Kyle vs Black Panther

"Your Majesty, victory is certain!"

"Show them what a king is made of! Let this foreign invader witness the true strength of Wakanda’s guardian!"

"Cheer! Shout for our king—the Black Panther!"

The tribal royalty atop the cliff, along with the native citizens below it, all shouted excitedly. Countless loyal, trusting eyes were fixed on the Black Panther.

To them, the Black Panther possessed the guardian’s power passed down continuously for thousands of years. He was Wakanda’s supreme ruler and the strongest being upon this advanced yet primitive land.

There was no reason for King Black Panther to lose to some War Hero from the outside world! Nearly every Wakandan native believed that with absolute certainty.

"Kyle, show them what you’re really capable of. Let these natives witness the peak combat power beyond their closed-off nation!" Howard stood at the cave entrance, his palm slick with sweat. He looked nervous, but inwardly, he was perfectly calm.

How could these natives understand? That was the undefeated Symbol of Peace, a legend covered in glorious achievements. No matter where he stood, there was simply no reason for him to lose!

On the platform before the waterfall cliff, the Black Panther prepared for battle and slowly raised both hands. Claws forged from vibranium extended with an icy gleam.

Covered head to toe in dark vibranium, he resembled a humanoid black panther. He radiated the majesty, savagery, aloofness, and overwhelming authority of a king.

That small movement from the Black Panther stirred another wave of cheers from the countless natives around them.

"Venom, full-coverage mode. Claw form," Kyle murmured. The Venom Suit clung tightly to his tall frame as black liquid flowed and shifted at high speed, covering his entire body in something more akin to a creature’s tough, primal keratinous membrane. It gathered around his neck and formed a dark hood that covered his face and hair.

Dark Claws extended from Kyle’s fists. A crimson glow lit his narrow eyes, and beneath his flat, blood-red grin, he seemed to become a demonic monster from the depths of a dark hell.

Cruelty, brutality, savagery, slaughter—those words seemed to have been invented solely to describe him.

The instant his full-coverage form—a body made purely for battle and tempered through countless wars large and small—was completed beneath the sunlight, the native citizens who had been cheering for the Black Panther fell silent as one. They could only suck in cold breaths and stare fearfully at the humanoid monster on the platform, brimming with terrifying aggression.

"Can we begin?" Kyle smiled, his gaze fixed coldly and imperiously on the Black Panther.

"Of course." The Black Panther gave a slight nod.

The next instant, both men moved at once, sending white sprays of water bursting from where they had stood.

The two black figures moved at several times the speed of ordinary humans, blurring into afterimages as they collided fiercely amid howling winds and flying water.

Bang—

Centered on the two of them, the standing water beneath their feet exploded outward in ripples under the powerful impact.

What terrifying strength. The Black Panther was secretly shocked. He blocked Kyle’s twin claws with both hands, planted his feet firmly, and absorbed the blow without taking even half a step back.

Without the protection of his vibranium suit to absorb most of the force, he would have been blasted away by Kyle in a single exchange. It would never have appeared so evenly matched.

Kyle, meanwhile, frowned. Vibranium’s resistance to close-range physical attacks was simply too severe.

"Again!"

Kyle did not abandon physical attacks at all. He continued to strike with rapid punches and claw thrusts. Though he could not breach the Black Panther’s vibranium suit, the force of his ton-heavy punches still forced the Black Panther back a step.

"Bring it on!" The Black Panther refused to be outdone. His weathered voice remained strong and resonant as he stepped forward instead of retreating, throwing himself into battle with undiminished youthful fighting spirit.

Bolstered by Superman Physique and extraordinary suits, Kyle and the Black Panther became entangled in close combat again. Water splashed around them as they traded blows, pitting strength and skill against each other.

With Superman’s strength, speed, and endurance, along with the comprehensive defenses of their respective suits, their close-quarters battle continued without pause for more than five minutes as their different suits enhanced and countered one another.

The watching natives stared wide-eyed in disbelief. They had never expected this outsider to possess combat power equal to the Black Panther’s. After all, the Black Panther was the strongest king to rule and protect this land!

"A king? Heh. You people have no idea what a legendary hero is! In the field of battle, Kyle is a god!" Howard laughed happily.

He knew that this seemingly deadlocked battle could basically be declared over already—because the man he knew best loved hiding trump cards.

Amid the fierce, soaring battle on the platform, vibranium claws raked across Kyle’s blocking Vibranium Bracer, leaving five faint white marks and producing a sharp, grating screech.

"Whip form!"

Kyle willed it silently, and the claws on his left hand swiftly transformed into a black whip. With a supersonic crack, the whip struck solidly against the black figure that had darted sideways at extreme speed.

The Black Panther’s movements stalled as he fell into the water. He quickly rose again, breathing hard, his majestic and icy gaze passing through his vibranium beast mask and landing squarely on Kyle.

"Don’t you understand yet? As long as I wear this seamless, full-body suit forged from vibranium, defeat is impossible for me." The Black Panther spoke in a confident, low voice.

"All right. I have to admit one thing—you can take more punishment than Steve." Kyle shrugged and glanced at his chest, where the Venom Suit had been torn slightly by the vibranium claws, drawing several beads of blood from the muscles beneath.

Though his own healing ability appeared to be gone, Venom possessed exceptional regenerative abilities as well, rapidly repairing the damage to the suit it had formed.

After five minutes, he had sustained minor injuries, while the Black Panther’s vibranium suit showed no signs of damage whatsoever.

"Take punishment?" The Black Panther shook his head in disagreement.

"Haven’t you noticed? I only used three combat techniques against you just now." Kyle coldly stated a fact.

"Three? What are you talking about?" The Black Panther frowned, unease rising in his heart. Isn’t three combat techniques perfectly normal?

Kyle did not answer. He merely smiled mysteriously. "The vibranium suit puts you in an invincible position by nature, right? I truly hope you can withstand what comes next, old king—"

The moment his voice fell, he kicked off the ground and charged straight at the Black Panther with explosive force.

The Black Panther tensed. He had just raised his arm to launch a claw attack when Kyle, as if he had predicted the movement in advance, casually lifted his right hand and blocked the vibranium claws with his Vibranium Bracer.

An illusion?

The Black Panther was greatly alarmed, but what Kyle did next left him so stunned that he could not speak at all.

Every effective combat move he believed himself proficient in was seen through before he could even execute it. His opponent would neutralize it one step ahead with simple movements and techniques.

Once or twice could be dismissed as luck, but when it happened every single time, the old King Black Panther was so frustrated he nearly coughed up blood!