To Sin Is Divine

The Whispers Begin

Ten was the first to feel it.

A vibration beneath his skin.

Like footsteps always behind him.

He tightened his grip on his knife. His hand didn't shake, but his eyes—usually calm—twitched at the edges.

The others noticed.

Kael approached. "You okay?"

"No," Ten said flatly. "And that means it's near."

[System Alert: Sin Mirror Detected – Diligence Variant]

Designation: Ten_02 – "The Relentless Blade"

Location: Three kilometers north. Moving.

Speed: 8.4 meters per second.

Direction: Unknown.

Status: Constant pursuit.

The Setup

They reached a stretch of open desert north of Velharem.

Flat. Windless. Silent.

Then they heard it.

Footsteps.

Rapid. Unyielding.

And from the far edge of the horizon—

A blur.

A man sprinted at full speed, daggers in hand, mouth sewn shut, eyes wide and sleepless.

His skin was cracked. His muscles overworked to the point of tearing—but he kept running. Never slowing. Never breathing.

Ten stepped forward.

"That's me," he said quietly.

Serah frowned. "That thing looks like it hasn't rested in years."

Zayne whispered, "How is it still alive?"

Ten didn't answer.

The Confrontation

The Mirror skidded to a stop—dust flying, knees bent, ready to pounce.

It pointed a blade at Ten and shook its head violently.

"Stop moving," Ten said. "Just for a second."

The Mirror lunged.

Phase One: Blade Without Pause

The Mirror came at him with inhuman speed.

Every movement flowed into the next: slash, pivot, spin, stab. No hesitation. No rhythm.

[Skill: Endless Sequence]

"Every attack chains into another. Cannot be interrupted until target is overwhelmed."

Ten barely blocked the first twelve strikes.

On the thirteenth, his shoulder split open.

Blood sprayed.

He dropped to one knee.

Zayne raised a hand to intervene—but Kael stopped him.

"He has to do this alone."

The Real Fight

Ten rolled back, panting.

He knew this Mirror wasn't just fast.

It was pure willpower, corrupted.

The version of him that kept killing even when the mission was done.

The one that didn't know how to stop.

The Mirror circled him like a predator.

"Why?" Ten muttered. "What are you still fighting for?"

The Mirror paused… and began carving a message into its arm with a dagger.

NEVER ENOUGH. NEVER ENOUGH. NEVER ENOUGH.

Ten's eyes narrowed.

"You think if you stop, the past catches you."

He stood tall, blood trailing from his arm.

"I lived like that once too."

Memory Flash

He was back in the Black Dagger training pit.

A boy. Thirteen.

They told him to kill the target chained to the wall.

He refused.

They broke his ribs.

The next day, they gave him the same command.

He obeyed.

And he never stopped moving after that.

Back in the present, Ten clenched his fists.

"This ends now."

Phase Two: Reversal

[Virtue Ignition: Diligence – Ascended Form Triggered]

[Skill Unlocked: Second Wind]

"Reset all physical fatigue. Gain double speed and reflex for 10 seconds."

Ten vanished.

Flash.

He appeared behind the Mirror—struck it across the spine.

Flash.

He ducked under its retaliation and swept its legs.

Flash.

He pinned it by the throat with a dagger against its jaw.

The Mirror flailed.

But for the first time—it stopped moving.

The Conversation

Ten held the blade steady.

"I know what you are," he whispered.

"You're what I became when I stopped thinking and just kept executing orders."

The Mirror twitched, head jerking.

"But that's not diligence," Ten said. "That's fear."

He dropped the blade.

And stepped back.

The Mirror stared at him.

Then trembled.

Its body started glitching, spasming like a broken puppet.

It wanted to keep running—but there was no more fight to run from.

[System Message: Sin Mirror Ten_02 has lost identity anchor.]

"Error: purpose no longer valid."

The Mirror knelt.

Then shattered into glass dust, still in motion.

Aftermath

Ten stood alone for a long moment.

Kael approached.

"You beat it without killing it," Kael said.

Ten shook his head.

"No," he said. "I beat it by slowing down."

Zayne came over, healing his wounds.

Ren patted his back. "That thing was nightmare fuel."

Ten gave a rare, tired smile.

"Worse than that," he said. "It was me."

System Update

[Sin Mirror Defeated: Ten_02 – The Diligence That Never Sleeps]

[Virtue Strengthened: Diligence +10]

[New Skill Acquired: Second Wind]

"Reset all movement-based cooldowns and gain hyper-speed for 10 seconds."

Kael looked out at the open sand.

"That's four down."

Serah crossed her arms. "Three left. And they're going to be worse."

Ten slid his daggers away.

"Good."

Kael smiled.

"We'll finish this."