Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1125 Inheritance Rights (First Update)

Eric Killmonger pulled the trigger, killing the last man.

The bullet pierced the hard skull, splattering brain tissue and blood onto the still-warm wreckage of the car door. But the last victim wasn't Ulysses Crow's smuggling gang; it was a mercenary who had come with him. Although things had unfolded slightly differently than he had anticipated, Eric Kerman had ultimately achieved his goal.

The war dogs surrounding the battlefield, Dora Mirajane, and the border tribes saw a man emerge from the burning wreckage of a vehicle. He was wounded, raised his hands, and dropped a pistol in front of them.

"I am not the enemy, I am En Jadaka, son of En Job." Facing the sharp vibranium spearhead, he shouted in the variant of Xhosa, Wakanda, "This is my gift to you." He pointed to the body he had desperately dragged out of the fire from the burning wreckage, "The body of Ulysses Klaue, I offer you his life."

After so many years, Eric Killmonger spoke his real name again, which left him feeling momentarily disoriented. He had used the name Eric Killmonger while attending MIT, the U.S. Naval Academy, and serving in the U.S. Navy SEALs. Only his father, En Job, and his mother, who died in prison, called him En Jadaka, but with everyone who knew that name gone, no one in the world knew his real name anymore.

He parted his lower lip, revealing the vibranium tattoos distinctive to the Wakanda War Dogs, which glowed faintly blue in the darkness. He also displayed the Wakandan Royal Ring—if unmistakable identification made them lower their weapons, this ring was enough to make the War Dogs and the border tribes lay down their arms. The ring's appearance sparked some internal debate within the Wakandan rapid reaction force. The previous king, T'Chaka, avoided discussing why he possessed only one Royal Ring, and T'Challa also believed that the other Royal Ring had been lost during his grandfather Azuri's generation.

"I am one of the heirs to the Black Panther throne." Erik Killmonger raised his ring and walked towards the crowd. Apart from the newly-reinvented royal guard and his personal bodyguard, Dora Mirajane, the border tribes sworn to the Black Panther and the war dogs who knew his past all acknowledged Erik Killmonger's identity. He took a deep breath and uttered the words he had repeatedly rehearsed in his dreams, struggling to control his emotions and prevent himself from trembling, "Take me to the palace."

The increasing number of fully armed Dora Mirajane and her Warhound members at the banquet drew the attention of the Golden Horde nobles, and T'Challa gradually sensed something was amiss. Meanwhile, Princess Shuri noticed her mother, Ramonda, becoming increasingly agitated, eventually rising from her seat and leaving the hall through a side gate of the palace with a group of somber-looking men and women.

Although T'Challa was unaware of what had happened, he naturally began to appease the nobles of the Golden Tribe. Princess Shuri, under the guise of social interaction, also stepped down from her seat and, in a half-joking tone, informed the nobles about the discovery of smugglers at the border, helping her brother calm the nobles' emotions. About half an hour later, the commotion caused by the Queen's departure gradually subsided, and the nobles shifted their conversation back to industrial production. Just as Princess Shuri returned to her seat, making a face at Emperor Latvinia, intending to complain about how annoying the social activities were, the Queen entered through the main entrance, surrounded by Dora Mirajane and members of the War Dogs organization.

The nobles of the Golden Horde exchanged bewildered glances at the grand procession and the Queen's forced smile at the front. The previously subsided murmurs resurfaced—Queen Ramonda had privately clashed with the leader of the War Dogs. She didn't want the tribal council to know about Erik Killmonger, also known as En Jadaka,'s whereabouts. She wanted to postpone the news until tomorrow, until T'Challa ascended the throne, before announcing the discovery of the royal bloodline. Her decision had Dora Mirajane's support—yet everyone could see the underlying implications, but the War Dogs believed it would prevent T'Challa from legitimately inheriting the Black Panther throne, and that such actions would only harm him.

