The Armored Mage

is the fifth episode of the Fairy Tail anime. It first aired on November 9, 2009.

Erza Scarlet returns to the Fairy Tail Guild and asks for the help of Natsu Dragneel, his partner Happy and Gray Fullbuster in a quest. Lucy Heartfilia tags along with the them as well. Together, the team works to uncover the goals of Dark Guild, Eisenwald, and the nature of the Dark Flute, Lullaby.

Synopsis
Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, and many of the other members of the Fairy Tail Guild need money and are looking over the job board. Mirajane explains to Lucy the way the guilds work and the leadership breakdown from the Magic Council to the Guild Master League when Lucy asks about the regular meeting Makarov had gone to. Mirajane adds that there are Dark Guilds that don’t adhere to the rules and regulations of the regular guilds and they are often involved with criminal activities. While Natsu and Lucy talk about getting a job as a team, Natsu ends up arguing with Gray Fullbuster.

However, Erza Scarlet arrives in the guild, causing Natsu and Gray to start acting buddy-buddy all of a sudden as well as shocking the rest of the guild into propriety. Lucy is surprised by the sudden change in the atmosphere caused by Erza's presence. It seems it's because Erza is one of the strongest Fairy Tail Mages and has beaten both Natsu and Gray to a pulp before. Erza asks Natsu and Gray to help her on the next mission. They agree in order to stay in her good graces. Lucy also comes along at the insistence of Mirajane to keep Natsu and Gray from fighting all the time.

Once they are aboard the train, Erza punches the motion-sick Natsu to knock him out and make the trip easier for him. She then tells the others about the mission and how she came to know it from overhearing the name "Erigor" and overhearing the discussion of Eisenwald members. They are to face off against another Dark Guild, Eisenwald, that is planning something evil with an item called Lullaby and they must stop them. Erza plans to head straight into Eisenwald, but since she feels that she cannot take on a whole guild by herself, she asked for the others' assistance.

They reach Onibus Town and they suddenly realize they forgot to get Natsu off the train. On the train, Natsu is feeling sick from the moving vehicle when he is approached by a Eisenwald member, Kageyama. He kicks Natsu in the face and says that they call the registered guild members "flies". Natsu starts to use his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, but gets sick. Kageyama uses his Shadow Magic and knocks Natsu across the train car. The train suddenly stops due to the fact that Erza pulls the emergency stop back at the station so they can catch up to the train. Now that it stopped moving, Natsu gets up and sees a strange-looking flute that has a skull on top with three eyes. Kageyama looks panicked because Natsu saw the flute and then he defends himself against Natsu's attack. Suddenly, the conductor announces that the stop was a false alarm. At first, Natsu wants to take the battle outside. But when the train starts to move again, he jumps out and just happens to hit heads with Gray as Erza drives their Magic Four-Wheeler to catch up to the train.

After Natsu and Gray come to their senses, Natsu tells them about what happened on the train and Erza is mad at him for not stopping Kageyama (although Natsu didn't know any better since she had knocked him out when they discussed the mission). Natsu tells them about the flute he saw and Lucy is shocked as she has read about the said flute, Lullaby. She explains to them that Lullaby is the Song of Death. Its tune can sap out the life out of those who hears it, a mass-death curse. Erza steps on the gas of the Magic Four-Wheeler and rushes towards Eisenwald.

Kageyama reaches Kunugi Station and all the passengers are run off the train by the Eisenwald Guild who claims that the train is their property. Kageyama presents the Lullaby to the ace of their guild, Erigor. With the Lullaby in hand, Erigor orders for Eisenwald to start operation.

Fights and Events

 * Erza and Gray Join Team Natsu (started and concluded)
 * Natsu Dragneel vs. Kageyama (started and concluded)
 * Eisenwald Takes Oshibana Town's Station Hostage (started)

Magic used

 * Summoned the Canis Minor, Nikora
 * Summoned the Canis Minor, Nikora
 * Summoned the Canis Minor, Nikora
 * Summoned the Canis Minor, Nikora
 * Summoned the Canis Minor, Nikora
 * Summoned the Canis Minor, Nikora
 * Summoned the Canis Minor, Nikora

Spells used

 * Guard Shadow
 * Guard Shadow

Items used

 * Magic Four-Wheeler
 * Self-Energy Plug
 * Celestial Spirit Gate Keys
 * Gate of the Canis Minor Key
 * Gate of the Canis Minor Key

Manga & Anime Differences

 * The Anime added a bit more scenes to show the everyday life of the Fairy Tail Guild in the beginning.
 * The conversation about Natsu and Happy chose Lucy for a teammate changed a bit.
 * Gray smoking wasn't seen in the anime.
 * The one that reminded Gray's clothes was Mirajane in the manga, while it was Cana in the anime.
 * Lucy didn't comment about Mirajane's artistic style in manga. And the image she drew was different.
 * Natsu-clothed Lucy wasn't present in the Anime.
 * Lucy didn't play a prank on Natsu and Gray about Erza's arrival in the anime.
 * The staredown between Natsu and Gray behind Erza's back wasn't present in the manga.
 * Wakaba was seen walking with his wife in the Manga. This was not present in the anime.
 * Erza didn't ask if Gray also wants to have a battle with her in the anime.
 * Natsu and the others riding on the train was also seen in the first opening Snow Fairy.
 * Plue wasn't seen on the train in the Manga. Plus the train ride was much longer in the anime than the Manga.
 * The order of explaining the reason for the mission and Gray's magic introduction was reversed.
 * In the bar that Erza was staying at, she was seen sitting at a table in the Manga. In the Anime, she was seen sitting near the barmen.
 * In the Manga, it was Lucy who realized that Natsu was still on the train. While in the anime, it was Happy who realized this instead.
 * The Conversation of Natsu with Kageyama was skipped out and went straight into kicking him in the anime.
 * In the Manga, it was Happy that pulled the Emergency Stop Lever but in the anime, it was Erza instead.
 * In the Anime, Erza asked a worker at the station to drop her luggage at the hotel. In the Manga, it was two random people who just happening to be passing through.
 * How the Lullaby popped out of Kageyama's Jacket was different in the Manga.
 * In the Manga, Kageyama didn't defend himself from Natsu's Attack.
 * The Train didn't explode when Natsu hit Kageyama in the Manga.
 * In the Anime, Natsu and Gray's headbutt was shown off-screen.
 * Natsu's memory loss argument with Gray was Removed in the anime.
 * An error occurs in the anime when Natsu explains that Someone attacked him on the train, the Armor for Erza's right arm is missing until the rest of the episode.
 * When Eisenwald began discussing Lullaby, they were in the train in the Manga. In the Anime, they were Outside of it.