PART TWENTY EIGHT: BALANCING THE FIGHTERS

Chapter 137

Translated by npberryhill

Bra grinned fiercely, matching her opponent’s far crueler and more monstrous smile. All those in attendance glanced from one to the other, gulping in anticipation. To most, the scene was epic, fantastical — a classic battle of hero vs. villainous monster, like something out of a fairy tale. Although, at the moment, it seemed it might become a nightmare.

“Cold has her outmatched in terms of raw strength and speed,” Piccolo of the 18th said. “Yet, Bra still seems pretty sure of herself. Curious.”

“She must have some pretty great secrets in reserve,” Goku suggested. “She has been training with Vegetto since childhood after all, so I’d be surprised if she doesn’t pull out something special.

“I too hope she makes it out of this alive,” Uub said.

Cold rushed the girl with dazzling speed that defied his physical size. Much like Kakarotto in his golden Oozaru transformation, this metamorphosis in no way slowed down the titan... in fact it did the opposite. Not wasting time, he seized the Saiyan by her arms and legs — she’d been caught off guard by his sudden increase in speed. The giant raised Bra in the air and sent a powerful electric current from his aura through her body. Her tortured cries of pain were only matched by his booming laughter, cruel with delight.

Vegetto’s fists balled tight, his forehead beginning to show a vein, while Videl held Pan in her arms as they both turned away. The Heloite’s watched the spectacle with a bitter feeling, Eleim gritting his teeth as he watched the great demon hurl their savior onto the ground and crush her under his foot. Most in the audience were just as horrified by the girl’s cries of pain, some even demanding an immediate end to the fight — while others yelled words of encouragement to Bra and shouted for her to get back up.

Even Trunks and Goten were on the verge of rage, seeing their sister bloodied like a ragdoll. In spite of her constant arrogance and often demeaning attitude towards them, they had shared many happy memories growing up together. She was apart of their family after all! And although she belittled them endlessly, they still loved their sister, Vegetto’s true heir, the girl who inherited the joy and pride of both Goku and Vegeta. They’d trained with her countless times, helped educate her, and in all of that they’d never seen her like this. It was anguishing to watch Bra lose for the first time.

Nearby, Gohan and Piccolo watched them out of the corner of their eyes, prepared to step in if they decided to interrupt the match — the last thing Bra would want is to be disqualified for outside help. Like her father, they knew the young girl would never forgive anyone for intervening or trying to rescue her, no matter their intentions. It was her fight, her battle, and she would face it alone...to the end.

Cold landed a kick in the girl’s gut and she coughed and spat, flying through the air. Bra spun on one leg, bracing against the ground with one of her hands and recovering. Again standing before the Frost Demon, she rubbed the pain in her belly, panting. Even in her normal state, the Saiyan had incredible resilience — so far none of Cold’s blows had true stopping power, the electric shock had only temporarily surprised her. She could already feel the sting of each blow beginning to wain, but all the same it was the first time an opponent aside from her father had caused her this much pain. She took those feelings inside, the adrenaline that ran through her muscles and nerves, the thrill of fighting that characterized all true Saiyans.

Across from her, Cold was just as thrilled to be able to employ this much strength. If he hadn’t managed to goad her into making the handicap, he wouldn’t have been able to land a single attack, or enjoy the sound of bones breaking or crushing his enemy. No way he was wasting his opportunity!

Crossing his top two arms in front of his chest and extending his fingers, the demon created ten small ki spheres, each bright purple. With a quick wave, he unfolded his arms and threw them towards Bra, who leapt high off the ground. Each blast followed her into the air, causing her to sigh in exasperation. With a single fluid motion, she caught two of them, and without letting them touch directly, slid them into the palm of her hands — then with a simple rotation, she sent them flying right back at Cold. She then seized another, this one much more forcefully, and deflected it with far greater speed than the first two. Then, with the seven others, she alternated her rhythm, rejecting each one and returning them to their source.

The precision movements required to perform such a delicate counter made it appear as though Bra was dancing an aerial ballet, graceful and beautiful. Cold, in contrast, remained motionless and only hissed with contempt.

“Impudent girl! Do you honestly think you’ve won this exchange? Here, there yours, take them back!”

