At that moment, the ground shook violently. A ten-meter-tall volcanic giant, covered in flowing magma, roared as he stomped onto the earth.
The land quaked, stones flew, and cracks spread in all directions. The sight was as overwhelming as crashing waves.
The monster had the face of a bull, horns growing from his head, and a massive trident gripped in his hands. He looked exactly like a demon king from myth.
He was far taller than the Hulk, his magma-covered body radiating the pressure of a mountain. Any ordinary person would have collapsed in fear.
But Hulk stood his ground, glaring fiercely at the volcanic giant, showing not a hint of fear.
"Today, I will end your legend. The name of the Volcanic Giant will echo across Sakaar!" the giant roared in challenge.
Hulk's eyes grew colder. If he were Banner in his human form, he might have felt fear.
But he had been the Hulk for a long, long time. He could not even remember how long it had been since Banner last appeared. The weak Banner had vanished, and only the invincible Hulk remained.
Hulk had no fear, only anger and madness.
There was no way he would be afraid of a volcanic giant he had never even heard of.
Not only was he unafraid, he charged straight toward his opponent without hesitation.
Seeing Hulk rush forward without a word, the audience erupted in cheers.
"As expected of my idol. No nonsense, straight into the fight!"
"Exactly. The louder the bark, the weaker the dog. The quiet ones bite the hardest!"
"What are you talking about? You're the dogs. Hulk is a beast!"
The crowd argued loudly, but their faith in Hulk was unwavering. After all, he was the undefeated champion.
The volcanic giant sneered at Hulk's charge. "Foolish brat. I admire your courage, but that's all. Now die!"
He raised his massive fist and brought it crashing down.
Instead of dodging, Hulk clenched his own fist and swung with equal ferocity.
Their fists collided with the sound of an explosion. A shockwave blasted outward like a bomb, throwing up dust and making the audience cover their ears in pain.
Despite being far larger, the volcanic giant was sent flying. He crashed into the arena wall so hard that the metal barrier caved in.
Meanwhile, Hulk, half the giant's size, did not move an inch. He stood there, looking down on his opponent with disdain.
"HULK!!" he roared, planting his feet firmly before launching himself forward like a cannonball.
The volcanic giant's eyes filled with fear for the first time. He had never imagined that this green creature, smaller than him, could possess such terrifying power.
That one punch had already shown him that his so-called strength was nothing but a joke to Hulk.
He realized he was no match. Fear gripped him. Regret filled his heart.
But it was too late.
Before he could react, Hulk's fist smashed into his skull with earth-shattering force.
Boom!
The giant's head exploded like a watermelon, scattering molten rock fragments across the arena.
His massive, headless body collapsed with a thunderous crash, raising a cloud of dust.
The volcanic giant, who had been shouting just moments earlier, was dead.
"Roar!"
"Hulk! Hulk! Hulk!"
The arena thundered with deafening cheers. Hulk had once again proven himself the king of the arena.
For once, a smile appeared on Hulk's face as he looked at the adoring crowd.
It was nothing like Earth. On Earth, people never accepted him. They only called him a monster, a freak who brought destruction.
Even Black Widow, who once had a bond with him, only saw him as a tool to use.
Disillusioned, Hulk had left Earth to face the endless void of space.
By chance, he arrived on Sakaar. Here, he became the arena's champion and the idol of countless fans.
Here, he was not a monster, not an outcast.
Here, he was a star. He was an icon. He was loved.
Compared to Earth, the difference could not have been greater.
So Hulk made his choice. He would stay on Sakaar. He would live as Hulk, not as Banner.
"This guy is still so terrifying, a beast in human form. Just my luck to run into him again!" a man in a green battle suit muttered bitterly inside a VIP viewing room.
That man was Loki.
He had fled Asgard to escape Hela's pursuit by leaping into the abyss of the cosmos, only to land on Sakaar by chance.
At first, he thought he was fortunate to survive. But seeing Hulk here too nearly broke him. The memory of their last encounter on Earth had scarred him deeply.
Even hearing Hulk's name made him shiver. Seeing him in person was unbearable.
Fate was cruel.
"Loki, I must thank you for introducing me to this green giant. Without you, I would not have such a champion in my arena. You have done well!" said the elder seated on the throne in the VIP room.
The man had a blue tattoo on his chin and an eccentric aura. He was none other than the Grandmaster, ruler of Sakaar.
Back when Loki first arrived on Sakaar, Hulk had not yet appeared. Loki was quickly captured by scavenger hunters and sold to the Grandmaster as a gladiator.
Loki had no choice but to comply. Against the Grandmaster's overwhelming power, resistance was useless.
But when he discovered Hulk on Sakaar, he seized the chance. He convinced the Grandmaster to take Hulk in as a fighter, selling the green giant's potential with his silver tongue.
That gamble paid off. Hulk became a legend, the arena's king.
By claiming to be Hulk's friend, Loki won the Grandmaster's favor and avoided the arena himself.
Now, hearing the Grandmaster's praise, Loki forced a smile and said, "You flatter me, Lord Grandmaster. It is my honor to be of service."
The Grandmaster nodded with satisfaction. "Good. I like what I'm hearing."
Meanwhile, outside the arena, a ship landed slowly.
Inside, Thor raged. "Damn woman, let me go right now! I am the King of Asgard. Release me, or I'll smash your head open. I have important things to do!"
Once proud and mighty, Thor was now miserable. He had been crushed by his sister Hela, his hammer destroyed, and then kicked out of Asgard. Now he was captured again, trapped in a strange place by this woman.
The Valkyrie sneered. "King of Asgard? You're the most pathetic king I've ever seen. Shut your mouth, or I'll sew it shut myself."
Thor's eyes widened. "You know Asgard? Who are you? Why are you wearing the armor of our Valkyries?"
He was right. The woman was indeed a Valkyrie, the last survivor of her kind.
Long ago, Odin had sent the Valkyries to stop Hela's rebellion. But they had been slaughtered. Valkyrie survived, saved at the last moment by a comrade who sacrificed her life.
Since then, Valkyrie had drowned herself in guilt and sorrow, eventually fleeing to Sakaar, where she became one of the Grandmaster's hunters.
Now she dragged Thor, who lay paralyzed by her weapon's bio-toxin, into the Grandmaster's VIP chamber.
The Grandmaster was still celebrating Hulk's victory, reveling in his favorite pastime: gambling.
"Grandmaster, the scavenger has arrived," one of his female guards announced.
"Good, let her in. She always brings me something interesting. If I recall, Hulk was one of hers too," he chuckled, rubbing his hands.
The guards stepped aside, and Valkyrie entered, dragging Thor like a sack of meat.
The moment Loki saw Thor being dragged inside, his eyes nearly popped.
Not enemies meeting by chance, but family reunited in the worst possible place.
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