You put some thought into it, Number Six.
In the end, it was all I could do, Number One.
If we win the Grand Magic Games, they may release Lucy, fair and square. But...
...we can't put all our faith in that, so there had to be an alternate plan.
With everyone absorbed in the tournament, this is the perfect chance.
We'll cheer the team on as usual.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, a separate team is heading to rescue Lucy.
A war fought on two fronts, right?
I'm counting on you, brats!
Previously on Fairy Tail...
Lucy's been captured?!
It seems she's gotten mixed up in some scheme.
But it looks like she'll be returned if we win the Grand Magic Games.
So even as our team takes the field, a second group storms the palace.
All right! The Grand Magic Games have reached their climax at last!
I'll announce the current standings.
In 6th place, Quatro Puppy with 15 points!
6th Place
Well, keep watching us.
In 5th place, Blue Pegasus with 30 points!
5th place. That's tough...
30 points...
We have to get fired up again.
Yeah...
What? The important part is coming up now.
"Adversity is our greatest chance" Ichiya here.
We've got two teams tied in 3rd place!
Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel, both with 40 points!
The final day of the festival...
All of the guilds are fired up.
In 2nd place, Sabertooth, with 44 points!
And in 1st place, Fairy Tail, with 45 points!
Fairy Tactician!
It sounds like the final battle of the Grand Magic Games is starting.
All right! Now's our chance!
Aye, sir!
While everyone is absorbed in the tournament, we'll rescue Lucy.
A battle fought on two fronts...
Given the circumstances, this was our best option.
But how can we sneak into the palace without getting caught?
I have a good idea!
I bet it's a stupid one!
Yeah.
What are you talking about?
See? Perfect disguises!
That's way too suspicious!
It's okay! I've got an idea!
That's our Mira!
Said while looking like that doesn't instill any confidence in me.
We'll do everything in our power to rescue Lucy-san.
Erza-san and everyone else, good luck at the tournament!
Leave this to us. I'm counting on you to save Lucy.
Grand Magic Games
Show us your fighting skills! Your magic! And the bond you have with your comrades!
The final day! A survival game in which everyone participates!
Let the Grand Magic Game begin!
It's about to start.
I guess this will decide which guild wins.
And for this final battle, the battlefield is the entire city of Crocus-kabo!
The members of each guild have already dispersed and are standing by.
The teams run around town and if they encounter an enemy guild, a battle ensues.
If an opponent loses consciousness or becomes unable to fight,
the other side will gain one point.
And each guild assigns one leader.
Although the guilds don't know who the other guild leaders are-kabo!
If the leader is defeated, the other team gets five points.
So theoretically, the highest score could be 45 points.
Every guild has a chance to win.
Should the team stay together and fight or split up?
That depends on your strategy-kabo!
Listen. We have no choice but to win.
To get Lucy back!
Hopefully Natsu-san and the others will safely rescue her...
But we can't pin our hopes on that.
Even so, we've got another motive for winning this thing.
We gotta win for the guys in the guild
who had it rough while we were gone those seven years.
Who will attain the glorious peak of magic?!
Let the Grand Magic Games begin!
Let's go!
Yeah!
Well! The final battle has begun at last!
Yes.
It seems many of the teams are splitting up to fight individually.
Do your best, everyone-kabo!
The members of Sabertooth, each of whom has great fighting strength, have split up!
Otherwise, some teams are using the buddy system,
while others have formed a three-person cell.
What's wrong, Rufus?
They're not moving.
W-What's this?!
Hey, what the hell?
What's goin' on?
W-What's wrong?! The members of Fairy Tail have their eyes closed and aren't moving!
What the hell are they doing?!
W-What is this?
I don't know!
The devil takes the hindmost! Hurry up and start kicking ass!
Fairy Tail's odd behavior is curious...
Seriously?! Two of you?!
...but other people have already made contact with the enemy!
Got it? While I seal his magic...
You're leaving him to me?!
Don't get mad. Wave Boost!
Magic sealing...
Crap! Then I can't...
Mega Mega Jellyfish!
Wild!
Quatro Puppy's Novali is incapacitated!
Lamia Scale gains a point, which puts them in 3rd place alone!
1st Place: Fairy Tail 2nd Place: Sabertooth 3rd Place: Lamia Scale 4th Place: Mermaid Heel 5th Place: Blue Pegasus 6th Place: Quatro Puppy
We had to run into women? How unlucky.
If that's how you feel, you can always hold back.
Nope. We're gonna go all out.
Don't hold it against us, okay?
Wouldn't have it any other way!
Aerial Fourze!
White Fang!
Oh, my! Mermaid Heel's Arania and Beth are both incapacitated!
