Chapter Summaries

Rhode and Erza searched the ancient battlefield for the sword and discovered that Bacchus and Loka of Four Hound were waiting to confront them. The chapter ended as the two groups approached a direct fight over the contest.

• Erza explained that Bacchus was a powerful S-Class mage whose Pigua Palm made his strikes exceptionally destructive.
• Rhode and Erza explored the battlefield, with Rhode sending Shadow Wolves and Sharp Beak Birds ahead to scout.
• Erza used the Spear of Evil Repulsion to probe old weapons, while Rhode had Stone Beetles follow beneath her in case of danger.
• After a Shadow Wolf was taken out, a Sharp Beak Bird led Rhode and Erza to Bacchus and Loka, across the border between Bosco and the Kingdom of Seven.
• Bacchus decided that he and Loka should defeat Rhode and Erza rather than keep searching for the sword, and the two Four Hound mages declared their guild slogan.

Rhode and Erza confronted Bacchus and Loka, who refused to postpone their fight until after the mission. Rhode used his summons to overwhelm Loka while Erza battled Bacchus, and the chapter ended with both sides still fighting.

• Bacchus challenged Erza despite her suggestion that they finish the mission first, while Rhode warned that the match was a team fight.
• Rhode summoned a crowd of monsters, but Bacchus charged at him anyway, so Erza stepped in as Rhode escaped underground.
• Rhode summoned an Azure Carved Golem to fight Loka, who was eventually forced to admit defeat after the golem stopped a punch just short of his nose.
• Erza fought Bacchus with her Flight Armor and twin swords, but Bacchus shattered her shoulder armor and knocked away one blade.
• Erza managed to cut Bacchus's face, and Rhode judged that they were evenly matched before deciding to help her.

Rhode and Erza defeated Bacchus and Loka in their team match, then resumed searching for clues. As thick mist surrounded them, an unseen armored attacker began picking off Rhode’s summoned creatures.

• Rhode summoned the Crimson Mark Treant and strengthened Erza with Crown of Embers as they teamed up against Bacchus.
• The treant and Erza’s twin blades broke Bacchus’s armguards, and Bacchus admitted defeat.
• Rhode healed Bacchus before he and Loka left; Rhode and Erza rested, then continued looking for clues.
• As the mist thickened, Rhode and Erza took defensive positions and used their summoned creatures to scout.
• A hidden attacker made two Sharp Beak Birds disappear, and Rhode glimpsed a black, armor-shaped silhouette.

Rhode and Erza defeated the cursed swordsman by destroying the rusty sword that controlled him and summoned skeletal soldiers. The rescued young man, Xy-Mansh, explained why he sought the sword, but Rhode refused to believe him.

• Rhode and Erza fought an armored attacker in the fog and discovered that a man was trapped inside the armor.
• The attacker’s sword summoned skeletal soldiers, and Erza and Rhode realized the sword was the source of the threat.
• Erza destroyed the cursed sword with the Spear of Evil Repulsion, ending the armor’s power and stopping the skeletons from rising.
• Rhode and Erza found the emaciated swordsman alive, and he identified himself as Xy-Mansh, descendant of General Eri-Mansh.
• Xy-Mansh said he had sought the sword to destroy it and defend his family’s reputation, but it had possessed him and made him attack people.
• Rhode told Xy-Mansh that he did not believe him.

Rhode and Erza completed the commission, captured Shou, and returned to Magnolia. When Rhode arrived home, he found a familiar woman waiting inside, and her greeting left his heart pounding.

• Rhode and Erza tied up Shou, gathered evidence of the destroyed Cursed Sword and armor, and brought him back to the village.
• The village chief paid Rhode and Erza and decided to hand Shou over to the mayor the next day.
• Rhode and Erza escorted Shou to the city, then returned to Magnolia by train and agreed to report the commission the next day.
• Rhode went home and found a familiar woman cleaning in his living room; she turned and welcomed him home.

