Sephiroth. In Latin, the name means "divine emanation."
According to legend, when the universe was born, God released a force into the void. That force split into ten distinct aspects: kindness, wisdom, understanding, greatness, strength, beauty, victory, excellence, foundation, and heaven. Together, they formed the Tree of Life—the same celestial diagram seen in *Evangelion*, when the mass-produced EVA units and Unit-01 shaped it in the sky. In Jewish mysticism, it's a map of the world's fundamental laws.
When Shinra named its first perfect warrior from the Jenova Project "Sephiroth," it wasn't just symbolism. It was a wish—for this soldier to forge a new world.
The Jenova Project aimed to create super-soldiers by implanting alien cells into human hosts. But Jenova's cells, built to cross galaxies, were far too powerful. Human bodies couldn't handle them. Collapse was inevitable.
Eventually, Hojo and Lucrecia—two of Shinra's top researchers—used their own DNA to create an embryo that could coexist with Jenova from the start. Lucrecia carried the child to term. The result was Sephiroth, a being who could fully integrate with Jenova's power.
Later, Shinra used Sephiroth's cells to produce clones. His genetic material proved more compatible with humans than Jenova's original strain.
But reaching for the divine with human hands comes at a cost. You never know if you're grasping an angel's feather—or a demon's wing. Shinra fell. What remained was Sephiroth's tragedy—and the many others born from it.
Even before he knew the truth about himself, Sephiroth was terrifying. A Gold-tier warrior, strong enough to bring Shinra's city to its knees. During the war two years ago, he was holding back—forced to suppress the ultimate White Magic while sustaining the ultimate Black Magic. Even surrounded, he wouldn't have lost otherwise.
Now, he was back.
With a single swing of his three-meter-long Masamune, he knocked away both Cloud's greatsword and Magnor's longsword. The force of the blow sent them flying.
Sephiroth hadn't lost a step.
He landed atop a nearby skyscraper, silver hair trailing behind him. His presence alone made the air feel heavier. Everyone below braced themselves, unsure if they were preparing to fight—or to die.
He looked at Cloud—not with fury, but something quieter. Regret, maybe.
"You've rid yourself of the Geostigma," he said. "A shame."
Magnor stepped forward. "Are you Sephiroth now—or Rime?"
The silver-haired swordsman gave a faint smile. "Who knows?"
Truth was, even he didn't know. Was he Jack Harper, the adventurer from the Reincarnation Realm? Or Sephiroth, the angel of destruction?
In the original timeline, Vincent had called the three Remnants "Sephiroth's larvae." Each carried a fragment of his will—too weak to manifest fully. They needed stronger cells to evolve.
But Jack Harper had changed everything. He absorbed the cells, energy, and memories of all three Remnants. That made him a partial Sephiroth. When he fused with Jenova's original head tissue, the remaining Sephiroth consciousness awakened. It merged with the Remnants' memories and Jack's own.
Had Sephiroth retained his body, he would've crushed Jack's mind and erased his identity. That's how Jenova cells work—the stronger will devours the weaker. Jack wouldn't have lasted a second.
But Sephiroth's body had been destroyed. All that remained was his will. Without Jenova cells of his own, he had no choice but to inhabit Jack's body. He couldn't destroy Jack's consciousness—if Jack's mind collapsed, Sephiroth would lose his vessel.
Even so, Sephiroth's mental strength was overwhelming. Jack survived only by retreating—surrendering most of his inner world and hiding his core self deep within a dreamlike sanctuary. He became a spectator.
Sephiroth, unable to erase Jack, fused their memories into a single composite mind. He took control.
Due to Jack's precautions—and the rules of the Reincarnation Realm—Sephiroth couldn't access information about the realm or the overarching story.
Now, the one driving this body was Sephiroth. But he carried fragments of Jack's memories and abilities. Even he couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.
Not that he cared.
