To Sin Is Divine

"Do not think I feared sin. I loved it. I simply loved order more."

—Lucien, final sermon before the Cataclysm War

The God-Killer's Blade

Lucien drew a weapon unlike any they'd seen before.

A sword forged from the last page of the Codex — shimmering with celestial law. With every step he took, the cathedral reshaped itself, pulling columns from light and staircases from silence.

He wore no armor.

He was armor.

"Your sin is choice," he said. "And I am your consequence."

Kael raised his blade, flanked by the others.

"No more chains," Kael said. "No more thrones."

Lucien's eyes flashed gold.

"Then let us see how divinity dies."

Phase One: The Dance of Dogma

Lucien struck first — and the world shattered.

The cathedral twisted into a courtroom, a battlefield, a holy text come to life.

Each of Lucien's attacks was a doctrine, spoken as scripture, and backed by divine truth.

"By the Law of Judgment: Fall!"

Zayne blocked the strike — barely.

"By the Rite of Mercy: Kneel!"

Serah was forced to the ground by an invisible weight.

Ten lunged and slashed Lucien across the chest — but the wound closed instantly, healed by Faith Manifest.

Elyan's eyes widened.

"He's using the Codex as a living artifact. Every law we ever obeyed… he can weaponize it."

Phase Two: The Shattered Virtues

Lucien extended his hand — and tore seven pages from the air.

Each page turned into a spectral avatar of a Virtue:

Chastity in chains

Charity in blood

Humility with no face

Diligence grinding its own bones

They attacked — not just physically, but spiritually.

Each Bearer was forced to defend the very Virtue they carried.

"You turned purity into power," Lucien whispered to Serah. "You weaponized restraint."

"You made generosity a transaction," he told Ren.

Serah bit her lip. "We never claimed to be perfect."

Kael shouted, "That's what makes us real!"

Zayne unleashed Sanctify, purging three of the spectral avatars.

Ren overloaded his sin-core and burned the avatar of Charity with a grin.

"Guess I gave too much for once."

The Turn: Lucien's Final Revelation

Lucien staggered.

The Codex cracked.

Kael saw his chance — and drove his blade toward Lucien's chest.

But before it could land—

Lucien let it hit.

The blade pierced through.

Blood spilled.

And Lucien laughed.

"You still don't see."

"I'm not fighting you."

"I'm freeing you."

The cathedral exploded in divine light.

System Alert: [Code: S0-1N // Ascension Triggered]

Lucien is dying.

The Codex is breaking.

A dormant god-fragment is activating.

The room trembled.

Kael shouted, "What the hell did he just do?!"

Lucien, on his knees, smiled as golden veins ran up his arms.

"I was never meant to win."

"I was meant to open the gate."

A burning tear opened in reality behind him.

A winged figure — neither angel nor demon — stepped halfway through.

It looked at Kael.

It had his face.

Final Lines

Lucien collapsed. His final words:

"I only delayed what was always coming."

"You broke the system… but something else broke out."

Kael stepped back as his team surrounded him.

Serah asked, "What… what is that?"

Zayne raised his shield. "It's not from this world."

Kael stared at the winged version of himself, floating beyond the tear in reality.

It smiled.

"I am what you become… if you choose everything."