Arc 12Fairy Tail Returns

Jiang Bai and Fairy Tail survived Acnologia’s attack inside Mavis’s seven-year Fairy Sphere, then returned to find their guild fallen into poverty. After rebuilding their bonds and training for the Grand Magic Games, Fairy Tail arrived in Crocus and faced rival guilds and Dragon Slayers.

  • Jiang Bai fought Acnologia until Etherion restored the dragon’s strength, and Makarov and Fairy Tail charged to buy Jiang Bai time before Mavis’s Fairy Sphere vanished Tenrou Island and froze its inhabitants.
  • Jiang Bai remained with Mavis on Tenrou Island for seven years, studying magic and playing games while Fairy Tail declined and sold its guildhall.
  • Jiang Bai and the others returned to Fairy Tail, drove off Twilight Ogre, and Jiang Bai punished the former Magic Council officials who had fired Etherion.
  • Fairy Tail reunited with Mavis and learned that the guild had fallen to last place, while Natsu challenged Marcus and proved how much he had grown.
  • Makarov entered Fairy Tail in the Grand Magic Games, and Jiang Bai agreed to compete as Natsu and Gajeel demanded places on the team.
  • Jiang Bai trained Fairy Tail, Lucy awakened Star Dress, and Ultear awakened the guild members’ Second Origins before the tournament.
  • Jiang Bai brought Fairy Tail to Crocus, where he used his Lord Infinity token to have two men who had mocked the guild arrested and their accusers expelled.
  • Gray faced Lyon’s challenge over Juvia, while Natsu and Lucy met Sting and Rogue, who claimed they could defeat Acnologia as Third Generation Dragon Slayers.
Chapters 276–300 Vol. 3 Read

Ch. 276Passion! Hot Blood! Violence!

Jiang Bai overwhelmed Acnologia in a brutal physical fight, but the black dragon unleashed his ultimate Roar when Fairy Tail and Tenrou Island stood behind Jiang Bai. Jiang Bai blocked the attack with Limitless, yet the clash shook the island and left it at risk of sinking.

  • Mest watched Jiang Bai and Acnologia fight and realized how absurd it had been to think he had nearly passed Jiang Bai's S-Class Exam.
  • Jiang Bai charged Acnologia, threw him to the ground, and battered him with a furious barrage of punches.
  • Acnologia found an opening, but Jiang Bai struck him with a Haymaker that sent him crashing through the ground.
  • Acnologia gathered his power and fired his destructive Roar at Jiang Bai, who blocked it with Limitless to protect Fairy Tail and Tenrou Island.
  • The Roar's force shook Tenrou Island, opened cracks across it, and sent seawater flooding onto Mest's island, so Mest ordered everyone to evacuate.

Ch. 277Heaven and Earth Transformation and the Dragon's Fear

Jiang Bai overwhelmed Acnologia by trapping him in Unlimited Void, growing to an unimaginable size, and crushing him in his hand. As Acnologia struggled only to escape, the undefeated Black Dragon King felt fear for the first time.

  • Jiang Bai reinforced his Infinity barrier until Acnologia’s world-destroying roar faded, then cast Unlimited Void.
  • Acnologia endured the information overload but became unable to move as Jiang Bai began transforming.
  • Jiang Bai used Heaven and Earth Transformation to grow larger than Tenrou Island, leaving Fairy Tail’s camp and the observers aboard Mest’s boat in awe.
  • Jiang Bai seized Acnologia in his enormous hand and began crushing his bones.
  • Acnologia’s pain broke through Unlimited Void, and his healing body fought to escape Jiang Bai’s grasp.
  • Acnologia stopped seeking revenge and struggled only to flee, feeling fear and sensing death.

Ch. 278The Dragon's Feast

Jiang Bai warned that Etherion would feed the injured Acnologia, but the Magic Council fired it anyway. Acnologia devoured the blast, healed most of his wounds, and turned his attention back to Jiang Bai and the others.

