"KIHIMURRA!"
The blast erupted with a blinding flash of pure energy, not directed at any prince, but at the very center of the arena floor, serving as a catastrophic starting gun. When the light subsided, Hakuna appeared, surrounded by lingering purple flames that licked harmlessly at the air around him. "I'm ready…" he says, his voice deceptively calm amid the smoke.
All the princes launched their assault simultaneously, a three-pronged attack designed to overwhelm him with sheer numbers and velocity. As they got closer and closer towards Hakuna, time slowed to a crawl. The furious expressions of the princes became rigid masks of aggression, their clenched fists inching forward through the heavy air. Hakuna watched them, observing the desperate final centimeters of their attack, and then…
"Atmospheric Burst…"
The words were whispered, but the effect was cataclysmic. An invisible, omnidirectional wave of pure kinetic force exploded from Hakuna's body. They all got blown away, slamming into the walls and columns of the grand hall, leaving deep, cracked indentations.
Sehloho thinks to himself, "Hmm, so this is Atmospheric Burst, a refined defensive application of raw energy to negate an area-of-effect attack. Fascinating and incredibly complex."
"What the hell is this? I can't move!" Junior questioned, struggling to peel himself off a stone pillar.
"Some kind of cheap, invisible defensive technique…?" Tebello voiced, shaking his head to clear the ringing in his ears.
Sehloho then commented for the benefit of the Kings, "You obviously stand no chance against Hakuna. That was merely a warning."
"Is that so? Then let's get serious," Katleho declared, his voice filled with burning pride.
"Who said I was trying? I haven't even moved from my position, what does that say to you about the true disparity in our power?" Hakuna replied, presenting the pristine patch of floor where he still stood.
They all flared their energy, pushing their auras to max output, determined to match the prince. Hakuna thought to himself, "Huh? Is that all they can muster up? It feels like a stiff breeze."
"Seeing as we're getting serious, I suggest you should do the same, Prince," Junior said, trying to provoke a reaction.
"You want me to get serious?" Hakuna asked, a slight, dangerous smile curving his lips. His eyes glowed with an intense yellow light as he said, "Alright, here goes…" he declared.
Hakuna vanished. The speed was so profound, he left behind no afterimage, no sonic boom, just a vacuum where he stood a nanosecond before.
"Alright, looks like he's implementing magic, look out for tricker—" Tshepo managed to say, warning the other princes.
Immediately, Hakuna reappeared behind Tshepo and landed a punch on his stomach, a devastating, localized blow that defeated him immediately. "How did you… ugh?" Tshepo asked, his consciousness fading before he could finish the sentence, collapsing instantly.
Hakuna then spoke, his voice carrying clearly to the stunned Kings. "Oh, you thought… no, no, no. I can use magic, but I don't. This is all…"
He vanished again, the air shivering around the spot he last occupied.
"Impossible…" Junior muttered, scrambling to locate the ghost-like attacker.
Hakuna knocked Katleho out with one punch, delivering a precise, non-lethal strike to the jaw.
Hakuna continued, his voice echoing in the hall, "Absolute…"
He raised his power, channeling it through his core as he roared the final word. "POWER!"
He flared his energy, a devastating, visible wave of purple power that swept through the hall. The other kings could not comprehend what they were looking at. This boy was a full-on monstrosity; he was above all that was ordinary, transcending the known limits of their kind.
King Thuto thought to himself, "If my math is correct, the boy should be somewhere around the ballpark of sixteen to seventeen years of age. It's astounding to see he has this much power at this stage of his life. It's mathematically absurd."
"You are never defeating me. I won't fall like them!" Junior declared, his voice trembling despite his bravado.
Hakuna immediate appeared in front of Junior, startling him immediately. "Is that so?" he questioned.
"Yes. Show me your full power now!" Junior affirmed, gathering his remaining strength.
"Okay, show me yours first," Hakuna said, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"You are definitely going to regret this," Junior said, pushing his aura to its fullest, a furious, blinding yellow light. He then said, "Do you see now?! Let's see how you can handle this at your full power!"
"Wait… you thought… this was my full power?" Hakuna asked. Hakuna burst out in laughter, a loud, mocking sound that echoed the contempt he felt for the misunderstanding. "Hahahahahaha! You really thought this was my full power? What are you, an idiot? This could never be my full power! This is…"
His eyes turned a scorching yellow, the room immediately darkened, and the pressure of his suppressed power increased until it felt like the very stone was about to fracture. He then roared, his voice reverberating through the palace, building in pitch until it sounded more and more demonic. Hakuna's purple aura burst out like an open, ravenous flame.
