Day Five: Evening

[Bra]

Bra exhaled with a long sigh as they wandered along over the ever-more-navigable terrain. Folding her good arm over her chest, she let her hand rest on her broken limb. The girl had to admit, Reijin knew his strategy. She would have just given her all in every fight possible, destroying herself along the way.

Chances are, she begrudgingly allowed, the raven haired combatant was probably responsible for keeping her alive for most of her time on the cramped maze of death and danger zones that was Dante?s Abyss.

?You know what...? the cyan haired hybrid broke the silence, taking a seat on a fallen tree. ?This thigh-high boot look is so... not cool.? she decided, pulling off the long, red leather boots. She was careful to stand them up side-by-side so they stood at exactly the same height.

?So you?d prefer to walk over harsh terrain barefoot? We can?t fly right now, Bra.? Reijin frowned. Somehow, he knew she had something up her sleeve, but he couldn?t quite tell what, so playing ?instructor? just felt right.

The petite empress formed a kienzan dagger, and with an expertly-placed swipe of the blade, she slashed the two boots in half. The top halves fell to the dirt, and Bra allowed her blade to fizzle out of existence.

?What are you...?? the Gaean trained saiyan muttered, but quickly fell silent once again. The heiress pulled on her shortened boots, which were now rather tasteful-looking ?modified? designer knee-highs.

?Hey,? she smiled at her handiwork. The result showed a lot more leg than usual, but it seemed like a refreshing fashion update. ?I like this. What do you think, Rei??

?Uh...? he blushed, running a hand through his hair. ?I still don?t understand the glasses or the lab coat. You don?t need glasses, and the coat doesn?t do anything against the elements.?

?Man, you don?t get girls,? Bra giggled. ?I didn?t like how the ki vest looked on me, so I put this coat over it. And I thought I?d look more like a scientist with the glasses. It?s a look, y?know?? the ?look?, however, was more or less ridiculous, but still, she liked it.

?...I suppose,? Reijin finally conceded. ?Anyhow, I gather you?re ready to continue.?

?Yeah,? the demi saiyan stood up, throwing her shotgun over her shoulder. ?Hey, Reijin... I know you were a bit embarrassed about me watching over you, but... I think... even if you didn?t mean to... I think you did a lot more watching over me. And... I don?t usually like... when people treat me like a kid, but... I think I get it. With you, at least. And, uh...? she just shook her head, flustered. She didn?t even know why she was saying these things.

?...I see.? responded the pure-blood, unsure how to reply to such a confusing series of fragmented sentences and disjointed points. He knew enough, however, to properly defuse the situation. ?You?re... welcome.? the statement was almost phrased as a question, but the girl seemed happy with the response.

The two continued down the path, side-by-side, walking in silence for a long moment. It was a strange pairing. Reijin, a calculating career-combatant, and Bra, who, while also having fought nearly all her life, was a brash, headstrong fighter with no regard to strategy. At least, it was until Exosus started controlling her whenever a fight broke out.

In the fight with the changelings, it was like she wasn?t actually doing anything. She watched through her own eyes as Exosus utilized a handful of tactics she?d never before used, and dispatched King Cold with the greatest of ease.

?Fuck, she?s good.? Bra said aloud, without even realizing it. It was painful to admit that her alter-ego was a better warrior than she was. Reijin simply rolled his head over to look at the girl as they walked.

?Who?? he inquired.

?Huh? ?Who? what?? the girl replied, staring blankly at the raven haired warrior. Reijin merely sighed, putting a hand to his head.

?You?ve been really spacey lately. Is everything okay, Bra?? he inquired. He knew he had to walk on eggshells when asking such questions. He learned that much in his time with Videl. Getting yelled at wasn?t high on his list of things to do.

?I... don?t know. Really, I guess I just have a lot on my mind. I?m... never mind, Rei. I?m sorry. I?m sorry.? the human-saiyan hybrid stared down at the ground as they walked, but the raven haired one pressed on.

?You?re what?? he insisted. The princess was beginning to lose her cool, and she glared daggers at him for a moment, as if furious he had broken some unspoken taboo.

?I?m scared of-? she caught herself just in time. ?Of... what?s gonna happen to me.?

?It?s just a game, Bra. There?s nothing to lose; death means nothing on this island. You know that.? Reijin placed a hand on the girl?s delicate shoulder, as if to emphasize the point. He had completely misinterpreted what she was talking about, but he was doing his best.

?Yeah...? the cyan haired halfling responded. But it wasn?t the game she was worried about. She was nervous, since she so desperately wanted to win, but it was Exosus that scared her, not the outcome of Dante?s Abyss. She just wished she knew he would understand if she explained it.

?It doesn?t matter. We?ll fight until the end, you and me.? Reijin promised.