Achilles looked at the six frozen Scale 1s surrounding him and spoke a single word.

"Assimilate."

For the sake of those watching from wherever spectators observed this game, he had the waters of the Miniature Cause of THE Great Archean Flood wrap around each of them like swirling bubbles of white-gold radiance.

The spheres contracted around their frozen forms with hunger as if they were dissolving flesh and Civilization and foundation alike into currents that flowed back toward his existence. He did not want to reveal too much of his power to others, and the spectacle of the Archean waters provided convenient misdirection from the true nature of what he had just accomplished.

Six existences vanished in moments, their accumulated lifetimes of cultivation becoming fuel for his continued advancement!

He rose up and felt his increasing strength even without having attained THE Second Scale.

The golden rivers within his Inner Dominion flowed stronger now, fed by the Observable Force he had stripped from those who had thought themselves predators. His foundations hummed with authority that continued building toward heights he had not yet chosen to claim. He could step into THE Second Scale at any moment, could establish his Civilizational Anchor and cross that threshold that separated the vast majority of beings from those who truly mattered in the grand architecture of existence.

But not yet.

He would continue!

Like this, hours passed.

---

To those who lived for tens of thousands of years, watching things as grand as The Last Stand for hours or even days was nothing to them, merely a form of entertainment that occupied fragments of eternities they would spend cultivating or scheming or pursuing whatever goals beings of such magnitude deemed worthy of their attention.

Many also looked at how others exerted the power of their Ways and Civilizations, studying the techniques and foundations of participants with analytical eyes that sought knowledge rather than mere spectacle.

They studied others and many of those that died to learn more about the intricacies of existence, observing how Civilizations interacted and how Principles manifested and how beings at various Scales responded to the pressures of mortal combat. And of course, they bet on just who might survive out of one thousand beings, wagering Ego Crystals and favors and resources that would have seemed incomprehensible to others from less developed Observable Existences.

A few hours later, the voice of the announcer boomed out across those watching in this corner of the Coliseum with brightness that barely concealed the cruelty underneath.

"My darlings, my addicts, my watchers! Let us discuss the Existences who have drawn the most eyes so far in our glorious Last Stand!"

Her voice carried to every balcony and viewing platform with clarity that suggested Civilizational enhancement rather than mere volume.

"First, we have Khaemwaset-of-the-Nine-Suns, Minor Vilicus of our own Silver Philotimo! He has gathered ten other Second Scale entities around him in what appears to be a hunting confederacy, eleven Proterozoic powerhouses moving together through the Last Verdant Hour with coordination that suggests shared purpose!"

Laughter echoed through her words.

"Whatever will they do after this flimsy alliance serves its purpose? Only one will survive in here! Bahaha! Will they turn on each other the moment their target falls? Will Khaemwaset betray them first? Will one of them grow ambitious and strike at the Prince while his back is turned? Oh, the possibilities make me tingle with anticipation!"

Her tone shifted to something approaching genuine interest.

"But wait, my darlings, there is another who deserves our attention! The Scale 1 lifeform who has now taken down a total of three Second Scale beings and ninety-seven First Scale beings! He is actually extremely lethal, this one called Adrastia!"

Murmurs rippled through the spectators at those numbers.

"Information gathered about him reveals that he is in fact also a Minor Vilicus of another Observable Existence, a fucking foreigner from a stunted little reality! What explains his power? What secrets is he hiding beneath that pretty purple-gold exterior? We will not know unless someone kills him and we can examine whatever remains!"

She paused for dramatic effect.

"The other notable ones are THE Consuming Paradox of the Seventh Veil with forty-three eliminations, THE Radiant Sovereign of Burning Paths with thirty-eight, and THE Whispering End of Silent Days with thirty-one! But truly, the real entertainment lies in watching whether our dear Prince catches up to our mysterious foreigner! Place your bets! Accumulate your crystals! Glory awaits those with eyes to see and courage to wager!"

The voice of the announcer echoed out to all those watching, her words carrying across viewing platforms where beings of tremendous power observed the unfolding carnage with varying degrees of interest and investment.

Rose and THE Watcher were among them, positioned on a balcony that provided clear view of the projected Domain where the Last Stand continued its bloody course.

Rose frowned coldly as she studied the representation of the battlefield spreading before her perception.

She could see Achilles’s position clearly, that familiar signature of purple-gold authority moving through terrain that had shifted from primeval forest to something approaching crystallized tundra in the hours since the game began. She could see the eliminations he had accumulated, the steady growth of his foundations as he consumed those foolish enough to approach him with hostile intent.

But she could also see something else.

Khaemwaset-of-the-Nine-Suns and the group he had gathered were heading directly toward Achilles’s position with trajectory that could not be coincidental. Eleven Second Scale beings moving through the vast expanse of the Last Verdant Hour with purpose that spoke of certain knowledge rather than hunting instinct.

They adjusted their course when Achilles moved and corrected their heading when he changed direction.

As if Khaemwaset-of-the-Nine-Suns somehow knew exactly where he needed to go.

Even when they were so far away that conventional perception should have been impossible within this Domain designed to restrict such awareness.

"This fucker’s actually cheating towards his death..."

Rose’s voice emerged with calm fury that made the surrounding air crackle with Chaos she barely restrained.

"That fucking rat has access to information he should not have as he doesnt know its leading him to his death...haha!"

Someone was feeding Khaemwaset intelligence from outside the game.

And eleven Second Scale beings were closing on Achilles’s position with every passing moment.