Together

Chapter 30

"Third," she opened her mouth to speak. "Are you prepared to see the horrors of war?"

Complete silence filled the audience hall as they all stared at Lucy. Some with shock, some with confusion, while others grim. Her last question was indeed simple like she had said it would be but at the same time, it was a broad question.

"What do you mean by that?" Levy asked.

"Your question is too vague," Erza added. "Exactly what do you mean by 'horrors'?"

"Just this once, I have to agree with them," Rufus said.

Lucy frowned as she began walking towards the window of the audience hall. She touched the glass panel of it and looked outside towards the vast bustling city that stood before her.

"Fiore is a newly developed country that has yet gone to war," Lucy stated, observing the oblivious faces of the citizens. "In other words, no one in Fiore exactly knows how war is like."

"It's just a bloody battle is it not?" Ichiya replied.

"A bloody battle's not so bad compared to the fights between mages," Ren added.

Lucy scoffed. "That's what makes you guys naive."

"Excuse me?" Levy said, raising an eyebrow.

"We stabbed you a bunch of times and you say we're naive to the horrors of war?" Gray scoffed. "You've got to be kidding."

"In terms of fights, we're more experienced than any of you guys here," Natsu added.

Laxus looked at Lucy. Compared to the shy, embarrassed, and cute Lucy he usually had seen, the Lucy standing before him was someone different. Someone that had experienced an immortal life. Someone that had watched countless people around her die.

Lucy turned around and faced them.

"A 'bloody battle'?" she repeated. "You really think that with those two words, you can sum up what war is? And you think that just a few stabs into a body are called war?"

"What is it that you expect from us before going to war?" Minerva asked.

"What I want from you guys is a definite response stating that you're physically and mentally prepared to handle what a true war is," she answered.

Her eyes looking into the deepest depths of their soul. They were unaware of what war actually looked like. Compared to other countries, Fiore was like a bubble country. It kept all the harsh realities out and only allowed citizens to be aware of the positive events that were happening.

"Then this is our answer: We're going to war with you," Evergreen said on the behalf of everyone.

"Whether you like it or not," Bickslow smirked.

"Is there any other answer?" Carla smiled.

Lucy didn't bat a single eye at their answer and just stared at them. She looked down at her hand and then looked back up at them. She smiled.

"So what you're saying is," Lucy began to say as she pulled out a knife. "That even if I do this, you guys will be unfazed?"

She slashed her arm with the knife that she had pulled out, blood spurting everywhere and onto her white silk dress. All the knives that she had on hand were sharp enough to cleanly cut through a piece of paper. As the knife came into contact with her hand, it sliced through her flesh and bone cleanly. Her detached arm dropped to the floor as blood continued to spill onto the marble white floor. Hisui covered her mouth, resisting the urge to throw up as Arcadios went to cover Hisui's eyes.