"See, Braxill?" Levy shouted, his voice ringing with victory. "This is how you get things done, not by believing in silly Art or some stupid god."
The parasites, now closing in on him at a faster rate, nearly caught him, but he was too swift. However, in an instant, his grand Mancer Stage shut off, and he reverted back to his normal state. "Darn it, I ran out of Abi!" he yelled in frustration.
A parasite lunged, but he managed to evade it. Another, however, struck him, sending him sprawling across the ground. A third kicked him in the opposite direction, and several more fired thin, needle-like projectiles that sank into his skin. He screamed, unable to move as his body became a pincushion of pain.
"Braxill! Help him!" Gravixor screamed, her voice laced with worry.
"No," Braxill replied, his voice cold.
Gravixor and Peekol stared at him, shocked. "He called Joy stupid," Braxill continued, his expression hard. "He made fun of women. He made fun of my friends. Why should I help him?"
"Because he's just a child like you," Gravixor pleaded.
"But his father sides with King Mr. Green, the person who kidnapped Grixie and Moco," Braxill shot back, a flash of genuine hurt in his eyes.
"Braxill, please help him," Peekol begged, his voice trembling. The parasites slowly approached Levy, licking their lips in anticipation.
"Screw you, Braxill, and your god!" Levy screamed, tears streaming down his face. "I'll never acknowledge him or my mom! I hate her! It's because of her I'm considered poor!" Gravixor screamed again, her desperation reaching its peak.
"Braxill, help him already!"
The parasites lifted Levy, holding him over a gaping maw. Gravixor rushed in to save him, but a parasite grabbed her legs, smashing her onto the ground. Peekol, paralyzed with fear, could only watch.
"Please don't eat me," Levy whimpered, a small burst of Abi energy shooting from his hand, slightly stumbling the parasite. He dropped to the floor and crawled. He looked at Braxill, his eyes full of terror. "Please, don't let me die."
"I can't help you," Braxill said, his voice flat.
"You're supposed to be an artist!" Levy cried. "You're supposed to save people!"
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"I can't help you" Braxill repeated. The parasite gathered itself and slowly walked towards Levy. Gravixor, pinned to the ground, let out one final, desperate scream.
"Braxill, don't be stupid, help him!"
Suddenly, her scream awakened something in Braxill's memory. A faint woman's voice echoed in his mind. "You are nothing, your Art is nothing." Braxill's face went cold, and his eyes turned black, filled with swirling, ethereal energy. A single tear dripped down his face.
The voice spoke again. "You're nothing, stupid boy."
"Stupid boy," Braxill whispered, his voice cracking. "Stupid boy." The voice repeated the insult, thousands of times over, multiplying in his head.
"You're nothing but a ninja!"
Braxill's eyes opened wide, the black energy fading. "What does that mean?" Gravixor, now terrified, began to crawl back in fear. The taunting voice began to fade into the background. Braxill's bear ears returned. He shook his head, a mix of exhaustion and fury on his face.
"What did you say to me?" he shouted. The woman's voice began to multiply in his head by the thousands. "Stupid boy, stupid boy."
Braxill's ears flattened against his head as he reached his tipping point. "Stop yelling at me, darn it! That's all you've been doing all day is yelling and yelling! I'm not giving up Art, so shut up already, and I'm not a stupid ninja either!" Braxill shouted back, a side of him Gravixor had never seen before.
Suddenly, a shadow Grizzly beast began to form behind him.
Gravixor was taken aback, her mouth slightly agape. Braxill, angry but quickly realizing the fear in Gravixor's eyes as she crawled back, reigned in his fury. Even the parasites took a step back. Braxill took a deep, heavy breath, and the shadow beast dissipated.
"I can't help you because my Abi has not recovered!" Braxill said, the raw pain in his voice revealing the truth.
The boy sobbed, realizing his fate was sealed. The tentacles of the parasite grabbed him, slowly dragging him across the floor. "Gravixor, please, don't let it eat me!" he shouted. Gravixor, afraid and not knowing what to do, became teary-eyed. Peekol stood frozen in place.
Braxill pointed a finger at the boy, his voice stern and serious, despite his own emotional turmoil. "Levy, Art is a gift from Joy, the God of this universe. Blaming him for the world when you don't know anything about the world is just wrong. All the hatred in the world came from that same mindset. You wanna hate something? Hate the parasites, hate El Bacteria and the King, but don't blame Joy!"
Tears streamed down the boy's face. "Well then, where is this Joy?! Where was he when my friends were tossed off the island, or when my friends were killed by Deltas?! Where is he now?"
Braxill's expression softened, a gentle smile returning to his face. "Joy is all around us. You just gotta ask him for help. Like this: Joy, kill that parasite to save us all! Show everyone here your power!"
Gravixor, unsure what to make of it, looked to the sky. Peekol gazed into the sky. Even the parasite seemed to freeze, confused. However, when nothing seemed to happen It began to grow new teeth, its sights set on eating Levy.
But just as it moved to strike, the sky ripped open. A heavenly light shone down, bathing the scene in a brilliant glow. Gravixor and the boy looked up in utter confusion. The parasite was so shocked it released the boy, who fell to the ground. Gravixor rushed in, catching him just before he hit the earth.
From the glowing portal in the sky, a massive, colossal angel, covered in ethereal light, emerged. It pulled back an enormous bow with an arrow made of pure light and launched it. The arrow streaked across the sky, obliterating the parasite in seconds. Levy, falling to the ground, looked up to see the massive angel. The boy's face was a mask of utter shock. Peekol dropped his slingshot on the ground. Gravixor's eyes were wide with disbelief. Braxill, however, just smiled, his eyes twinkling.
"Joy," he whispered.