Baramon

Episode 2 - Hiro

Hiro straightened and shook his wrist absently. After writing his English Literature paper by hand for two hours straight, he was feeling mentally and physically exhausted. When he shook his wrist, it felt like someone had smashed it with a hammer and every time he took pen to paper the pain only radiated outward to every single finger. But at long last, he was finally done with the paper. Perfectly handwritten and, in his opinion, perfectly structured.

"Your topic sentence on the third paragraph doesn't fit with the explanations and evidence you've provided."

He froze, letting out a soft 'erk' of surprise. "What?"

"Just read it over again, dumbass."

He did... and his heart plummeted.

"Oh FUCK!" he cried and slammed his head against the cheap table. The impact left a dull pain on his forehead but that quickly faded. As he lifted his head, he realized he had added yet another crack in the table that was slowly turning his desk into a splintery death-trap. Just another side-effect of having awakened his Psyche.

Hiro still hadn't gotten used to his newfound strength, having been a skinny little twig of a man for most of his life he could hardly break a toothpick. Now during his occasional tantrums, he would need to keep himself from snapping his pencils or breaking his desk in half.

Being a Manifesto meant that he was stronger, faster and apparently a little more observant than the ordinary human with all his senses having been improved. As an added benefit having a Wolf Clan Psyche meant that his sense of smell and hearing were even stronger than most other Manifestos. Regeneration was also a benefit. Apparently, while one part of the pair controlled the body, the other could help with damage repair.

If they wanted.

Howl wasn't being very cooperative and snickered quietly as the pain numbly rang across his head.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he sneered.

"Because I thought it'd be funny to see your reaction after spending two hours writing an essay by hand_when you could have easily just have gone to the computer lab in the library and typed it up."_

"I don't like going to the computer labs. You know that."

"Right because of your pathological fear of distractions. Dude, there is nothing wrong with looking up something online that interests you or reading the fucking news! It's called keeping up to date!"

Hiro straightened, peering at his reflection in the mirror. Except, in this case his lupine Psyche was staring back at him. Apparently it was a psychological effect from being a Manifesto. Every reflection would now show Howl instead of himself. It made being presentable to go out rather annoying especially when Howl was being an ass.

"It's a waste of time and serves no purpose," he growled back.

Howl rolled his eyes. "You do realise that the only way people ever learn of world events is through the news, right? What if war broke out tomorrow or next hour? How'd you know about it?"

"How about by seeing people running and screaming around me?"

"You're not that observant. You've got serious tunnel vision, Hiro. I mean, did you even see the lemon cream doughnut that Brodie left you about half an hour in after you started writing?"

"Huh?"

"To your left."

Hiro looked to the right and frowned.

"Your left, dumbass! Not my left! Jesus Christ..."

He growled at his Psyche and turned. There indeed was a doughnut smothered in a thin layer of white icing with little yellow flecks on it.

"Oh..."

"And there we go," Howl sighed. "Look man, you can't be focused on a single goal all the time. You're going to miss out on life!"

Hiro picked up the doughnut and bit into it. Though a little sweet, it had a nice little tartness that worked rather well. The little candied pieces of lemon were quite nice too. He was about to take a second bite when Howl growled at him and he realised that his Psyche had said something.

"I'm not blind!"

"No. Just really stupid. You know if we got into a battle with multiple Psyches, if I let you have control, you'd focus on one guy and ignore everything else around you. Then while you weren't paying attention we would end up getting spit roasted right?"

"Then you do the fighting!"

"I can't do it without your help and you know that!" Howl pointed an accusing finger on the other side of the mirror. "I've read the reports on previous fights. Only when Manifesto and Psyche work together can they really win a fight especially against Sensei!"

Hiro rolled his eyes. "Right. Whatever."

"This is serious, Hiro! We're flying to Maine in two days to the August Institute for the Mentally Insane. Apparently, Cornelius Grounds is the Sensei there."

Hiro set his elbow against the table and then rested his head on his hand, absently munching on the doughnut while listening to Howl's lecture. The Wolf was quite a talker. A stark contrast from Hiro who preferred to keep his peace. Even his oral presentations were short and to the point.

"Uh-huh," he mumbled through a mouthful of doughnut. "Don't the Gyms have a certain affiliation or something?"

Friday night, Hiro had spent struggling with his new transformation and Saturday was spent exclusively on some lectures and lessons with Professor Weed who gave him more basics about the world of Manifestos and Psyches. Hiro was only partially listening as his mind kept wandering to the papers that were due and the classes he would miss due to the week-long trip to Maine.

"Element, yeah. Cornelius Ground favours the Earth Element."

"So we just got to throw water at him or something and electricity would not be effective?"

"This isn't goddamn Pokémon, Hiro! It doesn't work that way." Howl sighed heavily and crossed his arms in the reflection. "Look, Cornelius Grounds is Bear Clan. He's big, tough and really strong. We can't let our guard down. Plus there's his Challenge which changes every year. Same with the other Gyms. Think of it as another exam."

"Uh-huh. So tell me again why we're going to just be spending a week up there when really since there are thirteen Gyms, that means it'll be open for four weeks? Why don't we spend longer up there?"

Howl looked impressed. "Huh. You have been paying attention."

His Psyche explained that though every Gym was indeed open for four weeks per year, only the 'professional' Manifestos could take the time to use the entirety of the time to be at the Gym. Many had lives outside of being a Manifesto, they had jobs, families.

"I'd love to take a whole year to fight and fuck but I'm not the only one in this, you know. We've got to think about our education."

There was Howl's compassion. Despite his gruff and blunt outlook, he was very thoughtful.

"Thanks, I guess," Hiro muttered.

"No problem. Besides, we might extend our stay there if we're really close to winning. Depends on how things go. Don't worry, though. Weed had given us exemptions and promises to give us all the classwork he gets from our lectures."

"Great..." Hiro sighed. "And how am I going to explain this to work."

"Oh you won't. We quit!"

Hiro went rigid. "What!? When?"

"When you were asleep. I just gave that asshole Jeremy Creed a call, made it absolutely clear what we thought of him and then screamed 'I quit' very loudly. We were also fucking Buck and I may have implied I was screwing his girlfriend instead."

He panicked and quickly reached for his phone. "Oh shit! No! We need that job! How are we going to pay for tuition!? Food!?"

Howl laughed loudly. "Dude, don't you remember? We're now Weed's assistant as well alongside Gabriel. We're getting paid to work for him. And it pays way more than that shitty job. Better hours too. Though then again, they do keep us up all night..."

That was true. As his memories came rushing back to him and his vision widened away from the doughnut and his paper, he remembered that Professor Weed had actually offered him a job as his assistant. It mostly involved following him around and helping him with lectures and research but it also involved training as a Manifesto. It was a compromise to help him focus on being part of the team and being the best Manifesto he could be. After all, if he was being paid to train, then he was far more motivated to put his energy into it. This was not a wasteful hobby. It was a job.

He grimaced and glanced back towards Howl. "Is my tunnel vision really that bad?"

"Worse. During yesterday's lecture with Weed on common spells, Brodie and Tim were having sex right next to you and you didn't notice."

"You're bullshitting me."

"Nope. Look at your right arm."

He glanced down at the mentioned arm and noticed that there were some digits there. It read 1:30. "What's this?" he asked, holding it up.

"That's the time that Tim wrote down on your arm. He asked if you wanted to have your turn riding the 'stripy stud' and when you didn't reply because you were too focused on the lecture, he asked if he could come around sometime today. Since you weren't using that arm to take down notes, I moved it to him and he wrote that down."

"What!?" Hiro glanced at the clock. It was 1:25. "We have got to talk about boundaries of control."

"And you need to loosen up! We need to have sex, man! I'm busting here! The last time I fucked was... well... last night really when you were fast asleep and I came out and ploughed Buck. Man that stag is fucking sexy!"

Hiro froze in horror, the sudden explanation for why it was he had woken up the following morning completely naked, covered in dried cum and with Brodie in his arms hitting him like a ton of bricks. Apart from being stunned that he had evidence of Howl's sexual escapades on him, he was surprised to find the Brodie had become rather buff overnight. That was when he learned that his roommate and his Psyche were getting along so well that he could control how much of Buck 'bled' into his physical shape. Right before his eyes, Brodie shrank back to his normal, geeky self while explaining that his family would _never_believe he buffed up and gained a foot in height from a 'second puberty'.

"You have got to stop taking control of my body when I'm not conscious!" he growled at his reflection.

"It's our body, jackass, and I'd willingly let you control our wolf form if you'd just get that stick out of your ass and loosen up a bit!"

A knock came to their door and he turned, heart freezing. The door sprang open and Tim's broad, handsome features poked in.

"Hey there, buddy!"

"Tim, wait -" he began but it was too late.

The hulking, ebony-skinned Adonis took two easy steps inside and swept Hiro off his seat. His arms constricted around Hiro in one of his bone-crushing hugs. Now that Hiro was a Manifesto, Tim was even more affectionate and pressed their cheeks together, even going so far as to nuzzle him lightly.

"Aaaaaah! Mother_fucker! Even I felt that!"_

Imagine how I feel, Hiro cried mentally.

Thankfully, Tim didn't hold the pose for very long and lowered Hiro a moment later. Somehow, Hiro managed to remain standing despite the fact he could barely feel his legs anymore.

"Sorry I'm a little early," Tim said, grinning brightly. "But we need to get you registered before we fly out tomorrow."

Hiro grimaced and rubbed the base of his spine where Tim's huge, meaty, vascular arms had concentrated all their effort on.

"Just straighten up, Hiro," Howl advise. "I'll heal up. Also be careful. Tim likes to start and end his conversations with a hug."

I remember...

"Registered?" he repeated. "For what?"

Tim blinked at him a few times in confusion. "For the Gym Season, doofus! I mean, you're new to our team and the Manifesto world. So we've got to make sure you're registered! If you're not registered, you're considered rogue and wouldn't be able to compete! It's only fair."

"I... I guess." He straightened up and Howl went to work easing the bruising. Glad that they weren't about to have sex, he sought to keep the conversation going before Tim decided to give being a chiropractor another go. "So... does our team have some sort of name? I mean I know it consists of four combatants and their Sponsor but how do we differentiate ourselves from the rest of the team? Do we get team jackets or something?"

Tim reached forward and Hiro flinched but he just patted the young wolf's shoulder happily. "Nothing so tacky. Though I suppose I could get a couple of shirts from work and get it custom made... Nah. Anyway, we got a team name. It was Brodie's idea."

"Oh really? What is it?"

"Baramon!"

Howl stalled in his job and both just stared at Tim with an exasperated stare.

"Bara...mon...?" the asked simultaneously. After speaking as one, there was a little tingle through their body, a warmth that was oddly satisfying and fulfilling. The moments of unity were rare but when they did happen it left them feeling strangely whole.

"Yeah!" Tim replied brightly. "Dunno what it's a reference too but Professor Weed loved it! So come on, bud! Let's get you registered!"

Sighing softly and still reeling from the fact that he'd be on a team called 'Baramon', Hiro shuffled along behind Tim with his ever-present leather jacket over his shoulder alongside his other pieces of clothing.

They strode out of the dormitory, past the security gates and into the mall proper. Being a Sunday afternoon, the mall was understandably packed with people but thanks to Tim's enormous size, they could cleave through the crowd with ease. Strangely, Tim led him towards the ground floor information desk at the very front of the mall where a very bored looking clerk was leafing through a magazine.

"Hey Ryan!" Tim exclaimed brightly as he leaned against the bright red desk, shining his trademark easy-going grin while keeping his eyes shut.

"Hi Tim..." mumbled the clerk with a low-energy drawl. "Did you lose your pass again?"

"Nope!" Tim said cheerfully before his normally peppy disposition began to fade. Slowly he opened his eyes and instead of the dark, brown irises, they were a deep orange colour. "Just wanted to talk, fucker."

The sudden expletive was a shock to Hiro. In the few days that he had known Tim, the gentle giant had always been polite and courteous, never once swearing.

So that must be Taser then...

"Fitting name..."

I'm surprised you haven't had sex with him yet.

Point to Hiro.

Ryan, the clerk suddenly straightened and his dull, green eyes immediately turned to a brighter shade, almost grass green. A spark of light flashed in the space between there gazes. That spark erupted, spreading out as a grey sphere that immediately consumed about a space that was thirty-feet across in all directions. Hiro curiously noted that all the crowds just vanished as soon as the borders of the Battleground passed them. The mall suddenly seemed quite abandoned.

"So what's this about?" rumbled the clerk, suddenly very alert.

"This sexy bastard here needs to be fucking registered," said Taser. He reached back and slammed a hand against Hiro's back, pushing him forward and nearly slamming against the edge of the desk.

"Registered?" asked the clerk. "As in for the Gym Season? Registration closes in like..." He checked his watch. "Three hours. Cutting it close, aren't you?"

"Hey, fuckface," Taser growled, pointing a finger directly at Ryan. "If fucking registration was closed three hours before they fucking said it'd be closed, they'd have closed it three fucking hours ago."

Does he have anything else in his vocabulary aside from, fuck?

"I find it sexy."

You find everything sexy.

"That's because you don't."

Point to Howl.

"Fine, fine," said Ryan, holding up his hands. "I'm not here to fight." He then nodded towards Hiro. "Name."

"Hiro West," he answered. Ryan then gave him an expectant look like he was waiting for something else. Then he realised what he was waiting for. "Oh! And Howl. Howl's my Psyche."

"Are you a boy or a girl?"

"What?!? Boy!"

Ryan snickered and tapped something on his computer. "Clan?"

"Uh..."

"Wolf Clan," Taser provided.

There, Ryan frowned. "Wolf Clan? Really?"

"Is that a problem?" Hiro asked.

"No... just it's rare to see Wolf Clan." He eyed Hiro. "The last time Wolf Clan ran around in large groups, they formed a pack and tried to take over the Battle Circle. Sort of elitist pricks."

Hiro gulped loudly and even Howl felt a little nervous.

"We're jumping into the fire here, aren't we?"

Bad enough that we're totally new to this and jumping into a professional competition tomorrow, but now this... Shit...

"Whatever. Not my business how your Psyche manifested." Ryan continued tapping away at his keys as he began asking for other basic information like his date of birth, place of birth and even when he first manifested. The clerk looked surprised when he said that Howl had just manifested two days ago but didn't say anything further on the topic. The last thing he asked was about his family.

"Parents?"

"Mother's deceased. Her name was April West."

Howl suddenly took over and Hiro immediately found himself in that dark ocean again where the real world was seen from beneath the surface of the choppy, stormy waters.