Rhode nearly confessed his feelings to Mira, but she asked him to wait, and they parted after sharing an embrace. Mira returned home with her coat delivered by Worm, while Rhode spent the night joyfully anticipating seeing her again.

• Mira stopped Rhode from confessing and asked him not to say it yet, then let him hug her before leaving.
• Rhode noticed Mira had forgotten her coat and sent Worm to bring it to her.
• Mira took her coat from Worm, rode the river crab to her doorstep, and sent them away outside her home.
• Rhode happily replayed the embrace and wondered what would happen when he saw Mira the next day.
• Rhode tucked Worm into bed with him and fell asleep filled with anticipation.

After Erza and Rhode reported their mission, Makarov noticed the awkwardness between Rhode and Mira, who struggled to act normally while working together. Loki concluded that they were dating, while Gray challenged Loki to explain why he was avoiding Rhode.

• Erza reported that Xy-Mansh had been handed over to the city hall and that the guild should monitor the follow-up arrangements.
• Makarov praised Erza and Rhode, then noticed Mira blushing and Rhode acting distracted.
• Mira and Rhode awkwardly touched fingers at the front desk, and Erza mistakenly thought they had argued.
• Mira and Rhode resumed their work, and Mira processed Gray's request to take a mission with Loki.
• Loki told Gray that Rhode and Mira were obviously dating and claimed they had made significant progress.
• Gray asked Loki when he planned to make up with Rhode, and Loki tried to change the subject by asking about Gray's trench coat.

Levy accepted a library theft investigation for the Chariot Engine Squad while Rhode and Mirajane’s growing closeness drew teasing from the guild members. Natsu and Happy returned broke after Natsu burned a merchant ship’s mast, and they urgently sought another job.

• Levy chose a library theft investigation for her team, and Mirajane gave her the client’s clues.
• Levy teased Rhode and Mirajane about being in sync, but they denied that anything had happened.
• Rhode gave Worm 10,000 J for food, and Mirajane returned most of the money after arranging a feast.
• Laki and Sally teased Rhode and Mirajane, comparing their behavior to Alzack and Bisca.
• Rhode told Natsu to let Mirajane finish eating before asking for a job, and Happy explained that Natsu had burned a ship’s mast and spent their reward on compensation.

Rhode helped Natsu and Happy choose a forest ranger job that would put Natsu’s fire-eating to use, though he worried Natsu might damage the valuable trees. He then gave Mira a notebook containing two unusual pressed flowers, and she asked where he had found them.

• Rhode rejected Natsu and Happy’s invitation to team up because he was exhausted from recent jobs and guild meetings.
• Rhode found Natsu a forest ranger request, and Natsu and Happy accepted the job despite warnings about the valuable trees and nearby wolf packs.
• Mira approved the request, and Natsu and Happy left for the forest in high spirits.
• Rhode continued searching job documents while he rested, and Mira considered raising his pay for his help with her work.
• Rhode gave Mira a notebook containing pressed wintersweet and Butterfly Flower, and Mira asked where he had picked them.

Rhode gave Mira a notebook with two flowers he had picked on his way back from a mission, and she treasured the thoughtful gift. As heavy snow fell, they left the warm guild together and walked to Mira’s home, keeping close against the wind.

• Rhode told Mira he had picked wintersweet from the Kingdom of Seven and butterfly flowers from the Kingdom of Bosco, and Mira thanked him and said she loved the gift.
• Rhode and Laki cleaned the guild entrance and teased each other while snow began falling outside.
• Mira asked Rhode to bring another heater as the snowfall grew heavier and the guild stayed busy through the evening.
• After work, Rhode and Mira decided against training outside, bundled up, and checked each other’s scarves and hats.
• Rhode shielded Mira from the wind as she held his sleeve, and they walked through the snow to her home with Worm following.

Rhode spent the morning clearing snow around his neighborhood and at the guild, then followed Mira home to help with the snow there. The chapter left them heading back together while Elfman was still away.

