Chapter Summaries

Lucy, Cana, and Levy gossiped about the guild and the people away on their honeymoon, while Lucy counted the days until Cain and the others returned. When the four finally came back, one of them began calling out the guild’s misdeeds and turned toward the drunk, sleeping Makarov.

• Lucy admitted that Cain and the others had been gone for two years and three days, and Cana teased her about missing them and their honeymoon.
• Cana and Levy discussed whether the four might return with children, while the guild’s members doted on Asuka in their own eccentric ways.
• Lucy asked about Elfman and Evergreen, then teased Levy after she revealed she was dating Gajeel.
• Mavis arrived and found the guild in disarray and Makarov passed out drunk; Lucy gave her an apple pie to comfort her.
• Four figures returned to the guild, and a familiar voice confronted Natsu, Cana, and Gajeel about their troublemaking before turning to Makarov.

Erza returned to the guild and scolded Makarov for letting it fall into disarray, but Cain calmed her down and the guild celebrated their return. Cain recounted their travels and gave Lucy a photo album from Brandish, whose revealing pictures left Lucy comparing their figures.

• Erza woke Makarov and scolded him for the guild's condition while the others watched quietly.
• Cain intervened to spare Makarov further reprimand, and Makarov proposed a welcome-back banquet that the guild embraced.
• During the celebration, Mira, Erza, and Ultear discussed their married lives and Cain's decision to postpone having children.
• Cain told Makarov about their encounters in the Aisal Great Desert, the Rokes Black Forest, the Sighing Land, and the Western Continent.
• Cain gave Lucy a photo album from Brandish, and Lucy noticed Brandish's increasingly revealing pictures and compared their figures.

Lucy challenged Cain to a fight after he said she was still much weaker than Brandish, and Cain agreed to test her the next day. The guild returned home after the banquet, where everyone noticed how much Meldy had changed and wondered about Cain’s night with Erza, Mira, and Ultear; Cain secretly used a Silence Magic Array to hide their noisy battle.

• Cain told Lucy that Brandish was both more powerful and stronger than she was, so Lucy challenged him to a test the next day.
• Natsu and Gray tried to encourage Lucy by competing to pat her shoulder, and Lucy punched them both to make them stop.
• Cain noticed that Lucy’s strength had improved and looked forward to fighting her the next day.
• Cain learned that Wendy and Charle were away on a distant job, then saw how much Meldy had changed.
• Ur and the others watched Erza, Mira, and Ultear enter Cain’s room with him, while Lucy wondered what was happening behind the closed door.
• Cain fought with the three women and used a Silence Magic Array so nobody outside could hear them.

Lucy challenged Cain to a fight using Leo, whose power and appearance changed dramatically under her Starlight Attraction. Their opening clash sent Leo crashing to the ground, leaving the outcome undecided.

• Cain and Lucy went to the back mountain, where Natsu, the guild members, and other spectators had gathered to watch their match.
• Lucy summoned Leo and used Starlight Attraction to transform him into a golden-armored fighter.
• Cain and Leo charged at each other and met fist to fist, creating a powerful shockwave.
• Cain and Leo fought at tremendous speed until Leo was sent flying and crashed to the ground.

Cain tested Lucy’s strength in a duel and defeated Leo and Sagittarius without using magic. Back at the guild, the members watched Sabertooth’s Jiemma challenge Fairy Tail to compete in the next Grand Magic Games.

• Lucy summoned Leo and Sagittarius in Golden Armor, but the effort left her exhausted.
• Leo and Sagittarius attacked Cain together, but Cain evaded their strikes and forced Sagittarius to surrender.
• Leo and Sagittarius admitted defeat and returned to the Celestial Spirit World, and Cain praised Lucy’s progress.
• Cain and Lucy returned to the guild, where Cana celebrated avoiding a large payout and Happy mourned his lost bet.
• Jiemma boasted that Sabertooth would win the next Grand Magic Games and challenged Fairy Tail to stop them.

Cain teased Makarov at the guild, then reunited with Wendy after her request and invited her to lunch. At home, Cain told Erza, Ultear, and Mira that Wendy had grown into a young lady, and the women saw for themselves when Wendy arrived.

