Recaps

Alili confronted Chiba over Bobbit’s death and the destruction of his village, forcing Chiba to question why he protected Ultear while fighting to save his friend. Chiba explained his choices and adapted his Ninjutsu to counter Alili’s interruptions, ending the chapter as he unleashed Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.

• Alili revealed that the Shadow Skull had killed the villagers, implanted demon factors in him, and recruited him after he survived.
• Alili accused Chiba of judging others by strength while protecting Ultear, and the two fought evenly as Chiba’s doubts left openings.
• Chiba explained why he had killed Bobbit, how Ultear had saved him, and why he would try to save Alili even if he had to kill him.
• Alili interrupted Chiba’s Hand Seals with quick magic and identified the preparation time required for some of Chiba’s Ninjutsu as a weakness.
• Chiba used one-seal Ninjutsu, outmaneuvered Alili in close combat, and began casting Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.

Chiba defeated Alili and two Shadow Skull mages, but Qilin and a group of Frog in the Pond mages ambushed him and drove a sword into his chest. Chiba used Sharingan genjutsu and the Substitution Technique to escape with Ultear and Wendy.

• Alili battered Chiba with Shadow Thirty-Six Forms, but Chiba recovered and beat him in their technique contest.
• Chiba used Earth Release and Lava Release to bury Alili and two Shadow Skull mages in a pit of lava.
• Qilin, the master of Frog in the Pond, stabbed Chiba from behind and revealed that his mages had surrounded them.
• Chiba recognized Qilin's plan to capture them, then used Sharingan genjutsu and the Substitution Technique to escape with Ultear and Wendy.

Chiba, Ultear, and Wendy evaded the Frog in the Pond for two months while rumors about Chiba turned wizards against him. In Magnolia, Mira and the Fairy Tail guild carried on without Chiba, and Erza returned with news of the wanted “Lava Monster,” unaware that the rumor concerned him.

• Qilin failed to track down Chiba, Ultear, and Wendy, then spread stories portraying Chiba as a destructive monster and drew other wizards into the hunt.
• At Fairy Tail, Natsu and Gray brawled until Mira beat them both into behaving.
• Mira privately missed Chiba while bathing, though she had become known as the formidable “Demon” Mira after joining Fairy Tail.
• Erza returned to Fairy Tail after completing three A-Class jobs, and Makarov praised her skill.
• Erza told Makarov she had brought back a wanted poster for the “Lava Monster,” a magicless monster Mira was interested in.

Mira recognized Chiba on a wanted poster and set out with Erza to find him. Meanwhile, Chiba brought Wendy to Rob and left her in his care before heading toward the danger pursuing him.

• Mira read Chiba’s wanted poster, wept with relief that he was alive, and decided to bring him back with Erza.
• Chiba recognized the abandoned village as the place where Rob would establish Cait Shelter for Wendy.
• Chiba told Wendy that he and Ultear could endanger her, then used his Sharingan to hypnotize her after she refused to leave him.
• Chiba and Ultear found Rob and asked him to take Wendy in, and Rob agreed.
• Chiba left Wendy with Rob and departed with Ultear, believing his chances of survival were slim.

After months on the run, Chiba and Ultear were cornered by a force of dark guild mages. Chiba revealed his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation and unleashed a massive attack, but an S-Class mage emerged from the flames and destroyed nearly all his Shadow Clones.

• Chiba told Ultear that their pursuers had driven them to a dead end, but urged her to flee if the situation became desperate.
• Chiba revealed that he still had a trump card as dozens of mages surrounded the Four-Pillar House.
• Chiba used Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to create a thousand clones and activated Partial Tailed Beast Transformation.
• Chiba's Shadow Clones attacked the mages with Taijutsu, Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, and Earth Dragon Bullet while other clones protected Ultear.
• An S-Class mage unleashed a powerful tornado from the sea of flames and destroyed nearly all the Shadow Clones.

Chiba fought Shadow Skull’s S-Class mage Rina while Feiyin’s volatile Chakra pushed him toward violent agitation. He devastated the guild’s mages, survived their strongest attacks, and challenged the remaining fighters to keep going.

