Meanwhile, outside Wakanda.
When Axel arrived near Wakanda's hidden border, he found himself standing on a stretch of grassland.
In the distance, scattered flocks of sheep were slowly returning home with their shepherds.
Axel glanced at the peaceful scene and grinned.
Then he raised his hand and pressed forward.
Instantly, his left palm met Wakanda's vibranium cloaking barrier.
The moment his hand touched it, alarms blared throughout Wakanda's monitoring center.
Inside the control room, several operators straightened in their seats.
"Someone has discovered the cloaking barrier. Probably those National Geographic reporters again."
"Annoying. Just wipe their memories, take some photos for their story, and send them back."
"Yeah, we have done this a hundred times already."
The guards chatted casually as they switched the display to the area where the disturbance was detected.
But when Axel appeared on the screen, they paused.
Then they exchanged confused looks.
"This is strange. Not a reporter... looks like an Asian tourist."
"We rarely get backpackers here. Should we invite him in for dinner before wiping his memory?"
"Stop joking. Handle it quickly. I want to get off shift."
"Wait. Look at what he's doing!"
"He is trying to punch the barrier!"
"What the hell?!"
The operators were suddenly alarmed.
"This idiot is crazy. If the barrier's counterattack activates, he'll lose an arm!"
"Damn it, disable the counterattack in that section first. Try not to hurt him."
Boom!
Before they could finish speaking, Axel's fist slammed into the barrier.
Across Wakanda, the sky suddenly flickered and distorted.
Every tribe could see the strange ripple spreading across the invisible dome.
Inside the royal palace, King T'Chaka was having dinner with his wife and daughter.
The sudden disturbance made him freeze.
He placed the lamb leg back onto the plate and rushed to the window.
Behind him, Queen Ramonda spoke with alarm.
"An attack from outside shook the entire barrier. Did the United Nations drop a nuclear weapon near our borders?"
"I do not know," T'Chaka replied while pulling off his ceremonial robes.
"But whatever it is, dinner will have to wait."
As the robes fell away, the sleek Black Panther suit underneath was revealed.
While fastening his boots, T'Chaka spoke to his wife.
"Take care of Shuri, my dear."
"Do not worry about us," Ramonda said calmly.
"You are the one who must be careful. If the attacker is from a major world power, then peace should come first. Try not to kill anyone."
"I understand."
T'Chaka finished putting on the boots and leaned down to gently brush Ramonda's cheek with his beard.
Nearby, eleven-year-old Shuri looked up curiously.
"Our cloaking barrier cannot be detected with normal satellites or radar," she said thoughtfully.
"So it should not be a foreign government."
"If they could see through our disguise, they would also see how powerful Wakanda is. They would want peace more than we do."
She tilted her head.
"So maybe it is Ulysses again?"
"If that thief really dared to return, that would be wonderful," T'Chaka said with a grim smile.
Then he placed the Black Panther helmet over his head.
The moment the Black Panther stepped out of the dining hall, members of the Royal Guard hurried toward him.
"Your Majesty, there is only one attacker."
"Only one?"
"Yes. A single Asian male. But his first punch drained nearly forty percent of the cloaking barrier's energy."
"What?!"
Even behind the mask, T'Chaka's expression changed.
Forty percent of the barrier's energy... from one punch.
That level of power meant the attacker could probably flatten half of Manhattan with a single strike.
T'Chaka immediately asked,
"Has the Lion Intelligence Division identified him?"
The Lion Division was Wakanda's intelligence network. With their advanced technology, their capabilities rivaled the CIA and even S.H.I.E.L.D.
The guard nodded.
"Based on his appearance, they believe he is the individual who appeared during the Battle of New York. His name is Axel."
"However, most information about him is sealed by S.H.I.E.L.D. and classified as top secret."
"What we do know is that his physical strength is comparable to Thor or the Hulk."
"He also possesses teleportation."
"Damn it."
T'Chaka cursed under his breath.
Then he raised his voice.
"In the name of the Black Panther, Wakanda enters full mobilization."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Across the nation, all tribes began preparing for war.
