The seemingly evenly matched duel between Zakriel and Barney Junior only lasted for a few minutes.
Right after Nalgi finished speaking, Zakriel pressed forward with his entire body.
* Clang! *
A piercing sound rose. Barney's blade was caught by Zakriel's axe at a strange angle.
Barney Junior's pupils shrank.
"You fight like a Northlander." Zakriel crossed his left arm diagonally and accurately caught his opponent's shield, which was used to attack him.
"But your thoughts are still that of a Constellatiate."
Barney Junior gritted his teeth and withstood Zakriel's strength. The two of them were in a stalemate, and they trembled slightly.
"You must know that Northlanders have no distractions …"
In the contest of strength, Zakriel leaned towards Barney Junior, who was very close to him. He shook his head expressionlessly.
"Never hesitate."
As everyone cried out in surprise, Zakriel suddenly let go of the axe hilt and allowed Barney Junior's sword to cut his shoulder, causing blood to flow!
In the next moment, before Barney Junior could celebrate his victory, he felt his legs go weak. He could not dodge in time, and Zakriel seized the opportunity to grab his waist and lift him up!
'Damn it!'
In his shock and anger, Barney Junior only had this thought before he was thrown to the ground by Zakriel.
* Thud! *
Under the intense pain, the dizzy Barney Junior knew that he had lost the upper hand. He endured the pain and shouted,
"Naer, Tardin!"
At that moment, two piercing sounds of wind drew close to the back of Zakriel's head!
In the blink of an eye, Zakriel quickly dodged and barely avoided the two life-saving darts that Naer shot out.
When he turned his head around, what welcomed him was Tardin's merciless blade and blade!
The trajectory of Tardin's sword and blade was incredibly strange. For a moment, the empty-handed Zakriel was forced to take a few steps back and pick up a warhammer left behind by a mercenary.
Barney Junior took the opportunity to stagger to his feet and tumble out of the battlefield in a disheveled manner. He was caught by Beldin.
"How is he?" Beldin asked calmly.
"His skills aren't as nimble as they were back then, and so is his stamina." Barney Junior panted softly as he watched Tardin, who took his place to fight against Zakriel. "There's also a rather serious new injury on his back. It's making his movements a little sluggish."
The prisoners of the Royal Guards surrounded Barney Junior and rearranged their weapons. They listened attentively to the conversation between the vanguard and the penal officer.
"Very good, so we have a chance?"
Samel touched his sword and asked with narrowed eyes.
As Thales watched their brief exchange, he suddenly realized that this was like a small military conference during a war.
Barney Junior glanced at his colleagues and remained silent.
A few seconds later, he shook his head under everyone's disappointed gazes. "I don't think so."
"His instincts and consciousness are still clear."
"He can turn his weakness into an advantage at any time."
Barney Junior took the sword and shield from Bruley and coughed loudly. "I even suspect that he purposely let me discover the wound on his back just now to lure me into attacking his side. Then, you all saw it. If I didn't attack with that sword, perhaps I wouldn't have …"
Everyone shuddered.
On the other side, Zakriel and Tardin's movements became faster. The latter's attacks were strange and urgent. The sounds of weapons clashing against each other sounded like wind chimes.
"Then, what should we do?" Beldin's expression did not change. He was like an unmoving hill.
Barney Junior watched Tardin's movements closely.
"Tardin's movements are very sneaky. He can stall for time, but …"
He did not say anything else, but Thales could feel that the mood of the guards had become gloomy.
Barney Junior shook his head and stood up. His gaze became sharp.
"I will replace him later. This time, I will not test him. I will kill him at all costs."
'At all costs …'
When he said this, the expressions of Beldin and the others darkened. Samel also frowned.
"Barney …" Nalgi looked hesitant. He wanted to say something, but he did not.
But Barney Junior's expression was firm. He did not give anyone a chance to refute him.
"More importantly, I will force him to give way. All of you will seize the chance to bring the prince and run upwards." He turned to Thales, causing the teenager's heart to tense.
"Until we escape from the Prison of Bones and reach the surface."
Everyone's expressions instantly changed.
Samel frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. Beldin remained silent. Bruley's neck was red, and he stuttered. Nalgi and Canon looked at each other. They were dejected.
Looking at them, Thales had a bad premonition.
