Chapter Summaries

Phantom Lord was disbanded, Fairy Tail was cleared of wrongdoing, and Cain confronted Laxus over his belief that the guild should keep only its strongest members. As the guild returned to work, Lucy struggled with money while Cain and Mira enjoyed a date together.

• The council disbanded Phantom Lord, stripped Jose of his Ten Wizard Saints title, and declared Fairy Tail innocent.
• Yajima urged Makarov to retire and hand the guild over to the younger generation, while Fairy Tail reopened a temporary request counter at its construction site.
• Laxus argued that Fairy Tail should expel its weaker members and recruit only powerful wizards, but Cain insisted that the guild's unity mattered more than becoming the strongest.
• Cain and Laxus briefly clashed with their magic before withdrawing their auras, and Laxus left as Cain realized their battle could not be avoided.
• Lucy told Mira she was broke because Natsu and Gray's damages consumed their request earnings, so Mira sent her on a theater job with Erza to clear the way for a date with Cain.
• Cain and Mira spent their date shopping for ingredients and cooking together.

Cain learned that Marquis Balik had targeted Lucy, prompting Phantom Lord’s attack, and traveled in disguise to Balik Territory to teach the marquis a lesson. He arrived to find the territory’s people living in poverty.

• Cain received information about Marquis Balik and asked Erza to watch over Loki while he was away.
• Cain told Erza he was going to Bosco to deal with Marquis Balik, and she urged him to be careful.
• Cain traveled by train for two days to Antalya, then continued on to Balik Territory.
• Cain disguised himself with help from Mira’s transformation and makeup skills.
• Cain saw the territory’s impoverished residents and wondered whether their hardship was connected to Marquis Balik’s interest in Lucy.

Cain infiltrated Marquis Balik's residence, drugged the marquis, and learned he had been waiting for people connected to Phantom Lord. As Cain left, Brain confronted him, and Cain recognized the former Magic Development Bureau director and prepared to fight.

• Cain disguised himself as Mystogan, entered Marquis Balik's estate at night, and drugged a maid to learn where the marquis slept.
• Cain found Balik with a woman and overheard him complain that Phantom Lord had failed to bring back a woman.
• Cain slipped a drug into Balik's wine, causing a surge of desire, then escaped to the balcony.
• Brain appeared behind Cain with a skull-topped staff and said they would give him to Balik as a gift.
• Cain recognized Brain and focused on defeating him and asking what had happened after Cain escaped years earlier.

Cain confronted Brain at Marquis Balik’s residence and fought him until the other members of Oración Seis arrived. Brain escaped before Cain could stop him, promising they would meet again.

• Cain attacked Brain at Marquis Balik’s residence, and their battle drew the guards and Oración Seis members to watch.
• Brain used Dark Capriccio against Cain’s Ultimate Judgment, and their magic destroyed the courtyard.
• Brain recognized Cain as the famous Angel Cain, while Cain accused Oración Seis of targeting Balik and attacked Brain with Angel Blade.
• Brain fought back with his skull staff, but Cain dodged its strike and kicked him.
• The other five members of Oración Seis arrived, and Brain escaped through the earth before Cain could catch him.
• Hoteye told Brain that Balik had become obsessed with mating, and Brain said he would meet Cain again.

Cain defended his actions against Oración Seis before the Magic Council, taunted Org, and failed to speak with Ultear after the hearing. On the train back to Magnolia, he reviewed his gains from the mission and resolved to train harder after recalling Jose’s strength.

• Cain told the council that he had investigated Oración Seis in disguise to avoid alerting Brain’s people and had intervened to save Marquis Balik.
• Org accused Cain of lying, but Cain mocked him and explained why he had kept his investigation secret.
• Crawford adjourned the hearing, and Ultear left without speaking to Cain; Siegrain then suggested she recruit Cain, but she said she would deal with him herself.
• Cain returned to Magnolia by train and reflected on Marquis Balik, Brain, and the hidden power sealed within Brain.
• Cain acknowledged that he had nearly lost to Jose and told himself to train harder, while a voice asked whether there was anything else evil it could absorb.

Cain returned to Magnolia, recounted his confrontation with Org and his battle with Brain, and reassured Makarov that he had not been consumed by revenge. Later, Cain told Mira and Erza that Loki was not human.