• Rhode walked Wom home after leaving Mira's house, then summoned Rift Scuttler to carry them through the snow.
• Rhode cleared the paths around his home and helped an elderly neighbor by clearing her roof after listening to her stories over tea.
• Rhode arrived at the guild, where Mira teased him for being late and explained that the guild members would help townspeople clear snow.
• Mira said Elfman had not returned and might be delayed by the blocked roads, then headed home; Rhode followed her to help clear the snow.

Elfman returned home to find Rhode sharing breakfast with Mira, then joined them and the Fairy Tail guild in clearing snow around Magnolia. At the end of January, Rhode learned his pay had increased for taking on some of Makarov’s assistant duties, and his teasing of Mira ended with her punching him.

• Elfman walked home through the snow and found Rhode relaxing at his house with Mira.
• Mira made breakfast for Elfman and Rhode, while Elfman glared at Rhode and wondered how close he had become to his sister.
• Elfman, Mira, Rhode, and the Fairy Tail members helped Magnolia residents clear snow, though Marcus broke a window during a snowball fight.
• At the end of January, Rhode received 150,000 J instead of his usual 120,000 J because he had taken on some of Makarov’s assistant duties.
• Rhode teased Mira about keeping his salary, and Mira punched him in the chest.

Rhode considered how to earn enough to buy a home in Magnolia while continuing to work and take missions with Mira. A magazine then printed a story hinting that they were dating, and Rhode returned to training without knowing how to summon his next creature.

• Rhode discussed his long-term plan to buy a house in Magnolia with Mira and decided to keep working toward it.
• Rhode and Mira continued taking unpopular missions together, treating their outings as a way to clear the guild's backlog.
• Mage Weekly published a photo of Rhode and Mira and called him her rumored boyfriend after they were seen dining, shopping, and buying flowers together.
• Mira said the story might affect her modeling work but that she no longer wanted to follow her old path, while Rhode stopped himself from declaring the rumor true.
• Rhode admitted that his training had stalled and continued exploring Summoner's Rift in hopes of summoning the Canyon Vanguard or Little Dragon.

Natsu returned from a frustrating Forest Ranger job and challenged Rhode to a fight, wrecking parts of the guild as they battled. Rhode revealed his Crimson Mark Treant Take Over and knocked Natsu flying, but Natsu charged back and ended the chapter biting Rhode’s hand to eat its flames.

• Natsu returned from the Forest Ranger job angry about the client’s extended deadline and demands, then went to find Rhode.
• Natsu attacked Rhode in the backyard, and the two traded blows using Natsu’s Dragon Slayer flames and Rhode’s Stone Beetle Take Over.
• Natsu’s attack smashed Rhode through a wall, so Rhode transformed with Take Over: Crimson Mark Treant and slapped Natsu through the guild wall and request board.
• Natsu sprang back into the fight with a series of Dragon Slayer attacks, and Rhode blocked them with his palms.
• Natsu bit down on Rhode’s flaming hand and refused to let go as Rhode tried to shake him off.

Rhode and Natsu fought until Makarov stopped them and ordered them to repair the damaged guild. Later, Rhode returned from a peaceful escort job with Elfman, whose suspicions about Rhode and Mira's closeness grew.

• Natsu and Rhode traded attacks as guild members watched, with Happy wishing he could bet on Rhode to win.
• Makarov grabbed Natsu and Rhode, scolded them for damaging the guild, and made them help repair it.
• Mira and Laki repaired the notice board while Mira admitted that Rhode was often with her during daily activities.
• Rhode and Elfman completed a long-distance escort job without a fight and earned 200,000 Jewels.
• Mira and Rhode exchanged silent, reassuring looks, leaving Elfman confused and wondering if they had secretly gotten engaged.

Rhode and Mira discussed his upcoming trip and made plans to see the flowers together, but Rhode’s mood changed when he read an unposted request about a little girl with a strange illness. Mira recognized the girl’s name as familiar, leaving them to investigate the troubling request.

