Recaps

Natsu challenged Jiang Bai in the S-Class trial, but his attacks could not get past Jiang Bai’s defenses. Jiang Bai overwhelmed him with his magic to teach him to face his weakness, and Natsu steadied himself and answered with resolve.

• Natsu charged Jiang Bai with Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, but Jiang Bai restrained him and threw him into a cave wall.
• Natsu kept attacking with his Fire Dragon spells and Dragon Slayer Secret Art, but none of his strikes reached Jiang Bai.
• Jiang Bai praised Natsu’s progress, suggested he improve his flames, and explained that the trial was meant to show him there was always someone stronger.
• Jiang Bai unleashed concentrated magic power that made Natsu tremble, while Makarov sensed the shockwave from Tenrou Island’s shore.
• Jiang Bai told Natsu to face his weakness, and Natsu suppressed his fear and declared that he had always known that.

Natsu compressed his flames into the Crimson Lotus Phoenix Sword, but Jiang Bai stopped the attack with one finger and declared that Natsu had passed his test. As Natsu left determined to continue the S-Class Exam, Cana and Lucy faced Erza in another passage and prepared to fight.

• Natsu compressed his flames into a sword and launched his strongest attack at Jiang Bai, who stopped it effortlessly.
• Natsu admitted defeat, but Jiang Bai told him he had passed the test and explained that S-Class was a starting point, not an endpoint.
• Jiang Bai reassured Natsu that Laxus, Erza, and the others had performed similarly on his test, and Natsu left with Happy, promising not to let him down.
• Cana and Lucy encountered Erza in another passage, accepted that they might lose, and Lucy summoned Taurus.

Lucy and Cana challenged Erza in their bid to become S-Class Mages, but Erza defeated them and explained that they were not yet ready for the responsibility. Lucy and Cana accepted her judgment and vowed to grow stronger before challenging her again next year.

• Cana and Lucy teamed up with Taurus, but Erza blocked their attacks and sent Taurus crashing into a tree.
• Cana and Lucy brought in Sagittarius, yet Erza's Heaven's Wheel Armor deflected their attacks and forced them to dodge her swords.
• Lucy and Cana renewed their resolve, and Lucy summoned Scorpio and Virgo while Cana prepared her strongest spell.
• Erza changed into her Purgatory Armor, shattered Virgo's walls, sent Taurus and Virgo back to the Celestial Spirit World, and stopped Cana's spell with her sword at Cana's neck.
• Erza told Lucy and Cana they were not ready for S-Class responsibilities, and they vowed to become stronger and defeat her next year.

Mest and Wendy passed after choosing a safe route, while Elfman and Evergreen defeated Mirajane by distracting her with a surprise claim that they were getting married. Gray and Loke passed after Gildarts tested Gray and showed him the gulf between his strength and that of an S-Class Mage, while Gajeel and Levy defeated Juvia and Lisanna.

• Mest and Wendy emerged from a cave to find a sign marked “pass” and learned they had passed the exam.
• Evergreen distracted Mirajane by claiming she and Elfman would marry after the exam, then prompted Elfman to help subdue her.
• Gildarts tested Gray, praised his growth, and unleashed his magic power to show Gray and Loke what a real S-Class Mage could do before passing them.
• Juvia and Lisanna fought Levy and Gajeel in a narrow passage, but Gajeel and Levy won through superior strength and teamwork.

Laxus fought Freed and Bickslow to test how much they had improved. He defeated them with his Thunder Dragon’s Roar, leaving both unconscious and declaring that they had failed the assessment.

• Laxus confronted Freed and Bickslow and attacked them with a bolt of lightning.
• Freed defended against Laxus’s opening strike, then he and Bickslow struggled to withstand his Thunder Pressure Raging Waves.
• Bickslow sent his five dolls to surround Laxus and fire magic bullets while Freed transformed into dark armor and charged.
• Laxus unleashed Thunder Dragon’s Roar, destroying Bickslow’s dolls and knocking Bickslow unconscious while badly injuring Freed.
• Freed praised Laxus before collapsing, and Laxus declared that Freed and Bickslow had failed the assessment.

The first exam ended with five teams passing, while Laxus brought the unconscious Freed and Bickslow to the gathering point. As the guild members celebrated and compared results, they nearly uncovered Mest’s secret identity as a spy, but the conversation moved on.

