Someone has escaped Alegria's clutches?
Ow!
What is this? What happened?
The odds are about a billion to one.
What luck...
Or rather,
bad luck, for someone to be left alone in the Underworld.
What happened?
Natsu! Where are you?!
Tartaros Arc: Attack of the Celestials
What is that gigantic thing?!
A giant monster?!
Did that destroy the guild?
Kardia Cathedral!
Run!
It's destroying the town!
What's that sound?!
Members of Tartaros...
Alegria has disposed of the intruders.
The Face project is proceeding on schedule.
King of the Underworld! Hooray!
Disposed of the intruders?!
And didn't Wendy stop the Face project?!
What is this?!
However...
...it seems one human has somehow escaped Alegria.
The soldier who kills her
shall fill the vacant position in the Nine Demon Gates.
Seriously?!
I'll become one of the Nine Demon Gates!
If one of the Nine Demon Gates murders her,
they will be rewarded by Mard Geer. That is all.
I don't really know what happened,
but everyone's alive, right? I have to believe that!
I found her!
Human!
I'll take her out!
We'll see about that!
There she is!
Advance!
Take this!
You...!
Gate of the Archer, I open thee!
Sagittarius!
Promotion! Promotion! I'll join the ranks of the Nine Demon Gates!
I'll take care of this one!
My arrows!
Projectiles don't work against my slippery Curse!
See?!
I close Sagittarius's gate!
Gate of the Maiden, I open thee!
Virgo!
Leave her to me, Princess!
What the hell?! You're a maid?! And your character's like a duplicate of mine!
How so?
Princess! Something's coming!
Gate of the Lion, I open thee!
Loke!
You face my blade empty-handed?
I'm surprised that the power of Regulus can't fully protect me.
Are you okay, Loke?!
Fine, fine.
Whoa, a hottie!
And how is it that you think our characters overlap?
Torafuzar-sama, please let Lamy do the meritorious deed!
I'm not interested in meritorious deeds!
I'm just here to carry out a mission!
Lucy, leave this one to me!
Simultaneous release... Looks like it's hard on her.
Especially because you and I use a lot of magic, Virgo.
For Lucy's sake...
For the princess's sake...
...let's finish this!
...let's make this quick!
I found her!
Jackal-kun?!
A third one?!
This is bad!
You're not going anywhere!
What's this? She's not alone.
Oh, well.
I thought he blew up!
I see...
We can be resurrected again and again.
As long as we've got the lab, we can be reborn endlessly. We're functionally immortal!
Even Natsu had a hard time against him.
But I can't summon any more Celestial Spirits!
I have to do this myself!
You haven't forgotten about my Curse, have you?
Lucy!
Princess!
What happened to my friends?!
Don't play. If you're going to kill her, just do it.
The fireball and the blue cat are already dead.
The only way I can temper this irritation is by tormenting
the last one left, this woman!
Princess!
Even though summoning us is already a drain on her magic...
They're not dead...
Everyone's alive!
I feel everyone's magic!
Lucy!
They all saved me time and time again.
Don't die yet!
Now it's my turn to save them!
There!
Lucy!
I will not give in!
I won't!
Not until I save everyone...
Princess! You mustn't! That's...
Gate of the Water Bearer, I open thee!
Aquarius!
The princess's body can't withstand it!
Keeping three gates open at once?!
Please...
Idiot...
Lucy!
Princess!
You came...
I'll say it one more time.
You're an idiot.
I know...
Who's that?!
My...
Get back, little girl!
Lucy, that's enough!
Please, here's your chance to close one of the gates!
He's swimming through my water?
This is my element!
Aquarius!
Dammit!
I'm on my way!
No, you aren't!
Crap...
Loke! Virgo!
With just one blow...
I'm sorry, Lucy...
What, summoning three at once was her trump card?
But she used up so much magic that it looks like she can't even move now.
I'll kill her with one strike.
That's boring.
That's right! We've got to draw it out!
But I get the credit for the kill!
I can't let it end here.
I've got to save everyone!
I've got to...
What's that pathetic face?!
Enough!
If you won't do it, I will.
Whose side are you on?
I could always start with you.
This is going nowhere. Do what you want.
You don't have to tell me that!
What should we do next, Jackal-kun?
