Seeing Nakia sent flying, T'Challa immediately caught her. After confirming she was unharmed, he turned and charged straight at Lucas.
Lucas did not indulge him. He dismissed Judicator, and the Ultimate Divine Armament appeared in his hand. Just as T'Challa's claws were about to reach him, Lucas flicked his arm upward—
the Phoenix wings manifested instantly, perfectly blocking the claw strike. At the same time, three scorching sword arcs burst forth from the Ultimate Divine Armament.
All three sword arcs struck T'Challa squarely.
Relying on the Black Panther suit, T'Challa was not injured, but three deep gashes appeared across his chest. The Black Panther armor—crafted from vibranium—had actually been torn open.
And it had only taken three sword arcs.
This suit had been passed down from his father. No matter what, it was still vibranium. This was the first time T'Challa had ever seen anything capable of damaging it.
In the instant of his shock, Lucas suddenly teleported in front of him, the blade resting lightly against his neck.
"Can we talk calmly now?"
Lucas looked at T'Challa. With the helmet on, he couldn't see his expression—but the shock was obvious enough.
At that moment, Okoye and Nakia rushed over. Concerned for T'Challa's safety, neither of them attacked.
"Release the prince at once!" Okoye shouted. "Otherwise, Wakanda will grind you to dust!"
As the prince's personal guard, if T'Challa were harmed, she would bear an unforgivable罪. If the prince fell, she would die with him.
Lucas ignored Okoye and looked only at T'Challa. What she said didn't matter—the decision rested with him.
T'Challa slowly removed his helmet.
"Let's talk on the ship."
At the same time, he instructed Okoye to bring all the trafficked people aboard as well, and issued a strict order: none of them were allowed to reveal anything they had witnessed tonight, or Wakanda would hunt them down without mercy.
Those women were all from neighboring countries. Upon learning that T'Challa was a prince, they didn't dare object in the slightest—nodding repeatedly, some even swearing oaths on the spot.
---
Aboard the aircraft, T'Challa sat facing Lucas and the others. Okoye stood behind him, glaring fiercely at Lucas and Tony, while Nakia—seated nearby—was no friendlier.
"Prince T'Challa," Tony began, "why did you attack us? We clearly stated that we meant no harm."
Tony had already removed his armor. He now loathed the portable suit to the point that he wanted to destroy it on the spot. It lay discarded in the corner of the cabin like scrap metal.
"Because of vibranium," T'Challa replied. "Wakanda strictly forbids vibranium from leaving the country. Your armor is made entirely of vibranium. And besides you, there are five others whose equipment also contains vibranium. That is absolutely unacceptable."
With a wave of his hand, a holographic screen appeared.
The footage showed Tony unleashing weapons in every direction, repulsor blasts firing from his palms—scenes from the Battle of New York.
Split screens followed:
Skye releasing shockwaves,
Gwen and Peter swinging between skyscrapers,
Felicia Hardy fighting alongside Natasha with terrifying close-combat skill,
and Wanda floating in midair, chaos magic swirling around her.
The moment Tony and Lucas saw the footage, they understood.
T'Challa had recognized at a glance that their armor and suits contained vibranium. In Wakanda—where vibranium circulation was absolutely forbidden—this was a capital crime. No wonder T'Challa had attacked without hesitation.
"Our vibranium was purchased legally," Tony retorted immediately. "We paid for it. We didn't steal it from Wakanda."
"But your supplier did," T'Challa said calmly, tapping his wrist.
The hologram shifted again.
This time, it showed Wakanda's border—an enormous explosion flattening everything within a three-hundred-meter radius. Casualties numbered in the hundreds.
"This was done by Ulysses Klaue when he stole vibranium," T'Challa said coldly. "Over one hundred and thirty Wakandan warriors died. I only want to know one thing—where is he?"
His anger was unmistakable. Those had been Wakanda's soldiers, slaughtered by a single madman.
"I don't know," Tony answered honestly. "I'm looking for him too, but I can't reach him at all."
T'Challa studied Tony closely. Given Tony Stark's status, there was no reason for him to lie.
"Then you will come with me to Wakanda," T'Challa said. "Until your suspicions are cleared, you will be detained."
He stood up. Behind him, Okoye tapped her wrist several times. Metal bars rose from the floor, forming a cage that enclosed Lucas and Tony.
"Hey!" Tony protested. "What is this, the Stone Age? You're locking us in a cage? Are you a caveman or something?!"
Tony Stark—Iron Man—being put in a cage was utterly unacceptable to him.
Lucas frowned as well.
"T'Challa, we guarantee we won't leave. This cage is unnecessary."
T'Challa thought for a moment and agreed it was excessive. Although their motives for coming to Wakanda were unclear, he knew they weren't Klaue's accomplices. A man known worldwide as Iron Man wouldn't collaborate with criminals.
He signaled Okoye to retract the cage and dropped the matter.
---
Tony immediately began wandering around the aircraft, asking endless questions and offering unsolicited suggestions. T'Challa understood none of it—he was merely a prince, after all. Technology was his sister Shuri's domain.
As a scientist, Tony's curiosity for new technology bordered on obsession. When T'Challa couldn't answer his questions, Tony insisted on meeting whoever had designed the ship.
Upon learning that all scientific research was handled by Shuri, Tony finally lost all restraint.
"I want to meet your sister," he said quickly. "No other reason—purely scientific discussion. Don't worry, I have a girlfriend, and we're very much in love."
He was starting to ramble.
T'Challa had no choice but to agree. He promised to take Tony to see Shuri, and only then did Tony finally relent.
---
The aircraft moved at incredible speed, soon arriving over a lush valley. Seeing nothing but dense forest below, Tony was utterly confused.
"Where's Wakanda's advanced technology?" he asked. "Is it… these trees?"
No one answered.
The aircraft continued forward.
Suddenly, the scenery shifted.
Skyscrapers filled the horizon—nothing less than a world-class technological metropolis. Futuristic architecture dominated the skyline. Countless aircraft crisscrossed the sky, and floating rail trains streaked past at high speed.
Tony stared in stunned silence.
This was a city of the future—eerily similar to concepts his father had once imagined.
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