"Don't be like that, just let me look at it for a second," Shuri insisted, approaching with a curious smile while Legion sat down on a bench to take off his sneakers.
He didn't answer her. He focused on untying his laces, ignoring the princess's persistence.
"Shuri, don't bother him," T'Challa cut in. "He needs to prepare for the fight and shouldn't get distracted."
The young woman sat down beside him.
"I'm just asking you to take it off for one second so I can scan it. That's all," she said, pointing at the device on his wrist.
"I already told you I can't take it off," Legion replied as he set his shoes to one side.
Shuri made a gesture of disbelief, letting out a small laugh.
"That makes no sense. You're telling me you were capable of creating a full-body armor that retracts down to a metal cube and explodes if anyone else touches it... but you can't take off a watch?"
Legion paused for a second and looked at her steadily.
"Yes," he replied dryly.
Without another word, he stood up and walked toward the bathroom area. Before going in, he pointed to a simple shirt and trousers of ritual appearance hanging near the door.
"Is this what I have to wear?" he asked, looking at the prince.
T'Challa nodded.
"It's the attire for the trial — specially designed for combat."
Legion took the clothes and went into the bathroom to change.
Shuri looked at her brother with an expression of disbelief the moment the bathroom door closed behind the young man.
"Can you believe him?" she asked, gesturing toward where Legion had gone.
T'Challa simply gave a slight shrug.
"I suppose for him it's the same as if someone came and asked us to lend them a bit of vibranium. You can't blame him for being guarded."
Shuri let out a sigh and crossed her arms.
===
Inside the bathroom, Legion took a breath in front of the mirror while he waited for Sid to finish the security scan.
"Clear. There are no hidden cameras or microphones in this location, sir," Sid confirmed.
The hero nodded and carefully removed his helmet. He felt the cool air on his face and let out a sigh of relief as he observed his reflection.
He stared for a few seconds, recognizing the exhaustion slowly accumulating beneath his eyes.
"Do you know who my opponent is yet, Sid?"
"It is Kofie, a young man from the Border Tribe," Sid replied immediately. "He is considerably larger than average — he stands at least two heads taller than you, sir. He has considerable strength and endurance, as well as absolute confidence in his physique."
Legion pulled the dark shirt over his head and adjusted the trousers, letting out a low whistle.
"Great, a giant. Give me a full report on him. I want to know his strengths, weaknesses, and how he usually fights."
"You do realize that asking me this is basically cheating?" Sid commented in a tone that almost sounded like a joke.
Legion raised an eyebrow as he finished getting changed.
"That guy has been trained in combat since he could walk. On my end, the hospital was my second home as a child. They said they'd do their best to make this 'balanced'... so it's on me to try to even things out a little more."
"Valid point," Sid admitted. "Being so large, his center of gravity is high. If you can get inside his guard and attack his knees or ankles, he'll lose his balance quickly. Also, he trusts his strength so completely that he tends to neglect his defense after a heavy attack — he assumes no one will dare to counter while he's catching his breath."
Legion finished adjusting his bandana, covering the lower half of his face.
"Take him down by the legs and attack in the gaps. Got it."
He left his helmet and earpiece on the table and stepped out of the bathroom.
T'Challa gave him a thumbs up with a smile as Legion finished straightening his bandana.
"You look good."
"For now," Shuri cut in. "After the fight, hopefully you'll still be able to get up and lie down on a stretcher."
Legion looked at her as he walked over to put on some sandals near the entrance.
"You don't think I'll win?"
"If it were against one of those aliens, sure, you'd win," the princess replied, crossing her arms. "But without the watch, and on top of that without any of your gadgets, honestly I doubt you'll pull it off."
Okoye nodded silently, showing she agreed with her.
However, as Legion finished getting ready, Shuri's attention drifted toward his arms and feet, also noticing some marks on the areas of his torso that the shirt didn't quite cover. There were several scars that the armor usually concealed entirely.
"And those scars?"
T'Challa said her name quietly, warning her not to be careless, but Legion brushed it off with a wave of his hand.
"It's fine — they're just marks from things that have happened to me over the course of my life. Nothing more."
Shuri and T'Challa exchanged a brief glance, but neither decided to ask anything further.
Okoye walked to the door and opened it fully.
"If you want to arrive on time, we must leave now," the general declared, pointing the way toward the arena.
===
On the way to their destination, the sound of the drums grew steadily louder, vibrating through the stone walls. Legion broke the silence with a question that had been circling his mind.
