Bullying! That was Hong Fei's first thought upon seeing the Black Panther. Sure, he'd entertained the idea of encountering the Panther God during this trip, even daydreamed about what kind of loot a god might drop. But that was just idle speculation.
Deep down, he never truly believed the Panther God would actually appear. In the cinematic universe, Bast had only shown up a handful of times, always in the spiritual realm after someone consumed the heart-shaped herb. Reality, however, has a way of slapping you in the face when you least expect it.
When the massive Black Panther appeared before him, her voice rumbling through the air, Hong Fei's mind raced. One conclusion crystalized: She's looking down on me. She wants to bully me right now! Where were you when Thanos' army attacked Wakanda? Where were you when Thanos himself invaded? Where were you when that purple bastard snapped his fingers here? But the moment I show up, you appear? You're mocking me!
Hong Fei tilted his head back, his gaze locking onto Bast's eyes looming three meters above him.
"Why did you come out?"
Bast's gaze remained impassive.
"I am the Panther God, the guardian of Wakanda—"
"Why did you come out?" Hong Fei interrupted.
Bast's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I am the guardian deity of Wakanda, I am—"
Golden flames erupted around Hong Fei's body, a scorching aura rolling out with ferocious intensity.
"I'm asking you! Why did you come out??"
"Invader!"
Bast's soft growl carried an edge as she lowered her head, revealing long, razor-sharp fangs. Her warm breath washed over Hong Fei's face.
"You dare disrespect a god?"
Hong Fei clenched his fists, the Ten Rings tightening around his arms. His lips curled into a chilling smile.
"Your breath stinks."
Fury flashed in Bast's eyes as black mist coiled around her massive form. Before she could react further, Hong Fei's right arm shot upward. Dragon Power surged through the rings as they flew out in a brilliant arc, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle.
The Ten Rings struck Bast's lower jaw with bone-jarring force, the impact proving she was no mere illusion. The massive black head jerked upward, her blood-red maw snapping shut with an audible click of colliding fangs.
Bast stumbled slightly but quickly regained her footing, her eyes blazing with ferocity. Hong Fei recalled the rings, then launched himself into the air with a thunderous boom. He closed the distance in an instant, his body taut like a drawn bow as he unleashed a punch that shot forward like an arrow.
Bast's pupils contracted as she whipped her head to the side, her muscles rippling beneath her sleek fur as she flowed out of the way. A burst of golden Dragon Power smashed into the ground, exploding with a deafening roar and carving out a deep crater.
Bast turned and pounced, and Hong Fei danced his arms rapidly. The Ten Rings spun and intertwined before him as Bast reared up, her claws slashing through the air like an enraged housecat. The clash continued, the clanging of her claws against the rings echoing endlessly.
Suddenly, Hong Fei stopped. Bast was still scratching. A moment later, her movements paused, and she caught a glimpse of the playful smile on Hong Fei's face. But immediately after, Hong Fei threw a punch without warning, and the Ten Rings hit Bast's head directly. Under the heavy blow, a large amount of golden light scattered. Bast stumbled back, almost sitting on the ground.
However, she quickly steadied her body, and at the same time shook her head rapidly. As she turned, she suddenly rushed towards Hong Fei. Boom! Boom! Boom! The sturdy limbs supported the huge body and rushed forward with unimaginable agility, and the earth made continuous vibrating sounds under its trampling. Hong Fei also strode forward, instantly turning from static to motion.
His speed increased sharply in an instant, and a string of blurry afterimages suddenly trailed behind him, with a layer of dazzling gold edges attached to the outside of the afterimages. At the same time, he raised his arm high behind him, as if waiting. A rumbling sound suddenly echoed in the sky, and a silver shadow cut through the sky like lightning.
With a sharp whistling sound, Hong Fei's hand moved, and his five fingers clenched tightly. Sword of Sif! His wrist turned slightly, and in an instant, the Dragon Power roared from another dimension like a rushing flood into the sword body. In a flash, the silver sword body rapidly transformed towards gold, and sharp sword energy burst out from around the blade!
