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*****
Human emotions are truly wondrous.
T'Challa and Erik Stevens.
These two men had never met before today, yet they were inextricably entangled by the grievances of the previous generation.
Their fathers were biological brothers, which, in other words, made them first cousins.
But there was no familial affection; their very first meeting was a challenge, a fight to the death.
Erik Stevens wasn't just doing this for the Wakandan throne; he was doing it for revenge.
Many years ago, his father, N'Jobu, had been secretly selling vibranium weapons. He was preparing a rebellion to seize control of Wakanda, intending to force the nation to adopt a more aggressive foreign policy. He was even willing to use war to confront the injustices faced by black people in other countries, attempting to ignite a conflict that would engulf the entire world.
After T'Challa's father discovered his brother's conspiracy, he attempted to stop him. However, N'Jobu chose to attack. The result was a tragic conflict between brothers, which ended in N'Jobu's death.
And so, from that day forward, Erik Stevens vowed to make T'Challa's family taste the very same pain of losing a cherished relative.
After confirming Erik Stevens's identity, T'Challa had to accept the challenge.
This was a deep-rooted tradition in Wakanda; if he refused, the other tribes would not acknowledge his status as king.
Both T'Challa and Erik Stevens were impatient for this confrontation to begin. One wanted to secure a perfect wedding for his wife, while the other was driven by pure vengeance.
Following preparations that were both hasty and strictly ceremonial, the challenge commenced.
The challenge site was a platform set beside a towering cliff. A stream gurgled past, merging with a larger body of water to cascade over the edge as a magnificent waterfall.
Just as the two men were making their final preparations, a powerful gust of wind announced the arrival of Ororo, who descended from the sky dressed in traditional Wakandan wedding attire.
She looked like a true goddess harnessing the wind and thunder, her eyes glaring furiously at Erik Stevens—the man who had just ruined her wedding.
Erik Stevens's heart tightened for a moment. His gaze swept quickly over Ororo and then Mike's group. He flashed them a grin, saying, "I heard you all came to form an alliance. If I become king, that alliance is still valid."
He was arrogant and incredibly presumptuous. The battle had yet to begin, but he had already designated himself the victor.
Yet, Mike could also see genuine confidence in the man.
Mike simply stated, "An alliance? Are you even worthy?"
A major reason they had agreed to an alliance with T'Challa was because he was marrying Ororo, and also because he had protected the children of the X-Mansion during the recent mutant disaster, offering them his aid.
As for this Erik Stevens... Mike truly didn't think he measured up.
Although Erik Stevens was inwardly furious, he didn't dare let any of it show.
Anyone with even a basic understanding of the world knew that Mike was not to be provoked, and everyone understood how terrifying the Kent family was.
He forced a smile, then turned his gaze to T'Challa, who had just ingested the potion to nullify the superpowers granted by the Heart-Shaped Herb. He let out a cold laugh.
"Is that your fiancée? She's very beautiful. When I become king, I'll definitely marry her, press her beneath me, and we'll have a few..."
"Shut up!"
T'Challa roared, glaring furiously at Erik Stevens. He knew his opponent was trying to provoke him, hoping to cloud his judgment during the fight, but he couldn't control his rage.
Seeing T'Challa's reaction, a smirk tugged at the corner of Erik Stevens's mouth.
The next second, as the challenge officially began, both men charged at each other simultaneously.
The clash of weapons rang out with a sharp, clear sound.
T'Challa wielded a short spear in one hand and a shield in the other. As he used the shield to block both of Erik Stevens's weapons, he thrust his spear forward in a counter-attack.
But a vicious light flashed in Erik Stevens's eyes. His own weapons moved even faster, stabbing toward T'Challa's head and neck.
Despite his anger, T'Challa had no intention of trading his life for his opponent's. He was forced to lift his shield to block the attacks.
Seeing this, a smile brimming with killing intent spread across Erik Stevens's face. The weapons in his hands began to rain down on T'Challa like a relentless storm.
Yet, T'Challa showed no sign of panic. Armed with a sturdy shield and his spear, his defense was watertight.
For a time, the continuous clash of weapons sounded like a rapid, urgent drumroll.
Suddenly, a cold light glinted from T'Challa's hand, piercing through Erik Stevens's dense barrage of attacks and stabbing accurately toward his face.