"Does this happen often?" he asked, looking at Shuri.
"What do you mean?" she replied with a teasing smile. "A foreigner who transforms into aliens entering Wakanda? No, you're definitely the first."
T'Challa shook his head slightly, taking the question more seriously.
"No. These ritual combats are very rare, and even more so in a situation like yours. In fact, it's only the second time one has been held under these circumstances."
"And who was the first?"
"T'Challa's best friend... or ex-best friend, Hunter," Shuri answered, lowering her tone slightly.
"Why 'ex'?" Legion asked.
T'Challa gave a faint grimace as he kept walking with his eyes ahead.
"I grew up alongside Hunter. He was a boy from the outside whom my father adopted when he was a child. We grew up together."
"And something happened," Legion concluded, noticing the tension in the prince's voice.
T'Challa nodded, but didn't continue with the story. It was clear the subject was still difficult to touch. Shuri leaned slightly toward Legion and whispered so her brother wouldn't hear as much.
"They were very close, so it still affects him a little," she explained quietly.
Legion nodded softly, understanding the situation. He decided not to ask any more — he had enough to deal with the fight waiting for him without digging into the royal family's past.
===
Stepping outside, the sight was impressive. On an elevated platform sat the throne where the king was seated alongside the queen, with the council members at a respectful distance. Below, musicians played drums and traditional instruments, filling the air with a steady rhythm.
The arena was not an enclosed space but a shallow river. On each side stood guards, more musicians, and rows of Dora Milaje watching over everything. Legion let out a whistle of amazement.
"I thought it would be something like a dojo, but this is very well produced," he commented, looking around. "It would make a great scene for a movie."
Shuri glanced at him sideways with a conspiratorial smile.
"You think so too? I tried to convince my parents to film a combat scene here, but they refused. They said the royal family doesn't make movies."
Legion nodded, letting out a small laugh.
"I see... Honestly, I never imagined a princess as a film director."
"Exactly. That's why I want to be the first," she replied with pride.
Upon reaching the river's edge, Okoye struck her spear against the ground firmly, announcing their arrival. T'Challa gave Legion an encouraging pat on the back before crossing a platform over the water alongside Shuri to join their parents.
Seeing them arrive, the queen's eyes went wide when she noticed her daughter. Shuri gave her an innocent smile, while her mother shot her a look of reproach — like any mother scolding her child. Shuri, however, played oblivious.
Since there was no seat for the princess, T'Challa offered her his. She sat down thanking him and he remained standing behind her, resting his hands on the back of the chair.
"What are you doing here?" her mother whispered without looking at her.
"I already finished my assignments," Shuri lied quietly. "They forbade me from seeing him in the throne room, but I left my room and ran into them on the way here. It's not my fault."
The queen frowned, clearly not believing her, and looked at T'Challa for an explanation. The prince simply gave a faint smile and kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, waiting for the duel to begin.
Legion stopped right at the water's edge, watching as the formation of warriors on the other side made way. They came out in two perfect rows, chanting tribal songs that resonated powerfully throughout the place, marking a rhythm that made the ground vibrate beneath their feet.
Among them appeared the opponent.
He was a teenager, but with an imposing build. Standing at nearly six feet tall with robust musculature that spoke of years of physical training, he walked with a confidence that bordered on arrogance. He wore only traditional short trousers, leaving his torso bare to display the intricate paint patterns adorning his skin.
The young man reached the opposite bank of the river with a firm step. He kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, completely ignoring Legion's presence — as if the foreigner wasn't even worthy of his attention before the duel began.
The young hero sighed quietly as he picked up a shield and wooden spear he had chosen earlier.
"Some 'apprentice' they put in front of me," he muttered to himself, recalling Sid's report. "They really took the whole balancing thing seriously — am I really that incredible and hadn't realized it?"
From the platform, King T'Chaka rose to his feet, extending an arm to call for silence.
The drums dropped in intensity until they settled into a dull, steady heartbeat, leaving the sound of water flowing between the two fighters as the only thing that could be heard in the arena.
"Today we witness a singular encounter," T'Chaka announced. "On one side, we welcome Legion — a warrior from abroad who wishes to demonstrate his honor before Wakanda and prove himself worthy of our people's trust. He comes with the endorsement of my own son."
Legion held his ground, trying to look at least somewhat impressive.
"On the other side," the king continued, "stands Kofie, of the Border Tribe. The most capable apprentice of this generation — a remarkable talent with a great future in our nation."
