As King Faust begins his plans for acquiring unlimited magic power, Dante and Modeus bust out of prison to rescue their friends and stop the Edolas army.
- Adaptational Karma: Downplayed given she suffered from a severe case of My God, What Have I Done?, but Dante does not let Carla off the hook for leading them into an ambush with her needless secrecy.
- Always Someone Better: Nelo Angelo is this to Erza Knightwalker, having managed to wipe out even more guilds at a faster rate than she has, and having a much more fearsome reputation.
- Badass Normal: Erza Knightwalker gets to show off her chops against Dante, managing to inflict several severe wounds on him as their fight continues with her trident skills.
- Berserk Button: For Erza Knightwalker, bringing up Nelo Angelo and his apparent superiority to her sends her from smug to furious.
- Big Brother Instinct: While both are held captive by Byro, Natsu takes a moment to assure Wendy they will be alright.
- Big Damn Heroes:
- Happy and Carla arrive just in time to save Lucy and Lisanna from falling to death. Quickly followed by Dante and Modeus fending off the soldiers as well as Erza Knightwalker and Panther-Lily.
- At the end of the chapter, Lady, Trish, Gray, and Erza arrive to even the odds.
- Brought Down to Badass: This chapter may be Dante's most impressive showing, managing to go blow for blow with Erza Knightwalker without his usual abilities, and walks off impalement despite lacking his Healing Factor.
- Continuity Nod:
- Carla notes she was on the other end of the calling out for keeping secrets with Dante during the Vergil arc.
- Dante says he views Erza as a Worthy Opponent from their times sparring together.
- Cowardice Callout: Dante call Erza Knightwalker a coward who only picks fights with those much weaker than her.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: The fate of any Edolas soldier in Dante and Modeus' way.
- Defiant Captive:
- Lisanna doesn't stop taunting Erza Knightwalker over being second best to Nelo Angelo, even as the woman holds her over the edge of the wall.
- Invoked by Natsu against Byro, even encouraging Wendy to do the same.
- Determinator: Dante manages to keep standing despite the increasingly severe wounds he sustains over the course of his fight with Erza Knightwalker, culminating in impalement.
- Easily Forgiven: Defied by Dante in regards to Carla, needing the others to talk him out of shooting her then and there, as well as an apology from the exceed and a reminder they have more pressing concerns. Even then, he makes it clear they're going to talk when this is all over.
- Evil Counterpart: Lampshaded by Lisanna, who informs Lucy that Erza Knightwalker is cruel and evil, in contrast to the Erza the blonde is more familiar with.
- Foreshadowing:
- Nelo Angelo shows little concern at the exeeds retaliation, and makes a reference to their God Guise.
- Carla bluffs that she is the princess of Extalia to Knightwalker.
- Hourglass Plot: In the Vergil arc, Carla called out Dante for keeping his heritage a secret and his brother coming to attack Fairy Tail, putting them all in danger. Here, she finds herself on the other end, with her decision to keep her backstory a secret leaving everyone vulnerable to an ambush.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Dante suffers this at the hands of Erza Knightwalkers trident. To everyone's shock, he still manages to get up to keep fighting.
- Internal Reveal: Lucy and Lisanna are informed of Nelo Angelo's status as a Dragon with an Agenda for Mundus.
- I Shall Taunt You:
- Dante manages to escape his cell by taunting the prison guards into trying to beat him up, and turning the tables.
- He later employs the same tactic to get a one on one duel with Knightwalker, insulting her combat abilities and calling her a cheap knockoff of the Erza he knows.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Acknowledged by Carla, who agrees with Dante's assessment that she could have saved everyone a lot of headaches if she had come clean about her mission much sooner.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: When faced with the combined might of Nelo Angelo and a small army of Exceeds, the heroes choose to flee, especially since most can't use their magic/demonic powers at the time.
- Like Father, Like Son: Modeus remarks that Dante's determination in the face of Erza Knightwalker is just like that of Sparda.Modeus: You are your father's son Dante.
- Mythology Gag: Dante reminds Agni and Rudra about their deal with a simple "No. Talking".
- "Not So Different" Remark: Happy finds Dante's sheer determination in the face of a powerful opponent similar to Natsu's.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Dante is dead serious when putting a gun to Carla's head, making it clear how much she screwed up with her betrayal.
- One-Man Army: Dante and Modeus waste no time tearing through Edolas soldiers once they get out of their cell.
- Point of Divergence:
- Lisanna is present when Erza Knightwalker arrives to take her and Lucy, cutting off the latter attempts to appeal to similarities to their Erza. She is also the one Happy rescues, while Carla saves Lucy.
- Due to the presence of Dante, Fairy Tail stands their ground rather than fleeing as he engages in a one on one duel with The Dragon.
- The Power of Trust: Part of what gets Dante to put his grudge against Carla on hold is Happy appealing to the fact he trusts him.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Dante gives a glorious one to Erza Knightwalker.Dante: I kinda noticed something ever since I came to Edolas. Nearly everyone I've met in this messed up shit-hole world is a double of all my buddies back home in Earthland, I'm even good friends with the Erza in my world, too.
Knightwalker: Are you going to try to appeal to me? Tell me that I'm not too different from the Erza you know? If that is the case you're merely wasting your breath.
Dante: Oh don't worry, that's not where I'm going. See everyone I've met in Edolas is pretty much the opposite of everyone I know back in Earthland. My Erza is one of the strongest and most brave warriors I've ever met; and if you're really her opposite, that makes you a coward.
Knightwalker: What was that?
Dante: You heard me. You're a coward, plain and simple. My Erza charges in headfirst at a strong opponent, even going up against those stronger than her! You pick on people who are weaker than you, and everywhere you go you always have a bunch of tin-soldiers to guard your sorry ass! You're not just a coward, you're a bully. Have you ever faced a real challenge? I don't think so. I bet you just back away and let your buddy Nelo Angelo do the dirty work for you.
Knightwalker: You dare… No one speaks to me this way…
Dante: Hey, someone had to.
Knightwalker: I fear nothing! And certainly do not fear you!
Dante: Oh yeah? Prove it! Let's go, you and me, right here, right now! Unless you're too much of a pussy to do anything about it. - Title Drop: King Faust orders 'Code: ETD' as the exceeds come within range.
- True Companions: Happy and Carla affirm that despite being exceeds, they are Fairy Tail wizards first and foremost, and refuse to abandon them. Even Nelo Angelo is impressed.
- Villain Has a Point: Nelo Angelo continues to warn the Edolas captains about underestimating the wizards from Earthland, especially Dante, and is once again ignored. Said warnings come true when Dante and Modeus manage to escape and run roughshod over their soldiers.
- Villainous Breakdown: Erza Knightwalker grows increasingly enraged as her fight with Dante continues, culminating in being stunned silent once he gets up to keep fighting after being impaled.
- Villainous Valor: King Faust declares war against the exceeds and their Queen, who are viewed as angels and a goddess respectively, and even manages to rally the citizens and the magic knight captains in the process. Especially impressive given the latter have no innate.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Dante doesn't mince words when he tells Carla how much her needless secrecy screwed them all over, which she concedes is fair. This is also an upgrade given he originally planned to shoot her.
- Worf Had the Flu: Part of the reason Erza Knightwalker manages to inflict so many injuries on Dante is his reduced arsenal and lack of a Healing Factor.
- Would Hurt a Child: Byro shows no hesitation subjecting Wendy to the same painful extraction process as Natsu.