"Father is a total asshat that kicked us out as a kid and never did _anything_for us. Name's Fillmore West."

"Hey!" Hiro cried.

An immense force suddenly launched him out from beneath the surface of the waters and back into control of their body. Ryan had turned back to tapping on his computer.

"Neither of your parents are in the system," he said. "Congratulations. Looks like you're the first of your line to be a Manifesto. You're aware that if you ever have children, you'll need to get them registered and tested, right?"

Huh... I thought all Manifestos were gay.

"Are you basing that on the fact that they all fuck each other and are all guys? Just how bigoted are you?"

Point Howl.

"I do now," he sighed.

"Good." Ryan, or rather his Psyche, handed him a few pamphlets. "Here. These should give you a quick overview on what it's like to be a Manifesto. Your Psyche will find these useful as well. We've got support groups running around as well if you need them." He leaned down and grinned. "And hey, if you ever feel like wrestling a bit, my door's always open. I get off at five." He winked at Hiro and hiked a thumb against his chest. "Hippo Clan, by the way."

"Is... Is that meant to mean something to us?"

"I'll keep that in mind," Hiro muttered gruffly.

Taser pulled Hiro away from Ryan roughly. "Alright Rush, we're good thanks. Drop the Battlefield."

"Killjoy," rumbled the clerk.

Just like that, the grey field around them shattered like class and all the noises of the mall came rushing back in. People just sprang up from nowhere and one bumped into Hiro, having not seen him there as he had effectively appeared out of thin air. She apologised and quickly led her daughter away.

Rush's bright green eyes turned dull and Ryan took over again, slumping behind his seat with a grunt. "Thank you for coming to Liberty Mall," he said dully and monotonously. "Enjoy your stay."

That was their queue to leave and Taser shrank back to allow Tim to take over. Finally registered, Hiro followed Tim back to the dorm rooms. Once they were outside of the earshot range of the public, Hiro spoke up.

"I have questions..." he said.

"We both do. Can we ask mine first?"

Why do you get to ask your question first?

"Because mine is more important."

Who says!?

"Yours is about sex. Mine is about how the hell Ryan generated that Battleground without us fighting him."

Point and game to Howl.

"Sure, ask away," said Tim, offering his trademark toothy grin.

"How'd Ryan make that Battleground? We... we weren't fighting were we?"

Tim looked a little puzzled, his grin fading. "Oh... Well Brodie can probably explain it a lot better than I can but basically some people who are officials in the Gym Season can actually generate Battlefields by themselves. There _are_careers for Manifestos and Psyches, you know. Guys like Ryan are planted there by the Battle Circle to help with registration. Professor Weed was assigned here to keep watch on potentially emerging Manifestos. There are also guys that are put into positions to police conflicts and make sure things don't get out of hand in battles. I mean, you got dragged into Brodie and that asshole's battle, remember? That could actually happen a lot."

"That's another thing," he said. "How did I get dragged into there? Shouldn't the battle just have been between them without impacting me? Like what just happened back there?" He hiked a thumb over his shoulder. "When Ryan did his thing, everyone else just vanished."

His tall, dark teammate nodded. "Right. Well the only way you could've been dragged into that conflict is if you had some sort of beef with one or the other. It sometimes happens. Manifestos are told never to bring a posse to a fight because if you do, they could get dragged into the battle and might end up forcibly emerging like you or worse... getting turned into a Malformed."

"What's a Malformed? I remember Brodie mentioning that the day I awakened..."

Hiro remembered that too and he had never thought to asked. "And what's a Malformed?"

Tim visibly shuddered. "You know how a Psyche can sort of bleed over to your physical form?"

Hiro glanced at his arms which were now so much thicker and filled out his jacket far better. He could no longer lift his arms over his head because his arms and shoulders were so thick. Thankfully, most of his clothes had been rather baggy so having filled out didn't impact him that much.

"Yeah. I know."

Tim fidgeted with a golden chain he wore around his neck that Hiro had never noticed before. "A Psyche can get royally pissed at someone, particularly their opponent. Grudge matches are frowned upon and normally don't happen because the EXP in a battle is the anger you felt towards the guy you're fighting. So when it gets drained out of you, that gets dragged out as well. But sometimes, people can't just let it go and that fury starts impacting others around them. Ever noticed how sometimes when people get angry, their friends and loved ones sort of pick up that anger as well for no reason?"

"Kind of like mob mentality?" Hiro suggested as they reached his dorm room. Brodie wasn't inside so they casually made their way in and sat down on the bottom bunk. Tim immediately made himself at home by kicking off his tennis shoes and lying back in the unused bed, arms crossed behind his head. Hiro didn't really mind. The bed wasn't his so Tim wasn't messing with anything.

"Yeah! Like that!" Tim exclaimed. "Well, that's not necessarily a Psyche but when a Psyche does get that pissed at someone, their powers will really impact others around them. So much so that they start... mutating."

Both Hiro and Howl spun towards their teammate in surprise. "Mutating?" they asked in unison.

Tim nodded gravely. "Yeah. They start changing. Kind of transforming to reflect the Psyche that's impacting them but more warped. Twisted. I mean, I get it. Sometimes you can't help it. You just get pissed especially if you lose a fight. But dragging other people into it... that's just messed up."

"What does the Battle Circle do about these things?"

"That's why we have guys like Ryan and the Professor around. If Malformed do end up being created from a fight, they're there to help subdue them and bring them to heel. They can be turned back. Just drag them into a Battlefield before they can hurt anyone, drain their EXP and then you're all good. If you're lucky, they won't end up emerging. The Psyche that caused it is sent to anger management classes though so they don't go wild again."

"Seems like they're kind of getting off light after dragging people into their problems..."

What can they do, though? Medicate them like Armistice wants?

"Point taken."

With no other questions from Howl, Hiro decided to ask his. "Hey, are... Ryan mentioned something about family lines. Do... Do Manifestos actually get married and have kids?"

Tim seemed surprised by the question. "Yeah. Why?"

"I dunno... It just seems weird to me. It'd be like you're sleeping with two people. Not to mention wouldn't you be at risk? I mean, your wife would know you but will they know your Psyche?"

Then Tim's eyes turned bright yellow and he grinned again. "Well if you love your fucking wife you should really tell her about your little secret, don't you think?"

"Hi Taser..." Hiro greeted. "And I suppose that's true..."

Taser waved absently in greeting and lay back, closing his eyes. "Besides, there are some 'families' out there made completely out of Manifestos and Psyches. They have this whole thing where the wives know about their secret and are totally okay with it not to mention the whole thing where they fuck guys all the time and suck themselves off to let their Psyches out. Really, the women are just there to produce cubs for them while they benefit from a rich lifestyle. Kind of like me! I'm the product of a loveless marriage!"

His eyes suddenly snapped open and Tim was back in control. "Hey! My mom and dad love each other!"

And Taser took control again with a snort. "Yeah right. The only time they had sex was to have us, they live separately and you barely ever see them together."

"That's... Kind of sad when you think about it."

No better than how we grew up, I guess.

Howl fell silent but he got waves of bitterness from the Psyche. At least they both shared the same sentiment that their father was a horrible person.

"So you come from a rich family?" he asked gently.

"Yep!" Taser exclaimed. "Dad's a Manifesto too. Tiger Clan." He again waved a limp wrist absently. "You probably heard this 'Clan' bullshit everywhere and that's some old system that was developed centuries ago back when we were all racist pricks. People formed 'Clans' based on their Psyches' appearance. They formed connections based on that and ended up fighting pointless fucking wars because of it. Once tried to divide up the world based on Clans."

"What happened?"

"The Battle Circle happened, that's what. Tore down the goddamn walls between Clans and united the world of Manifestos and Psyches. 'Course out of some compromise we still have to announce our Psyches when starting a battle. Kind of common courtesy."

Hiro wondered what that meant and then Howl provided him the memories of when Brodie and Butch first began their fight. The two ran through some sort of ritual where they exchanged names, introduced their Psyches and announced what Clan they were in.

"So the Clans sort of still have power in that some families still have money and influence?" he asked.

"Yep," Taser yawned. "Case in point, my man Tim!"

"Aaand... what was with Ryan's comment about the Wolf Clan...?"

Taser's eyes snapped open and he frowned. "Oh... Right. Well the Wolf Clan tried to reinstate the Clan rule multiple times over the centuries. Don't be surprised if some fucking assholes treat you like you're this bigoted, stuck-up, elitist asswipe. We know you're not but people judge by appearances even if they say they're fighting for the world the Battle Circle made. Fucking hypocrites."

"Well, at least you're not a stuck-up, elitist asswipe. Still a bigot but still."

I am not a bigot!

"Uh-huh. No homo bro?"

You shut up.

"Any more questions?" Taser prompted as he stood up suddenly.

"Plenty more," muttered Hiro. "But none I'd care to ask for now."

"Good." Suddenly, his big hands seized Hiro's arm and pulled him towards him so that his head was right next to his ears. Hiro then became very aware of the throbbing erection that was pressing up against the side of his chest. Taser's lips hovered over his ears. "Cuz I've been wanting to pound that ass of yours since we met."

"Oooh! Now it gets interesting!"

"W - w - wait!" Hiro exclaimed. "Tim, you okay with this!?"

He could feel Tim smiling. "Oh yeah. We're a team, remember? We've got to have sex at least once a day. It's a team bonding experience!"

"Hear that, Hiro? You have to have sex with other guys."

Hiro's body temperature started to rise and he immediately leapt off the bed, nearly bumping his head against the underside of the top bunk. "Uh... Let me just lock the door!"

Tim conceded that was a good point and Hiro took agonisingly slow steps towards the door. His dick was hard and erect, constantly twitching in his pants like a divining rod trying to bring him back to the bed where Tim was rapidly undressing.

"Dude, what is wrong with you! You know having sex feels good and you don't risk getting pregnant! Why can't you just loosen up?"

Because I've never had sex before!

"Right. It's not the inexperience. It's not the unknown. It's not your fear of me taking over. It's just that you're fucking scared that you'll like having sex with another man."

And then I'll be distracted like a sex-crazed teenager, constantly masturbating when I should be studying. My grades will drop, I'll never amount to anything and then I'll have to sell my body as a prostitute because that's the only way I'll ever quench the thirst for sex and earn money at the same time."

Howl paused a moment, giving Hiro a second to reach the door and lock the door. He wasn't too sure if his Psyche was laughing at him or just stunned with the confession.

"You've given this a lot of thought, huh?"

You should know!

Again, Howl was quietly thoughtful.

"Hiro. I'm your subconscious given form. I'm everything you're not. Look at me."

Suddenly, in the deep waters of the dark ocean, Hiro no longer found himself alone. Howl was floating in the depths before him in his massive, golden, glorious form.

_"Do I look like the sex-crazed man-whore you're envisioning?"_accused his Psyche.

Hiro just gave his Psyche an exasperated stare.

"Yes, I make lewd comments and occasionally get us hard but that's healthy!"_exclaimed the wolf. _"What's not healthy is putting a goddamn mental chastity belt on yourself and ignoring your hormones. Seriously, before I emerged, you looked like a prepubescent uber-Christian Neo-Nazi about ready to shove a spiked bat up any suspected homosexual's ass as a form of 'ironic punishment."

I did not!

"Look at yourself, really_closely, Hiro. Think about it."_

He flashed back to his former appearance. The close-cropped haircut that made him almost bald... otherwise blonde hair... blue eyes... wearing a leather jacket... growly, anti-social... and so deep in the closet that it had to take a traumatic experience and something supernatural for him to suck a dick...

Shit... Your right.

"Of course I'm right. I'm you. The you that you never acknowledged."

Hiro sighed softly.

So what do we do now?

"How about you acknowledge that you're turned on by men and then let's go fuck the stud beneath our bed?"

He hesitated and took a step back in the depths of the dark ocean.

Wouldn't that be like jumping from zero to fifty?

Howl approached him, wrapping his big, strong, furry arms around him. The touch of the muscular Psyche against him made him quiver. Then, Howl's lips pressed with his own and that strange warmth, that sense of completeness filled him again. Whatever fear he felt faded, fleeing his body and being absorbed into the nothingness of the inky seas.

"You tell me," Howl whispered softly, breaking the kiss. "Is it?"

He smiled.

You know what? No. I don't think we are.

Back in reality, Hiro took control of their body again and turned back towards Tim. "Uh... Sorry that took so long. Was just figuring things out."

Tim gave him a puzzled look as he was still struggling with his pants. "Huh? I know you're eager to jump my bones but let me get my pants off first."

"I guess time works differently in our mind," Howl chuckled.

Hiro smiled and removed his jacket, setting it on the back of his chair.

"Mind if I ask questions while you... uh..." He noticed that Tim was really struggling with his pants. "Did you need help there?"

"I'm fine!" Tim snarled. "Taser was the one who did my belt this morning and he bought this stupid trick belt that has a very specific way of undoing it because he thought it'd be funny! Gah!"

Howl...

"I'm never going to do that. Trust me. That's just insanely cruel."

"While I let you do that," Hiro said. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah! Sure!" Tim was close to gnawing at the belt with his teeth.

"What's the inside of your mind like? I mean, in mine I sort of see a huge black ocean and I'm constantly underwater when Howl has control."

Tim stopped for a moment, realising how serious the conversation was. "Oh... Well, believe it or not, mine is a big desert. Kind of endless. Except for the oasis. I just sort of lie back in the grass and whatever Taser sees is reflected in the water." He glanced off to the side. "I think Brodie once mentioned that his is like he's standing in a big grassy field." He shrugged. "It evolves, you know. You can change it. Brodie said when he emerged, it looked like he was back in his room when he was a kid and he couldn't get out."

Suddenly, Taser took over. "Would you stop talking about the Buck and get our fucking pants off! I want to fuck his ass!"

And then back to Tim again. "If you'd just tell me how to undo this belt then I'd be more than happy to oblige!"

"Hey Hiro, how attached are you to these clothes."

Realising what Howl intended, Hiro just snickered softly.

Not very. Go ahead.

"There is one way to get out of those pants without undoing the belt, you know," he suggested.

"What?" Tim snarled.

That familiar, intense pressure built up in Hiro's groin and he had to support himself on his chair. His cock stretched the fabric of his shorts. Fight or flight instincts kicked in and there was a part of him that refused to relinquish control of his body to Howl especially. But with every beat of his heart, he could feel his dick growing bigger and bigger. The resistance of his underwear and shorts against his rising dick was oddly arousing. A lustful groan left his throat with each inch that his member grew.

"Oh, you like the idea of ripping out of your clothes, huh?"

In the dark ocean, he could feel Howl's arms wrap around him, the big wolf pressing his body up against his back.

