Chapter eight
It was day one of the tournament. A beeping from the panel near the door woke Ryu. He felt refreshed from a dreamless sleep. The window was dark. The sun hadn't even touched the sky yet. Kasumi stirred from the other side of the room. Ryu knew they had slept well due to the injection given to them the day before.
Kasumi stood and began getting ready in silence. He did the same. He had upset her last night. He should have explained why he needed to sit with Hayate and Ayane, though she should already know it was because Hayate was still in a fragile state of mind, but after seeing Kasumi with Christie last night he didn't feel like talking.
The image of both of them was still burned into his mind. It brought up questions, not just about Kasumi, but about himself. Is that what Kasumi was looking for? That thought had never crossed his mind before. She was a runaway now, she was no longer bound to the rules of the clan. Why did he care? Part of him knew this didn't concern him. It couldn't, even if he wanted it to. He didn't have a clan to hold him accountable anymore, but there were rules one didn't break. He took a moment to ground himself. He would have done a complete meditation if the panel near the door hadn't sounded again.
"Will all contestants please gather in the eastern wing, conference room B." The panel said in a generic female voice, if it had meant to sound comforting, it didn't. He looked at Kasumi who was pointedly not looking at him. He needed to say something. Communication on a personal level was something his training never taught.
He walked with Kasumi down to conference room B. Rather he walked behind Kasumi, who was determined to keep an independant pace from him. Her reddish brown hair was tied up, the length reached the small of her back. Her narrow waist and the flare of her hips and... Ryu looked away. There was no sign of Christie in the hallway.
Upon reaching the doorway to conference room B a white suit technician was equipping each contestant with thin metal bracer on the right forearm. Hayabusa frowned under his face mask. He removed his own black leather bracer before reaching the tech in front of him.
The white suit nodded to him. It was a nod that Hayabusa didn't return. He held out his arm and the white suit fitted the piece of metal onto him. It was adjusted to fit him perfectly. The slick metal was clearly more than forearm protection. It had a thin glossy black ring around it and several small circles input in the metal that looked like lenses. There was also a small screen that looked like glass.
He walked into the room where another technician was demonstrating the use of the metal bracer. He touched the screen a couple times and a hologram image appeared to hover right above one of the lenses. Numbers and words flickered in the air. Ryu took a seat in the back row away from Hayate, Ayane, and Kasumi. The door shut.
"We are pleased to announce Tournament Pineguard." The person said from up front. "This Tournament is the first ever of it's kind. We are introducing a blend of survival, diplomacy, and fight challenge that will take place in the expansive Pineguard arena. Points will be earned in fights, collection, and battles."
The screen behind the DOA representative flashed figures.
One on one fight:
Winner: 300
Loser: -100
Tag team fight:
Winners: 400
Losers: -200
Arena creature fight:
Winners: large 200, medium 100, small 50
Losers: any type -300
Fight against partner (one fight permitted):
Winner: 500
Loser: -900
Battles:
Please watch notifications regarding Battles near you. Points will be customized to size of battle, allies and opponents.
"Points will determine the winner of the tournament. You will be in the arena for three days and you will be updated you point status in relation to other players twice a day at dawn and again at dusk." The man continued. "Partners are encouraged to work together during the tournament, but it is optional. Working with other contestants that are not your partner is not encouraged, but is also allowed. You will be notified of changing rewards as you go throughout the tournament. Special points will be offered during different times. An example, if you have been working with a non partner, you may be notified of a point increase if you win a fight against that certain person." The DOATEC representative smiled before he continued.
"Collections will let you gain a currency you can spend anytime throughout the challenge."
The screen transitioned with labeled rotating images of thin disks.
Bronze disks
Silver disks
Gold disks
"These points can be used to get items that you need to survive and thrive in the arena. They won't be added to your fight total points."
Images of food, water, tools and medicine appeared on the screen. People started to mutter in the crowd.
"I know that some contestant might find this tournament unfair because of the different skills each person has that may or may not help them in this type of environment, but don't worry. DOATEC has taken all of this into consideration for each person's background. The tournament will be ranging to match a person's expertise." The talking died down. Representatives began to pass out backpacks to all the contestants.
"All your items from your room plus a few extras have been packed. All notifications will be given to you through your new DOATEC bracer. Good luck!" The screen darkened behind the speaker and a door opened to their right. It was time.
Ryu rose from his seat last and took his time walking out the door ignoring looks from the white suits. What had he and the others gotten themselves into? The sun was beginning to rise. The air was brisk as he followed the others outside. Waiting for them was an old military troop transport vehicle, with the covers tied up. The others began to board.
Hayabusa reluctantly followed. Kasumi sat at the end with Christie lounging next to her in inviting matter. Ryu lowered himself into the seat next to Bayman. It didn't feel right being in such close quarters with these people. It was like hauling around a bag of explosives.
They began moving. The vehicle crawled over undergrowth, rocks, and ledges. The road would sometimes disappear only to return again at a later point. It was a long enough journey that the white suits passed out food and water. The sun was high by the time they slowed to a stop. A large elegant and silver gate towered before them. Ryu noticed the wall when they got closer. It was made up of semi-transparent octagons, each octagon outlined with the light steel color of the gate. Ryu watched as a rabbit dashed through the wall without obstruction. One of the white suits smiled at Ryu after following Ryu's gaze.
"Low environmental impact." He began to explain. "We can keep in who we need with interrupting the natural inhabitants of the area."
"This is starting to feel like battle royale." Hayabusa said, his voice low and obstructed by his mask.
"Oh my, no!" The white suit said. "We don't want you to kill each other! However if an accident does happen the contract you signed does release DOATEC from responsibility of course. You are our greatest assets. Losing one of you would be a great a loss for the company."
"And if we don't want to go along with the challenge?" Hayabusa white suit frowned in surprise, clearly unhappy that it was even suggested.
"I can see no reason any of the contestants wouldn't be up to the challenge." He said, his tone no longer friendly. "Besides the legal fees and paperwork of backing out, I can assure you, will be more painful than this small tournament." It was a threat. There was a tense moment between Ryu and the representative, but then Ryu turned away, defusing the moment.
He examined the the wall, pushing his hand against it. It wouldn't let him pass through. It probably had something to do with the metal bracer they were equipped with.
"Each partnership will enter the arena together. You will take a vehicle to your starting point. From there you may travel wherever you please. You can find further instructions accessed through your bracer." The representative said at the gate. "A word of caution. You will be in a dangerous environment and even we have limited control. Death may occur." The group was silent. "We wouldn't have invited you if we didn't think you couldn't handle yourself. Good luck."
The white suits called contestants forward in pairs. The partners were escorted to a smaller off road vehicle. It was Ryu and Kasumi's turn.
Ryu thought about what he was going to say as they rode in silence. They needed to work together. There was too much uncertainty about this tournament. Plus the the clan hunting her would be able to get through the walls. He turned to her ready to say they should stick together when she spoke.
"We should go our own paths."
**I made some light edits throughout the story. Thanks for your responses!