"Relax kids Maggie's here to save the day."
A woman nearing 7 feet tall and with a muscular frame that surpassed even Hamon dashed from behind Frost and Artemis with a bright smile.
She appeared before the two young men, protecting them from the oncoming stone club. She licked her lips in appreciation and tightened her grip around her weapon. A comically large hammer that obviously weighed more than a 100kg.
Frost superimposed the image of Maya on this woman's back finding them similar for a brief moment.
"SMAAAAASSSSHHHH!!!" The cyclops cared not for the change in target as long as it could crush something it. It's massive club swiftly reached this Maggie with impressive force; the very air being pressurised into a sonic boom.
Maggie responded with a joyous chuckle before tensing her already massive arms causing them to bulge obscenely. She didn't even bother using a skill or chakra simply retaliating against the 10 metre tall cyclops with her own brute strength. Her hammer swung fiercely dragging the air with it to smash against the cyclops's club.
Baaaaaaaannnnnggggggg!
A massive explosion of sound erupted upon contact and Frost and Artemis couldn't help their jaws from going agape in awe.
The mighty cyclops was defeated in a match of pure strength. Parts of its stone club fragmented as it was blown backwards as if it was as light as a feather.
The cyclops was even more confused, it turned to look at its raised arm that was supposed to be parallel to the ground in bafflement before looking at its intended prey or rather the one that impeded its path.
It saw Maggie standing tall with a smile and almost mocking look in her eyes. The cyclops wasn't the smartest creature, but it was smart enough to know when it was being mocked.
Anger filled it and its raised arm started to tense and reveal thick veins. Its stone club groaned from the increased pressure exuded by its hand.
Maggie's smile grew as she readied her stance for another attack, this time a glow surrounded her hammer, she was preparing to use a skill.
"Bullen get your arse out of here you've got the vanguard squads to worry about." While both she and the cyclops readied themselves for a more destructive attack she wrapped her neck around to yell at Bullen who was watching the situation in a daze.
Bullen who was covered in scars and sported a rather frightening visage shivered at Maggie's yell, instinctively standing straight and saluting.
"Yes vice leader!" He animatedly responded before leaving the vicinity to aid the rest of the vanguard that he was in charge of.
Frost felt Artemis shiver through their close proximity at the same time revealing his fear towards this woman called Maggie.
"Artemis we'll discuss your choice in actions later but for now you're free to assist me and the young Frost here in our battle. Be wary of your surroundings and take a defensive approach, watch and learn how B-ranks battle." Maggie gave Artemis an almost threatening glare before winking towards Frost. He fluid changes in attitude were rather surreal.
'Ah of course she wouldn't come out of such an exchange unscathed.' Frost noticed the blood and Maggie's quick hiding of it. she was still a sapient, her body couldn't possibly be a match for the sturdiness of a monster's after all. This exchange was to serve as a signal, inspiring their allies with morale and their enemies with fear, she had pushed herself to do so.
Frost's hand subconsciously gripped hard around his glaive before he placed his hand on Artemis's shoulders.
"You heard the vice leader, watch and learn." He spoke with confidence and slapped Artemis's back before leaving him alone and joining Maggie.
"Are you alright vice leader?" He whispered so as not to alert Artemis or the cyclops.
Maggie swiftly wiped her mouth one more time and swallowed any blood that threatened to rush up her throat.
"Perfectly fine, just needed to stretch a little first before the real bout starts hehehehe." She laughed and placed her large, furred hand on his shoulder.
Like Jared Bando, Maggie was a member of bear beastmen tribe, a tribe known for their physical prowess. White fur covered many parts of her skin, and her ears were very similar to that of a polar bear's but other than that she looked human. Probably late thirties or early forties, same generation as Douglas, Ryuu and Bastion.
He hadn't met her personally yet, but he had heard about this vice leader of the frost wolf battalion. A fierce woman who was very fond of using her fists to solve problems and with strength only below Hamon's, but never would he have guessed she could so easily floor a cyclops. That was a member -though bottom of barrel- of the giant race, a monster species with immense physical strength.
His shock was evident on his face as his eyes couldn't help but drift between her massive biceps, hammer and the still floored cyclops.
"Hahahahaha its nothing much, my kin are already known to be physically adept and my skills in regards to using my weapon surpass this dull beast's." She laughed and harshly wacked Frost's back causing him to choke on his breath before sporting a serious look.
"But more importantly it was only using one arm." Maggie knew her capabilities and knew that this creature surpassed her physically no matter how much muscle she developed. The cyclops was a monster and easily 4 times her size, if it really was fair contest she would lose without a doubt.
The short exchange between Maggie and cyclops repeated in Frost's mind, he nodded in understanding, realising that what Maggie said was true, the cyclops held its club in one hand while she wielded her hammer with both. But even so.
"That's still pretty impressive." Regardless of the cyclops situation Maggie still triumphed over it both with and without using skills, something he himself, Bullen and many of the other B-rank fighters were incapable of doing. Maggie deserved his respect.
"Well aren't you a charmer." Maggie smiled from ear to ear before frowning. "Looks like our conversation will have to end here."
The cyclops was steadily getting up and the treeline was rustling.
Maggie gripped her hammer hard and placed it across her shoulders while Frost readied his glaive, adorning it in ice flames and preparing to move.
"Artemis! Skirmish!" Maggie gave Artemis a clear and simple order which caused the young archer captain to shiver and salute on instinct before reading his bow.
The cyclops picked up its stone club before facing Maggie and Frost.
"ME KILL ARGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!"