01.01.
In a lecture hall can be seen multiple students learning using a tablet while the Teacher lectures them about the history of the Invasion.
At the very back of the row can be heard chattering while one of the student sleeps soundly.
One of the male students sees the Teacher glaring at them and wakes the student sleeping.
"Otto! Wake up!"
Otto then wakes up confusedly while he looks at his friend.
"What's wrong? Is something going on? Is it breaktime already?"
"If it's breaktime then i am ready to get my prized crispy potatoes!"
Otto starts to drool thinking about the crispy potatoes but before his drool can shower everyone the Teacher's companion beast hits him with a ruler.
'THWACK!'
Chris, who woke him up only stares at him scaredly.
A red swelling bump starts to form on top of Otto's head while he touches it trying to alleviate the pain.
The Teacher's companion beast, the Purple Winged Monkey glares at Otto while smacking the ruler on her hand as if warning Otto.
Everyone looks at Otto disgustedly while the Teacher prepares a question.
"Otto..since you're very enthusiastic today and is listening to me and definetly not sleeping why don't you answer a question on page 12, and read it aloud to everyone."
Otto nods at the Teacher and turns his tablet on to page 12 and readied himself to read it out loud.
'Question 01, What was the thing that led the Beasts into the Earth?'
Otto then stops to think as everyone talks behind his back.
Otto felt nervous and pressured but luckily the Teacher intervened making everyone shut up.
Feeling he got the answer, Otto quickly answered.
"It was Space Holes, Space Holes led the Beasts to the Earth."
The Teacher nods at him. In relief Otto calms his heart while Chris praises him.
Everyone looked at him, mostly to talk trash about him.
'Lucky! You probably had to look back at the pages!'
"Boo! No fun, he should've just get punished'
'Yeah! It was better for him to just stay silent and be the mime he is!"
Otto hearing the insults thrown at him doesn't care much as he is used to hearing those kinds of insults from the moment he joined the academy with his friend Chris.
***
BEFORE..
Back then, Otto who lived in a somewhat decent neighborhood would secretly take care of abandoned or thrown away Companion Beasts near the alleyway next to his house.
He even had a bond with them as he enjoyed the feeling of having a pet or a companion. It made him fulfilled.
Even those Companion Beasts who used to bite or attack him, now stand loyal to him.
But the secret of taking care the Companion Beasts was no longer a secret as his Parents found out but instead of forbidding it they let him take care and helped him give them food.
He was really grateful to his Parents even the Companion Beasts too, because of that the Companion Beasts would protect his Parents, especially his Mom everytime she goes to the market.
Even all of the Companion Beasts would follow him around everytime he went outside to the supermarket or even his old school.
Due to the Companion Beasts staying outside the school gates it caused a ruckus and mass panic from the students who weren't used to seeing a large group of Companion Beasts. Luckily Otto gave them collars to sign they were tame.
As time went on the students and even everyone in the neighborhood got used to the sight of seeing Otto and his group of Companion Beasts.
Everyone soon joined in and took care of the Companion Beasts too, some would be adopted by the neighbors or students.
But some stayed loyal to his family. Especially a little White Snake with an aquamarine-like jade on it's forehead.
It would always curl up on Otto's hand never letting go and always the first to attack anyone who dared to insult him.
Otto didn't mind the White Snake's behavior as he just wanted to live peacefully and doesn't want any problems in his life.
But while he was out taking the trash out, a wild Fire Hound charged into him about to bite deep into his skin with it's fangs, it would've been fatal since the Fire Hound could produce flames in it's mouth but luckily the White Snake protected him by blinding the eyes of the Fire Hound with his fangs and tail.
It even alerted the rest of the group to protect Otto and attack the Fire Hound, to which the Fire Hound escaped bruised and scratched.
Because of that Otto started to get attached to the White Snake for protecting him from almost burning his hands away.
He even gave him a name, Quartz.
Quartz was very happy to be given a name and was more clingy more than usual to him.
He didn't forget to treat the other Companion Beasts with roasted Red Boar meat.
His peaceful life was fulfilled was what he thought, when suddenly his neighborhood hosted a battle tournament for all the Beast Catchers in his neighborhood.
The prize was very enticing, a reccommendation letter to the most prestigious Beast Catcher school, NIRVANA STATE.
His parents who wanted the best for Otto pushed him to enter the tournament, to which Otto who was forced to enter, join the tournament.
He joined with Quartz, but before that he trained with the other Companion Beasts and even other Beast Catchers, primarily Chris, his childhood friend and one of the many who adopted one of the Companion Beast from Otto's group.
Chris adopted a Blue Flame Fox, that he named Flamey. Flamey felt irritated that her name was just Flame with Y to which Otto agreed that he had bad naming skills.
But nonetheless Chris and Flamey had good synergy with one another.
As time passed, the day of the tournament came. The tournament was hosted in the neighborhood's large hall with the stage in the middle for a 1 versus 1 battle.
As Otto and Chris went inside, they were flooded with the scene of Beast Catchers and their Companion Beast training or preparing. Otto and Chris were very delighted and cheered each other.