The Demon, though lacking the gracefulness of Bra, merely moved his four arms and even higher speed, deflecting all of the attacks without difficulty. Each of his gestures was precise, quick and controlled, but also brutal. The attacks were once again focused on Bra, who this time reiterated her original dance with even more agility and fluidity. The occupants of Universe 18 found her demonstration to be quite impressive, showing great control in spite of the enormous gravity — not to mention she found the time to verbally jab her opponent at the same time.

“Thanks, but no! As far as gifts go, I have much finer tastes and these are embarrassingly poor! They suit you quite well though!”

Stung to the quick, the galactic goliath caught each one of the energy balls in an overwhelming Kiai. They froze in front of his aura, then were ejected with double the speed back at the Saiyan. Despite the repetitive back and forth, the spectators remained completely enthralled with the scene. Some more attentive among them even noticed a surprising detail.

“The number of attacks is increasing with each passing turn...” Uub said, amazed.

“What do you mean?” Pan exclaimed, concentrating on the exchanges.

Indeed, upon focusing, she realized that Bra had added to the barrage with each blast she reflected. While Cold’s Ki was purple, Bra’s was more a bluish hue. But with such fast exchanges, it was no surprise that only those with a sharp eye had caught on. Cold, totally obsessed with deflecting them all back failed to noticed even when there were twenty, thirty, even more. It wasn’t until the late fifties that the Frost Demon became aware that the confrontation seemed to be taking an unfavorable turn. Bra, her face sweaty, uttered a small hiss of admiration.

She was forced to recognize that her opponent had edged her out in this regard, he’d faced just as many barrage assaults without losing his vivacity. But now he was beginning to be overwhelmed, and he realized it was over.

The Kikohas smashed into him gradually at first, against his arms, torso, and head. He screamed as the attacks smashed against him and exploded, disappearing into the enveloping dark smoke that arose from contact. Uub and Pan rejoiced, as did Trunks and Goten of the 16th. Vegetto smirked briefly, but the look disappeared almost immediately. It wasn’t over yet.

Bra heaved a sigh of relief, arms trembling from the exertion. She was exhausted, but she’d finally gained the advantage — and without having to transform or implement a rescue plan. The fight had been exhilarating, but it was time to put an end to it, her next opponent had far more to offer her. Extending her arms out from her sides, she charged up two intensely concentrated Kikohas in her palms.

“Unreal!” Goku exclaimed. “To think she still has energy left for an attack like that.”

“Don’t underestimate my little Bra, Goku,” Vegetto said from nearby. “Her reserves are impressive, even from my point of view.”

His daughter didn’t hear the words, fighting off the fatigue growing in her eyes. She’d been putting out power equivalent to Super Saiyan 2 for nearly half an hour now without pausing, all while in her base form. She would risk it all on this last offensive in order to put an end to the grotesque lizard. As her power level increased, both Piccolos shuddered, feeling insignificant in comparison. Were they to be on the receiving end, they’d be obliterated on the spot. Bra channeled all her remaining ki into her arms then fired the Kikoha in a spiral motion, allowing it better penetration.

“It’s all over! Not so tough after all, in the end...”

“She’s gonna win!” cried the Heliotes.

“Good match!” Pan added from the 16th balcony.

“Wait, hold up...” Eleim interrupted. “My sensors... he’s emerging from the dust!”

Goku and his companions, hearing the remark, spun towards the place Cold had vanished. Indeed, something was happening. An incredible aura, flashing with lightning, suddenly burst forth from the smoke. At blazing speed, the Frost Demon flew towards an utterly shocked Bra. With far more skill than anyone predicted, Cold effortlessly dodged the two spinning beam attacks — which exploded behind him in a display even Buu found rather remarkable.

Bra was frozen in place, taken aback by such a feat. Shouts of admiration roared from the Universe 8 members, while the Héloïtes and those of the 16th and 18th remained silent and gloomy. Coola’s apprehensions had been thrown to the wayside as he now joyously rooted for his father — even Freeza, still suspicious, felt momentary elation before the incredible talent on display.

