“I do not know if I will be able to hold back after hearing that. Please do your best not to die.”
Said Helvi, to which Xena responded by strongly bumping her fists. A metallic sound echoed when they hit each other.
“Fine! Here I go!”
With enough power to dig a hole in the ground, Xena jumped towards Helvi.
She pulled her right fist back, and put all of her weight into it as she aimed for Helvi’s chin.
Xena’s combat style was as simple as it got. She used steel magic on her body, and hit her opponent. However, this simplicity did not make it easy for most people or monsters to break it.
Basically, she was tough. Even if someone tried to cut her with a sword, they would not break skin, and if someone tried to hit her with a hammer, they would not crack her bones.
Steel magic also made her stronger, so if her fist and a sword or a hammer collided, the sword would break and the hammer would be smashed.
If that fist hit even just a part of a person’s body, there was no way it would come out unscathed. At least that was normally the case.
“No way…!?”
Between Xena’s fist and Helvi’s face was Helvi’s right palm.
Xena fist was thrust at full power into the hand that Helvi effortlessly raised, and that hand was not budging.
Among the monsters that Xena defeated, there were monsters that were almost unaffected by her fists, and the feeling she was getting here was similar to those times.
However, in reality it was more than that. She did feel a response in her hands, but it was the smallest she had ever felt.
“Hmm, you are stronger than I expected.”
Said Helvi while grinning.
(What is she talking about? She didn’t move a single centimeter…!)
Xena quickly attacked with her left fist, this time aiming at Helvi’s stomach, with full confidence that she would hit.
She thought even a weaker hit would make her faint in pain if targeted at the stomach, but…
“This one was weaker than I expected.”
“…Hahaha, I didn’t think you’d stop it.”
It was stopped in Helvi’s left palm.
Just as it was with the previous blow, Xena did not see Helvi’s hand moving. She had confidence in her kinetic vision, but she did not even see an after image.
Both of Xena’s hands were caught in Helvi’s. Her arms were crossed, right one up and left one down.
She could not push forward or pull back. She was stuck.
“Steel magic. That is something rare you are using.”
“Eh… So you know about it…!”
Said Xena with a strained voice, as she tried to power out of this position.
Helvi’s voice however, could not be lighter.
“Yes. Long ago I exterminated turtle monsters that used it.”
“I’ve never heard of that monster…!”
“Like I said, I exterminated them.”
They were completely extinct. Those monsters did not exist in this world anymore.
“Their shells were very hard, so I had fun destroying them. Your fist is soft in comparison.”
“Ih… Ah…!”
Helvi started putting strength into her fist, and at the same time, Xena felt a dull pain running through hers.
The fist that would feel no pain even as it destroyed a hammer, was being broken by Helvi’s grip strength.
Xena could not bear the pain, and dropped down to one knee, but Helvi would not let go.
“We are only getting started. Do not kneel before I even break one finger.”
“Ouch! C-celia! Help!”
Xena reflexively called out her partner’s name, who was gathering magic energy.
“Yes yes I’ll help, but it’s going to hurt a little.”
“J-just do it!”
Celia fired her magic towards the two, and it rapidly approached them, accompanied by a sharp wind sound.
“Hn…”
Helvi let go of Xena, and dodged it with a big leap.
Xena also tried to evade it, but was too late. Her body was strengthened by steel magic, but she was still cut in multiple places, and was bleeding.
“Ouch! Hold back a little!”
“She let go of you didn’t she? Thank me.”
“I guess… No, a few seconds later and she would’ve crushed my hand.”
Said Xena as she shook her hands.
Celia’s wind magic easily cut Xena’s skin, which could not be cut by a sword.
They were not deep cuts, but it was a good indication of how powerful said magic was.
“Hm, I’m glad my clothes remain unharmed. I almost gave Theo a different kind of thrill than intended.”
When she jumped to avoid the attack, they became closer. Whether or not it was intentional, only Helvi knew.
She peeked to the side, and saw Theo’s face becoming red.
“I-if that happened I would’ve looked away, so it’s alright!”
“Ah, all the more reason not to let them get cut. I want you to always be looking at me.”
Theo’s face became even more red.
“H-hang in there…”
“Yes, of course.”
Helvi’s anger subsided after looking at Theo being cute, and she stepped forward to continue the fight.
“Those two are flirting in the middle of our fight…”
“That nonchalant attitude is annoying.”
Xena and Celia did not look happy.
“Sorry, but do not worry. My mood has taken a turn for the better, so I will hold back enough to make sure I do not kill you.”
And then, the fight continued.
I’m glad Helvi won’t kill them.
I hope she doesn’t hurt them much.
Sounds like they’ll become firm friends once a few boundaries are established.