"Bursting out of your shorts. Tearing your shirt right down the middle. Muscles growing, fur all over your body and just shredding your underwear in a shower of cum..."

"Oh fuck yeah..." he moaned. The sound of his shorts start to tear only spurred him further.

"Let me out, Hiro," cooed Howl. "Let's shred every layer of clothing."

"Ah fuck!" His cock burst from his shorts, big, bright, red and pointed. It slammed down his throat, muffling his next cry. Hot seed came shooting down his throat and he let himself go, letting Howl take over. Deep within the dark ocean, Howl gave him a tender kiss on the cheek, gently telling him that he'll make both him and Tim feel good.

Howl growled as he dug his claws into their shirt. His chest came bursting out of the human frame, tearing right through the fabric as two huge, muscled pectorals covered in white fur. He bit back his triumphant howl as he emerged from the deep recesses of their mind and came to stand at his full height. He shook his lupine head, ears flopping around lightly and stretched.

"Aw yeah. Feels good to be out and about again," he rumbled.

His red eyes fell upon Tim who was in the throes of his own transformation. He cocked his head to the side slightly at the ebony Adonis' dick had rocketed out of his pants, shredding through the denim and bypassing the belt entirely. It was big, thick - thicker than his - and the slightly human shaped though the rims of his head was covered in fleshy spines that ran down about halfway down his cock. Tim's eyes rolled back into his head as the dick forced its way down his throat and pumped tiger cum down his throat.

Tim's body arched and his jaws pulled apart in a silent snarl of ecstasy. His already massive frame burst free of his clothes. In a moment before he started to change, Hiro saw the outline of a tattoo on his pectoral muscles before it was quickly consumed by white hair that was rapidly enveloping his upper body. As it spread like a growing inferno a small glint of metal was seen pierced through his nipple. Two small barbell piercings were speared though his flesh and hidden from anyone's normal sight. Likely a bit of Tasers influence on the normally clean cut Tim.

Bright orange fur then started to sprout sprouted all over the rest of his body. It was hard to tell where the brown fur was coming in given the colouration of his skin but it was there. Curiously, thick brown fur also appeared across Tim's frame, covering his chest in an inverted triangle, across his forearms and a bit on his legs. His crotch fur was also a dark colour. Tim or rather Taser let out a snarl as the fur covered his hands and feet, thick paw pads covering the palms of each appendage while every nail suddenly stretched out into a wicked claw. As his mass grew he shredded what remained of his clothes as a long, flexible tail snaked out from his backside and crawled down the length of the bed. As his face started to grow into a fierce feline muzzle another wave of the dark brown fur began to crest his jawline, giving him a small goatee that wrapped around his lips and ended at his chin. It would seem that his carefully dyed dreadlocks would remain blond while the rest of him was covered in the orange and black striped fur. With one final growl the tiger reached his full size, quickly the bed, his legs bypassing the edges of the bed and his shoulders hanging over the sides.

There was no way the two of them could fit on the bed.

Taser let out a deep, rumbling growl, his bright orange eyes matching his fur, a predatory smirk on his muzzle.

"Fuck you look sexy," growled the tiger.

"Your sailor's mouth is a major turn on too, T-bone."

For a second, Taser looked a little surprised at the nickname. "T-bone?"

"Well, your name starts with a T and you're going to bone me." To emphasise his point, Howl turned around and lifted his tail. "Any questions?"

"Fuck no."

Taser emerged from the bed and immediately wrapped his arms around Howl's waist. The tiger's huge cock dripped precum all over the golden wolf's muscular back. A rough tongue brushed against Howl's neck, sending shivers down the wolf's spine.

"Let's go on Brodie's bed," Taser said. "It's bigger."

"Won't he be mad."

The tiger growled. "I wasn't fucking asking."

******

"If there's one thing I don't like about anal sex is walking afterwards," Howl admitted.

"You're telling me," muttered Hiro, waddling down to Professor Weed's office. "Damn... How many times did we do it?"

"I don't really know. I sort of passed out after the fifth time... You weren't counting?"

Hiro rubbed his back and didn't really care that he was walking in public and apparently talking to himself. It was five in the evening and there were few people on the campus grounds as it was that grace period between when the undergraduate left and post-graduate students came in. The mall was getting its last few hours' worth of opening hours and most people were heading out for dinner. Any who thought he was crazy wouldn't matter.

"I took the next two after you tapped me in. Don't blame me. It was my first time."

"Tigers really do have a crazy sex drive... Hope Brodie's not too mad."

After about three hours of straight fucking, both Howl and Hiro had felt rather exhausted from the experience. But they were due for some training with Gabriel in Professor Weed's lab in preparation for tomorrow's flight to Maine. Apparently it wasn't going to be too intensive given that they would need to be ready. Still, Taser had been such a ravenous beast and even as they were now both conscious, they were still feeling the effects of the rough sex.

"You think you'd want to try it again?" Hiro muttered, rubbing his slightly matted hair.

"Ooooh! Does someone finally have an active libido? Is someone eager for round two? Or... eight in this case?"

Hiro blushed and reached the door to Professor Weed's lab. "Shut up, Howl."

His Psyche remained blissfully smug as he opened the door and passed into Weed's office. Gabriel was standing slouched over one of the nearby desks, tapping away at a computer. He was alone.

"Hey Gabriel," he greeted, shutting the door behind him.

"Lock the door, would you?" Gabriel asked.

He did so and a part of him quivered at the idea of having sex again.

Damn... Okay, got to rein it in. Life isn't about sex.

"Heh, rein."

What?

"You know. Horse reins?"

Hiro rolled his eyes and headed over to Gabriel. "What're you working on?"

Gabriel lifted his green eyes towards him and offered a faint smile. The tall, statuesque German had a rather tall forehead and with his hair tied back in a ponytail, it looked even bigger than before. It gave him a rather intelligent look but his size and stature gave him a very intimidating appearance especially with the trench coat that he perpetually wore. Though Hiro couldn't really judge given the fact that he always wore the same black leather jacket.

"It's the information for the Gym which we will be flying to tomorrow," he said with just the slightest edge of a German accent. Hiro moved to peer over his shoulder, keeping a respectable distance away.

"Dude, you're teammates! Get closer!"

Realising this was true, Hiro shuffled forward a little and leaned down towards the screen. There was information that had come from an email. An emblem that looked like a six-pointed star encased in a circle appeared emblazoned the top of the email. The words 'Battle Circle Gym Season' was drawn in the circle's edges itself in gold.

"What's it about?" he asked.

Gabriel reached up instinctively and pat his cheek but his eyes remained firmly on the screen. Hiro flinched a little. "Oh. Sorry. I am just very comfortable with my teammates. I did not mean to scare you off."

"No... Uh..." Hiro stammered. "Just... I was just a little surprised, that's all."

"It is a nervous habit of mine," Gabriel said, lowering his gaze and blushing lightly. The reddening of his cheeks was very evident with his pale skin. "I am sorry again."

"No. It's okay."

"Awkward pause! Awkward pause!" Howl cried. "Change the subject quick!"

"So..." Hiro began. "The email? Is that in German or something."

"Ah, right." Gabriel gestured at the screen. "Manifestos and Psyches have been on this world for millennia. They created their own language and it is only readable to our kind that have had training."

"Oh. Neat. I guess. Kind of like a secret language."

"Not so much. It's just how our society developed. We can still send emails in English or other languages but given that we're spread around the world and the Battle Circle announcements need to be universally spread, it's just easier to use the native language instead of finding a translator for each individual dialect."

"That makes sense. What's this say then?"

Gabriel explained that on the night before a Gym opened, they sent out a sort of syllabus. It contained the teams that would be participating in the competition, which Trainers they would be assigned to and generally how things were going to be run at the Gym such as living arrangements, entertainment and event schedules.

"So it's like we're going to camp?" Hiro asked.

"Ja. There will be the opening ceremony tomorrow evening at about six. Our flight is at ten in the morning. We will be leaving here at seven."

"That early!?"

"Yeah! I wanted to get some late night fucking in with Buck and maybe a morning jack off session afterwards..."

He shot Howl a mental foul look and looked to Gabriel for an answer.

"Morning traffic," answered Gabriel with a shrug. "It's New York, after all."

"Fair enough... Still, the flight should only take a little over an hour to get there. What're we going to do until then?"

Gabriel gestured at the screen. "We will have time to tour the Gym and get used to the lay of the land. Perhaps visit some of the training grounds to get accustomed to the environment. After all, it seems that the Challenge will very physical."

"Oh?" His curiosity piqued, Hiro leaned forward trying to decipher the email. There were some images and what appeared to be a map of a race track. "What's the challenge?"

"From what it appears we will need to move a large four hundred tonne boulder around a track within a time limit. It is about as long as a regular race track. That is about 2.5 miles."

Hiro paled and he could feel Howl's confidence waver.

"Are you shitting me!? How are we going to move that kind of thing around! That's about as heavy as a goddamn 747!"

How do you know that?

"I pick this shit up, Hiro."

"Please tell me this is a team exercise," he whimpered.

"Why yes, of course," answered Gabriel brightly. "All four of us are tasked with doing it. We have half an hour to complete the task. In theory with Buck's innately strong legs and the fact that Taser gets stronger the more damage he sustains, this should be a fairly easy challenge."

Hiro regarded Gabriel curiously. "Innate ability? What's that?"

"Ah! Ja, ja. We have yet to cover that. Most Manifestos and Psyches do not develop their ability at least until their first month." Gabriel swivelled his chair to face him. "Every pair develops a sort of unique ability that only they possess." He pressed a hand against his chest. "Mine, for instance, is the power of suggestion. I can charm others to plant suggestions into their mind. They may not necessarily follow my will but it will be in their minds."

Then, Gabriel's green eyes turned a dark brown, almost black. "An' I've got an ability the ol' Prof calls 'Synchronise'. I amplify th' abilities o' the others 'round me an' borrow a bit o' their power."

Both Hiro and Howl suddenly recoiled at the emergence of Galahad. Howl recovered faster though.

"Holy shit! You're British!" the wolf exclaimed. "Why are you British?"

Galahad shrugged his shoulders. "Don't rightly know, mate. Jus' how I came out. Anyway, pleased to meetcha. Galahad."

"Howl," he answered, shaking the offered hand. "Ah... Sorry, Hiro's got a question."

They quickly switched back and Hiro gave Galahad a sheepish grin. "Erm... So what's everyone else's powers?"

Galahad released his grip and turned back towards the screen. His eyes shifted back to green indicating that Gabriel was back in control. "Broderick has enhanced magical skills and an eidetic memory. He can recall any spell that he is shown even those used by others provided he can observe the entire incantation from start to finish. Buck's is, as you may have noticed, his supernaturally strong legs. I one saw him kick an entire car in half."

"Yikes... Remind me not to try doggy style with him."

Yes, Howl, Hiro thought bitterly. Thank you Howl.

"I'm sure you've also been on the receiving end of Timothy's hugs. His arms are his strongest asset just as Buck's is his legs. With Taser, though, the more damage he sustains, the stronger he becomes in general."

"And remind me never to piss off Taser."

Agreed.

"So I guess no clue on what mine is then, huh?" Hiro asked.

Gabriel shrugged. "Sorry, my friend. You were introduced to us fairly late and are newly emerged. We do not have time to discern. However, with luck this week at the Gym will allow us to learn everything we can about you and formulate strategies on how best to use your abilities."

"Wouldn't it be better to just wait until the next month when I'm in better shape and just skip this month's Gym?"

"There is nothing to lose if we try. It is not as if we are penalised for failing a Gym challenge."

I suppose that's true... Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I guess.

"That's the spirit! Besides, we get to fuck some bears in the process!"

He frowned. "Uh... so is the Gym run by Bear Clan?"

Gabriel brightened. "Ja! It is."

How'd you know that?

"I looked at the email. There's pictures of them on screen."

He glanced at the screen and, true to what Howl said, just beneath the image of the race track was an image of a huge, anthropomorphic ursine flanked by others of his kind.

"See? I pick up on these things that you miss with your tunnel vision."

Thanks... I guess.

"No problem. Now ask him about why they're all bears when the whole Clan system should've been banned."

That was a very good point. "Gabriel, question. If the Gym is run entirely by bears, doesn't that go against what the Battle Circle did with abolishing the Clan system?"

The German student smiled at him. "Ah, I see your point. The Gyms were what the Clans evolved into under the Battle Circle. The Gym Season is a means of getting our aggression out on one another and balancing ourselves. The Clans used to war with one another and forcibly recruit others into their side to grow stronger. Now that they have become the Gyms, they accept challengers and can grow when there are those that wish to join them. Yes, they mostly remain within the species that they were founded upon but that's mostly because Psyches can change shape."

"I can do what now?"

"They can?" Hiro asked.

Gabriel beamed at him. "Ja, ja. Psyches are their own personalities, yes, but they ultimately reflect their Manifesto. If the Manifesto grows in a particular way, then the Psyche will likewise develop in such a way." He shrugged absently. "Those who naturally join a Gym is surrounded by like-minded people and eventually, they will evolve and change to reflect those around them. It is not always the case, of course. If you look here... there is an antelope in the picture. And a crocodile. Oh, that's new. Looks like lemur joined the trainers too."

Upon closer inspection, though admittedly a bit well hidden, there were indeed a few other species other than bears in the picture. They were a little hard to tell apart from the others as their fur was a little shaggy and they were _enormous_just like the other bears. It seemed that even if their species remained separate, their builds shaped like the others of the Gym.

"Huh... I guess so."

"I suppose I should also tell you about the Emergence and Empathy forms of a Psyche," Gabriel said, rising out of his seat.

"The what?"

Galahad suddenly took over. "Since Psyches are tied closely to their Manifestos, they can change shape dependin' on which one has more control. In yer standard form, both of ya are equal. Yer working together. But if Howl were ta take full control, yer form would change to reflect more o' Howl's personality. We call this the Emergence Form."

"So a horndog then," Hiro surmised.

"Hey!"

Then it was Gabriel again. "Likewise, if Howl were to allow you to take control of his Psyche form, your body would change to reflect your personality, Hiro. This is the Empathy Form."

"So an antisocial, narrow-minded busy-body who thinks he can do everything himself."

Hey!

"But that's an advanced technique and should only be attempted when the trust between you two is insurmountable," Gabriel explained. "I don't suspect we'll have to pull them off at the Gym even when we fight the Sensei." He reached out and gently stroked Hiro's cheek again. "Not that everyone can..." Then he grimaced and pulled his hand again. "Sorry. Nervous habit. I like to feel the touch of another when I am nervous."

