Chapter Summaries

Fairy Tail rebuilt its guildhall while its members worried about the trial facing the Guild Master and Blanc. Laxus arrived and insulted the guild, provoking Erza and the others.

• Natsu and Gray competed to carry timber while Gray reminded Natsu that the guildhall was meant to be built by their generation.
• Levy and the others worried that the Guild Master and Blanc might receive harsh sentences at the Magic Council, but Mira reassured them that the Guild Master knew how to handle the situation.
• Natsu threatened to burn down the Magic Council if it ruled unfairly, and Erza struck him to stop him.
• Laxus arrived, mocked Fairy Tail for being full of weaklings, and provoked Erza into confronting him.

Laxus returned to the guild and berated its members for their fight with Phantom Lord, but Mira showed him footage of a fake Laxus being attacked to remind him of the Guild Master's concern. Blanc had secretly recorded the scene to embarrass Laxus, leaving him furious as the guild tried not to laugh.

• Laxus insulted Erza, Levy, Jet, Troy, and Lucy for their roles in the conflict with Phantom Lord.
• Mira rebuked Laxus for blaming the guild and showed footage of Jose using a Phantom Soldier disguised as Laxus to lure the Guild Master into danger.
• Mira explained that the Guild Master's worry for Laxus had been real, but Laxus dismissed the Guild Master's judgment.
• Lucy asked who had recorded the footage, and Mira revealed that Blanc had made a copy and left it with her for safekeeping.
• The guild struggled to hide its laughter while Laxus silently blamed Blanc.

Laxus insulted Fairy Tail’s members and declared that he would inherit the guild and make it the strongest. After he left, Lucy learned he was the Guild Master’s grandson and wondered whether Blanc would make a better successor.

• Laxus dismissed the recording crystal as a fake and blamed Fairy Tail’s destruction on its members being weak.
• Natsu attacked Laxus, but Laxus dodged and knocked him into a pile of lumber.
• Erza confronted Laxus with her sword, but he brushed it aside and vowed to expel the guild’s weak members when he inherited Fairy Tail.
• After Laxus left, Lucy asked how he could become Guild Master, and Mira revealed that he was the Guild Master’s grandson.
• Lucy suggested Blanc as a better successor, then hesitated as she remembered his recent trouble with the Magic Council and his odd behavior.

Lucy learned that Blanc had refused the Guild Master position because he dreaded writing apology reports, and feared Laxus might take over Fairy Tail. At the Tower of Heaven, Ultear confessed that she had invented Zeref’s ghost and manipulated Jellal, then broke her spell and begged him to stop before it was too late.

• Mira told Lucy that Blanc had rejected the Guild Master position to avoid writing apology reports, and the guild members agreed that the work was overwhelming.
• Lucy imagined Laxus taking over Fairy Tail and throwing her out, while Happy teased her about being the first one kicked out.
• North of Oak Town, Blanc sneezed while arguing with the Magic Council’s cleanup crew and wondered if someone was talking about him.
• Jellal reflected that Ultear’s visit had forced him to accelerate his plan after she tried to persuade him to stop.
• Ultear confessed to Jellal that she had impersonated Zeref’s ghost, manipulated him into building the Tower of Heaven, and had deceived him for years.
• Ultear severed the supposed link to Zeref’s ghost and urged Jellal to stop, while he lowered his head without revealing his reaction.

Jellal revealed that he had always known Ultear was deceiving him and attacked her, insisting that he would resurrect Zeref to gain eternal freedom. Ur rescued Ultear from the throne hall, and they fled across the sea as Ultear realized Jellal could no longer be persuaded to turn back.

• Jellal pretended to be shaken by Ultear’s confession, then blasted her when she tried to help him.
• Jellal told Ultear he had known her supposed Zeref whispers were a trick and had used her for her Council connections and resources.
• Jellal explained that he intended to resurrect Zeref for the power to secure his own eternal freedom, then prepared to kill Ultear.
• Ur appeared, blocked Jellal’s attack with Ice-Make Magic, and escaped through the window with Ultear.
• As Ur carried her across the sea, Ultear realized Jellal’s desire to pursue Zeref had become his own and worried that he would clash with Blanc.

