The path to the Outer Faction's core twisted through a shattered labyrinth of energy barriers, collapsing floors, and arcane traps. Every step pulsed with residual Desire from the previous battles, and the air itself seemed alive, reacting to the Proto-Ascension radiating from Sarah. The harem flanked her in perfect formation, every frôlement, glance, and heartbeat a conduit of calculated energy.
Rias pressed a hand to Sarah's waist, grounding the lattice. "They've prepared for this. Defensive measures embedded at every turn. Not just soldiers—this is a gauntlet designed to break synchronization."
Sarah's eyes glimmered with layered crimson-lilac intensity. "Then we test the limits. All of us. One lattice. One will. No step wasted."
Sarah PV: 480 / Lv: 59 / Force: 280 / Desire: 4800 / Intelligence: 75 / Agility: 94
Akeno's fingers traced along Sarah's forearm in deliberate arcs. "Every pulse counts. Every heartbeat must resonate with the lattice."
Koneko's grounding touch anchored their vectors. Rossweisse stabilized flow along Sarah's back. Xenovia mirrored movements, converting kinetic potential into lethal precision. Lilith Fragment's fully merged consciousness threaded through every point, ensuring continuous synchronization.
The first trap activated—a spiraling gauntlet of shadow-crystals, rotating with unpredictable velocity. Without hesitation, Sarah shifted her weight; every touch from the harem recalibrated her balance mid-motion.
Skill Triggered: Proto-Ascension – Gauntlet Adaptation
Effect: Maximum Proto-Ascension responsiveness; lattice instantly adapts to environmental hazards; harem's input optimizes reflexes and energy projection; temporary +700 Force, +1500 Desire, +500 Agility.
Sarah pivoted mid-leap, deflecting shadow shards with controlled arcs of energy. Akeno's subtle frôlement amplified reactive speed. Koneko stabilized the trajectory. Rossweisse redirected residual kinetic energy. Xenovia struck with surgical precision to dismantle destabilizing constructs. Lilith Fragment threaded anticipatory vectors, preventing missteps.
The second trap—a cascading field of glyph-charged barriers—ignited, forming a lattice of energy lines meant to immobilize intruders. Sarah inhaled, letting Proto-Ascension integrate every emotional and tactile vector from her harem.
Skill Triggered: Ascendant Resonance – Barrier Disruption
Effect: Emotional and Desire vectors weaponized to destabilize and neutralize arcane constructs; lattice multiplies efficiency exponentially; temporary +800 Force, +1600 Desire, +550 Agility.
The glyphs shattered under waves of synchronized energy. The harem moved as one, projecting tactile and emotional resonance like a living weapon. Every pulse was amplified, every glance a command.
Another layer of the gauntlet unfolded—elite defenders embedded in the architecture itself, mechanical, spectral, and arcane hybrids emerging from concealed positions. They struck simultaneously from multiple angles.
Sarah's heartbeat synchronized perfectly with the harem. "Formation Omega," she commanded. Every frôlement, every touch triggered micro-adjustments across the lattice.
Skill Triggered: Ultimate Proto-Ascension – Full Lattice Offensive
Effect: All harem interactions and Proto-Ascension outputs synchronize into a singular, unstoppable vector; enemy formations neutralized; environmental hazards recalibrated instantly; temporary +900 Force, +1800 Desire, +600 Agility; battlefield supremacy established.
The defenders faltered, their attacks dismantled before impact. Shadow shards dissolved, glyphs unraveled mid-flight, and mechanical constructs were overloaded by the projected Desire fields. The harem moved with precision unmatched—an organic weapon system amplifying Proto-Ascension to near-infinite potential.
Sarah's lips curved, voice resonant yet calm: "Every obstacle… collapses before unity. Every threat… dissolves before desire."
The last stretch approached. A massive energy gate, covered in pulsating sigils and reinforced with shadow-crystal filaments, blocked the path to the core. It radiated an oppressive force, testing not only physical strength but the very cohesion of the harem's lattice.
Rias pressed a hand to Sarah's side. "This is the final defense before the core. You'll need every ounce of Proto-Ascension—and the harem—to breach it."
Sarah inhaled, closing her eyes for a single heartbeat. Every pulse, every frôlement, every glance across the harem aligned. Desire surged. Proto-Ascension flared beyond all prior limits.
Skill Activated: Converged Ascendant Overdrive – Core Breach Protocol
Effect: Proto-Ascension output maximized; all harem interactions projected through lattice to dismantle extreme defenses; Desire weaponized to full spectrum; temporary +1000 Force, +2000 Desire, +650 Agility; complete battlefield control within Core Gate perimeter.
With a synchronized breath, the harem surged. Every touch, glance, and heartbeat projected waves of energy, shattering the final barriers. Sigils cracked. Shadow filaments melted. The massive gate groaned under the assault, bending reality at its seams.
Sarah stepped forward, Proto-Ascension blazing at peak efficiency, harem perfectly aligned. The path to the Outer Faction's core lay open.
The final confrontation—the true heart of the enemy—awaited.
Sarah's voice carried across the breached battlefield, steady and commanding:
"Core defenses… neutralized. Forward. We rise… together."