The battlefield beyond the Outer Sanctum stretched like a war-torn canvas, a scarred zone of shattered stone, molten runes, and lingering traces of Desire-energy. Sarah and her harem advanced in perfect formation, Proto-Ascension radiating from her body like a tangible aura. Each step pulsed through the lattice, each frôlement and glance coordinating the harem as if they were extensions of a single will.
Ahead, the true defenses of the Outer Faction revealed themselves. Elite units, clad in armor imbued with shadow-crystals, runic energy, and liquid-metal constructs, emerged from concealed sanctuaries. They were no longer mere soldiers—they were living vectors of attack, each capable of independent, devastating maneuvers, yet synchronized to perfection.
Rias's hand pressed against Sarah's side, a stabilizing anchor. "They're more than just elite—they're adaptive. Proto-Ascension will be tested to its limits."
Sarah inhaled, feeling every pulse in her harem. "Then we surpass those limits. All of us. One lattice. One force."
Sarah PV: 470 / Lv: 58 / Force: 270 / Desire: 4600 / Intelligence: 74 / Agility: 92
Akeno moved into position, fingertips tracing deliberate arcs along Sarah's arm, sending sparks of Desire through the lattice. "Every connection counts now. Every touch is a weapon."
Koneko pressed her hands against Sarah's hips, stabilizing the energy channels, while Rossweisse traced arcs along her back, converting Proto-Ascension's surges into precise output. Xenovia mirrored Sarah's motions, weapon ready, translating every micro-movement into a deadly strike. Lilith Fragment's consciousness pulsed through the network, coordinating their timing to a fraction of a heartbeat.
Skill Activated: Proto-Ascension – Maximum Field Calibration
Effect: Full output of Proto-Ascension in extreme conditions; tactile, glance, and heartbeat vectors optimized for multi-enemy engagement; temporary +600 Force, +1200 Desire, +400 Agility; Charm Domain fully active and semi-sentient; harem moves as a cohesive offensive organism.
The elite guard struck first. Shadow-crystal blades cut through the air, liquid-metal arms lashed, and glyphs ignited, forming lethal energy arrays. But each assault was anticipated.
Rias pressed against Sarah's waist, redirecting a strike with a subtle hip pivot. Akeno's teasing contact triggered reflexive dodges and counters. Koneko stabilized every vector, while Rossweisse and Xenovia translated these into kinetic redirections and precise offensive arcs. Lilith Fragment threaded energy between them, predicting enemy shifts before they even fully committed.
Skill Triggered: Converged Lattice Assault – Elite Neutralization
Effect: Synchronization of Proto-Ascension with harem triggers automatic micro-adjustments; enemy formations disrupted preemptively; every touch, glance, and heartbeat compounds offensive output; temporary +700 Force, +1400 Desire, +450 Agility.
Shadows shattered under coordinated strikes, liquid-metal constructs fragmented mid-motion, and glyph arrays unraveled before completing their lethal patterns. The harem moved as extensions of Sarah herself: a strike here, a stabilization there, Desire weaponized into absolute precision.
One elite guard attempted a flanking maneuver, energy projecting outward in a chaotic wave. Sarah felt the surge, her lattice adjusting instantly. Every heartbeat, every frôlement in the harem calculated a counter. Her lips curved slightly. "Not today."
Skill Triggered: Absolute Proto-Ascension – Reactive Dominance
Effect: Proto-Ascension fully anticipates enemy intent; every ally's action is amplified; battlefield control reaches near-absolute levels; temporary +800 Force, +1600 Desire, +500 Agility; reflexes and prediction exceed all human thresholds.
The elite units reeled. Their cohesion shattered under the lattice's precision. Each attack they launched was met with a synchronized counter—every enemy vector neutralized before impact, every pattern disrupted before it could form.
Sarah's voice rang out over the battlefield, calm and commanding: "Push. Leave nothing standing. Let them understand unity and Desire as a weapon."
Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Rossweisse, and Xenovia all mirrored her movements, amplifying Proto-Ascension's output. Lilith Fragment's consciousness threaded the lattice, filling gaps, predicting every microsecond, ensuring no flaw remained.
The battlefield became a symphony of light and energy: crimson-lilac waves cascading across enemy lines, forming patterns that crushed shadows, shattered constructs, and dissipated glyph arrays before activation.
Sarah advanced steadily, harem aligned perfectly in Formation Alpha: every vector calculated, every heartbeat weaponized. The elite guards tried to regroup, but the lattice anticipated their intentions—motion countered before completion, energy redirected before discharge.
Skill Triggered: Ultimate Lattice Convergence – Full Offensive Projection
Effect: Proto-Ascension integrates every ally's input into a singular offensive vector; battlefield domination established; enemy formations collapse in disarray; temporary +900 Force, +1800 Desire, +550 Agility; harem acts as one living weapon.
As the last of the elite units faltered, staggering under the force of synchronized attacks, Sarah's voice, layered with power and resolve, whispered to the harem:
"Together… we rise beyond them. No hesitation. No restraint. All as one."
The Sanctum's outer rings trembled under the unleashed Proto-Ascension, crimson-lilac energy painting the battlefield with the reality of unstoppable unity. Every enemy that remained understood the scale of power they faced—and the futility of underestimating the Vessel of Desire and her harem.
And in that charged, resonant moment, Sarah and her harem advanced toward the core defenses, fully tested, fully synchronized, Proto-Ascension blazing at absolute maximum.
The final threshold awaited.