Chapter Summaries

Ten days after a meeting incident, Sordil arrived at the Hartefilia Mansion and confronted Leila and Grammy for deceiving him; they later explained what had happened. Six months afterward, Leila gave up her Celestial Spirit Mage identity and entrusted her spirits to her family, while Capri agreed to return to Lucy if she took up magic.

• Sordil appeared during breakfast as a roasted-suckling-pig-like figure and demanded apologies from Leila and Grammy for their deception.
• Leila and Grammy apologized to Sordil, who forgave them, and then recounted the events from ten days earlier.
• Ultear completed her reading assignment, began learning magic and combat, and resolved to master Arc of Time despite distrusting Hades's claims.
• Leila contracted with Capri to protect her family and return to Lucy if Lucy became a mage, then entrusted Aquarius and the other spirits to Grammy, Spetta, and Solydio.
• Sordil and Brandish startled Grammy with a prank, then Grammy reconciled with them and reminded Brandish to admit her mistakes.

The older beauty learned that her husband had been seen near Galakor and resolved to take Brandish to the Western Continent to find him, while Sordil gave her a Space Magic Crystal for emergencies. At Fairy Tail, Laxus went to challenge the absent Old Suo, and a guild brawl was underway when a disheveled man emerged from the corridor and was struck by flying furniture.

• The older beauty learned from Sordil that her husband had been seen on a passenger ship near Galakor, bound for the Western Continent, and decided to search for him with Brandish.
• Sordil gave the older beauty a Space Magic Crystal so he could rescue her if she encountered danger, and she kissed his cheek before leaving with Brandish.
• Jellal and the other children planned their escape from the Tower of Paradise, agreeing to tell August about it after they finished digging their tunnel.
• At Fairy Tail, Laxus learned that Old Suo was missing and hurried toward the boys' dormitory to challenge him, while Kana and Gray started fighting and the guild erupted into a brawl.
• A disheveled man came out into the guild hall, was hit by a chair and a barrel, and called for everyone to stop.

Old Suo returned after sleeping for four months and was taken to Queen Irene, who accused him of chasing women and punished him until he confessed to meeting Brandish. He secretly asked Diphiya to summon help, but Irene ordered Ace and Athena to bring him along as she left the bedchamber.

• Old Suo appeared at the guild and learned that four months had passed while he slept, from September 7 to January 3, Year 776.
• Old Suo returned to the palace, where Diphiya had him taken to Queen Irene’s bedchamber.
• Irene accused Old Suo of chasing women and had Athena and Ace restrain and punish him until he confessed to pursuing Brandish in the Western Continent.
• Diphiya escaped the bedchamber by pretending she needed the bathroom after Old Suo telepathically asked her to fetch help.
• Irene ordered Ace and Athena to bring Old Suo along with her.

The Empress and the Six Heavenly Kings searched for Ace, but learned he had left for the Tower of Paradise. There, Sordil and Ultear prepared to investigate the tower while the White-Haired Man accelerated his plans and Jellal’s group readied a nighttime escape.

• The Empress hid Ace in the Emperor’s bedchamber, and the Six Heavenly Kings searched the palace before finding her there.
• The Empress told the Six Heavenly Kings that Ace had gone to the Tower of Paradise after receiving a message from Ultear.
• Herder assured his teacher that the rescue preparations were complete, while Sordil reunited with Ultear and learned that Precht still did not fully trust him.
• The White-Haired Man decided he might have to take a gamble as his plan became more urgent.
• Jellal, Erza, Simon, Hugh, Milliana, and Woolie reached the end of their tunnel but agreed to wait until night before trying to escape and rescue Grandpa Rob and the others.
• Sordil placed a magic mark on a target, then Ultear questioned him about the people he was secretly working to help.

Old Suo rescued August from his cell and told him to stay behind to watch Jellal, while he planned to take Erza away. Jellal and the other children attempted to escape through a tunnel, but they were caught after the exit was blocked, and August insisted he could not fight that day.

• Old Suo freed August, explained that Jellal was important, and instructed August to keep watch over him while he went to take Erza away.
• Jellal woke the other children and led them, including August, into the escape tunnel, where they found the exit blocked by a boulder.
• The Masked man discovered the tunnel opening, blocked it with a boulder, and alerted the guards as the children approached the exit.
• The children cleared the boulder and emerged from the tunnel, but guards surrounded them and captured the Blue-haired boy.
• Rob urged August to help the others, but August said he could not act that day, and Leader B left to report the escape attempt to Lord Shentreliev.

