Suddenly a wave of Violet Abi crashed into him, send him flying onto the ground.
Lady Bug "I'm sorry kid, but your mothers friends murdered my husband. This was justice."
The shaking stopped. Levy's face shifted into something hollow, his eyes cold, distant, stripped of innocence.
Levy "But you just said it wasn't mother who did it, How is that justice?"
The words hit her harder than she expected. For a second, Lady Bug froze, her lips parting, her calm faltering.
Lady Bug: "Because..." — she hesitated, eyes narrowing, "it is only practical. She is guilty by association and disgusting filthy artists."
Levin stepped forward, summoning his mancer staff with a flare of Abi.
Ladybug's voice slithered through the silence. "Get it over with. The new order is here. We can start over again. Only this time... there will be no artists to destroy our peace."
Levin's boots crunched over the blood-soaked ground. He stopped just a few feet from his son.
"Father..." Levy's voice was barely a whisper. "Why, why would you do this? You're monster who never cared about me or mother. Mother said she loved me all the time. You never said you love me, I hate you?"
"Love is not practical for man. I gave you something better, logic, understanding, hierarchy"
"Father... are you going to kill me?"
"Don't call me that, you 're no son of mine" Levin hissed. "You're your mother's son. And she... is no more. Now, you must go."
"But..." Levy's eyes darted to his bloodied hands. Tears dripped down, leaving dark spots in the dirt. His chest heaved. "Gravixor, Braxill... please... I don't want to die."
"Nobody can save you," Levin said coldly.
Levy's body shook. Then his lips parted, and his voice cracked as he screamed into the heavens:
"JOY!"
Time stopped.
The wind froze mid-gust. Dust hung still in the air. And from above, a heavenly light pierced through the clouds and bathed the battlefield in warmth. Levy's eyes widened, breath caught in his throat. Something was descending from the light, an angel, radiant and familiar.
It was Naggí.
"Mother..." Levy whispered.
"My son," Naggí said gently, smiling through tears. "Thank you."
"Mother, wait, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"I forgive you, my son."
"Please don't leave me," Levy begged. "I have nobody."
"You have your Joy," she whispered. "And you will make many friends. So always remember to be kind to others. Don't just accept things because someone says so. Always read, learn, understand. You will grow into a strong man... but your strength will be in your empathy. That is how you will connect with others. That is how you will find a good wife."
Levy nodded, trying to hold back the tears. "I love you, Mother."
"I love you too," Naggí said. "Remember, never lose your Joy."
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Her form began to fade.
"Mother..." Levy's voice cracked. And then she was gone.
Time resumed.
Levin roared as he swung his staff downward, aiming to crush his son's skull. But the blow never landed.
A metallic clang split the air.
"No... how?" Levin's voice trembled.
"Did he just..." Ladybug whispered, stepping back.
Levy stood in the center of the battlefield, wielding his mother's bronze sword. Artist Abi blazed around him, swirling like living orange electricity. Tears streamed down his face, but they burned with rage.
"Father," Levy said, voice trembling with hatred, "I will never forgive you for what you've done." He turned to Ladybug, eyes narrowing. "And I won't forgive you either."
Before either of them could react, Levy blurred forward.
SHHHT!
Levin "Levy you have digraced me and your entire bloodline."
Levin instantly changed into his Terra 1 Grand Macer
Father and Son clashed in a battle of ideals.
Ladybug reached out to summon a grave hand but, Levy moved quickly, the strike of his sword was to fast for the naked eye
Lady Bug screamed. Her arm hit the ground, severed in an instant. Levin's eyes widened, he hadn't even seen his son move.
"He's... able to use art," Levin stammered. "Did he relinquish his Artimancery?"
Ladybug shrieked, clutching the bleeding stump. Levin summoned two colossal grave hand that tore through the air and lunged for Levy.
Levy swung his bronze sword once, and the hands shattered into pieces.
"Levy," Levin snarled, "you've disgraced the family name. You surrendered your Artimancery for your mother's art. You chose weakness over strength!"
"No!" Levy screamed, pushing forward with all his might. "You're wrong! Mother is not weak, you're weak! You kneel to the royals! You believe their lies! You're afraid to see the truth!"
Levin roared and surged forward, his superior strength overwhelming Levy and sending him sprawling into the dirt. Levy's sword scraped the ground as he stumbled back to his feet, gasping for air.
"You have no idea how pathetic you are," Levin growled. "You're not my son."
Levy's eyes burned with tears. "Then so be it..." he cried, lifting his sword high. "I am Levy, the Artist's Artimancer, son... of... JOY and Naggi The Bronze Knight!"
He thrust his sword into the air, and the ground trembled.
The Abi was so powerful it deactivated Levins Grand Macer Form.
"He can use Art and Artimancery at the same time."
A massive portal opened, swirling with both art and Artimancer energy. From within, something clawed its way out, a grotesque, monstrous bird-like hand, its talons dragging trenches through the soil as it emerged.
Levin staggered back, fear flickering across his face. "No way... that's the hand of a titan."
"How... how can he use both art and Artimancery?" Ladybug gasped, her voice trembling.
The monstrous hand screeched, crawling forward with terrifying speed. Levin's eyes widened. He turned and grabbed Ladybug by the arm, fleeing as the beast pursued them. They tore through shattered homes, but the hand crashed through walls and tore through streets, relentless in its pursuit.
"We have to run!" Levin shouted.
But there was nowhere left to go.
The titan hand lunged downward. Levin panicked, and threw Ladybug behind him. "Take her instead!"
The hand slammed into the ground, obliterating everything in its path. Ladybug's scream was brief, cut short as the crushing weight turned her body to pulp.
The hand rose again, its grotesque form twisting as it searched the rubble. But Levin was gone.
Levy stood at the center of the battlefield, chest heaving.
His Abi flickered, and his vision blurred. The bronze sword slipped from his fingers. He collapsed, falling back into his base form, and then into unconsciousness.
The wind howled over the broken land. Blood stained the ground.
And the boy who had lost everything lay motionless, his mother's final words echoing in his mind:
"Never lose your Joy."