The Sanctum shivered under the weight of its own energy. The fissures of the collapsed Rift still glowed faintly, but Sarah now stood firmly at the center, fully stabilized, Proto-Ascension fused with Lilith Fragment's consciousness. Her eyes shimmered with a layered crimson-lilac intensity, every heartbeat synchronized with her harem's steady, unwavering rhythm.
The three champions lay incapacitated but conscious, scattered across the chamber. Beyond them, the Outer Faction's remaining forces had regrouped at the edge of the breach—units that had previously tested her, now watching cautiously, their strategies readjusting to the newly revealed power.
Sarah took a deliberate step forward, her body resonating with Proto-Ascension at full efficiency. Every frôlement, glance, and heartbeat with her harem amplified the lattice, projecting her presence like a living weapon across the battlefield.
Sarah PV: 450 / Lv: 57 / Force: 260 / Desire: 4200 / Intelligence: 72 / Agility: 90
Rias stepped beside her, hand pressed to Sarah's waist, grounding and amplifying the lattice simultaneously. "We hold the line, and we push. All of us, together."
Akeno brushed along Sarah's forearm, lips brushing her ear. "Every pulse, every spark… weaponized. We've never been stronger."
Koneko's steady hands along Sarah's sides radiated stability, while Rossweisse's contact along her back projected kinetic control, maintaining perfect equilibrium. Xenovia mirrored her movements, arm tracing precise arcs of force, and Lilith Fragment's fully merged consciousness flowed through every touch, glance, and heartbeat.
Skill Activated: Ultimate Proto-Ascension – Offensive Deployment
Effect: Full integration with Lilith Fragment; Proto-Ascension now at maximum operational output; every tactile, emotional, and glance-based interaction fully weaponized; Charm Domain semi-sentient and capable of active battlefield manipulation; temporary +500 Force, +900 Desire, +250 Agility; harem moves as a single, unstoppable offensive organism.
The Outer Faction hesitated. Their champions incapacitated, their reconnaissance units scattered, the remaining forces faced an opponent that could anticipate, counter, and dominate in perfect synchrony.
Sarah inhaled. Her body thrummed with anticipation. She advanced toward the frontline, harem aligned in Formation Alpha: perfect offensive vectors, every motion designed to maximize lattice output.
Skill Triggered: Converged Devastation Strike – Proto-Ascension Offensive
Effect: All Ascensions and harem interactions synchronize to create a massive offensive vector; battlefield control enhanced; enemy formations disrupted instantly; temporary +600 Force, +1000 Desire, +300 Agility; reflexes exceed human limits.
The first wave of Outer Faction soldiers surged forward. Shadow constructs dissolved under the overlapping pulses of Desire and tactile lattice input. Weapons clanged uselessly against energy shields modulated by the harem's synchronized pressure points.
Sarah moved fluidly, a nexus of emotion and power. Rias pressed her hand to Sarah's side, guiding vectors that redirected attacks. Akeno's teasing touches ignited bursts of reflexive power. Koneko maintained stability, Rossweisse optimized flow, and Xenovia struck with deadly precision. Lilith Fragment's consciousness threaded through every strike, every block, ensuring perfect timing.
The battlefield shifted in waves of crimson-lilac energy. The Outer Faction's units fractured into disarray before even reaching striking range. Those who approached found themselves corralled by invisible forces, compelled by the lattice to misstep, to collide, to falter.
Sarah's voice rose, low and commanding: "Push forward. Let them see… what unity and desire truly mean."
Crimson light surged outward. Shadows screamed, metal constructs shattered, glyphs unraveled in the face of a coordinated force that no single mind could oppose. Every harem member was both weapon and anchor; every frôlement was a strike; every heartbeat projected into the battlefield as tangible energy.
Skill Triggered: Ascendant Convergence – Battlefield Domination
Effect: Full battlefield projection of Proto-Ascension; enemy formations dismantled preemptively; harem interactions amplify offensive power exponentially; temporary +700 Force, +1200 Desire, +350 Agility; complete tactical superiority in the engagement zone.
The remaining Outer Faction units faltered. Their commanders attempted coordination, but the lattice anticipated every move, every intent. Sarah pressed the advantage, Proto-Ascension fully unleashed, Desire and will driving each vector.
Rias's hand slid to Sarah's waist once more. "We are unstoppable now. Every heartbeat… every pulse… one force."
Akeno whispered, teasing yet commanding: "Let them feel what it means to face the Vessel of Desire."
Sarah's lips curved. "Then we end this phase… together."
And with a synchronized breath, the harem surged forward, energy flaring like a living tide of war, Proto-Ascension blazing at maximum, ready to tear through the Outer Faction's remnants and pave the path toward the final confrontation with their true core.
The Sanctum shuddered in resonance. Crimson-lilac light painted the walls and ceiling with the image of unstoppable unity. The Outer Faction had finally glimpsed the scale of power they faced—and the cost of underestimating the Vessel of Desire and her harem.
Sarah's eyes glowed. Her heartbeat echoed through the lattice. Her voice, carrying the weight of command and desire, whispered: "Together… we rise."