In the Kingdom of Fiore, Zash Caine, the Kingdom of Stella's minister of state and a practitioner of black magic, steals the Dragon Cry, a mystical staff discovered in the dragon graveyard beneath the capital city of Crocus. Fiore's royal family recruits Natsu Dragneel and his team from the Fairy Tail guild to recover the staff, which is imbued with magical power capable of annihilating the kingdom. The wizards pursue Zash to Stella, whose ruler, King Animus, intends to use the staff for a ritual. Natsu accidentally alerts Zash to their presence upon touching the staff. After a lengthy pursuit, Fairy Tail is captured by Zash and the kingdom's elite military unit, the Three Stars.