Erik Stevens hastily jerked his head to the side.
"Tss!"
With a sharp sound, a bloody gash appeared on his cheek.
He cried out in pain. A flicker of hesitation crossed T'Challa's eyes. At the exact moment he should have pressed his advantage, he instead pulled back his weapon and resumed a defensive posture.
Seeing this, Mike sighed with a touch of regret.
T'Challa was going to lose.
He had shown mercy to his enemy, but his enemy was determined to kill him. He had just missed his best opportunity for victory.
True enough, after being cut, Erik Stevens seemed to go completely mad, adopting an even more ferocious, life-or-death fighting style. T'Challa was immediately put on the defensive.
Seeing this, the expressions of everyone present—except for the Border Tribe—turned grim. As Ororo's anxiety mounted, her mood soured, and the entire sky became blanketed with dark, heavy clouds, looking as if it might collapse at any second.
"Ororo isn't actually going to strike that guy dead with lightning, is she?" Charles muttered, lightly tapping his temple to establish a mental link with Mike.
"Dad, this situation doesn't look good."
Mike gave an almost imperceptible nod. "T'Challa will lose."
"Can't we help him?"
"This is Wakanda's ritual duel. Even if you offered help, T'Challa would refuse it. It might even destroy our new relationship."
"So we're just supposed to watch him be defeated and killed?"
"Don't worry," Mike whispered, "I'm watching."
With Mike's assurance, Charles felt relieved.
Just then, the crowd suddenly cried out in unison.
Erik Stevens's weapon had sliced open T'Challa's leg. His body staggered, and he lost his balance.
In a high-stakes battle like this, losing one's balance meant defeat.
Sure enough, before T'Challa could regain his footing, a relentless barrage of attacks descended upon him.
One wrong step, and every subsequent step was also wrong.
As the sharp blade plunged deep into T'Challa's abdomen, the gasps and cries from the crowd merged into one.
In that same instant, lightning began to surge in tune with Ororo's emotions. She flew into the air like a true goddess of the storm, glaring down at Erik Stevens, her posture making it clear that if he made one more move, she would strike him dead.
The atmosphere instantly became incredibly tense.
The other Wakandans, including T'Challa's mother and sister, were devastated, but they made no move. Instead, Ororo's actions caused them to become wary of her and the entire Kentar group.
This was their sacred tradition, the king's challenge, and absolutely no third party was permitted to interfere.
Erik Stevens pulled his lips into a stiff, mocking smile. He sneered at the kneeling T'Challa, "Heh, so this is you! This is the King of Wakanda? Letting a woman interfere in this sacred duel?"
T'Challa clutched his bleeding wound, his face contorted in pain. He looked up at Ororo and weakly shook his head. "Don't."
"But!" Ororo looked at T'Challa, her eyes filled with panic and worry.
"This is Wakanda's custom," T'Challa said, staggering to his feet. He spoke with determination, "Don't make me lose Wakanda's pride and honor."
His eyes met Ororo's, and for a moment, they softened, revealing an unmistakable plea.
Ororo bit her lip, her mind thrown into chaos.
With a simple wave of her hand, she could obliterate Erik Stevens. But T'Challa's insistence put her in an agonizing position.
She respected her love, but what was that respect worth if the premise was his death?
The scales in her heart began to tip slowly toward intervention.
Even if T'Challa would argue with her afterward, even if they broke up over this, she had to save his life.
With that thought, the hesitation in her eyes vanished. But just as she was about to unleash her power, Charles's voice resonated clearly in her mind.
"Don't interfere, Ororo. T'Challa will be fine."
Hearing this, Ororo immediately looked toward Charles.
Charles gave her a firm, reassuring nod.
Ororo took a deep breath, and without a hint of doubt, she dissipated her powers and slowly descended to her original spot.
Seeing this, Erik Stevens let loose a cruel smile. He leaned in close to T'Challa and whispered, "You just threw away your only chance to live, my dear cousin."
Before the words had even faded, his weapon flashed, slicing across T'Challa's wrist, severing the tendons. As T'Challa's weapon clattered uselessly to the ground, Stevens spun behind him, pressing a short blade against T'Challa's throat.
