—What was a Primordial doing in a city like this? —muttered Ziggy as he watched Pardo, locking eyes with the colossal beast.

Saico, completely confused, struggled to process what he was seeing.

—Is that guy seriously going to face that thing… with a sword? Is he insane?

The tension broke when Pardo spoke, his deep, mocking voice echoing through the deserted street.

—Well, well… What do we have here? An Elemental. This is going to be fun.

Without further warning, Pardo lunged at Ziggy. But Ziggy, moving as swiftly as lightning, dodged the attack and countered, aiming for the Primordial's neck. However, the enormous beast reacted with incredible speed, catching the blade with both hands before it could reach him.

Ziggy tried to free his sword by striking Pardo with force, but the monster barely flinched, wearing a sinister grin before shaking the ground with a blow that seemed to tremble the entire street.

Ziggy gritted his teeth. He knew he couldn’t face this monster alone, but there was no time to wait for reinforcements. The LEGATUS-ranked Elementals weren’t in the city, and the others weren’t a match for a threat of this level. Still, he decided to send a global message, hoping someone could come.

However, before he could do so, Pardo unleashed a flurry of strikes, fast but not quick enough to surpass Ziggy’s reflexes. He dodged each attack with precision, fully aware that a single blow could be fatal.

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—He’s not fast enough —Ziggy thought as he avoided another strike—. But his strength and endurance are another story. I can’t lose focus… but I can’t let him keep advancing either.

Ziggy knew he had no choice. He tightened his grip on his sword and activated his power. Suddenly, the dark street, illuminated only by a distant lamppost, was flooded with a blinding glow. The blade of his sword transformed from a simple piece of iron to being enveloped in brilliant flames, as warm as the sun.

The flare was visible for miles around.

The battle raged on, and though Ziggy fought with everything he had, Pardo refused to yield. Saico, still watching closely, couldn’t look away. His mind was in total chaos.

—That guy… he’s fighting evenly with that thing. But… he’s not going to last.

And he was right. After several minutes of combat, the fateful moment arrived. A small slip, barely a blink, was enough for Pardo to find an opening. With a swift movement, he swiped his claws directly at Ziggy.

Saico, watching it all as if time had slowed, acted before he could even think. He grabbed a stone from the ground and hurled it with all his might at Pardo’s face, striking his right eye.

The impact did no real damage but distracted him. The fury on Pardo’s face was evident, and with a deafening roar, he turned his attention toward Saico.

—Shit! —Ziggy cursed, noticing the change in direction—. That speed…?

Pardo rushed toward Saico with immense speed, far greater than before. The boy, paralyzed by fear, couldn’t move. His legs wouldn’t respond, and tears began to stream down his face.

—I’m going to die…

Suddenly, a deafening blow stopped Pardo in his tracks. Saico, stunned, looked around. In front of him, an unknown figure had intercepted the beast.

—Who… who is that?

The dust slowly settled, revealing a new fighter who had managed to halt Pardo with an impact so powerful that even the Primordial seemed bewildered.