DESTINY

is the 38th episode of the Fairy Tail anime. It first aired on July 19, 2010.

While Etherion is getting ready to fire, Shô and Erza Scarlet encounter Ikaruga and fight her. After coming out victorious, Erza heads towards the top of the Tower of Heaven and fights Jellal Fernandes.

Synopsis
Etherion is almost ready to be fired. While the technicians are working on it, bystanders watch with amazed eyes. The Council members are arguing on the ethics of this decision, and, even though it is justified by law, they still feel unsure. Not far from them, Siegrain and Ultear are discussing Siegrain's dream -which is left unknown- while Siegrain feels shaky. Behind their backs, Elder Yajima is hearing every word.

Meanwhile, two battles have ended; Gray has beaten Fukuro and Natsu is safe, while Lucy and Juvia have won against Vidaldus. The girls are then found by Wally and Millianna, but Lucy is just too tired to stand up to them and pretends to be unconscious. Simon has contacted his comrades though, and has told them to protect the girls and get them out of the tower.

Meanwhile, Shô -still holding Erza inside one of his cards- is running towards Jellal. He enters a room with a huge bridge and a few sakura trees and finds that Ikaruga is waiting for them. He wants to get past her quickly to engage Jellal and attacks her, but Ikauga cuts his cards in half, along with the road and his nerves, in just two slashes. Erza demands to be released from the card, but Shô insists that she is safe where she is. Ikaruga sees this as a challenge and attacks Erza whilst Erza is in the card. To Shô's disbelief, Erza is forced to block the blow as Ikaruga's sword has cut through his dimensional barrier. Ikaruga attacks again, and by doing so creates a distortion in the dimension, allowing Erza to free herself from the card. Shô remarks that a sword that can cut through dimensions is amazing, but the fact that Erza managed to take advantage of that power even more so.

When Erza gets out, her armor crumbles. Ikaruga laughs and teases Erza on the fact that Erza did not see her move to attack. Erza regains her composure and requips to her Heaven's Wheel Armor. After clashing swords briefly Ikaruga is able to destroy it and charges Erza with a flame attack. Erza quickly requips into her Flame Empress Armor, but Ikaruga smashes it too. Erza then brings out her ultimate armor, Purgatory Armor, but once again Ikaruga is able to crush it to pieces. Erza then shocks everyone by requipping into normal clothes. Shô questions this choice, stating that Erza must have many other strong armors. He begs her to keep fighting and to not give up, as she is strong. Erza responds that she is not strong, as she always needs armor for protection.

Erza claims that her armor does not make her strong, rather it is a way for her to hide her true emotions and always appear strong, even when she feels weak. She goes on to say that her armor is the block that separates her from other people. Because of her friends' love and warmth she feels she is no longer lost, and rather than using her armor to protect herself she will allow her friends to help her. Ikaruga remarks that she will still attack, even if her opponent is naked, but Erza moves to engage her anyway. In their final and brief clash, one of Erza’s swords is destroyed, but it is Ikaruga along with her sword who lose. Before fainting, she informs them that only 15 minutes are left until Etherion falls.

Meanwhile, Simon and Natsu are climbing the stairs outside the tower to make their way to Jellal. As they speak, Gray, Happy, Lucy and Juvia, along with Shô, Millianna and Wally are leaving on the same boat that the team used to get to the island. However, as they are leaving they all fight over whether or not to turn around and assist in the fighting, but Happy quiets them by stating that they can do nothing for the others now, except to hold the belief that everyone will be fine. Simon tells Natsu that he must help Erza, but Natsu refuses.

Whilst the others are arguing, Erza reaches Jellal. Jellal seems calm, even though he is very much aware of the imminent collision. Erza’s final hope is to keep Jellal busy for as long as it takes for Etherion to fall, so that they may both perish together. Jellal brushes her off, claiming that it is her destiny to be used as Zeref’s sacrifice. Erza then questions whether Etherion will fall at all, but Jellal insists that it will. The two then begin their fight.

Natsu starts arguing with Simon. Simon wants him to go and help Erza, but Natsu refuses, saying that she needs to conquer her own demons. Simon continues by saying that Erza will not beat Jellal, as she wants to save him, and Jellal will try to use it against her. He voices his concerns of Erza’s kamikaze plans, and Natsu, at this point furious, demands to be brought to her.

In a room at the top of the tower Erza and Jellal have continue to battle. Jellal is amused by Erza's perseverance, and after a series of small blows he finally cages her in one of his dark magics. Remembering her comrades of Fairy Tail and the tower, Erza blasts out of the cage and knocks Jellal down. Shocked, he asks himself if this is the real Erza.

Fights

 * Erza Scarlet & Shô vs. Ikaruga (started and concluded)
 * Erza Scarlet vs. Jellal Fernandes (started)

Spells used

 * Card Dimension
 * Dark Mass
 * Dark Ray
 * Darkness Cage
 * Dark Mass
 * Dark Ray
 * Darkness Cage

Abilities used

 * Swordsmanship

Weapons used

 * Magic Cards
 * Swords
 * Etherion Machine
 * Etherion Machine

Manga & Anime Differences

 * The design of the Tower of Heaven varies greatly between the anime and the manga, with the tower in the manga being much more straight and symmetrical. The tower featured in the anime has a much more "jagged" appearance, looking like a huge twist of metal with giant bits of Lacrima jutting out of it.
 * The anime includes some extra aftermath of both Lucy and Juvia's battle against Vidaldus and Gray and Natsu's fight with Fukuro.
 * There are some extra scenes of Etherion preparing to be fired in the anime.
 * The anime extends the scene where Wally and Millianna find Juvia and Lucy.
 * In the manga, Erza and Shô encounter Ikaruga in a hallway. In the anime, they meet on a bridge surrounded by water and cherry blossom trees.
 * Erza's Heart Kreuz armors appearance differs slightly between the anime and the manga.
 * When Ikaruga attacks Erza with fire in the manga, Erza is flung backwards into a wall. In the anime, Erza simply slides backwards along the bridge.
 * The appearance of Erza's Purgatory Armor differs between the manga and the anime.
 * When Erza requips her Purgatory Armor in the manga, Ikaruga destroys it instantly. In the anime however, Erza and Ikaruga exchange a series of blows before the Purgatory Armor is destroyed.
 * During Ikaruga and Erza final blow in the manga, Erza's shoulder is sliced open. The anime does not show this.
 * Whilst Simon is carrying Natsu to Jellal he is shown walking up a flight of stairs outside the tower. In the manga, he is seen carrying Natsu down a corridor.
 * The anime adds a short scene showing the towers guards sailing away to avoid being hit by Etherion.
 * The argument about whether Gray, Juvia, Lucy, Millianna, Shô, Wally and Happy should turn their boat around was extended in the anime.
 * When Jellal goes to trap Erza in his Darkness Cage in the manga, Erza immediately escapes and attacks him. In the anime, she becomes trapped and only frees herself after hearing all of the encouraging things her friends have told her.