• Rina confronted Chiba and said he was too dangerous to capture, so he would kill him instead.
• Chiba used Lava Armor and Partial Tailed Beast Transformation to clash with Rina, then countered the other mages’ attacks with fire and a Shadow Clone.
• Chiba charged into the crowd, killing a mage and punching through a muscular mage’s axe and chest.
• Shadow Skull’s water mages doused Chiba’s Lava Armor, and Rina broke through his defense with a hurricane-wreathed palm.
• Chiba’s wounds healed rapidly, and he struck Rina hard enough to send him crashing through trees before taunting the remaining mages.

Chiba defeated Rina and devastated the Shadow Skull forces, but collapsed after their final clash. Ultear killed the young man who tried to eliminate Chiba, thanked the unconscious boy, and left.

• Rina wounded Chiba with Blazing Wind Arrows, but Chiba healed and retaliated with Earth Lava, killing dozens of Shadow Skull mages.
• Rina launched Death Blazing Wind, and Chiba countered with a Tailed Beast Bomb that annihilated the surrounding forces and left Rina gravely wounded.
• Chiba released his transformations and collapsed, and Ultear returned to find him unconscious among the devastation.
• A young man appeared and moved to kill Chiba, but Ultear struck him down and froze him.
• Ultear stood beside Chiba, thanked him softly, and left.

Qilin captured Chiba and arranged a public execution, while Mira and Erza rushed to stop it after learning he had been caught. As the executioner’s sword shattered, Chiba’s fate remained uncertain.

• After Ultear left, Qilin picked up Chiba and decided to take him back and execute him publicly.
• Mira and Erza learned from a newspaper that the Lava Monster had been captured and sentenced to execution in three days, so Mira vowed to crash the execution.
• In Deli Town, Qilin announced Chiba’s execution to a large crowd and portrayed him as a dangerous criminal.
• When Qilin asked for Chiba’s last words, Chiba shouted that he would become King of the Pirates and laughed.
• Qilin ordered the executioner to strike, but the broadsword shattered before it could kill Chiba.

Chiba broke free during his public execution, but Erza Scarlet arrived and helped him escape Frog in the Pond’s control. After Mira attacked the guild’s headquarters, Qilin withdrew his wizards, leaving Erza and Chiba alone in the square.

• Chiba escaped his restraints, caused panic at the execution, and attacked the platform with a fireball as Qilin tried to kill him.
• Erza Scarlet rode through Frog in the Pond’s wizards, destroyed the burning execution platform, and confronted Qilin.
• Erza identified herself as a Fairy Tail wizard and said Mira had attacked Frog in the Pond’s headquarters.
• Qilin called off the execution and led Frog in the Pond’s wizards back to headquarters, leaving Erza and Chiba alone.

Chiba reunited with Mira after months apart and agreed to join Fairy Tail. Erza set out to bring him to the guild, while Mira's feelings for him became apparent.

• Erza introduced herself to Chiba and said Mira had attacked Frog in the Pond's rear camp and was on her way.
• Mira rushed at Chiba, knocked him off the horse, and beat him while demanding to know why he had not come to find her.
• Chiba explained that he had been hunted, and Mira accused him of getting involved with another woman.
• Erza teased Mira and Chiba about their position, then asked whether they were a couple; both denied it.
• Erza invited Chiba to join Fairy Tail, and he accepted, explaining that he was not a mage and had only temporarily defeated an S-Class Mage.

Chiba returned to Fairy Tail in Magnolia and reunited with Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna after months away. He introduced Feiyin to the guild, and the guild quickly erupted into its usual brawl while Erza sat quietly, still blaming herself for the trouble she had caused the master.

• Erza returned to Fairy Tail with Chiba and asked Wakaba whether the master was back from a Magic Council meeting.
• Elfman and Lisanna hugged Chiba and cried, while Mira denied that she had secretly cried for him.
• Chiba told Mira and Elfman about his past six months and introduced Feiyin, who claimed she lived inside his body.
• Mira offered Feiyin a home with her and Lisanna, but Feiyin retreated into Chiba’s body after he glared at her.
• Mira confronted Chiba about keeping Feiyin inside him, then Wakaba and Macao’s teasing sparked a guild-wide fight.
• Erza remained seated in a corner, blaming herself for the trouble she had caused the master.