Jellal decided to use Erza as bait to bring Blanc to the Tower of Heaven, hoping to exploit Blanc’s concern for his guildmates. Meanwhile, Erza left Fairy Tail’s construction site to buy a replacement table, unaware that Jellal had sent Hughes, Wally, Millianna, and Simon to capture her.

• Jellal realized Blanc’s immense magic could power the R-System and serve as a sacrifice for Zeref, but concluded he could not defeat Blanc in a direct fight.
• Jellal ordered Hughes, Wally, Millianna, and Simon to find Erza alone in Magnolia and bring her back.
• Jellal planned to lure Blanc to the Tower of Heaven by using Erza as leverage.
• At the construction site, Erza agreed to replace the table she had broken and left to buy a new one.
• Natsu and Gray pretended to be friends while Erza was present, then resumed arguing as Lucy wondered whether Erza understood their rivalry.

Erza reflected on Laxus’s changed behavior and her own painful past, then remembered how Blanc gave her a protective bracelet as a sign of her guildmates’ care. The memory left her considering whether she could one day feel safe without armor.

• Erza recalled how Laxus had changed from a cheerful older-brother figure into someone who treated his comrades as worthless.
• Erza remembered the boy who had once given her hope in the tower before changing and betraying everyone.
• Erza reached the river, looked at her reflection in her armor, and wondered why she still needed it to feel safe.
• Erza removed her armor and noticed the Fairy Tail bracelet Blanc had given her.
• Erza remembered Blanc explaining that the bracelet held defensive magic and urging her to trust the comrades who would protect her.

Erza reunited with Hughes, Millianna, Simon, and Wally, but Hughes accused her of abandoning them and demanded she return to the Tower of Heaven. After they captured her, Juvia witnessed the kidnapping from hiding.

• Erza remembered how Fairy Tail had helped her open her heart and set off to buy a table.
• Hughes, Millianna, Simon, and Wally appeared, and Erza recognized her former companions from the Tower of Heaven.
• Hughes accused Erza of betraying them, told her the Tower of Heaven was nearly finished, and demanded she return to Jellal.
• Wally shot Erza with a sleep round, Millianna bound her, and Hughes sealed her inside a card.
• Juvia hid nearby and watched the group kidnap Erza.

Juvia discovered that Erza had been captured and set off to alert Fairy Tail, while Blanc confronted Jellal in Oak Town. Jellal revealed that he had Erza, leaving Blanc to face the threat.

• Simon secretly dropped Erza's bracelet near Juvia, who found it after the group carrying Erza left.
• Juvia decided to bring the bracelet to Fairy Tail as evidence and hurried toward the guild's construction site to tell Gray-sama.
• Siegrain, revealed as Jellal, stopped Blanc on the woodland path after the cleanup in Oak Town.
• Blanc attacked Jellal with wooden hands and said that killing him mattered more than worrying about Ultear.
• Jellal announced that he had Erza, causing Blanc to stop the wooden hands.

Blanc agreed to trade himself for Erza, but destroyed Jellal's Thought Body with the Light Card and flew toward the Tower of Heaven. Jellal revived in the tower, shaken by Blanc's power but determined to continue his plan, while Blanc approached over the sea on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

• Jellal showed Blanc an image of the captured Erza and demanded that Blanc surrender in exchange for her.
• Blanc pretended to accept the trade, then used the Light Card to erase Jellal's Thought Body and warned that he would see him at the Tower of Heaven.
• Blanc produced three Clow Cards, summoned the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and flew toward the tower.
• Jellal awoke on his throne as his magic power, consciousness, and memories returned, and he realized how easily Blanc had destroyed his Thought Body.
• Jellal suppressed his fear and resolved to continue the plan, relying on Blanc's concern for Erza to preserve his leverage.

Blanc submitted to the Tower of Heaven guards’ restraints to protect Erza, while Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Happy, and Juvia secretly reached the tower by sea. The group spotted the guards carrying Blanc inside and realized he had been captured.

