Not wasting another second, Isaac again reached for his Legacy, ready to unleash both Ultimates and end this fight before it even began. He very much doubted the Zerian before him had a higher level than him, so the boost from Blood Moon should make this fight even more one-sided.

Only the transformation never went through.

Something blocked him. The Legacy was still there; he could still feel it, but the connection was distant, suppressed even. If not for the faint trickle of Immortal Mana still leaking through, he would have been worried. Alas, he understood exactly what happened.

So that's the purpose of this prison, Isaac thought, his eyes narrowing. Interesting ability you got there.

Right away, he discarded the lingering idea that this ambush could have been just an unfortunate coincidence. No, someone put a lot of thought into this thing. In such a short time, no less.

He wouldn't lie. He was a tiny bit impressed. Maybe even flattered that the Zerians put so much effort into trying to kill him. It would be such a shame if he were to just walk out of this prison and crush their hopes.

Sacrificial Crimson Death.

The blood-powered spear manifested at his side, aimed not at the Zerian but at the wall of the dome. He even fed it a bit of Mana trickling from his Legacy for some extra punch.

For some reason, though, his opponent didn't look worried in the slightest. If anything, her lips curved into a smirk. Isaac ignored that and just let the red spear fly. He was getting out of here whether she liked it or not.

Yet, the explosion of blood never came.

Instead, the crystal dome consumed his skill. A second later, his half-asleep Symphony screamed a warning. He jumped back, just in time to avoid his own Crimson Death falling on his head.

Okay… no more underestimating you, Isaac thought, no longer feeling as confident as a few seconds before. This was one powerful Ultimate, easily on the level of Harry's Nightmare. But that also meant it had to have some drawbacks. Just gotta fin—

A bark of laughter cut him off. His grip on the Root tightened as the remnants of red mist left behind by his skill vanished, revealing the amused visage of the Zerian. Her smirk only grew after his recent failure.

Isaac summoned another Crimson Death and hurled it right at her in response.

A shimmering crystal wall snapped into existence between them. The moment his skill reached it, the spear bounced off and went flying right back at him.

I'm beginning to see a pattern here, he scowled, dodging once more. Calling it frustrating was an understatement. Melee it is then.

Before he could act, the alien raised one of her swords, and the air above them shimmered. Isaac tensed.

The attack came fast.

Over a dozen crystalline orbs materialized overhead. For a brief moment, they just floated up there, circling the space above the arena like drones. Then, one of them darted straight at him with a speed rivaling his own Crimson Death.

Thus, the dance began.

With a quick burst of Burnout, he dashed aside, narrowly avoiding the first orb. He didn't even blink when it exploded and left behind a human-sized cluster of crystals on the ground. To no surprise, those erupted too when he got close, raining down sharpened shards on him.

Annoying.

Yet even as the bombardment continued, with more orbs filling the air, the Zerian never tried to attack him herself. She always stayed out of his way, refusing to push her current advantage.

Why?

The answer came seconds later.

[Message from Harry Hayward: Friend! Need Help. Quick! Too Many.]

And that was it. A single line. The shortest message Isaac had ever gotten from his new ally. That alone showed just how dire the situation outside had to be. Not surprising, as Harry's skill set just wasn't made to deal with ambushes. No, he was the one making them.

Maybe if his Ultimate didn't require some setup, he wouldn't need help. Yet here they were.

Burnout reignited at full power as, amid the bombing, he sent just three words back to Harry.

'Be there soon.'

He jumped above another falling crystal orb, obliterated one more with a Cursed Draw, and dashed straight at the Zerian. And, credit where credit was due, she realized something must have gone wrong and no longer tried to run. Not that she could, not with Burnout active.

Their blades met in a shower of sparks, only for another falling bomb to force them apart. Isaac threw a single Crimson Death as he jumped back. As expected, the familiar crystal wall appeared to block it.

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That said, even as his own skill was thrown back at him, he spotted a curious little detail in the wall it just hit.

Cracks, a few of them.

They were tiny, unnoticeable even to anyone without his improved eyesight. But, based on his memory, they were placed exactly where his spears had been deflected.

He smiled.

So you aren't without fault.

A moment later, they clashed again.

Isaac struck with all the speed and experience he had obtained since the Breakout began. Yet, the alien managed to match him blow for blow. Every time he thought he found an opening, one of her blades was there to parry or block in a blink.

She wasted no movement, flowing from one stance into the next like water. In comparison, he was like a brute, trying to punch through her guard with his limited skill and superior power.

She is good… very good, Isaac admitted, stumbling back when a hilt slammed into his shoulder. He barely brought his sword up in time to block the strike aimed for his neck. Another crystal bomb forced them to separate right after.

Skilled enough to compensate for her weaker attributes. Not good.