• Cain returned to Magnolia and found the guild rebuilding a hall five times larger than the original.
• Cain told the guild members how he had confronted Org, prompting their outrage at the councilman and admiration for Cain.
• Makarov privately asked Cain about his encounter with Brain and was relieved that Cain had not let anger change him.
• Cain, Mira, and Erza discussed Marquis Balik and Loki's recent strange behavior and lack of dates.
• Cain revealed to Mira and Erza that Loki was not human.

Cain told Erza and Mira that Loki was a Celestial Spirit whose magic was fading after three years in the human world. When they confronted Loki, he mistakenly revealed Cain’s pursuit of Ultear, prompting Erza and Mira to beat Cain while Loki watched.

• Cain explained that Loki was a Celestial Spirit and warned that his dwindling magic meant he might die.
• Erza and Mira agreed to speak with Loki, and Mira stayed overnight at Cain’s house.
• The next day, Cain brought Loki to a grove where Erza and Mira confronted him about hiding his identity.
• Loki mistakenly confessed that Cain had asked him for advice about pursuing Ultear, angering Erza and Mira.
• Erza and Mira beat Cain, and Loki wondered aloud why they had stopped before Cain strangled him.

Cain confronted Loki about his declining strength, and Loki admitted that he was Leo, a Celestial Spirit of the Zodiac who was nearing death. Leo revealed that he had been permanently exiled from the Celestial Spirit World for killing his owner, Karen, and began explaining what had happened.

• Cain released Loki from his chokehold and asked whether he was dying.
• Cain explained how he had inferred Loki was a Celestial Spirit, and Loki confirmed that he was Leo of the Zodiac.
• Erza and Mira asked why Leo was dying, and he said his life was running out because he had been permanently exiled from the Celestial Spirit World.
• Leo admitted that he had killed his owner, Karen Lilica, and Cain asked him to explain what happened.
• Leo said he had planned to take a job and gradually leave the guild before the others discovered his condition, then began recounting his story.

Leo told Cain, Erza, and Mira how Karen mistreated Aries and how he tried to protect her, only to learn Karen had died on a job. Cain said Lucy might be able to send Leo back to the Celestial Spirit World, but when he and Erza reached Balsam Village to find her, Lucy was fighting alongside Natsu and Gray.

• Leo recounted how Karen mistreated Aries, dismissed Guild Master Bob's warning, and forced Aries to remain in the human world.
• Leo revealed that he replaced Aries, demanded Karen dissolve their contracts, and stayed in the human world despite the toll on his life force.
• Karen pretended to repent, then beat Leo and threatened to treat Aries worse before dying during a job.
• Cain told Erza and Mira that Lucy might be able to help Leo return to the Celestial Spirit World, and Erza and Mira agreed to find her.
• Cain and Erza learned Lucy had gone to Balsam Village with Natsu and Gray, so they hurried there while Mira stayed behind to watch Leo.
• Cain and Erza arrived in Balsam Village at night and found Lucy, Natsu, and Gray fighting.

Cain rescued Lucy from two men and told her that Leo was a Celestial Spirit nearing the end of his time in the human world. Lucy agreed to help Leo return to the Celestial Spirit World, and the group hurried to find him after learning he had left the guild.

• Erza and Cain searched for Lucy after finding Natsu and Gray unconscious from Erza's punches.
• Cain found two men controlling Lucy, knocked them down, and freed her.
• Cain told Lucy that Loki was Leo, a Celestial Spirit, and asked her to help him return to the Celestial Spirit World.
• Lucy agreed, and she, Cain, Erza, and Happy traveled back to Magnolia.
• Mira told them that Leo had left a letter saying he was leaving the guild, and Cain led the group toward Blue Pegasus.
• Leo stood at Karen's grave and said he would soon join her and be free.

Leo faced disappearing because Karen’s death barred him from returning to the Celestial Spirit World, but Lucy and Cain helped keep him alive and challenge the ruling. The Celestial Spirit King ultimately made an exception, allowing Leo to return and asking him to protect Lucy.