"My lords, I have some good news to announce." Queen Ramonda looked at her son, her displeasure now impossible to conceal. "The long-lost royal relative, En Jadaka, son of En Job, has returned to Wakanda."

Eric Killmonger emerged from the throng of War Dogs and Border Tribe members, his bulletproof vest and numerous scars standing out starkly against the elegant attire of the assembled crowd. He glanced at the finger of the man at the very front and noticed that the man wore the exact same ring as him.

T'Challa was both surprised and delighted to see the ring on someone else's finger. His first reaction wasn't that there was now a competitor for his rightful throne, but rather to hug his cousin tightly. When he was young, he had seen his father, T'Chaka, in the catacombs where the Black Panthers were buried. His father had promised him the Black Panther throne and mentioned a blood relative far away in America. This surprised Erik Killmonger, who had already received many cold shoulders from Queen Ramonda, but he quickly composed himself and pushed T'Challa away.

“I’m not here to offer you goodwill, cousin.” He glanced around; before him stood tribal nobles, behind him warhounds and members of Dora Mirajane. These men could plunge their spears into his body at any moment, yet he could no longer endure it. “I’m filing a murder charge with the tribal council,” he shouted, observing the expressions of the Golden Tribe nobles, “regarding the death of my father, En Job!”

"No!" Queen Ramonda realized something and warned in a low voice, "The honor of the deceased must not be tarnished!"

Ignoring the warnings, Eric Killmonger loudly proclaimed amidst the murmurs of the Golden Horde nobles, "I accuse the former King T'Chaka of murdering his own brother, En Job! He killed his brother, leaving his brother's wife to suffer torture and death in prison! He let his brother's child wander the streets destitute, suffering hunger and abuse! Now that child has returned, carrying justice and fairness, demanding a verdict from the tribal council in the name of the Black Panther!"

"There is no black panther now, and my husband has returned to the grasslands," Queen Ramonda said. "This matter will be discussed again after the coronation ceremony."

"Tomorrow there will be a Black Panther!" Eric Killmonger looked at T'Challa. "Only one Black Panther tomorrow! I declare that I will participate in tomorrow's coronation ceremony, and fight in the name of the Black Panther! The Black Panther God will decide who among us will emerge victorious and who will be worthy of the throne! This is the power my father has given me to challenge the son of a murderer. Does anyone deny my right?"

The nobles of the Golden Tribe were trying to find out what was going on through acquaintances, so they remained silent.

Neither the War Dogs nor the King's Guard spoke, because Erik Killmonger's father, N' Job, was nominally still the leader of the War Dogs, and Dora Milage of the King's Guard could not speak, as the King they currently supported had not yet ascended the throne. As for T'Challa, at the center of the storm of accusations, after being harshly criticized by Erik Killmonger, he also remained silent with a cold expression. Even Princess Shuri dared not speak loudly, for fear of displeasing others. The atmosphere grew tense until Queen Ramonda began arranging Erik Killmonger's accommodations—he would stay in his father's former room. To ensure fairness, Erik Killmonger received the same treatment as T'Challa and was acknowledged as one of the contenders for the throne the following day.

The Wakanda banquet ended hastily. Queen Ramonda took T'Challa to the palace to discuss tomorrow's ceremony, and Shuri went with them. The remaining Golden Horde nobles chatted briefly with the Latvinian Emperor and his successor, Erik Killmonger, before leaving to return to their residences and begin preparing for the change in the heir to the throne.

Erik Killmonger glanced at the only person among them whose skin color differed significantly from the others, then, guided by his servant, dragged his weary body toward the rear of the palace, a path filled with mixed emotions. He had joined the army, participating in countless life-or-death missions, all to equip him to reach this place and exact his revenge. Now he had arrived in Wakanda, about to fulfill his father's final wish. He had to conserve his strength and, with an undeniable display of power, earn the rights that belonged to him and his father.

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(End of this chapter)