She had scored exactly three hits on him. He had landed only one thanks to using a flurry of Cursed Draws. And sure, his injuries had already healed while the shallow cut on her hip looked as fresh as ever. But that wasn't enough. He was the one on the timer here, not her. Waiting for Duality of Blood to weaken her wasn't the play.

Need something to end her in one hit, he thought, throwing another Crimson Death at her crystal wall. The cracks spread. Maybe…

This time, when the Zerian was the one trying to close the gap between them, Isaac darted away and kept summoning more spears. Most she dodged, but a few still got through, adding more damage to her reflective barrier.

Finally, though, a couple of bombs cut off his path, forcing him to face her again.

Cursed Draw became his best friend in the next few seconds. Wave after wave of blood tore toward the alien until she finally stopped her pursuit and pulled back. This and the scowl on her face explained why there were suddenly more bombs coming for his head.

Serves you right.

The constant explosions didn't stop him, though. Low-powered Crimson Deaths left his side as fast as he could summon them. Some went to intercept the heat-seeking crystal orbs, while others returned to him after slamming into the reflective wall.

More and more cracks.

This is it.

With all his willpower, Isaac pulled on the Mana leaking from his suppressed Legacy and threw it into the mix of blood and Viron boiling in his free hand. A small by comparison, but no less powerful Crimson Death formed in his grasp.

A moment later, he swerved right, out of the path of more bombs, and dashed right for his opponent. The spear left his hand, and once again the crystal wall rose to block it, its surface marred with cracks.

Isaac reached for more Viron just a millisecond before the two skills could clash.

The Crimson Death erupted. The wall shattered.

Now!

The fresh wave of Viron exploded from his feet, and Isaac went flying right into the fading cloud of blood. It wasn't elegant, but it worked.

Kind of…

He slammed face-first into the Zerian, sending them both tumbling across the ground. Bones broke—his or hers, didn't matter. What mattered was the Root buried deep in her chest.

Her wide blue eyes found his before closing, once and forever.

[Zerian (LVL. 25) slain.]

The crystal dome shuddered and slowly crumbled.

Groaning, Isaac forced himself back to his feet and yanked out the alien's blade lodged where his heart should be. Unlucky for her, his Core moved out of the way the moment it sensed the danger coming. As for the new, bleeding hole? It would heal.

Back to work, he mused just as shouts and screams pierced the air. Transform.

This time, nothing blocked his Legacy. He shifted and, with a powerful beat of his wings, he shot out of the collapsing dome. The situation he found outside was less than perfect.

At least ten Zerians filled the clearing they had been ambushed in. A few of them lay dead, staining the snow with their blood. The others, though? They were fighting Harry and one of his summoned fleshy horrors—dreams-made-reality, as the man had called them.

Unfortunately, based on the slumped posture, torn clothes, and how small his summon was, Harry didn't have much left to give. A perfect contrast to his enemies who maybe looked just a little bit winded.

Enough... Freedom mode. Crimson Fury. Blood Moon.

The sky bled red, and the ongoing battle stilled as almost everybody looked up.

Kill them all, Isaac ordered, and his ravens descended upon the earth. They were joined by a salvo of Crimson Deaths created with the last of Viron he had to offer. Spare no one.

Several Zerians died before they could even react, torn to shreds by his summons and spears. The others fought back, some even transforming into their Legacies to gain an advantage.

This, of course, failed.

None of these aliens was even close to the level of the one Isaac had fought and killed. And so, he slaughtered them all with the Root and his talons alone, the power of Blood Moon fueling his tired body. There would be no survivors other than him and Harry.

Within a minute, this promise became reality.

Isaac ignored the bodies littering the ground and rushed to Harry's side.

"Easy there," he muttered, slinging the man's arm over his shoulder. "We won."

"That we did, friend," Harry slurred, flashing a bloodied grin. "A hard-earned victory. Dancing on the edge of death… Truly wonderful feeling. If only I could have used all of my Dreams."

Isaac shook his head as the man continued to ramble. He helped him sit down next to a tree and summoned a healing potion. Harry tried to lift a hand in protest, but the limb didn't even make it halfway up before falling back.

"Drink," Isaac ordered.

Harry did.

"Good. Now I know it might sound strange… but my blood can also speed up your healing. And we need to leave soon. So… yeah…"

Isaac trailed off, not sure what else to say there. How did one even offer their blood to another person? That went far beyond his social skills. Or really anyone's skills.

Yet, when he looked up at Harry, he realized he shouldn't have been worried. He saw no disgust, distrust, embarrassment, or any other emotion that would have been normal in this situation. Instead, the man watched him with pure wonder and curiosity shining in his eyes.

Isaac groaned inwardly.

James is never going to let me live this down…

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