In a certain sense, General Ross and Maverick had already gotten what they came for.
They had crossed the ocean, traveling thousands of miles with a single purpose: to obtain Wakanda's investigative report.
They needed proof—proof to show their superiors that Wakanda possessed a vast reserve of vibranium. That evidence would be more than enough to justify seizing Wakanda, strip-mining its vibranium, and developing superweapons based on it.
And now… not only could they confirm that Wakanda truly possessed this rare resource, but they could also expose Wakanda as a deeply hypocritical nation. They weren't some quiet agricultural country at all. They had been hiding behind a false façade while hoarding the benefits vibranium brought.
Such selfish behavior, Ross thought, was nothing more than humanity's most primitive weakness. If it were them in Wakanda's place, they would never hoard such power. They would share vibranium—and the new technologies it spawned—with all of mankind.
Ross's eyes narrowed slightly.
His mind was racing with thoughts.
Yes, the losses this time had been severe—hundreds of soldiers left dead on Wakandan soil. But more critical than the casualties was their complete misjudgment of Wakanda.
If from the very start he had known Wakanda's true level of technology and combat power, he never would have deployed a force of this size.
Even so, bolstered by other "black technology" under his command, Ross remained confident in their ability to one day take Wakanda.
"No wonder the drones went down… they must have been onto us from the beginning," Maverick muttered, his voice low.
His outlook differed from Ross's. After witnessing Wakanda's warriors firsthand, he couldn't help but feel his courage faltering. What Wakanda had revealed so far might only be the tip of the iceberg.
This wasn't war. It wasn't even a skirmish worthy of the name.
No one had brought out their true strength—neither them, nor Wakanda.
"In any case, we must ensure Soldier One's safety," Ross said with a faint nod. He knew exactly what Maverick was thinking.
The truth was, Ross hadn't shown his hand either.
Although Dr. Banner had once again vanished along with the Hulk, this time things were different. Ross himself could transform into the Red Hulk now. Hulk serum coursed through his own body. Extracting it could create new super-soldiers at will.
But more importantly—though Ross now stood as one of the military's most influential figures, he was also Senju Haruto's most loyal servant.
His real purpose was to serve Haruto.
If he could expose every secret Wakanda hid and then leverage the military's power, he would help Haruto conquer Wakanda. And at the critical moment, Ross's sorcery would prove decisive.
"Soldier One," Ross said.
That came first.
Ross snatched up the communicator, making contact. Though he hated what he was about to order, he could see the reality clearly: even Soldier One's immense power might not be enough to hold out much longer.
His position was deep inside Wakanda.
Because Ross hadn't come prepared for full-scale war, he had brought only a limited force. If he recklessly sent reinforcements now, it might plunge everything further out of control.
Worse still, the transmitted footage had already proven Wakanda wasn't the simple agricultural nation they pretended to be.
They had technology advanced enough to project energy shields. It stood to reason they had equally advanced communications.
If not for Soldier One injecting himself with the super-serum and then consuming the Heart-Shaped Herb extract, Wakanda's technological superiority would have crushed him in a one-sided slaughter already.
But even so, in his current situation, Soldier One wouldn't last long.
And what if more Wakandan warriors were already on the way?
Another moment of delay, and Soldier One might never make it out alive.
Ross had no choice but to give the order: Soldier One was to retreat. The surviving soldiers would cover his withdrawal.
The value of Soldier One outweighed that of every soldier stationed there combined.
Maverick shot him a look of surprise. He studied Ross's profile closely. Though nicknamed "Thunderbolt," Ross was not the cold-blooded brute many assumed him to be. No one valued his soldiers' lives more.
But Maverick had to admit—Ross's judgment now was the only correct choice.
The order quickly reached Soldier One's communicator.
His first reaction was disbelief.
He glanced around him at the bodies of his comrades, brutally cut down. His chest swelled with fury.
He didn't want to abandon them. He wanted to bring them home!
But just as he stood there, torn between anger and duty, a Wakandan warrior spotted him.
In less than a few minutes, Soldier One had already killed more than six enemies.
The Wakandan noticed the momentary hesitation on his face and seized the opening, launching a ranged strike.
It wasn't a spear throw.
From the tip of the vibranium spear shot a beam of pale-blue energy—faster than Soldier One could anticipate.
He had believed vibranium could only serve as a material for melee weapons, maybe at most as projectiles. He had never imagined Wakanda possessed technology this terrifying.
"Damn it—!"
Cursing, Soldier One twisted his body just in time to avoid a fatal hit. The beam tore clean through his arm, leaving a gaping hole.
But even as pain surged, the Heart-Shaped Herb coursing through him kept him moving. His eyes locked on the Wakandan as he staggered back. In the same motion, Soldier One hurled a short blade.
The clash ended in a grim exchange: Soldier One's left arm crippled, the Wakandan's skull split as the blade embedded itself deep.
Nine Wakandan warriors remained.
Meanwhile…
Senju Haruto had no interest in this skirmish at all. He stepped past it, walking calmly toward a group of Wakandan women.
Opening his hands in a gesture of peace, he showed he bore no hostility.
"Who are you?" one demanded sharply.
It made no difference. They still regarded Haruto as a threat.
"A traveler," Haruto said with an easy smile. "I heard there's a vibranium vein nearby. Can you tell me where it is?"
The answer was predictable.
Wakandans, men or women, carried fierce spirits. Some of it came from their tribal culture. Some of it came from the pride vibranium technology gave them.
And the moment they heard Haruto asking about the vibranium mine, the women attacked without hesitation.
But…
The gap between them wasn't one vibranium weapons could bridge.
Haruto merely flicked his fingers. Five of them were instantly frozen, sealed within crystalline coffins of ice.
Then he unleashed his spiritual power, locking the last one firmly in his control.