Suo set a prisoner revolt in motion at the Tower of Paradise while a mysterious Lady prepared to carry out his plans, and an old enemy attacked the tower’s leaders. The revolt advanced as the Fat and Thin Fairy Children fled through a trapdoor.

• Leader A took Jellal to the Fat and Thin Fairy Children, then sent the other prisoners to the cells.
• Suo told the Lady to prepare, and August followed Suo’s instructions to rally the prisoners to fight for freedom.
• The prisoners revolted, defeated their guards, and broke through the third district toward the tower’s leaders.
• The Lady approached the bound Jellal after the Fat and Thin Fairy Children left the room to respond to the revolt.
• A mysterious attacker blasted the tower and confronted the Fat and Thin Fairy Children, who escaped through a hole beneath the floor.

The Fat and Thin Fairy Children escaped the tower while Jellal encountered Zeref, and Crimson’s group faced a devastating assault in District Eight. Old Suo rescued Crimson from an attack, but White-haired elder sacrificed himself to protect her, leaving her grieving as more Masked men arrived.

• The Fat and Thin Fairy Children disguised themselves in slave clothes and fled the tower.
• Jellal heard Zeref’s voice, and Zeref revealed himself as a being who existed wherever hatred did.
• Crimson learned that August had charged into District Eight, while Simon tried to confess his feelings before an attack knocked them both down.
• Magic Soldiers devastated the battlefield, and fleeing rebels left Crimson exposed as she urged them to keep fighting.
• Old Suo protected Crimson from the Magic Soldiers, then left Simon in the path of fireballs before restoring the world’s movement.
• White-haired elder reflected the enemies’ magic and collapsed, explaining that his depleted magic power would cost him his life; as Crimson wept, more Masked men appeared and began firing at the group.

Crimson awakened Fairy Glitter, led the slaves to victory, and reached Jellal, only to discover that he had embraced Zeref and intended to finish the Tower of Paradise. As Jellal threatened her into leaving, several hidden forces moved amid the uprising, and August captured the Thin Fairy Child and the Fat Fairy Child.

• Rob shielded Crimson from the Grim Reaper's attacks until an explosion killed him, and his death awakened Crimson's magic.
• Crimson used Fairy Glitter to hurl machinery at the masked men, rallied the slaves, and helped turn the battle in their favor.
• Crimson freed Jellal and told him the uprising had won, but he declared that he wanted to revive Zeref by completing the Tower of Paradise.
• Jellal used magic to throw Crimson from the tower, threatened the island's people if she revealed his plans, and ordered her to leave.
• Brian entered the tower during the chaos and withdrew after the Five Magic Powers appeared, while August captured the Thin Fairy Child and the Fat Fairy Child and delivered them to his junior disciple.
• August returned to District Eight to help Jellal, while His Majesty the Emperor and Lady God left for separate destinations.

August sabotaged the harbor ships, and Jellal blamed Erza while claiming that Sordil had manipulated her, helping restart the Tower of Paradise project. Sordil told Rob that the children were safe, arranged a plan for Rob’s future, and then found Crimson on the shore.

• August destroyed several warships, and Jellal told the other children that Erza had done it under Sordil’s influence.
• August confirmed Jellal’s story and described Sordil’s red emblem, convincing the group that Erza was a traitor.
• Jellal and August agreed to cooperate, while someone secretly listened nearby.
• Sordil introduced himself to Rob, explained how he had been involved in the events at the Tower of Paradise, and offered him a plan for what to do next.
• Crimson crawled ashore and mourned, then froze when a silver-haired figure appeared and showed his right arm.

Magnolia shifted into Lazy God Mode to shelter its residents as Lazy God returned, while Jellal and August planned to learn stronger magic through a double. In Edolas, the king ordered Anima activated to harvest Asland’s magic power, then sent palace forces after an unknown intruder.

• Magnolia’s residents evacuated underground as the town switched into Lazy God Mode, and Gray barely made it through before the passage closed.
• Lazy God landed and ordered Magnolia restored to normal mode before he and Crimson entered the town.
• August proposed using a shared-thought double to learn magic outside their location, and Jellal hurried to learn the spell.
• In Edolas, Jess told the king that Anima could transfer Asland’s people and turn them into magic crystals, prompting the king to order its activation.
• The chief aide urged the king to investigate Asland before acting, but a crash revealed someone had fled the palace, and the king ordered Bairo to find the intruder.

The King of Edolas discovered that Prince Jellal had gone missing and ordered a search for him and the Anima research materials. Jellal activated the device to stop his father from using Anima, and the resulting spatial vortex began pulling him in as Jess tried to grab him.