• The guards showed Blanc an image of Erza and demanded that he accept restraints before approaching the tower.
• Blanc landed at the Tower of Heaven, allowed the guards to bind him with magic-sealing restraints, and was carried inside as Jellal watched.
• Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Happy, and Juvia emerged from the sea in Juvia’s Water Domain and reached the tower’s base.
• Natsu recognized Erza’s scent inside the tower and urged the group to charge in, but Gray told him to stay quiet.
• Happy spotted guards carrying a tightly bound young man, and the group recognized him as Blanc.

Natsu and Gray's group encountered Simon, who offered to lead them to Erza and explain their shared past. Meanwhile, Hughes confronted Erza in the cell where she had once been imprisoned and asked whether she remembered what happened there.

• Natsu tried to rush after Blanc, but Gray restrained him and argued that the group needed to stay hidden until they found Erza.
• Gray suggested Blanc might have surrendered to protect Erza or been captured by a powerful enemy, and the group agreed to search for Erza first.
• Simon approached the group and explained that he had given Juvia Erza's bracelet so she could seek Fairy Tail's help.
• Simon revealed that he and the others had been Erza's companions, then led the group off to rescue her and explain their past.
• Hughes found Erza bound in the cell where she had been held years earlier and admitted he had been the ringleader of their failed escape attempt.
• Erza steadied herself and challenged Hughes about the forbidden R-System magic.

Hughes revealed that Jellal wanted to resurrect Zeref and rule the world before Natsu and the others rescued Erza. Simon freed Erza and reaffirmed his faith in her, while Hughes accused her of betraying them eight years earlier.

• Hughes told Erza that Jellal planned to resurrect Zeref and use the chaos to rule the world.
• Natsu punched Hughes through the cell door, and Gray, Lucy, and Happy joined him in rescuing Erza.
• Juvia returned Erza's bracelet and explained that she had followed her abductors to find help.
• Simon explained that he had drawn away the guards, freed Erza with dark magic, and never stopped believing in her.
• Hughes accused Erza of planting a bomb on their escape boat eight years earlier, and Gray and Lucy questioned whether Jellal had lied to him.

Erza told Hughes how Jellal had turned against their revolt and driven her away, and Hughes broke down after learning the truth. Erza tried to send her Fairy Tail comrades away, but they refused, and the news that Blanc had been captured led Erza to suspect Jellal planned to use him as the R-System's sacrifice.

• Erza explained that Jellal had embraced Zeref's spirit, slaughtered the Cult's remnants, and threatened to kill her former comrades if she revealed the Tower of Heaven.
• Simon said he had always trusted Erza, and she apologized to Hughes for leaving him behind for eight years; Hughes collapsed in despair and sobbed.
• Simon urged the group to join forces against Jellal, but Erza ordered Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Happy, Juvia, and the others to leave the tower.
• Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Happy, and Juvia refused to abandon Erza, saying they would stand by their comrade.
• Lucy told Erza that Blanc had been brought into the tower as a prisoner, and Erza wondered why Jellal would capture him.
• Hughes said the R-System needed a sacrifice, and Erza asked whether Jellal had abducted her for that purpose.

Hughes revealed that Jellal had used Erza as leverage to force Blanc to become the sacrifice for Zeref’s resurrection, prompting Erza and her friends to set out to rescue him. On the tower rooftop, Jellal began draining Blanc’s magic while Blanc questioned his plan and then fainted, as a faint puff of air passed Jellal’s ear.

• Hughes told Erza that Jellal had planned to use her as a hostage because Blanc was powerful enough to serve as Zeref’s sacrifice.
• Erza blamed herself for endangering Blanc, struck the wall in anger, and rallied Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Happy to rescue him.
• Gray heard a familiar voice in his mind asking about the situation.
• Jellal had his guards bind Blanc to a device on the tower rooftop and declared that Blanc would be used to resurrect Zeref.
• Blanc told Jellal that Zeref was not dead, but Jellal dismissed him and activated the device to drain his magic.
• Blanc fainted as the tower’s Magic Crystal antennas began to glow, and Jellal wondered whether something had just flown past his ear.

