Scouring the Outskirts (Zerori/Zriracha)

She really hadn’t intended on coming to Plant, but after the insistent feeling that something was waiting for her here (and actually finding that something) Zerori had decided to stay and see for herself just what all had changed. Not everything had been repaired since the war and the subsequent battles the city had endured after that time but she could still feel the whisper of nostalgia as she walked the streets. She’d long since ignored the looks that her presence invoked - she’d gotten used to them nearly 3 years ago and hardly gave a shit now. If anything, she enjoyed the caution afforded to her, a far cry from the derisive looks and humiliating sneers she’d received as a kid. Power really did change the game.

Speaking of, she was feeling a familiar one as she turned a corner. For a moment, a crowd drawn by the call of the voice demanding information about a man named Lottus, Zerori wasn’t sure who it was she was feeling. It wasn’t until she cut through the crowd with the ease of a firm push from her arm that she witnessed and recognized Gandigan - the man she met in Hell - get his legs swiped from under him. The damning evidence of why sitting clearly in the palm of a Saiyan man’s hand. She stared down at Gandigan with her one visible eye, clearly sensing what the Saiyan man could not, as she felt that Gandigan’s power was more than enough to teach the Saiyan a lesson - surpassing own easily.

Yet, even knowing that, Zerori didn’t hesitate to pull the great sword from her back and make her presence clear to the little thief as she held the point of her weapon against the adams apple of his throat with such speed that he almost didn’t know the danger he was in. Her grin was vicious as she spoke, visible eye glinting in cruel delight, “Y’know, I don’t know what I hate more. A coward that won’t fight fair or a weakling coward that’s too stupid to not fight fair. Now, how about you hand that little bag over nicely before I take that dumbfuck head of yours along with it.”

As she waited for the fool to make his choice, Zerori would look down at Gandigan if he was still on the ground before speaking, “I’m sure I can give you more information in exchange for the amount in that bag than this guy ever could. I fought Lottus before, after all.”

She watched as Gandigan had quickly gotten to his feet and, likely due to the thief being frozen with the blade at their throat, quickly took back the coin purse before turning to the crowd to disperse them. As he did so, Zerori would turn her gaze back to the Saiyan that was still held frozen by the blade at their neck before she slowly pulled it away and jerked her chin in a random direction. That was all that was needed to be ‘said’ before they took off without a word, leaving the two of them to the not exactly private streets to talk. Zerori’s hand was up faster than the sound of coins clinking together in the coin purse could be heard - easily catching it before realizing she’d done so and looking at the tiny bag.

Of course, Gandigan was never a man of many words, the straight-forward command bringing a smirk to the woman’s face. “With pleasure,” She accepted, gesturing in a presenting motion with the bag before she slipped it into one of her many pockets. “Can’t say there’s too to say about him; he’s not exactly a friend. As I said, though, we’ve fought back in Hell. Before you get your hopes up, though,” Her smirk lost a bit of joy, faltering in the memory of her loss, “-I didn’t win. He didn’t kill me, though, so… take that how you want.” It was still a mystery how he didn’t kill her just to give himself the satisfaction of making her go through the same ‘literal’ hell he’d been experiencing at the time. Or at the very least making her pay for her own trash talk.

She likely had Imugi to thank for that…

“Anyway,” Zerori continued, finally pulling her greatsword back behind her where it would stay fastened through means unknown. “His style of fighting is simple but easy to understand. He doesn’t just throw his strongest attack first. In fact… I’d dare to say that he seems to enjoy goading his opponent into wasting all their energy and just eating it like some monster. And make no mistake,” Her gaze hardened, “-He ain’t fazed by anything you throw at him. I let my anger get the best of me because it became personal and paid for the consequences.”

There was more but she wanted to let that much sink in, wait for any questions Gandigan had.

Damn, he really was asking the tough questions today. At the very least Zerori was able to somewhat give an answer this time, bringing a hand up to scratch at the back of her head. “I’m not sure if he was telling the truth, but-” The memory of her conversation with Imugi played back through her memory, still surprised Imugi had escaped with their own life as well. “I think he just wanted to see if I could get stronger and really kick his ass next time. If that lines up with why he spared you then maybe the guys’ just a typical Saiyan.” She gave a shrug, An asshole Saiyan. She added to herself, not that she wasn’t convinced Gandigan might have found it amusing as well.

The next question had Zerori blink a few times in surprise before she looked away to think for a moment. She made it pretty clear that she wasn’t the most… successful against Lottus but Gandigan looked pretty convinced that next time was going to be the last time. For either of them. Was she the last bastion of preparation Gandigan was using before going off to fight that crazed bastard? If she was, that didn’t bode well for him. Still, she couldn’t leave him with nothing.

Wracking her memory for anything that could be of use, Zerori tried to think of any of her victories. The problem was she didn’t have any she could remember. The fact that she kept making the same mistake over and over again, letting her temper become so easily manipulated, still hit her hard to this day. “I don’t.” She would eventually admit to him. However, as she turned to him, she’d add, “-Actually learn from my mistake. I certainly don’t seem to. Be calm. Watch him carefully and try and force him to waste his energy first. Dodge when you can, try not to get hit by anything that looks like it’s going to hurt a lot.” It was probably the best thing she could tell him at this point.

However, it wasn’t the only thing she could do. “Here’s my next bit of advice,” Zerori began with a smirk before turning away and gesturing for him to follow. Should he have decided to do so, Zerori would have led him to an open area. “Check this out,” She would say, giving him a wink, before she reached for the broadsword on her hip and - a single motion - slashed into seemingly nothing.

Only for a scar in the area to appear, black and red energy fizzling as it hung in the air before it stretched open of its own accord. For a few solid moments it would wiggle and bubble before slowly closing until it was no more. “That was a portal to Hell,” Zerori would explain, turning back to Gandigan. “As a Demon, this is a power that we have to traverse the Other Realms. ‘Why are you telling me this?’ You may be thinking?” Zerori mocks in what she believed was a good impersonation of Gandigan’s voice, still smirking.

“Because that’s how I met Lottus. And fought him. Which means he came back to life. You follow me?”