Seeing himself surrounded, Azzuri imdiately took aim at the direction of the beast soldier furthest from the others, trying to break through.
The sharp vibranium claws slashed deep into the beast soldier's neck, tearing out a chunk of flesh.
Fortunately for the soldier, the claws of the Black Panther suit were not very long, and the increased size and hardened skin of the transford animal soldier provided additional defense. Otherwise, the attack could have severed a vital artery or even broken his neck altogether. Instead, it only caused a serious wound.
But failing to deliver a fatal blow left Azzuri in danger.
For this mission, the beast soldiers had used a specially formulated transformation serum, enhanced by the integration of the Prozium serum. This upgrade eliminated the side effects of berserk rage and bloodlust, while maximizing efficiency and control.
As a result, the Beast Soldier remained calm despite his injury. Seizing the opportunity when Azzuri attacked, he grabbed both of Azzuri's arms, immobilizing him.
The Prozium serum didn't remove pain, but it suppressed emotions and increased tolerance for suffering. Despite Azzuri's desperate kicks, the beast soldier held on.
The battle boots of the Black Panther suit, equipped with claws, left the soldier's torso severely damaged. Still, he held on, refusing to let go.
Taking advantage of this, two nearby beast soldiers lunged forward, each grabbing one of Azzuri's legs. They lifted him off the ground, pinning him in the air with his back exposed.
Two more beast-soldiers approached and began pulling at Azzuri's suit. But due to their size, there wasn't enough room for more to help.
Azzuri, already at a disadvantage in strength, lost all leverage once he was suspended in air. He could only watch helplessly as one of the beast soldiers removed a shoulder plate, exposing his muscular skin. With this weak point, the backplate was quickly torn off, leaving Azzuri defenseless and in despair.
But just as the situation seed hopeless, a spear shot through the air, piercing the neck of the beast soldier holding Azzuri's right leg.
It was Wakanda's Royal Guard!
Normally, the Black Panther, as king, would always act with the protection of the royal guard.
But Azzuri, young and impulsive, had underestimated the danger. The ease with which he had dealt with British and French agents had made him overconfident. This recklessness had led him straight into Vito's deadly trap.
Fortunately, his loyal guards arrived in ti.
"Stop them!" Vito's face darkened as he ordered the remaining Beast Soldiers and Raptors to intercept the Royal Guard.
Despite their enhanced strength, Vito knew that the Beast Soldiers, even with their enhancents, would struggle against warriors ard with vibranium weapons.
Realizing that Azzuri might not be easy to capture today, Vito's gaze turned vicious.
Azzuri, anwhile, was still overwheld with relief at the arrival of his guard. For the first ti, he found the bravery and dedication of the royal guards more beautiful than ever, completely unaware of Vito's nacing gaze.
With one of his legs free, Azzuri took the opportunity to kick away the two beast soldiers who were still trying to remove his armor. Then, with a quick turn, he used his free leg to strike at the beast soldier holding his arms.
This ti, the beast-soldier couldn't maintain his grip due to severe injuries—after all, the regenerative power of the transformation serum wasn't unlimited.
In an instant, Azzuri was no longer fully restrained, with only one leg still held by the beast soldier.
"Your Majesty, be careful!" Just as he prepared to shake off the last soldier, the urgent cry of his guard captain, Minerva, echoed from the distance.
Before he could fully react, searing pain erupted from his back. Azzuri let out a heart wrenching scream as Vito, seeing the situation turning against him, ruthlessly clawed at Azzuri's unprotected shoulder blade.
The blow was swift, precise, and brutal, ripping Azzuri's arm off along with half of his shoulder.
The young king of Wakanda was now severely injured, near death, and effectively crippled.
This act drove the royal guards into a frenzy. They charged at Vito recklessly, with no regard for their own lives.
"Hah, you want your king? Take him!" Vito sneered as he hurled the screaming Azzuri at the guards.
The guards imdiately abandoned the fight and scrambled to catch their king.
"We are retreating! Wakandans, consider yourselves lucky today, but this is not over! The Zodiac will rember this!" Vito declared with a mocking smile, shifting the bla to the Zodiac organization—a na he had heard Jossy ntion a few tis.
Without hesitation, he led his comrades and the bodies of the fallen raptors into retreat.
The royal guards were furious, but they could not keep up with the beast soldiers, whose increased endurance and strength made pursuit through the dense jungle futile.
With no choice, the guards retreated with their critically wounded king, silently carving the na "Zodiac" into their minds.
But as they hurried to return Azzuri to the capital, they heard the distant sounds of gunfire and explosions from the city.
When they reached a cliff overlooking the capital, they saw a chaotic battlefield below. A combined force of rogue rcenaries and British colonial troops were attacking the city.
The Wakandan frontier tribes were holding their own, tearing through the enemy lines with ease. Victory seed inevitable, but the Guardians couldn't celebrate.
Because of their unique role as candidates for the king's hand in marriage, the royal guards were well trained and understood the gravity of the situation.
The re presence of the British and French armies near the capital ant that Wakanda's secrets could no longer be hidden. Other powers, including the U.S., Russia, Austria, and Italy, would soon co knocking.
Worse, their king was critically injured and unconscious—a dire situation in a country where the other five tribes could challenge for the throne.
An unfit king could not lead Wakanda.
Just a day before, Wakanda had stood proud and unshaken. Now it was on the brink of disaster.
anwhile, far away in Belgrade, in the Presidential Palace of the Federal Republic:
One month after Austria and Russia secretly agreed to withdraw, Tito had returned to the city.
But the defeats he had suffered had left him a shadow of his forr self, his confidence replaced by an aura of exhaustion and madness.
"Use the Zodiac. Find out Wakanda's secrets before the imperialist powers do," Tito ordered Ranković, the head of UDBA (Yugoslav Security Agency), after reviewing intelligence confirming Wakanda's hidden secrets.
Unknown to many, the fabled Zodiac organization—long shrouded in mystery—was none other than an elite task force of the Federal Republic's intelligence agency, UDBA.
This small unit, consisting of exactly twelve mbers, was as ruthless as the KGB and CIA, and even more brutal in its thods.
The world, largely ignorant of Yugoslav history, underestimated the capabilities of the UDBA, which was overshadowed by its dissolution in the 21st century. But during the Cold War, it was feared as one of the most formidable intelligence agencies, surpassing even the Mossad.
However, Tito could never have imagined that his secret squad would set out on their mission already burdened with a false and serious accusation—the result of Vito's cunning bla-shifting.
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