The chamber of impossible geometry stretched infinitely, every angle shifting, folding, and reflecting like a kaleidoscope of pure concept. At its center hovered the Architect Prime—an entity both magnificent and terrifying, composed of interlocking planes of white-violet light, crystalline spikes, and shifting glyphic patterns that defied physics and perception. Its presence alone distorted the Proto-Ascension lattice around Sarah, testing the very structure of her consciousness.
Sarah's heartbeat resonated with her harem. Formation Omega-Zero had never been more precise. Every pulse, every brush of skin, every heartbeat of Desire amplified her Proto-Ascension, stabilizing her against the Architect Prime's overwhelming aura.
Lilith Fragment's voice was taut with focus:
"Phase 4 begins. The Architect Prime evaluates you directly. Every flaw, every hesitation, every emotional fracture will be exposed. Anchor yourself, Sarah."
Rias pressed firmly to Sarah's side, grounding her. "Your lattice is stable, but the pressure—it's unlike anything we've faced. Don't let it pierce your identity."
Akeno brushed a fingertip along Sarah's shoulder, igniting a surge of Desire that rippled through the Proto-Ascension. "We're here. Every touch, every vector—we amplify you."
Koneko's eyes narrowed, reading distortions in space. "The Core is warping reality to probe us. Keep your footing, Sarah. Let us carry the rhythm."
Rossweisse traced glyphs around them, projecting shields and stabilizers while converting excess energy into synchronized counter-attacks. "The lattice has to hold. One crack, and it'll attempt to overwrite your identity."
Xenovia's blade shimmered with energy. "Then we strike first. Every move, calculated, deliberate, lethal."
Sarah exhaled sharply. Her Proto-Ascension flared to maximum, crimson-lilac threads entwining with her harem in perfect unity. Her system read the Architect Prime's aura, breaking down its intentions into pulses, rhythms, and potential weaknesses.
The Architect Prime spoke—not in sound, but as an intrusive wave of thought:
"Vessel detected. Emotional lattice saturated. Identity: anomalous. Resistance: high. Begin evaluation sequence."
A pulse of energy erupted from the Architect Prime, compressing the floor and twisting space around Sarah. Each step she took was measured against a shifting gravitational vector; each movement had to be executed with perfect lattice synchronization.
"Stay with me!" Sarah shouted. Her voice carried through the lattice, amplified by Desire, tethering her harem.
The first strike came as a wave of pure conceptual blades, slicing through reality itself. Koneko intercepted several with raw density, shattering their trajectories. Akeno countered with arcs of black lightning, destabilizing the vectors. Rossweisse redirected energy flows, while Xenovia struck the remaining blades before they could reach Sarah. Rias anchored her, amplifying every micro-adjustment to her posture, every subtle shift in weight.
Sarah's Proto-Ascension responded, expanding outward in a controlled eruption. Her hands moved through the air, creating ripples that undid the Architect Prime's assault mid-flight. Every attack it sent was mirrored, redirected, or neutralized before it reached lethal proximity.
Lilith Fragment's voice pressed into her mind:
"You are Phase 3 integrated. But this is Phase 4—the personal evaluation. It will attempt to fracture your identity structure directly. Prepare to sacrifice—if necessary—to preserve the whole."
The Architect Prime pulsed again, faster this time, sending streams of data-like energy that carved into Sarah's consciousness, probing emotions, memories, and latent regrets. Each probe forced a visceral reaction, manifesting as shadowed versions of herself that lunged with intent to sever her connection with the Proto-Ascension.
Sarah's pulse accelerated, her aura flaring violently. "I… am… whole!" Her voice was not just sound—it was command, reverberating through the lattice. Every frôlement with her harem became a weaponized pulse. Each synchronized heartbeat reinforced the structure of her mind against the Architect Prime's invasive waves.
The shadowed selves attacked in perfect mimicry of her movements. Akeno's touches ignited destabilizing sparks in the constructs. Rias's guidance corrected her micro-imbalances. Koneko, Xenovia, and Rossweisse countered the shadowed attacks systematically, each strike feeding back into the Proto-Ascension, reinforcing Sarah's identity.
Lilith Fragment whispered urgently:
"Your emotional resonance must exceed its analytical reach. Do not flinch. Do not hesitate. Channel your desires, your love, your will—everything you are—into the lattice."
Sarah's body glowed, her Proto-Ascension erupting in a full-phase waveform. The room warped under the pressure of her unified force. Crimson-lilac energy surged outward, engulfing the Architect Prime. Its form shivered, edges flickering under the assault.
Effect Triggered: Phase 4 – Identity Convergence
Maximum Proto-Ascension output.
Harem lattice fully weaponized.
Emotional resonance exceeds Architect Prime evaluation thresholds.
Direct counter to conceptual attacks possible.
The Architect Prime recoiled. Its voice, now more distinct, vibrated in thought:
"Anomalous… exceeding parameters… identity… not fragmented… must adapt… recalibrating…"
Sarah pressed forward, every step a command, every pulse a hammer striking the structure of the Architect Prime. Her harem moved in absolute synchrony, reinforcing her lattice, amplifying Desire into a force of tangible domination.
The chamber shook violently. The walls of impossible geometry bent under the raw output of Proto-Ascension. The Architect Prime's avatar fractured, temporarily destabilized, threads of its identity exposed.
Rias whispered: "It's faltering. Your Phase 3 integration is enough to push it."
Akeno's voice carried a dark thrill. "And we're just getting started."
Sarah's eyes glimmered with determination. "Then we finish the evaluation—together."
The Architect Prime shivered under the unrelenting pressure of human emotion and desire weaponized through Proto-Ascension. Its form began to split, exposing the core beneath, waiting—vulnerable—for the next strike.
The Origin Layer itself trembled, signaling that the confrontation had entered its irreversible phase.