He then spoke, his voice now the eerie, booming echo from before. "I had your level of power when I first knew how to write. So all of you, kings included, humble yourselves immediately. You are visitors here. Killing you for misbehavior will not be an issue."
They all stared in stunned silence, the Kings realizing that the war their father was trying to avoid had just walked into their hall. Hakuna lowered his power to normal, the intense pressure instantly receding. Hakuna continued, his tone softening with annoyance. "I never wanted to come here in the first place, so please, calm yourselves." He flew over to where Sehloho was standing, casually floating into a seated, cross-legged position.
Sehloho then spoke, clapping his hands softly. "Alright, with that out of the way, shall we begin the proceedings? Oh, right, can we please transport all the unconscious princes, to the infirmary before they wake up?"
All the unconscious princes disappeared in a shimmer of controlled energy. "Okay, Hakuna, you can be a bit much, eh…?" Sehloho murmured.
Hakuna was already meditating behind Sehloho, his presence fading. Sehloho then said, "Hmm, my brother seems to be meditating. Can we start, Your Majesties?"
"Incredible…" King Thuto stammered, still reeling.
"Is there something on your mind, King Thuto?" Sehloho asked politely.
King Thuto then continued, "It's baffling how such a young spirit could have such might. Almost as if… he has the powers of a God…"
Sehloho then corrected him gently. "Interesting observation, however, my brother is not a God. Although, it goes without saying, he has inherited some of my father's traits."
King Tshenollo chimed in, leaning forward. "Typical. The Immortal King's last son inherits his power, but that still doesn't explain how he is more capable than Lesole at his peak? His raw power is leagues ahead."
"Simple, really. Evolution. My father was the previous generation; he is the next. And naturally, the next generation peaks higher in terms of raw potential," Sehloho explained.
King Thuto then muttered, "It's not just that; he's faster. It's impossible how quickly he is able to react to threats."
Hakuna stood up, and everyone sensed his movement immediately, a testament to his refined control. He then spoke, addressing the Kings directly. "It's a complicated yet, easy-to-explain process. Ever since I was born, I have been training. By the time I was five, I was able to take down a Level 3 Demon on my own. After that, I intensified my training. At ten, I almost lost my life, so my speed training went up a notch. At fifteen, I defeated three Level 5's and one Level 8 Demon on my own, in varying occasions, of course. And yes, my training intensified further. I feel I am strong enough to take on the Devil himself, but obviously, I have to intensify my training again. Constant increase in difficulty pushes you further than a periodic one."
"So, each time you achieve a never-before-done feat, you opt to increase your difficulty level by training harder than you ever could…?" King Tshenollo asked, fascinated by the regimen.
"Precisely. However, I don't recommend this regime," the prince said.
"Why not? Surely it works," King Thuto questioned.
"If you try it, you will, die," the prince concluded flatly.
Everyone stood shocked by the blunt, terrifying truth of his words. Sehloho chimed in, smiling thinly. "Hakuna has something no man here has or can have, and that thing is the reason he is still alive to talk about it."
Rorisang, the Tshabadira princess, watched him, her mind completely consumed. "Hmm, so powerful, so confident, so strong, so handsome. Oh, Hakuna, you will be mine, very soon."
Hakuna then interjected, cutting off the conversation. "Alright, that's enough talking about my body. What has each clan brought to trade for what?"
"Oh, yes, I completely forgot about the actual reason we are here," Sehloho said, clapping his hands in a single, slight motion.
A lot of boring discussions about clan politics followed, filling the air with trivialities. No one flashed their egos anymore, though, so Hakuna fell asleep while trying to meditate, his social battery's exhaustion finally catching up to him.
An arm appeared silently behind Hakuna and quickly snatched him. No one in the tense room had noticed that he had vanished yet. "I managed to get him. He's so heavy, though…" a female voice whispered in the quiet hallway.
Hakuna wakes up instantly in a room filled with beautiful women surrounding him. "Ha! Who are you, wait, The Clan Princesses?!" he yelps, recognizing the most attractive girls from the other royal families. Princess Matshidiso then speaks, "Hello, Hakuna. We hope you're okay." Hakuna thinks to himself, "I could scream, but the rooms are clearly soundproof. I guess I better run."
He jumps up to the ceiling, preparing to escape vertically. "Where are you running towards, Prince?" Princess Koketso says, her voice coming from right behind his ear, startling him completely. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The boy screamed in pure, unadulterated fear.