"It's okay," Hiro said, waving away the gesture.

I guess none of them have achieved their Emergence and Empathy forms yet...

"Let's be the first!"

Right... Like it's that easy. You wouldn't trust me with your body, would you?

"Hmmm... Fine. I guess not yet. And I guess you don't trust me with yours."

Not after you take over when I'm asleep and plough Brodie.

"Do you have any questions for me?" Gabriel asked, smiling charmingly.

"Just one, I guess," Hiro said. "Why is that when we transform our cocks get huge and we suck ourselves off?"

Gabriel blinked a few times and then threw his head back to let out a loud laugh. Galahad took over when he stopped laughing and opened his eyes. He was already taking off his pants to reveal his rapidly rising dick. Hiro's throat went dry and he was growing aroused as well with Howl's influence.

"It's got to do with how th' Manifesto is all 'bout what's up here..." Galahad tapped Hiro's forehead. "An' th' Psyche is kinda instinctual an' all about what's down here..." He reached down and grabbed Hiro's cock.

A loud growl left the young man and his eyes turned red.

"Don't grab it unless you're thinking about doing something with it," Howl rumbled, a lewd smile on his face.

"Oh I intend to, pup," Galahad answered, licking his lip. "I intend to."

Giving Hiro's cock another squeeze through the fabric of his pants Galahad stood up, leaving him exposed for the two of them.

"As you already know, Manifestos are like reflections of ourselves. Similar, but different," Gabriel explained, his cock slowly taking on a darker coloration as it started to grow longer and longer.

"It's those differences that keep us from bein' too much like one 'nother while still bein' able to live in the same body. Ever hear that old sayin' 'The mind says no, but the body says yes?'" Galahad continued, Gabriel's eyes swapping back to the darker colour of his Psyche.

Howl grumbled and nodded, but his attention was drawn mostly towards the other man's growing cock as it began to thicken immensely. His member had already passed from the thickness of a tube of toothpaste to well over the size of a beer can and was growing like a weed.

Gabriel smiled as he looked on to Howls lustful gaze as his cock head began to flatten and flare outwards, the head spreading wide as his balls began to boil with seed in anticipation.

"If you wanna find a way to balance the two of you, you gotta learn to think with your head sometimes..." Gabriel muttered.

Gabriel let out a loud moan, his eyes fluttering between his normal green and Galahad's black until he shut them tight.

"...and then sometimes....you jus' gotta let loose a bit." Gabriel said in Galahad's voice, opening his eyes to reveal that he was the one in control now.

His cock having already reached well past his chest, Galahad barely had to lean forward as he took his cock into his mouth. He let out a muffled moan of pleasure as he tried to take in as much as he could. But with a flared tip like his he could barely make it an inch down.

Thankfully though that wouldn't be a problem for long.

With his two big balls twitching in excitement he was quick to shoot his load and soon the flood of seed was sent right down his throat.

With a smaller head and weaker body, Gabriel managed to take as much of the seed as he could, his cheeks practically stuffing from the effort. But with an equine libido now fuelling him, Galahad had a lot to give and soon he was forced to break away, letting his flared member shower him in seed.

"Bloody hell, I never get tired of that!" Galahad exclaimed, stretching his arms back and smiling a cocky grin as his cock continued to fire off, quickly covering his body in seed and fuelling the changes further.

Streaks of chestnut coloured fur began racing outwards from his groin. Like an blazing fire the pelt of fur covered nearly his entire body in the blink of an eye. Blonde streaks of fur began to sprout along the length of his forearms, joining with his caramel coloured pelt while his legs gained a thick fetlock that hung just above his foot. Along the length of his back a thick mane began to form, stretching from just a few inches above his ass to the very top of his head.

His blonde ponytail was the only thing that as his equine features started to fill in. Once the initial spread had finished, Galahad grinned as he flexed his muscles underneath trench coat that Gabriel had been wearing. It was a long, button up jacket, but as his body began to grow the buttons began to strain against the increasing mass. It wasn't long after until they began to fly off one after another until the final button came loose the trench coat flew to his sides like a vest. Galahad let out a pleased snort as he pulled his arms back and gave Hiro a clear view of his developing muscles along with the crest of blonde fur that was filling in between his broad pectorals.

"Yeaa....nnnn...bet you boys haven't seen a real stallion before eh?" Galahad remarked coyly, flexing his arms over his head as they started to swell with muscle.

Howl licked his lips in hunger.

"I'm thinking horsemeat for dinner tonight..." Howl grinned, his pants already tenting to the point of tearing.

_With a dick like that? You could never take him He would tear you in half! _Hiro protested

"Challenge accepted."

Not wanting to tear through two sets of clothes in one day, Howl pulled down their pants and shrugged off Hiro's jacket. His cock had already begun to change, and within a matter of moments it had returned to its red-rocket shape. Throbbing angrily as his balls swelled with seed, the psyche more than eager to let himself out.

"Ohhh, big puppy eh? Well I'm pretty sure I still beat you in the size department, but that knot of yours might have me beat in thickness..." Galahad muttered as his reached down and squeezed his own cock, letting out a moan as his own body swelled with muscle mass.

"How's about we do a bit of comparison hoss?" Howl said with a grin.

Howl was quick to move as he rushed forward and pressed his own member against Galahad's. The two of them let out a moan from the sudden contact and they both began rubbing against one another.

With their members sandwiched together, Howl took his own cock into his mouth and eagerly sucked himself off. Using a free hand Howl traced a finger across the flared tip of Galahads cock, making the changing equine let out a nicker of approval. He was then quick to start frotting his cock against Galahads equine pole and the horse was quick to join in. Soon the changing wolf's excitement could not be contained and he quickly spent his load right down his mouth.

How took a moment to take in every drop of his own seed, being carefull not to spill a single drop. Once the initial shock had finally wore off he looked up at the taller Galahad with his bright red eyes and a lusty grin.

"Mmmm...tasty..." Howl said as he licked his lips with an unusually long tongue.

Galahad groaned as Howl didn't stop the stimulation of rubbing his cock against his own. Soon his feet started to snap and pop as each toe started to twist and warp into a long, single digit before they merged together into a solid hoof. A nub of a tail started to sprout from his backside and grew long, golden hairs that swept down his legs like a waterfall.

"So what do you say big boy, am I going to get to be the cowboy? Or are you going to see how far you can stick this pole in me?" Howl said as he gave the equines cock a long lick across the flared tip.

"Cheeky fuck....ahhh"

Howl was quick to catch up to the rapidly growing horse. While he was not nearly as tall as Galahad after he had changed, he was quick to make sure that his cock was never far from the horse's massive slab of meat. As his body swelled to his enhanced height his ears quickly began to shape and point to their triangular form. Soon he could hear the beasts heartbeat in his chest along with the strain of his muscles as his body finished changing. His keen nose could also pick up the heavy musk in the room, along with the need of the horse he had pinned to himself.

He let out a low growl, just in time for his muzzle to come into shape as he opened his maw wide and gave the length of the horse's cock a long lick.

Galahad tried to let out a moan, but that moan became warped and distorted in his throat. The wolf underneath him was ravishing his cock in attention and every lick the seemed to force his changes even further. His face started to press outward, forming into a strong muzzle that befit the size of a Clydesdale. His eyes fluttered, his ears creeping up his head as they turned pear shaped and became infinitely more flexible, twitching with newfound freedom and the growing the sounds filling the room. As the last few inches of his muzzle finally filled out, the garbled moans of Galahad moan changed into nickers and snorts as his nose flared out and his throat finally finished changing.

"Oh fuck...bugger you're going to make me shoot..." Galahad nickered.

Howl smiled and just kept working on the pole, using both hands to grab a hold of the massive pillar of flesh while he slobbered it with his long tongue.

Howl could feel the shaft flex and clench. The horse was barely holding on and was going to bust in any second. With his own member was throbbing from the sheer thrill part of him knew that he wouldn't hold on for much longer either!

*Click!*

Suddenly then, someone came in through the office door.

"Hey boys, the door was locked so I thought I would let myself in...."

Professor Weed stepped inside the room, only to realise what was going on one moment too late.

"Nnnnnnnnnnnnnneigh!!!!!!!!!" Galahad whinnied as he passed his breaking point.

Galahad let out a loud cry as his cock fired off his load like a rocket into the air. The first salvo arched backward, striking the bookcase behind them. The second blast shot upward, something Howl was anticipating as he opened his maw to take in as much of the thick, virile seed as he could as it rained back down on to them.

The third blast however had veered to the right.

"Oh crap..." was all Weed was able to mutter.

Galahad gasped for breath as he fired another shot after another until finally the flow was stemmed. Howl himself had spent his load at some point and had covered the floor directly in front of him, but Galahad had managed to nearly paint the entire half of the room white.

"You came first, that means I get to be the cowboy." Howl grinned playfully.

"Shut it..." Galahad grunted, still locked in the afterglow and gasping for breath.

"Ahem..."

The two Psyches looked towards the Professor who now had a rather large splotch of cum running down the side of his face and another soaking into his shirt.

"Galahad...what have I told you about fucking in my office?" Weed said sternly.

Galahad flinched and his ears folded slightly.

"Now isn't the time to do that?"

*******

Howl was satisfied with the session they had with Gabriel and Galahad the previous night that he wasn't so grumpy when they woke up at five in the morning the pack and get ready for the trip. Brodie was all a panic over all the electronics he was going to pack with him while Hiro, focused as always and with minimal things to bring, packed easily and then helped him with his.

After about thirty minutes of running around, Brodie finally relaxed and handed Hiro a silvery laptop.

"This is for you," he said.

"Huh?" Hiro replied. "What's this?"

"Since you'll be working with Professor Weed, he bought you this laptop. He thought you might want to research stuff on being a Manifesto. It's got a language program and translator on there for the language we use as well."

That made sense given that Gabriel was Weed's assistant and knew the language so he should learn it as well. The gesture touched him and he made sure to add a memo to thank Weed. Howl took it down happily.

When they were ready and packed, Tim brought around a bright red sedan that they all jumped into with Hiro taking shotgun since he had the least to pack and could easily slip his duffel bag in between his legs. The rest of them shuffled into the back, and not even ten minutes into the car ride and Gabriel was already fondling Weed with one hand and furiously making out with Brodie in the other.

Geez... There's really no restraint with these guys.

"Are you complaining?"

What if we get caught by a police officer!?

At least none of them emerged into their Psyches though from the loud moans and gasps, he guessed they had cum a few times before they even reached the airport. Thankfully, Weed began smoking again to mask the smell of male sex. They thankfully avoided traffic somehow and managed to make it to the airport in record time. Tim parked the car in long term parking and got out.

"Isn't it a bit wasteful to be parking here?" Hiro asked. "Couldn't we have just taken a cab?"

Tim shrugged. "I'm loaded, remember? This is nothing."

Doesn't mean you should just throw your money around...

"Dude, chill. He's treating us. Be grateful."

Hiro remained silent through the rest of the trip as they checked in their bags then jumped onto the plane to Maine. He fished out his laptop during the flight and began exploring the applications and programs that Weed had installed. There indeed was a language program to help him decipher the texts and even some history on the Battle Circle.

His curiosity piqued when he found a profile on the Sensei of the August Gym, Cornelius Grounds.

"Huh... Open that. We're meant to face him so we should learn as much about him as possible."

Cornelius Grounds was apparently an established Sensei for many years. Described as a patient and considerate fellow, Grounds was renowned for his thick build that complimented his philosophy that the best 'offence is a good defence'.

"Isn't it the other way around?" Howl asked.

It is. I think he's more focused on defensive measures.

"Got it. Looks like he's got the build for it."

Grounds was a thick, muscled human with a dense, brown beard and close-cropped brown hair. There was kindness in his green eyes and when he grinned, it was almost in a fatherly way. Taking the term 'bear' very well, he had dense chest hair and similarly thick forests on his arms and legs. Hiro blushed a little when a full body picture of him was shown in the nude, standing in the middle of a rocky outcropping, arms crossed and impressively thick, uncut dick erect.

He quickly scrolled down to read the rest of the profile.

Paired up with Clay, his Psyche, the Sensei made for a very competent combatant. When Grounds was in control, he focused entirely on defence and wearing his opponent down. However, Clay was his opposite and focused entirely on offense. Clay was a huge, black-furred bear. Where Grounds had a bit of a belly that made him look cuddly despite his huge, imposing biceps and massive chest, Clay was a beast. Lean, rippling with muscles and with thick veins popping up all over his body, the only thing that seemed to remain of Grounds was the dense brown hairs that overlayed his black fur but even then, body hair was almost unnoticeable against the bears black fur and vascular frame. If there was any trace of the man within it would have likely been the crest of brown fur on his chest, but the bears muscles were so swollen and defined they were practically invisible against the mountains of muscle.

And again, Hiro could tell, because the next few pages of the profile showed nude pictures of the bear.

Hiro went rigid when a hand slipped across his thighs. Tim had sat next to him, but his eyes were shining a bright orange, meaning Taser was in control. The tiger was waggling his eyebrows at him suggestively, licking his lips.

Howl...?

"Are you crazy!? On the plane! I can't believe I'm the one saying no!"

Just checking.

He slapped Taser's hand away and turned back to the article, angling his laptop away from the dark-skinned titan so he wouldn't get any ideas.

Then something caught his eye.

"Uh... Gabriel..." he said, tapping the German on his other side. "So everyone has an ability right?"

With his ever-present trench coat, Gabriel nodded. "Ja. Why do you ask?"

"Well... I noticed that Grounds seems to be able to control earth... Like here he is... erm... hovering on a platform of rock and here's another of Clay shooting rocks from his fists..."

"Ja. That is how most Sensei are. They have power over an element. It is how the Clans became so powerful."

"Great. That's not what I was curious about though." He scrolled down the page to show each of the trainers, including those that were not bears, performing the same feats. "Why is everyone else doing the same?"

There, Gabriel had a look of understanding on his face and nodded. "Ah. You see, when you successfully complete a Gym challenge, you are given a fraction of the Sensei's power. In effect, you obtain a bit of their ability. It is the stipulation of the Battle Circle and a means to maintain balance amongst the Gyms and the redundant Clans. If you join the Gym, you get more of that power of course."

"That's actually fairly clever."

As Hiro thought about it, he was inclined to agree. The Clans must have had these innate powers over the elements before and that must have made the wars between them so devastating. So when the Battle Circle came into power, they forced the Clans to distribute their power.

"But wait, wouldn't that make whomever won against the all the Gyms _really_powerful?"

