The Sword of Truth

"I remember this guy. He was one of the traitors from the Towers of Ending—the one who came with Semir."

Belleti's expression was taut as he spoke to Barney beside him.

Tales listened to them in a daze, his eyes locked tightly on Ricky before him.

The shock had not only drained his mind; even the pain in his body seemed to have deepened.

How could this be...

"Semir," Little Barney stared intently at Semir, who stood within the Calamity Sword.

"You deliberately lied to us, telling us this was the exit and luring us here, just for... this?"

Little Barney's words made the Royal Guard prisoners gnash their teeth in fury.

Semir stared at Barney for a second before snorting and shaking his head.

"I didn't lie to you."

Semir paused, his voice cold and clear.

"This is the only way to survive. If you leave through the main gate, you'll only find death."

Little Barney answered with an angry snort.

The swordfighters before them were clearly up to no good, but their side...

Barney glanced at his right arm, still throbbing with pain, and at the others, who had been badly battered inside the Alchemy Ball. He immediately found himself in a difficult position.

"We can save the reminiscing for later."

Ricky interrupted Semir's reunion with his former comrade in a confident yet courteous manner.

"Now, everyone, it's time to go home."

As Ricky's words fell, the people beside him—the Northern Land swordsman Clay, whose sword speed was astonishingly fast, and Josh, who had been planted inside in advance as a spy—slowly reached for the sword hilts at their waists.

The Royal Guard prisoners' expressions tightened. Despite their poor condition, they struggled to raise their weapons and assumed fighting stances.

"We're in terrible shape. We can't get caught