The Architect Prime wavered, its form flickering between complete coherence and fragmented shards of conceptual energy. The space around it twisted, creating an endless loop of mirrored geometry that threatened to disorient even the most disciplined mind. But Sarah stood unwavering at the center, her Proto-Ascension blazing with absolute synchronization, every heartbeat of her harem feeding her power like the pulse of a living weapon.
Lilith Fragment's voice pressed urgently in her consciousness:
"Phase 4 escalation. The instability is now critical. Push too far, and the Architect will attempt full deletion protocols. Stabilize through desire and will. Do not falter."
Rias pressed both hands against Sarah's back, grounding the lattice with a deliberate intensity. "Focus. Every frôlement, every pulse counts. You are more than the sum of your parts."
Akeno's fingers trailed along Sarah's arm, igniting surges of Desire that rippled through the Proto-Ascension. "We are with you. Every vector, every rhythm—perfectly aligned."
Koneko positioned herself low, locking her force into Sarah's legs. "Hold your center. Let nothing pierce it."
Rossweisse recalibrated her runes on the fly, forming shields and vector redirects in perfect synchronization. "Their patterns are adapting. You must anticipate beyond thought."
Xenovia's blade traced arcs of light, her movements weaving seamlessly with Sarah's attacks. "This is our strike. The core is exposed—hit it."
Sarah exhaled sharply. Her Proto-Ascension expanded in a controlled eruption, a lattice of crimson-lilac energy radiating outward. She targeted the exposed core of the Architect Prime, weaving her attacks through the fractured constructs that emerged to defend it.
The first strike tore through conceptual shields, destabilizing the Architect's form. The second redirected its own attack vectors back against its fragmented avatar, each pulse of Desire acting as a blade of precision.
Lilith Fragment's voice urged, sharp and commanding:
"Push beyond mere resistance. Your lattice must imprint itself onto the Architect's identity. Force recognition through unity."
The Architect Prime reacted, sending tendrils of conceptual energy slicing toward Sarah's mind, probing her memories, emotions, and the deepest threads of her identity. Shadowed copies of herself lunged forward, attempting to sever the Proto-Ascension link.
"Not today," Sarah growled, and every touch from her harem became a counterweight, each heartbeat a stabilizing force. Her Proto-Ascension flared, lashing out with waves of raw energy that overrode the probes. The shadowed selves disintegrated, overwritten by the amplified emotional resonance.
Rias's hand pressed to Sarah's waist, amplifying control. "It's faltering! Keep the pressure!"
Akeno's dark laughter echoed, a sharp thrill cutting through the chaos. "We're rewriting its code with desire!"
Koneko struck the ground, sending shockwaves that disrupted the Architect's spatial distortions. Rossweisse synchronized arc flows, redirecting lethal energy into harmless vectors. Xenovia's strikes split the remaining constructs into irrelevance.
The chamber shuddered violently. The Architect Prime's form began to collapse in on itself, fracturing into segments of crystalline light and folded geometry. Yet even in this state, it spoke directly into Sarah's consciousness:
"Vessel… anomalous… emotional… structure… incompatible…"
Sarah's eyes burned. Her Proto-Ascension flared at full capacity. Every micro-motion, every harem interaction, every pulse of Desire became a weapon. She advanced through the collapsing constructs, striking at the fractured core.
Lilith Fragment's whisper was resolute:
"Identity imprint—Phase 4 completion is within reach. Do not hesitate. Do not question."
Sarah's voice rang out, unwavering:
"We end this… together."
The lattice pulsed in unison, and the core shattered under the combined force of emotion, will, and Proto-Ascension. The Architect Prime reeled, its voice a distorted scream of conceptual disruption:
"Impossible… recognition… anomaly… cannot persist…"
Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Rossweisse, and Xenovia pressed closer, their collective energy threading into Sarah's lattice like molten steel, stabilizing her against the shockwave of the core's destruction. The Origin Layer itself seemed to tremble under the violent imprint of her power.
Finally, silence.
The fractured shards of the Architect Prime hung suspended, flickering, waiting—but the path to its true core had opened. Sarah stood at the epicenter, fully stabilized, Proto-Ascension pulsing with every heartbeat of her harem. Her eyes shone with layered crimson-lilac light, her aura radiating dominance, control, and unity.
Lilith Fragment's voice softened, almost awed:
"Phase 4 completed. The Architect's identity… partially destabilized. You are ready."
Rias exhaled slowly. "The true confrontation begins now. Its core is vulnerable—but it will not yield easily."
Sarah's gaze fixed forward. "Then we strike. No hesitation. No restraint. Together."
The path deeper into the Origin Layer beckoned, lined with fractures of light and shards of impossible geometry. Beyond it awaited the final confrontation with the Architect, and the irreversible climax of the Proto-Ascension.