"Ja," answered Gabriel with a nod. "But they are not so powerful as the Battle Circle. Besides, as the Professor always says, it is not your power but how you use it. Many win against multiple Gyms but it is not always so easy especially when there are others like you empowered by victories. Few ever make it to the final challenge in the season which is to fight the Battle Circle."

"And if you win?"

"Then you get to join the Battle Circle."

"Huh... So it's like a survival of the fittest version of the American Election Process. Except... you know, instead of voting for your representative, your representative needs to have fucked you first and gains your power."

So how is that different from the current process then?

"Ah-ha! I see what you did there!"

He snickered at his little joke and thanked Gabriel before turning back to his research.

Grounds naturally came from the Bear Clan and focused entirely on the element of Earth. Based on the information available, the Bear Clan rose to prominence because of their master of the element. Most of the Clans had a level of mastery over a primal element that was honed over generations of tutelage and experience. Grounds was so skilled with his element that when he wasn't overseeing a Gym Season, he actually worked as a seismologist capable of sensing the movements of the tectonic plates from anywhere across the world. Unfortunately, without any solid evidence of when an earthquake could happen, his predictions were normally brushed off as conjecture. Apparently, he used his skills to help design earthquake-proof buildings and warn cities and towns about upcoming seismic events for over the past 120 years.

"Wait. 120? Scroll up again."

Hiro realised exactly what Howl was concerned about and went back to the image of Grounds. Sure there were flecks of grey in the burly man's beard but he definitely didn't look over 120 years old.

"Uh... Do Sensei have... immortality or something?" he asked Gabriel.

The German gave him a soft smile. "Ah. No. Not immortality. We just age slower. Remember, you have your Psyche within you now and whether he realises it or not, that is a second source of energy that helps you heal and regenerate. This extends to the point that he assists with cellular generation. It slows the aging process an incredible amount. I have heard there is a member of the Battle Circle that is over five hundred years old."

Whoa... So... I can live up to that long?

"I guess as long as I hang around and keep healing you. Neat."

"Wow..." was all he could say and returned to his research.

The Earth Sensei apparently had a signature ability that was popularised as 'Magnetise'. Based on the article, he somehow infused pieces of rock with his will. The rock would stick to targets, impeding their movement. He could attach it to himself as well to make a layer of armour without hindering his mobility. The image showed the big bear, naked and with his intimidating three-foot cock erect with his hands outstretched to his sides. Pieces of earth hovered around him ominously.

So not only does he have the innate ability over Earth from being a Sensei but he also has his natural, unique ability to get rocks to stick to us...

"Having doubts?"

Aren't you? We don't even know what our ability is!

"No better way to learn than a trial by fire, right?"

What if we die!?

"Can we die?"

That was an excellent question and he turned again to Gabriel. "Hey Gabriel... has anyone ever... you know... died in these competitions."

His green-eye friend frowned and looked upwards thoughtful. "Not in recent history, no. When the Season was just starting and the Clans were still a little hateful, yes, but not anymore. No. Most of the time you just wind up with a sore ass or a raw dick."

"Sounds like fun!"

Jesus Howl...

What he found rather interesting were past battles with the Sensei. There were hundreds of them. All sorted by Gym and date. When he clicked on one, he immediately muted the sound as he had no headphones to ensure that he didn't disturb anyone else on the flight. There were hundreds of people in an entire arena. They were all cheering, all of them Psyches or at least in their Psyche form. Different species and even different genders. There were even a few that were both genders. The audience cheered and he guessed there was some sort of announcement by a commentator as subtitles were provided.

Grounds was introduced as well as his top three pupils. It was a four-on-four match. The opposing team, Enlightenment were introduced consisting of a white-furred mouse with a set of prayer beads around his neck, an orca with a Christian cross sitting across the shelf of his massive pectorals, an eagle who was the only one of the team dressed with a garment of priestly robes around him and lastly a tiger whose orange fur was scarred in what seemed almost ritualistic slashes.

The commentator mentioned that Enlightenment consisted of four principles of their namesake; enlightenment through meditation, faith, sacrifice and battle. The camera panned across the stands. So many people were very excited with sexual fluids dripping from their various organs. A few could not wait and were wildly fucking in the stands there and then while cheering madly. Naturally, there were a several that were fans of the team, cheering them on and even painting their fur, scales, feathers or flesh in the colours of the team members.

"They're like superstars. Sports stars."

That's insane...

"Didn't you always want to make something of yourself?"

Yes but... to be known for being the best at having sex...?

"It's more than that and you know it."

The contestants positioned themselves on opposite sides of a circular arena. Large grey spires of rock scattered across the otherwise dusty ground. The next fifteen or so minutes were spent on the two teams preparing themselves, discussing strategy amongst themselves while the commentator went on and on about their statistics and histories. Hiro just breezed past all that and went straight to the battle.

Something must have signalled the start of the battle because the two teams charged at one another to begin their fight. The crowd instantly began cheering with more than a few shooting their seed in wide, white arcs through the air.

Hiro watched the battle, fascinated at the level of coordination both teams used. Grounds was clearly more experienced and far more powerful than any of the four. His heart began to sink into his gut as he watched the enormous bear catch one of the Enlightenment team members into a crushing bear hug before huge spires of rock erupted around them and closed around them in a cocoon of stone. The other team members tried to intervene before they were completely encased but Grounds' pupils delayed them. The commentator mentioned something about it being 'all over' and Hiro could see why.

A moment later, the cocoon shattered and Grounds was wiping some fresh cum from his lips while a dazed and euphoric human lay at his feet, staring goofily into the sky and twitching from the aftershocks of what must have been some mind-blowing sex. Then it was three-on-four.

Even without watching the rest of the movie, Hiro knew that Grounds' team had won.

Other videos showed the Earth Sensei and his team were very adept at their element and could adapt to any situation or any team. Sometimes they were a full-on offensive team. Other times, they wore out their foes. It seemed that each and every team had their own strategies that were somehow countered by the Sensei. Out of the fifty videos that he scoured through, he didn't see one team that had succeeded.

That's when he realised what the odds of winning were.

They cull out the teams with the Challenge, he thought miserably. That reduces the number of challengers to be a little more manageable. Then out of all those teams, few would actually be able to defeat the Sensei...

"All those people in the stands are probably former contestants... How many do you think there are?"

A thousand at least.

"Damn... So winning the whole thing is like... a thousand to one."

Considering we haven't actually seen anyone win? It's less than that.

******

It came as a bit of a surprise that their airport was rather busy and even the pilot seeing them off as they landed commented on just how many people were coming to experience the peace and tranquillity of Maine. When they were out on the airport concourse, Hiro had the eerie feeling that most of these people were somehow linked to the Gym competition.

Since he only had the one bag and the one carry-on, he was forced to wait while the others collected their belongings. Shortly after, Professor Weed guided them to the exit where a chauffeur was waiting for them holding up a sign saying 'Weed'. There were dozens of others holding up signs but each of them seemed to come from a different company. They were led to a minivan where they hauled their bags and then the van drove off.

"It's going to be about two hours before we reach the Gym," their chauffeur said over her shoulder as she drove them out of the airport. "You'll find the details of your room arrangements, the schedule of events, facility outlines and some recreational activities you can partake in while here. If you're competing, you will also find the challenge outline in your welcome pack."

Hiro noted that several of the other cars were heading off in different directions. "Is everyone that's being picked up here for the Gym?"

The chauffeur glanced at him from the rear-view mirror and smiled. "Ah, first time coming to a Gym them?"

"For him, ja," answered Gabriel. "This is my third season."

"Second for me," said Tim brightly.

"It's my second too," added Broderick. "We're competing too."

"Good luck then!" said their driver cheerily. "I think this year's Challenges are a real doozy!" She glanced back at Hiro. "And you answer your question, dear, yes, most of them are ours. But it'd be really suspicious if a whole convoy of hundreds of cars were headed to the same location at once. Our drivers take alternate routes and even stop over for a day or so before making their way to the Gym. All part of the package, of course. Others have already arrived before hand and then there are those that choose to drive all the way up here."

"So I guess we paid extra for the direct route, huh?" Hiro asked.

Weed smiled softly as he turned the page of his welcome pamphlet. "Nothing but the best for my team." He let out a low whistle. "Wow, there'll be over two hundred teams competing for this Gym."

Hiro inclined his head to the side at the sheer number. Two hundred teams meant at least eight hundred individual competitors. It was like a mini-Olympics! And he was competing! Not because he earned it but simply because he was at the right place at the right time... and Weed's team was desperate. Most of these people had probably trained for months or even years like Tim just to get this far. And he just stumbled onto it three days ago.

"Hey now, don't go losing your cool."

I was never cool!

"Take your mind off this, Hiro. Think about something else."

Like what!? I'm about to go rushing head long into a competition with nearly a thousand other competitors, against an ancient bear with control over the fucking earth who has defeated and fucked greater men than me! What else is there to talk about!?

Howl hesitated and Hiro could feel it.

"Well... How about asking whether or not Gym powers carry over from season to season?"

That derailed Hiro's panic for the moment as it made for an excellent question.

"Do Gym powers carry over even if the season ends?" he asked, forcing himself to calm. "I mean, if we lose here for... some reason but we win at another Gym further down the line, do we have to compete in that Gym again?"

"Not really," answered Weed with a shrug. "You'll still have the Gym's power in you. Not like you have to 'recharge' for it or something. But generally, teams that have already won at a Gym make a return every year since everyone is always going for the 'Golden Streak'."

"That's not someone covered from head to toe in gold body paint streaking across the field, is it?"

Hiro decided to keep Howl's question to himself. "What's that?"

"Basically defeating all thirteen Gyms in one season," Broderick provided. "Only a few teams have done it before and even then, there's the coveted Platinum and Diamond Streaks. Platinum is if you defeat all the Gyms and qualify for the Battle Circle challenge in the one season. Diamond has never been achieved. It's if you defeat the Gyms, qualify to challenge the Battle Circle and then beat the entire Battle Circle all in one go."

Hiro shook his head. "Wait. I thought defeating the Gyms qualified you to fight the Battle Circle."

Tim shook his head, his dreadlocks shuffling faintly. "Naw man. Only one person in a team gets to fight the Battle Circle in a successful team. To qualify for that challenge, you gotta fight your own teammates. Last man standing goes for the gold."

Damn... That's harsh. You spend a whole year fighting alongside these people and then you must fight them_..._

"Kind of ingenious, if you think about it. Psyches and Manifestos are based entirely around conflict. Would you really be compelled to fight your own teammates if you like them so much? Especially after so many years?"

"I see..." he murmured softly. "So I guess returning teams try to make for those Streaks. Though I guess it's not mandatory."

"Nope. You just got to have defeated all the Gyms at least once to get to the next stage." He beamed brightly and slapped Hiro's shoulder enthusiastically. "I got a good feeling about this year though!"

"Have any of you ever won against a Gym?"

Tim's smile faltered and he exchanged glances with the others.

"Well... no. But I know this year will be different!"

That makes me feel so much better.

He needed something to help him aside his discomfort and doubt. The rest of the team were excitedly chatting about the upcoming event but listening to them only made him more and more anxious. Hiro turned his attention to the pamphlet. More of the same information he had already been fed. He had to wonder how at least eight hundred competitors could fit in an abandoned insane asylum. A further question was just how many Manifestos and Psyches would be attending this event.

There was a whole section about how the August Institute for the Mentally Insane was open during the 'Mental Craze' of American history when everything and everyone was committed into asylums for the smallest behavioural changes as long as they didn't fall within the societal norm. When modern medicine finally caught up, it was one of the many institutes that were shut down and fell into disrepair. At the height of its notoriety, it could house up to two hundred patients plus staff.

Again, Hiro had to wonder how eight hundred people could fit into the facility not to mention hide the enormous arena that he had seen on the videos. In fact, he had to wonder how it was that anyone would be able to clean up after such events.

Not too long through the trip, Brodie fell asleep, gently resting his head against Tim's shoulder. This prompted both Tim and Gabriel to cut their conversations to a whisper to let the guy sleep. Hiro envied how his roommate could be so relaxed despite the fact they were heading to a national competition.

God... What am I even doing? I've been a Manifesto for three days and now I'm rushing head long into a competition I know nothing about! I don't even know my ability!

"I think that's the point of the competition, Hiro," Howl said sagely. "It's called a 'Gym' not the Psyche Olympics or something else because it's a place where you train_. Stop thinking of it as a competition. Think of it as a place to hone your skills and become stronger. I mean look, there's a whole section of the facility where they'll dedicate to Psyches building their strength and practicing. Weights rooms and the such."_

True enough, on the same page that Hiro was reading, there was indeed a section on the actually 'workout room'. Apparently it fit the International Battle Circle Standards in terms of equipment, security and hygiene whatever that meant. From the pictures, it just looked like some regular gym like the ones that Hiro had passed in school every now and then.

But I'm the weakest link here, Howl. What if I'm the one that causes us to fail?

"Do you think any of the others care? Look at them."

He glanced over his teammates and then to Weed. They seemed to be genuinely enjoying the trip, looking relaxed and maybe even a little impatient.

I guess not...

"Right. I don't think they really care whether or not you win. They're probably just glad to compete. Remember, three days ago they were heading over here without a fourth member. They were probably just thinking about spectating."

That was a very good point. The butterflies crashing into fiery debris in his stomach settled down. Howl was very much right. No one had pressured him to train or join the group. Weed hadn't kept him up all night to practice fighting as a Psyche. It was all a very relaxed environment. It felt more like since they could compete, they might as well. There was nothing lost if they failed.

Okay... Okay. I think I'm calming down.

"There you go," Howl replied cheerily.

They rolled up to the August Institute for the Mentally Insane which, from a distance looked like an ominous haunted mansion on the top of a hill. It appeared as a three storey-building with multiple windows, a wrought iron gate and several dead trees just sitting out in the gardens. In the gloomy north which was Maine, the asylum looked even more threatening the closer they approached. As they drew closer, he could see black vines had grown all over the institute's once-white walls and most, if not all, the windows were broken. His apprehension began rising again as he wondered whether or not it would be safe to live under that roof for a week.

But the moment they passed through the gates, everything changed.

Suddenly, the asylum was gone. A tingle ran down Hiro's spine and everything that was gloomy and dour faded. The dark clouds were immediately replaced with bright, shining sunlight with huge spires of rock just floating in the air. Colourful banners exclaiming 'Welcome Competitors' hung between them while balloons were anchored to each of the floating rocks. The bumpy, dusty road was immediately replaced by bright, red bricks. Massive red stone statues stood proudly flanking the road, each one shaped like a very fit, muscular bear Psyche naturally with his cock erect. The dead, grey grass had been replaced with lush fields that spread on from one end of the horizon to the other.