• Leo sat by Karen’s grave, regretting her death and accepting that he was about to disappear.
• Lucy, Cain, Mira, Erza, and Happy came to save Leo, and Lucy used her magic to sustain him despite beginning to transform into a Celestial Spirit.
• Cain channeled his magic through Lucy, stabilizing Leo and opening the gate to the Celestial Spirit World.
• The Celestial Spirit King appeared and said Leo could not return because Karen had died because of him.
• Lucy summoned five Zodiac Celestial Spirits and argued that Leo had acted to spare Aries suffering, prompting the King to accept responsibility and make an exception for Leo.
• The Celestial Spirit King allowed Leo to return and told him to become Lucy’s strength and protect her.

Cain received a letter asking for help because the Dawn Tribe planned to cut down its sacred Golden Ancient Tree, so he set out with Erza to learn why. Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Happy joined them, and the group resolved to stop the tree from being felled until they understood the situation.

• Leo revealed that he was a Celestial Spirit, gave Lucy complimentary tickets to a seaside resort, and returned to the Celestial Spirit World to recover.
• Cain received a letter from Joel of the Dawn Tribe asking for help with the tribe's plan to cut down the Golden Ancient Tree, and he decided to leave with Erza the next day.
• Gray, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy boarded the Magic Train with Cain and Erza, intending to go to the seaside resort hotel.
• Cain used Troia to relieve Natsu's motion sickness and gave him medicine to use on future trips.
• Cain told the group about the Golden Ancient Tree's importance to the Dawn Tribe, and Natsu and Cain agreed they could not let it be cut down without first learning why.

Cain and his companions traveled to the Dawn Tribe, where Joel explained why the tribe planned to cut down its sacred Golden Ancient Tree. He revealed that the tree had bred a demon, leaving the group shocked.

• Cain and his companions reached the Golden Ancient Tree, and Erza showed the others a leaf Cain had given her.
• Cain led the group to Joel’s home, where they met Talia and her child and learned the tribe’s atmosphere had changed.
• Joel explained that a traveling merchant and Biri had found a demon in a hollow inside the Golden Ancient Tree.
• Joel confirmed that the village chief and a mage had sensed the demon’s aura.
• Joel told Cain and the others that the Golden Ancient Tree itself had bred the demon.

Joel led Cain and the others to the Golden Ancient Tree, where they learned that it was nurturing a demon and saw how deeply the Dawn Tribe relied on it. As Joel guided them through the tree’s vast interior, Cain and Natsu sensed the demon’s evil presence ahead.

• Joel led the group through the lush land around the Golden Ancient Tree, explaining how the tree strengthened the Dawn Tribe and its nearby wildlife.
• Erza and the others ate fruits offered by the tree, and Natsu’s attempt to grab Lucy’s fruit ended with Erza kicking him in the face.
• Cain asked Joel to show them the demon being nurtured inside the tree, and Joel led the group into its vast, winding base.
• Joel caught Qiren and Shuilian inside the tree and sent the children home after they admitted they had disobeyed him.
• Cain sensed the demon’s evil aura nearby, and Natsu caught its unpleasant scent as Joel led them onward.

Cain and the Fairy Tail group discovered a demon embryo inside the Golden Ancient Tree, but it vanished before Cain could purify it. After the tribe searched the tree without success, a grotesque humanoid demon emerged from the roots.

• Erza identified the floating black mass as an unborn demon, and Cain’s purification light made it scream and injure everyone.
• Cain returned to purify the demon embryo but found it had vanished, so Joel gathered the tribe to search the Golden Ancient Tree.
• Qiren and Shuilian joined the search, but the tribe found no trace of the embryo before nightfall.
• The chief rallied everyone to continue searching the next day, and Cain sensed something approaching the root cave.
• Cain and Natsu detected the demon, which emerged as a shifting black humanoid covered in surfacing human faces.

Cain, Erza, Natsu, and Gray fought the Faced Demon after it emerged, eventually destroying the dark crystal at its core. The demon vanished, and the Dawn Tribe celebrated its defeat.

