Same as Fig. 9 but for models beyond the compactness peak (region B in Fig. 1, see inset). As a function of initial mass, neon burning ignites systematically earlier (as traced by the C-free core mass) and slows down the progression of the C-burning front. Shell mergers between the C/Ne/O-burning fronts are responsible for the sudden drops in the C-burning front at τ ≈ −5. Ultimately, for increasing masses, these models form systematically smaller iron-rich cores.