On the other side, Bast's pupils suddenly shrank to the size of needle points. While running, the muscles all over her body contracted and stretched, full of the beauty of the ultimate combination of strength and speed. Suddenly, she kicked off with all four limbs, and her strong body took off instantly, stretching out in mid-air in a graceful posture.
A thick black divine power exploded from her whole body, and in the blink of an eye, her whole body dispersed directly, as if turning into a mass of thick black clouds. At this moment, a touch of scarlet suddenly rose in the depths of Hong Fei's eyes, like a drop of red ink falling into a cup.
The red spread rapidly in all directions, and in a thought, both eyes were completely red from the inside out. Under the black-and-white vision of the Eyes of Death, the black cloud transformed by Bast was still rolling rapidly, and the lighter mist around the thick cloud seemed to want to dye the entire space ink-black.
Seeing this, Hong Fei had only one thought in his heart: Such heavy demonic energy!! The Panther God is also a panther, such a big panther, and it can talk, if it is not a monster, what is it? When the two intersected, Hong Fei swung his sword violently with his own strength and the inertia brought by the rapid impact.
A dazzling sword light several meters long erupted from the blade, and a large area of darkness was instantly dispersed. However, the black cloud in front of him suddenly split into two from the middle, avoided the sword light, and then condensed again. In the blink of an eye, Hong Fei seemed to be directly swallowed by the black cloud, and nothing could be seen from the outside.
Inside the black cloud, it was actually a gathering of storms. After rushing into it, Hong Fei felt as if he were in the center of a violent tornado. All around were wildly dancing hurricanes, and the high-speed airflow was constantly tearing at his body, and breathing became extremely difficult.
With a rip, the clothes on Hong Fei's body, which had already been melted a lot by the Dragon Power, were instantly taken away by the strong wind, and then the clothes on the lower body were also torn and stretched, looking like they were about to reach their limit.
Hong Fei could've waited until he was completely naked to turn around and taunt the Panther God, if he were the type to indulge in theatrics or quirks. But he wasn't. His mind during battle held only one thought: defeat or kill. Without hesitation, the nano armor crawled up from his wrist, spreading swiftly across his arms.
Moments later, his entire body was encased in armor as black as ink, adorned with intricate dark gold dragon patterns. Hong Fei swung his sword, driving back the black clouds wherever he moved. Yet, tentacle-like tendrils emerged from the darkness, relentlessly attacking him from every angle.
As the fight dragged on, Bast grew bolder. Thousands of tentacles lashed toward Hong Fei in rapid succession, and his reactions seemed clumsy, even sluggish. But when the black cloud began to contract inward, a faint red light flickered in Hong Fei's eyes.
In an instant, the Ten Rings left his hands, spinning rapidly and clanging as they exploded outward in all directions. The black cloud didn't block them; instead, it parted, allowing the rings to fly far. But they didn't go far. Once outside the cloud, the rings slowed abruptly, forming a tight circle around it. One by one, they lit up, connecting to each other.
Inside the cloud, Hong Fei clenched his left fist. The Ten Rings tightened inward with a sharp swoosh, releasing the stored Dragon Power in a burst of golden light. A roar erupted from the black cloud as it surged skyward, attempting to flee. But Hong Fei had anticipated this.
Through the Eyes of Death, he saw the weak point clearly marked—a red dot shrouded in endless black mist. He'd ignored it earlier, pretending not to notice, but now that his opponent tried to escape, the red dot revealed itself slightly. The air exploded as Hong Fei shot forward at supersonic speed.
His sword held no tricks—just a straight stab. The only thing worth noting was the speed. With a dull thud, the sword's feedback confirmed he'd struck true. The vast black cloud rapidly retracted, reforming into the Black Panther. More than half of the Sword of Sif was buried in her head.
Bast bared her fangs, then, in an unexpected move, tilted her head back, pulling herself free of the sword. She lunged again, claws extended, their tips gleaming coldly. Hong Fei twisted and retreated.
