The battlefield had split into two clearly defined sides.
On one side stood the Border Tribe warriors, energy shields raised high.
On the other were the Dora Milaje, led by Skye, their spears gleaming with cold light.
Tony hovered in midair. Several aircraft had already taken off and were now flying in different directions, each one packed with vibranium, destined for destinations all over the world.
"Tony, you can't let those ships escape!"
T'Challa's voice rang out. If that vibranium truly spread across the globe, the entire world would be plunged into war.
Tony immediately accelerated toward the nearest aircraft. The drone cannons behind him fired twin beams that struck the ship's propulsion system with pinpoint accuracy. The engines failed, and the aircraft dropped out of the sky.
At the same time, more than a dozen additional ships took off. Their speed was incredible—Tony alone couldn't stop all of them.
Rumble—!!!
Suddenly, dark clouds began to gather across the sky. In the blink of an eye, the heavens were completely overcast. Sunlight vanished, thunder rolled, and lightning flashed.
High above, a red cloak expanded dozens of meters wide. Beneath the storm clouds, the sky was stained a deep, ominous crimson. The cloak billowed like a pair of colossal wings.
Lucas's eyes glowed with violet light. Raising both hands, he summoned a black spear-staff into his grip.
"Judgment of Thunder—!"
With a shout, Lucas hurled the staff skyward.
The weapon flashed with purple light and vanished into the clouds. Instantly, countless bolts of lightning churned within the storm before crashing down in unison.
Every aircraft attempting to flee was struck. Explosions blossomed across the sky, and the ships fell like rain, plummeting one after another.
Tony and Skye were long used to scenes like this, but the people of Wakanda were utterly stunned. Even Erik froze, momentarily forgetting the battle, staring in disbelief at the dark-red figure suspended in the sky.
Seizing the opportunity, Okoye attacked at once. Her spear shot toward the stunned Erik. He failed to dodge in time, and the weapon struck his abdomen—but the Golden Jaguar suit blocked it yet again, golden light rippling across the armor.
Erik grabbed the spear shaft and yanked hard. Okoye couldn't match his strength and was pulled toward him.
In a single motion, Erik spun around and seized her, pressing his short blade against her throat. The remaining three Dora Milaje rushed in immediately, spears leveled at him.
Erik suddenly smiled. Without hesitation, he began to slash downward at Okoye's neck—
A blast of energy slammed into his back.
Though the armor absorbed the energy itself, the kinetic force still sent him stumbling forward. Okoye was forced out of his grasp.
In the distance, Shuri stood with both arms raised. Panther-shaped wrist cannons were mounted on her forearms—the very weapons that had fired the shot.
"Now! Lock him down!"
Okoye shouted.
She lunged back in with her spear, and the other three followed. Four spears crossed and connected around Erik's body, forming a containment field that froze him in place.
Erik struggled violently, but the energy field held him fast.
Then, suddenly, golden light surged through the Golden Jaguar armor.
A powerful shockwave erupted from Erik's body, instantly shattering the containment field.
They had forgotten—
The Golden Jaguar suit shared the same core function as the Black Panther suit: absorbing energy and releasing it as devastating force.
Okoye and the others were blasted away, hurled more than ten meters and crashing down among the Border Tribe forces below.
Erik turned toward Shuri, pointing his blade at her before charging forward.
Panicking, Shuri fired her wrist cannons again. The blasts were useless against the armor—only slowing Erik slightly through raw impact, but dealing no real damage.
Suddenly, a circular weapon flew in from the side and struck Erik squarely in the back, making him stagger. A second ring followed immediately.
Nakia rushed in, caught the first returning ring, spun, and smashed it into Erik's back once more.
Erik slashed at her, but Nakia blocked with her blade. The ring twisted around his arm, forcing his grip open. His short sword slipped free and was seized by Nakia.
At the same time, the spear in Erik's other hand was blasted loose by a precisely aimed shot from Shuri.
Now disarmed, Erik was forced onto the defensive as Nakia attacked relentlessly with both rings.
Relying on the suit's overwhelming performance, Erik endured the barrage. Then his claws snapped out, raking across Nakia's thigh.
Four deep, bloody gashes appeared instantly.
Erik grabbed her arm and flung her away with brute force. She, too, fell into the chaos of the battlefield below.
Seeing this, Shuri increased the output of her wrist cannons, trying to pin Erik down with sheer firepower. But the Golden Jaguar suit absorbed it all.
Erik advanced through the barrage, seized the wrist cannon with one hand, and crushed it. Deep cracks spread instantly, and the weapon went dead.
With no weapons left, Shuri was defenseless. Erik shoved her to the ground, picked up his spear, and slowly approached.
"I was going to kill your brother first," he said coldly.
"But since you're offering yourself now, I don't mind sending you to your Panther God ahead of him."
He raised the spear, preparing to strike.
Suddenly, a flash of red appeared.
A soft, silk-like fabric wrapped tightly around Erik's arm, stopping the spear in midair with overwhelming force.
Lucas descended from the sky.
The cloth restraining Erik was Lucas's cloak.
With a flick of the cloak, Shuri was lifted gently into the air, suspended safely above the ground.
"I'll lend you the cloak for now," Lucas said calmly.
"Go get yourself some armor and help T'Challa. I'll handle things here."
Before Shuri could respond, Lucas waved his hand. The cloak carried her away at high speed toward the research center.
Lucas turned back, spreading his hand. The Ultimate Divine Weapon appeared in his grasp, its blade engulfed in blazing flames.
"Erik," Lucas said evenly,
"it's time to settle accounts."
Erik stared at him warily. He could clearly feel the terrifying heat radiating from the sword—even through his vibranium armor, the scorching intensity made his skin prickle.
"Wakanda has fallen so far that it needs to ally with white invaders like you," Erik snarled.
"T'Challa has completely forgotten who his ancestors were!"
His face twisted with hatred. More than anything, Erik despised the white oppressors who had enslaved and brutalized his people—and now one of them stood right in front of him.
"Hey—don't lump me in with those idiots," Lucas shot back dryly.
"I can't stand what they did either, alright?"
He muttered inwardly that he'd been reborn as a white kid whether he liked it or not. If reincarnation were a choice, the underworld would've collapsed from chaos long ago.
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