Makarov welcomed Chiba to Fairy Tail, where the guild learned he was a ninja who used Chakra and watched him demonstrate his Shadow Clone Technique. Laxus arrived and challenged Chiba, and the chapter ended with their fists colliding amid lava and lightning.

• Makarov arrived, met Chiba, and asked Mira and Erza about the incident in Deli Town.
• Mira admitted she had started the trouble and presented Chiba as a powerful new source of combat strength.
• Chiba explained that he used Chakra and Ninjutsu, and Makarov connected him to the Land of Shinobi.
• Natsu asked Chiba to demonstrate a ninja technique, so Chiba created several Shadow Clones for the guild members.
• Laxus mocked Chiba and attacked him, and Chiba met his lightning-charged punch with a lava-coated arm.

After Makarov stopped the fight, Chiba joined Fairy Tail and decided to live outside town rather than in the guild dormitory. Natsu invited him to share the walk to his cabin, leaving Chiba to set out with his new guildmate.

• Makarov's magical pressure stopped Laxus and Chiba's fight, and Laxus introduced himself before leaving with two job requests.
• Natsu grew angry about Laxus's insults, while Erza tried to calm him and Gray provoked him until the guild grew noisy again.
• Mira gave Chiba the guild mark and reminded him that he had left over a million with her after Frog in the Pond stole his money.
• Chiba decided against the guild dormitory and planned to build a house outside town, despite Mira's apparent wish for him to stay.
• Natsu caught up with Chiba, introduced himself, and invited him to walk together to the cabin where he lived outside town.

Chiba built a house in the woods, then entered the Ninjutsu Chamber to learn Demon Flash, an A-Class technique modified from Rasengan. After more than two months of practice, he could form the rotating chakra needle but still could not make it expand inside a target and destroy it from within.

• Natsu challenged Chiba to a fight and took him to his cabin in the woods.
• Chiba used Wood Release to build a two-story house, and Natsu asked to learn Ninjutsu before deciding to stay at the guild instead.
• Chiba worried that Laxus and other Fairy Tail mages were stronger than him, so he entered the Ninjutsu Chamber to find a stronger technique.
• Chiba chose Feiyin's Demon Flash, which combined Rasengan's destructive force with Chidori's penetrating power.
• After more than two months of practice, Chiba formed Demon Flash and shattered a boulder but could not yet destroy a target from within.

Chiba went to the guild to take his first mission because he had run out of money, and Mira agreed to accompany him on a cargo-escort job. They arrived in Feinard City and headed for the Sharu mansion to meet the client.

• Chiba visited the guild and found only two jobs on the mission board, choosing a cargo-escort mission with a 2,800,000J reward.
• Mira asked how Chiba had spent the two million she had given him, and Chiba admitted he had used it on clothes, food, and outings with Feiyin and Natsu.
• Mira agreed to join Chiba, despite Lisanna reminding her that she was meant to help prepare for New Year's.
• Chiba registered the mission with Makarov, and Mira dragged him out of the guild after he tried to leave without her.
• Chiba and Mira took a train to Feinard City, then walked toward the Sharu mansion to meet the client.

Mira and Chiba met wealthy client Labi and fellow escort mages Ailong, Lixi, and Koi before setting out to guard Labi’s important shipment. When Mira and Chiba could not ride their assigned horses, Chiba used his Sharingan Genjutsu to control one, and the convoy began its journey south.

• Mira and Chiba arrived at Labi’s mansion, where Chiba introduced them to Labi and the Wind guild mages Ailong, Lixi, and Koi.
• Mira challenged Koi after he complained about their arrival, while Ailong stopped him and smoothed over the tension.
• Labi explained that the mages had to escort his goods to Shadow Mountain behind Shanwu Town, where bandits and monsters might attack.
• Labi ordered the convoy to prepare, and a line of carriages and horses eventually emerged from the estate.
• Mira admitted that she could not ride, and Chiba used his Sharingan Genjutsu to control a horse so they could mount it.
• Labi led the convoy south with the five mages positioned around the carriages.