The Emperor struck her like a mack truck, planting an absolutely devastating punch in her stomach. Bra spat blood, her body going into shock from the blow. For a sliver of a moment, everything flashed before her eyes as pain seized every fiber of her being. She had never been hit so hard, not even by Vegetto during their fights. Her natural resilience had been measured and had fallen short against the monster’s cruelty. Cold so delighted in causing such agony, in breaking bones and crushing his foes.

But he wasted no time in continuing his vicious assault, next grabbing her by the legs and arms. Overwhelmed by pain, the girl had no defense. Relentless, he kneed her in the same place, spilling a new pint of blood from her mouth, then clasped his two free arms together and smashed them into Bra’s back. The girl went head-first into the ring, her eyes glassy, unable to budge even an inch.

Yet the Frost Demon was far from satisfied, even now he wouldn’t leave her down. Standing before her, he gave another powerful kick that launched her back into the air, then chased after. With dizzying speed he surrounded her like a tornado, peppering the Saiyan tirelessly with blow after blow to the body. The spectators were horrified, demanding the Vargas intervene, if only to put an end to the suffering. Pan of Universe 16 trembled from head to toe in spite of her mother’s tight embrace. Gohan shut his eyes, frustrated, but in full realization that he couldn’t intervene in a situation he had unfortunately predicted from the start. Vegetto didn’t say a word. In the corner of his eye, Piccolo glanced at him, perplexed.

It was among the first victorious moments for Universe 8 so far in the tournament, and Freeza and Coola had abandoned their apprehensions. They wildly applauded Cold’s efforts, and even Raichi felt a certain satisfaction seeing a Saiyan pulverized, though he harbored no false illusions about the Frost Demons. He merely enjoyed they Saiyan’s pain, the fact she was a girl made no difference to him, they were all vermin to exterminate. As for Gast, he could sense the hatred emanating off the old man. It bothered him, and of course he had no taste for the brutality that was taking place in the ring himself. There was, however, another being quite appreciative of the sordid spectacle. Buu from Universe 4 whistled with admiration at Cold’s prowess, which for the moment had truly impressed him. He’d quite appreciated the skillful maneuvers, the surprise turns, and the beautiful clashes. If anything, he was a bit disappointed by Vegetto’s daughter so far. As for the violent display, far be it from him to pass judgement. He could be nice on occasion, but he was on no-one’s side but his own.

Cold’s frenzied bloody assault continued without pause, until Bra finally escaped through teleportation, appearing on the ground. At first she stood, lifting the hopes of Pan, Trunks, and Goten, but then turning their expressions to horror. The Saiyan’s entire body was covered in blood and bruises, clothes torn, her face was almost completely tinted with purple, one of her eyes sealed shut. Spectators stuffed their heads in their hands, peeking out through their fingers. The Frost Demon, aware of his target’s escape, turned and sneered at his victim, who was barely standing. Bra’s mind was racing, yet hazy — she had to formulate a plan.

“I’ve... got to do...”

Her legs faltered and her body hit the ground heavily, inert. Cold burst out laughing as the Saiyan’s blood began to pool around her. Nearby, the Vargas began their count.

“Victory for Cold in 27 seconds...”

“Is she... dead?” Pan gulped, managing to ask her father.

“I don’t know,” Gohan replied, a pearl of sweat running down his cheek. “From here it’s tough to sense her energy.”

“She can’t be dead!” Trunks and Goten yelled. “She’s the strongest Saiyan ever, she can’t lose to a guy like this! Stand up!”

“Wait...” Uub said, concentrating. “It’s faint, but I can still sense it.”

Goku was impressed with his pupil, as not even he could quite make out the girl’s energy signature. Buu, from the Kaioshin balcony, was also satisfied with his heir’s ability, though his own was far more advanced.

Trunks and Goten, from the 16th patio, were relieved by the news, but Uub had spoken a bit too clearly. The Frost Demon above had heard it too, unfortunately.

“Ah is she? the Emperor repeated, his tone sharp and vicious. “Well, in that case, let’s accelerate the count along. It’s time I send the girl to meet the other members of her race. Goodbye, Saiyan!”