Upon hearing his name, the young powerhouse raised his arms with pride. The warriors accompanying him erupted in cheers and war cries, making the atmosphere vibrate.
Legion gave a slight grimace and looked from side to side and then back, waiting for some shout of support, but found only silence.
"These two young men will face each other in a ritual duel," the king went on. "They must demonstrate their abilities in combat. Advance!"
Legion and Kofie removed their footwear and stepped into the river. The cool, crystal-clear water came just above Legion's ankles. Both walked until they stood at a suitable distance to begin the fight.
"Show that you have what it takes to be a true warrior," T'Chaka declared. "Fight as if your life depended on it."
Kofie nodded solemnly. He turned toward the throne, crossed his arms over his chest in the traditional salute, and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Wakanda forever!"
Legion stood frozen for a few seconds, processing the intensity of the moment and not quite knowing how to respond to such a display of patriotism.
Finally, he raised one arm with a thumbs up and called out naturally:
"Got it, chief!"
The comment clashed completely with the solemnity of the ceremony. Several guards raised an eyebrow and looked at each other, confused by the response.
T'Challa couldn't help a faint smile, while Shuri had to bite her lip to keep from bursting out laughing, ignoring her mother's stern look demanding she maintain her composure.
The king sat down and the musicians began to play their instruments, gradually raising the volume to signal the start of the duel.
Kofie began to circle around Legion, measuring his distance. Legion played along, moving calmly while keeping his guard up.
The young Wakandan smiled with arrogance, tightening his grip on his enormous wooden club.
"I've had many fights... but it seems this time the elders decided to offer me a small gazelle as a sacrifice."
Legion didn't flinch and adjusted the shield on his arm.
"Do you happen to know the story of David and Goliath?"
Kofie nodded with a curt gesture.
"It's a story from the Bible."
"A 'story,' sure, whatever you say," Legion muttered to himself. "Either way, this time David is unfortunately going to lose."
Kofie let out a mocking laugh, shaking his head while dragging his club slightly through the water.
"On top of everything, you're an idiot. Goliath was the giant."
Legion shrugged as he kept pace with the circle.
"Well, if we're talking about size, I'm pretty sure I've got you beat."
Kofie went quiet for a second, trying to process the comment, until he realized Legion had made a small gesture downward toward himself. When he understood the reference, the warrior's face transformed into a mix of indignation and disgust.
"You're disgusting," Kofie snapped, tightening his grip on his weapon.
"Hey, don't be embarrassed," Legion replied with a spark of mockery. "I heard size isn't everything."
Several of the nearby guards cleared their throats to hide their surprise at the foreigner's boldness.
On the royal platform, T'Challa covered his mouth with his hand to conceal a smile, while Shuri was on the verge of bursting out laughing, earning a severe look from her mother demanding she hold herself together.
Kofie, now visibly irritated, stopped circling. The taunt had served its purpose — the giant's patience was wearing thin before he had even thrown the first blow.
He charged with full force, raising the enormous wooden club. The water splashed violently with each step he took.
Legion, alert to the movement, waited until the last second to dodge to one side. He used the momentum to deliver a quick thrust into the giant's exposed flank, but the blow didn't carry the necessary power.
Kofie let out a laugh, barely feeling the impact on his painted skin. Without giving him time to recover, he swung his weapon back in a heavy horizontal sweep. Legion couldn't react fast enough to dodge again, so he had to block with the shield.
The impact was brutal. The crack of wood striking resonated throughout the arena, forcing Legion back several steps while the water slowed his movement. He felt an electric vibration travel up his arm and his hand went slightly numb from the force of the blow.
He shook his hand, trying to recover feeling, and looked at Kofie with a mix of surprise and irritation.
"What the hell do they feed you here?" he asked, getting back into his guard. "Vibranium cereal?"
Kofie didn't even respond. He simply raised the club again, enjoying watching the foreigner begin to feel the weight of the physical gap between them. On the platform, Shuri stopped smiling and leaned forward, seeing that the fight was getting serious much faster than she had expected.
His opponent wasted no time and came at him again.
The water splashed with each of his steps, but his movements were surprisingly fluid.
Legion tried to maintain his distance, launching quick thrusts with the spear to keep the giant at bay. However, Kofie blocked the attacks with the body of his club or simply deflected them with his forearm, making it clear those blows barely tickled him.
The hero spotted an opening when Kofie raised his weapon for a vertical strike. He slid to one side, going for the warrior's knees, but Kofie knew what he was doing.