Chiba and Mira shared a warm evening in a wooden house, where Mira confessed how desperately she had searched for him and questioned him about Ultear. Their conversation was interrupted when Ailong warned that a dangerous group of monsters was approaching, and Chiba decided they should destroy them rather than draw them away.

• Chiba built a wooden house with Wood Release and warmed flatbread for Mira with Lava Release.
• Mira cried as she told Chiba she had searched for him after believing he was dead, then pressed him for details about Ultear.
• Chiba explained Ultear’s connection to Grimoire Heart and Arc of Time, and Mira revealed that she had lost Winter Water but ordered a replacement.
• Ailong arrived and warned Chiba and Mira that a group of murderous monsters was approaching the caravan.
• Ailong proposed drawing away more than thirty B-Class monsters and two A-Class monsters, but Chiba insisted on wiping them out and formed the Shadow Clone Technique hand seal.

Chiba and Mira joined Ailong’s group in attacking the monsters, but Mira transformed into Satan Soul and flew ahead with Chiba. Chiba and Mira began fighting the powerful pack, while the two strongest monsters charged Mira.

• Chiba summoned ten Shadow Clones to guard the caravan, and Ailong led Koi and Lixi toward the monsters.
• Mira transformed into Satan Soul, carried Chiba through the air, and flew past Ailong’s group.
• Mira dropped Chiba above the monsters, and he used a Great Fireball as cover before landing in Lava Armor and striking several creatures.
• Mira attacked the monsters with dark magic, drawing their attention away from Chiba.
• A giant chimpanzee and a lion, the strongest monsters in the pack, charged at Mira.

Chiba and Mira defeated a horde of demons, including two A-Class demons, and returned to their cabin, where Chiba made a hot spring for Mira and Feiyin. He then reviewed Feiyin’s research on his Ninjutsu training, which showed his current learning ranks and progress on Demon Flash and Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu.

• Mira fought the demon gorilla and demon lion while Chiba used Lava Release to trap the surrounding demons, then Mira finished them with Satan Soul: Yokugeki.
• Ailong and the others arrived and were stunned by the defeated demons, and the group confirmed the battlefield was clear before returning to camp.
• Chiba used his abilities to build a heated bath for Mira, and Feiyin emerged from him to join her.
• Chiba studied Feiyin’s data, which listed his available Ninjutsu ranks and showed his Demon Flash completion at 75% and Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu completion at 46%.

Chiba and Mira suspected someone had sent monsters to test their escort group, then the party entered the dangerous Wenlubu Mountain Range and encountered Kamuer, who recognized Chiba as the legendary “Lava Monster.”

• Chiba practiced Water Dragon Bullet hand seals in the bath and produced a dragon-shaped stream of water.
• Mira warned Chiba that the previous night's monsters might have been deliberately sent to test them, and Chiba alerted Ailong and the others.
• The group traveled into the Wenlubu Mountain Range, where Mira sensed a strange aura and the others grew wary.
• Kamuer appeared on the mountain road and mocked Labi for trying to leave the Flames of Life and Death.
• Labi ordered Kamuer killed, and Chiba and Ailong attacked him with Lava Release: Lava Armor and Rain of Wind Arrows.
• Kamuer ignored Ailong's attack and recognized Chiba as the legendary “Lava Monster.”

Chiba and his allies fought Kamuer, whose fire-body magic made him nearly immune to physical and magical attacks. After Mira identified his weakness to water or ice, Chiba used a water technique to drive Kamuer away, leaving the group without a decisive victory.