T'Chaka had ruled Wakanda for nearly twenty years, and his authority was unquestioned.
The tribes moved together without hesitation.
Even the reclusive Jabari Tribe dispatched warriors toward the capital.
Meanwhile, the Antelope Tribe, located closest to the disturbance, rushed toward the barrier carrying vibranium spears and cloaks.
And Axel.
After his first punch, the barrier flickered.
Through the distorted energy field, he could already see warriors gathering on the other side.
So he casually waved at them.
The elder of the Antelope Tribe arrived with dozens of warriors and stared in shock.
"Only one person?"
He raised his spear.
"This enemy must be extremely powerful. Prepare for battle!"
"Hoo ha!"
The warriors shouted in unison and wrapped their vibranium cloaks across their bodies like shields.
Meanwhile, Axel stared at the barrier, which flickered briefly before stabilizing again.
His grin widened.
"Alright then. Taste this."
"Consecutive Normal Punches."
Boom. Boom. Boom.
A storm of punches slammed into the cloaking barrier.
The barrier that had barely stabilized began to dent inward under the relentless blows.
Energy gathered violently around the impact point, glowing a scorching red as it tried to counter the assault.
The heat tore at Axel's knuckles.
But each time the skin burned away, it regenerated instantly.
The barrier's desperate energy discharge was shattered again and again.
Then the final punch landed.
Boom!
The cloaking barrier collapsed.
The Antelope Tribe warriors felt the shockwave first.
A violent blast of wind exploded outward, strong enough to send nearby sheep tumbling like balls of wool.
Even the warriors struggled to stay on their feet.
Nearly a third of them were knocked down.
Axel walked forward slowly.
The elder steadied himself and shouted.
"Outsider! This is the Kingdom of Wakanda. State your purpose!"
"Oh, purpose?"
Axel pointed at their weapons and cloaks.
"What do you think?"
"I am a little short on cash these days. Thought I might borrow some vibranium."
"And maybe some clothes while I'm at it."
"So how about lending me a little?"
The moment he finished speaking, Axel stomped forward.
The grass shattered beneath his feet as he dashed ahead.
In an instant, he grabbed the elder by the neck.
With his other hand, he casually took the elder's vibranium spear.
"If I just steal the metal," Axel said casually, "I would still have to figure out how to use the damn stuff."
"So I guess I'll also need your technology."
"Impossible!"
Before Axel could continue, the elder hurled his vibranium cloak at him.
Axel caught it easily.
Then the cloak suddenly emitted a powerful shockwave.
The force slammed into Axel.
But he did not move even an inch.
However, force works both ways.
Boom!
The elder was blasted away by the recoil of his own attack.
He flew nearly fifty meters before crashing into the ground.
His spine twisted at a horrifying angle.
Axel stared at him in confusion.
Then he slowly raised both hands.
"Hey, hey, hey."
"We are not playing the fake injury compensation game here."
"I didn't even move."
"He broke his own damn back."
"For my ancestors!"
"Wakanda Forever!"
No one listened to Axel.
The moment the elder collapsed, the warriors lost all restraint.
Spears shot toward Axel from every direction.
Some warriors even fired vibranium energy blasts from their weapons.
Axel sighed.
He grabbed two cloaks and tied them around his waist.
Then he casually lifted one warrior.
The man instantly became Axel's weapon.
Swing.
Like a massive sword, the warrior smashed through a group of attackers.
Bones cracked.
Bodies flew.
After slamming the last one into the ground, Axel shook his head.
"Damn it."
"I actually feel bad about this."
"Because I am a good person, alright?"
"When I was outside earlier, your guards said they might invite me over for dinner."
"I thought we would be friends."
He grabbed another spear aimed at his eye.
"But seriously."
"If your technology is so advanced, why the hell don't you people have full body armor?"
He swung the spear violently.
The warrior holding it was launched over a hundred meters into the air.
"And that old guy definitely faked it."
"He broke his own spine."
"Could we not just settle this peacefully?"
"Or at least die a little slower, damn it."
The airborne warrior screamed.
"Ahhh!"
Then he crashed into the ground behind Axel.
Silence.
---