• Cain told Lucy to protect everyone while he, Erza, Natsu, and Gray confronted the Faced Demon.
• Natsu and Gray attacked the Faced Demon with fire and ice, and Cain’s Radiance Feathers exploded against it, but the demon endured and charged at Cain.
• Erza equipped her Radiance Armor and overwhelmed the Faced Demon in close combat, knocking it into a crater.
• The Faced Demon used Painful Wail, but Cain shielded everyone with a Radiance Barrier; Natsu and Gray then struck it with fire and ice, forcing it to disperse and reveal a dark crystal.
• Cain used Holy Light: Light Rain to make the Faced Demon expose its crystal, and Erza, Natsu, and Gray destroyed it with a combined attack.
• The Faced Demon vanished, and the crowd cheered its defeat.

Cain explained that the demon had formed from the Dawn Tribe’s accumulated worries and pain, and the tribe voted to cut down the Golden Ancient Tree. Just as Colin prepared to strike it, Cain proposed a magic array to purify the resentment, while an opponent objected again.

• Cain told the Dawn Tribe that their troubles had created the demon and warned that cutting down the Golden Ancient Tree was the surest way to prevent another from forming.
• Anton Zaner, the traveling merchant who had discovered the demon, urged the tribe to cut down the tree, but the tribe’s members disagreed over the choice.
• Colin decided to let the tribe vote, and Cain’s group returned to their lodging while Anton left to deal with his goods.
• Erza warned Lucy to protect herself, and Colin announced that more than half the Dawn Tribe supported cutting down the tree.
• As Colin raised his axe, Cain stopped him and offered to set up a magic array to purify the resentment; Joel welcomed the idea, but another voice opposed it.

Cain exposed Anton as a member of Shadow Ghosts and the guild’s plan to steal the Golden Ancient Tree’s core. When Shadow Ghosts arrived to attack the Dawn Tribe, Cain and his companions fought back, and Cain emerged unharmed from Evan’s lightning spell.

• Cain explained that Anton’s suspicious behavior and Erza’s investigation revealed his ties to Shadow Ghosts and his plan to take the Golden Ancient Tree’s core.
• Anton summoned Shadow Ghosts with a magical firework, and Erza urged Colin to evacuate the Dawn Tribe while Colin stayed to help.
• Anton introduced guild master Evan, who threatened the Dawn Tribe, and Cain struck Evan before the battle spread across both sides.
• Cain activated the Holy Light Trio to strengthen his allies, while Lucy summoned Taurus and joined Gray against Shadow Ghosts.
• Evan attacked Cain with Dancing Thunder Serpent, but Cain remained uninjured and mocked Evan’s strength.

Cain and the Fairy Tail wizards defeated the Shadow Ghosts, then uncovered why the guild had manipulated the Dawn Tribe into cutting down the Golden Ancient Tree. The tribe learned that the tree had never spawned demons and that their own bonds with it had made it vulnerable.

• Cain defeated Evan after Evan's Thunderstorm failed to pierce Cain's protective barrier, while Erza overwhelmed Hayden and Natsu defeated Anton.
• Gray and Lucy finished off the Shadow Ghosts' lackeys, and Erza asked Happy to contact the Magic Council to collect the captured guild members.
• Cain deduced that Evan had sought the Golden Ancient Tree's heart to summon something, possibly Zeref, and Evan's reaction confirmed his guess.
• Erza explained that the Dawn Tribe's bonds with the tree allowed them to harm it, and Cain revealed that the face demon had been artificially cultivated by the Shadow Ghosts.
• The Dawn Tribe realized the Golden Ancient Tree had never been at fault, and its people felt ashamed and furious.

After the Dawn Tribe gave Cain and his friends Golden Sap, Cain used it to make a dazzlingly delicious dinner back in Magnolia. Meanwhile, Siegrain and Ultear prepared to move against Erza and another person as their plan to revive Zeref neared completion, and Cain spotted Juvia watching Gray again.

• The Dawn Tribe held a celebration for Cain and his friends, then Colin gave them Golden Sap before they left for Magnolia.
• Cain explained that Golden Sap improved food, then served a glowing egg fried rice that Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and the others eagerly devoured.
• Siegrain told Ultear that their plan could begin after an obstacle was removed, assigned her to deal with that person, and said he would handle Erza.
• Siegrain anticipated completing the R System and reviving Zeref, while Cain and his friends continued repairing the guild and taking commissions.
• Cain noticed Juvia watching Gray again and greeted her.