• Ailong's attack failed to stop Kamuer, who struck Ailong and challenged Chiba over Rina's death.
• Chiba fought Kamuer but was outmatched, and Kamuer's body let Lixi's lightning arrow pass through him.
• Mira blocked Kamuer's attack and explained that his fire magic could be countered with water or ice.
• Chiba used Water Bullet Jutsu against Kamuer, who dodged it and realized Mira could exploit the water attack to injure him.
• Kamuer threatened Labi and fled into the mountains.

Labi revealed that he had once led the business guild that became Flames of Life and Death, then explained how Shadow Skull forced him into its service after he survived a deadly ordeal. He told Chiba and the others that the special wine shipment was intended for the mysterious Water King, while warning them that powerful interests would prevent them from exposing Shadow Skull.

• Labi admitted that he had once been the guild master of Flames of Life and Death, when it was still a commercial guild.
• Labi recounted how Shadow Skull stranded his guild companions on a monster-infested island, where he killed and ate them to survive before agreeing to work for the dark guild.
• Labi explained that Shadow Skull made him sell special red wine to wealthy buyers and assigned Kamuer to his rebuilt guild.
• Chiba asked about the wine shipment, and Labi said it was a separate batch intended for Lord Water King, whose identity was unknown.
• Labi said Flames of Life and Death became a dark guild after Shadow Skull suffered losses against Grimoire Heart, and that he lost his position because he could not use magic.
• Labi warned that reporting Shadow Skull to the kingdom or Magic Council would change nothing because powerful people and interests would block the information.

After learning that the Shadow Skull would hunt them for escorting Labi’s cargo, Chiba, Mira, and Ailong’s group continued toward their destination while preparing for a fight. Chiba confirmed they were being watched and sent Shadow Clones to alert Makarov, leaving the group tense as their journey continued.

• Chiba pointed out that Kamuer and the Shadow Skull would target the escorts, and Ailong said he would abandon the job, but Labi warned that Kamuer could track them down.
• Koi attacked Labi for putting them in danger, but Ailong stopped him; Chiba and Mira chose to face the Shadow Skull and proposed slowing their journey.
• That night, Mira questioned Labi’s motives, and Chiba said they should judge him by his actions while they discussed the danger from the Shadow Skull.
• Chiba sent a Shadow Clone out at night, and by dawn he learned masked men had killed it, confirming that the group was being watched.
• Chiba sent more than a dozen Shadow Clones toward the guild to get word to Makarov, while Ailong’s group handled bandits and monsters along the road.

Ailong told Chiba how deeply he feared Shadow Skull and asked him to protect Lixi and Koi if the mission turned deadly. Chiba promised not to abandon his team, while the chapter ended with Fairy Tail preparing for the end of the year and Natsu asking where Chiba was.

• Ailong visited Chiba and asked whether his abilities were magic, and Chiba explained that he used Ninjutsu.
• Ailong said he doubted Labi’s warning but feared Shadow Skull because a Throne had once crushed his guild, Spirit Realm of Wind.
• Ailong asked Chiba to protect Lixi and Koi, and Chiba said he would not abandon the team and hoped Ailong would stand by them too.
• Mira told Chiba that everyone had something they feared, and Chiba checked his progress on Water Release techniques.
• At Fairy Tail, Natsu complained that he could not find Chiba, and Lisanna told him Chiba had gone on a mission with Mira.

Chiba and Mira escorted Labi’s cargo to Shanwu Town, where Yaro revealed the job had been arranged to lure Chiba into a fight with Kamuer. Chiba trapped Kamuer with water techniques and Shadow Clones, but Kamuer unleashed a surge of dark purple flames and began breaking through the water.

• Makarov recognized Labi’s request and hurried to Shanwu Town.
• The caravan reached the mountain path, where Yaro and the Flames of Life and Death were waiting; Labi admitted that he wanted to leave the group, but Yaro refused to release him.
• Yaro revealed that the job had been designed for Chiba, and Kamuer attacked him with flames while an armored young man kept Mira from joining the fight.
• Chiba used water techniques and Shadow Clones to surround Kamuer with water walls, repeatedly attacking him and exhausting much of his magic power.
• Kamuer’s dark purple flames intensified, evaporating the water walls as he roared, “Shadow Burst!!!!”