"Very well, we run away." Samel shook his head sarcastically.
These words were barely audible in the midst of Zakriel and Tardin's fierce battle, but to the people who heard them, they felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds.
Barney Jr. ignored Samel's sarcasm.
He was silent for a while before he spoke again.
"If Naer and I don't succeed, and he catches up to you …"
He calmly glanced at everyone and slowly said,
"Next, the order of going up is Samel, then Canon, then Bruley, Nalgi, and finally Beldin …"
When he heard this, Thales' heart sank.
Go to the top …
They were going to …
"Every opponent's fighting style is different, and there's a huge difference between them. Zakriel needs time to get used to it, so he can drag the fight for a longer time …"
Samel snorted coldly.
"How long?"
Barney Junior whipped his head around.
"As long as you can!"
He cut Samel off coldly, "Do you understand, Vice Flag Bearer? Or are you not satisfied with being the first in line? "
Samel snorted softly and did not say another word.
Thales noticed that Barney Junior no longer addressed Samel as a "coward".
The teenager stared at the people with brands on their faces. They were dirty, ragged, but had stern expressions. He could not help but speak.
"In fact, we can also help a little …"
But Barney Junior rejected him bluntly.
"No, you must run away, Your Highness." Barney Junior put his hand on Thales' shoulder. His eyes were filled with emotions. "Run to Blade Fangs Camp and use your identity to find the army."
Thales frowned.
Barney Junior turned solemnly to Zakriel, who was engaged in a fierce battle.
"Let them use the hooves of the cavaliers and the Mystic Guns to seek justice and clear their names."
The breathing of the guards quickened.
Nalgi opened his mouth. He wanted to say something, but stopped.
Thales could not hold it in anymore. He shook off Quick Rope's hand, which was pulling him back, and took a step forward.
"Do you really intend to die here?"
Barney Junior paused slightly.
"Die?
Of course not. "
He turned around and cast a glance at the dark scene in the Prison of Bones. With a complicated expression, he exhaled a long breath.
"Today, we can be considered to have 'lived' in this place."
His tone was bleak.
Thales was immediately startled.
When they heard this, the guards, who had been slightly agitated, fell silent at the same time, as if they had gone mute.
"And I am honored to fight alongside you, guards." Barney Junior's back was facing them. He pressed the hilt of his sword against his chest and sighed softly.
"May the legacy not be destroyed, and the Empire be eternal."
There was silence.
Behind Barney Junior, Beldin raised his fist expressionlessly and pounded it against his chest gently.
Aside from Samel, the other guards also raised their fists and pounded their chests lightly.
As he watched them, Thales felt his chest tighten.
Before the slightly dejected Thales could adjust his thoughts, in the next second, Barney Junior sped up and charged towards the battlefield!
"Tardin!"
He shouted loudly.
Tardin, who had been gradually losing his strength, retreated without hesitation when he heard this. He jumped out of the battlefield in an unpleasant posture.
Zakriel frowned and turned around. Without stopping, he charged towards Barney Junior again.
"Come, let's end this, watchman!"
* Clang! *
Their weapons clashed. Barney Junior's expression was ferocious.
This time, his movements were obviously much more dangerous than before. He swung his sword boldly, and he did not care about himself at all!
This made Zakriel shudder involuntarily. That sense of danger rose in his heart again.
He knew that this time, his opponent was serious.
"From now on, I will take over the command of the vanguard."
On the other side, Nalgi had just supported Tardin, who was drenched in sweat as he retreated. Beldin then spoke to the group decisively.
"Barney will create a chance for us to break through. We will seize the chance to rush to the stairs. Do not care about anything else, and go up with all our might. If Zakriel stops one of us …"
He cast a glance at everyone. The answer was self-evident.
The guards glanced at Zakriel, who was in the middle of the battlefield, and started to move.
Thales' arm was grabbed by Beldin and pulled forward.
He stared at Barney Junior, who had practically given up on defense and was madly charging at Zakriel with the determination to die. He also stared at Naer, who was holding a dart by the side. He felt terrible.
'Is there … Is there a better way?'
But at that moment, another arm appeared out of nowhere and pressed down on Beldin's shoulder!
It stopped him and Thales from moving forward.
Thales could not help but be shocked. The others were also stunned.
Beldin frowned and looked at the person who stopped him in puzzlement.