Their van rolled towards a slowly descending ramp and it took Hiro a second to realise they were descending into some sort of natural carpark as if all the rows, all the levels and all the pillars had been carved right out of the ground itself.

"What's going on...?" he asked aloud, surprised.

"Guess this is the first time you've hit a mass Battleground too, huh?" their chauffeur chuckled. "Well, we can't just host something like this out in the open, you know. There's a lot of pent-up aggression and hostility that gets diffused in the Gyms. All that energy gets filtered through the Sensei who expertly directs it into forging a huge Battleground. One that he can shape its contents at will."

"You can reshape the Battleground?" he asked.

"When you have enough energy and expertise, yes," Weed supplied. "The Battle Circle trains only their Sensei how to generate the mass Battleground and then the Sensei teaches his Trainers or delegates on how to maintain it. All to help host these events. Don't want people unfairly using the Battleground itself against their foe."

Hiro could only gawk. A sense of wonderment filled him and he impatiently got out of the car before it had even fully parked. The air was so much more different than the Battleground he had experienced when Broderick had fought Butch. Energy sizzled in the air, a sense of excitement, a bit of desire and barely contained bloodlust. Just standing out in the open made his skin tingle and he was overcome with a sudden urge to punch someone. He realised he was growing hard just standing there like all the energy he was absorbing from around him was going straight to his cock.

He heard a deep breath from behind him and Weed stepped out with a broad grin.

"Ah, feels good to be under a mass Battleground again." The Professor stretched, his corded muscles making Hiro drool. Weed was also quite erect as well. As each of the other teammates emerged from the van, each of them were feeling the effects of the Battleground with varying degrees of success in hiding it. Tim was openly salivating while Broderick had taken to adjusting and cleaning his glasses constantly. Gabriel made a beeline for Hiro.

Seeing his tall, statuesque German teammate approach, Hiro immediately lifted a hand to stop him. "Nope," was all he said.

"Awwww, come on!" Howl pleaded. "Can't we please fuck in this parking lot? Oh! I know! Let's open a car wash! Let's do a sexy car wash scene!"

Hiro didn't even dignify that with a response and turned to Weed who seemed most in control despite his raging erection. "So you're telling me that Cornelius Grounds is able to generate this whole... I dunno... _alternate_dimension by himself?"

"When you think about it, it's not so impossible," Weed responded. "When two Psyches fight, they generate a Battleground around them that, at last recorded, could be at most fifty yards wide. These Gyms can attract about seventy, maybe eighty thousand people. Each of them Manifestos and their Psyches. Would it be so unbelievable that so many of them can create this world?"

"I suppose not. Is that why Grounds looks so average-sized? I meant when Howl first sucked off Butch, he grew a little bit."

"And it felt fucking amazing!"

"If Grounds has been at this for decades, shouldn't he be as tall as mountains or something?"

Weed smiled at him. "You're observant. Yes. Grounds does expend some of his power to maintain this little pocket of reality. Not that much and certainly not enough to make him an easier challenge. He still grows stronger with every victory. Fighting a Sensei is more about a match of wits than it is just raw strength. But he maintains a reasonable size so he can still walk amongst his Trainers and citizenry. He's not the only one maintaining the Battleground, though. Trainers and other officials do the same."

Hiro decided to keep that in mind as their sponsor led them out of the parking lot and through a wide tunnel. The perfectly carved walls brought to mind a worm tunnel. The tunnel was perfectly circular with the walls and ceiling smooth like obsidian. The stone was carved to look like images, murals of sorts. Beautifully crafted sculptures of naked bears holding staves served as their light sources with large lamps sitting at the ends of their staves. The path gently sloped upwards and as they followed it, the sensation and the need to cum grew more and more irresistible. Hiro found himself growling to himself more over the fact that Howl was pawing at the edges of his consciousness like a puppy that wanted to be let out into the yard.

"Just hold on a little longer until we get to our house," Weed said with a wink. "You don't want to rip your clothes up, right?"

"Right," he agreed, shooting Howl the very same message. That seemed to placate his Psyche for the moment.

They emerged from the tunnel into an enormous stone chamber still beneath the surface. The ceiling was incredibly high above them, perhaps ten or eleven storeys above them. Four huge bear statues served as the columns of the roof with their huge arms positioned like they were holding up the roof. Naturally, their cocks were erect but this time, there was a steady flow of water pouring from the tips that served as waterfalls into four large pools around them. The hall was filled with people, some as Psyches others still in their human forms. It surprised Hiro that there were human women amongst the crowds.

He asked Weed about them, puzzled as he remembered that Manifestos could only be men.

"Mothers, sisters or daughters can still be proud and supportive of their brothers, fathers or sons," answered the Professor. "Not all men here are competitors either. Some families give their sons the choice of becoming one and even if they don't participate for generations, they still attend these games."

Clothing was clearly optional for both genders and more than a few had sunk into the warm waters of the enormous pools as big as any swimming pool and were lounging about, talking and socialising.

Forming a clear line towards what appeared to be some sort of registration desk were stone statues of various Psyches. They were all grouped in four with plaques at their base. As they passed one, Hiro read one of the plaques. It commemorated the victory of one particular group of Psyches and Manifestos several years ago.

They're all the victors against this Gym...

"See? It's possible to beat Grounds."

There had to be at least a hundred statues stretching from one end of the hall to the other with room for more, each one representing a team that had defeated Cornelius Grounds or the Earth Gym.

"Wow..." he gawked.

Weed led them to the registration desk which was packed with dozens of workers and people scrambling to get registered. Hiro was reminded of a comic book convention that he had only ever heard of but never attended. Funds never allowed for such a luxury. The clerks at the desk were efficient, however. Within a few moments, they were being ushered to the front desk.

"Pythagoras Weed here register our team," Professor Weed announced, handing the man at the desk a few pieces of paper. "Baramon."

The man tapped at the tablet he held and nodded. A few questions were exchanged between the two, most of which Hiro did not understand. They were firing it off so quickly that he got the impression Weed had done this many times before.

"Right. Looks like everything is all set, Mr. Weed," said the clerk. "You'll be on 45 Rubble Street." He handed Weed five sets of key cards and a folder. "Here's your itinerary and a breakdown of our facilities and guidelines. I see you've been to Gyms before so I'm sure you know the rules. Have fun and enjoy your stay!"

Weed thanked the man and quickly stepped aside to allow another group of people to register. He then led the team with a quick gesture around to the rear of the desk. Through a set of large, sliding doors that were somehow embedded into the stone itself, they came into a second parking lot with what appeared to rows upon rows of gold buggies.

"I'll take the lead," Weed announced. "I know where we're staying. You guys follow suit. Two to each buggy."

Hiro took one of the buggies with Broderick. Since he only had the one bag, he was quick to jump into the passenger seat. Brodie had a few bags, however and was struggling to stack them in the basket behind the buggy.

"Dude, help him out."

Mentally sighing, Hiro got back out and then assisted his roommate to arrange his bags so that they were securely fastened. Once done and thanked by Brodie, he jumped back into the passenger seat without further ceremony. They strapped themselves in and Brodie drove them out into of the little parking lot to wait for Weed and the others.

The awkward wait made the air thick with tension and Hiro quickly found his erection dying in his pants even though Broderick still sported his and his roommate was panting heavily like a dog in heat.

"So, this is your second time at this Gym?" he asked, trying to spark up conversation.

"Huh? Oh yeah," Broderick laughed nervously. "Last year, the three of us hit the Gym Season together before Tim and I came to college."

Before they came to college?

"Wouldn't that make you underage?"

"I'm nineteen," Broderick answered, looking puzzled. "Both of us had to take a year off to... well... get used to being a Manifesto." He crossed his arms against the wheel and leaned on it. "All things considered, you're taking this really well. When I first emerged, my parents thought I was crazy and nearly had be hauled off to some psychologist. Thankfully I got things under control after a bit of time with Buck."

Hiro huffed softly and turned away. "I guess I've always just rolled with the punches. There are just some things out of my control and there's no use wailing and dwelling on it."

"Or... you've always secretly wanted something good to happen to you out of the blue like this."

What!? No I haven't!

"Oh yeah? What about all those fantasies about suddenly finding out your mom was some queen in a far off country? Tumbling through a magic portal into a secret world where you become all powerful? Something, anything, that would lift you up from the dreg, make things easier and break the monotony of having to work yourself to the bones just to survive?"

Those were childish fantasies! I know that can never be

"You can lie to others, Hiro, but you can never lie to me."

"Like how you were kicked out?" Broderick asked, breaking through their conversation. He frowned at Hiro. "Why did your dad do that anyway?"

He shrugged absently, glad at the very least that he was no longer talking to Howl for the moment. "I can barely remember. I guess I was just the kid he never wanted. Doesn't matter really. I haven't seen the bastard in nearly a decade."

At long last, Weed and the others were ready. With their little convoy, they drove out of the underground parking lot in their golf buggies. There was only a short tunnel out of the lot before they came to a place that made Hiro's jaw drop and push all memories of his father aside while simultaneously uplifting all his childish fantasies back to the forefront of his mind.

"No fucking way!"

Past an enormous set of huge, stone doors intricately carved with epic scenes in a Nordic style was an enormous crater. Possibly more than thirty square miles across, the yawning crater stretched out in front of them with gently sloping walls leading up to a lip that touched the clear, blue sky. All over the crater were countless buildings and even entire suburbs. Huge floating rocks hovered over them all with long, stone bridges rising from the ground and leading up to each of them. Parks and from what appeared to be restaurants were positioned both on the surface of the hovering motes and inside. Every inch of space was fully occupied by buildings or titanic monuments.

If he thought the statues in the entrance hall were enormous, there were even bigger statues of huge bears standing all over the city. As always, they were big, naked and had water coming out of their dicks into enormous pools. What surprised him, however, were that there were human statues also standing amongst them. All equally as big and all equally as lewd. It seemed that here, both the Psyches and Manifestos were being honoured.

At the centre of the entire crater was the arena. Even from where they emerged from the sides of the crater, he could make it out. It was even bigger than he had first imagined and was clearly visible from some distance away. All roads led to the arena and there was little wonder. It was the centrepiece of the entire city with eleven huge bear statues and their Manifesto counterparts standing with their backs to it. He noticed that there were smaller arenas placed some distance away from the main arena and surmised that this was where the challenges were undertaken.

"I know," Brodie chuckled as he drove the buggy down the winding road. "First time I came to the Earth Gym, I thought exactly the same thing."

Howl was dumbstruck at the sight just like Hiro and in unison, they asked, "Even thirty thousand people couldn't possible fit every building in this place... Could it?"

Broderick laughed jovially at that. "Oh right! There's no way you could know." He gestured with one hand at the vast city around them. The Gym Season only opens this place to the general public. There's a whole city's worth of Psyches, Manifestos and their families living here. It's kind of a way to keep people safe from being discovered or blabbing to people like Armistice. Over the years, the Gyms became more like a holiday resort than anything else." A distant look crossed his features touched by a smile. "For four weeks a year, Psyches and Manifestos can come here, meet others of their kind, mingle, fight and enjoy the festivities."

"So... Like the Olympics then? Except this place is like a constant Olympic Village that actually lasts more than four weeks and people actually _live_in it?"

"Yeah! Pretty much!"

"So how much does living here actually cost?"

Howl broke off their synchronised link and mentally slapped the back of Hiro's head, something that the young man actually felt a little.

"Nothing really," Broderick said with a shrug. "The Sensei generates all the food and materials we would ever need in this place and his Trainers do the same. All that's really expected of anyone is that if you're pissed off at someone, you actually duke it out in one of the registered areas. After all, the energy people generate while fighting is what keeps this place running."

Hiro glanced up at the sky only occasionally broken by the floating motes. "A whole world that's sustained on people's aggression... I guess I can see why they want to keep so many people under the one roof."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged and settled into his seat. "It's human nature. People will fight other people. The more you stick in one place, the more likely they'll have a reason to fight one another. If it's that energy that keeps the Sensei as the gods of this place, then I guess so much the better." He huffed loudly. "Makes me wonder how a Sensei can actually lose if they can do anything they want in this place."

"It's not like they control everything here you know." Broderick pointed across from him. "Look. Over there."

Where he pointed was a bear dressed in a brown shirt with white trimmings and similarly coloured shorts stood a little ways off the road. There was an emblem on the back of his shirt appearing to be like the six-pointed star within a circle that Hiro had seen on the official Battle Circle emblem. However, the emblem was overlayed by what appeared to be a large, rocky fist grasping the circle. He guessed it was the symbol of the Earth Gym.

The bear moved his paws through the air with slow, deliberate movements. The ground beneath him shook. With every movement, particles of earth rose from the ground, coming together like liquid and forming a spire about as tall as the Psyche.

"Psyches essentially draw energy from the conflict," explained Broderick. "That's why after your fight with Butch, Howl couldn't maintain his form for very long. You might be right that people will keep fighting no matter what but at least the energy they use to fight is put to good use." He nodded towards the bear as they drove their golf buggy down the slope. "Psyches and Manifestos use the energy generated by these fights, these competitions, to make the world around them. They train like that guy over there so they can control their powers more. Everything you see here was built because the Sensei and Trainers had to practice to control their powers. The Battleground was generated over years and even generations worth of fighting."

"So that's what I can expect huh? The power to manipulate the very earth itself? The elements?"

"Pretty much! Assuming you can win against a Gym."

"Sounds exciting, doesn't it Hiro?"

He had to admit that it was fairly thrilling to get the opportunity to obtain such a power. The fact that the power wasn't just granted and it had to be earned sat well with him as well. Even the well-trained had to practice to build the world around them.

"Does the Battleground every... I dunno... destabilise?" he asked. "I mean, surely all the power from the fighting is finite."

Broderick gave him a shrug. "You'd have to ask the Sensei or one of the Trainers that. I'm honestly not sure."

He made a mental note to do just that.

With Weed at the head of their convoy, they followed the sloping roads to the crater itself. Soon, the raw slants and gradients of the crater's outer edges were replaced by modern buildings and structures. It surprised him how far and fast the golf buggies could take them given how wide the area was but he could see why the Sensei opted for the buggies instead of actual cars. The roads were wide enough to fit multiple of them in one direction and they offered no pollution as they ran exclusively on electricity. Though they could not go very fast, they still offered a 'holiday resort' sort of feeling. Most people could easily and lazily just drift from one place to the other without a care in the world.