Several Kienzan suddenly appeared in his hands, at which point he immediately hurled them at the girl, who was only hanging onto life by a thread. Those of the 16th and 18th panicked instantly, Piccolo tapping his fingers as he eagerly watched Vegetto, who wore a silent indecipherable expression. Was he unaffected by seeing his daughter in this condition? Would he actually allow her to die without intervening on her behalf?

In the Universe 11 apartments, Babidi contemplated the scene in his crystal ball. His new pawn, a visionary Saiyan, had told him something most interesting — a prediction that Vegetto would get angry and put everyone in danger. The wizard was trying to prepare for any eventuality, and with his daughter about to be shredded it seemed the galactic psychopath might be unleashed. All the same the fight was fascinating, and he watched Cold with great interest — viewing his potential as a servant to be on par with even Dabra.

The tension in the arena could be cut with a knife. Both Pans cried in despair, while Uub gritted his teeth. Even Vegeta, Goku, and Gohan had their doubts as to whether or not she could figure a way out of her current predicament. But a sudden peculiar grin emerged on Vegetto’s face. Shortly before the four discs sliced through the Saiyan, Gast and the two Piccolos heard a chewing sound from her mouth.

“Five...” Cold snorted loudly, assured of his victory!

“Four...” The spinning energy blades whizzed through the air. Videl of the 16th hid her eyes.

“Three...” Buu frowned, amused and awaiting the finale.

“Two...” Piccolo noticed Vegetto’s smile, realizing what was going on at that instant.

“One...” Raichi’s eyes opened wide as he saw the girl’s open palm rest against the ring. She then used it to fling herself upwards just as the Kienzan cut their own trenches into it. Cold stared wide-eyed at the girl, who was a breath away from death moments earlier, now darting through the air in full form and wearing a mischievous grin. He saw it now, a few small beans that had been hidden inside of her right glove, which she consumed without moderation. Vegetto laughed at the Frost Demon’s stupor, especially at Cold. Noticing Raichi’s fierce gaze, Gast frowned. Indeed, the arrogant girl had clearly just cheated, from his perspective anyway. Raichi no doubt thought the same, and couldn’t believe that she had treated the rules with such disregard.

“You... that’s cheating!” the Cold Emperor yelled, unable to contain his anger. “You don’t have the right to heal yourself mid-battle!”

“Pfff...” Bra laughed. “You didn’t have any problem manipulating the rules to your advantage earlier... why the double standard? There’s no rule against healing, right?”

“That’s correct,” a Varga responded. “As long as it’s not outside help, nothing is off limits during the match. Healing yourself by whatever means is no violation.”

“Yep,” Vegetto exclaimed, unabashedly pretentious. “You can’t expect to win the game unless you know all the rules. Cold used them brazenly before, proof enough for me. I don’t particularly approve of the use of Senzus, but how many times have we relied on them when the fate of the universe was at stake? There’s no shame, and above all no reason to complain, especially since she complied with your conditions, pitiful emperor!”

“You see,” Bra said, her tone again satisfied and arrogant. “Now, I’m the one with the upper hand!”

“Grr...” he grumbled, having no response.

Over on the Universe 18 patio, Piccolo leaned over to Son Goku. “Be honest, Goku, would you have given Cold a senzu as well?”

“Yeah, of course. Why do you ask?” Goku answered, intrigued.

“He’s referring to your fight against Cell, airhead,” Vegeta retorted, exasperated. “I understand fair is fair, but you do tend to get carried away with your generosity towards our enemies. I’m sure you’d have offered Majin Buu a bean if you had weakened him before he had to fight the kids. Unbelievable.”

“Hmm, now that you mention it, maybe you’re right,” Goku replied, to the shock of Piccolo, Goten, and Trunks.

Meanwhile, Bra was floating above the ring and allowing her body to recover, while Cold barely managed to contain his rage. The little twit had played him up until now, and he had indeed expended a great deal of energy. But, he felt sure he still had enough stamina left to crush her once again — and this time he’d rip her head off so as to not repeat his mistake.

“The upper hand? I’ll show you!” he shouted, jerking his arm diagonally all of a sudden.

Bra detected one of the discs from earlier heading her direction from behind. Did the demon really consider this his best attack option? So be it, she thought. No more playing around. She turned to face the Kienzan, which was now dangerously close to her, extending her own forearm directly in its’ path.

