At this moment, only Loki and Banner remained on the arena stage.
Loki patted himself down, dusting his clothes, and rose with deliberate elegance.
Across from him, Banner struggled to his feet, kicking up a cloud of dirt that rose into the sunlight. His silhouette blurred in the haze, a dark figure forcing itself upright.
Loki spread his hands wide, then summoned his twin daggers back into his grip.
"I've truly had enough. As a sorcerer from Midgard, all your struggles are meaningless."
He gritted his teeth, his voice edged with arrogance. "If you don't want to suffer worse injuries, you should—"
"ROAR!!"
Before Loki could finish, a monstrous roar shook the arena. It was a sound so violent it drowned out the crowd's cheers, echoing louder than thunder.
From within the dust, a towering green figure emerged, its massive frame blotting out the light.
The Hulk had arrived.
His foot slammed into the ground, the force shattering stone beneath him, shockwaves rumbling across the arena. And then, like a charging train, he launched himself straight into Loki.
A heartbeat later, Loki's body smashed against the energy barrier with a sickening thud before bouncing back and crashing to the ground.
For an instant, he looked just like Thor had in their earlier match—humiliated and broken.
The spectators gasped, their cheers shifting to stunned silence.
Hulk pounded his chest with thunderous force, bellowing to the heavens. "HULK!!"
---
In the Kamar-Taj lounge, Tony Stark clenched a fist, grinning wide.
"He's finally out! Nice job, Hulk!"
Beside him, Mordo and Hamir exchanged a glance.
"Seems our turn won't be needed," Mordo muttered.
"As long as we win, it doesn't matter who fights," Wong replied with a shrug.
"Easy for you to say," Pietro groaned, pacing anxiously. "You're a backup. I'm a starter! I should be out there!"
As Hulk's roar echoed through the arena, Pietro muttered under his breath, "Come on, lose already…"
The others burst out laughing.
Tony jabbed a finger toward the arena. "Look at him. Hulk's angry. This fight's going to be over fast."
---
On the arena floor, Loki groaned, dragging himself up, his face twisted in disbelief. That frail mortal, Banner, had transformed into this monstrous brute?
Annoyance and rage flashed in his eyes. Even if the man's form had changed, he was still nothing but a mortal from Midgard. And this mortal had dared humiliate him—again.
Loki slammed his hand against the ground and rose to his feet, dust falling from his armor.
"I've had enough! Enough!"
His dagger gleamed as he pointed it at Hulk.
"This is your final warning, mortal!" he shouted. "Not just anyone is qualified to insult me. I am a God!"
Hulk merely frowned, unimpressed, a low grunt escaping him.
That was enough to shatter Loki's composure. With a roar of his own, he charged. Illusions multiplied with each step, until the arena was filled with hundreds of Lokis, their shadows twisting and wrapping around Hulk's like chains.
"Hmph. Struggle all you like. It's useless!" the chorus of Lokis sneered.
Hulk strained, his muscles swelling, but his body barely budged. He stilled, then slowly turned his head, nostrils flaring.
And then he roared. "HULK!!"
In a violent surge of power, Hulk ripped apart the shadows binding him. Gasps filled the arena as he smashed his palms together, unleashing a thunderous shockwave that ripped through the illusions.
The crowd braced against the wind, but the Lokis did not waver. They were all mirages.
A flicker of confusion passed Hulk's face. In the next moment, every illusion dissolved, leaving only the real Loki behind, his dagger raised high behind Hulk.
"It's over, Midgardian!" Loki snarled. The dagger, forged from Uru metal, extended in shimmering light as he drove it deep into Hulk's side.
He smirked, victory gleaming in his eyes. Not even Thor could resist this blade—what chance did a mortal have?
But his triumph evaporated in an instant.
A massive green hand seized both his arm and the hilt of the dagger.
Loki froze. He looked up—and saw Hulk towering over him, fury blazing in his eyes, hot breath snorting against his face.
"Things… things aren't going as planned…" Loki stammered, his bravado cracking. "If… if you surrender now, I wouldn't mind sparing—AHHHHHH!!"
Hulk ripped the dagger free and lifted Loki high into the air like a ragdoll. Then, with a roar of savage glee, he slammed him into the ground.
The impact shattered the arena floor, leaving a Loki-shaped crater.
But Hulk wasn't finished.
He hauled Loki up again, hurled him across the stage, and smashed him into the stone with another bone-crunching crash.
Again, and again, Hulk repeated the motion, each slam shaking the arena until the ground was littered with broken craters.
The mighty God of Mischief had been reduced to nothing more than a plaything in Hulk's hands.
---