I suggest blowing up these bazoombas!
Boom! Boom!
Boom...
You annoy me.
Your own comrade...
Never mind her. Imagine what I'm going to do to you.
Let's have some fun.
What the...?!
Aquarius...
This water can't...
Lucy...
All I can do is slow him down.
It's the same with the other Celestial Spirits.
They're too strong.
Yeah...
But I'm not saying you don't have a chance.
I can only keep him at bay for a short period of time.
Listen to me, Lucy.
Any Celestial Spirit wizard who can summon three spirits at once can do this.
Summon the Celestial Spirit King!
Celestial Spirit King...?
As you know, he's the most powerful Celestial Spirit in our world.
He can annihilate the enemy with one celestial strike.
But I don't have his key.
There is no physical key for the Celestial Spirit King.
But his gate can be opened with a special kind of key.
Summoning with a price.
By destroying one of the gold keys,
you can open the Celestial Spirit King's gate just once.
Destroy... a gold key?
What is this water?!
And not just any key will do.
If the bond between master and Celestial Spirit isn't strong, the gate won't open.
I can't do that!
I won't! You're all dear friends, and I couldn't bear to lose any...
Destroy my key.
I'm not sure if the degree of trust that's required is there,
but we've known each other a long time, so it should pass muster.
What are you saying?
Do it to save your friends!
You're one of my friends too, Aquarius!
I can't sacrifice one friend to save others!
There must be some other way!
I won't give up!
If there were some other way, do you think I would propose this?!
This is the only way...
No!
I won't do it!
Lucy, there's no time...
I don't have any strength left...
I won't do it!
Destroying my key doesn't mean I'll die.
It just mean... we'll never be able to see each other again.
I couldn't stand that...
For me, it's more like good riddance.
In the first place, I was your mother's Celestial Spirit. Layla.
When Layla died, her keys were passed on to you.
I was so disappointed.
You were a crybaby, a brat, and woefully ignorant.
You had none of Layla's grace.
But you are her daughter, so I've endured it all this time.
All these years...
...I've hated you.
You can hate me, I don't care! I love you, Aquarius!
You were my first friend... My...
How long are you going to act like a spoiled child?!
Right now, you're the only one who can save your comrades!
What's important, memories?! The keys?! A feeling of guilt?!
No! It's the power to save your friends!
The power of a Celestial Spirit wizard!
Do it! Destroy my key!
You're the only one who can do it!
I don't know what you're squabbling about, but you're in range now!
I...
...love you, Aquarius.
Do it! Lucy!!
There's a burning in my chest...
Even though I hate this little girl...
Open!
A mermaid! A mermaid!
Even though I hate her...
Gate of the Celestial Spirit King!
...I can't...
It's no sin to have feelings for your friends!
We are!
Scorpio!
You'll never in a million years be able to attract a man by wearing a swimsuit!
Make me laugh!
I can't stop the feelings...
Come on! Splash me, Aquarius!
Don't summon me every time you take a bath, little girl!
I'm sorry!
How many times do I have to tell you?!
Don't summon me from the goldfish bowl! That's for the goldfish!
It's got a tail!
You've got a tail too, Aquarius!
You summon me from a goldfish bowl, and then quibble on top of it?!
Nitwit!
What's "quibble"?
Jeez. Play with human kids once in a while!
There aren't any here.
That's why I'm lonely.
I'm happy when you come here, even when you're angry at me.
I'm sorry.
Tch!
You're not lonely anymore, right?
Right.
I really do appreciate it.
Being able to meet all of you...
We won't be able to see each other anymore.
I'll miss you...
...Lucy.
Gate of the Celestial Spirit King!
You've done more for me than you know.
Thank you.
The water disappeared!
What is it?!
Something's cut through Plutogrim?!
Woman, what did you do?!
Lucy summoned the Celestial Spirit King,
but paid a dear price for it.
Mard Geer, the King of the Underworld, retains his confidence
as he faces that giant presence.
The curtain rises on the tremendous battle of two beings beyond human understanding.
Meanwhile, Lucy hardens her heart
and swallows her tears to confront Jackal!
Next time: Tartaros Arc: Celestial Spirit King Versus Underworld King!
Tartaros Arc: Celestial Spirit King Versus Underworld King
Now is the time to fight!