He'd never truly known who he was. A test subject. A hero. Jenova's heir. A vessel of ancient planetary knowledge. Which version was real? He couldn't say.
So what if there was one more layer of confusion?
No one else cared. Back then, they saw a hero. Today, they saw a monster.
Cloud's voice cut through the silence. "What are you planning?"
Sephiroth's eyes gleamed. "The souls of those who died from Geostigma flow through the Life Stream. They're changing it—corrupting it. Soon, the planet will belong to us."
He paused, then added, "My dream, Cloud, is to use this planet as a vessel. To cross the dark void of space. Just like Mother did."
He raised his hand.
Dark clouds surged from nowhere, rolling across the sky like a tidal wave. Within seconds, they blotted out the sun. Above Sephiroth, a massive vortex formed—like a storm ready to swallow the world.
Jack had always wondered about this scene in the movie. It looked dramatic, but seemed pointless. Now, fused with Sephiroth, he understood.
From the moment Sephiroth appeared, Jack felt it—hostility, everywhere. The planet itself was rejecting him. Aerith's spirit led the charge. The Life Stream was preparing to strike.
Two years ago, that force had destroyed a meteor the size of a city. If Sephiroth's new body took the hit directly, it wouldn't last.
Luckily, Jenova had planned ahead. The souls lost to Geostigma had returned to the Life Stream—tainted. Over two years, Jenova's corruption had spread. Now, Sephiroth summoned that blackened stream, forming a barrier above Shinra's city. It would shield him from the planet's wrath.
"…One day, we'll find a new world. And build our future there."
Cloud didn't flinch. "And this planet?"
"That depends on you."
Then Sephiroth moved.
Three slashes—fast, brutal—sent Cloud flying and shattered Magnor's sword technique. A spinning elbow knocked Magnor down. A sweeping strike forced back Red XIII and Flora's awakened form. A kick sent Yuffie's giant shuriken spiraling away.
Barret transformed his arm into triple-barreled guns and opened fire. Bullets rained down like a storm.
Vincent joined in, firing precise shots between the gaps in Barret's barrage.
Sephiroth didn't dodge. His wrist twitched, and the Masamune rippled like silk. It shimmered, weaving a curtain of silver light. With one sweep, he deflected every bullet—then lunged.
Barret was too slow. Vincent stepped in.
His left hand swelled, transforming into a monstrous claw. It clashed with Sephiroth's blade, sparks flying. For the first time, Sephiroth was stopped.
Barret fired his energy cannon—a glowing green blast the size of a car. Vincent dodged just in time.
Sephiroth leapt to avoid the shot. Vincent was waiting.
"Sky Piercing Strike!" Cid dove from above, spear reversed.
"Thunder Summon!" Tifa cast lightning from the left.
"Braver!" Cloud attacked from the right.
Magnor struck from behind.
Sephiroth was surrounded.
But he didn't need to escape.
"Eightfold Flash."
Eight slashes exploded outward. Cid was knocked from the sky. Tifa's spell shattered. Vincent took two hits—his demon arm torn open. Magnor escaped by sacrificing his sword, but his left hand was pierced. Cloud blocked both strikes, but lost one of his blades.
Sephiroth wasn't done.
Using the shockwave from Barret's cannon, he launched into the sky—two hundred meters up. Then he twisted, swung, and unleashed a slash over a hundred meters long. Buildings split in silence.
And then came eight more.
"Move!" someone shouted.
Chaos erupted.
Even Cloud couldn't cancel the blade waves—only deflect them. Most of the heroes had never seen Sephiroth fight like this. In the original battle, he was weakened, immobile, and unarmed. Now, he was free—and fully powered.
Jack Harper had fused the Remnants into himself. He could convert cold into life force. Sephiroth's energy was endless. He didn't need to hold back.
The nine blade waves were just the first half of his ultimate move: "Godspeed."
As the final arc faded, Sephiroth vanished.
Then he dropped—silver hair trailing behind him—and locked onto his first target.