  • Jiang Bai released Acnologia after crushing him, leaving both of them gravely weakened and low on magic.
  • The Magic Council, hoping to claim credit for defeating the Black Dragon King, activated Etherion and aimed it at the fleeing Acnologia.
  • Erza, Mirajane, and the guild members supported Jiang Bai, who warned that Acnologia could devour magic that was not Dragon Slayer Magic.
  • Acnologia turned toward Etherion and swallowed the entire blast instead of dodging it.
  • Acnologia rapidly healed and regained most of his strength, then fixed his gaze on Jiang Bai and the guild members.

Ch. 279The Feast of Fools and a Family's Resolve

The Magic Council’s Etherion attack restored Acnologia instead of defeating him, leaving Fairy Tail facing the dragon while Jiang Bai was weakened. Makarov ordered the guild to flee, but the members chose to stand together and buy Jiang Bai time.

  • The Magic Council panicked after Acnologia swallowed Etherion and recovered, then the chairman ordered the launch records destroyed and the incident concealed.
  • Zeref watched the restored Acnologia and wondered what Jiang Bai would do.
  • Makarov told Fairy Tail to escape Tenrou Island while he stayed behind to hold off Acnologia.
  • Jiang Bai objected, and Natsu, Gray, Laxus, the Thunder God Tribe, Mirajane, Gildarts, Erza, Lucy, Wendy, Gajeel, and the others joined Makarov.
  • Makarov tearfully declared his love for Fairy Tail, and Erza led the guild in a charge to buy Jiang Bai time.

Ch. 280Fairy Tail's Entire Guild Wiped Out?

Fairy Tail's attacks failed to stop Acnologia, and his Roar was about to destroy Tenrou Island. The island vanished in golden light just before the attack struck, leaving Acnologia and the distant witnesses to believe Fairy Tail had been wiped out.

  • Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Gajeel, Erza, Mirajane, Laxus, Gildarts, and Makarov attacked Acnologia, but their spells barely affected him.
  • Acnologia mistook Makarov's giant form for the terrifying transformation he had faced before, then resumed gathering power for his Roar.
  • Jiang Bai realized he had not recovered enough magic to fight and prepared to teleport everyone away as Fairy Tail launched one final attack.
  • Golden light from the Tenrou Tree enveloped Tenrou Island, which vanished just before Acnologia's Roar struck the empty sea.
  • Zeref wondered whether Mavis had caused the island's disappearance, while Mest believed Fairy Tail had died and ordered his boat to return to Magic Council headquarters.

Ch. 281The Fairy Tactician's Miscalculation

After the Magic Council announced that Fairy Tail’s core members had vanished on Tenrou Island, it placed the guild under five years of protection because Jiang Bai’s death remained unconfirmed. On the island, Mavis’s Fairy Sphere had saved everyone by freezing them in time, but Jiang Bai confronted her over using it when he could have teleported them to safety.

  • Macao and Wakaba grieved as the guild learned that Tenrou Island had disappeared and all signs of life there were gone.
  • The Magic Council ordered five years of protection for Fairy Tail, fearing that Jiang Bai might still be alive.
  • Mavis used Fairy Sphere to shield Tenrou Island from the Black Dragon King’s Roar and froze everyone in time.
  • Jiang Bai appeared before Mavis after she cast the spell and reminded her that his spatial abilities could have taken everyone to safety.
  • Mavis realized she had overlooked Jiang Bai’s teleportation and tried to charm him into forgiving her.

Ch. 282Seven Years!

Jiang Bai learned that Mavis’s Fairy Sphere had frozen the guild members for seven years and that leaving would drain their life force, so he stayed on Tenrou Island. He spent the long confinement studying magic with Mavis and passing the time with games as the spell’s duration ran out.

  • Mavis realized Jiang Bai’s time had not been frozen and concluded that he was a monster beyond ordinary magical laws.
  • Mavis explained that Fairy Sphere could not be undone before seven years passed and that Jiang Bai’s escape would drain the other guild members’ life force.
  • Jiang Bai reluctantly stayed on Tenrou Island, where he discovered he could go without food and chose to cultivate.
  • Jiang Bai studied magic with Mavis, using her knowledge of ancient magic to refine his own magic system and create new spells.
  • Jiang Bai taught Mavis games such as five-in-a-row and Chinese chess, and they spent the seven years cultivating, playing, and bickering.

