Daphne arc

The Daphne arc is an anime-exclusive arc that takes place between the Oración Seis arc and the Edolas arc of the Fairy Tail series. A rumor spreads about dragon sightings that Gray happens to overhear, which he relays to Natsu and Wendy, prompting them to find out the truth. Little do they know that it is a set up by an accomplice of Gray, who tricks them into gaining their powers, setting the stage to a revolt with artificial dragons against the city of Magnolia. A week later, Wendy and Carla are looking for a job on the guild's request board, with Lucy and Levy encouraging them to go on their first job with their respective teams. Meanwhile, Gray approaches Natsu to inform him about a rumor about a woman called Daphne, stating she saw a Dragon. After Gray tells Natsu where to find her, the latter leaves immediately, along with Happy. Hoping that the Dragon could be Grandeeney, Wendy and Carla decide to join the two as well while Gajeel declines, thinking that the information is false. Concurrently, Erza is shopping for a cake as a welcome gift to Wendy.

Erza then requests fifty Fantasia Cakes, surprising the owner. As she exits the store, she starts to feel an ominous presence. Heading into an alley, Erza finds herself fighting a hooded figure,also using Requip. After clashing swords with Erza, the figure disappears, leaving Erza confused. Elsewhere, Natsu, Wendy, Happy and Carla arrive at the inn Gray told them about. After checking most of the rooms, the Mages find themselves face to face with a suspicious looking door. After opening the door, a bespectacled woman appears and reveals herself to be Daphne, thinking all of them are customers for her product, Metamo-chan. She then continues talking about the product until Natsu gets mad and demands to talk about Dragons. Meanwhile, Erza explains Makarov and the rest of the guild about her assailant, believing it to be a beast, with Juvia subsequently telling them guild about Gray's disappearance. Back at the inn, Daphne tells Natsu that she lied she saw a Dragon, causing the latter to leave, albeit being unable to do so due to Magic of some sort. Natsu tries to punch his way out but only ends up being sent back flying. Wendy opens the window, with the darkness being the only thing she can see. Wendy and Natsu are then surprised to see Gray there, demanding some answers. Gray, however, doesn't answer any of the questions and tells them he has quit his affiliation with Fairy Tail, confusing the two when Daphne calls him her "beloved".

Daphne then orders Gray to take Natsu down, with the latter agreeing, ready to settle the rivalry once and for all. Gray initiates the assault by using his Ice-Make: Lance but Natsu is able to dodge his attacks. Gray then strips off his shirt and tells Natsu to be serious. They exchange blows and Natsu tackles Gray into the wall. Daphne explains to Wendy, Happy, and Carla that she and Gray have become partners. Wendy and the Exceed don't believe her at first, thinking that she has Gray under a spell, though she quickly clears their suspicion by saying that he is completely aware of his actions. Meanwhile, everyone in the guild is worried about the group's absence so Erza and Lucy decide to head out and search for them. Elsewhere, Gray and Natsu continue their battle, both of them still evenly matched until Gray gains the advantage after they fall into a pool of water. Gray traps Natsu in an ice prison but Natsu breaks out using his Dragon's Roar, which creates an explosion. Using a smoke to his advantage, Gray is able to land his Ice-Make: Lance on Natsu, sending him flying through the wall. Natsu then breaks the ground they're standing on so they fall down to the first floor. During the battle, Natsu states his desire for answers once, with the latter only mentioning the City Without Sound. Happy tries calling for help, albeit to no effect. Daphne then reveals them her Concealment Magic, which doesn't allow them to leave nor to be found so Erza and Lucy are unable to see the inn. Suddenly, however, the creature that attacked Erza appears again. They then exchange blows and Erza is able to slice off the hood he is wearing, revealing it to be a lizard-like being. Lucy summons Virgo to help Erza but suddenly another Lizardman appears, having the same powers as Virgo. Virgo and the Lizardman exchange blows underground and Virgo gets overpowered. Lucy then tells Virgo to retreat and summons Loke instead. The Lizardman disappears and another one appears, this one having the same powers as Loke. Meanwhile, Gray and Natsu are battling each other, with Natsu being able to smash Gray through the wall. As Natsu goes to check on Gray, the latter Gray freezes Natsu's feet as Daphne goes over to them and traps him in her Hidden Darkness. Natsu then remembers about the City Without Sound as he gets electrocuted. In the meantime, Erza and Loke are still engaged in battle with their respective Lizardmen. With Erza beating the Lizardman by her quick re-equipping, Lucy summons Plue to beat the Lizardman in a comical dance off. Briefly after. Daphne reveals her Dragonoid and tells Erza and Lucy that the Dragonoid is absorbing Natsu's Magic Power. Wendy then tells Erza and Lucy about Gray's betrayal, with him being seen on top of Dragonoid, shocking his fellow guilmates.