• Laxus carried the unconscious Freed and Bickslow to the gathering point, where the other teams had gathered.
• Levy and Gajeel, and Juvia and Lisanna arrived after losing their matches, leaving five of the eight teams to pass.
• Mirajane explained that Evergreen had distracted her by claiming she would marry Elfman, prompting Laxus to offer Evergreen his blessing.
• Jiang Bai, Natsu, and Happy arrived, and Natsu and Gray bragged about passing their exams with Jiang Bai and Gildarts.
• Wendy said she and Mest had passed by choosing the passage marked pass, and the guild members wondered why they could not remember Mest.
• Mest feared that the others would expose his altered memories, while Jiang Bai and Makarov silently let him worry because they knew his true identity.

The second trial required the candidates to find Mavis Vermillion’s grave on Tenrou Island within six hours. As Lucy and Cana fled a monster and Natsu and Happy headed for a giant tree, Jiang Bai encountered the uninvited Zeref and revealed that he recognized him.

• Makarov announced that the second trial was to find Mavis Vermillion’s grave within six hours.
• Gildarts decided to leave for his unfinished 100-Year Quest, but Cana’s plea persuaded him to stay and support her.
• Lucy and Cana set out to find the grave together, then fled when a large island monster began chasing them.
• Natsu and Happy searched from the air and guessed that the grave might be near the island’s enormous tree.
• Jiang Bai sensed an outsider, found Zeref in a clearing, and told him to leave the island.
• Zeref turned in shock when Jiang Bai called him by name and asked how anyone in the country recognized him.

Jiang Bai survived Zeref's Ankhseram's Curse but refused his plea for death because killing him would also kill Natsu. After Jiang Bai told him someone else would grant his release, Zeref wondered whether that person would be his younger brother.

• Zeref warned Jiang Bai to flee before Ankhseram's Curse erupted and destroyed the surrounding vegetation.
• Jiang Bai remained unharmed because his Infinity prevented the Death Miasma from touching him.
• Zeref pleaded with Jiang Bai to kill him after seeing that he could withstand the curse.
• Jiang Bai refused because Natsu's life remained bound to Zeref through the Book of E.N.D.
• Jiang Bai told Zeref that someone else would end him, transported him to a remote part of the island, and vanished.
• Zeref thought of his younger brother Natsu and wondered whether he would be the one to end his life.

Grimoire Heart, led by Hades, approached Tenrou Island to awaken Zeref, while Ultear warned that Fairy Tail’s ace, Jiang Bai, could threaten their mission. Though Hades dismissed Jiang Bai, Ultear remained wary and focused on Zeref, Gray, and Jiang Bai.

• Ultear told Hades that Grimoire Heart had found Zeref, who still appeared to be asleep.
• Hades ordered the airship toward Tenrou Island and declared that he would awaken Zeref and usher in an age of great magic.
• Ultear warned the guild that Jiang Bai was an enemy they could not afford to ignore, and Meredy offered to deal with him.
• Zancrow, Zoldeo, and Bluenote voiced their confidence that they could eliminate anyone who stood in their way.
• Hades dismissed Jiang Bai as an inexperienced wizard, while Ultear privately remained wary and resolved to pursue her own aims concerning Zeref, Gray Fullbuster, and Jiang Bai.

Jiang Bai warned Makarov that Grimoire Heart was approaching Tenrou Island, and Makarov suspended the S-Class Exam and called everyone to regroup. As Levy was attacked by Grimoire Heart’s monsters, Gajeel rescued her and told her not to leave his side again.

• Jiang Bai told Makarov that Grimoire Heart was coming, so Makarov ordered him to fire a signal flare and suspend the exam.
• The exam participants saw the emergency signal and headed for the main gathering point, while Cana continued toward the Tenrou Tree to seek Fairy Glitter and Lucy went to regroup.
• Gajeel’s careless remarks upset Levy, who struck him with her backpack and ran off alone.
• Grimoire Heart’s rooster-headed monster captured Levy, and a samurai beastman tried to kill her.
• Gajeel shielded Levy from the sword, defeated the monsters, and told her not to leave his side again.

After Grimoire Heart members ambushed Gajeel and Levy on Tenrou Island, Gajeel fought to protect Levy while she countered their magic and attacks. Levy fled to find Jiang Bai, leaving Gajeel alone against the two enemies.

