1 Prologue;Gamble

The cores tournament, something which happens one thousand years.  For people such as me and Lex, it's always been a point of interest.  A possible way into the world of humans who live, those who haven't died.  A chance to restart without all the loss we've had.  The first loss we've had, I only know due to the story told even then it still affects me to this very day.  At the time, I was only one so of course, a girl at that age could never remember it.  However, with that story that has been recited to me repeatedly just so I knew my past.  Allow me to explain, my father during December eighth had died due to a disease is known as "Fader x."  At that day, my younger brother Lex was born as well.  The same date as me.  The thing is, he had been hiding it for the past nine months, none of us knew why he had.  For the next couple of years, I was thrown into a spiral of seemingly never-ending despair.  Becoming uncaring of the world, only sorrow.  I was uncaring of bonds, or speech or walking.  At the point, it was all over.  As the years went on, it simply got worst.  Eventually, our mother developed it as well.  And what I and Lex had considered as our new parents, well they were borderline abusive.  However, no one knew.  We weren't willing to take the risk besides who knows what could have happened to us if we were to tell anyone.  Eventually, a man calling himself the core master had taken us into custody.  Since the day of his loss, it's been 23 years.  As I lay in my bed relaxed, without a care in the world asleep.  That was until I heard my radio announce that we only had 23 minutes to turn in our cores lottery tickets allowing us to possibly get into the tournament!  "Damnit, only 23 minutes…" I mumbled to myself as I was covered in sweat.  "I'd better hurry up and wake up Lex so we aren't late."  I had gotten up, running over to his house as fast as I could.  There was no time for food when our desires were on the line.  When I opened the door, I was huffing so hard that I could see my own breath.  As I walked over to him I felt as if I couldn't even dare mutter anything.  However, I tried to tell him to wake up but it only came out as more huffing.  However, it was enough to gain his attention.  As I began to explain.  "Must turn in tickets..." I had said tiredly.  "Not enough time…"  Before I knew it, I was lifted in the air as I heard him ask me "Why the hell didn't you wake me up earlier Amber?!"  As he ran those words rang in my head.  Wondering why didn't I?  But I was too tired to care about answering it.  Yet still, something in my mind told me to answer his question Amber, just answer it.  "Amber, do you still even remember what a core is?"  Lex has asked as I swung my head tiredly uncaring.  "Then allow me to explain to you."  He had sighed before beginning his explanation.  "Cores, they are objects of creation and modification.  There are three main groups."  Lex had taken a moment to slow down allowing himself to catch his breath.  "These groups are elemental, life and modification."  "Elementals, they are clearly things which can summon elements."  He had seemed bored however still explained.  "Life, it is the creation and modification of life forms."  "Finally, modification, it's clear what it does.  But not what to.  It can modify the weather, things around you, etc."  "Cores, they are mostly in the shape of a circle and with a dungeon inside."  I felt even more tired out of boredom of the explanation.  As I had already known what a core was and how it worked.  I've always hated having to repeat myself, but what I hate even more is when others forcefully repeat themselves.  It had always been annoying how Lex had truly never cared about possibilities.  He was always so laid back like he truly didn't care about the things around him.  "Amber, you know the only reason I am carrying you now is so we can peruse our dream right?"  As he said that, my perception began to fade.  Nevertheless, when I awoke, the person I saw was unexpected.  The core master.  He was dancing around, almost like a maniac!  "Congratulations!  You and Lex have been selected!" I had stared at him in confusion.  "Both of us..?"  He shook his head before resuming into his dance.  "Yeep!! Ya see, due to this being the 100th Core's Tournament this time its tag team!"  How odd, every other time it had never happened.  As one of his disciples, I've done my research and none of it mentioned the 100th tournament or tag teams.  "Here's what I mean, people shall be forced into teams to use their cores! Another thing is from the very beginning, you shall be connected with the vessel, a new human selected by me."  I had begun to develop a headache of sorts just listening to him, not just due to how confusing he was being but also how loud he was being.   "So, if they were to refuse to be in a team what would happen," I asked curiously.   "Well, at that point the cores would simply refuse to work, as you see the new models of the cores have much more power.  But in exchange, certain cores such as the fire core MUST share the special energy emitted by the cores."  "This is what I call a core link."

He pulled out a paper and began to draw.  As he was quick to point at the green beam between two cubes.  "This beam,"  He began to explain.  "It's a condensed form of core energy which can connect with other core beams thus making a core link, thus also powering both cores."

"Um, so sir I was wondering why some people just all of a sudden die, without any cause once the tournament begins..." I had asked.  He had a creepy grin, something which showed absolute excitement but more disturbing.

"To put it simply... I kill them if they don't follow what their god told them, then they die yippee!"  He began to laugh, like some sort of child enjoying a cartoon...

 Despite how confused I felt, I decided to shake my head as I understood. "Now then, I've already notified Lex.  It should be about 10 months."  Even then I was confused about the whole vessel thing.  Within the world of the living, multiple people had already been informed about the tournament.  Some even forced into it.  As within a small village of country Shiro lies the vessel unborn.  Another thing which lays within this village is a sword, one containing the spirits of those chosen from the world of spirits.  It has been guarded by the Okuyasu clan for the past 2000 years.

Prologue, finish.