The Masked Lumen Sage

The Masked Lumen Sage (name dubbed by fans) is Bayonetta's new rival in Bayonetta 2, and is referred to as the Masked Sage by fans and the developers.

Profile
As his name implies, he is aligned with Paradiso, the Laguna, and the Lumen Sages. The Masked Lumen is actually a young Balder, brought to the present by Loptr with the promise of getting revenge on the one responsible for the death of his lover. Believing it to be Loki, the Masked Lumen hounds the boy relentlessly.

Appearance
As the alias implies, the Masked Lumen's most notable feature is the polished golden mask he dons, which is set in the shape of a stylized Sun with nine circular indentations arrayed symmetrically across the mask's face. For attire, the Masked Lumen dons a white robe draped in gold lined patterns that extend over the sleeves, hood and coat. The robe also features red diamond-shaped patterns that run down along the chest to form a chain at the legs and also down his sides. The robe itself features gold rings of metal around the base of Masked Lumen's arms and also splits apart just below the waist to allow for fluid movement in combat. For footwear, the Sage wears white leather gold-toed boots with heels, making him appear somewhat feminine, but eloquently stylized and tall.

One of the Masked Lumen's most notable features is his weapon, a double-bladed glaive, which appears to be made of polished gold and ivory. Regal and extravagant in style to match his attire, the glaive is inset with amethyst-like gems that glow with power. Despite the materials it's made of, the glaive is extremely durable and sharp, cutting through brickwork with ease while also being able to hold its own against Bayonetta's demonic weaponry without shattering. The Sage is also capable of splitting the weapon into two smaller swords, utilising them in quick slashing attacks.

Powers and Abilities
In combat, the Masked Lumen's abilities seem to rival that of Bayonetta herself. The Sage is capable of manipulating time through the use of Light Speed and possesses superhuman strength, stamina, agility, and durability that allows him to match Bayonetta in single hand to hand combat. He is able to form defensive barriers, manifest multiple balls of celestial flames, create orbs of lightning and even allow himself to effectively fly through the use of feathered peacock wings. He also has the ability to use Beast Within as he is seen turning into a white wolf during his attacks on Bayonetta and also in cutscenes.

Greatest of all, however, appears to be the Masked Lumen's ability to conjure Paradiso's powerful Auditio, such as Fortitudo, Temperantia, and Sapientia by using white feathers as a conduit in a similar method to how Bayonetta uses her hair to summon Infernal Demons. The Masked Lumen can also summon the huge gilded limbs of them similar in style to Bayonetta's Wicked Weaves.

Story
Prior to the events of the first game, Balder and Rosa conceived Cereza and the pair broke the tenet that kept the clans delicate balance in place. Rosa was imprisoned for the rest of her life and Balder was exiled from his clan. He was later manipulated by the forces of light into spurring on the Witch Hunts and returned to the Crescent Valley sanctuary in order to protect his love. However, unknown to him, a figure from the shadows tried to kill him before Rosa stepped in the way. With her dying breath, Rosa pleaded with Balder to watch over their child and keep her safe from harm. As she died, Balder cried out for her as he was suddenly snatched away by a mysterious power.

Balder manifested at the top of the sacred mountain of Fimbulventr in the future where he was spoken to by Loptr. The mysterious figure said he would offer the Sage a chance at revenge for the one who killed his love and showed him where he could find the boy he thought was responsible. Donning a mask, Balder became the Masked Lumen and clashed with Bayonetta multiple times in his attempts to kill Loki.

After Balder is brought to the present and led to believe that Loki is the one he seeks for his revenge, he dons his titular mask and travels to Noatun to strike the boy down. He first appears in person before Loki as the boy is heading through a courtyard to get to Fimbulventr. Though Loki tries to use his cards to ward his attacker off, a single thrown feather from the Masked Lumen puts an end to it and the two engage in battle. Despite the boy's agility in avoiding most of his attacks, the Masked Lumen gains the upper hand and is about to strike him down until Bayonetta intervenes with a hail of bullets. Though they're easily dodged with his abilities, Bayonetta mistakes the Sage for one of Loki's 'assistants' to which the boy replies he has never seen his assailant before.

