Episode 121

 is the 121st episode of the Fairy Tail anime. It first aired on March 10, 2012.

Hades is killed by Zeref while Ultear Milkovich tries to commit suicide because of her sins in the past. Meanwhile, Cana Alberona gathers the courage to tell Gildarts Clive that he is her father.

Synopsis
Zeref shocks Hades, Rustyrose and Kain Hikaru by appearing on their airship as they try to escape Tenrou Island. At first, Hades is pleased that Zeref has appeared before him, and demands that Rustyrose and Kain retrieve the keys required to awaken Zeref. However, Rustyrose and Kain find themselves unable to move, and Zeref reveals that the keys needed to awaken him do not exist as they are a fairy tale created by a group of his followers; Zeref himself was never asleep to begin with. When Hades denies these claims by asking how someone at Ultear's level could have defeated him, Zeref says that over the years he has walked the earth he began to appreciate and value human life, and was therefore fighting those around him whilst respecting their life. He says that whilst he remembers the weight of human life, he can purposely limit the deadly effects of his Magic; however, if he begins to forget, his Magic can spiral out of control. Hades is shocked when Zeref reveals that Grimoire Heart's evil actions have summoned Acnologia, but before he can find out any more information from Zeref, Zeref casts a spell and tells them to repent for their two sins; summoning Acnologia, and allowing him to forget the value of life.

On a small boat, Ultear and Meredy are sailing away from Tenrou Island. When Ultear asks Meredy why she doesn't look very happy, Meredy asks if it was Ultear who destroyed her home when she was a child. Ultear answers with a firm yes, but says that she planned to confess everything one day. She goes on to say that the life she is living is her first, and the completed Arc of Time in the Ultimate World of Magic was what she believed to be the start of her second, better life. Because she believed that she could restart her first life, she did anything, no matter how cruel, to reach her goal. When Meredy reacts with anger, Ultear apologizes to her and stabs herself through her chest. As she throws herself into the sea, she tells Meredy that she loves her, and hopes that she finds happiness. However, Meredy dives in after her and pulls Ultear back to the surface, using a Sensory Link to convince Ultear that she loves her in return, urging both of them to continue living and moving forward together. Concurrently, Hades is seen falling to Zeref's spell, with the caster turning his head to the sky and claiming that Acnologia has arrived.

Back on Tenrou Island, Makarov declares that the S-Class Wizard Promotion Trial will be cancelled due to the Magic Council and Grimoire Heart's interference. Though the others aren't happy with the outcome, they eventually accept Makarov's decision. With some encouragement from Erza, Wendy decides that she will introduce herself to Laxus, who has been thoroughly checking that Lisanna is the the one he knew two years ago. Lucy and Cana decide to have a medicinal soak in a spring to heal their wounds. Whilst together, Cana apologizes to Lucy for her earlier actions in the exam, but Lucy immediately forgives her. Cana also reveals her intention to tell her father the truth about who she is.

Cana goes and finds Gildarts and Natsu fishing by a lake, and with Lucy's help, manages to speak with Gildarts' privately. Cana finally admits -much to Gildarts, Natsu and Happy's shock- that she is his daughter. At first, Gildarts is confused and can't figure out which woman Cana is the daughter of, rattling off the names of many women he has been with. When Cana gets annoyed and begins to leave, Gildarts identifies her as Cornelia's daughter, claiming that Cornelia was the only woman he ever truly loved, and the only one he ever married. He reveals that Cornelia left him for being too involved in his work, and he had heard of her death, but did not know that she had left behind a child. When Cana tells him that she is merely glad to get the truth out into the open and turns to leave, Gildarts hugs her, telling her that he will never allow her to be lonely again, and asking for the right to love her. High in the sky, shadows on the clouds tell that something is coming.

Fights & Events

 * Conflict on Grimoire Heart's Airship

Magic used

 * Death Magic (死の魔法 Shi no Mahō)
 * Maguilty Sense (マギルティ＝センス Magiruti Sensu)
 * Titan (巨人, Jiyaianto)

Spells used

 * Death Pillar
 * Magic Sword
 * Sensory Link (感覚連結 Kankaku Rinku)

Abilities used

 * Hand-to-Hand Combat

Manga & Anime Differences

 * Though it is not seen in the manga, Makarov declares that he is going to introduce a woman's only dress code for the guild, asking the men of the guild whether nurses outfits or school swimsuits are better.
 * The conversation between Hades and Zeref is slightly extended in the anime.
 * In the manga, Ultear is rowing the boat that she and Meredy are using to sail away from Tenrou Island. In the anime, neither is rowing, and the boat appears to be moving through magical means.
 * The anime added Meredy having a flashback about her village being destroyed.
 * There was an added clip in the anime of Ultear having a flashback about her time with Jellal, her relationship with Meredy and her obsession with Zeref.
 * In the manga, Ultear stabs herself using a small knife she drew from on her person. In the anime, she summons a long sword from mid-air and stabs herself.
 * The anime added a short clip of Acnologia flying towards Tenrou Island.
 * When Juvia encourages Gray about the S-Class Wizard Promotion Trial in the manga, she has changed out of her tattered clothes and into clean ones. In the anime, she is still wearing her tattered clothing.
 * Mirajane and Happy are also shown amazed at Natsu's sudden defeat to Makarov's Titan.
 * The herbal spring that Cana and Lucy bathed in has a different appearance between the anime and the manga.
 * In the manga, Cana is shown both out of and in the water. In the anime, both girls are in the water the whole time.
 * The stream that Gildarts and Natsu are fishing from appears different between the two media.
 * In the manga, Cana's leggings have a leopard print. In the anime, they are plain red.
 * There was an added clip in the anime of Cana having flashback herself and Gildarts interacting whilst she was growing up.