• A signal flare alerted Gajeel and Levy to an invasion, and Levy recognized their attackers as members of Grimoire Heart.
• The dog-headed samurai used Solid Script magic to unleash a deafening roar, while the rooster monster tried to ambush Gajeel.
• Levy canceled the roar with Solid Script: Silence and burned the rooster monster’s eggs with Solid Script: Flame as Gajeel counterattacked.
• The samurai’s Slash magic cut through Gajeel’s iron scales, and Gajeel suffered more wounds while shielding Levy.
• Gajeel told Levy to find Jiang Bai, and she gave him a block of iron before running toward the signal flare.

Gajeel fought two Grimoire Heart members while Levy escaped and found Jiang Bai and the others. After drawing strength from his bonds with Fairy Tail, Gajeel defeated his opponents but collapsed, and Jiang Bai told Levy the battle was over.

• Gajeel recovered by eating iron and resumed fighting the rooster monster and dog-headed samurai.
• Levy fled through the jungle, stumbled, and was caught by Jiang Bai's invisible force before he and the others reached her.
• Levy begged Jiang Bai to save Gajeel, but he reassured her that he was monitoring everyone on the island and that Gajeel could hold his own.
• Gajeel recalled how Fairy Tail had become his home and declared that he would never lose as a Fairy Tail wizard.
• Gajeel unleashed Dragon Slayer Secret Art—Demon Karma: Iron God Sword, defeating both enemies before collapsing unconscious.
• Jiang Bai told Levy the fight was over and praised Gajeel's performance.

Jiang Bai rescued Gajeel and the Fairy Tail mages learned that Zeref was alive and cursed, though Jiang Bai claimed Zeref could not defeat him. After killing two Grimoire Heart monsters, Jiang Bai prepared to send the guild members to confront their opponents across Tenrou Island.

• Jiang Bai used Space Transfer to bring Erza and the others to Gajeel, while Levy rushed to his side.
• The dog-headed samurai revealed that Grimoire Heart had come to awaken Zeref, who was alive and sleeping on the island.
• Jiang Bai confirmed that Zeref was alive because of Ankhseram's curse and said he had already met him and could defeat him.
• Jiang Bai destroyed the dog-headed samurai and the unconscious rooster monster with an invisible force.
• Jiang Bai prepared to send the Fairy Tail mages to their opponents and warned that anyone who lost would face the guild's worst punishment.

Jiang Bai teleported Fairy Tail’s members to their battlefields while Wendy, Carla, Lily, and Mest confronted one another in the forest. Azuma revealed himself as a member of Grimoire Heart and destroyed the Magic Council’s warship, but vanished just as he prepared to attack Wendy and the others.

• Jiang Bai sent Erza, Laxus, and the other Fairy Tail members to their battlefields, while Makarov stayed behind and learned there would be a punishment for losing.
• Wendy urged Mest to follow the signal flare, but Carla and Lily warned her that Mest was suspicious, and Lily struck him.
• Mest used Space Magic to take Wendy away from an explosion, then confronted the man who had hidden inside a tree.
• The man introduced himself as Azuma of Grimoire Heart’s Seven Kin of Purgatory, and Mest admitted he was a Magic Council agent.
• Azuma revealed that the Magic Council’s warship had been destroyed, then disappeared just as he moved to attack Wendy and the others.

Jiang Bai divided the Grimoire Heart members among Fairy Tail’s fighters and transported them into separate battles across Tenrou Island. He warned Gray, Natsu, and their companions that whoever lost would receive the guild’s harshest punishment, leaving Natsu, Happy, and Lucy facing Kain Hikaru in fear of the consequences.

• Jiang Bai assigned Ultear to Gray, Meredy to Juvia and Mirajane, Zancrow to Natsu, Kain Hikaru to Natsu and Lucy, Azuma to Erza, Rustyrose to Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe, and Zoldeo to Loke.
• Jiang Bai froze Zancrow in place before he could attack.
• Jiang Bai transported Azuma to Erza and Ultear to Gray, then told Gray that the loser of his fight would receive the guild’s harshest punishment.
• Rustyrose appeared before Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe, Zoldeo faced Loke, and Meredy faced Juvia and Mirajane.
• Jiang Bai transported Natsu, Happy, and Lucy to Kain Hikaru and warned them that they would be harshly punished if they lost.
• Natsu and Happy vowed to win at any cost, while Lucy protested when Natsu said they might stake the rest of her life on it.

