The Panther God—totem and spiritual protector of Wakanda—had finally appeared. For centuries, his existence had been the subject of myth and ritual. Even the kings of Wakanda could only catch vague glimpses of him while under the influence of the Heart-Shaped Herb.
Now, for the first time in living memory, the deity stood revealed before all.
A twenty-meter-long panther with jet-black fur, his presence alone caused a hush to fall across the battlefield.
And yet… compared to Susanoo, he was laughably small. Even without Su Xiuyu unleashing its full form, the divine construct towered so high that Bast barely reached its calf.
In sheer size, power, and presence—the Panther God was utterly outclassed.
"Who are you?" Bast's voice growled, his eyes fixed on the massive figure before him. "This is sacred Wakandan land."
"If you're truly Wakanda's guardian, then you heard everything I said before," Su Xiuyu replied, calm and unwavering.
The panther's fur bristled. "Your actions are no different from extortion. You demand half our vibranium with threats. Do you not see the dishonor in that?"
Su Xiuyu gave a nonchalant shrug. "Think what you like. But I'm not here to steal—I'll earn it. If Wakanda is ever in danger, I will act. I'm telling the truth, even if it sounds unpleasant. But make no mistake… I will get the vibranium today. One way or another."
That was the last straw.
"ROAR!"
Bast let out a thunderous roar and lunged forward. A dark shadow—a spiritual manifestation of his divine power—exploded outward and launched itself at Susanoo.
It hit the golden chakra barrier like a cannonball—only to be deflected instantly. The projection dispersed in midair, crashing into the ground behind Xiuyu in a wave of harmless light.
Not finished, the Panther God surged forward with his physical form, aiming for a crushing strike.
He never made it.
With terrifying ease, one of Susanoo's arms lifted and swatted him mid-pounce like an insect. Bast tumbled backward, rolling across the field in a heap of fur and fury.
Even while falling, he realized something horrifying—Susanoo was not only massive, but fast. Far too fast for its size.
From the sidelines, King T'Chaka and his elite guard launched pulse blasts and vibranium-based energy beams. Dozens of projectiles struck Susanoo—but they barely left a mark.
The few shallow scratches that formed healed within seconds, fading away as if they were never there.
It was like shooting water at a mountain.
Meanwhile, Bast leapt back into the fight, his vibranium claws flashing. He slashed at Susanoo's legs, aiming for its tendons and joints. This time, he left visible gouges on the surface—but like the Wakandan attacks, they healed almost immediately.
"You call yourself the Panther God?" Su Xiuyu said, voice amplified through the avatar's mouth. "Your power's too weak. Honestly, you're about on par with two of the more talented juniors from my clan. And they don't call themselves gods."
The words stung more than Bast wanted to admit.
"You insolent child!" Bast bellowed. "In ancient times, I fought beside Odin—the All-Father himself! How dare you insult me!"
Su Xiuyu smirked. "Really now? That's a bold claim. Who were you fighting?"
"You're not worthy of that knowledge!"
"Wrong answer," Xiuyu said flatly.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
A massive wooden dragon, easily over a hundred meters long, burst from the earth. It soared upward, its mouth open in a silent roar, before coiling tightly around the Panther God mid-air.
Bast tried to wriggle free, claws slashing at the coils, teeth sinking into the wood—but the dragon was unnaturally thick. Worse, the damaged portions of its bark healed just as fast as Susanoo.
"What... is this wood?" Bast growled, panic creeping into his voice. "Why does it regenerate?!"
"Don't waste your breath," Su Xiuyu said coolly. "If you could break free, you'd have done it already. Accept it—you've lost."
Struggling less now, Bast glanced down from his prison, expression shifting from rage to resignation.
"Who are you… really?"
Su Xiuyu narrowed his eyes. "No. You're the prisoner. I ask the questions now. You answer."
Bast growled but said nothing.
"Is it true you fought alongside Odin?"
"It is," Bast said reluctantly. "A long time ago… we fought to protect the realm of Midgard."
"Who was the enemy?"
"It doesn't matter. You wouldn't recognize them."
Su Xiuyu's eyes flashed. "Your attitude needs adjusting. You're in no position to be cryptic."
"Fine," Bast muttered. "It was a lone Celestial. Odin was the main force. In the end, he used Gungnir to slay it, then had the body sealed away."
Su Xiuyu's gaze sharpened. "A Celestial? So the rumors were true."
"I told you. I was there. But I wasn't strong enough to be on the front lines. I was tasked with distraction—harassment tactics. Odin did the heavy lifting. I never got close to the Celestial."
"So you're saying… you barely did anything?"
Bast looked away, ashamed. "Yes."
Su Xiuyu scoffed. "You're a joke. All bark and no bite."
A wave of shame washed over the Panther God. His divine pride was in tatters.
Then Bast's ears perked up.
"You said you fought Odin?" he asked suddenly, voice hushed.
"I did," Su Xiuyu replied.
Bast was silent for a long moment. "Who won?"
"It ended in a draw," Su Xiuyu said.
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When the Panther God Bast heard the word "draw," he was stunned.
At first, Bast had assumed Su Xiuyu was just a particularly powerful outsider, maybe some kind of mutant or cosmic warrior. But now? A man who claimed to have fought Odin—the All-Father himself—to a standstill?
That wasn't just strength. That was godhood.
For a moment, Bast stood frozen in place, his divine pride tangled in confusion. Fortunately, Su Xiuyu noticed the awkward silence and chose not to press further.
"So… is the deal confirmed now?" Su Xiuyu asked, casually brushing imaginary dust from his shoulder.