"Samel, you —"
"If we follow Barney Junior's plan, we will all die," Samel said coldly.
He turned to Thales, and there was a cold glare in his eyes.
"Including him."
Samel's warning gaze made Thales' heart tremble.
Beldin was stunned for a moment. He glanced at Barney Junior, who was attacking like a madman. Then, his anger showed on his face.
"That is the best way, and it is also the vanguard's order —"
But before he could finish speaking, Samel interrupted him fiercely.
"We have to climb a total of eighteen steps to reach the surface!"
Samel pointed at Zakriel and said resolutely, "There are only six of us left.
Even if we don't care about our lives on the ground, will we be able to hold him back for even six minutes? "
Beldin was stunned.
"You were both penal officers before, Beldin. Many of the special prisoners up there were escorted by you from the capital. He is familiar with the terrain here, and he will catch up to us sooner or later."
"That is not a good idea. Use your rationality and think. We can't escape."
Samel looked at each of them sternly.
"We have to find another way out."
'We can't escape.'
Beldin fell silent.
He knew that what Samel said was true.
The others also froze.
'Find another way out.'
Thales thought of something.
Beldin was a man of few words, but he had a strong personality. He watched Samel's actions in displeasure. Just as he was about to flare up, Thales suddenly spoke.
"Do you mean that you have an idea?"
Samel nodded and pointed at the stone stairs.
"Go down to the bottom. I know a path, a mysterious exit … Zakriel doesn't know about it. It might be our only chance of survival."
Thales' eyes lit up.
"Are you saying that there is another exit in the Prison of Bones? It was built by the wizards of the Alchemy Tower? "
'Alchemy Tower.'
Beldin frowned and exchanged glances with Tardin.
Samel turned to the other prisoners. His tone was slightly agitated.
"Believe me, that is the escape route that we, the Disaster Swords, originally prepared. Our leader is meticulous and reliable. If he says there is one, then it must be true."
Beldin looked at him suspiciously.
"Then … where is your leader?"
Samel was instantly speechless.
He looked at Thales with a complicated expression.
"Ask him."
Thales quirked an eyebrow. He subconsciously put the sword in his hand behind his back.
He forced a smile and changed the topic. "That … should be true. Shadow Shield fought with them because of this.
"Are you sure that the exit will work?"
Samel panted and ignored the displeased gazes from the people around him.
"Ricky has already found Black Prison, hasn't he?
Even if it doesn't work, after he catches up to you, you will die on the way up the stairs or on the way down the stairs. Which would you choose? "
Thales frowned. His gaze moved past the two men fighting fiercely and looked at the stairs behind them.
'Up …
'Down …'
In the battlefield, Barney Junior rammed a desperate blow into Zakriel's ribs, but he was hit by Zakriel's knee. Both of them grunted and retreated at the same time.
"I know what you're planning." Zakriel glanced at the people in the distance, then at the stone stairs behind him.
"That won't work."
Across him, Barney Junior trembled as he lifted his shield. He sensed the numbness in his limbs.
'This is bad.'
This battle was harder than he imagined.
Zakriel knew his determination, so he blocked his way in front of the stone stairs and did not give them any chances. He was prepared to use the safest and most effortless method …
To grind him down.
"As long as I kill you," Barney Junior said through gritted teeth.
"It will work."
'I have to … fight for a chance.'
He pounced on Samel again!
On the other side, Beldin was silent for a while, but he still shook his head.
"Barney is doing his best to fight for a chance for us. The path he chose might not have much hope, but I will not risk the prince's life with you …"
Samel stepped forward and pressed down on Beldin's shoulder. He gritted his teeth and said,
"You know that it's an order that will lead to your death, but you still stubbornly move forward. This is foolish!"
Beldin's eyes burned with anger. He pushed Samel away!
"Penal Officer Beldin," Thales said when he saw that the two were about to fight.
"Maybe it's worth a try. He's right, we can't escape."
Beldin's expression changed.
"Your Highness!"
But Thales shook his head and tightened his grip on the longsword in his hand.
"In the name of the Jadestar Family, I released all of you today.
Compared to watching all of you die one by one … "Thales stared into the distance with a profound gaze.
"I'd rather take the risk."
His words stunned everyone in the area. Even Beldin, who was in a hurry to refute him, was rendered speechless.