Lucy’s Celestial Spirits failed to stop Kain Hikaru, who used a curse doll to control her and force her to attack Natsu. Natsu, Happy, and Lucy defeated him with their combination finisher, Lucy Fire, but Lucy turned her fury on Natsu for using her as a weapon.

• Kain Hikaru knocked Lucy’s summoned Celestial Spirits back through their gates with his Super Haki Pushing Palm.
• Natsu kicked Kain away from Lucy, but Kain used the moment to seize her hair and make a curse doll that let him control her body.
• Natsu realized the doll was the source of Kain’s control, snatched it from him, and set up a counterattack with Happy.
• Happy carried the doll away as Natsu used Lucy’s controlled body as a flaming projectile, striking Kain with the Lucy Fire combination finisher.
• Kain fell unconscious, freeing Lucy, who angrily berated Natsu for using her as a weapon.

Jiang Bai sent Natsu to fight Zancrow and brought Makarov beneath Grimoire Heart’s airship to confront its master. When Precht appeared to block Jiang Bai’s attack, Makarov recognized his former master and was left stunned.

• Jiang Bai released Zancrow from his restraint, and Natsu began fighting the God Slayer mage.
• Jiang Bai transported Lucy to Levy and the injured Gajeel, while Gildarts said he had been told to watch over them.
• Jiang Bai took Makarov beneath Grimoire Heart’s airship and confirmed that its master was their target.
• Jiang Bai fired Cursed Technique Reversal—Red at the airship, but an old man stopped it with thirty-two defensive magic arrays.
• Makarov recognized the man as Precht and reacted with shock and disbelief.

Cana received Fairy Glitter from Mavis, but Bluenote overcame her attack until Gildarts stepped in and defeated him. Meanwhile, Natsu fused Zancrow’s god flames with his dragon flames and won their battle.

• Cana’s resolve to protect Fairy Tail awakened Mavis, who granted her Fairy Glitter.
• Jiang Bai teleported Cana and Gildarts to Bluenote, where Cana attacked him with Fairy Glitter, but he absorbed the spell and left her exhausted.
• When Bluenote threatened Cana, Gildarts shielded her and defeated him with a single punch.
• Natsu’s dragon flames were overwhelmed by Zancrow’s god fire, and eating the black flames initially caused him severe pain.
• Natsu emptied his body of magic power and fused with Zancrow’s flames, then defeated him with Fire Dragon God’s Roar.

Makarov confronted his former mentor Precht, now Hades, over his plan to awaken Zeref and remake the world, but Precht overwhelmed him in battle. Jiang Bai took over and revealed that his control of space could bypass Precht’s defenses, prompting Precht to unleash Domus Flau.

• Precht told Makarov that he intended to awaken Zeref and eliminate anyone who obstructed his Great Magic Era, including Fairy Tail members.
• Makarov transformed into a giant and attacked Precht, but Precht stopped his punch and drove him back with Ancient Magic.
• Makarov used Fairy Law, and Precht countered with Grimoire Law, causing both spells to cancel out as Makarov’s magic ran low.
• Jiang Bai stepped in and demonstrated that he could move through space past Precht’s defenses, unnerving him.
• Precht grew furious at Jiang Bai’s taunts and invoked Grimoire Law before summoning Domus Flau.

Jiang Bai defeated Precht by destroying the airship's hidden demon heart, ending Grimoire Heart's attack on Tenrou Island. Makarov spared his former mentor and ordered him to leave, while Precht remained committed to his obsession.

• Jiang Bai erased Precht's demonic army and revealed that he knew the location of Precht's demon heart.
• Jiang Bai used Hollow Technique—Purple to delete the part of the airship housing the demon heart, severing Precht's power and sending him crashing to the ground.
• Erza, Gray, Laxus, and the other Fairy Tail mages defeated their opponents, securing victory across Tenrou Island.
• Precht asked Makarov to kill him, but Makarov refused and ordered him to leave Tenrou Island with Grimoire Heart.
• Precht left with surviving subordinates, still believing that a great age of magic would come, while Jiang Bai warned Makarov that Precht would not change.