45 Rubble Street was their designated residence for their stay. It was a large, two storey structure made of white bricks. A gently slanting roof gave it a modern feeling with a balcony on the top floor that allowed for a clear view of its surroundings. Instead of a green front garden, there was a rock garden. The garage was big enough to fit six buggies so they parked easily enough, plugged in the buggies to keep them charged and then brought their gear into the home itself.

The first thing that met Hiro was just how rustic the interior felt. The floorboards were made of a reddish-brown wood, all the lightning was faintly yellowish and there was even a fireplace found in the middle of the lounge room. The bare bricks were revealed artfully in sections to give it a more homey appearance most of the furniture was decorated with a colour scheme of mostly dark browns, crisp reds and warm oranges. A few bare branches hung on the walls as part of the design and even some deer antlers which made Broderick wince.

"Wow..." Hiro gasped. "This place is incredible."

"You'll get used to being on the Professor's team," said Tim as he headed up the stairs.

"Huh?"

Gabriel immediately went to the kitchen which was right next to the lounge room. Very modern cooking appliances populated the area that seemed a little out place in comparison to the homey feeling of the rest of the home. "Regulars such as we may opt to have permanent residences in the Gyms. This is Professor Weed's and it is replicated across all the Gyms."

"How can you afford that!?" Hiro exclaimed, stunned.

Weed shrugged absently as he headed towards the stairs as well. "Just promising that I'll bring a team in every few years is enough. Remember, the more we fight, the more we sustain the Battleground. The least the Sensei could do is give us a roof over our heads between fights."

"It almost seems too perfect."

"It's not. If you think about it, we're hiding out here because people wouldn't understand our abilities. Hell, there's an entire group out there that wants to shut me up. This place may seem like a paradise but in reality, it's an escape. It's an asylum."

How fitting...

Hiro headed upstairs where there were five rooms, one for each of them. Naturally, Weed had the biggest of them all and as he passed it, he was surprised to find that there was distinct jungle-like appearance to it with green paint all over the walls and even a tire swing hanging from the high ceiling. His room, which was at the end of the hallway, was the farthest from the stairs. That gave him an opportunity to peer into the other rooms.

Tim's room looked a little like a medieval dungeon with the bricks left bare and what looked like whips and an assortment of sexual stimulators mounted on the walls. The room with lots of books and a weight set he guessed at to be Broderick's and the only one of theirs that had a balcony and what appeared to be a kitchenette capable of making tea or coffee had to be Gabriel's.

His room was typically very Spartan. Just a simple bed, a desk, some power plugs and little else.

I wonder if this is because this is how they see me or because I really am that dull...

"Little from column A, little from column B."

Shut up, Howl.

******

Hiro spent the rest of the day reading and studying everything he could about Cornelius Grounds and his team. There were some interesting articles on the database offered to them all about statistics of individual people registered in the Season. Card games and videogame adaptations of the competition were in circulation as well. An entire thriving, hidden community existed unbeknownst to the world. A community that existed both in parallel and intertwining with the world he once knew.

It was all a lot to take in.

Suddenly, his door burst open and he nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise.

"Hey fucker!" Taser exclaimed, grinning broadly. The huge tiger stank of sweat and musk. Though his cock was flaccid and hidden within his plump, white sheath, the tiger's fur was damp and hung to his muscled frame tightly. "We're about to head down to the Main Arena! Opening ceremony is about to start!"

Hiro had to mentally tell himself to pry his hand away from his chest. "You... You... You don't have an inside voice do you?"

"Huh!?"

Hiro shook his head and turned towards the laptop that Weed had given him. "I'll be down in a second. Let me just shut this down."

"What're you looking up anyway? You know Brodie and Buck are the nerds right? Leave all the studying to them!"

He rolled his eyes and gestured at his screen. "From what I've seen, we can't have designated people doing certain things in the team. That's how teams fall quickly." Crossing his arms, his eyes went straight to the notes he had made on the topic. "Team with designated members as the 'tank', 'damage dealer' or 'tactician' are the ones that fall the quickest. Grounds and the other Sensei are experts in figuring out where a team's weakness lies and exploiting them. You take out the tactician, and the rest of the team runs around without a clue about what to do. Without the tank, the rest fall like dominos."

Then he clicked on one of the videos. "Have you even seen this move of his?"

On screen, Grounds slammed a foot into the ground while the commentator announced that the Sensei was using his patented 'Stone Monument' technique. Directly in front of the burly bear, a huge stone statue rose from the earth resembling him but with his arms outstretched. While the opposing team was stunned, Grounds slammed a palm against the back of his statue and it immediately went rushing forward like a speeding bullet. It collided with the nearest foe, it's arms wrapping around the poor lion and lifting him off the ground, effectively taking him out of the fight.

"Grounds ain't used that goddamn technique in years," Taser said.

"Five years to be exact," said Hiro, waggling a finger. "And the thing is, he didn't use again for another five years before that. He has a move set that he cycles through. If I were to guess, he'd be using Stone Monument, Boulder Bash, Seismic Body Slam and one other wildcard move this year. I think."

"Uh huh..." Taser murmured. "Ain't none of that gonna matter if we don't make it past the challenge, man."

"And that's another thing," Hiro said, bringing up the description of the challenge. "From all appearances, the boulder we're meant to move around the lap is about as heavy as a jumbo jet. Worse, it's perfectly circular."

"Isn't that a good thing? Easier to roll."

"If the track was straight. But its curved. It's a racetrack. We run the risk of a runaway boulder and getting it out of a corner would be far harder than rolling it normally. Plus, we have half an hour to do this! We're expected to basically roll a mountain across a racetrack in thirty minutes! That's impossible and - urf!"

He suddenly found the big tiger's lips clamped around his own. A long, rough tongue was shoved deep into his throat. Hot saliva dribbled down his chin. A large paw seized his crotch. Blood rushed straight towards his dick and his eyes fluttered at the attention. Before he could do or say anything, there was a loud metallic sound like a blade being unsheathed. Taser's claws ripped right through his pants and underwear, completely exposing his rising cock.

There was a moment of panic before a flood of lust and desire came blasting through him. With a cry, he tore his lips away from Taser's muzzle. He couldn't escape Howl, though. His cock burst in length and girth, rushing straight towards his lips. Even in a vain attempt to twist his head away, his dick mutated and twisted into the bright red, pointed member that quickly found its way down his throat. Hot seed came pouring down his throat. He knew there was no point fighting but he had one last message for his Psyche as the wolf took over his body.

Keep the jacket!

Howl, thankfully, was receptive to his demands and as the wolf emerged, he shrugged off the black leather jacket. His entire body shuddered and quaked and for that one, glorious moment, the two of them shared the same experience of a full-body release. Howl's cry rocked them both to their cores. The sensation of his fur spreading all over their body, the muscles erupting like miniature explosions of pure meat and strength and every pound of his heart that send sprays of cum pouring from their dick was pure ecstasy.

"Oh baby!" Howl cried, shaking his large, lupine head. He grabbed his massive cock in both of his enormous paws and gave it a few laps with his long tongue as his tail flared out behind him. His emergence complete, the big wolf jumped out of the seat before it shattered beneath his weight. The sexual high from emerging from his Manifesto was coming down but he tensed every muscle in his body just to get that amazing feeling of his entire body tensing in the moment before release again.

"God, feels so good to be out again," he rumbled, wiggling his toes.

"I figured you were a little blue-balled and needed to come out," snickered Taser. "That Manifesto of yours is kind of stingy with your body." The tiger's features turned a little gruff and he crossed his arms with a huff. "Keeping us caged up like animals... I don't see why we don't just move into a Gym and be free."

Howl, in turn, frowned. "Hey now. Hiro's better at studying than I am. I'm better at having fun. We figured that just because we're here, doesn't mean we can slack off especially since we're both just learning about all this shit."

"Whatever man," Taser said with a shrug. "Just don't let him keep you on a leash."

I don't keep you on a leash, do I? Hiro asked.

"Naw man," Howl replied mentally. "You know I could come out any time I wanted."

Howl picked up the jacket and slung it over his shoulders. His enormous arms would not fit into the sleeves so he just kept it draped over his shoulder a little like a coat.

"Don't put that back on," Taser said. "It's just another thing that your Manifesto imposes on you." He swaggered over to Howl, pressing his naked body up against the wolf's and gently drawing a finger along Howl's thick cock. "Besides, I figure the less clothing the better for what we're about to do."

As tempting as the invitation was, Howl had to step back away from Taser. "This jacket was given to us by Oliver. An awesome guy that taught us the ropes on the streets. He was our first crush."

I did not have a crush on Oliver.

"Yeah you did."

"I hope someday to find him and fuck his brains out."

Taser licked his lips. "That's fucking hot. Gonna make the big old thug your bitch, eh?"

"That's the plan!"

Ew! No! Oliver is like a big brother!

"That makes it even hotter."

A shout came from downstairs and both Psyches perked their ears.

"Fuck me. Guess we better get going," Taser said. He winked at Howl. "To be continued."

There was no getting rid of Howl's erection that quickly so without shame, he followed Taser downstairs to the garage. The others were already there and prepared to head to the opening ceremony. The moment they saw Howl's raging hard-on, both Galahad and Buck started to get aroused themselves. It was odd that Professor Weed remained human though his own cock was stirring in his pants.

Once again, Howl took up the passenger seat with Buck. It surprised him how despite his extra size, the buggy had enough room for both of them. They drove off towards the Main Arena, once again with Weed leading them. As they drew closer, traffic became heavier. Thousands were flocking to the Arena to see the opening ceremony. Thankfully, since they were competing, they had a special entrance just for them and that afforded them a bit of leeway.

As they drew closer and closer, he noticed that each of the enormous statues that surrounded the arena were different. He asked Buck about them.

"Erm... I really dunno bro," Buck said with a shrug. "Oh! Brodie tells me that teach of the statues represents one of the Sensei that ran the Earth Gym."

He glanced up at the statues. There were eleven pairs. If Grounds had lived for about 120 years and still going strong, then that would mean the Earth Gym and their Sensei could have existed for well over a millennium! It was a startling realisation and made Howl wonder just how long the Battle Circle had existed for.

They passed between the legs of one of the massive statues leading to one of the competitors' entrances. Within, they parked their buggies. Taser was practically bouncing on his feet, eager for the opening ceremony though Howl wasn't quite sure why. Galahad was already at full mast and was dripping precum everywhere. The enormous Clydesdale was quivering from head to toe and had to hold up his long dick with one hand to keep it from getting in the way.

Around them, other teams were in a likewise state as they parked their buggies and headed towards the arena proper. Howl perked his ears when he heard a lusty moan. Not too far away, two Psyches were furiously pounding one another's muzzles in a standing sixty-nine. A few others had gathered around them, furiously jacking off at the very arousing scene.

He considered joining them.

Howl, no. We've got placed to be.

The wolf rolled his eyes. "But..."

"Pythagoras Weed."

That thunderous voice made them both turn. A group of five black-clad Psyches stood in front of Weed, blocking his path. Taser's energy and even Galahad's arousal suddenly got a hostile edge to them.

The man that spoke was a towering, black-scaled reptile-man. A snake from all appearances. The creature was tall, about nine-feet tall with a sloping reptilian head complete with cobra hood. Every inch of his thick, muscular body was covered in black scales save for his chest which had a lighter grey colour on it. A long, serpentine tail curled around behind him, almost as long as he was tall. Even with the tail, he had a pair of strong, muscled legs that seemed to squeeze every scaled between the teardrop shaped muscles there. Were it not for the pair of huge balls contained within a scaly sack, Howl might've mistaken the man for a female because his cock was hidden beneath a genital slit. That and the guy had two huge pink nipples sticking out from his scales despite having a shelf of massive pectorals that could've been mistaken for tectonic plates.

"Raleigh Pot," Weed answered with a growl. "Or is it Ruin?"

"Little bit of both," said the cobra, shrugging his enormous shoulders. The snake's bright, yellow eyes roved the team. "I see you managed to scrounge up a team this year."

"And I see you've still got yours," Weed sneered. His eyes went to the big, black bull that stood as the widest of the all-black Psyches. Howl realised that these males were not clad in black. Their fur was just entirely black.

Amongst them was the bull that Weed stared venomously at, a slimmer otter with large shoulders, a narrow waist but meaty legs, a Doberman with barely any light brown markings and a leather harness over his chest and a panther that was grinning viciously at Taser.

"Who are these guys...?" Howl whispered to Buck.

"Our rivals," answered the stag with a low growl. "Nightshade, they call themselves. The snake is their sponsor. Raleigh Pot and his Psyche, Ruin. I don't know the names of the Manifestos except for the bull. That's Anthony Marsh and his Psyche Aurochs. He used to be part of our team."

That stunned Howl and he glanced between Aurochs and Howl.

Holy shit! Hiro exclaimed.

"What?"

Howl... Taser, Galahad and Buck were all a team under Weed before we joined. Where was the fourth member?

Then it hit him too. "Nightshade poached Aurochs from you?" he asked softly.

"Yeah..." Buck murmured. "They did."

"That son-of-a-bitch..."

Howl stormed forward and stood right next to Weed, crossing his arms fiercely. "Problem, Professor?" he growled.

Pot, the cobra, lifted a scaly eyebrow at him. "And this is your latest recruit, eh?" He leaned forward, his forked tongue snaking out. "Smells... fresh. Scraping the bottom of the barrel here, Weed? Or did you purposefully bring a human to emergence just so you could compete this year?"

"That's none of your concern, Pot," Weed sneered. "Now get out of our way. We're here to enjoy the Opening Ceremony."

"Enjoy it?" The serpent scoffed. "You still don't take this competition seriously." He shook his head. "When will you learn that this is an avenue of advancement? We fight so we can grow better, stronger. You're the wimpy kid in the playground that just tells everyone to 'enjoy themselves' and tells everyone else that 'it's just a game'. That's why you'll always just be a loser, Weed." He straightened and hiked a thumb at his chest. "Me and my team? We're winners."

The members of Nightshade chuckled, lifting their noses at the team and looking down upon them. An ominous crackling of knuckles came from beside Howl and Taser was suddenly there. Buck and Galahad joined him.

"If you're winners," Howl began. "Why are you still here competing instead of being part of the Battle Circle?"

The sound of a whip crack was almost audible. The confident looks on Nightshade's faces shattered.

"What did you say you little punk!?" sneered the Doberman. It was ironic that he would call him little when Howl was a few inches taller and bulkier.

"Obsidian," growled Pot. "Hold your tongue. Onyx, Ebony. Keep your cool." His yellow, reptilian eyes switched to Howl. "Seems you've got a tongue on you, kid. What's your name?"

"I'm Howl."