• The King of Edolas ordered Jess to identify everyone who knew about Anima, and learned that Prince Jellal was the only one of the eleven who had recently left the palace.
• Old Suo returned to Fairy Tail with Erza, who joined the guild, and then sent Laxus flying after he insisted on challenging him.
• The King ordered Bairo to search for Jellal and Jess to secure the Anima materials, while Jellal evaded the search by hiding in a vat.
• Jess found Jellal at the Anima research base, where the Prince activated the device to prevent his father from using it to drain magic from others.
• The device opened a spatial vortex that pulled Jellal toward it, and Jess leaped to grab his collar.

The Prince vanished, and the resulting Anima disaster destroyed the research base and killed Lord Jess. Meanwhile, the black-and-white and blue-violet powers fought over Old Suo until seven-colored light subdued them, remade his body, and pulled him out of it before he returned to normal.

• The intelligence officer lost his arm while trying to stop the Prince from escaping, then passed out after ordering his men to alert the King.
• The damaged teleportation platform exploded, destroying the research base and killing Lord Jess and the people still inside.
• Bairo told His Majesty the King that the search had found no trace of the Prince, and a servant reported the explosion and Lord Jess's death.
• Lord Noya arrived from Exceedalia to investigate, and His Majesty the King decided to tell him what had happened.
• The Masked Woman used blue-violet light to stop the black-and-white powers from escaping Old Suo, but seven-colored light swallowed them and overwhelmed Ankhseram.
• Seven-colored light assimilated the rival energies, changed Old Suo's body, and pulled him out of it before he endured a brief wave of voices and returned to normal.

Old Suo rescued the boy who fell through a spatial vortex, then soothed Kana’s jealousy by promising her a new gift. The boy, Prince Jellal, explored the forest and vowed to stop Anima, while the guild gathered for an event that had not yet been announced.

• Old Suo gained the ability to see and hear creatures below, spotted a blue-black object emerging from a wormhole, and teleported to catch the falling boy with his boat.
• Old Suo carried the unconscious boy back and left a silver-white ball of magic power in his body.
• Kana broke into Old Suo’s room and accused him of favoring Erza, but he explained that he had helped Erza because she was new and promised Kana a prettier gift.
• Prince Jellal woke in Asland, explored the forest with a Squirrel Rabbit, and resolved to stop Anima himself.
• Old Suo gave Kana colorful glasses, and she and Laxus prepared to confront Ice Kid before guild members rushed in for an upcoming event.

Fairy Tail announced an S-Class promotion assessment in Ningguang City, the dangerous heart of the Erus Empire, and Laxus was named as a participant. Makarov realized too late that the two people arranging the examination might have a wildly distorted idea of difficulty, leaving the guild headed toward its hardest and most unexpected assessment in a century.

• Gray tried to warn Crimson that something would happen, but she dismissed his concern and returned to her meal.
• Makarov announced that the assessment would take place in Ningguang City, while Kana and Laxus explained the Erus Empire’s hostility toward outsiders and its powerful Thirteen Palace Guardian Heavenly Kings.
• Makarov named nine participants, including Laxus, who fainted after hearing his name.
• The participants and guild members erupted into chaos, with some members trying to drag others into the assessment.
• Holi, Sonia, and Lyra warned Makarov that the two people setting up the examination might misunderstand what counted as normal difficulty.
• Makarov ordered the others to bring them back, but the group missed its chance, setting up Fairy Tail’s most difficult and unexpected promotion assessment in nearly a century.

Leila prepared to undertake a dangerous task to protect Lucy while Jude arranged help, and Old Suo and Gildarts set up the advancement assessment. The candidates began the Life-and-Death Sprint toward Ningguang City, where Makarov’s assassination rumor turned the public against them, and their attempted escape ran into disciplined resistance.

• Leila told Jude she would take on the dangerous task to keep Lucy safe, and Jude agreed to gather the keys and help her.
• Old Suo and Gildarts chose a cliff near Ningguang City and began setting up the assessment venue.
• Makarov announced the Life-and-Death Sprint, requiring the candidates to reach Ningguang City on foot within a day, while trains to Fiore stopped and the border closed.
• Makarov revealed that rumors accused the candidates of planning to assassinate the Emperor, and the crowd soon surrounded them after they left the train.
• Bohr burrowed away and Leena left, while Laxus and Wakaba led the remaining candidates in a coordinated attempt to break through the crowd.
• The crowd dispelled the smoke screen with combined magic, leaving Laxus and the others facing organized resistance.