Ch. 283The Fairy Guild Seven Years Later

Seven years after Tenrou Island was declared destroyed, Fairy Tail had fallen into poverty and obscurity while its missing members remained trapped in Fairy Sphere. Romeo, Bisca, and Alzack returned to the struggling guild, still believing Jiang Bai and the others would come back.

  • Jiang Bai considered using Space Magic to transfer Natsu and the others out of Fairy Sphere, but Mavis warned that their bodies might remain frozen, so he gave up the idea.
  • Ultear learned of her sins and began a long journey of atonement with Meredy, while the Magic Council's protection order for Fairy Tail eventually expired.
  • Fairy Tail lost its strongest members, declined into Fiore's weakest guild, and sold its old guildhall to pay its debts.
  • In X791, Romeo waited at Hargeon harbor and asked Bisca and Alzack whether the missing guild members would return; they insisted that they would.
  • Romeo, Bisca, and Alzack returned to Fairy Tail's rundown tavern, where Macao struggled to keep the nearly deserted guild alive.

Ch. 284The Hyenas of Twilight and the Return

Fairy Tail struggled with poverty and grief seven years after its members disappeared, while Twilight Ogre threatened to seize properties belonging to Jiang Bai. A familiar voice interrupted the gang, and Macao recognized the figure at the doorway as someone the guild had awaited for seven years.

  • Macao worried about Romeo's absence while Fairy Tail members lamented the guild's dwindling numbers, scarce work, and missing friends.
  • Sarukusuke mentioned Levy, prompting Droy to break down and say she was not coming back.
  • Tebo and Twilight Ogre entered the guild to demand overdue loan payments, and Macao admitted he could not pay.
  • Twilight Ogre's strategist revealed plans to claim Jiang Bai's properties as collateral, but Wakaba and Macao protested.
  • As Tebo ordered his men to seize the houses, a familiar voice challenged him from the doorway, and Macao recognized it.

Ch. 285Macao Bursts into Tears!

Jiang Bai and the Fairy Tail members returned to Magnolia and reunited with the old guild members, who had endured seven years of hardship. After hearing how Twilight Ogre had tormented Fairy Tail, Jiang Bai immobilized the gang and let the old members take revenge.

  • Jiang Bai arrived at Fairy Tail with Natsu, Erza, Gray, Lucy, and the others, leaving Macao and Wakaba stunned.
  • Macao broke down in tears as he welcomed the returning guild members, and Makarov praised him for keeping Fairy Tail going.
  • Macao told Jiang Bai how Twilight Ogre had trapped the guild in debt and harassed its members while targeting Jiang Bai's property.
  • Jiang Bai immobilized Tebo and the Twilight Ogre members with an unseen force and told Fairy Tail's old members to vent their anger.
  • Macao, Wakaba, Droy, Laki, and the others beat the helpless Twilight Ogre members.

Ch. 286Just Letting Them Get Away?

Jiang Bai reunited with Fairy Tail after returning from Tenrou Island and learned that the guild had declined after the Magic Council’s five-year protection order expired. He planned to raid Twilight Ogre’s headquarters and punish the Council, while Makarov accepted that the old score needed settling.

  • Jiang Bai told Macao that he had let Twilight Ogre’s members flee so he could attack their headquarters and wipe out the guild in one strike.
  • Romeo, Bisca, and Alzack saw battered Twilight Ogre members fleeing and hurried back to the guild, where they found Jiang Bai and the returned Fairy Tail members safe.
  • Bisca reunited with everyone, introduced her daughter Asuka, and teased Erza and Mirajane about marrying Jiang Bai and having children.
  • Macao told Jiang Bai that Fairy Tail had begun declining two years earlier, after the Magic Council’s five-year protection order ended.
  • Jiang Bai explained that the Council had used the protection order to test whether he was dead, then planned to punish them without killing them; Makarov did not object.

Ch. 287Settling Scores and Taking Them All Down!

Jiang Bai went to Twilight Ogre to settle the guild’s attempt to seize Fairy Tail’s property. He destroyed their guildhall, incapacitated its members, and sent them to the Magic Council, then followed through a spatial rift.

