The Last Stand progressed in a manner as if a massive hand was steering things along.

The forces of Khaemwaset-of-the-Nine-Suns continued to move across the domain, clearing out and killing anyone else on their path in a very orderly and organized manner. Eleven Second Scale beings working in concert!

They left nothing alive in their wake, accumulating eliminations with efficiency that reflected their shared purpose.

While Achilles was continuing along rapidly at this point as if he had gotten tired of how long all of this was taking.

They were among the two major forces that swept up the entire domain, twin currents of destruction flowing through the Last Verdant Hour from opposite directions. While the hours progressed, the numbers dwindled down more and more as participants who had survived the initial chaos found themselves caught between these converging powers or eliminated by the scattered remnants of other hunting parties that had formed and dissolved throughout the competition.

Until eventually, even Achilles could not find any others.

And the group led by Khaemwaset-of-the-Nine-Suns also could not find any others.

At this point, Khaemwaset-of-the-Nine-Suns smiled with brutality that transformed his handsome features into something approaching predatory hunger. He listened to the voice in his ear, that forbidden channel of communication that had guided his movements throughout the entire competition, and began heading straight toward his target with the certainty of one who knew exactly where his prey waited.

It was time.

On the other side, Achilles knew nothing of the impending arrival of a large group of Second Scale entities.

But even if he knew, it would not matter too much.

He had continued to assimilate many First Scale and a few Second Scale entities in the last few hours as his power had grown to a terrifying level that exceeded anything he had possessed when entering this competition. The size and depth of his Inner Dominion had more than tripled, territories expanding and consolidating with each existence he consumed.

The golden rivers of Observable Force flowing between his Realms had become genuine currents now, producing authority at rates that would have seemed impossible to beings who understood what such generation typically required.

He truly could not place himself in the bounds of power of THE First Scale anymore.

Even though he had yet to establish his Civilizational Anchor, even though he technically remained at Absolute Depth by the conventional measurements that governed advancement, he felt like Second Scale entities who had not undergone any existential engineering by the hands of THE Gilded Ones would pose no meaningful threat to him.

And if they remained on that first level of THE Second Scale, THE Rhyacian Proterozoic Scale, he truly would not have any problems with them whatsoever.

Now, if they were more advanced and at the level of the second level of THE Second Scale, THE Calymmian Proterozoic Scale, he would have to see as that might be a bit more difficult.

But even then he was not worried.

As he was lost in his thoughts, not being able to find anyone else around, a voice cut through the oppressive silence of the emptied domain.

"Little Minor Vilicus!"

The voice of Khaemwaset-of-the-Nine-Suns boomed across the crystallized tundra with arrogance that could not be contained even when addressing someone he intended to kill. The Third Prince of the Bronze Line entered Achilles’s perception with a large group of Second Scale beings flanking him in formation, eleven Proterozoic powerhouses radiating authority that pressed against reality itself with combined weight that would have crushed most others into submission through sheer presence alone!

"You have provided adequate entertainment for our spectators, foreigner, but this farce ends now!"

Khaemwaset’s gold-flame eyes burned with certainty that his victory was already assured.

"Eleven against one! Even if the information of your power hold some truth, you cannot possibly-"

HUUM!

In the Coliseum of a Thousand Ascendant Glories, the announcer’s voice exploded across every viewing platform with excitement that bordered on hysteria.

"My darlings, my weavers, my watchers! The big showdown is here!"

Her words carried to every corner of the massive structure with Civilizational enhancement that ensured no spectator would miss this climactic moment.

"A Minor Vilicus with unknown power, who many have decided must be a Second Scale monster playing as a First Scale, against Minor Vilicus Khaemwaset-of-the-Nine-Suns and his glorious hunting confederacy! Eleven Proterozoic powerhouses against one mysterious foreigner from a stunted little Observable Existence!"

She paused for dramatic effect as betting indicators flashed across projection surfaces.

"How brutal will this battle be? What variations of the Civilizations of the Oldest Paradox of Existence will we see?! What secrets will finally be revealed when these titans clash?! Let’s-....!"

Before her words could finish, she and all others watching saw a shocking scene unfold in the projected domain.

Achilles tapped his foot against the ground.

A white flood bloomed outward from his position with speed that transcended conventional movement, the waters of the Miniature Cause of THE Great Archean Flood expanding to form a bubble that stretched for an entire light year in every direction. The sphere of white-gold radiance covered Khaemwaset-of-the-Nine-Suns and all the Second Scale beings with him before any of them could react, before any of them could activate defensive techniques or flee or even complete the arrogant words that had been forming on their lips.

A second later.

POP!

The bubble collapsed.

After that one second of veiling... had consumed all existences inside of it, and nobody else remained inside that light year except Achilles.

"..."

A heavy silence fell across the Coliseum of a Thousand Ascendant Glories.

"..."

Even Achilles seemed taken aback as he stood alone in the emptied space where eleven Second Scale beings had existed moments before.

Was Khaemwaset-of-the-Nine-Suns so weak?

Assimilating him had not been any more difficult than any of the other Second Scales with him, their foundations dissolving into his existence with the same ease as the Rhyacians he had consumed throughout the competition. They had not been able to defend at all. Their Civilizations had offered no resistance!

Their Proterozoic authority had crumbled against the combined weight of Assimilation that had grown beyond anything they could have anticipated!

There was no grand battle.

No arrogant words from Khaemwaset-of-the-Nine-Suns completing themselves!

No clash of Civilizations that would have provided entertainment for the watching masses.

There was only his Inner Dominion buzzing as it assimilated the power and memories of many Second Scales simultaneously, territories expanding further as foundations that had taken tens of thousands of years to cultivate became fuel for his continued advancement.

...!

Externally, all those watching rose up in shock and shouted with voices that ranged from disbelief to fury to something approaching existential horror at what they had just witnessed.

Some wailed as they lost all their bets, Ego Crystals vanishing into the coffers of those few who had wagered on the impossible outcome. Others simply stared at the projected domain with expressions that suggested their understanding of power and its limitations had been fundamentally shattered.

The announcer’s voice emerged after several moments of stunned silence, her usual brightness replaced by something approaching genuine bewilderment.

"What the... uhh, ladies and gents, I believe the last one standing in THE Last Stand is Adrastia."

A pause.

"Well... fuck."