To Sin Is Divine

Kael had heard rumors of him even during his time as a knight.

A ghost without a shadow. A man who never stopped moving. A weapon, once human, now something else entirely.

They called him Ten.

Because that was how many seconds most of his targets survived once he was seen.

And now Kael was hunting him—not to kill him, but to recruit him.

They arrived at the ruins of Fort Virell, an abandoned outpost on the edge of the northern territories. No soldiers. No priests. Just bones, dust, and the wind's slow, bitter moan.

Zayne shivered. "This place feels cursed."

Serah nodded. "No one lives here willingly. If he's here… it's not by choice."

Ren drew his daggers, eyes alert. "What kind of person lives in a place the Church has completely abandoned?"

Kael knelt, brushing ash from a blackened rune on the stone wall.

"One who doesn't sleep."

Deeper Inside the Ruins…

They moved silently through broken corridors, weapons ready.

[System Ping: Virtue Signature Detected]

"Trait: Diligence. Match Strength: 96%."

"Status: Cursed Host. Combat mode: Semi-active."

Suddenly—

A whistle in the air.

"DOWN!" Kael shouted.

A blade shot through the space where his head had been a second before—embedding into the wall behind him with surgical precision.

The team split.

Another blur—Ren barely dodged a spinning needle aimed at his temple.

"Fast," he grunted. "He's fast."

Then, a voice. Cold. Monotone. Tired.

"You crossed into my perimeter. State your intent."

Kael stood slowly.

From the shadows, a man emerged—tall, lean, dressed in dark armor stitched with broken Church threads. His eyes were hollow, ringed in black, and his hair fell loose around a face that hadn't seen rest in years.

"I am Ten," he said. "Tenth survivor of the Diligence Trial. The only one who passed."

Zayne whispered, "Trial?"

Kael nodded grimly. "The Church made him take a vow of eternal labor. They called it holy. But they cursed his body to reject rest."

Ten's blade spun once between his fingers.

"My orders were never lifted. Eliminate any unregistered targets within Fort Virell."

Kael stepped forward. "What if I override that order?"

Ten blinked slowly. "You have no Church seal."

"I'm not Church," Kael said. "Not anymore."

[System Triggered: Dialogue Override – Persuasion Attempt]

"Initiating connection: Virtue of Diligence."

Kael raised his voice. "Ten, you swore to fight for order. But the ones who gave you that purpose abandoned you. You've spent years fighting a war that ended in silence."

Ten didn't move. His grip tightened.

"You've lived in pain for so long," Kael continued. "But I'm offering you something else."

"Purpose?"

"No," Kael said. "Release."

[System Prompt: Virtue Resonance Detected – Stability Threshold: 20%]

Ten's body trembled.

"I… don't know how to stop."

Kael's voice lowered. "Then let us carry the burden with you."

Serah stepped forward. "You don't need to suffer alone."

Ren shrugged. "We've all got baggage, man. Yours is just… wrapped tighter."

Zayne nodded. "You're not broken. You're proof the Church failed."

Ten slowly lowered his weapon.

[Virtue Triggered: Diligence +10]

"Cursed Focus destabilizing… critical threshold breached."

"Status: Host may collapse."

He blinked.

And fell.

Kael caught him before he hit the floor.

Ten's breathing was shallow, as if his body had forgotten how to rest.

Kael looked at the system.

[Curse Lifted: Rest Protocol Engaged]

[Virtue Bearer Confirmed: Ten – Diligence]

[Skill Acquired: Relentless Rhythm Lv.1]

"Temporarily pass Diligence buff to an ally. Increases speed, stamina, and awareness for 60 seconds."

Ten whispered through cracked lips, "Sleep… hurts."

Kael put a hand on his shoulder.

"Then rest in pieces. We'll fight while you recover."

Hours Later…

Ten slept in silence for the first time in a decade.

His fingers occasionally twitched from old muscle memory, but his face was peaceful.

Ren stood at the edge of the fire, flipping a coin.

"He's gonna be a monster when he wakes up, huh?"

Kael nodded. "Stronger than all of us in the right moment. But…"

Zayne tilted his head. "But?"

"He's not just power," Kael said. "He's a warning. What happens when a virtue is taken too far."

Serah stared into the fire. "Diligence without balance is madness."

Kael looked at them all.

"One by one, we're reclaiming what the Church perverted."

He stood.

"But the hardest part isn't finding the virtues."

He looked toward the mountains on the horizon—dark, jagged, and waiting.

"It's surviving what comes after."