[ June 6th, 2022 ]
The God Hunter Tournament. Finally starts.
[ Location: Hunter Association's S-Rank Fortress, Great Hall Section. ]
...
[ 'God Hunter Tournament' Bounty ]
[ 'The White Demon' ]
[ *The White Demon's Captured Picture* ]
[ Dead or Alive ]
[ Reward: 50.000.000.000.000 Trin ]
[ *Must be completed without fail...* ]
...
" This is..., too much... " Aidan says, wearing his armor, an armor given by the Gods to him and the others who stand beside him, waiting for Lord Loki to come and give them a speech. He waits in front of the Stage, alongside his fellow honorable S-Rank Hunters who see things from that high position.
As he corrects his armor wear, he looks around, seeing many Gods, Valkyries, Asgardian Giants, Soldiers, Priests, Inquisitors, and Hunters all over the place. Ready to prepare for the 'Tournament', such an unbelievable sight.
" Well, we all know the 'Tournament' part is to ease the Media... "
" If Lord Loki says it was War, then no one will join, especially if he didn't offer a huge amount of money to keep people motivated... " Aidan analyzes, he is still young for this matter.
" Easy, Aidan... " Agni tells him.
" Being young doesn't mean you are weak... "
" Ask your 'friend' for that matter... " Agni says while he controls Aidan's head to look at the White Demon poster.
" So, after the things you did yesterday..., are you sure now? " Agni asks Aidan and he just goes silent seeing the White Demon.
" We shall see..., I could only know for sure once I see him close... " Aidan sighed while seeing his other S-Rank compatriots such as Yukino-senpai, who had already made a furious face, he saw her thumb itching to release her katana as soon as it started.
" I sensed a fire in her... " Agni says to Aidan.
" For a 'White Blizzard', instead of freezing snow, she instead gives everyone the vibes of a fire tornado here..., such a contradiction attitude. "
" The White Demon did something to her that is unforgivable... " Aidan tells Agni.
" She wants revenge..., that's her motive to be No. 1, right now... "
" No. 1... " Aidan says as he suddenly remembers Ragna's uncle Andrew.
" Things are changing... " Aidan says while slightly seeing something on top of the stage, someone...
" Is that who I think it is? " Agni says as he recognizes the person on the top, it is Vlad, the 'Mad Child' of House Arcanon who was watching from above.
" Why is he there? I thought Lord Loki told me that he would be recruited into an S-Rank Hunter via Zeus. " Aidan asks Agni.
" Nah, I rather had him stay right there..., boy. "
" Do not ever, make contact with him..., or even anybody from his House "
" His recruitment is a risky gamble..., for they acknowledge him purely by status and strength, not experience... " Agni says as they hear footsteps coming, it was Loki who finally came to prepare his speech.
* Prepares microphone. *
" I will cut to the chase... "
" You all already knew who I am..., so no introductions needed. "
" For the thing that I need to relay now, is just to open our 'Tournament' here, the Tournament that we will use to hunt a great enemy... "
" The enemy who had been fighting the gods right after he emerged from the Abyss Tower... "
" Giving us many loss and despair... "
" For him, and his terror, had destroyed us too much! " Loki raises his voice.
" No more loss, no more sorrow! "
" Today, we fight! "
" We fight for honor, for victory! "
" All of you, mortals, gods..., will unite as one as we will today hunt this great enemy! "
" From this day, we will search for him..., desecrate many to find and take him to us! "
" Now Hunt! "
" HUNT THE WHITE DEMON! " Loki shouts as they all raise their hands, chanting the " Hunt the White Demon" word as they continue it for some time.
As they all chanted, Yukino suddenly felt something, a headache as she realized the pain was a sign...
"( Why did I feel like this again? )"
"( Where did it come from!? )" Yukino looks around an attitude that Aidan took sight of and is curious about.
" Her sight..., her movements... " Agni adds.
" She sensed something, I could tell... "
" Be on guard, Aidan... " Agni orders Aidan as he stops chanting and instead prepares his flame, an attitude that catches the attention of his fellow peers on the stage as Aidan releases it and looks around.
* Loki looks at Aidan while carrying the ceremony and is concerned. *
"( What's going on? )" Loki wonders while the crowd is still chanting and cheering, but suddenly, someone talks to him through his mind.
"( Lord Loki, it's Ragridur! )" Ragridur calls him.