As the sword left Bast's head, there was no blood—only a golden wound on her forehead, black energy rolling out from within. After driving Hong Fei back, Bast didn't pursue. The two landed, one after the other.
The wound on Bast's forehead was healing, but the lingering Dragon Power sizzled and burned, slowing her recovery. She kept a cautious eye on Hong Fei while trying to seal the wound, preventing her divine power from spilling out. Beneath his armor, Hong Fei felt a shift.
Upholding the combat principle of "take his life while he is ill," Hong Fei released the Sword of Sif, sending it soaring into the sky. He pressed both hands downward, and the sword changed direction, streaking toward Bast like a golden rainbow. But Bast's reaction was swift.
She darted to the side, her movements a blur as she zigzagged toward Hong Fei. His brows furrowed as he focused. The Ten Rings hovering in the air responded to his will, surging forward one after another toward the Sword of Sif. Each ring slid onto the sword's hilt with a resounding clang, locking into place.
Bast charged straight at him now, the force of her movement buffeting his faceplate. Hong Fei stood his ground, unmoving. He raised his hands high, Dragon Power surging through him. The Ten Rings amplified the energy, its speed and intensity multiplying exponentially. Bast accelerated too, abandoning her side jumps for a full-on sprint. Her fur streamed backward as her limbs blurred, closing the distance in an instant.
Hong Fei exploded into motion again, moving at supersonic speed. With a thunderous boom, he shot backward. Bast anticipated it. Her body tensed, then her limbs unleashed an explosive burst of power, propelling her forward even faster. Black divine energy spilled from her uncontrollably, her yellow eyes widening as she thrust her claws forward. Time seemed to slow.
Her silver claws nearly grazed the iron armor, but at the last moment, the dragon pattern etched into it flared to life. The armor shifted backward just enough, and the claws missed their mark by a hair's breadth. Bast landed in a crouch, her gaze snapping to Hong Fei. He had one hand extended toward the ground, a massive dragon claw gouging deep into the earth, anchoring him.
Bast's heart raced as she looked up. A brilliant golden arc cleaved through the air.
"No!" she roared, but her cry was cut short by the ringing clash of metal. The Sword of Sif, radiant and golden, plunged straight into her neck, the blade sinking deep. Golden mist swirled around the exposed hilt, resembling a dragon's breath. Bast thrashed wildly, but the sword pinned her firmly to the ground.
The more she struggled, the more fiercely the divine and Dragon Power within the sword surged outward. Her black fur around the blade began to shimmer with golden streaks, disintegrating into the wind as it fell. Yet there was no blood. Her body seemed both tangible and ethereal.
From the earlier skirmish, it was clear that both Dragon Power and the divine energy of the Sword of Sif countered the Black Panther God's power head-on. A normal physical attack would have been useless, unable to even touch her, let alone harm her. Her struggles weakened into twitches.
By the time Hong Fei approached, she had stopped resisting entirely, her sides heaving rapidly. At the sound of his footsteps, her eyes flicked toward him, unblinking. Her breath grew heavier, misting from her nostrils as she stared up at him.
Hong Fei met her gaze, the pleading in her yellow pupils unmistakable. The corners of his lips curled into a faint smile. Suddenly, he thrust both hands forward, his fingers curling into claws. Behind him, the void tore open, and a colossal golden dragon emerged, its roar shaking the heavens.
The dragon's jaws gaped wide as it lunged toward Bast, swallowing her whole in one swift motion. With a graceful twist, it surged skyward, its deafening roar scattering the clouds in its wake. The battlefield fell silent, save for the fading echoes of the dragon's cry.
The dragon circled once, its path carving through the air like a blade, before plunging into the yawning void behind Hong Fei. Its tail flickered and vanished, leaving only the jagged tear in reality to seal itself shut. Below, the Sword of Sif lay on the grassland, its blade trembling faintly as if alive.
Above the sword, a storm of air currents coalesced, their hue shifting from pale to inky black before condensing into a single, blazing orange card that spun in place. The wind whispered across the grassland, its voice low and insistent, echoing in Hong Fei's ears once more.