Blue Pegasus gains two points, bringing their total to 32 points!
Blue Pegasus
All right, the scores are on the move!
Unlike the members of Fairy Tail, who are still just standing there!
Hey, Erza!
Get out there and take down the enemy!
This is so irritating!
Whoa! In the meantime, Lamia is crushing Puppy!
What's wrong? Is this as far as you go?
W-Wild...
Lamia Scale gets another two points.
Their total is 43 points-kabo!
While Jura, one of the Ten Great Wizard Saints, is around, I can't picture Lamia losing!
Somebody take him down!
That's right. With Jura and Lyon on our side, we're invincible!
Cheria is strong, too!
Don't get mad.
I don't know about that...
Uh-oh! Lamia's Toby and Novali are suddenly face-to-face with...
...Bacchus!
We're invincible!
Two against one, huh? The odds are against me, but my soul is trembling!
Guess we have no choice.
I'll put you into a deep sleep!
It's Sting!
Saber's Sting came out of nowhere to knock out Bacchus, the leader of Quatro Puppy!
Sabertooth gains five points!
Our total is 49 points. In other words...
1st Place: Sabertooth 2nd Place: Fairy Tail 3rd Place: Lamia Scale 4th Place: Mermaid Heel 5th Place: Blue Pegasus 6th Place: Quatro Puppy
They did it! Sabertooth, the strongest guild, is in first place!
He beat 'im! Dammit!
Now the two of us have to beat him!
It smells like booze here!
My mistake! Now we're done in!
Oh, my! Kagura is here!
With Yuka and Toby out of the way, it's a one-on-one fight with Sting!
Huh?
He's gone-kabo...
That's good. Avoid Kagura and Jura. Let them exhaust themselves.
Mermaid Heel
Mermaid Heel gets two points for a total of 42 points!
It seems Mermaid Heel's Millianna has taken down Quatro Puppy's Rocker.
That's another point, bringing them up to 43!
Wow, Mermaid is really putting the pressure on!
And I think Puppy is already wiped out?
Wild-kabo!
1st Place: Sabertooth 2nd Place: Fairy Tail 3rd Place: Lamia Scale 4th Place: Mermaid Heel 5th Place: Blue Pegasus 6th Place: Quatro Puppy
The points are increasing at a dizzying rate! But Fairy Tail has yet to move a muscle!
What's going on with them?!
What are they doing?! They've gotta win to help Lucy!
That's why.
That's why they must be calm.
From all of the previous competitions,
I've observed the enemies' fighting strength, magic, psychology, and behavioral patterns.
I took it all into account and ran hundreds of millions of battle simulations in my head.
Um...
Number One, what...?
Their movements, predictions and results, locations.
It's all gone according to my calculations.
I've already told them the strategy.
Lead your comrades to victory...
That's my war.
War?
Begin Operation: Fairy Star!
Roger!
Finally! Fairy Tail has finally started to move!
Lucky. I wanted to see the final battle, too...
Hey, what do you want? And who are you?!
Intruders. I'm sure they've come to save that Fairy girl.
Fairy Tail?
His Majesty and the Minister of Defense are both out...
We'll just have to throw 'em in the dungeon. Take 'em.
Roger.
Hey, the dungeon is that way.
Sorry. I've just recently been posted here.
Mira-san is brilliant!
Aye!
I'm squished!
Hurry up and get me out of here!
Princess. Now might be a good opportunity...
Yes. Let's begin...
...the Eclipse 2 Project.
Everyone, spread out! Please proceed to the next checkpoint.
N-Number One...
What's the checkpoint?
I don't know.
Fairy Tail is on the move!
Maybe that was some kind of strategy.
Even if so, I think it'll be kind of tough for them to take back enough points-kabo.
At this point, there's a 97% chance Rufus will make a move.
I see them.
My enemy tracking ability really shouldn't be underestimated.
I'll take them all off the board at once.
Memory Make! Night of Falling Stars!
This magic is...
He used this magic to wipe out the enemies on the first day.
It's beautiful-kabo!
Ignore the lights in the sky, and in two seconds, you can dodge it.
How many times d'you think I'd fall for the same trick?!
This magic's attribute is lightning. Only Laxus should block it.
It doesn't even tickle.
What?! He stopped it?!
The enemy is shaken and his thoughts are disordered.
Because of those disordered thoughts, there's a 68% chance Rufus will try to approach us.
There's a 32% chance he'll stand by at his current location.
But even in that case, it doesn't have much of an effect on our strategy.
What's Number One sayin'?
You got me...
Operation: Fairy Star...?
I get that it's a strategy to make us win, but...
At this point, Erza will make contact with an enemy by proceeding northwest.