"( Unidentified objects are coming from the skies, The Valkyries and the other gods in the skies are trying to shoot it! )" Ragridur says as in the skies, black gigantic thorn-like things are coming to the location like launched rockets.
As they all shoot it, it does nothing to the launched thorns, as it instead continues to hit the target at District H, making it can be seen by the people in that District as they can see it coming towards the Fortress placed at that District.
" Prepare the 'Barrier Fortitude'! " said the people in the Fortress, as they all focused their power, as soon as the launched thorn was on their sight.
[ Barrier Fortitude X7. ]
As they did that, the launched Thorn immediately hit the Fortress but was held by a Barrier that shields the very place and is now strengthened by the people inside.
" Eight Black Giant Thorns landed on the Barrier, their tip already breached and nailed its surface. "
" The Valkyries will shoot it from the skies, destroy the Giant Thorns... "
The Valkyries, being the ones with ranged weapons in the skies, shot the Thorns but still had no effect. The shooting continued but as it happened..., the Thorns began to radiate a light, and the light connected each thorn, forming a circling light that slowly turns into...
" Gate!? " Yukino sees it, suddenly remembering something in the Abyss Tower event. A huge Gate*, one that was summoned by...
* Yukino remembers. *
" EVERYONE, PREPARE YOURSELVES!!! " Yukino screams it loud.
" THAT GATE IS GOING TO SUMMON A POWERFUL BLAST! "
" ALL OF YOU, FORTIFY THE BARRIER MORE!!! " Yukino shouts but as the Gate opens, instead of a blast like she remembered..., it instead summons black clouds, covering the top of the Barrier they're all in.
"( It..., it wasn't a Blast... )" Yukino stutters..., she guessed it wrong.
"( No..., I still feel it... )"
"( I still feel it, something will come out from that Gate, but- )" Before Yukino could theorize, suddenly, on top of the Barrier.
* Thump! *
" What is... " said Aidan there as a gigantic monstrous hand placed itself on top of the Barrier out of the very black clouds.
* Monstrous sounds. *
* Monster eye glows inside the clouds. *
" I was wondering..., you know... " a voice suddenly says out of nowhere, a voice that Aidan could hear alongside Yukino and the ones one stage.
* Aidan panics. *
" That thing..., ever since I managed to unleash some of it..., I wondered what he will look like now in his full form... "
" At first..., I scoff at the idea that I will summon it whole... "
" But now. " said the voice as suddenly Dr. Liao Mei scoffs blood, a blade had stabbed her chest.
" Just like the rest, you put your Cores on the chest near your heart, didn't you, Doctor? " said a black hooded and robed figure, coming out from behind the stabbed doctor, showing himself with a mask.
...
< [Item: Winged Sovereign Dragon's Mask] >
< Item Class: S >
< Type: Armor >
...
" How..., how... " Liao Mei says that after being stabbed.
" WHITE DEMON! " Yukino prepares herself, alongside the others who were around, but, White Demon here, quickly grabs Dr. Liao Mei and makes her hostage as he puts his weapon on her neck.
" Hold it all of you. "
" I'm not the one you should fought this time... " he tells them.
" You must be mad to come here on yourself... " Loki tells the White Demon.
" Hahaha... " White Demon laughs at 'em.
" Of course I am, I'm mad with the popularity you gave me, I'm honored... "
" But still... "
" Since this is the Tournament's opening..., I believe I should present you with the bests of my Shadows. "
" Introducing..., the one I've been using inside the Abyss Tower, the one shadow who made me release my curse... "
" Come forth and show your might, Behemoth! " White Demon introduces, introducing the one Shadow he's been preparing for so long.
< 'Full Summon'. >
< Summon: [Black Shadow Greater Summon I, Behemoth]* >
< Level: 290 >
Behemoth shows its mighty gigantic face, roaring on top of the Barrier as he with his mighty palm, grips the barrier, tearing it from above.
* Barrier tears. *
" Now, all Players are here...! It is time! "
" To 'Hunt'! " White Demon says as Behemoth finally tears the Barrier, finally falls from it with the help of gravity, plunging hard to the ground below, creating a great explosion that starts the Tournament for real.
__________
Extra:
* A huge Gate.
Similar to the one Ragna summoned in his final battle with Adrian Waterson. His Ultimate Move.
See Chapter 207: Out Of Reach Part 5
* [Black Shadow Greater Summon I, Behemoth]
He once partly appeared in Chapter 129: Thunder's Fade Part 8: Thunder's Fate Part 3.