Before the spear could touch his skin, the giant released one hand from the club and struck the shaft of Legion's weapon, deflecting it with a raw force that nearly tore it from his hands. Without giving him a moment's rest, Kofie used the momentum to deliver a direct knee strike straight to his stomach.
The air left Legion in an instant.
He stumbled back, trying to catch his breath, but Kofie gave him no reprieve. The club came whistling in a heavy horizontal sweep. Legion barely managed to duck, feeling the wind of the impact above his head, but he didn't see what came next. Using his weight, the warrior launched a side kick that connected squarely with Legion's shield, sending him several feet backward.
The water cushioned the fall, but the physical punishment was already taking its toll.
Legion got back to his feet with difficulty, feeling his arms heavy. He attempted a feint, faking a high strike to attack the legs, but Kofie read the movement perfectly.
The warrior delivered a downward strike that Legion had to block with the spear held horizontally. The force of the impact was such that it drove him to one knee on the riverbed.
"Is this all you have?" Kofie taunted, pressing his weapon down.
Legion gritted his teeth, trying to hold, but the weight difference was too great. In a quick movement, his opponent released the pressure to throw him off balance and launched a direct punch to his face.
The blow landed clean. Legion's world lurched suddenly — the sound of the drums became a distant hum and his vision blurred as he fell backwards into the water with a dull splash.
He lay there for a moment, dazed, while the water seeped through his bandana. Kofie stopped a few meters away, lowering the club and looking toward the throne with smugness, waiting for the foreigner to give up.
The hero braced himself on one knee, feeling the weight of the water in his clothes and the burning in every muscle. Several bruises were beginning to form on his skin.
He rose slowly, while Kofie approached step by step with a calm that showed how little his opponent concerned him.
"You know? This brings back some memories," Legion said, wiping a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth. "I used to get dizzy a lot, you know?"
He stayed quiet for a moment, closing his eyes. A faint high-pitched ringing resonated in his ears — a sound he knew all too well. He let out a short, almost nostalgic laugh.
"Even this ringing feels familiar," he murmured, regaining his vertical stance even though his legs trembled slightly.
Kofie stopped a few meters away and looked at him with a mix of irritation and contempt.
"I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't care," the warrior replied, tightening his grip on his club. "This fight is an embarrassment, even for me. Two great warriors are supposed to clash in a fierce battle, demonstrating their skills before everyone's eyes."
He took one more step forward, splashing water with disdain.
"But right now, I just feel like a bully beating up a weak child. Give up and save us both this scene. It's humiliating for me too — I can't show off any of the skills I trained for so many years against someone like you."
Legion tilted his head with exhaustion, letting out a heavy sigh as he tasted the metallic flavor of blood in his mouth.
"To hell with it," he muttered to himself. "If the Captain could do it when he was a scrawny kid, why can't I?"
Suddenly, he dropped the spear, letting it fall into the water with a muffled splash. He adjusted the shield on his arm, raised his guard, and looked Kofie in the eyes.
"I can do this all day," he declared with a spark of stubbornness.
Kofie let out a laugh loaded with contempt and tossed his club to one side, preferring to use his bare hands.
"I don't think you'll last another twenty seconds," he replied, launching himself at the attack.
What followed was a brutal beating.
Kofie attacked with ferocity, throwing punches that echoed throughout the arena. Legion tried to cover himself with the shield, but the force of the impacts kept him constantly staggering.
In a quick movement, the Wakandan managed to hook the edge of the shield with one hand and, while delivering a kick to his chest, violently tore it from his arm.
Kofie threw the shield far, letting it fall into the deeper part of the river, and continued the punishment.
Kicks, knee strikes, and elbows rained down on Legion's body without respite. The young man managed to connect a blow here and there, but Kofie didn't even blink — it was like hitting a stone wall.
In a desperate attempt, Legion tried to grab the giant's arm to lock it and bring him down, but Kofie lifted him into the air and slammed him into the riverbed. Legion let out a grunt of pain as the impact drove the air out of him again.
The warrior grabbed him firmly by the shirt and lifted him from the water, but the fabric, worn down by the fight, couldn't take the weight and tore completely apart.
Legion fell backwards onto the riverbed, bare-chested, while the current quickly washed away the blood seeping from his wounds.
===
From the platform, silence was absolute. The contrast between Legion's scar-covered skin and Kofie's immaculate body paint was stark under the Wakandan sun.
From the council platform, the laughter and contemptuous comments were not long in coming. Several of the elders exchanged mocking glances, pointing toward the river with disdain.
