▶┆Chapter eighty-nine [89]

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❝I can't love you, I'm too scared to.❞

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★·.·'¯'·.·★ иσямαℓ ρ.σ.ν. ★·.·'¯'·.·★

SHE SOARED ACROSS THE ROOM from the force of the blow. Everything hurt―pain seemed to linger like a bitter reminder. Webs of agony spread throughout her chest, making her head ache and her ears ring sharply. Her newly sapphire-hued orbs trailed up to stare at the master―and even she didn't know if her gaze was filled with deadly rebellion or silent submission. 

Her dainty hand gingerly moved to wipe away the crimson blood that trailed down her chin. It smeared across the back of her hand, and the scent of metallic pennies lingered. She clutched her arm against her side, battling against the grimace that threatened to overtake her features. 

What was she to do? His eyes glowered back at her, merciless and cold. Like a daunting storm rolling in; as gray and turbulent as a hurricane. 

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy," The master chided mockingly. She fruitlessly searched for the strength to glare back, her swollen eye already narrowed into a slit. 

"Just because I need something from you, does not mean you can disrespect me. I am your superior―I am better! You'd be smart not to forget that. I could exterminate you so easily, it isn't even funny."

Lucy's lips stretched into a feral, repulsive sneer. She resembled a wolf tormented by feelings of aggression and blood-lust.

"Just keep talking―maybe soon you'll say something intelligent," She snapped dryly, her blood-stained teeth gleaming a brilliant vermillion when she bared her teeth in a half-grin, half-snarl.

The master's face clouded with rage. His chest puffed out, and his eyebrows threatened to stretch past his ruthless eyes. He clenched his jaw, abruptly waltzing towards her sprawled out form.

Lucy's mouth parted in a gasp of pain when he seized a handful of her supple blonde hair. He brutally hauled her into the air, and she suppressed the scream that begged to be discharged. He maintained her at eye level, his horrible, horrible eyes glaring daggers into her own radiant orbs.

Her hair ached― it burned like a raging inferno. For once in a very long time, she loathed her long hair. 

"Listen here. I do not like you. And you know what happens to people I don't like? They get eliminated," He barked in her face, spittle splattering on her bruised and battered form.

Lucy's face was disgruntled and scrunched up in suffering, but she somehow managed to find a scrap of power. 

"H-Ha..." She chuckled weakly, wheezing out what appeared to be a broken laugh. He rose an eyebrow, quick to violence.

"What?" He snapped angrily. "What's so funny, you insignificant brat?!" 

The blonde lifted her head, ignoring the way her head shrieked at her for doing so. 

"Y-you won't. Y-ou can't," Lucy choked out, another trail of blood dribbling down the side of her jaw.

"Oh?" He inquired, a dark gleam settling in his gaze. There was something else though. There was...fear? Fear, that maybe Lucy possessed more will than he'd be able to break. Perhaps she was already aware of just how much he needed her; of how much he required her to crush Fairy Tail. 

"You need me...y-ou need me to get F-Fairy Tail for you," She responded, her voice raspy and bubbling with anguish. She wasn't stupid―she was aware of what one of the common punishments was for girls who disobeyed the master. Something vile, something she didn't dare even think of. It didn't happen often―it usually depended on the crime―but, it still did. It made Lucy sick to her stomach, and maybe, just maybe she regretted everything. 

She wasn't cut out to be a hero―to be a good guy. That much was obvious.

But she wasn't cut out to be a villain either. She didn't want to be evil.

She had no place; nowhere she belonged.

But then she thought of Sting. She had just left him...had she really tossed away her last chance at happiness? She had discarded it like crumpled paper. Lucy contemplated leaving this place―she considered giving up the notion of revenge and just returning to Sting. Lucy could hug Yukino another time, could laugh with Rogue again, and the blonde could cuddle the two adorable exceeds once more. And most of all, she could embrace Sting, and express how sorry she was. How sorry she was for running, for leaving him―for choosing a path of vendetta over him. 

Perhaps that's where her strength came from; where the sudden urge to show the master who he was dealing with originated from. The pain had dulled slightly―or maybe she had just grown numb to it already. 

"You're right..." The master said finally. "But, that doesn't mean I can't have fun with you in the meantime, neh?" He smirked, his teeth awfully vicious looking.

Any words that she had planned to say slipped from her tongue. It felt like her mouth was stuffed with cotton―Lucy tried to force words out, but nothing escaped. 

The man's eyes glinted again, and Lucy was horrified when they trailed down to her ample chest that was slightly exposed because of the brutal beating she had endured. 

"After all...I do have a wizard on my side who can brainwash others...tch, it's the only thing that dumb brat is good for."

When his hand―his grimy and wicked hand―moved to grasp onto her chest, she snarled like a wildcat. She thrashed around, her raw fingers swiftly moving to her hair to try and rip it out of his grip―but he refused to release her. 

At that moment, she wished she was invisible. Lucy wished she was just gone. A sickening feeling of revulsion boiled in her veins, and the impulse to the throw-up urged her. She wanted to fight―to do anything to remove the man's filthy fingers from her breasts.

She pondered the thought for a split-second. She could fight! Except...there were hundreds of reinforcements just in this building alone. All she'd accomplish is securing her death. And...despite all that had happened to her, she didn't want to give into darkness so soon.

"Don't struggle...it'll be better if you learn to be obedient," He cooed in a disturbing manner. 

His right hand loitered down her body, moving precariously close to her nether regions.

Something in her snapped. She didn't care about the consequences. Death be damned, she'd much rather be dead than be put through this. Lucy at this point would brave through the quandaries that faced her. The blonde wouldn't give in―even if she couldn't complete her revenge, Lucy would still hold true to her promise of being strong. 

"Requip; Dagger," The blonde girl stated as fast and quick as a stroke of Laxus's lightning. Before the master could even react, she had a knife at his throat. 

His smile disappeared, turning into a murderous glare. There was something sinister in his gaze―something primal, so very savage. He swallowed, eyes narrowing into crevices.

"Remove your knife at once, Heartfilia, or I'll have you killed," He ordered darkly. Unlike before, she was not scared. She either walked out of this room dead, or alive, but either way, she'd be sure to make her last moments worth something.

"Oh?~" She purred, able to fully disregard the pain surging through her. "I'd have you bleeding buckets before anyone could even make it in here."

As if to emphasize her point, Lucy thrusted the knife closer to his neck and relished in the drop of blood that pooled on his chest. He gulped, aware now that this threat was all too real.

"You don't have it in you," He growled, his leer as ugly and despicable as a murderer―which he technically was one.

She rose an eyebrow, eyes glowering and body tense. "I don't?" She highlighted every word, her statement saturated with hostility. 

He stared right back, his mouth curling into a large Cheshire cat grin. "No, you don't" He seemed awfully sure of himself. 

"You're a weak-hearted, brat from some trash light guild. They were in the right to throw you out―you're pathetic and useless. There's no way you could kill me," He guffawed maniacally, his chuckles becoming hysterical and crazy. 

Suddenly, his laughter stopped―everything was quiet for a second.

Lucy had thrusted the dagger.