Uh, I'm not sure I'm ready...
Number One was right.
Erza?!
What a scary opponent.
Escape and live to fight another day!
Destroy her.
No!!
Gajeel, obliterate the enemy to the south.
I didn't know you were gonna ambush me!
Sorry, bro!
All right. Wanna attack me in order? Simultaneously? I'm okay with either way.
Hibiki, you get out of here.
Ren!
I'll stop this guy!
You can stop this?!
Fairy Tail has someone who trumps the calculations of my Archive?!
That's right.
Another ambush?!
Gray, after you take out the enemy who escaped to the water fountain plaza,
go directly to point B4.
1st Place: Fairy Tail 2nd Place: Sabertooth 3rd Place: Lamia Scale 4th Place: Mermaid Heel 5th Place: Blue Pegasus 6th Place: Quatro Puppy
Oh, boy! After getting a succession of points, Fairy Tail has tied it up with Sabertooth!
What spirit-kabo!
Number One's strategy is right on target!
Seriously?!
Juvia, scan for enemies while supporting the rear guard! Laxus, continue to F8!
Erza, go to S5. There's enemy movement in that area!
I just remembered your nickname, Number One...
With that genius eye for strategy, you attained victory in a number of wars!
The Fairy Tactician!
That girl can do anything!
She isn't just a soothing presence.
Maybe you see her like that, but she did create Fairy Tail...
Yeah, although now she's a ghost...
Ichiya-san, I'm sorry...
Men... Never fear! Leave the rest to me...
You were wide open.
Jura of the Ten Great Wizard Saints gets 5 points for taking out Ichiya, the leader of Blue Pegasus!
Befitting one of the strongest wizards in this tournament-kabo!
And my Cheria-tan gave the boot to Mermaid Heel's Risley,
tying them for first place with 49 points, too!
1st Place: Fairy Tail 1st Place: Sabertooth 1st Place: Lamia Scale 4th Place: Mermaid Heel 5th Place: Blue Pegasus 6th Place: Quatro Puppy
That's my Cheria-tan!
Cheria-tan...?
Well, that aside, it's really heating up here with three teams tied for first place!
Yes. I suppose Blue Pegasus is also wiped out.
The numbers have really been thinned out-kabo!
I predict a fierce battle from here on out.
Hey, Number One, what are they ultimately gonna do about Jura?
Have you given thought to him?
I've thought about him, but I couldn't come up with a way to deal with him.
That shows how exceptionally strong Jura is.
I'm participating on Obaba's orders, but my blood is boiling.
Lucy!
Natsu! Wendy! Mira-san, too! I...
Sorry!
We're here, too!
Everyone!
You look good, anyway.
Huh?
How did you get in here?
Never mind that, just back up!
He did it!
I knew he could!
As expected...
Here, we brought a change of clothes.
Thanks, everyone!
Aren't you hungry?
We have some for you too, Yukino-san.
There's fish, too!
I'm fine.
No peeking, Lily!
Why me?!
Now we just have to think of a way to escape.
If possible, we should slip out of the palace without attracting anyone's attention.
Wait a second. They still have our keys.
First, we have to look for that guy with the scarred nose...
Hey!
Everyone!
The floor!
What is this?!
I'm still getting dressed!
Heavy...
Sorry. I've been eating more recently...
Ow...
What the hell is this?
Welcome to Hell Palace.
Who are you?
You fell right into the trap.
Trap, you say?
Look around you. This is the capital of death, Hell Palace.
The final freedom, where all criminals end up.
However, no one has ever gotten out.
Rot down there, rebels!
Who the hell are you?!
I'm Hisui E. Fiore, the princess of the kingdom of Fiore!
Then she's the princess of this palace?
Scary...
Dammit! Where's the friggin' exit?!
I can't even see an entrance, let alone the exit.
What should we do?!
Excellent job, Princess!
Even though His Majesty is out, you protected the castle wonderfully!
Hooray! Hooray! Three cheers for the princess!
The Grand Magic Games continue to be a breathtaking battle!
And I predict the fighting is only going to get fiercer!
I was told I'd meet you if I came here. Chalk up another one for Number One.
I almost forgot about you.
Will you help me remember?
Don't bother racking your brain about it. This is the end of the line for you.
The final battle of the Grand Magic Games has begun at last!
So Gray's opponent is Rufus from Sabertooth, huh?
I hope Gray will be okay. He lost against that guy last time.
Fairy Tail wizards don't lose against the same opponent twice.
This time, I know he'll win!
Yeah, that's right! We need to believe in our comrades!
Next time: Gray vs Rufus!
Hey, Gray! Don't have a hard fight against that guy! Just kick his ass!
You can do it, Gray!