Chapter 1331: The One That Vanished

“Cough — cough — cough —”

Through the roiling smoke Jodel dragged himself upright. Debris was still raining from above. Less than half the tower still stood; the collapsed beam had caught against the wall and formed a low shelter, and beneath it he had survived by chance and nothing more.

“Is anyone alive?” He tried to shout, but the billowing dust filled his mouth before the words could carry.

His teammates, if any remained, could not have heard him.

He squeezed through the gap between beam and stone and clawed upward toward the light.

Under that thin grey illumination he could see splinters of broken wood lodged in his arms and thighs. The blood had soaked through and dyed his uniform a dark, wet crimson. The Delaying Agent had done its work; without it, the pain would have dropped him before he’d managed to climb.

When he finally pulled himself free of the rubble, he found he was not alone.

Less than ten meters away, several demons stood in the courtyard — the same squad that had charged directly for the belfry. If the Spider Demon had struck a moment later, he and his companions might have finished them. Now the advantage had reversed.

The intention was plain enough. They meant to kill anyone who crawled out.

Jodel did not deliberate long.

He knew his odds. A bolt rifle held one round; Mad Demons could close the distance and rip him apart before he could reload. He raised the flintlock anyway.

To Sand Nationals, death was not the thing to fear. What was frightening was dying without having seen any hope at all.

If his death bought continuation for his clan — if his wife and children could eat their fill — that was enough.

In the instant he fired, the memory came to him unbidden: the night in Iron Sand City when he had sworn his loyalty to the chief beneath the weight of every clan’s expectation, when he had charged the Wildwave and Cut Bone clans knowing he would not come back. He had been wrong that night.

The gunshot cracked across the courtyard. One Mad Demon fell. The other three lunged.

At this distance a claw was faster and more lethal than any spear.

One arm stretched wide toward him — an arc of outstretched talons that would have crushed half his face had it connected.

But his body was no longer his own.

He felt himself fall backward, bending at an angle no unassisted muscle could hold, the killing blow passing above him in a rush of displaced air. Then his hands found the gun barrel and he used it as a brace, levered himself, and completed a backward somersault that should have been impossible.

When he landed, the second round was already seated in the barrel.

What is happening to me?

He had no answer, no time to find one. His body was moving on its own — faster, more precise than anything he’d trained for. Was this a side effect of the Delaying Agent? He felt no amplified pain. He felt nothing but the strange, lucid sensation of watching himself fight from a slight remove.

With a roar, the next demon charged. Jodel’s hands raised the gun levelly, and as the demon came within arm’s reach he squeezed the trigger with the muzzle pressed almost against its forehead.

The crack. The head gone.

The third was already on him but had learned caution from its two dead kin. Rather than lunging, it drew its bone spear and swung it horizontally — a strike meant to batter rather than impale. Jodel had nothing left to block with but the rifle. His arms raised it; the impact tore the gun from his grip and sent it spinning into the rubble.

This is the end. The thought arrived quietly.

Instead, his body walked forward.

Straight-backed, unhurried. His right hand found the bayonet at his waist, and from below he drove it upward through the underside of the demon’s helmet, through chin and through skull.

Red Mist jetted outward.

The demon’s arms reached for him in its death spasm, trying to drag him down with it. He slipped free the way water slips from a fist, leaving nothing to grasp. The Mad Demon staggered two steps, three, then folded at the knees.

He had killed two demons in close combat. Jodel stood over the wreckage of the idea and could not quite make sense of it.

The last demon turned — but not toward Jodel.

It pointed its bone spear at a broken section of wall in the belfry’s ruins. Like a thrown javelin the spear drove through the shattered window frame. A short silhouette cried out and lurched upright from behind the rubble.

Farry.

The demon did not pause. It bounded toward her in great long strides, ignoring the withered arm entirely. Jodel twisted and ran. Both of them arrived before her at the same moment — and when the demon raised its arm to strike, Jodel’s bayonet had already passed through its throat from behind.

Red Mist sprayed across Farry’s outstretched arm.

She gave a shrill scream. And in the same moment, Jodel felt control flood back into his body like blood returning to a numb limb. He was himself again.

“Don’t tell me you’re—”

One look at Farry’s arm settled it. The flesh was already darkening, the rot spreading outward from where the mist had touched.

“Why are you here?”

The Mojins had never shared the northern kingdoms’ hatred of witches. Among the Sand Nation, a woman with such power was a Divine Lady — rare enough that any clan possessing one became a contender for the Iron Sand City’s throne. Jodel had heard the story since boyhood: the Sandstone Clan’s Divine Lady, Kabala, who could direct others to move and act against their will, who had followed the Queen of Clearwater on some great expedition into the far north and never come back. In her wake the Sandstone Clan had slowly unraveled — the strong young adults gone, the women and children left at the edge of the desert, swallowed eventually by neighboring clans until the chief finally re-enacted the laws that preserved their name.

Kabala’s ability: to direct others. To compel. To make another body a puppet.

He stood in the rubble and looked at his hands and began to understand what had happened.

But there was no time to think it through. He tore the bandage roll from the pouch at his waist, bound Farry’s arm tight, scraped away the festered skin with his knife, and then heaved her across his shoulders and ran for the permanent fortifications.

“Don’t.” Her murmur arrived at his ear from somewhere above his head. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“But—”

“I beg you.” The voice was fading.

After a long moment he nodded once, a small motion she probably couldn’t see. “Okay. I won’t say anything.”

Gunfire still rang across the city around them, but its frequency had dropped. Somewhere to the north a cannon spoke once, and when Jodel looked he saw half the invading Spider Demon fly upward and come apart in mid-air. After he crossed into the inner district, soldiers emerged from concealed positions at intervals and covered their retreat in relays until they reached safety.

When the Aerial Knights appeared against the sky, he knew they had held the demons off once more.

Perhaps the next engagement would be their last stand at the garrison. But this one — at least this one — was theirs.

The order came half an hour later, and it arrived like a blow he had not expected: all troops were to abandon Gust Castle and retreat through the western exit of Cage Mountain.

Chapter 1331 - The One That

Vanished Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations “Cough… Cough… Cough…” In the midst of the tumbling smoke, Jodel slowly picked himself up. Chippings were still falling from above him. Only less than half remained of the once tall and erect building. Fortunately, the collapsed beam formed a narrow shelter with the wall structure and he luckily survived. “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 scrape 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.