The crowd scattered to the periphery of the area as Ieremia strode out to meet the first Earthrealm kombatant. Ayumi eyed Yamagi as he licked his blade, her gaze fierce and unrelenting in a show to the demigod kunoichi of her strength and determination. When the warriors had a sufficient amount of space, Shang Tsung took his seat at the throne overlooking the arena. The Samurai's wife took her naginata in hand and turned to Raiden, bowing before him in reverence for her patron in this tournament.<br/><br/><strong>"Round One!"</strong><br/><br/>She turned to Shang Tsung, bowing before the sorcerer in respect. This was not the battlefield, where a Daimyo would send a horde of peasants with guns at her to be butchered... This was a tournament, and to the honor-bound Samurai, a noble one where single combat would spare the blood of their peoples otherwise shed in war.<br/><br/><em><strong>"Fight!"</strong></em><br/><br/>The Onna Bugeisha turned to her opponent lastly as that single word echoed through the air. Despite his menacing words, she bowed a final time, lowering her gaze so as not to give the impression that she did not trust him. ...Yet what Ayumi failed to grasp was that this was no tournament between Samurai with their code and compunctions against dishonor.<br/><br/>As soon as she lifted her eyes, a dagger was hurtling towards the woman. She hurriedly brought her spear to bare, swinging the naginata in an effort to deflect the dagger. The effort saved her from a direct hit, but the blade still slashed a deep cut through her thigh on its way to the earth. Her blood spilled to the earth in a 'J'-shaped arc, punctuated by the dagger embedded into the wooden floor.<br/><br/>Ayumi's eyes widened and then she furrowed her brow, advancing forward to punish the Outworld fighter for his dirty trick. The samurai's wife flourished her weapon at him threateningly as she advanced step by step... And yet... her leg started to cramp up. She grit her teeth, the woman's muscles feeling like they were trying to pull free from her bone. The pain subsided, replaced only by a deep numbness... It travelled down her leg, tingling her nerves as it moved up her abdomen as well. It dawned upon her that she had been poisoned! And it was a potent toxin indeed.<br/><br/>Had the dagger been buried in her flesh, it might have reduced the woman to being unable to move at all, much less fight. Ayumi found that she could no longer advance, at least not while dragging her leg behind her. She would have to cede the offensive to him, and so the Onna Bugeisha assumed a low stance and cautiously readied her naginata.