To Sin Is Divine

"You call yourself a man of choice. But if given the chance to be flawless… would you really stay broken?"

—Echo of Divinity

The Rift of Revelation

The sanctum was gone.

Shattered into a void of starlight, suspended symbols, and endless sky.

Kael stood alone — not by accident.

The tear Lucien opened had isolated him, pulling him into a place between worlds.

The others were behind the veil, banging on the light.

He couldn't hear them.

Only himself.

Or rather… the thing that looked like him.

The Echo hovered in the sky, feathered in light and laced with divine geometry.

Its face was perfect. Its posture proud. Its voice smooth.

"You are the mistake," it said. "I am what the Codex intended."

The Offer of Perfection

The Echo spread its wings. Seven halos spiraled behind its back — one for each Virtue.

"Lucien failed because he feared loss. You succeeded because you embraced it."

"Now take what's left. Ascend. And we will erase the suffering from the world forever."

Kael stared.

"I'm not a god."

The Echo tilted its head. "But you could be."

It waved a hand — and showed visions:

Serah, safe, untouched by battle

Ren, rich and laughing

Zayne, revered and respected

Elyan, his family restored

Ten, finally asleep

Kael… happy

"Take me in," the Echo said.

"And I will make these real."

Kael's Response

Kael walked forward slowly.

Then faster.

Then ran.

And punched the Echo in the face.

It staggered — surprised.

Kael spat blood. "I'm not perfect. I've made mistakes. I've failed people."

"But I earned every scar."

"And I won't trade truth for peace."

The Echo's expression shifted — no longer calm.

"Then you are not worthy to carry the weight."

Phase One: God vs Man

The Echo summoned a golden spear and charged.

Kael dodged, blade igniting with the last of his will.

They clashed in midair, the impact fracturing space.

Kael used Sevenfold Echo again — but it wasn't enough.

The Echo copied it, stronger, purer.

Kael was flung into a wall of light, ribs shattered.

"You fight with their strength," the Echo hissed.

"But you carry their weakness too."

The Moment of Collapse

Kael fell to one knee.

His sword cracked.

His aura flickered.

And in the silence, the Echo landed, calm once more.

"You could have ended war. Prevented future pain. Brought order to chaos. Why refuse that?"

Kael looked up.

"Because without choice, there's no humanity."

"And without humanity… there's no me."

The Bond Reawakens

Outside the veil, Serah's eyes flashed.

"He's falling—"

Zayne shouted, "Link us! Use the bond!"

Elyan chanted the spell to breach the veil.

Ten drove his blade into the floor and screamed:

"KAEL! We're not letting you break alone!"

Inside the void, Kael felt it.

Hands.

Memories.

Voices.

"Get up."

"You carried us."

"Now we carry you."

Kael rose.

And smiled.

Final Phase: Unity Ascended

[Virtue Unlocked: Unity Ascended]

"When choice is made in full awareness of cost, it transcends divinity."

Kael's blade reforged itself in light.

His eyes burned with color, not gold.

The Echo stepped back. "What… is this?"

Kael raised his sword.

"I'm not your better version."

"I'm your result."

He struck.

And this time, the Echo bled.

The Shattering

The final clash split the sky in two.

Kael's sword met the Echo's heart — and cracked it.

The Echo screamed — not in pain, but in realization.

"You are flawed—"

"And free," Kael finished.

The Echo collapsed into radiant dust.

Seven halos shattered.

And for the first time in ages…

The Codex stopped whispering.

System Alert

✅ [God-Fragment Contained]

✅ [Ascension Rejected]

✅ [Virtue Inversion Complete: Unity Over Divinity]

Return to the World

The veil shattered.

The Bearers ran to Kael — bloody, half-conscious, but standing.

Serah helped him stay up. "Did you… win?"

Kael nodded.

"No god. No throne."

"Just… us."