Ume raised her right arm, effortlessly blocking the attack. She pushed her arm out in an attempt to throw her opponent off balance, but Rumin was aware of her position, using her left leg to kick off of their arm, gaining some distance. However, Ume wasn't letting her get away so easily, closing the gap to aim a straight punch to their chest.
Rumin was forced to guard, feeling the sting of the attack as her feet desperately tried to stop her from dragging off the arena platform. Luckily she managed to stop herself mere inches away from falling off the ring's edge."Heh... I always knew there was a good reason that you were a match for my sister."
Recognizing her opponent's strength, Rumin had to ramp things up to stay in the game. She straightened her stance and focused her vision as the area around her started to heat up. "Hope your ready!"
It didn't take long for the heated air to become more visible before turning into an orange flame. The flame trailed along Rumin's skin until it rests just above her right hand. When she gripped it, it bursts out into a veil, coating her hand as if it was a glove.
She lunged forward, aiming to strike Ume in the face, but the mouse was able to get away with a graze. Her eyes squinted from the slight tinge of the flames, but that didn't stop her from sending a knee straight into Rumin's face. "You're no slouch either, I'm glad you're taking this more seriously."
Rumin reeled back a bit, but had no time to recover as she was forced to exchange blows with Ume. The fighters danced acrossed the arena through a series of swift motions. Blocks, parries and counters were just some of what you'd expect, but none expected to see Ume actually get pushed back. A flaming fist to the jaw actually made its mark, breaking through what most believed to be an impenetrable defense.
It was swiftly countered with a palm thrust to the chest, breaking the close distance between the combatants. "Good... Now let's step things up." The audience roared with excitement as Ume activated her signature breathing technique and rushed towards Rumin with a heel dropkick.
Albeit slightly winded from the previous attack, Rumin was able to block and go for a counterattack. However, she was met with Ume grasping her incoming fist and swung her body to flip a kick into her face. The attack was strong enough to launch Rumin upwards, only to be followed up by Ume, who seemed relentless in her pursuit.
Before Ume could reach her, Rumin was able to catch herself and spew out a breath of fire in retaliation. The attack was enough to force the mouse to retreat with an evasive maneuver, but was left open to a fiery kick to her right side. Both contestants landed safely, with Rumin having a smirk on her face while Ume held her side for a bit, smiling back in retaliation.
The audience couldn't believe their eyes. An individual who's never made it to the semifinals in any of the previous tournaments was giving the Champion a run for her money. Rumin took a breath and spoke to her opponent.
"I admit you almost had me there. I didn't expect you to catch on so quickly, but the rumors about you being a prodigy sure hold its merit. Either way, I'm not certain that I can win this, but I promised to give it my all. So here I come!"
She lowered her stance as the area around her began to boil. Her skin and fur took on a reddish hue as her body temperature continued to rise. All of a sudden, flames began to materialize and coat Rumin's body, creating a thin veil that covered top to bottom.
In this state, Rumin appeared more serious in comparison to her laidback nature. However, this was proof that she had been honing her craft every single year. She lunged forward, leaving a trail of fire behind. Ume was impressed by the results of her friend's labor, but this was still a fight nonetheless.
She met her opponent head-on, clashing arms as she swung her left foot. The attack landed, but Ume had to quickly recoil, gaining some distance as she looked down at her leg. The entire fabric was singed away, leaving the backend flowing from the breeze.
Her fur was slightly charred... It was as if she was fighting a literal blaze, but this only seemed to amuse Ume's fighting spirit. "You're not kidding. I can definitely see it in both your spirit and actions. It's only right that I meet you with the same level of conviction."
Rumin gasped slightly as it didn't occur to her that her opponent was still holding back. Perhaps she was confident enough to believe that even she can do what her sister couldn't. However, Ume was about to set things straight.
She rythmically took a deep breath, making everyone realize exactly what she was about to do. Rumin tried to put a stop to the act, but it was already too late. When the attack landed, it didn't even make Ume flinch.
Instead, she faced Rumin with a glow in her eyes and threw a fist into her face. The knockback was powerful, nearly causing both participants to fall out of the ring. This was the moment the audience were all waiting for... The Iron Maiden had finally made an appearance.
In short, the watch was never in Rumin's favor from the start. It was only out of respect that Ume had humored her for this long, but was it all trick? That couldn't be answered at this moment as the two combatants engaged in combat.
Blow for blow was exhanged but neither party was willing to give up. Despite their tenacity, it was Rumin who is suffering the most as each attack wittled down her stamina to keep up. No matter how many times Ume got burned, she still had the unrelenting edge.
It didn't take long Rumin started to take more and more hits. At this point, it was either throw in the towel or face the possible consequences of being unable to participate in another tournament for a good long while. Sadly, she wasn't taking this one sitting down.
A flash of light was emitted, forcing Ume to take a step back. It appears that the flames generated from Rumin's transformation grew more violent, scorching the very ground beneath her feet. The audience couldn't believe their eyes. Even the spectating Pillar raised an eye of intrigue over the product of this fierce battle.
The redness of Rumins body rose so high that she was practically a crimson hue of her former self. The temperature would've been unbearable for most if it wasn't for the provided barrier, but this was it... Rumin's final stand.
Ume could only smile, acknowledging the potential her opponent has, but this match had to come to an end now before it gets out of hand. Both girls put everything into their readied fist and dashed towards the arena's center. Suspense filled the air as both contestants made contact, clashing fists with one another.
The impact alone shook the arena and a blinding light shrouded everyone's vision for what seemed to be mere minutes. Soon as the field of view returned to normal, both participants were still seen standing with their fists pressed together. Unfortunately it was already clear who was the victor is.
Ume looked pretty seared, but in very stable condition despite everything. Rumin however had loads of steam emanating from her body as her breaths were low and sparce. Soon as Ume lets go, Rumin fell onto the ground, clearly unconscious. Once it seemed like it was over, the Announcer stepped onto the stage as the medical team came out to collect the fallen competitor.
"Now that was one hell of a lightshow, wasn't it folks?!" The audience roared and cheered as their expected Champion came out on top. "Our Champion sure had us on the edge of our seats in the beginning of this match, but they sure didn't disappoint when it came down to the very end.
It is with great pleasure to announce that Ume Otogi will be moving on to the final round~!!! Will she hold up her title once more this year or will our next match's winner prove us wrong? And let's not forget our applause for Rumin Hhitoryu~, who surprised all of us by blazing her way into the top 4 contestants for this year's tournament~!"
The crowed once again applauded the combatants for their performance. As it died down, both Ume and the unconscious Rumin were escorted off the arena. Staff immediately came out afterwards to repair the decimated platform so the next match can get underway.
"As promised, we still have another match for you today! This was a tough act to follow but let's see if our next contestants can put on a show for the ages. Please welcome to the stage:
Kazumi Yamazaki~ and Gale Hhitoryu~!!!"