• Cain misunderstood Makarov's warning about revenge as a plan to win the next Grand Magic Games and left Makarov flustered.
• Cain met Wendy and Charle, learned Wendy had completed her request, and invited them to eat at his home.
• Cain returned home and told Erza, Ultear, and Mira that Wendy had changed during their two years apart.
• Wendy arrived at Cain's home with Lucy, Ur, and the others, and Erza, Ultear, and Mira reacted to her grown-up appearance.
• Cain served the final dish and called everyone to eat, rescuing Wendy from their attention.

After Fairy Tail selected its competitors for the next Grand Magic Games, Lucy invited Cain to the Heartfilia estate because Jude wanted to speak with her. Layla welcomed Cain warmly, while Lucy remained unaware of her mother's hopes for their relationship.

• Makarov agreed to let Fairy Tail compete in the next Grand Magic Games, and Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Gajeel, and Elfman won the guild's selection contest.
• Cain asked Laxus how strong he had become, and Laxus offered to fight him, but Cain declined for now.
• Lucy asked Cain to accompany her to the Heartfilia estate after Jude contacted her, and Cain teased her about being called home to inherit the family business.
• Cain and Lucy arrived at the estate, where Jude and Layla had been waiting for them.
• Layla hurried to greet Cain and praised his looks, while Lucy wondered if she was really Layla's biological daughter.

Lucy mistook Jude’s request for an attempt to make her inherit the Heartfilia family business, but he revealed he wanted her to take an Infinite Clock component to Fairy Tail for safekeeping. Cain sensed people watching the manor and confronted three strangers, including Bairo and Sugarboy.

• Lucy refused Jude’s supposed request to inherit the family business, and Cain explained that his joke on the train had caused her misunderstanding.
• Jude gave Lucy a component of the Infinite Clock and explained that its assembly could trigger the world-threatening magic called True Nightmare.
• Jude asked Lucy to take the component to Fairy Tail because he and Layla felt someone was watching Heartfilia Manor.
• Cain sensed hidden presences, went outside, and confronted three approaching figures: Bairo, Sugarboy, and an unidentified woman.

Cain and Lucy refused to hand the Infinite Clock component over to Bairo and his Church unit, driving them from Heartfilia Manor after Cain overwhelmed them with his pressure. As Cain and Lucy left two days later, Layla’s words left Lucy flustered by her feelings for Cain.

• Bairo, Hughes, and Sugarboy demanded the Infinite Clock component, but Cain refused and struck Hughes before fighting off Sugarboy’s attack with a rain of light arrows.
• Lucy came out with Jude and Layla, and Bairo explained that the trio served the Church; Cain again refused to surrender the component.
• Cain crushed the three visitors with his terrifying pressure, forcing Bairo to take Hughes and Sugarboy and flee.
• Cain and Lucy stayed at Heartfilia Manor for two days, while Layla urged Lucy to recognize her feelings for Cain.
• As Cain and Lucy departed, Lucy grew distracted by Layla’s words and felt her heart race when Cain held her wrist.

Cain borrowed the Infinite Clock component from Lucy so he could study its magic and improve Tia's Arc of Time to affect living beings. Meanwhile, Lapente ordered Bairo and the others to find the remaining components and vowed to stop Cain, while Cain took the component to his underground laboratory.

• Cain told Lucy he wanted to study the Infinite Clock's magic and improve Tia's Arc of Time so it could affect living beings.
• Bairo and the others reported to Lapente, who ordered them to search for the remaining components and said the High Priest was still unable to receive visitors.
• Lapente blamed Cain and vowed to stop him after Bairo and the others left.
• Cain visited Lucy's room that night, received the Infinite Clock component, and left for his underground laboratory.
• Erza, Mira, and Ultear watched Cain leave and then teased one another about Lucy and Wendy before settling down for the night.

Cain deciphered the Infinite Clock hand's runes and discovered they could help Ultear improve her Arc of Time. As Cain considered how to pass the hand along, Sage Lapente ordered Bairo to retrieve it from Fairy Tail with reinforcements.