  • Jiang Bai left Fairy Tail after telling Makarov and Macao that he had personal scores to settle.
  • At Twilight Ogre, Tebo rallied his frightened guild members to attack Fairy Tail and take its valuable properties.
  • Jiang Bai appeared in the guildhall and uprooted the building, crushing it into powder while leaving everyone inside unharmed.
  • Jiang Bai knocked out every Twilight Ogre member and sent them through a spatial rift to the Magic Council.
  • Jiang Bai walked through the rift after them.

Ch. 288Settling His Own Score With His Own Hands!

Jiang Bai returned to the Magic Council, left the Twilight Ogre members in its hall, and warned Mest to keep them imprisoned. He then punished the new councilors and confronted the former officials who had ordered Etherion fired, sparing their lives after breaking their arms.

  • Jiang Bai dropped the half-dead Twilight Ogre members in the Council hall, where Mest stepped in and asked him to leave the matter to the Council.
  • Jiang Bai warned Mest that the Twilight Ogre members must remain imprisoned, then threatened to destroy the Council if any escaped.
  • When the new councilors ordered the Rune Knights to seize Jiang Bai, he knocked the councilors unconscious and searched the Council archive for former officials' addresses.
  • Jiang Bai transported the former officials who had ordered Etherion fired to a living room and broke the right arms of all present except Old Master Yajima.
  • Jiang Bai rebuked and threatened the former officials, then spared them and vanished, leaving them too frightened to seek revenge.

Ch. 289The Important Thing Is...

Jiang Bai welcomed Mavis to Fairy Tail, where her supposedly important request turned out to be a strawberry milk lollipop. As old friends from Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale celebrated the guild’s return, news spread across Ishgar, though many younger mages doubted Jiang Bai’s reputation.

  • Lucy told Jiang Bai that Mavis had come to Fairy Tail, and Jiang Bai revealed that he had invited her to stay at the guild.
  • Mavis reminded Jiang Bai of their important matter, and he gave her a strawberry milk lollipop, leaving the guild members stunned.
  • Blue Pegasus sent Ichiya, Hibiki, Ren, and Ivan to visit Fairy Tail, while Lamia Scale sent Jura and Lyon.
  • Mavis praised Makarov for making Fairy Tail a wonderful place as the guild celebrated with its visiting friends.
  • The Magic Council kept silent about Jiang Bai’s actions, while Sorcerer Weekly reported that Fairy Tail’s main members had returned.
  • Younger mages scoffed at reports calling Jiang Bai the strongest man on the continent and claimed the new generation had surpassed him.

Ch. 290The Weakest Guild!

Fairy Tail learned that it had fallen to last place in the Kingdom of Fiore, but Natsu rallied the guild to aim for the top again. Marcus challenged Natsu to a fight and revealed magic power far greater than the others expected.

  • Lucy and the others discussed Sabertooth's rise to become the strongest guild in Fiore.
  • Wendy asked Fairy Tail's current ranking, and Romeo revealed that the guild was in last place.
  • Natsu laughed off the news and urged Fairy Tail to climb from last place to the top.
  • Erza and the others renewed their determination, while Marcus credited Jiang Bai and Natsu insisted he could win without help.
  • Marcus challenged Natsu, then released a surge of magic power and declared that he had not spent the past seven years doing nothing.

Ch. 291The Outcome Is Decided!

Natsu and Marcus battled, with Marcus’s improved Sand Magic initially overpowering Natsu until Natsu unleashed Lightning Flame Dragon Mode. Marcus surrendered before Natsu’s finishing attack landed, and the two acknowledged each other’s strength.

  • Marcus used Sand Creation: Sand Rebellion to clash evenly with Natsu’s Fire Dragon’s Roar.
  • Marcus trapped Natsu under a giant sand fist, leaving Gray to remark that the guild had fallen behind during the seven years.
  • Natsu activated Lightning Flame Dragon Mode and launched Crimson Lotus Exploding Lightning Blade at Marcus.
  • Marcus dispelled his magic and surrendered, and Natsu stopped his attack just above Marcus’s head.
  • Natsu and Marcus punched each other and praised how much the other had grown.

