[r3dbars]

TESTS-FAST-4: replace 100 assertionFailure calls across nine fast-test files with the existing assertTrue(false, ...) helper. A failed check now records a suite-attributed failure so the runner can report it. All 35 protective returns and surrounding control flow remain unchanged. This extracts only this issue’s hunk from broad draft #2336; TESTS-FAST-5 remains separate.

Independent full-diff review against fetched origin/main: GREEN (Infra and coordinator). Exact nine-file owner-credited commit: b72a7bf7491378db87dd32dfe8de32a56bc6e0e1. Reviewed source and proof hashes were associated with the committed blobs. The assertion helper and its counters are unchanged; no new thread-safety claim.

Validation:

• One bounded synthetic run compiled the whole real TestHelpers.swift with a frozen entry point: three checks, one pass and two intentional recorded failures, with both suite attributions present. The guarded path returned safely; the caught-error path and later suite continued. Zero quarantined checks or metadata violations.
• One private helper-copy control omitted its false-path failure-recording call. Compilation passed; the run detected exactly four expected metadata violations. Repository helper bytes stayed unchanged. This was not an old-main trap run, and the positive was not rerun.
• One guarded canonical bash check.sh: nine PASS, one FAIL (the full fast suite was explicitly refused with exit 3). The owned app build and eight static checks passed. Overall canonical result remains FAIL.
• Raw canonical proof was archived before standalone preflight and verification, both exit 0. Verification selected no app checks. Full benchmark was refused with exit 3. No timeout or surviving owned process group; worktree and bound inputs stayed unchanged.

The 100 actual storage/preferences branches were not executed. No full fast suite, --list, native capture, real preference behavior or hardware proof is claimed. The synthetic proof verifies helper recording and continuation, not every changed branch. Combined CI and owner review are still required before merge.