Genius Inventor Allison Carlyle ( age 19 )

My name is Allison, and I am not from this world.

It's not that I got here after I died, or anything lame like that. No. I got here using science! You've got any idea just how handy science is? It's like going on an adventure in the world of ideas. But sometimes you really do just need your classical kind of adventure.

But that would have to wait. See, when you're a mad scientist, all these ideas pop up into your head all the time from out of nowhere! And they keep swarming your brain like a single huge cloud of inspiration! They're all incredible ideas! And they're all terrible ideas. But that doesn't matter, cause they're your ideas! And you have to... Make them be. Otherwise, you're not you... You know what I'm saying?

Now, are some of these ideas dangerous abominations that should never have seen the light of day? For sure they are! But that isn't my problem is it?
Look, it's not like I want people to get hurt. If I could help it, no one would ever get hurt at all! But the thing is... My ideas... My inventions... They're my babies! Now, you wouldn't ask a mother to hate or condemn her babies, just cause he turned out to be a psychopathic serial killer, right?
But there comes a time for every mother when they have to ask: how well would their baby perform when tested in active combat?

That's why I'm here! I can't test out my inventions under normal circumstances, cause I don't want to kill people. Because when people die, they remain dead. And then they aren't alive anymore! But in this tournament, killed people don't remain dead! It's the perfectly realistic simulation! Clearly I couldn't miss out on an opportunity like this!

Now, sure, that sounds easy enough, but not just anyone can waltz in and become a contestant. First of all, there are only 128 contestants fighting in the tournament. 128 out of hundreds and thousands of people seeking to join.
Anyone can apply! Rich or poor! Noble or peasant! Man or beast! But out of all those who apply, only a handful gets to be chosen. These are the best of the best! Those who climbed their way to the top in the preliminaries... Either that or those who fell out and got unlucky.
That part wasn't too hard for me. See, as a mad scientist, technology is my greatest weapon! And this world still has a long way to go on that front. We're talking about renaissance level technology here. Even a simple handgun can pierce through a full plate armor, so what exactly are you gonna do against that?

Of course, it's not all that easy peasy in this world. First and foremost, there actuallyF is advanced technology in this world. Some of it is downright space age! Or beyond! It's just that it's not as easily available as the world where I'm from. Let's just say that modernization is not quite the number one agenda around here. Most of it falls into the hands of mad scientists who are really into technology and know how to use it.
And then we have magic. Yes, magic exists in this world, alongside science. Magic is all about mind over matter. It's about bending the fabrics of nature to your will, rather than using your knowledge of nature to focus it to your advantage. And I... Love it! It's all about mystery! Being confused is good! That means the 'aha' moment that inevitably awaits you at the end is gonna be that much greater! And even if there is no 'aha' moment... Well, you still sort of have to appreciate that it works! Ultimately the universe decides what makes sense and what doesn't. You can't tell the universe how it works!
Well, at least not without magic.
And finally, even if you have neither magic nor technology, that still doesn't mean you've got no shot in the tournament. There are those who are simply just... Better. Tougher. Faster. Stronger. Meaner. In this world, there are those who are born great, and there are those born with the potential to become great through effort and dedication... Even when they for the most of the time suck really bad.
So it makes perfect sense that there are guys here who can catch bullets, and then fling the bullet faster than you shot it.
It's absolutely insane!

But even if you have all the power in the world, that still doesn't mean you're guaranteed a spot in this tournament. Because those who compete have to be good-lookers! That's why almost only women are competing here... Is what they told me. Honestly, that sounds to me like a matter of perspective.
I mean, I do think boys look pretty hot. Right? Right?

But there's one guy there who just didn't belong. A wrinkly old man with a pot-belly protruding from under his neat, purple waistcoat, in spite of his spindly and crooked figure. The remnants of white hair still on his shriveled up old skull frizzled out in every direction like an exploded feather-duster, exposing the oversized liver-spot on the top of his head.
His hooked nose dominated his bloated face, ripe with furrows that contorted with the slightest twitch of a muscle, so that the grimace on his face one moment was completely different the next, but nonetheless equally repulsive.
You'd think he might have had the kindly old expression of a wise old man, but think again! His tired yet focused eyes narrowed into a perpetual scowl that invoked a shared message of 'I would find you less contemptible if you left yourself outside like a good insect' and 'yeah, I've stomped my share of puppies in my days. Whatcha gonna do about it?"

"...That guy got past the prettiness standards?" I said incredulously, "I mean, sure, beauty's in the eye of the beholder and all that, but I was worried that I simply didn't have enough boob to fit the bill! Good thing my legs and butt more than pulled their weight on that assignment!"
The old man sat at the table and ate his gruel while I and the centaur next to me pondered this.
"Grand Vizier Zigzag is..." The centaur started, but was unsure if she should continue that thought knowing that if she couldn't say anything nice she shouldn't say anything at all, "He cheats. A lot. He is incapable of not cheating. Even if he could win honestly and without effort, he would still prefer cheating. He didn't survive long in the Permarian Court without knowing a dirty trick or two."
"He's so going to get disqualified." I said, "I mean, there's hiding an ugly face, and then there's containing a flood of sewage. Seriously, look at his face!"
The old man glared back at me, before continuing his meal.
"... And his bat-like ears give him superhuman hearing." I scratched my chin, "...Saaaaaay... Why don't you go up and talk to him?"
"...Who? Me? But... What would I say?"
"Tell him to drop out before he gets hurt. This ain't no place for tender old men after all."
"Actually, the tournament magic heals and revives all contestants, restoring them to full health after the match."
"Yeah... A healthy ! " I pointed out, "Once the match starts, the only way out is or surrender... And if you end up surrendering... That's a lifetime of slavery on your case! One moment of weakness, and that's it for you!"
"...Yeah. You might have a point." She sighed, "Maybe I should have a few words with him."

So the unicorn waltzed right up into his space. Now you can't expect me to know exactly what they were talking about, but considering how much they ended up yelling at one another, rest assured it must've been hilarious.
So I passed by innocently, making my way past the bickering couple. While there, I slipped a little pill from my back pocket. A tiny white capsule with a thin pink stripe and a thin green stripe, which I ground between my fingers, letting the powder fall into his gruel.

Maybe this would lighten up the tournament. After all, I couldn't have people getting disqualified left and right.
That would be terribly boring!