Azure VS Umeko: The Battle For The Mushroom King--Errr -- Greece? Yeah, Let's Go With Greece [Tournament Event]

Anyone who could truthfully say that they knew Umeko could tell you that she absolutely abhorred tardiness in any form. If she wasn't going to be on time for something, she would be more likely to not show up at all if only to save herself from the embarrassment that came from arriving after she was supposed to have arrived. It was for this reason primarily, if no other, that Umeko found herself so annoyed at the slow pace with which the demons whom had been instructed to escort the sugiuran noble to her battle arena from the starting grounds in Greece where these dimensional arenas had been created. Umeko had to hand it to Mana, this tournament was well-planned, and foolproof in its rules and leniencies where they stood. However, if it was going to take any longer for them to reach the area designated for the Queen and her Guardian Beast to face their opponent, Umeko was going to scream.

Avalon, on the other hand, was enjoying the distraction. Spending some time in between dimensions like this gave her time to plan ahead, already going over the details of what she they knew about the target while she fell into step behind Umeko, idly observing the Monarch yelling fruitlessly at their guides, seeming to only slow matters down as opposed to expediting them. Azure Iramasha. That name had made its rounds in a great many circles, being praised just as much as it was cursed. The important part wasn't his reputation, though. The young Iramasha had shown a penchant for combat with a great many extremely powerful foes over the course of his tenure both within the Iramasha itself, and within the Vanguard. The boy had reformed the Earth Defense organization in ways that his predecessor Genpaku would have presumably been very proud of, and had netted quite a few feats that would make normal opponents think twice before standing up to him in battle.

Umeko and Avalon were not normal opponents, however. They knew the kind of odds they were walking into upon entering this tournament. Some of the spiritual world's strongest fighters were here, all vying for a chance at the country of Mythology and Gyros. The importance of victory outweighed the risk, though. As far as Umeko saw things, she would benefit greatly from a base of operations on the human world which she could effectively border off and use to safely transport those whom wished to explore this world from the sugiuran realm to this one, as well as provide sanctuary for those sugiurans who get unwittingly caught up in affairs which effect only other, less Noble races. Additionally, the pair couldn't help but acknowledge the irony in trying to claim a country notable for its pantheon of legendary figures while Avalon herself stood among those of a similar description in her own culture.

As the entrance to the arena itself approached, both Umeko and Avalon steeled themselves, ready for whatever lengths they might have to go to in their attempts to win this battle. When they reached the end of their “pathway”, so to speak, the guides gave Umeko a trio of very strange looking mushrooms, explaining to the green-haired woman that they were to restore her vitality if she would take on too much damage and need a resurgence. Umeko was confused by how.. unappetizing the 'medical' mushrooms looked, but decided it was better to keep them and not need them then to get rid of them and possibly have want for them later. Following this line of thought, Umeko would tuck the bag into the collar of her flowing black robe, tucking them into a pocket held within as she took her first step out into the green and overly cartoonish landscape with Avalon directly on her heel.

This was obscene, Umeko couldn't help but think as the two walked through the area that had been designated as their battlefield for this round. A couple of what looked like living bullet-type constructs were falling from the sky, impacting with a massive explosive force where they hit before fading, a period of time passing before any more were fired. They seemed to be firing harmlessly out into the far reaches of the arena for now, Umeko observed, but nothing could be ruled out, and letting their guard down was the first step to losing this match. On that same train of thought, Umeko's senses would also be at high alert, both her and Avalon searching for traces of their opponent as they had begun taking their first steps toward actually beginning this battle as they walked in the direction of the only energy signature around besides their own. As they reached the top of a particularly stubborn hill, the two finally laid eyes on their opponent in the field below. Avalon spoke to Umeko telepathically, on the off-chance that the opponent's hearing was exceptional.

”If we slip into the shadows and strike quickly from a stealthed position, we could end this battle before it were to even begin, my Queen.”

”Absolutely not. There is no Honor in besting an opponent who is not even aware of your presence. In a war, perhaps shadow tactics might be best. However, this is an Arena of True and Just combat. Let us not sour it with backhanded tactics.”

Acknowledging the current strategy as having been chosen wordlessly between them, the pair of them would suddenly disappear from their place atop the hill via a steps movement technique invented by Umeko herself, and referred to only as Kunshu. To those without the focus necessary to follow such high-speed movement, the women would've disappeared from sight entirely, not resurfacing to the naked eye until they were at their final standing position roughly thirty meters in front of Azure himself. Umeko crossed her arms, displaying a rather lackadasical attitude toward this whole ordeal as Avalon simply stood behind her with her eyes boring into Azure, the blonde woman observing him up close to try and get a better idea of what exactly they were up against. However, even with the intensity of Avalon's gaze, she still seemed roughly as relaxed as Umeko might have seemed, her armored arms resting limp by her hips, sword still sheathed at her side.

Umeko spoke for the both of them, placing one of the hands that had been crossed over her chest to her heart as she introduced the two of them. ”My name is Umeko Zhilan, as I'm sure Mana told you before this match began. The woman you see behind me currently trying to figure out if she can stare a hole through you is Avalon, my Guardian Beast. Before we begin, I want you to know that if you best me in this arena, I will hold no ill-will toward you. I am not here to deceive you, or kill you. I hold a great deal of respect for the work you've done with the vanguard, and you may be one of the few beings that gives me any hope for the future of the planet Earth. I am simply here to try and claim this country for my homeland, and establish a sugiuran sanctuary here on this planet while it is still in one piece and flowing with my people who refuse to simply stay home..” Umeko trailed off, smiling softly and tilting her head. ”And on that note...” As Umeko said this, her face took on a more serious expression, her arms sliding across her chest before dropping to her sides as her spiritual energy began to leak from her, the green-colored aura beginning to fill the space around the girl as she prepared herself, allowing Azure the first strike as was the only honorable thing to do.

”Let us have a glorious and honorable battle.”