"Is anyone alive?" he shouted with difficulty, but the surging dust very quickly filled his mouth.

The likelihood that his team mates had heard him was slim.

Jodel could only squeeze himself through the crack between the beam and stones and clamber upwards, heading to where there was light.

Under the dim light, he saw that there were several broken wooden chips lodged in his arms and thighs. The blood that seeped out dyed his army uniform crimson. The Delaying Agent had done its job once again; if it had not blocked out the pain, he didn't know how long he would have taken to recover from his fall.

After arduously crawling out of the ruins, Jodel suddenly discovered several demons less than ten meters away from him. They were clearly the squad that had charged directly for the belfry earlier. If the Spider Demon had attacked slightly later, he and his companions would have annihilated that squad sooner or later. Now, the tables had been turned.

It was obvious why the demons were surrounding the tower, they wanted to destroy any escaping survivors.

Jodel didn't hesitate too much.

He knew that the chance of escaping alive was one in a million. A bolt rifle could only shoot one round of bullets at one go and with the Mad Demons' abilities, they could rip him apart in the time he took to reload.

Even so, he resolutely raised his flintlock.

To Sand Nationals, death was not scary, what was frightening was not being able to see hope.

If his death could exchange for the continuation of his clan and allow his wife and children to eat their fill, then it was enough.

In the instant he fired, Jodel couldn't help but recall the moment when he, shouldering the heavy pressure of the clans of the Iron Sand City, determinedly swore his loyalty to the chief—that night, he had also charged against the Wildwave and Cut Bone clans believing that he would definitely die in the process.

With the roar of gunfire, one Mad Demon fell and the other three swiftly lunged for him.

At this distance, a sharp claw was more effective than a spear.

In a flash, a large outstretched claw reached towards him. If it had actually taken hold of him, half of his face would have been crushed!

But at this moment, Jodel suddenly felt as if his body was no longer within his control.

His body fell backwards and he dodged the fatal attack with his back bent at an unbelievable angle. Next he used the gun handle as support and propelled himself backwards, his body that was still in a backward-leaning position lifted in the air and he completed an excellent backward somersault.

And when he landed, the second round of ammunition had already been pushed into the gun barrel!

What was happening?

Jodel was utterly stunned.

Could this be a side effect of the Delaying Agent? Not only wasn't he feeling amplified pain, but his movements had also become more agile, although none of it was of his own accord.

Even though he mind was still dazed, his body did not seem to have any intention of stopping.

With a roar, the demon charged towards him. The Sand National held the gun in both hands and raised it steadily, when he squeezed the trigger the gunpoint was basically already pressed against the demon's forehead!

"Bang!"

The enemy's head exploded.

The second Mad Demon had already tore in front of him but as if it had learned a lesson from its fallen brethren. It didn't leap at Jodel instantly but pulled out his bone spear and swung horizontally at him. The only thing that Jodel could block with was his flintlock and that was what his body did. The enormous difference in strength between the two caused the gun to be sent flying from his hands and land in the ruins of the belfry with a clatter.

Just when Jodel thought that everything was over, his body once more made an unexpected movement. He moved forward straight-backed and crashed directly into the body of the Mad Demon. His right hand pulled out the bayonet from his waist.

From below, the dagger arced upwards and stabbed through the demon's helmet at the chin.

Instantly, Red Mist spurted outwards.

When the demon was about to wrap its arms around him and drag him into an internecine death, Jodel had already slipped out of the demon's grapple like a mud fish.

The Mad Demon wobbled a few steps forward and then limply knelt onto the floor.

Winning against a demon who was far superior to a human in terms of physical power in close-range battle was something that never even crossed Jodel's mind, but now, not only had he accomplished it, he finished off two in one go?

The last remaining Mad Demon finally raised its bone spear.

But the target he aimed at was not Jodel, but a broken wall in the ruins of the belfry!

Like lightning, the spear shot through the wooden window on the broken wall. A short silhouette gave a cry and leaped upright from behind the broken wall.

It was Farry!

The Mad Demon didn't care about his withered arm at all and bounded towards Farry in huge strides. Jodel involuntarily twisted around and dashed straight at the demon. Both of them arrived before Farry at basically the same time. At the moment the Mad Demon raised its arm, Jodel's bayonet had already pierced through its throat from behind.

Red Mist sprayed outwards from the injury and splattered onto Farry's raised arm.

His companion let out a shrill scream. Jodel realized in shock that he had regained control of his body.

"Don't tell me you're—"

Looking at Farry's rapidly rotting arm, realization dawned on him instantly.

"Why... are you here?"

Unlike the old Church in the Northern Kingdom, the Mojins had never regarded witches as a symbol of evil, instead, they saw them as Divine Ladies with superhuman powers. Because there was an extremely small number of them, clans that had a Divine Lady could usually be potential candidates for taking control of the Iron Sand City.

Jodel had once heard a rumor of a clan named the Sandstone Clan who, under the lead of a Divine Lady, followed the Queen of Clearwater in an expedition to the far North and never returned. That Divine Lady was called Kabala, and her ability was to be able to direct others to work for her.

But they didn't get the rewards they deserved, Sandstone was unable to recover from the departure of a large numbers of strong young adults and the women and children left behind on the edge of the southern region were annexed by other clans. It was only until the chief re-enacted the laws and rules of the desert could the clan preserve their name.

Outstanding combat skill, his uncontrolled body and the Mojin background... after witnessing these unbelievable events, apart from the Sandstone Divine Lady he couldn't find any other explanation.

But right now was clearly not the time to think deeply into it. He dug out a roll of bandages from the bag around his waist and bound Farry's arm. Then he used his knife to sc.r.a.pe away the festered skin, heaved Farry onto his shoulders, and ran in the direction of the permanent fortifications.

"Don't... tell anyone about this..." His teammate's soft murmur came from behind his back.

"But— "

"I beg you," Farry interrupted weakly.

After Jodel hesitated for a long time he nodded slightly. "Okay, I won't say anything."

Sounds of gunfire still rang ceaselessly around them, but the frequency had reduced greatly.

He saw half the body of the Spider Demon which had invaded the city fly into the air from the fire of a cannon and become completely paralyzed.

After he entered the inner region of the city, every so often someone would leap out from a concealed spot and cover their retreat alternatingly until they reached safety. When the figures of Aerial Knights appeared in the sky, Jodel knew that they had finally held off the demons' attack this time.

Perhaps the next time they battle would be the last stand for the garrison. But at least until now, victory had been theirs.

However, half an hour later, to Jodel's surprise, all the troops received a command to abandon Gust Castle and retreat through the western exit of Cage Mountain.