• Cain recognized the floating component as the Infinite Clock's hand, copied its golden runes, and began deciphering them.
• Saint Thebia churches across Fiore were attacked, and Bairo reported the ruined churches and drained, frozen victims to Sage Lapente, who ordered the Legion Corps to keep searching for clock components.
• After half a month of research, Cain shared his deciphered runes with Ultear, who realized how much his work could help her.
• Cain and Ultear celebrated in the underground laboratory, while Cain later wondered how to send out the hand without raising suspicion.
• Sage Lapente told Bairo that Fairy Tail's component was the last one and ordered him to retrieve the hand, promising assistance.

Cain used the Legion Corps’ attack on Magnolia as an opportunity to let them find the Infinite Clock’s pointer, while the Corps tried to delay him. When an explosion destroyed Cain’s home, he stopped talking with Dan and knocked him away to reach the scene.

• After explosions struck eastern and northern Magnolia, Cain suspected the Legion Corps was behind them and headed home as Erza went to investigate.
• Bairo ordered his companions to delay Cain while Coco searched for the pointer, and Hughes used his wand to force Magnolia’s residents into the streets.
• Cain avoided the crowd by leaping across rooftops, then met Dan and chatted with him while both men stalled for their own purposes.
• An explosion struck Cain’s home, and Cain turned hostile toward Dan before punching him through several houses.

Midnight and his allies attacked Cain’s home, but Cain easily defeated their combined assault and let them escape so they could lead him to the complete Infinite Clock. He was left with Ultear and the others amid the ruins, while Ultear struggled to contain her fury over their destroyed home.

• Bairo, Hughes, and Sugarboy blocked Cain’s path but chose not to attack him, and Cain left them behind.
• Cain found Midnight holding a girl at his ruined home, and Midnight attacked him while his allies joined in with a coordinated assault.
• Cain stopped the golden warhammer with one hand, crushed it, and split Sorano’s angel-like creature in two, causing her to cough up blood.
• Midnight, Racer, Cobra, Sorano, and the doll-like man escaped after Cain blocked their attacks, and Cain allowed them to flee so the complete Infinite Clock could appear.
• Bairo and the others found Coco unconscious, while Lucy and Wendy saw the ruined house and Ultear’s killing intent spread frost around them.
• Cain took Ultear’s hand to calm her, but she remained angry that their home had been destroyed.

Cain’s group learned that Oración Seis had destroyed their home and uncovered a conspiracy involving the Infinite Clock. They arrived at a city as the aerial fortress True Nightmare surrounded it, where Midnight revealed that a Celestial Spirit Mage was needed as a sacrifice.

• Cain confronted Bairo and the others, then Ultear restored the destroyed house with Arc of Time.
• Cain showed Makarov a recording identifying the attackers as Oración Seis, and Makarov agreed to investigate corruption within the Magic Council.
• Cain, Erza, Mira, Ultear, Lucy, and Wendy traveled to a city, where True Nightmare appeared and trapped it in chains.
• Lapente announced his plan to activate the fortress and plunge the world into chaos, while Bairo and the others questioned his orders.
• Midnight told the others that they needed a Celestial Spirit Mage as a sacrifice, and Lapente said one had already arrived.

The Stars arrived to claim Lucy as a sacrifice for their research into the Infinite Clock, while Cain and his allies confronted Chronos, Chaos, and Hecate. The Stars’ attack began, with Mira and Chaos clashing as Hecate’s explosive bullets failed to overwhelm Erza and Ultear.

• Midnight ordered Racer to follow Chronos’s group, wait until they restrained Cain, and bring Lucy back.
• Cain and his allies saw True Nightmare distort the ages of people throughout the city, and Cain used Angel’s Blessing to shield the group from the Infinite Clock.
• Chronos introduced himself, Chaos, and Hecate as members of The Stars, then attacked after Cain refused to help them.
• Chaos charged Lucy while Hecate fired explosive bullets at Erza and the others; Ultear raised an ice wall and Erza deflected the remaining bullets with her Heaven’s Wheel Armor.
• Mira struck Chaos with her demonic tail and sent him flying, then rushed at him again after he praised her strength.

