"This food is incredible!" Matthew exclaimed as he wolfed down the streak that lay on a plate in front of him. All of the fighters in the Tournament had been called to the dining hall for a meal and an introduction to both each other and the Tournament.

"In Invalesco, we hunt down what we can, but with the presence of dragons, food has been getting scarce." Said Firedrake as he looked down at the soup he had been eating.

"At our home, there is scarce food in some places, but an abundant supply in others." Replied Matthew.

"Well that sounds odd, why don't you send off food to equalize rations?" Scoffed Link when he heard this.

"Well, the people who care try to help, but the help is too little and too slow." Said Sara, also eating a steak.

"I would help," added Tanten, "but the Druids are sworn to protect the balance within the Four Lands, and I don't think it would go to well trying to reason that with my superior."

At that moment, giant doors were noisily flung open and two heavily armored knights walked through. Between the two knights came the Reaper, who stood at a podium overlooking the dining hall.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." Bellowed the Reaper in a voice that defied his age and size. "Welcome to Smasher Isle, you are here to take part in a competition that will test your combat skills. We have with us some of the most outstanding fighters in the known universe. It will be quite a spectacle indeed. But without further delay, I give you the one responsible for bringing you all here, the Master Hand!"

The Reaper turned and took his place at the side of one of the knights as a man strolled forth. On his right hand, he wore a plain, white glove. A few of the fighters shifted in their seats from the aura given off by the man. The man looked over the crowd, his glance falling on Matthew and Sara momentarily.

"I am the Master Hand, and as you have been told, you are here to compete in a test of combat skill. I will explain a few of the details of the Tournament. Each round will force you to push yourselves to your physical limit. For each round, you gain points based on your performance. And at the end of the Tournament, the one with the most points has the honor of facing me in the final battle.

"The first round is comprised of one-on-one fights. The arena will be based on who is fighting. We have on this island a virtual reality simulator that will scan your bodies and place them in a virtual world that resembles an area from one fighter's memory for the two combatants to fight.

"The second round will be team battles. You have a choice of fighting alongside your squire or another combatant. If another combatant is on your team when you win the fight, the points won are split for each player. However, if your squire fights alongside you, then the one competing in the entire tournament will gain full points.

"The third battle will test your skills in a melee battle. Three fighters at a time will be placed in an arena while my Wireframe fighters attack them by the hundreds. The last one standing wins the round. You may decide to help your fellow combatants and help them fight, or knock the Wireframes closer to them.

"The fourth round is a race through a death-trap obstacle course. The first fighter to the end of the course wins. Once again, playing dirty is allowed while running the gauntlet.

"The fifth round will pit the fighters one at a time against monsters of unimaginable terror." At this, both Link's and Firedrake's faces lit up. This sort of challenge was a part of their everyday lives. "You will have one day to study the weaknesses and strengths of the beast you are to fight, and each fighter will tackle a different monstrosity.

"And the sixth round will be a standard fight between the two highest-ranked fighters. The winner of that round will proceed to fight myself in the final battle and for the title of the greatest fighter in the known universe. And now, I leave you to your dinners and each other's company. After you finish, you may head to your rooms, or to our various training facilities."

And with that, the man known as the Master Hand left, followed by the Reaper and the two knights.