Laxus and the others escaped their pursuers and eventually reached Ningguang City, where Old Suo announced they had passed the first examination and began the second. The candidates jumped from a cliff to search for five tokens, while the supervisors prepared to relax nearby.

• Gray and Pukins helped Laxus’s group escape the shield-wall encirclement, and a pursuing squad left the crash survivors with the defeated guards.
• Macao was caught underground after rejoining the group, and his companions beat him before they resumed their journey.
• With half a day left and pursuers close behind, Rexar persuaded the group to seek transportation, but they eventually arrived on foot at Ningguang City’s south gate.
• Old Suo transported the candidates to a cliff, congratulated them on passing the first examination, and explained that the next stage required finding five tokens and delivering them to the examiners.
• After learning they could seize tokens from others before delivery, all eight groups jumped off the cliff.
• Old Suo and Gildarts convinced Makarov to stop supervising and accept wine from the young women delivering it.

The third assessment began after the cliffside token struggle ended, with five candidates assigned one-on-one fights against S-Class Mages. Rexar challenged Gildarts but surrendered after Gildarts’s magic split him into miniature versions of himself.

• Old Suo, Makarov, and Gildarts drank while Lyra and Holi guarded the cliff below and complained about the discarded wine barrels.
• Gray and Laxus failed to steal Macao’s token, and several pairs fought until the five tokens returned to Old Suo; Laxus was not among the successful candidates.
• Old Suo announced that the five token holders would face assigned S-Class Mages, while Wakaba fainted and then declined to fight.
• Rexar charged Gildarts and used flame and physical attacks, but Gildarts countered them with his white energy grid.
• Gildarts’s attack split Rexar into miniature copies, and Rexar surrendered before the copies fainted.

Fairy Tail’s promotion test ended with Churchill Lek becoming an active S-Class Mage, and Lazy God hurried to the Heartfilia Family after learning they had requested a key. Meanwhile, another summoned person traveled across the Northern Continent, unaware that he was about to miss an important event.

• Holi defeated Macao, and Lazy God healed Pukins after Sonia’s attack had left him badly hurt.
• Churchill held out against Lyra until time ran out, and Lazy God announced that Churchill Lek had earned S-Class promotion.
• Makarov and the other guild members returned, and Old Suo learned that someone from the Heartfilia Family had come seeking a key.
• Old Suo left for the Heartfilia estate, where Solydio greeted him and said the master and madam were waiting.
• Another summoned person traveled through Northern Continent cities, unaware that he was about to miss something important.

The mermaid trained Brandish to obey commands before Brandish and the Green-haired Beauty resumed their search. Meanwhile, Sordil coordinated a search for the Zodiac keys and sought King Toma’s permission for Leila Heartfilia to activate Eclipse, leaving the king waiting for Lord Cartel to confirm the old agreement.

• The mermaid taught Brandish to answer to her name, fetch a disc, sit, and bark, then left when Grammy returned and the Green-haired Beauty set out with Brandish.
• Leila and Jude told Sordil that Eclipse had been transferred to the Fiore royal family, and Sordil agreed to seek the king’s consent and showed them his five Zodiac keys.
• Tingmei mobilized the Purple Guard to search for the Zodiac keys, while members of Grimoire Heart and the Tower of Paradise also searched.
• King Toma received Sordil and summoned Major Arcadius and Minister Darton before hearing Sordil’s request to let Leila activate Eclipse under the agreement with the late king.
• Toma asked Major Arcadius to bring Lord Cartel to verify the agreement, and Sordil waited with the king and the minister.

Toma confirmed the Heartfilia family’s right to use the Eclipse Gate, while Sordil secured a teacher-student bond with Toma’s daughter in exchange for help finding the Zodiac keys. On July 7th, X777, Leila opened the gate, five lights flew out, and a woman who looked like her emerged and joyfully reunited with Old Suo, whom she had believed dead.

• Cartel confirmed that the late king had promised the Heartfilia family one use of the Eclipse Gate and the royal family’s cooperation.
• Toma agreed to lend the gate, and Sordil asked for help locating all twelve Zodiac keys in return for a request.
• Toma asked Sordil to teach his daughter magic, and Sordil accepted; Toma later explained to Darton that the bond would strengthen relations with the Erus Empire.
• Old Suo returned to the Heartfilia family, then traveled to the Western Continent after learning events had unfolded as in his previous life.
• On July 7th, X777, Leila inserted the twelve keys and activated the Eclipse Gate, from which five colored lights shot into the sky.
• A blonde married woman who resembled Leila stepped out of the gate, recognized Old Suo as her teacher, and tearfully embraced him after learning he had survived.