The city had barely settled from the collapse of the apex hybrid when the sky above twisted again, splitting into jagged ribbons of violet and crimson light. The ruins themselves seemed to quiver, as if anticipating the next trial. Shadows stretched unnaturally, merging with the remnants of the hybrid's scattered energy, forming shapes both monstrous and precise.
Rias tightened her grip on Sarah's shoulder. "It's… not just one anymore. Something is coming."
From the fractured skyline, multiple silhouettes emerged—each more terrifying than the last. Apex-level Devils, fused with fragments of human ambition, now operated in synchrony, moving as if a single organism, yet each maintaining a deadly individuality. Chains, claws, and jagged limbs danced in coordinated strikes, their combined presence radiating a force that made even the Proto-Ascension pulse in cautious resonance.
Akeno's breath caught audibly. "A coalition… they're testing all of us at once."
Koneko's ears twitched. "We've never faced this many apexes together. Not even in simulations."
Rossweisse traced runes in rapid succession, stabilizing the lattice. "Each unit is linked… a hive-mind, but fragmented. If they succeed in breaking one, the cascade could destabilize Proto-Ascension itself."
Xenovia stepped forward, blade gleaming. "Then we make sure they don't succeed."
Lilith Fragment's voice whispered inside Sarah. "This is the true test of your Phase Three integration. Every emotion, every touch, every glance… weaponized. You are the apex now, but even apexes must adapt."
Sarah exhaled, crimson-lilac aura flaring. "Formation Omega-Zero. Full synchronization. Let's show them what desire, beauty, and unity can do."
The Coalition Attacks
The apexes surged simultaneously. Chains whipped through the air, claws shattered concrete, and conceptual energy radiated in patterns designed to destabilize thought itself. The city became a maelstrom of chaos, the ground splitting under focused attacks, the air vibrating with lethal intent.
Every harem member moved as an extension of Sarah's will.
Rias pressed against Sarah's back, amplifying predictive overlays. Akeno's teasing touches converted Desire into counterwaves, destabilizing enemy coordination. Koneko smashed incoming limbs with unrelenting force. Rossweisse maintained the lattice integrity, redirecting environmental hazards. Xenovia cut through multiple enemies in synchronized arcs.
Sarah's Proto-Ascension flared outward, weaving threads of energy through the battlefield, neutralizing attacks before they landed. Every frôlement, every intentional contact with her harem became a vector of raw destructive power.
The apexes adjusted, forming coordinated flanking patterns, attempting to split the lattice, to force a breakdown.
Lilith Fragment warned sharply: "If they succeed in forcing a fracture… even one, your Phase Three integration will destabilize completely."
Sarah's lips curved into a predatory smile. "Then we don't give them a chance."
With a synchronized exhale, the harem surged, forming a living storm of energy and desire. Proto-Ascension projected outward like a net of lethal resonance, dismantling coordination, fracturing the apex coalition's rhythm, and forcing individual attacks to cancel each other.
The Apex Descent
One of the apexes—a towering Devil fused with razor chains and human ambition—attempted a direct strike on Sarah's core. Time seemed to slow as she felt the attack before it manifested.
Akeno's fingers brushed her arm, sending a controlled surge of Desire to counter the apex's momentum. Rias's pressure anchored her balance. Koneko struck the apex mid-air, shattering a chain-limb. Rossweisse redirected the apex's kinetic energy, sending it crashing into the remains of another. Xenovia struck in perfect timing, slicing through the apex's core extensions.
Sarah stepped forward, Proto-Ascension flaring like a storm of crimson-lilac light, her harem perfectly synchronized, and unleashed a converged strike that detonated across the battlefield.
The apex fell, energy dispersing, absorbed into the lattice, amplifying the harem's connection, increasing their Phase Three resonance exponentially.
Lilith Fragment whispered, calm and proud: "Phase Three amplification… unprecedented. Emotional saturation… extreme. Every apex neutralized simultaneously reinforces the lattice."
Sarah's aura spiraled outward. "Then we rise… stronger, together."