"Such speed... so that's your ability? I see now. I will not underestimate you."
Beneath the sleek panther armor, King T'Chaka's expression hardened as he faced Kurogai. The sheer velocity Kurogai displayed was proof enough—this intruder truly possessed the power to threaten Wakanda's most precious resource: vibranium. A formidable enemy stood before him, one that could not be taken lightly.
T'Chaka had never underestimated Kurogai's strength, but Kurogai, in turn, showed little respect for the Black Panther's might. The heart-shaped herb had always granted the Black Panthers of Wakanda superhuman abilities—strength, agility, speed—putting them on par with enhanced individuals like Captain America. Yet, even that level of power failed to spark any real interest in Kurogai.
The armor T'Chaka wore was not the advanced nanotech suit of the future, capable of absorbing kinetic energy and redirecting it. This version was older—durable and resilient, yes, but lacking that dangerous energy-storing feature. To Kurogai, the Black Panther was not a challenge.
Still, he couldn't simply let the king walk away. If T'Chaka escaped, Wakanda's soldiers would come flooding into the mines, disrupting his mission. Quietly harvesting vibranium would become impossible.
Kurogai's mind sharpened with decision. I'll take the king hostage. With T'Chaka as leverage, Wakanda will stay out of my way until I've taken what I need.
In an instant, he vanished from sight and reappeared directly before the Black Panther.
T'Chaka's eyes widened as Kurogai's hand shot out like lightning, seizing him by the throat.
"—Agh!"
The king staggered back, coughing, his hands clawing at Kurogai's grip. But the man's fingers felt like iron, unyielding, immovable, almost as if forged from vibranium itself.
T'Chaka strained, his enhanced muscles flexing, yet nothing worked.
Kurogai wasn't even using the power of his ocular ring. His body alone had been transformed, reforged in the baptism of the cosmic storm. Every fiber of his being now thrummed with raw strength. Even without channeling his ring, even with a single hand, he could hold the Black Panther in place.
So this is the true gift of my ultimate body, Kurogai thought, crimson light flickering faintly in his eyes. Before, it only helped me suppress the side effects of the pupil ring. But after enduring the storm... it's evolving. Strength, resilience—my very body itself is now a weapon.
"Release my father, now!"
The voice echoed through the mine's speakers—Princess Shuri's desperate cry. Her hands shook as she monitored the scene from her lab, her eyes fixed on the cameras. She had never seen her father so helpless, and her heart pounded with fear.
Kurogai ignored her. His eyes bled crimson as his Sharingan flared to life.
T'Chaka barely had time to gasp before his vision filled with red. Reality fractured. His senses drowned in illusion. Within moments, his consciousness slipped away, and the Black Panther collapsed, unconscious.
"Good. That will keep things quiet."
Kurogai let the king's body fall carelessly to the floor and turned away. He strode back to the mine wall, pressed his palm against the jagged stone, and resumed extracting raw vibranium.
"You villain! What did you do to my father?!"
Shuri's voice trembled with rage and fear. On the monitors, she could only see T'Chaka lying motionless. Panic flooded her chest.
"Relax, little princess. He's alive," Kurogai replied coldly. "Here's my message: tell Wakanda's people that while I remain in this mine, no one is to enter. Interfere, and I won't guarantee your king's survival—or anyone else's."
His voice was calm, almost disinterested, yet the weight of the threat was undeniable.
"You… you'll regret this! I'll tell my mother."
Her voice faltered, but Kurogai paid no mind. With the royal family alerted, Wakanda would be forced to deliberate carefully. He shut his eyes briefly, centering himself, then focused on accelerating the pace of his vibranium harvest.
Meanwhile, in the Royal Palace of Wakanda, chaos rippled through the great hall. Elders of every tribe gathered, their faces carved with worry and outrage.
"There was an intruder—an outsider—and the king has been taken! How could this happen?"
"Is His Majesty alive?" another demanded urgently.
Some voices trembled with concern for T'Chaka's safety, while others turned sharply toward the real matter at hand: the vibranium mines.
"A foreigner breaches our sacred grounds and dares touch our vibranium!" one elder barked angrily. "This cannot be tolerated! How was the king overwhelmed so easily?"
"Silence," Queen Ramonda's commanding voice rang out. From her throne, her regal gaze fixed upon Shuri. "Show us what happened. Project the feed from the mines."
At her command, the hall dimmed. A holographic projection lit up above the central table, displaying the recorded footage. The room fell into stunned silence as they watched.
Kurogai moved like a phantom, dismantling T'Chaka's guards within seconds. Then, as though to mock Wakanda's strength, he seized the Black Panther himself and struck him down without resistance.
Gasps echoed among the elders. Their protector, their guardian spirit—the Black Panther—had been powerless.
For the first time, the council of Wakanda understood: this intruder was no ordinary man.
_____
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