"Howl. I'll remember that." Pot turned around, his tail snapping like a whip. "Enjoy your orgy. The real athletes just came to get a good gauge of our competition this year. It seems we won't have to worry about the final Battle Royal you and the likes of you have joined. I seriously doubt you'd even make it past the Challenges."

Don't let him antagonise you.

"I got this."

"Prepare to be surprised," Howl growled.

"I am rarely surprised," countered the cobra.

Nightshade and their sponsor headed to their buggies and quickly left. Howl glared after them, especially the bull that had abandoned Weed and his team for another. Whatever the circumstances of the trade, it clearly did not work in favour of Buck and the others. The idea that they were scrambling to find a fourth member just to compete made Howl furious.

A gentle hand touched his shoulder and he glanced towards Weed. "You boys enjoy the ceremony," said the Professor with a sigh. "I'm going to head back to the house. I have a lot to think about."

"But Prof..." Buck began.

"If there's something that Ruin or Pot was right about, it's that we haven't had time to work together as a team. I'm going to go back to the house to formulate a few plans and find out as much as I can about the challenge."

"Then we'll come with you," Galahad said.

"No. This is Howl and Hiro's first Gym so he should enjoy the festivities. You boys enjoy the ceremony. Bond. Get to know one another." Weed smiled at them all. "Don't let an old man and his troubles worry you."

Doesn't feel right...

"I know. But pressing ourselves upon Weed will only agitate him more and distract him from feeling accomplished."

How do you figure?

"By basing what I know on you, Hiro. Whenever someone distracts you while you're working, you snap and them and get this gnawing feeling inside like you haven't done enough in the day."

Hiro mentally sneered at him but relented.

They saw Weed off before the rest of Baramon headed up to the stand.

The contestants were given seats right in front of the arena while the thousands of others were in the stands. Every seat was filled and the aroma of hot, male musk was in the air. The stands seemed fairly normal like the ones back in the human world only they were bigger to accommodate for the sizes of the Psyches. With the sun setting, the lights of the arena soon flicked on as the team took their seats.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Manifestos and Psyches, children of all ages,"_boomed the announcer in a rich, crisp baritone. _"Welcome to this year's North American Earth Gym Opening Ceremony. Please remember to be courteous to those around you. Please do not force yourself onto the unwilling and that spirit of competition and the Battle Circle is to better ourselves through battle and not the infliction of harm upon others. Also please respect the boundaries between those who wish to participate in the orgy and those that do not."

Hiro was suddenly very alert in the dark ocean. Orgy!? There's going to be an orgy?

"There's going to be an orgy?" Howl asked though his tone did not have the panic of Hiro's but instead a quiet excitement.

"Happens with ev'ry Opening Ceremony," Galahad said with a shrug. The Clydesdale was already starting to get excited with his cock pouring waterfalls of precum onto his muscled chest. "The Sensei pops up, shows off a lil' an' then somethin' jus' comes over everyone. It's kinda tradition. Ya fuck anything an' anyone around ya. Jus' dun cross over to the parts that have high walls. Thems fer the families an' shit that dun want to fuck."

"Oh boy!"

Oh no! Howl, we've got to get out of here!

"Hell no! This is going to be fun!

Noooooooo!

"And no, without further ado," boomed the announcer, "The North American Sensei of the Earth Gym, the Boulder Bear, the Master of Magnetism, the Papa Pounder, Cornelius Grounds!"

The ground shook violently. Any hope of anyone leaving was suddenly curbed as everyone was knocked down to their seats. Howl could see the hard-packed earth on the arena ground shifting like water. Loud music akin to an anthem of some sorts blared from the speakers. The earth split apart right down the middle.

A booming voice erupted even above the shaking ground.

"The earth beneath our feet, the ground by which is build our foundations, the soil where we draw all our nutrients. Our mother, our father, our family. A fickle mistress, a demanding patriarch and a constant companion."

The gaping hole quickly revealed an enormous, slate grey spire of rock. Like a single spire rising from the depths of the abyss, the finger of rose to about fifteen storeys so that all could see it. Atop the spire was the mighty Manifesto and Sensei of the Gym.

"Whoa..." Howl gasped.

Ground was even more intimidating and sexy in person. Fully naked, Grounds' softly tanned skin barely contained the brimming muscles of his chest and arms. His belly was rimmed with the outlines of his abdominals and his massive legs easily supported his weight. The thick beard and layers of dark hair all over his body only added to the dignity of the man and all Howl could think of was to lift his tail to this man and beg the 'daddy to fuck him'.

God Howl...

"The earth birthed us," Grounds continued.

As the anthem continued, huge spires of rock came jutting out of the earth in tune with the music. A Manifesto stood atop each spire and he quickly leapt off onto the more stable sides of the arena. They arranged themselves in perfect lines, each one naked and each one from a different race or culture but all united under the banner of this single Gym. The rocks would shrink back into the earth as quickly as they came and come shooting back out a moment later to bring forth another Manifesto.

Howl quickly counted that there had to be at least two hundred men down there excluding Grounds.

"Each of those guys are the Trainers under Grounds?"

"There's more," said Galahad. "But not all of 'em are here fer the Opening Ceremony. Some are prolly preparin' fer the Challenges tomorrow."

"Yikes..."

"We learn from it," said the Sensei. "We cultivate it. We shape it. We live on it. Its face is filled with wondrous beauty and beneath its surface are vast riches."

All the Manifestos suddenly thrust their fists forward in unison. Large spires of crystal burst from the ground in front of them like huge, glimmering fingers. With a cry, all of them thrust their fists into the air. The crystals shot into the air, sailing past the lights and into the sky itself. They gave another shout and the crystals suddenly shattered. Spotlights around the arena pointed to each of the crystals as they burst one by one in perfect unison, spraying the arena in a myriad of colours. With each one that exploded, billions of glimmering lights came sprinkling down upon them like shimmering snow.

Buck suddenly seized Howl's arm, shaking it excitedly. "Bro! It's like fireworks! Bro! Isn't it like fireworks!?"

Howl laughed softly and retrieved his arm. "Yeah, Buck. It is."

I'm more concerned about tiny little crystals raining down on us like mini-meteorites.

"We learn to shape the earth around us. To use it to our advantage be it to feed our own, to seek shelter or..."

Hiro's concerns were quickly dismissed as the Trainers began sweeping their arms and bodied back in gentle movements. The clouds of shimmering crystals came coalescing towards them, sweeping in rivers of shining rainbow lights. The spotlights followed them all to make sure that each one was clearly illuminated.

The groups of Trainers quickly broke off into groups, moving in tandem amongst their group. With each movement, the glimmering crystals took on various shapes, solidifying together to form organic, crystal creatures that moved so naturally and fluidly. Howl gawked as an Eastern-style dragon swept over them, its scales perfectly formed and every detail meticulously shaped. A unicorn let out a loud bray on the opposite side of the arena. Flocks of birds flew overhead, their wings catching he light and casting reds, blues and greens all over the awestruck audience.

"... to aid us in battle."

Some of the spectacular creatures even clashed in mid-air in mock fights, reminding everyone that this was still a world built around conflict. A dragon and a unicorn clashed behind Grounds before freezing, their bodies perfectly curled or positioned on the spires of rock around him to keep them balanced.

"But we must always remember that the while the earth is giving, it is also harsh and temperamental."

As the anthem took on a darker tone with loud drums and heavy trumpets, the Trainers and Grounds swept their hands into the air. Huge spires of magma shot out of the ground. Howl let out a yelp at the sudden blast of heat especially since they were so close to one of the spouts. The fiery pillars curled expertly through the air, forming huge constantly moving arcs that filled the arena both with head and light. They expertly avoided the crystal statues. Their constant movements defied logic or physics as they curled through the air like serpents made entirely out of magma.

"We must respect it. Give as much as we take. We are guests on its surface and it is by its good graces that we continue to exist."

The magma shoots took their place and quickly cooled, hardening into long, curling ropes of shiny obsidian. None of them ever obstructed the view of Grounds who was not the focus of every screen along the arena.

"And it is with that in mind that I invite you all to this year's Earth Gym Season. All are welcome to learn the techniques we teach. Welcome brothers! Welcome all!"

A great cheer went up from the crowd and even Howl found himself leaping to his feet and applauding, throwing his arms into the air. The energy in the entire arena was simply infectious.

The Sensei bowed to the audience and then his eyes went from a dark brown to a deep black. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth in an almost serene fashion just as his cock violently burst upwards. His dick shoved deep into his mouth and cum instantly went pouring down his throat. But there was no savagery in it. There was a practiced, calm and serene air to the movements even as his entire body began to shift and change. Howl found himself fascination by the transformation. It was an enthralling dance.

Grounds threw his head back from his throbbing dick, a smile on his lips. He spread his stance, one leg in front of the other and one palm pushed forward in front of him with his fingers closed together. He let out a loud shout and thrust his other palm forward. The newly thrust arm grew long, black claws and leathery pads on its palms. The fingers bulged and thick, sinewy muscles raced up his entire arm. Coarse, dark brown fur swept all over his arm. Flesh seemed to try to outrun the growth with his arm and muscles widened and lengthening as the fur rushed towards his shoulders. The fur rushed past his elbows and a large bulge appeared over his upper arms, stopping at his broadening shoulders. Grounds then swept both his arms in a wide circle in front of him, showing a vast contrast between his transformed arm and human one. As he completed the circle, his other arm shifted and changed, meeting the same shape as his morphed one.

Howl could only look at the screens to get the details of the transformation and was awed at the sheer amount of control Grounds had over his change.

With both his arms changed, Grounds turned his back to the cameras. Muscles hardened and flexed across the large, hairy canvas. The V-shape of his lats grew more and more prominent as his spine stretched upwards and he grew in stature. The dark fur spread from his shoulders and closed around the hilly back, meeting directly at the middle in perfect unison. Grounds then turned to his side, showing off how his pronounced belly rapidly shrunk into a fierce set of muscled abdominals that was made even more prominent with the gloss of precum from his constantly dripping cock.

He let out a roar and slammed a foot down into the ground. The resulting quake shattered the spire that he stood upon. He leaped from the crumbling structure. Showing an agility that belied his immense size, he leapt from one falling slab to the other. With each leap, his legs ballooned and flexed, growing bigger and bigger with the hairs there turning into the same coarse, dark brown fur that covered the rest of his body. He landed on the arena ground a second later with a tremendous roar. Howl barely even noticed when his human features shifted into the handsome, mature features of a bear sporting a well-trimmed, black beard and a full head of dark hair.

The moment he hit the ground, the shockwave of the quake hit the stands. It was like a command from God.

A command to fuck.

Howl immediately turned and grabbed the closest person to him which happened to be Buck. Savage need bubbled up inside of him and he shoved his tongue deep into Buck's muzzle. The stag shared the same notion and went diving for his tonsils. Their hard dicks rubbed against one another. There was no pretence, no foreplay. They were just wild animals fucking.

All around him, the same scene played out. The wave that washed over the stands triggered some animalistic instinct to breed amongst those in the crowd save for those in the cordoned off area. For their part, ushers led those not participating in the orgy out to avoid falling prey to any overzealous Psyche. Elsewhere, the stands became overcome by roars and cries of ecstasy and pulsing dicks were shoved into eager asses and lips meshed together in a wild show of hedonism.

Howl's vision blurred and his senses became overwhelmed by all the scents and sensations around him. At some point, he felt his cock push into an eager ass. He could only think it was Buck because he had a pair of antlers in his paws and every thrust of his hips was met by a harsh tug. His balls exploded with cum and he roared as he poured his seed deep into Buck.

Time seemed to skip between pairings and the next thing he remembered was having someone bite down on his scruff while a big, fat dick was shoved deep into his ass. The heat of throbbing member rocked him to his very core with every throb like a pulse of his own heart. When that dick finally poured cum deep into ass, he let out an ear-splitting howl that was drowned out by similar cries all around him.

Then he was suckling on a big, horse cock, vaguely registering the scent to be that of Galahad's. At the same time, someone was inside him again, spit roasting him between them. The huge Clydesdale let out a joyous whinny, stomping his hooves happily as his molten seed came pouring down Howl's throat.

The world became a blur of dicks, muscled bodies and cum. Howl barely registered anything and was just swept up in the waves upon waves of sexual pleasure. At some point, he vaguely remembered suckling on the nipples of a big bear that he fancied was Grounds, crying for 'daddy' as another Psyche fucked him madly.

In the recesses of the dark ocean, Hiro grimaced at the spectacle and turned his back to the chopped surface, staring instead into the deep darkness beneath him.

"Fucking, queer animals..." he muttered.

******

The chorus of cries and symphony of sex could be heard all over the Gym. Those affected by Grounds' influence would've thrown themselves at each other within the arena. Even then, the event was highly televised within the crater and Psyches and Manifestos were adding their own cries in their abodes.

For Weed, he sat at his desk, naked and with his own raging erection demanding attention but his heart was just not into the moment.

"Pot got to you, huh?" Primal asked.

"Like you need to ask," rumbled Weed as he regarded the screen in front of him. Statistics and articles on Grounds and his challenges and teams flashed in front of him. They were all geared towards suggesting the best way to win against the Big Bear. But just like any Sensei these days, victories were scarce.

The Gym Season wasn't designed to be easy, after all. Teams could spend the entire four weeks fighting against one Gym and then they would have to run off to the next Gym, exhausted and with no chance to win.

"Is it bad that I only booked us for a week here?" he asked softly. "Does it show how little faith I have in my team that we won't even last a week?"

"Or perhaps they would take it as you being confident enough in them that they can defeat this Gym in a week?"

"They're not that naïve, Primal."

"Well... Maybe Howl is. And I like to think that his enthusiasm is actually uplifting the rest of the team."

Recalling how Howl had stood up against Pot and Ruin brought a smile to his face. "Good thing I haven't told him about his Eyes of Ruin or the two of them would've fought there and then..." He leaned back with a resigned sigh. "God... There's still so much to teach that pup..."

"There's a lot to teach the entire team. Only Galahad has his variant forms, after all."

"That's true..." Weed smiled slightly. "Who knows. Maybe they will win in a week. I could always extend our stay if it comes to that."

"You sure Hiro will take that in stride given how behind in classwork he'll be?"

He had to chuckle at that. "Ah, I suppose you're right." He leaned back, arms crossed behind his head. "Well, nothing to do now but just wait and see how things go. I can pray that they will win but I won't be disappointed if they don't. In the grand scheme of things, they really are just kids."

"A good attitude to have."

His left hand suddenly moved without his command, moving downwards and curling around his erect dick.

"Now what do you say I help you out with that?"

Weed chuckled softly as Primal took control of his hand.

"Be my guest."