"I'll inform the people of Wakanda," Bast said, exhaling slowly. "They'll accept it."
What else could he say? Whether or not Su Xiuyu was exaggerating, Bast had been handily defeated. The man's power was overwhelming—and clearly no bluff.
T'Chaka wasn't a fool, either. If even the Panther God couldn't win, then there was no point in resisting. Besides, Su Xiuyu had made a formal promise: if Wakanda were ever in danger, he would intervene. With Bast's agreement, T'Chaka had no reason to refuse.
Still, curiosity lingered.
"Sir," Bast asked, his massive feline form reclining slightly, "if you're already this powerful, what do you need with so much vibranium? I saw how little it affected you. Even Wakanda's most advanced weaponry barely scratched your Susanoo."
Su Xiuyu smiled faintly. "I'm not taking it for myself. I'm bringing it to Asgard."
He continued, "I plan to have it forged together with Uru metal. With Nidavellir's techniques, the result will be far superior to anything vibranium alone could offer."
Bast's ears perked up. He had heard of Nidavellir. In the age of gods and war, it was the holy forge of the Asgardians—a place where weapons of legend were born.
He didn't know how Su Xiuyu had earned the dwarves' favor, but he wasn't going to ask. Some questions were better left unanswered.
For the rest of the day, under the command of Bast and the silent coordination of T'Chaka, Wakanda mobilized its full mining force.
Su Xiuyu's request had been very clear: half of Wakanda's total vibranium reserves.
An enormous amount. Almost unthinkable.
Even for a country that had dominated vibranium extraction for centuries, meeting that demand within a short time frame required everything they had. Workers, machinery, and even divine assistance.
To speed things up, Bast himself lent his strength. But the real game-changer was Su Xiuyu.
"Susanoo…" he muttered, flexing his fingers as he summoned it again. "This is a first. Let's hope it's good at digging."
With a thunderous boom, a colossal Susanoo—towering over a thousand meters tall—materialized in full. Its golden armor gleamed under the sun, and its footsteps made the mountains tremble.
Even Bast, who had seen much in his life, was shaken.
So this is his full strength…? he thought, stunned. Just how far does his power go?
With Susanoo acting like a titanic excavator, entire tunnels were dug within minutes. Giant arms reached into the earth, tearing apart rock layers like paper, hauling out chunks of vibranium ore in massive handfuls.
By sunset, the mined vibranium had been piled into a small hill—enough to power a continent for decades.
Su Xiuyu scanned the mound and nodded. "That should be enough. I'm heading to Nidavellir. See you around, Bast."
He raised his hand. In an instant, the sky shimmered—and the Rainbow Bridge opened, descending in a brilliant cascade of light. With a wave, Su Xiuyu vanished into the beam, the entire mound of vibranium ore transported with him.
As the light disappeared, silence returned.
Bast stared at the sky for a long moment.
"It was all true," he murmured. "Every word."
He was grateful he hadn't let his pride get the better of him. If he had pressed the fight further, Wakanda might not even exist by now.
Odin had once unified the Nine Realms through force, his name feared and respected across all planes of existence. Anyone who could fight him to a draw—even an aged Odin—was not someone to be taken lightly.
And now, such a person had chosen Earth as his home. More than that, he might one day represent it to the cosmos.
Turning to the gathered Wakandans, Bast lowered his massive head. "My people, next time you see that man—show respect. If fate holds true, he may become Earth's champion among the stars."
There was no shame in losing to a god. Bast had lived long enough to learn that humility was sometimes the greatest show of wisdom.
After all, being shackled by an opponent in front of one's own followers wasn't exactly a story worth retelling—but Bast didn't care. He could laugh at himself when it mattered. And this was one of those times.
I lost. But it was to someone worthy.
T'Chaka stepped forward. "Lord Bast… Wakanda has compromised today. But I believe it was the right call. We suffered no casualties, and in return, we may have earned a powerful ally."
Bast nodded. "He held back, T'Chaka. That final Susanoo was just a taste of his real strength. If he had chosen violence instead of negotiation… this land would be ash."
"It's as that old proverb goes," T'Chaka said grimly. "It's hard not to crush ants when you walk like a giant."
Wakanda had always considered itself the hidden giant of Earth. But today, that belief had been shattered. One man, acting alone, had brought the entire kingdom to its knees—not with rage, but with reason.
As the people dispersed, Okoye, ever the warrior, stood beside Bast.
"Lord Panther God… should we begin preparations in case he returns? Defensive protocols, perhaps?"
Bast looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Don't confuse mortals with gods, General. That man… isn't just a super-powered individual. You should begin seeing him as a divine being."
He paused, then continued. "If you treat gods like enemies, you'd better have gods on your side. And you saw today—even I couldn't stop him. Yes, I have powers I didn't use. But so does he."
"Trying to restrain someone like that with politics or pride is a mistake. He gave us a fair deal. He could've taken everything. But he didn't. That makes him a rare kind of god."
"And what of the vibranium?" Okoye asked. "It was half our reserve."
Bast chuckled softly. "Vibranium will return. Slowly, yes—but I have my ways."
Unknown to all but a few, one of Bast's divine gifts was the slow transmutation of raw ores into vibranium over centuries. The myth of the meteorite was a convenient cover story. The truth was far more mystical—and much harder to explain.
That power, however, had no place in battle. It was a passive force, one of growth and prosperity. Bast had never been a war god. That's why, during the battle against the Celestial, he had been relegated to a support role.
A role he had long accepted.
"Let them believe it came from the stars," Bast murmured. "Sometimes faith is more valuable than truth."
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