Quick Rope exhaled and shrugged.
"Ah, that's him."
The Royal Guards fell silent.
At that moment, Barney Junior roared and crashed into Zakriel. The two of them rolled together!
"No matter where we go, we must go."
Tardin, who had been paying attention to the battle, tightened his grip on his sword. He sensed something.
"Now is the time when Barney's offense is at its strongest. Zakriel might not be able to free himself to stop us."
Beldin widened his eyes and looked at Samel, then at Thales. He seemed to be hesitating.
Nalgi interrupted cautiously.
"I think that what His Highness said makes sense.
And … I hate climbing stairs, and I hate being chased up stairs even more. "
Beldin's eyebrows furrowed even more.
Thales no longer cared about the hesitant Royal Guards. Instead, he turned to the two people who were fighting. His expression was tense.
"If we want to go down, is there a possibility that we can save Barney and Naer?"
Beldin pursed his lips. His expression was one of pity.
"Your Highness, but … they were prepared to be sacrificed here."
Thales clenched his fists.
Samel snorted coldly.
"Zakriel is not a hound who will obediently run away after throwing a Frisbee."
He watched the increasingly intense battle and said in a cold voice,
"Someone must restrain him — before he cuts us to pieces."
'Hold him back …'
Thales stared at Zakriel and furrowed his eyebrows tightly.
"Did you just say that the key to the Chaos Army is to surpass a normal person's perception, observation, and attention?"
Beldin sighed.
"Yes. But Your Highness, please reconsider … "
However, the teenager ignored him. Instead, he turned to the others and muttered,
"Perception, observation …"
Thales suddenly raised his head and swept his gaze over the crowd.
"Is Zakriel invincible in the world?"
"Is there no one who can defeat him? Defeat the Knight of Judgment? "
The prisoners of the Royal Guards stared at each other.
Quite a number of them were obviously still struggling between Samel and Beldin. They were struggling between orders and risks.
"There is."
At this moment, Nalgi spoke faintly.
"There is a follow-up to the battle that made Zakriel famous."
'A follow-up?'
Thales narrowed his eyes.
Nalgi shrugged. "It's still what Barney Senior said …
"When the young Zakriel defeated forty opponents and made the Northlanders' faces turn ashen, that uncle came."
Thales asked curiously.
"Uncle … What uncle?"
The prisoners of the Royal Guards stared at each other.
Nalgi raised his head and glanced at Zakriel, who was locked in a stalemate with Barney Junior.
"That was Zakriel's only defeat in his life. The enemy he cared about the most was also the humiliation he hid deep in his heart. He challenged him twice in the next few decades, but he never won."
Thales was instantly shocked.
'Only defeat?'
Nalgi stared at Zakriel in the distance, who had a calm expression on his face.
He sighed and said, "It was not only because he lost, but also because of his enemy's skills, bloodline, and identity. In short, everything about that uncle made Zakriel care about him so much that he felt ashamed."
'The enemy I cared about the most.'
Thales rolled his eyes.
"Most importantly, before they fought, in front of everyone —"
Before Nalgi finished speaking, he spoke with a faint sigh and pity, like a bard.
"That legendary uncle said something like this to the young and hot-blooded Zakriel …"
'One sentence …'
As he listened to Nalgi's words, Thales' pupils slowly shrank.
A few seconds later, Barney Junior strenuously withstood Zakriel's counterattack and took a few steps back.
He had just managed to leave a sword wound on Zakriel, but he did not manage to force his opponent to move away from his original position. 'Damn it.
If this goes on, we won't be able to find a breakthrough … '
At that moment …
"Kaslan Lampard!"
A teenager's voice rose. It was loud and sharp, and it echoed in the dungeon.
"Do you remember him?"
Barney Junior, who was deep in thought, was stunned for a moment.
When he heard the name, Zakriel, who was standing opposite him, shuddered!
A face that had never faded appeared before his eyes.
The Knight of Judgment cast a glance at the panting Barney Junior, then turned his head around expressionlessly to look at Thales, who stood in front of the group of Royal Guards.
Beldin's expression was incredibly tense. Samel paid full attention to him.
But this could not compare to what Thales said next.
Thales stared at Zakriel and said softly, "Kaslan is dead. He died in the hands of his disciple."
