The Demon Hunt

( Days after. )

[ Olympus Dining Hall ]

" So, how's your progress? " Zeus asks Loki who visits him in his Pantheon.

" It works very well, uncle... "

" Look! " Loki offers Zeus a tablet that shows him Loki's interview with the media.

The video shows Loki, interviewing with the press just hours earlier, he is there to exact his plan in order to deal with the problem he and Zeus are having right now.

...

( Hours Earlier.)

[ District H Press Conference. ]

" You're going to re-open the 'God Hunter Tournament' again, Lord Loki!? " the journalist asks him as he states it at the conference.

" Yes, I am... "

" I will state it again that I will re-open the 'God Hunter Tournament' once more, for all Hunters! " Loki says to the press, he tells them that the 'God Hunter Tournament' had been 100% prepared and he promises that this will excite all of them, especially those in the Hunter Association.

" I see Lord Loki, so did you already manage the Tournament Stadium, then...? " the journalist asks.

As the journalist asks that, Lord Loki silents for a bit. He smirks as he then giggles, and he laughs in front of the press.

" Lord Loki... " The press begins to be silent as the Allfather of Asgard begins to laugh uncontrollably.

" Oh my, oh my, I'm sorry, all of you...! hahaha! " Loki laughs while shedding his laughing tears.

" Well, I'm sorry to say this, but... "

" The 'God Hunter Tournament' won't be done in the stadium like it used to be... "

" For the 'Tournament's topic will not be just that usual PvP (People vs People or Player vs Player) Battle Tournament, no... "

" For this year, 2022, the main topic of the 'Tournament' will be different... " Loki states to the press while all who watch this conference, wherever they are and whatever device they're watching with, listen to what the god has to say.

[ Japan ]

" It will be different? " S-Rank Hunter Yukino says as she watched it on her phone in her place, she looks at it while having some of her usual Kendo Training.

" [ White Barrage Frost Strike ] " she unleashed it, destroying some big targets she puts on her training dojo as the ice slashed and freezes the targets, including the ones around it.

" Not good enough... " she thinks while remembering the 'White Demon'.

" 'Shiro Oni'... " Yukino thinks of him, the person who simply defeats her in an instant by his sheer choke alone.

" I'll swear... "

( Meanwhile. )

[ Atlantis Region ]

[ Atlantis Private Medic Centre. ]

" So the tournament will be changed? " S-Rank Hunter Tristan says as he sees it in his tablet while guarding Victoria Volta in the Medic Room, Victoria Volta the S-Rank Hunter is having treatment after her Gift Core is gone (after the death of her Gifter God, Aphrodite).

" I hope you would get another god or goddess who will give you their Gifts, Victoria... " Tristan says as he looks at Victoria who's in a coma right now.

He holds her hand, she is currently cold and Tristan decides to fix her blanket position, putting her hands inside.

"( She's not used to in this underwater facility... )" Tristan says as he looks outside, where the building he's in is under the sea where his grandfather Poseidon, rules it.

"( To think Lord Poseidon would allow me to bring her here, in this facility... )" he says while watching the conference on his tablet.

"( Probably because he and my father are currently on good terms, I think...? )" he wonders while suddenly hearing Lord Loki say something.

" The topic of ' 2022's God Hunter Tournament' will be 'Bounty Hunting'! " Loki says to the press which shocks them as he declares 'Bounty Hunting' to be the topic.

'Bounty Hunting' is the activity or practice of pursuing criminals or fugitives or some monsters or demons even, for whom a reward is offered, especially for the Hunters profession for this is the event that will give a Hunter a lot of money, in Trinia Country's 'Cash' and 'Credit' that has the same value as the USD, more even, sometimes.

At this moment, Lord Loki is declaring that the Tournament will be around 'Bounty Hunting' which is the most competitive type of tournament ever since anyone could participate, not just the Hunters like the usual PvP Tournament.

" 'Bounty Hunting'! Lord Loki!? "

" Are you sure about this!? will this not be chaotic like the first one? " the journalist asks as she restates what happened in the first 'Bounty Hunting' 'God Hunter Tournament', declared by him and the Hunter Association Leader, Hayden Wayne.