• Bisca and Alzack chose a job that required them to pretend to be a couple and infiltrate a ball, and Mira registered them.
• Rhode told Mira he planned to travel far away to avoid attending the next regular meeting with Master.
• Rhode and Mira agreed to eat dumplings before he left and planned a picnic to see the winter jasmine flowers at South Gate Park.
• Mira agreed to prepare the picnic food after Rhode eagerly asked her to cook.
• Rhode found a request seeking help for a little girl whose unexplained illness might be a curse, and Mira realized the girl's name sounded familiar.

Rhode recognized that a client seeking treatment for Lis was connected to the child kidnapping case in Poppy Town, so he and Erza set out to investigate and seek Wendy’s healing magic. Natsu and Happy joined them, and the group was traveling by ship toward Poppy Town while Natsu suffered from motion sickness.

• Mira found that the client was Mr. Yopa from Poppy Town, and Rhode realized Lis might be the child they had believed was safely home.
• Rhode and Erza decided to revisit Poppy Town to check for Dark Magic Cult remnants or a problem with the demon’s seal, and Rhode planned to consult Wendy at the Cat of the Moon first.
• Happy brought Natsu along, Erza agreed that his strength could be useful, and Mira stayed behind to look after the guild.
• On the train, Erza punched Natsu unconscious to prevent his carsickness, then explained the mission after they reached Harujion.
• Natsu became carsick again on the ship and tried to jump overboard as the group continued toward Poppy Town.

Rhode’s group reached Cat of the Moon and invited Wendy to join a dangerous job investigating Lis’s illness. Wendy and Charuru traveled with them to Poppy Town, where Wendy cured Natsu’s motion sickness and he became loudly enthusiastic about the carriage ride.

• Rhode’s group arrived in Chirul, visited Wendy, and learned she was struggling to master Dragon Slayer Secret Art.
• Rhode explained Lis’s illness and asked Wendy to join the job, while Erza and Charuru warned her about the possible dangers.
• Wendy went to ask Master Robinlu for his opinion, then left Cat of the Moon with Charuru to join the group.
• During the carriage ride to Poppy Town, Wendy used Troyia to cure Natsu’s motion sickness.
• Natsu became excited about transportation and loudly urged the coachman to go faster, prompting Rhode to ask Wendy to remove the magic.

Rhode, Erza, and Wendy arrived in Poppy Town and met Lis's parents to investigate the strange illness affecting their four-year-old daughter. After hearing how Lis had changed since returning from captivity, Wendy asked to examine her.

• Natsu excitedly bounced around in the carriage until Erza punched him, and the group continued their journey north.
• After reaching Poppy Town, Rhode and Erza found no immediate signs of suspicious activity or danger.
• Rhode and Erza took Wendy to meet Mr. Yopa, whose daughter Lis had returned from captivity behaving listlessly and fainting unexpectedly.
• Mr. Yopa and Aivy explained that doctors had found no cause for Lis's condition, though one suspected curse magic.
• Wendy said she could not identify the illness without meeting Lis.

Wendy tried several kinds of magic to treat Lis, but none of them seemed to help. Rhode, Erza, and Wendy left the Yopa family’s home uncertain about Lis’s illness and resolved to investigate further.

• Wendy greeted Lis, but Lis ignored her and fainted, prompting Mrs. Aivy to explain that the episodes had become more frequent.
• Wendy considered trauma, poison, or a curse as possible causes, and Rhode offered to supply her with magic power.
• Rhode used Take Over Magic and the Crown of Insight to help Wendy cast abnormal-status resistance, status removal, poison removal, and healing magic on Lis.
• After Lis showed no clear improvement, Wendy suggested they wait until the next day to check on her, and Erza declined the Yopas’ offer to stay overnight.
• Happy and Charuru met the group on the way back, and Rhode suggested investigating Lis’s illness further after Wendy apologized for failing to help her.