Makarov and Fairy Tail launched an assault on the Tower of Heaven while Jellal drained a duplicate of Blanc, unaware that the real Blanc was hidden on its head. Erza and the others reached the rooftop and found the captive Blanc, as Jellal prepared to use him for Zeref’s resurrection.

• Makarov grew into a giant and smashed the guards at the foot of the tower, then Fairy Tail charged the tower’s defenders.
• Jellal noticed that the Magic Crystals were collecting less magic than expected, while the real Blanc planned to fly into the tower and find Erza.
• Fairy Tail shouted that they had come to rescue Blanc, leaving the hidden Blanc confused because he thought they were there for Erza.
• Erza, Simon, Hughes, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Happy burst onto the rooftop and found Mirror Blanc restrained and drained by the machine.
• Jellal accused Hughes and Simon of betrayal and announced that Blanc would become a vessel for Zeref’s resurrection.
• Erza attacked Jellal and ordered Natsu and Gray to hold him off while the others saved Blanc.

Erza, Natsu, and Gray struggled to hold off Jellal while Lucy secretly sent Virgo to destroy the restraint device and rescue Blanc. With Jellal enraged and ready to attack everyone, Erza donned Pure Heart Clothing and prepared to settle the fight with one strike.

• Jellal overwhelmed Erza, Natsu, and Gray while preventing Simon and the others from reaching the restraint device.
• Erza admitted her weakness had led to Blanc being captured and vowed to bring him back unharmed.
• Lucy summoned Virgo, who tunneled beneath the device, destroyed it, freed Blanc, and carried him back to Lucy.
• Jellal noticed Blanc's rescue and unleashed a surge of magic power, threatening to kill everyone before taking Blanc back.
• Erza used Requip: Pure Heart Clothing, explaining that it sacrificed defense to focus her magic on offense, then challenged Jellal to settle the fight with one strike.

Erza faced Jellal’s Dark Paradise without armor and defeated him with a single sword strike after Blanc distracted him by shouting that he was Zeref. Erza emerged victorious but exhausted, while Jellal collapsed at the base of the damaged Magic Crystal.

• Jellal summoned Celestial Magic: Dark Paradise as Erza focused all her magic power into her Demon Sword.
• Gray stopped Hughes from intervening, while Gray, Natsu, and Simon urged Hughes to trust Erza.
• Blanc decided to help Erza without taking over the fight and flew into Jellal’s ear to shout that he was Zeref.
• Jellal lost control of his spell for an instant, and Erza cleaved the black sphere before striking him across the chest.
• Jellal crashed into the Magic Crystal and collapsed, while Erza knelt, wounded and exhausted, as Natsu and Happy celebrated her victory.

After Erza defeated Jellal, he exposed the unconscious Blanc as a fake, and a green-haired Mirror Girl revealed herself as a magical construct. She pointed out that the real Blanc was Jellal himself, leaving everyone stunned.

• Erza noticed suspicious details about Jellal’s defeat while Jellal accused the unconscious Blanc of tricking him.
• Natsu detected that the unconscious Blanc barely carried Blanc’s scent.
• The fake Blanc transformed into a green-haired girl who called herself Mirror Girl.
• Mirror Girl revealed that the real Blanc was Jellal, leaving him and the others stunned.

Blanc revealed that he had never been captured and helped defeat Jellal, while Fairy Tail’s reinforcements arrived to find the battle already over. After Blanc explained Jellal’s schemes, Makarov recognized the connection to Rob’s death and dreaded another trip to the Magic Council.

• Blanc reappeared unharmed beside Jellal as Fairy Tail’s reinforcements rushed onto the rooftop and discovered the fight was over.
• Blanc explained that Erza had been kidnapped and that he had entered the stronghold by letting its guards capture him; Lucy confronted him for worrying everyone.
• Mira covered Erza with her coat, and Erza quietly questioned Blanc about what he had done before choosing not to press him.
• Makarov recognized Jellal as Council Member Siegrain, and Blanc explained that Siegrain was a Thought Body and described Jellal’s plans involving Jose, Erza, and Zeref.
• Makarov connected Jellal’s actions to Rob’s death and lamented that he would have to return to the Magic Council.