"This, as we anticipated, turned out to be a waste of time," one of them commented, letting out a laugh. "If 'this' is what outsiders consider a 'superhero,' any one of our warriors would be a demigod to them."
The others nodded amid laughter, making jokes about the fragility of the young man lying in the water.
Queen Ramonda, however, did not share in the amusement. She watched with a mix of pity and concern at Legion's torso, where old scars now mingled with fresh bruises and blood that the river slowly carried away.
She leaned toward her husband, speaking quietly so only he could hear.
"Would it not be prudent to end the fight now?" she asked with sadness. "It is clear he is not up to this. He is not worthy of this honor, but he doesn't deserve this beating either. He is just a young man who tried to bite off more than he could chew."
Ramonda sighed, watching as Legion tried to press his palms against the riverbed to push himself up.
"Perhaps we were wrong," she continued. "We overestimated him because of what he does with his transformations and because of T'Challa's backing, but here he is just an overwhelmed child."
King T'Chaka did not take his eyes off the arena. His expression was stone, analyzing every movement in the water.
"No," he replied firmly.
"T'Chaka, this is no longer a fight," the queen insisted, trying to appeal to his sense of justice.
But the king shook his head, maintaining the authority in his voice.
"Legion has not yet surrendered. No one has the right to end this confrontation, except for Kofie defeating him completely or the boy himself accepting his defeat. To do it any other way would be to disrespect what this ritual means and the warriors who stand down there."
Ramonda leaned back against her throne. She was not pleased with the answer and the sorrow showed on her face, but she understood her husband's words. As much as it pained her to watch the scene, interrupting the duel under those rules would be a greater offense to both fighters.
===
Shuri had stopped finding any of this amusing a while ago. She had known Legion had little chance of winning, but she had expected to see a good fight — not the one-sided beating she was witnessing now. Gratuitous displays of brutality had never been to her taste.
She leaned toward her brother, who, like his father, hadn't taken his eyes off the two young men in the river.
"T'Challa," she whispered.
He barely glanced at her sideways, keeping his composure.
"Can't you do something?" she insisted quietly.
T'Challa shook his head slightly, with a firm gesture.
"Doing so would be a grave offense to those present and to our ancestors. We must honor the customs and the honor of this duel."
"Nobody understands better than you that this is no longer a fight," Shuri replied, frustrated by the rigidity of the protocol.
"That is not for us to decide," T'Challa said. "If they're still in there, it's because Legion wants to be. At any moment he could simply surrender, but he hasn't done so yet."
Shuri looked toward the arena, where Legion was trying to get back up once more, then turned back to her brother.
"And why hasn't Kofie finished it once and for all?"
T'Challa made a slight grimace, reflecting an uncomfortable truth.
"The entire Border Tribe has a particular rejection of any outsider. Of all the tribes, they are the ones who must deal with the outside world the most. Kofie is no different. I suppose he's letting off steam while at the same time showing everyone what the rest of the world has to offer."
Shuri huffed, displeased by the warrior's attitude, but turned back to the fight. She was far from satisfied with the direction things were taking, feeling that tradition was becoming an excuse for cruelty.
Down in the water, Legion finished getting to his feet. The cold of the river against his bare chest seemed to wake him up, while Kofie waited with clenched fists, ready to resume the punishment under the watchful eyes of everyone present.
====
LEGION'S POV
I feel my body heavy, as if it were made of lead. The only reason I haven't lost consciousness yet is the ice-cold river water hitting my face every time I fall... How clever — now I understand why they fight here. The cold forces you awake whether you like it or not.
A sharp blow to the cheek cuts through my thoughts and throws me off balance again.
Maybe I should just give up.
A kick to the ribs takes what little air I have left.
For a moment I thought I'd find a way — some trick or something to win... but no.
An elbow connects squarely with my shoulder.
I forgot how weak I am in my human form. Just because I accomplished so much transformed, I thought I'd be strong too. What an idiot.
A headbutt makes me see stars.
I'm not like my other forms.
A knee strike hits my stomach.
I'm not strong.
Another blow.
I'm not fast.
A kick.
I'm not even smart.
A direct impact to the chest sends me backwards into the water.
I have no special abilities. I'm nothing more than a simple, weak human who isn't capable of anything on his own.
I feel hands close around my throat. Kofie lifts me up and, through my blurring vision, I can see he's smiling.
"Useless..." he says, as he delivers the first slap.
Thump-thump... thump-thump...
