Episode 281

Pitched Underground Battle is the 281st episode of the Fairy Tail anime, and the 4th episode of the 2018 series.
Natsu, Happy, and Lucy sneak into Avatar's headquarters in search of Gray. The team is forced to battle Avatar's top-level black wizards, including Gray, who in truth is on an undercover mission in coordination with Erza.
==Summary==
With Natsu and Happy about to charge into the Avatar base, Lucy holds the two back, reminding them that they it's not the best idea to rush in while not knowing what they are up against. Natsu then retorts that Gray may be inside, before Lucy summons Virgo to help them infiltrate the church. However, when summoned, Virgo appears tied up. She then explains that she decided to punish herself as she had some free time. Donning her Star Dress: Virgo Form, Lucy and Virgo team up and dig an underground tunnel into the base. Lucy then states that they need to find info about Gray without revealing themselves, just for Natsu to shout out Gray's name, much to Lucy's anger.
Abel appears and asks them what they're doing inside of their church while holding Mr. Cursey in his arms. Lucy shivers upon remembering the last time they went up against that doll, just for Natsu to swiftly knock the Dark Mage down, claiming that he's only here for Gray. Gômon then appears and traps Natsu in an , much to both Lucy and Happy's horror. However, Natsu melts his way out of the meta and strikes Gômon down. He's then attacked from behind by D-6, but to no avail as the latter is instantly defeated. Finally Gray shows up, stating that Natsu is too much for them to handle. Meanwhile, Wendy and Carla continue to take care of Juvia, as Carla wonders if the others have found Gray yet. 
Natsu and Gray clash while Lucy, Virgo, and Happy watch. When Gray asks what they're doing here, Natsu returns the question, to which the Ice Mage replys that he can do whatever he wants. Natsu then claims that Juvia is waiting for him, before going on to say that they're rebuilding Fairy Tail and that they need him too, just for Gray to respond that Fairy Tail no longer exists. Natsu protests, saying that the guild has always and will always remain, much to Gray's annoyance. He goes on to say that he's chosed a different path and he no longer sees them as friends, which earns him a slap from Lucy. Suddenly, Mary appears and causes Lucy to fall to the ground, clutching her stomach, while Gômon chains Virgo and Natsu and Abel incapacitates Happy with Mr. Cursey . Natsu calls for Gray to wake up from the demon that took over him, prompting the latter to take off his jacket, revealing that he's removed the Fairy Tail guildmark from his chest, and that he's perfectly sane.
At their camp, Gajeel Redfox, now a member of the Custody Unit alongside Panther Lily, senses the approach of Levy McGarden, who infiltrated the Avatar cult. She apologizes for taking so long and asks Gajeel if he has got the news about Gray, to which he claims that it doesn't matter as their job is to stop the Operation Purify. Even though Lily reminds him that the Mage was their guildmate, Gajeel reasons that he's part of the Avatar now and that they must not allow them to carry out their plans or else lots of innocent lives will be lost, causing Panther Lily to ask if he'll be able to fight an old comrade. Gajeel responds that Gray became their enemy and an enemy must be stopped with no compromises. 
Happy wakes up in a cell with Lucy and Natsu, where they are all chained by Magic Sealing Stones. As Natsu wonders what happened to Gray, Lucy suggests that someone might be controlling him. When Gômon appears, Natsu questions Gray's whereabouts. Gômon informs them that Gray left to put the Operation Purify into action, with the former staying behind only to torture the intruders to get information on who sent them. Gômon then goes through his torture devices and asks Lucy to pick one. When Natsu tells her to pick foot-licking torture as the least harmful choice, Gômon explains that a goat will be licking salt off her feet which will cause the skin to start to peel off, before setting her up and asking Natsu once again who sent them, as the goat begins to slowly walk towards Lucy. Natsu claims that they're only here for Gray, with Gômon adamant that Gray is one of them. Impatient, Gômon decides to cut Lucy in half and proceeds to do so, just for Gray to appear and freeze Gômon., before freeing the three of them and reprimands them for ruining everything. He then uses a Miniature Communication Lacrima to call someone, before tossing it to Natsu, who is shocked to hear Erza's voice, who reveals that Gray has been on an undercover mission.
==Characters in Order of Appearance==
==Battles & Events==
*None
==Magic, Spells, and Abilities used==
===Magic used===
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***Summoned the Maiden, Virgo
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**Torture Magic
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===Spells used===
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===Abilities used===
*Hand-to-Hand Combat
*Rain Conjuring
===Weapons used===
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*Axe
===Items used===
*Celestial Spirit Gate Keys
**Gate of the Maiden Key
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*Miniature Communication Lacrima (小型通信 Kogata Tsūshin Rakurima)
==Manga & Anime Differences==
*Additional dialogue added between Natsu and Lucy planning their infiltration, the Avatar members alert of intruders, and Juvia's unconscious monologue.
*Images of Zeref appear when Gômon's discusses his devotion towards cosplaying him.
*Erza's and Gray's communication Lacrima have more smartphone-like features, such as apps, unlike to the manga where their communication Lacrima are walkie-talkies.
*Erza is outside instead of inside of a building when she's speaking to Natsu on her communication lacrima at the end of the episode.
==Navigation==
Category:Episodes