Zakriel's eyes slowly widened.
'Kaslan.
Kaslan Lampard … '
The Knight of Judgment's heartbeat slowly sped up.
"Dead … dead?" he asked in return, as if he had not noticed anything.
"Yes, Kaslan the Earth Shaker is dead."
Thales took a deep breath and walked forward slowly.
"But the person who defeated him — the undefeated and invincible strongest man in the Western Peninsula, the Star Killer Soray Nicholas of the White Blade Guards …"
Zakriel stared at Thales quietly. His expression gradually became perplexed.
It was as if he had returned to the past.
Thales exhaled and suppressed his increasingly rapid heartbeat.
"He did not forget you, nor did he forget his teacher's opponent.
"When you were in prison, he asked someone to deliver a message to the Royal Guards."
Thales stared at the perplexed Zakriel and gritted his teeth.
"A sentence that you are very familiar with."
Just as he expected, he saw Zakriel's eyebrows slowly furrow together.
'A sentence …
'A very familiar …
'Sentence?'
Thales took a deep breath and puffed out his chest.
He recalled the old man who treated him to a drink in the tavern six years ago. He imagined the old man's heroic, majestic, and imposing manner.
"Come, little brat from the south."
Thales was calm and composed. He placed his hands behind his back and spoke in a gruff and disdainful voice.
"I can give you a handicap … with two hands."
'Give you a handicap … with two hands.'
At that moment, it was as if time had stopped.
Zakriel stared at Thales stiffly. He did not move, as if he had lost consciousness.
'Little brat from the south …'
"No …"
He mumbled in a trembling voice.
A scene from many years ago slowly appeared before his eyes.
'Give you a handicap … with two hands …'
"No …"
Zakriel lowered his head and slowly puffed out his chest. The veins on his neck popped up, and the muscles on his arms formed inch by inch.
"No …"
Thales subconsciously gulped when he saw the Knight of Judgment moaning with his head lowered.
A chill that he had never felt before rose from the soles of his feet.
The Sin of Hell's River roared uneasily in his veins.
Immediately after, a heart-wrenching roar exploded in the underground prison!
"No!"
Before Thales could react, Zakriel, who was roaring ferociously, instantly rose to his feet and charged at him with the force of a tsunami!
"Kaslan —"
His aura was shocking!
Thales felt a chill run down his spine. The guards behind him were just about to take action when two strong gusts of wind rose from behind Zakriel.
But the Knight of Judgment, whose eyes were as red as those of a wild beast, seemed to have eyes on the back of his head. The warhammer in his hand flew behind him in a seemingly unintentional manner, and Barney Junior's fatal longsword was deflected. It crashed into Naer's dart, which came from the other side!
It only left a scar on his back.
At that moment, he only had eyes for the figure in front of him.
Just like many years ago, that person held his hands behind his back and puffed out his chest, mocking him with contempt.
That damned …
Yankee!
Two hands for you.
Two hands!
How dare you …
How dare he!
"— Lampard!"
Thud!
Zakriel roared furiously. His expression was ferocious, and his charge was unstoppable!
At that moment, Thales felt the Sin of Hell's River boil endlessly. He gritted his teeth and made up his mind.
The next second, he closed his eyes and turned around.
His back was facing the Knight of Judgment.
Barney Junior panicked as he chased after Zakriel. He exchanged a glance with Naer, who was also chasing after Zakriel desperately.
No.
No!
But before he could roar, something suddenly slipped out of Thales' hands, which were behind his back.
* Thud. *
It was a round ball.
It fell on the ground and bounced a little.
Everyone was stunned.
Then, the round ball trembled slightly between Thales and Zakriel. It buzzed.
Zakriel's rationality returned to him in an instant. He then frowned.
'That is?'
On the ground, the strange metal ball bounced about freely.
It was like a naive, happy, and ignorant child.
'I hate this.' This was Zakriel's last thought.
In the next moment, Thales felt an unparalleled impact coming at his back!
* Whoosh — *
It devoured his entire body!
* Boom! *
At that moment, an earth-shattering sound exploded on the ground!
The strange Alchemy Ball released a terrifying energy and an endless amount of light, as if it was a landslide!
Piercing.
Dazzling.
Magnificent.
It completely engulfed the small underground prison …
Everyone.
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