Ch. 292The Gap and the Rent

After Marcus’s battle exposed how far the guild had fallen behind, the mages decided to ask Jiang Bai for advice on getting stronger. They discovered he had stayed home sleeping after a tiring night with Erza and Mirajane, whose explanation left Lucy choking.

  • Natsu and Gray acknowledged that the guild’s strength had stagnated during their seven years away, and Lucy worried they would never become number one again.
  • Carla revealed Lucy owed seven years of rent, while Natsu and Happy showed off their savings of thirty thousand J.
  • Levy suggested they ask Jiang Bai how to get stronger, but the group realized he was absent from the guild.
  • Erza fled when asked where Jiang Bai was and told the others to ask Mirajane instead.
  • Mirajane said Jiang Bai was still sleeping because he had been tired the night before, then admitted they had taken care of him after he had been pent up for seven years.
  • Lucy choked on Mirajane’s suggestive explanation.

Ch. 293Jiang Bai's Humblebrag

After Fairy Tail's mages asked Jiang Bai how to become stronger, he announced a training session for the next morning. Makarov proposed that Jiang Bai take more 100-Year Quests to restore the guild's rank, but Mirajane and Erza insisted that he rest.

  • Natsu, Happy, and the others refused to wake Jiang Bai and waited at the guild until he arrived in the afternoon.
  • Natsu asked Jiang Bai how to grow stronger, and Jiang Bai claimed his magic power increased whenever he slept.
  • Jiang Bai told the guild members to meet in the forest behind the guild at nine the next morning for a way to get stronger.
  • Makarov proposed sending Jiang Bai on more 100-Year Quests to help Fairy Tail regain its number one title.
  • Mirajane and Erza objected, saying Jiang Bai needed to rest after returning from Tenrou Island, and Makarov backed down.

Ch. 294The Goal: The Grand Magic Games!

Romeo told Fairy Tail about the Grand Magic Games, and Makarov decided to enter a powerful team to win the prize money and restore the guild. His plans were disrupted when Cana revealed that Gildarts had left to continue his 100-Year Quest.

  • Romeo explained that the Grand Magic Games brought Fiore's guilds together to compete for the title of strongest guild and a thirty-million-J prize.
  • Makarov ordered Fairy Tail to enter after hearing about the prize, and Jiang Bai agreed that the competition sounded interesting.
  • Makarov selected Jiang Bai, Gildarts, Laxus, Erza, and Mirajane for the team, prompting Lucy to question whether the lineup was excessive.
  • Cana told Makarov that Gildarts had left the guild shortly after returning from Tenrou Island to continue his unfinished 100-Year Quest.
  • Makarov cried out in dismay when he learned Gildarts would not be on the team.

Ch. 295The Twin Dragons of the New Era!

Natsu and Gajeel demanded places on Fairy Tail’s Grand Magic Games team, and Jiang Bai agreed to let them join, confident he would lead them to victory. Elsewhere, Sting and Rogue learned that the seven-year-disappeared Fairy Tail wizards had returned and looked forward to facing Jiang Bai and the others at the Games.

  • Natsu and Gajeel protested that Makarov had left them off the Grand Magic Games roster and insisted they wanted to compete.
  • Jiang Bai told Makarov to let Natsu and Gajeel join, promising that Fairy Tail would win with him there.
  • Romeo said the Grand Magic Games would begin in three months, and Natsu eagerly anticipated Jiang Bai’s special training.
  • Sting devoured the black-robed attackers’ magic and defeated them with his White Dragon’s Roar while Rogue watched.
  • Rogue told Sting that Natsu and Gajeel had returned after disappearing for seven years, and Sting dismissed them as weaker than he and Rogue.
  • Sting said he and Rogue would prove their strength at the Grand Magic Games and looked forward to confronting Jiang Bai.

Ch. 296Awakening! The Second Origin!

Jiang Bai put Fairy Tail through two and a half months of brutal training for the Grand Magic Games, helping Lucy awaken Star Dress along the way. He then brought Ultear to open the guild members’ Second Origins, leaving them with greatly increased magic power and ready for the competition.

