Ares could hardly believe what was happening. A voice had just spoken inside his mind. The voice was low and gruff, rumbling like thunder. It definitely wasn't how he expected his Bloodline beast to sound like.
But it wasn't even the voice that shocked him. He had been expecting his Bloodline beast to say a lot of things first, but definitely not that.
Cerberus the great bully?!
His Bloodline beast even had it's own title?!
And a crazy one like that?!
All around him, the other youths were reacting too—some yelped in surprise, while others clutched their heads, eyes wide in shock.
"I-I can hear a voice in my head!" one girl squealed.
"Is that… my Bloodline Beast?" another guy asked, his voice shaking.
The vice captain stepped forward, commanding their attention. Her calm presence and steady tone cut through the growing panic.
"Everyone, listen up! What you're experiencing is the first contact with your Bloodline Beast's consciousness. It can be shocking at first, but it's a good sign. Now, the best way to form a bond is to start slow. Treat this like meeting a new friend. Introduce yourself, exchange basic information, and make a strong first impression."
Ares took a deep breath. 'Alright. No pressure. Just talk to this mysterious voice in my mind like I'm meeting a new person.'
Summoning his courage, he mentally reached out. "Hello there. My name is Ares, it's nice to meet you." he said, trying to sound calm and confident.
Just as he was about to continue, a high pitched, panicked voice suddenly cut him off. "Kyaaa! Leave me alone!" the voice shrieked, sounding like a startled, cute girl in distress.
Ares's eyes flew open in shock, glancing around to see if anyone else had heard it. 'What was that?'
Before he could even process what he'd heard, a deep, gruff voice growled in his mind, sounding like an annoyed warrior. "Come here! How dare you appear in my private palace!"
Confusion flickered across Ares's face as he listened in stunned silence. The two voices continued bickering inside his head, completely oblivious to his presence.
"You're so mean!" the cute voice whimpered, sounding on the verge of tears.
"Mean? I am Cerberus the Great Bully! This is my domain! Of course I'd be mean! I'm always mean!" the gruff voice thundered back, as if declaring himself king of some unseen realm.
'This is insane,' Ares thought, feeling a headache building. He cleared his throat and, gathering his nerve, mentally shouted, "Would you both keep quiet?"
Silence fell as the voices paused, seemingly stunned by his outburst. Then, the cute voice let out a small, hesitant apology. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to cause any trouble…"
The gruff voice, however, just snorted. "Hmph! You dare to silence Cerberus? You're braver than you look, boy!"
Ares groaned internally. 'Looks like I indeed have two Bloodline Beasts… and they're already bickering. Wonderful.' Trying to keep things civil, he forced himself to reply, "Okay, well, if we're going to get along, could I at least know your names?"
The cute voice chimed up instantly. "I'm Mink! It's nice to meet you, Ares!" she said, sounding delighted.
The gruff voice huffed. "And I am Cerberus. The Great Bully, as you'll come to know."
Ares had to stop himself from laughing. 'The Great Bully? Why was this beast glorifying being a bully like it was a wonderful thing?' Fighting a grin, he replied, "Nice to meet you both. I look forward to working together."
Cerberus let out a low growl. "Weakling. Don't expect me to take orders from you so easily."
'This is going to be… interesting.' Ares shook his head. 'One stubborn beast, and one that sounds like she'd run from a butterfly.'
What a selection of Bloodline beasts he had!
The vice captain's voice broke through his thoughts, addressing the group again.
"Now that you've made introductions, it's time to summon your Bloodline Beasts physically. To do this, try to sense where the voice is coming from within your body. Once you've identified the source, imagine pulling on a thread connected to that voice. Focus, and let the connection guide the summoning."
Around him, students started following her instructions. Everyone focused, their expressions intent as they tried to find the connection.
Before long, flashes of light began popping up around the field as students managed to summon their Bloodline Beasts one by one.
A girl nearby gasped as her beast materialized. It was a muscular pink goat with shimmering fur and oddly long eyelashes.
A few steps away, another youth managed to summon a massive, three meter tall wyrm, its scales glistening like jewels.
The sight of so many unique and powerful creatures filled Ares with excitement and anticipation. 'I can't wait to summon mine!'
But he knew he had to wait. 'Summoning both Mink and Cerberus would reveal I have two Bloodline Beasts,' he realized. 'Better to try this later in private.'
As soon as the lesson ended, Ares rushed back to his elite dorm, excitement bubbling inside him.
He closed the door, eager to finally summon his Bloodline Beasts in private. Taking a deep breath, he sat on his bed and prepared his mind.
'Alright… let's do this.'
He closed his eyes, focusing on the voices in his mind. Almost instantly, he found it—a faint pull, as if both voices were waiting for his call.
Slowly, he tugged on the invisible thread. Light filled the room, growing brighter until he could hardly see.
Then, just as the brightness began to fade, he leaned forward, eager to see his new partners.
When the light vanished, his eyes adjusted—and he froze, staring.
In front of him were two tiny, adorable puppies, barely a foot tall each.
One was a fluffy dark blue color with a tiny button nose, while the other was black with a white patch on its chest. They stared up at him with wide, innocent eyes, tails wagging in sync.
Ares's face fell, his smile slipping. 'My Bloodline Beasts are… cute puppies?'
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