is recommended that an experienced team take this request.]
[Reward: 450,000 Jewels (may be increased based on threat level)]
"An investigation mission, not too far from town, and the reward is decent..." Ace mused, folding the paper and tucking it into his pocket.
"Yo! Ace, heading out on a mission? Be careful out there!"
Levy, who was discussing a book with Jet and Droy at a nearby table, looked up and raised her teacup at him with a sweet smile.
Macao also peeked out from behind his newspaper and waved lazily. "Kid, don't push yourself too hard! Send a signal flare if things go south!"
Ace paused at the door and turned back, giving everyone a reassuring smile.
He took one last look at this noisy, messy, destructive, yet vibrant guild.
"Yeah, I'm off."