Erik Stevens sneered, whispering one final thing in T'Challa's ear.
"Ahhh!" T'Challa let out a roar of pure fury.
But his roar was cut short, replaced by a spray of crimson that erupted in front of everyone.
His throat had been slit.
Amidst the horrified and grieving cries of the crowd, Erik Stevens viciously plunged his blade into T'Challa's heart and twisted it, thoroughly extinguishing T'Challa's life.
Seeing this, T'Challa's mother and sister nearly fainted from grief. Ororo's heart plummeted, and she turned to stare blankly at Charles.
You said he would be fine? This situation... this doesn't look 'fine' in any way...
Charles's mouth twitched as he looked at Mike. "Dad, you didn't... mess this up, did you?"
Mike just smiled and said, "Just wait."
Hearing this, Charles forced a smile back at Ororo. "He'll be fine. He said so."
Charles gestured with his chin toward Mike.
Ororo nodded, finding it incredibly difficult. But she couldn't bear to look at T'Challa's body any longer. She turned away and flew over to T'Challa's mother and sister, Shuri.
With T'Challa dead, Erik Stevens would not spare the two women. But as long as Ororo was with them, absolutely no one would dare to touch them.
This was because Ororo was an X-Man, and she was from Kentar.
"Ororo, please, you must avenge T'Challa!"
"Sister-in-law, my brother... he..."
The two women clutched at her, lost in their grief.
Ororo shook her head and said in a low, firm voice, "Don't worry. Mr. Kent said he will be fine."
Upon hearing this, a tiny spark of hope flickered in their hearts, and they looked toward Mike, their vision blurred by tears.
Mike watched the triumphant Erik Stevens below. He watched him don the beast-tooth necklace that symbolized the kingship and observed as the other tribes reluctantly paid their respects. A small smile touched Mike's lips.
However proud he is right now, that's how ridiculous his expression will be in just a moment.
Just before T'Challa's throat was slit, Mike had used his power of materialization. A faint green glow, inscribed with strange runes, had wrapped around T'Challa's wrist, almost completely unnoticed.
Mike mentally calculated the time.
Tsk! That smile on Erik Stevens's face was just about to vanish.
"Mr. Kent, you refused my offer of alliance earlier, but now I am the King of Wakanda. You..."
"Do you have trouble understanding human speech?" Charles suddenly cut in, his voice cold. He looked at Erik Stevens with open mockery. "Did you really think no one could hear what you whispered in T'Challa's ear just now? Or perhaps, you think I won't use my power to make you announce it to everyone?"
Hearing this, the color drained from Erik Stevens's face.
He might be arrogant, but he had no confidence whatsoever when facing the Kent family.
Any single one of them could easily kill him, easily wipe out every Wakandan present, and even, if they so desired, take control of this entire nation.
Faced with such an overwhelming disparity, he could only look up at the Kent family standing high on the cliff and force a fawning, subservient smile.
"Ew!" Gwen waved her hand in disgust. "That smile is so disgusting."
"Heh," Erik (Magneto) let out a single, cold laugh.
Erik Stevens's expression was stiff, but he didn't dare show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction. The matter of the alliance was long forgotten; his only thought now was how to prevent what he'd said to T'Challa from being revealed.
Just as he, in his new capacity as king, was about to issue his first command, a new wave of shocked gasps echoed through the hall.
Confused, he saw that everyone was staring in horror at the spot behind him.
He turned.
T'Challa, the man he had just killed, was... changing. As if time itself was reversing, the fatal wounds on his chest and neck vanished rapidly. The man came back to life.
Wait, he's alive!?
He stared in absolute terror at this impossible scene. Meanwhile, Ororo and T'Challa's family were looking at the revived king, overcome with ecstatic joy.
T'Challa gasped, breathing heavily.
He remembered it clearly: he had just been killed. But now... he didn't understand how he was alive again.
But this wasn't the time to ponder that.
Right now, he wanted only one thing: revenge.
Not for himself, but for his father.
Yes, his father.
He had always harbored doubts about his father's passing, feeling it wasn't a natural death.
Now, he finally understood the truth.
To be precise, just before he "died," his opponent had personally told him.
Erik Stevens, prior to his arrival today, had already met with his father... and had murdered him with poison!
(End of this chapter)