The city skyline trembled under the weight of Sarah's aura, each pulse of Proto-Ascension bending metal and concrete alike. Streetlights bent like molten wax, skyscrapers shimmered in the crimson-lilac light, and the air itself vibrated with the resonance of her lattice. Every heartbeat became a metronome of destruction and control, guiding the harem's synchronized movements as if they were extensions of her own body.
Akeno trailed close, her touch deliberate, teasing, sending calibrated pulses of Desire into the lattice. "Every nerve, every shiver… weaponized," she murmured, her lips brushing Sarah's ear. Each contact flared across the network, amplifying both offensive and defensive output.
Rias stood firm, anchoring the center of the formation, her palm pressed against Sarah's chest. "Keep your focus. The hybrids will adapt faster now. They will try to break the lattice at its nodes."
Koneko darted forward, a blur of raw muscle and precision, intercepting a group of chainsaw hybrids before they could reach the core. Rossweisse's runes shimmered in the air, stabilizing gravitational fields and redirecting kinetic energy with a fluidity that matched Sarah's heartbeat. Xenovia's blade danced, carving clean arcs that split incoming threats mid-motion, the tip of each swing feeding back into the lattice.
The portal above shuddered violently. New hybrids emerged, more grotesque than before—half-machine, half-demon, each one radiating an aura that seemed to mock the natural laws of the city. Teeth glinted like sharpened steel, chainsaws rotated with unnatural speed, and their eyes burned with a sentience born of hunger and algorithmic malice.
Sarah's gaze narrowed, crimson-lilac threads spiraling outward like a storm of living energy. "Then let's see if they can withstand desire itself."
Akeno's fingers traced Sarah's spine, sending precise pulses of emotion into the lattice. Proto-Ascension responded instantly, projecting waves of destructive resonance that shattered the hybrids before they could even land. Each wave felt intimate yet cataclysmic, turning desire into an active battlefield weapon.
Rias's voice was steady, a grounding force. "Every vector counts. Don't let them isolate anyone."
Koneko's strike sent a hybrid flying into the air, only for it to split into smaller, faster versions mid-flight. Rossweisse adjusted, her hands tracing new runes mid-motion. "They're adapting. Their forms are dynamic. We need constant recalibration."
Xenovia shouted, swinging her blade in tandem with the lattice. "Every cut must sync with the heartbeat! Timing is everything!"
Sarah stepped forward, Proto-Ascension flaring outward, connecting with each harem member. Their combined aura expanded, reshaping the battlefield in waves of crimson-lilac energy. The hybrids faltered, their mechanical and demonic forms unable to process the overlapping vectors of desire, power, and emotion.
Lilith Fragment whispered within Sarah's mind. Phase 3 resonance has reached real-world amplification. The city itself is now a node in the lattice. You can push further.
Sarah smiled faintly, letting the energy flow through her. "Then let's push it… to its limits."
Akeno pressed closer again, lips grazing Sarah's neck, sending a pulse that converted intimate contact into raw offensive energy. Rias steadied her, ensuring the amplification didn't destabilize Proto-Ascension. Koneko, Rossweisse, and Xenovia moved as extensions of Sarah's will, each action feeding back into the lattice.
The hybrids surged once more, coordinated, relentless, adaptive—but every attack was met with the harem's seamless defense. Threads of desire, touch, and precision struck back in perfect unison, each hybrid fracturing under the combined pressure.
The portal flickered, unstable now, reality bending visibly around the edges. Sarah's aura expanded further, Proto-Ascension flaring into full real-world intensity, sending shockwaves that twisted the very streets into impossible geometry.
Akeno's voice was low, teasing, commanding. "We are irresistible. Let them feel it."
Rias exhaled, pressing firmly against Sarah. "Stay anchored. One mistake could fracture the lattice."
Koneko's claws struck again, splitting a hybrid mid-air. Rossweisse's runes pulsed with power, maintaining gravitational stability. Xenovia's blade cut arcs of radiant energy, the tips feeding into Proto-Ascension's field.
Sarah's heartbeat became the city's rhythm. Crimson-lilac threads shot into the sky, connecting with every harem member, every surface, every residual hybrid. With a final surge, the lattice flared outward like a living storm, disintegrating the hybrids into abstract energy, absorbed directly into Proto-Ascension.
The portal quaked violently, its edges beginning to collapse, reality around it destabilizing. Sarah's aura pulsed one final time, threads of desire and power converging into a radiant nexus above the city.
Akeno smiled against her neck. "We've done it. Together."
Rias nodded, keeping her hand firm. "For now… but more will come. This was only the first wave."
Sarah's eyes burned with determination, crimson-lilac threads spiraling like a living firestorm. "Let them come. Every heartbeat… every pulse… we'll be ready. Together."
The city trembled, reality bending, but the lattice held. Proto-Ascension, fully awakened in the real world, was now unstoppable.