Erza and Ultear defeated Hecate while Chaos remained locked in a fierce fight with Mira. Cain overcame Chronos’s Future Sight, and the chapter ended with Lucy captured by Racer and Cain still occupied with his opponents.

• Chaos enhanced himself repeatedly but still struggled to keep up with Mira as their punches clashed at tremendous speed.
• Erza and Ultear trapped Hecate in seawater, which Erza froze before striking her down with the Sea King Sword.
• Hecate realized too late that Ultear had frozen the bullet she fired at Erza, and she was defeated.
• Racer seized Lucy and carried her away, prompting her to call for Cain’s help.
• Cain identified Chronos’s Future Sight but exploited its warnings to land a series of attacks and smash Chronos into the ground.

Cain pursued Racer as Lucy was carried away, while Wendy, Erza, and Natsu faced Oración Seis enemies. The chapter ended with Natsu looking up at a gigantic bomb Kurodoa had dropped on him.

• Cain ignored the unconscious Chronos and chased Racer, while he reflected on the strength of Laxus and Jellal and the growth of the women around him.
• Wendy prepared to rescue Lucy, but Erigor attacked her and Charle with wind blades; Wendy shattered them with her fists.
• Ultear pursued Racer, while Erza confronted Cobra, who charged at her with scaled arms as her Heaven's Wheel Armor swords attacked him.
• Natsu and Happy faced Kurodoa, who used his symbols to make the ground vanish and then blasted Natsu with fire; Natsu countered with Fire Dragon's Roar.
• Kurodoa escaped Natsu's Roar and dropped a gigantic bomb from the sky as Natsu looked up.

Natsu defeated Kurodoa and joined Wendy after she overwhelmed Erigor with her magic. Erigor recovered his memories, while neither Natsu nor Wendy noticed his magic power rapidly weakening.

• Natsu survived Kurodoa's explosion, defeated him with fire attacks, and learned that Lucy had been taken into a strange building while the others were still fighting.
• Natsu and Happy found Wendy battling Erigor, and Natsu hurried to help her after seeing she had become stronger.
• Wendy seized an opening and blasted Erigor into the air with Heavenly Golden Dragon's Roar, leaving him too injured to stand.
• Natsu asked Erigor about his identity, and Erigor gradually remembered his name and laughed with excitement.
• Erigor's magic power plummeted after his memories returned, but Natsu and Wendy failed to notice.

Cain confronted Midnight and Racer aboard the Sky Fortress while Ultear and Lucy went to deal with the Infinite Clock. Elsewhere, Gajeel revealed a new Steel Dragon power and destroyed Sorano’s Three-Faced Angel.

• Cain arrived at the Sky Fortress with Ultear, and Lucy escaped Racer’s restraints and hid behind Cain.
• Midnight failed to control Cain’s clothes with Distortion, and Cain sent Ultear and Lucy to handle the Infinite Clock while he fought Midnight and Racer.
• Cain stopped Racer from pursuing Ultear and Lucy, then evaded Midnight’s Tear attack and challenged the two wizards.
• In a cave, Gray and Gajeel faced Sorano’s Three-Faced Angel, whose attacks Gray could not block with Ice-Make Magic.
• Gajeel endured the angel’s blast with his metallic body and unleashed Roar of the Steel Dragon, swallowing the Three-Faced Angel in a metal storm.

Sorano summoned Lagreil to attack Gray and Gajeel, but Gajeel's awful singing disabled it and gave Gray a chance to destroy Barachiel. Sorano unleashed Lagreil's black, tentacled form, which turned on her as well as Gray and Gajeel.

• Sorano summoned Lagreil, whose deadly music caused Gray and Gajeel severe pain.
• Gray gave Gajeel an ice horn, and Gajeel's singing overwhelmed Lagreil and forced it to curl up.
• Gajeel attacked Sorano while Gray cut down Barachiel, leaving Sorano injured by the backlash.
• Sorano released Lagreil's black tentacled substance and ordered it to destroy Gray and Gajeel.
• The substance turned toward Sorano, who protested that she had summoned it and it could not attack her.