"A disgrace..." another slap. The sound of my heartbeat begins to pound in my ears, slow and heavy.
"Weak..." blow after blow.
I keep my eyes open, fixed on his face, but Kofie's silhouette begins to distort. His voice, once deep, grows gradually higher.
Thump-thump... thump-thump...
"Incompetent..."
His voice no longer sounds the same.
Kofie's features fade away and give way to a face I recognize... far too well.
"Useless..." one more slap. I'm no longer hearing the insults of a warrior — I'm hearing that voice. Her voice.
Hatred begins to boil in my blood, rising from my stomach up to the center of my chest.
Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump...
My heart pounds frantically, like a runaway drum drowning out everything else.
The numbness disappears, replaced by a heat that travels through every nerve.
My body, which a second ago could barely hold itself up, feels renewed — so much so that I can't help but tremble.
I clench my fists so hard I feel my own nails digging into my palms. I notice the blood welling up, mixing with the water running down my arms.
Not again... this time... it will be different... this time... I won't let you hit me.
=====
Kofie kept throwing slaps and taunts, enjoying the spectacle while the advisors toasted in the background, celebrating their warrior's superiority.
The queen looked at her husband insistently until the king, after a few seconds of silence, closed his eyes and rose to his feet.
He moved to the edge of the platform and began to raise his arms to bring the encounter to an end.
But at that very instant, the rhythm of the fight changed violently.
Legion, who had appeared completely subdued, stretched out his arms and grabbed Kofie's head with force, seizing him by the ears.
Before the giant could react, Legion drove his own head forward, crashing squarely into his opponent's face.
Kofie only managed to let out a confused "what" before receiving a second headbutt, then another, and one more.
The warrior's face began to turn red.
From his nose — now broken — a river of blood poured, mixing with the water of the river.
The Wakandan tried to break free, but every time he struggled, Legion tightened his grip on the ears, using the hold to gain momentum and strike with greater force.
Kofie cursed under his breath and managed to stop the next impact with his hands.
He grabbed Legion by the hair to lift his face and bring it level with his own. With a shout, he returned the blow with a brutal headbutt. A dry crack resonated throughout the entire arena. Kofie smiled, believing that would be the end, but when he tried to pull back, he felt a sharp pain.
Legion had sunk his teeth into his scalp while pulling at his ears again, refusing to let go.
Shouting in pain and fury, Kofie used all his physical strength to pry Legion's hands from his ears.
He managed to break free and, grabbing him by the torso, hurled him violently several meters away.
The hero crashed heavily into the river, rolling once across the stone riverbed.
Kofie was panting, bringing his hands to his nose to reset it with a quick, rough movement. To the surprise of everyone present, Legion got back to his feet almost immediately.
The bruises and scars covering his body seemed to have stopped hurting. With a sharp gesture, he reset his own broken nose in a single movement of his hand.
He lowered his body slightly, adopting a far more aggressive attack stance, and fixed his gaze on Kofie.
"This time... I won't be the one getting hit."
================
HEYYYY, HOW'S EVERYONE DOING? HOPE YOU'RE ALL WELL! AS I PROMISED, I BROUGHT YOU THE NEXT CHAPTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE — I EVEN MADE IT LONGER THAN PLANNED AS COMPENSATION.
IT SEEMS THAT CONTRARY TO THE PROTAGONIST'S PLANS, THIS TIME HE WOULDN'T FIND A WAY TO DEAL WITH HIS OPPONENT. THIS TIME THERE WERE NO TRANSFORMATIONS, NO GADGETS, NO HELP. CONFIDENT HE COULD DO IT, HE STEPPED FORWARD WITH CONVICTION... AND RAN STRAIGHT INTO A WALL HE COULDN'T GET PAST.
ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE... SOMETHING ELSE IS HAPPENING, DOESN'T IT? HOW INTERESTING, WHAT A MYSTERY.
UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU ALL, WE'LL SEE HOW THIS SITUATION PLAYS OUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.
ONE MORE THING — PATREON IS HONESTLY A MESS. I KNOW MANY OF YOU AREN'T FROM ARGENTINA, AND CAFECITO SEEMS LIKE A HASSLE FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T, SO I'LL SEE WHAT THE HELL I CAN DO ABOUT GETTING PATREON SORTED OUT... I HAVE AN ACCOUNTANT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE SHE KNOWS EVEN LESS THAN I DO ABOUT HOW TO HELP ME WITH THIS.
AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS AND SUPPORT.
SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, KISSES 😘