  • Jiang Bai trained the guild with overwhelming pressure, sparring, and physical conditioning, exposing flaws in their fighting styles.
  • After Jiang Bai suggested that Lucy merge with Leo, she awakened Star Dress and used Regulus through her new outfit.
  • The guild trained relentlessly for two and a half months, growing stronger before Jiang Bai gave them a day off.
  • Jiang Bai returned with Ultear, who explained that she could awaken each mage’s Second Origin at the cost of severe pain.
  • The guild members accepted Ultear’s help, endured the awakening, and rose with magic power several times greater than before.

Ch. 297All Sides Stir, Aiming for Second!

Fairy Tail’s entry in the Grand Magic Games alarmed Lamia Scale and drew attention from Blue Pegasus and Raven Tail. While the guilds prepared for the competition, Ivan Dreyar revealed that he planned to use Laxus to obtain something he called “hope.”

  • Granny Ooba ordered Lamia Scale to compete and set second place as its goal after learning that Fairy Tail and Jiang Bai would enter.
  • Jura agreed to compete and admitted that Jiang Bai’s strength far surpassed his, while Lyon anticipated facing his junior disciple brother.
  • Blue Pegasus Guild Master Bob told Ichiya that Jiang Bai would compete, and they wondered whether he might destroy the arena.
  • Ivan Dreyar learned that Fairy Tail and Laxus were entering the games and looked forward to using his son to get the “hope” he wanted.

Ch. 298Trouble in the Royal Capital

Fairy Tail arrived in Crocus for the Grand Magic Games, where Sabertooth supporters mocked the guild and Jiang Bai retaliated. After the guards arrived, Jiang Bai used his authority as Lord Infinity to order the hecklers arrested or expelled from the city for the festival.

  • Jiang Bai used Space Magic to bring Fairy Tail to Crocus, where Makarov and the others welcomed them.
  • Two young men mocked Fairy Tail and praised Sabertooth, prompting Natsu to prepare to attack them.
  • Jiang Bai knocked the two men unconscious with his pressure and telekinesis, then tossed them into a garbage heap.
  • When guards arrived to investigate, Jiang Bai showed their captain a black token, and the captain knelt after recognizing him as Lord Infinity.
  • Jiang Bai ordered the two men arrested and the people who had called for Fairy Tail’s arrest expelled from Crocus for the festival.

Ch. 299Tournament Rules

After the street disturbance ended, Fairy Tail learned the Grand Magic Games’ rules and prepared to explore the royal capital before the tournament began. Jiang Bai was left with no choice but to go shopping with Erza and Mirajane as their pack mule.

  • Jiang Bai explained that the king had given him a badge after he completed a 100-Year Quest, and Makarov warned him not to risk the guild’s tournament eligibility.
  • Makarov explained that the Grand Magic Games’ events varied each year and that the guild’s final ranking depended on points across all events.
  • Makarov handed Erza the tournament rulebook, but Levy read it and listed the rules: guild masters could not compete, contestants needed their guild’s emblem, and event details were confidential until the tournament began.
  • Levy added that contestants had to return to their designated lodgings before midnight, and the guild members split up to explore the capital.
  • Erza and Mirajane caught Jiang Bai before he could slack off and dragged him along to carry their shopping.

Ch. 300The True Dragon Slayers?!

Gray and Juvia were interrupted when Lyon challenged Gray to a bet over Juvia joining Lamia Scale. Meanwhile, Sting and Rogue confronted Natsu and Lucy, declaring themselves true Dragon Slayers and explaining that they were Third Generation Dragon Slayers.

  • Juvia invited Gray to have a meal with her, but Lyon interrupted and asked her to join him for a stroll.
  • Lyon challenged Gray to bet that Lamia Scale would win the Grand Magic Games, with Juvia joining Lamia Scale if Gray lost.
  • Natsu and Lucy encountered Sting and Rogue in a crowd, where Sting mocked Natsu for losing to Acnologia.
  • Sting claimed that he and Rogue were true Dragon Slayers who could defeat Acnologia, and Lucy challenged his boast.
  • Lector explained that Sting and Rogue had both learned magic from dragons and received implanted Magic Crystals, making them Third Generation Dragon Slayers.
Arc 12 of 18
Arc 12 of 18