"( This journalist... )" Loki says in his mind as the journalist begins to remind him of the last 'Bounty Hunting' tournament's failure where the tournament killed many of its participants since Loki immediately makes a literal 'Demon' as the bounty, of course, it killed many brave and stupid opportunists that didn't think straight.

"( This time, it's different... )" Loki smirks as he says.

" Do not worry, it will be safer... "

" Since not only humans that would participate in this tournament, my friend..., gods too... " Loki states which shocks the gods who also watched the conference.

[ Atlantis ]

" Is that god already out of his mind? " said Theseus, son of Poseidon and father of S-Rank Hunter Tristan Torrent as he just finished his usual lunch.

" What is it? " Poseidon, Hermes, and Hephaestus asked him.

" Father look... "

" What is it? hmm... "

" You gotta be kidding me... " Poseidon says when he sees it.

[ Back in the conference. ]

" What do you say, Lord Loki, the gods will also participate in this Tournament!? " the press was shocked to hear this while Loki just give him his cute smile, showing them that he already made up his mind about this.

" Of course, the gods will my dear Gifted Ones (Stupid Assholes, just listen)... "

" This is for your own 'safety' of course... (Like you will survive without us, anyways)... "

" For the one that will become the bounty needs a lot of your energies to capture. "

" And the lucky subject for the bounty is... " Loki says as he then asks the Valkyries to show the bounty subject on the conference screen and when the picture was shared, the whole press went silent.

" It, it can't be... " they gazed upon the 2022's bounty while Loki smirks as he finally gets them.

" Now, do you like it my dear friends (stupid fools)? " Loki asks them he already knew this is how they all will react, both in the conference and those who see this in their devices.

" It can't be!? " Yukino was so surprised as she sees it on her phone, her eyes widened her mouth smirked for a bit, in her very surprise.

" How convenient... " she grips her own Katana's grip, pressing it as she sees the 2022's 'God Hunter Tournament's bounty in her phone, seeing it live-streamed on the 'Hunter Association's Official Channel'.

" Very convenient... " she says as she sees the bounty.

( At the same time. )

" *smirks* " Loki smirks as the people began to be chaotic about the bounty.

"( It seems I hit the jackpot yet again... )"

"( Didn't I...? )" he says while looking at the giant screen, seeing the bounty picture he created.

"( 'White Demon'... )" Loki says as he looks at the bounty poster that shows the 'White Demon's face he managed to capture in the right pose.

[ "God Hunter Tournament" ]

[ Start June 6, 2022 ]

[ 'God Hunter Tournament' Bounty ]

[ 'The White Demon' ]

[ *The White Demon's Captured Picture* ]

[ Dead or Alive ]

[ Reward: 50.000.000.000.000 Trin* ]

[ *To get the reward, the participant must've opened a Bank Account in Trinia Country Banks or open a 'Currency Exchange' account. ]

[ *Must be completed without fail...* ]

" Good luck, you all... " Loki says as he laughs inside his mind, a cunning laugh of jackpot and glory while the people (fools) go crazy about it.

...

...

( In the present. )

" I see, I must say I like your idea to do this manhunt over this 'White Demon' guy... " Zeus says as he breathes out the relieved air.

" Of course, it's a good idea, uncle... "

" I don't know why, but I was reminded of someone when having this idea. "

" Someone? " Zeus asks.

" Oh, nothing uncle, just some certain Hunter I used to hang out with, you'll know him back then..., hehe... " Loki says while Zeus stares at him when Loki says that.

" Can we talk about it later? Uncle? " Loki asks while Zeus stares and glares at him for a moment before having a sigh.

" Well, whatever you say... "

" For now, I'm relieved we could erase all traces regarding our failed harvest over the 'Abyss Tower'. " Zeus smirks for he felt confident that this tournament will ease their problems of hiding their things during the 'Abyss Tower' event.

" Do not be that worry, uncle... " Loki says to Zeus.

" I think that even now, there are people who must've wanted to get the prize earlier before the start date kukuku... "

" I can't wait... " Loki and Zeus laugh after Loki says the very word, for they can't wait to finally get rid of the 'Abyss Tower' business from their hands forever.

"( Well, guess your tactic might've worked, kekeke... )"

"( Andrew... )" Loki says as he remembers the 'Hunter' as he cheers with Zeus for this achievement.