The demon was about to crush Code, when it suddenly heard a voice. Code's eyes snapped towards the source of the sound, and his jaw dropped in shock. A masked man, dressed in a black hoodie and trousers, with white hair tied in a knot, stood beside him. What was even more astonishing was that the man had caught the demon's foot in mid-air, holding it back with his raised left leg.
The man turned to Code, his tone indifferent, "Arrrgh, good griefs. I didn't expect a special rank to show up here." Code's mind reeled as he struggled to comprehend the situation. Where had this man come from? How had he sneaked up on them without anyone noticing?
The masked man turned back to face the demon. "This shouldn't take long."
The demon recoiled, its eyes blazing with fury. It launched a massive fist at the masked man, unleashing a devastating blast of energy that tore through the trees.
Code's heart skipped a beat as he watched, frozen in terror. He wanted to scream at the man to get away, but his voice was trapped in his throat. The demon's fist hurtled towards the masked man, and Code felt sorry for the man.
But instead of impact, there was a strange, anticlimactic silence. The masked man stood firm, his eyes fixed intently on the demon. Then, in an instant, the surroundings erupted into chaos. The demon's fist blew apart, sending debris flying everywhere. Elara and Lyra were knocked off their feet, sent tumbling through the air.
Code's ears rang from the explosion, and his vision blurred. When his senses cleared, he stared in awe at the sight before him. The demon had a gaping hole through its belly, and the masked man stood calmly beside it, unaffected.
Code's eyes widened as he struggled to comprehend the impossible. "How did...?" he stuttered, but the words died on his lips. The demon began to regenerate, its wounds healing at an alarming rate.
The masked man watched the demon with an air of indifference, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You really don't know when to back down, do ya?" He cracked his knuckles, a cold glint in his eye. "Let me teach you true power."
With a swift motion, the masked man stretched his right leg and right palm forward, assuming a strange stance. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly, his voice low and mysterious. "Particle style..."
The air around the masked man's palm began to distort, as if reality itself was bending to his will. A brilliant light erupted from his palm, illuminating the dark forest.
"Hand of God!" the masked man declared, his voice ringing through the air like thunder. With a burst of speed that defied human limits, the masked man dashed towards the demon at an otherworldly velocity, leaving behind a trail of distorted air. With a swift motion, he struck the demon's torso with his glowing palm.
The impact was immense, releasing a shockwave that sent Code stumbling backward. In that instant, The demon's body exploded in a blast of energy, its very existence erased from reality.
A massive crater formed where the demon once stood, its edges burning with intense heat. The surrounding trees were reduced to splintered stumps, their branches shattered and broken.
Code's mind reeled as he struggled to comprehend the sheer scale of the masked man's power. Who was this mysterious figure, and how had he managed to defeat a demon that a team of sixteen sorcerers couldn't handle?
Code started feeling dizzy, his head throbbing with intense pain. "How?...", he whispered, and collapsed.
"Good grief. Looks like I used too much", the masked man said, turning to face Code.
***
Early morning, the next day, World Association of Sorcerers, Warsaw Chapter
The office was elegant, with a richly upholstered leather chair and a polished wooden table positioned at its center. The space was adorned with flower pots, and a man sat in the chair, his head bowed over a stack of papers, his eyes fixed intently on the documents.
The sudden knock at the door broke the silence, followed by two sharp raps. "Come in," the man replied, his voice measured and calm. But before he could finish speaking, the door burst open and a towering figure strode in.
Zoldrak's imposing physique was evident even under his tailored black shirt and trousers. His broad shoulders and chiseled muscles seemed carved from granite, his very presence exuding an aura of raw power. His eyes blazed with anger as he fixed the seated man with a piercing stare.
The man's head jerked up, his expression shifting from calm to surprise. "Zoldrak! How many times must I remind you to wait for permission before entering?" he asked, his tone firm but controlled.
Zoldrak's gaze never wavered. "What happened at Lodz yesterday?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing.
The man's expression turned guarded, his eyes flicking to the side before returning to Zoldrak. "A false signal, I'm afraid. The readings we received indicated a mid-class demon was present, but it was an error. Perhaps the tenzometer is faulty."
Zoldrak's anger seemed to intensify, his massive frame tensing with suppressed fury. "You know I didn't come all the way from London just to hear excuses," he growled.
The man's face remained indifferent, but his voice took on a serious tone. "You're here because of him." Zoldrak's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing. "He mustn't get there first."
The man nodded curtly. "We've taken measures to ensure that doesn't happen. A team of sorcerers has been dispatched to retrieve all witnesses."
Zoldrak's massive fist clenched. "That guy!" he muttered, his voice dripping with anger.
The air was heavy with tension as Zoldrak turned to leave, his massive frame storming out of the room like a tempest. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving the seated man to wonder what lay ahead.
"Good grief," the man sighed, as he placed his head back on the table.
***
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