Zeref spoke with Mavis about his plan to start a world-spanning war, while Jiang Bai sent him to Grimoire Heart after the guild defeated the dark mages. On the airship, Hades prepared to bring Zeref the supposed “key,” which Zeref revealed was a lie.

• Zeref sensed Mavis nearby and told her he had found a way to die.
• Zeref said he would start a war across the world, and Mavis vowed Fairy Tail would stop him.
• Makarov worried that Zeref was on Tenrou Island, but Jiang Bai convinced him to let Grimoire Heart take Zeref.
• Jiang Bai transported Zeref to Grimoire Heart’s airship, where Hades welcomed him as their target.
• Hades ordered his followers to bring the “key,” and Zeref said the supposed keys were lies made up by his worshippers.

Zeref revealed that Hades’s Great Magic World was a lie, destroyed the airship and its crew, and sensed Acnologia approaching. At Fairy Tail’s camp, Makarov gave Natsu one last chance to earn S-Class status, but Acnologia’s roar shook Tenrou Island before the exam could continue.

• Zeref told Hades that the Great Magic World did not exist and that Jiang Bai had defeated him.
• Ultear used her Arc of Time to escape the airship with Meredy as Zeref killed Hades and the others aboard, blaming them for bringing Acnologia and making him forget the value of life.
• Zeref sensed Acnologia approaching and identified him as the one drawn by the keys the guild had gathered.
• At Fairy Tail’s camp, Makarov explained that the S-Class Exam was being stopped for everyone’s safety, but Natsu refused to accept it.
• Makarov offered Natsu one final chance to become S-Class by defeating him, then knocked Natsu into a crater with a single giant punch.
• Acnologia roared from beyond the horizon, shaking Tenrou Island.

Acnologia descended on Tenrou Island and attacked Fairy Tail, but Jiang Bai confronted him and blocked his destructive blast with Infinity. Acnologia recognized Jiang Bai as a threat and asked for his name.

• Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy recognized a dragon’s roar, and Wendy spotted a gigantic black dragon circling Tenrou Island.
• Makarov identified the dragon as Acnologia, while Gildarts revealed that it had taken his left arm, left leg, and part of his internal organs during the 100-Year Quest.
• Acnologia landed on the island and overwhelmed Fairy Tail with his presence, prompting Makarov to tell everyone to flee.
• Jiang Bai struck Acnologia repeatedly with Purple, but his attacks only pushed the dragon back and left a white mark on its scales.
• Acnologia fired a black energy blast at Jiang Bai and the others, but Jiang Bai stopped it with Infinity.
• Acnologia sensed a deadly threat from Jiang Bai and asked him his name.

Jiang Bai confronted Acnologia on Tenrou Island, and the two unleashed attacks powerful enough to devastate the island and surrounding sea. Jiang Bai wounded the dragon, but Acnologia recovered and accepted his challenge as their battle remained unresolved.

• Zeref sensed the immense magic power and recognized that Jiang Bai’s presence had shocked Acnologia.
• Jiang Bai demanded that Acnologia take human form, then created a thousand-meter energy sword as Acnologia gathered a destructive blast.
• Mest and Lahar watched from a nearby island and recognized Acnologia and Jiang Bai as their magic shook the sea and Tenrou Island.
• Acnologia fired his black beam, but Jiang Bai split it with his sword and struck Acnologia, sending him crashing into a crater with a severe chest wound.
• Acnologia healed and declared Jiang Bai his equal, while Jiang Bai said the dragon could be killed and challenged him to prove it.

Jiang Bai used Giant Magic to match Acnologia’s enormous size, intending to defeat the black dragon with physical strength rather than magic. He told Makarov to move the others farther away as the confrontation continued on Tenrou Island.

• Gildarts, Natsu, and Laxus watched Jiang Bai’s battle with Acnologia and admitted they could not interfere.
• Jiang Bai grew to a vast size using Giant Magic, which Makarov revealed he had taught him.
• Makarov recalled that Jiang Bai mastered Giant Magic in less than half a day after hearing its principles.
• Jiang Bai had learned Giant Magic because Acnologia resisted nearly all magic, and he planned to overcome the dragon with physical power.
• Jiang Bai grew as large as Acnologia and told Makarov to take the others farther away.