Come One, Come All

[Reijin]

Warriors came and went. Some, Reijin knew. Others, he did not. He watched them as they filled the ranks, signing the sheet and then breaking off into various groups to try to assure themselves a false sense of security through numbers. He had heard of the tournament before. He remembered the natives of Yardrat once talking about it during his training. The tournament had originated by a group called "Jarvis Elite", running it primarily as a sort of blood sport. Shortly into it, Capsule Corporation had somehow gotten involved, taking it over in the name of silencing it.

Reijin was not sure how this "Synex" was involved. Had they somehow bought the rights from Capsule Corp., or had they simply recreated the tournament on their own new planet? The other planet Dante had been destroyed nearly. Was this the same one, or had Synex somehow rebuilt it?

Regardless... The winner of the tournament had arrived. Reijin gave a cocky grin, and stepped up to the sign in list. Then his grin faded. He had a problem.

"Everything all right?" the correspondant asked.

Reijin gave him a look. "Everything is fine." he snapped.

The attendant laughed. "First time jitters?"

Reijin slammed his fist onto the table. "I am not afraid to die!"

Shaking his head, the attendant pushed the paper and pen forward. "Then sign your name and prove it."

Reijin hesitated before speaking. "Do you have any computers to sign in with?"

"None. Too hackable."

Reijin's jaw popped. He didn't know how to write. He could read easily. He could compete with the best as far as brains went. He had never excluded his mental training while competing in warrior skills. He knew philosophy, biology, astronomy... He knew the various langauges of the universe... He simply did not know how to write. How could he? Where he had been, such things were thought of as primitive. He'd always simply used a computer.

He picked up the pen, holding it like he would a knife, close fisted. He pressed it to the paper, and attempted to recreate the characters that made his name on a computer screen. "R... E... I..." he mumbled.

The attendant leaned over, watching him, and chuckled. "You not know how to write or something?"

Reijin finished with "N" and then looked over at the attendant. Then he suddenly smiled. "No. I would not think such things would matter in a competition of this calibur. Are we having a writing contest, or a fighting contest?"

The attendant reached over to get the paper. "I guess it's all good. Good luck then." Reijin suddenly slammed the pen down, into the man's hand. The pen penetrated and nailed the man's hand to the table.

"Do not patronize me with such wishes." he said to the screaming man.

He turned, releasing the man, and pulled his cloak around him. He had business here.