Bayonetta engages in combat with the Masked Lumen and seems to gain the upper hand with a dodge and a barrage of bullets heading towards her foe. However, the Sage enters Light Speed and easily tosses aside the bullets from his palm. As he throws Bayonetta away, she realises to her shock that he is a Lumen Sage. The pair continue their battle and eventually resort to summoning greater and greater beasts to fight in an epic duel which takes to the skies. In a final clash, Bayonetta and the Masked Lumen meet in midair and cause a huge explosion, leaving the end of the battle ambiguous as to who won.

The Masked Lumen appears again after Loki and Bayonetta have been swallowed by the demon Insidious. Realising that Loki is trapped, the Sage tries to strike him down before Bayonetta once again intervenes. The two duel once more and begin to destabilize the insides of the demon as they fight, eventually ending their conflict in a stalemate after summoning both Sapientia and Hydra respectively. Bayonetta noticed the Sage carrying a lipstick container around his neck to her shock. Loki, having broken free from his bonds, launches a card and damages the Sage's mask, revealing that he also possesses the Right Eye. Insidious then explodes and separates the three of them.

Later, after Bayonetta and Loki have reached the real Gates of Hell, the Masked Lumen returns with a projection of Loptr in turn and reveals his face to Loki to remind the boy of his crime. When Loki claims he doesn't know what he means, the Sage quickly resorts to violence. Bayonetta tries to intervene, but is stopped by Loptr, who insists that she fight him instead. After being pushed back, Loptr shows Bayonetta a vision of the past using the Remembrance of Time, trying to implicate Loki as the one who killed her mother. The vision also tells her that the Masked Lumen is really Balder and that he was not actually responsible for the Witch Hunts. Loki, using his quick thinking to avoid being killed, uses his cards to open the Gates and tells Bayonetta to let herself be dragged in to escape. The Masked Lumen follows them in just as the Gates close.

In Inferno, after once again being prevented from killing Loki, the Masked Lumen destroys his mask and reveals his true identity. He begins to use all of his older form's abilities to try and kill Bayonetta once and for all. However, despite gaining the upper hand in their fight, Loki is suddenly overcome with a powerful energy and create a shock wave of blue light that swallow up Bayonetta and the Sage together. The pair of them are transported back to the days of the Witch Hunts and Balder is able to see the truth that Loptr is actually the one who killed Rosa. When the pair return to Bayonetta's time, he resumes his former identity of Balder.

It is only when he sent back once again into the past along with Bayonetta that he realizes the truth: that Loptr is actually the one who killed Rosa, not Loki. Forming a temporary truce with Bayonetta, he returns with her to the present day and travels to Fimbulventr to stop Loptr's plan to become Aesir. Upon doing so, however, the pair of them play right into Loptr's hands and Balder loses the Right Eye to him. However, with the aid of Loki destroying the Eyes with his own powers, Balder is able to perform a giant summoning with his daughter to create a hybrid of Jubileus and Queen Sheba that sends Loptr's physical body flying into the waiting jaws of a Jeanne summoned Gomorrah.

Loptr's remaining soul attempts to use his remaining power in order to return to the spirit realm and be reborn in a new era. Before he is able to escape, Balder moves in his way and traps Loptr within himself in order to prevent his eventual rebirth. Loki warns him that Loptr is pure evil and that it will slowly corrupt him if he remains inside. Despite this, Balder is content with his sacrifice. He addresses Bayonetta as 'Cereza', revealing that he knew who she was since they met. He makes her promise that should he stray from his path, she will be the one to stop him and asks for her to call him 'Daddy' just one time. She obliges and promises his daughter that he will watch over her before disappearing back to his time.

Trivia

 * The mask the Masked Lumen wears has an eye symbol as a reference to the Right Eye.
 * The Masked Lumen's golden-white peacock wings when in flight are the same as the ones Father Rodin and his older form use when fought in the first Bayonetta.
 * The Masked Lumen sheds blood when he is hit in combat which promptly turns into golden feathers before disappearing. This is similar to Bayonetta as her blood turns into rose petals when she is damaged.
 * The Masked Lumen is the only character who is shown to be able to summon members of the Laguna and the first light-based boss character to use a melee weapon.