Code's ragged breathing was the only sound that broke the oppressive silence of the forest. He lay there, his body battered and bruised, his mind reeling from the events that had just transpired. Ran's fallen form was etched into his mind like a scar, refusing to be erased.

Nearby, Elara, Peter, and Lyra stood frozen, their faces etched with shock and grief. Elara's eyes, usually bright with determination, seemed dull and lifeless, her gaze fixed on Ran's still form. Peter's jaw was clenched, his fists clenched at his sides, while Lyra's eyes welled up with tears.

The demon's presence still lingered, its malevolent energy seeping into the air like a chill. Code's instincts screamed at him to get up, to keep moving, but his body felt heavy, unresponsive. The weight of their situation settled upon him, and Code knew they couldn't stay there for long.

The demon's gaze fell upon the remaining four, its eyes blazing with an otherworldly hunger. Peter's whispered words hung in the air like a death sentence: 'It's over.' In a desperate bid to escape the agony, Peter made a futile charge at the demon.

The demon's massive foot came crashing down, crushing Peter's fragile form beneath its weight. Lyra's anguished scream tore through the forest, shattering the silence like a broken promise: 'No...no! I don't want to die!' Code's heart shattered alongside Lyra's, his mind reeling in horror as he watched his friend meet a gruesome end.

Paralyzed by fear, Code couldn't move, couldn't breathe. He was trapped between Elara's trembling form and Lyra's despairing sobs, unable to summon the courage to act. The demon began its slow, deliberate approach, its twisted grin seeming to grow wider with each step.

Code's eyes locked onto the demon's, his heart racing with terror. The demon's massive fist hurtled towards him, and Code dodged by mere inches, his heart skipping a beat. But his left hand wasn't so lucky. The demon's punch ripped it from his body, leaving Code screaming in agony.

Elara's horrified cry echoed through the forest, 'Code!' Her voice was a distant memory, a fleeting glimpse of a life left behind. But Code knew he was beyond saving. The demon's foot came crashing down, pinning his legs beneath its weight.

As Code struggled to free himself, his thoughts dissolved into chaos. His mind was a maelstrom of pain, fear, and despair. 'I tried so hard...I wanted to live...to smile...to love...but it's all being ripped away from me.' Tears streamed down his face as he thought of all the things he'd never experience, all the memories he'd never make.

In a fleeting moment of clarity, Code's gaze met Elara's, and he saw his own despair reflected back at him. He wanted to reach out, to comfort her, to tell her it would be okay. But it was too late. The demon's shadow loomed over him, a dark specter of death.

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As the darkness closed in, Code felt a strange sense of calm wash over him. It was as if he'd finally found a sense of peace, a sense of release. His eyes drifted shut, and his voice barely whispered: 'I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...'

In that instant, the demon raised its foot, ready to crush Code. But just as all hope seemed lost, a voice pierced the air, "Tell them that when you get out of here."

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, his expression unreadable. "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 a sense of dread wash over him.

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 detachment, 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.

In the blink of an eye, the masked man closed the distance between himself and the demon. With a swift, precise motion, he struck the demon's torso with his glowing palm.

The impact was immense, releasing a shockwave that sent Code stumbling backward. The ground shook beneath his feet, and the air was filled with the sound of splintering trees and crumbling rocks. 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 smoldering with intense heat. The surrounding trees were reduced to splintered stumps, their branches shattered and broken. The air was filled with the acrid smell of smoke and ozone, and the sound of crackling energy still lingered in the air.

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.

"Yare...yare. Looks like I used too much", the masked man said, turning to face Code, a hint of concern flickering across his expression.