“What!?” Vegeta of the 18th exclaimed. “Idiot, she’ll be sliced to...”

His words were cut short by what happened next. His alternative daughter had chopped the energy disc in half with a single backhand. The two pieces vanished behind her as she turned and smirked proudly at the Frost Demon.

“How in the hell...?” Vegeta grumbled, begrudgingly impressed.

Goku’s surprise was as evident.

“Her hand,” Piccolo stated. “It’s an energy blade.”

“I see, but didn’t Sauza try that earlier against Krillin and fail?” Goku wondered aloud.

“Clearly, her technique is far superior,” Vegeta scoffed.

Around her extended fingers, a constant flow of Ki concentrated into a sharp point. Cold was dumbfounded, his sons utterly amazed at such an ability. Vegetto of Universe 16 sneered loudly.

“Watch closely. You’ll see the results of incredible potential combined with intense training!”

“You’d lost before you ever challenged me, demon!” Bra boasted to her petrified opponent. “Up until now, I’ve only used average level techniques against you. And credit where it’s due, you’ve given me a few new ideas — I’ve never been pushed this far before, not even against my own father. I know what real pain is... but whatever the situation no matter how dire, I never give up, and I’ll do whatever is in my power to save the Universe! I am Son Bra, daughter of Vegetto, and protector of the world!”

With those words, she had a great burst of speed, astonishing the eyes of those she’d sworn to help. Her words had touched them deeply. These Saiyans were decidedly beings of great kindness, far more human than most they might come across. Vegetto, Vegeta, Goku, both Gohans, and Piccolo were quite proud of her words.

Bra re-appeared above Cold, waving her arm diagonally. He narrowly avoided the strike, but she followed up quickly. Pointing her arm like a rapier, she sent numerous jabs at the Demon, who found avoiding the strikes increasingly challenging. He grit his teeth, having to focus intently to allow him an opening to counter. Bra teleported over him again and took the same approach, but the Emperor saw her coming. He swung a hard uppercut.

“You think you can take me by surprise!?”

But it was again he who found himself in shock. Rather than the sound of bones being crushed, he felt as though he were hitting a statue of turquoise ice. Her fake body crumbled and shattered, but the real Bra was moving so quickly Cold was unable to follow. Sneaking behind him, she grinned.

“Yeah, I just did!”

Panicked, Cold swung his arm wildly to his rear, spinning. But once again, he only managed to pulverize one of the mysterious statues. This one, instead of crumbling and falling to the ground like splinters of glass, the pieces of the statue stuck to him like some sort of jelly.

“What is this shit?” he grumbled.

The globs of gel began to replicate as they covered his body. Whatever the substance was acted as a numbing, paralyzing agent preventing him from properly controlling his limbs. Now caked over his armored exterior, the jelly was starting to really concern him, his sons worriedly watching on.

Bra rose a few feet above the ring, then clasped her hands above her head, fingers pressed together. With a victorious shot, Bra formed a huge turquoise Axe out of energy — which was admired greatly by the spectators. The demon, now terrified of what awaited him, tried to flee. But in his paralyzed state, all he could do was manage to raise his tail, hoping the appendage would help block the attack. If worse came to worse, he hoped he’d only lose his tail rather than be cleaved in two. But, he’d again underestimated the power of Vegetto’s daughter.

Bra’s arms came down swiftly, slicing through Cold’s limbs, who uttered a terrible cry of pain. Not only his tail, but much of his torso had been severed by the mighty Axe — the reactions of admiration and terror were mixed amongst the audience, split between those of Universe 8 and everyone else. The Frost Demon fell back, collapsing heavily as he looked down at the gaping wound in his chest. An already huge pool of blood, ever growing, had been spilled beneath him, and he could no longer feel his arms. Even the least bit of movement was utter torment. He groaned in anger, a weak choking voice characterized by suffering. Bra smirked. The fight had been fun, certainly difficult because of her limitation, but she wasn’t embarrassed about having to use the senzus. She just wanted to have fun, and to save the Heloites while she was at it. If she could do both at once even better.

Though the count had only just begun, both competitors now knew, without any doubt... Son bra would be the victor.