The Unintentional Rescue
Meanwhile, the boring politics and endless discussions carry on in the main room. But… "Where is he? I can't… oh no, not those treacherous bitches," Rorisang thinks to herself, having been watching Hakuna closely. King Thlomamo then asks, "Is there a problem, my daughter? You seem troubled." Rorisang then speaks, "Oh, nothing, Father. I'll be right back."
She walks out and immediately flares her aura slightly, making it easier to sense Hakuna's presence from any direction. "There he is. Upstairs," she mutters, locating the source of his panicked energy signature.
Hakuna is still desperately trying to run away from the other princesses. Rorisang opens the door and Hakuna jumps out immediately, a whirlwind of speed and desperation. Wait, where's his shirt?
Rorisang calmly closes the door behind him. "Thank you so very much! I had no idea if I was gonna make it out of there. I almost resorted to destroying the door just to escape!" Hakuna stammers, adjusting his bare chest.
Rorisang can't even say a word; she is utterly infatuated with Hakuna at this point, his panicked, shirtless state only fueling her admiration. "It uh… it was nothing. I was just taking a walk," she muttered, forcing the words out.
"Hey, you were the girl in the room for The Citadel of Crowns, right?" Hakuna asks, oblivious to the fact that she just rescued him from a royal harem.
"Uh, yeah. Princess Rorisang of the Tshabadira Clan," she replied.
"Great! I'll help you get back to your seat, then," the prince says, smiling warmly at Rorisang. She physically melts, her knees going weak at his radiant grin.
"Uh oh… are you okay?" He asks, concerned.
"I'm fine. Let's go," Rorisang said quickly, recovering her composure.
"Hmm, weird," Hakuna thinks to himself, completely unaware of the effect he has.
Okay, you might be wondering, why is Hakuna acting so stupid? Well, it's obvious: he is completely, loyally in love with someone else who isn't even here right now—Nolitha. For as long as he has Nolitha in his mind, he can't read signs coming from any girl other than her. I mean, he will remain oblivious to the fact that a beautiful princess—scratch that, BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES—are literally throwing themselves at him. So, the boy is way too loyal for his well-being, you know, as a guy and stuff. Right, right?
Anyway, let's move on. They walk back to the conference room. The old people are still talking about politics and trade agreements. But immediately, there is an attack.
The Demon and the Rival
…In the Underworld…
"Are they having their little gathering again, these insignificant mortals?" Sparta asks, his voice resonating with boredom.
Arkhagos replies, "Yes, however, this other clan——they are quite the weird clan, it seems."
"How so? Did they finally try to sell their sons for magic artifacts?" Sparta queries.
Arkhagos then continues, "They have summoned a high-level Demon with a summoning circle. At least we get to see how strong Psycha's vessel has become, given the recent spike in his energy."
…Back at the Palace…
Sehloho, having been alerted by the sudden spike in demonic energy, speaks calmly. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems we have an unscheduled demon attack just outside the palace. Do not panic, Prince Hakuna has already went up to deal with the threat."
"Huh, wha? I've been right here!" Hakuna mutters, completely confused by Sehloho's efficient lie.
"Really, Sehloho?!" Sehloho questions himself under his breath.
King Thlomamo then speaks, "My daughter seems to be interested in this public display of power, so I'll let her go observe the defense."
"Thank you, Daddy!" Rorisang says, seizing the opportunity.
"But do not use your full power, Rorisang. Just observe," the king says.
"Uh… fine," Rorisang murmurs, annoyed by the restriction.
King Thlomamo then thinks to himself, "Hmm, I guess I'll use her as leverage if the boy fails. She is quite capable."
Now that's just cold.
Hakuna walks to the door of the palace. "Open the doors, I'll deal with this quickly," he commands.
As he walks outside, the demon is seen roaring, its screech rumbling the mountainside, a creature of massive scale and terrifying power. "A Level 8, huh? This'll be interesting," Hakuna says, acknowledging his first time fighting a demon of this magnitude without the boost of unstable power.
"Haa! Sarcasm! Never thought you were capable of that, my little warrior," Psycha laughs in his head.
"Shut up… I think I should just try a clean strike," Hakuna murmurs, preparing his stance.
Rorisang jumps over Hakuna, a streak of controlled power, landing a powerful punch on the demon's torso, sending it back immediately. "Show off," the prince comments, rubbing his face.
"I'm sorry, I had no idea there was an old man over there who couldn't keep up," the princess taunts, her eyes sparkling with competitive excitement.
Hakuna barks back, his composure finally breaking. "I'm literally four years younger than you! Oh my god, why am I entertaining this…?" he questions, frustrated by her antics.
His eyes glow yellow, and he flies above the demon, charging his attack. "Fist of Inferno!" Hakuna punches the Demon with a fist set ablaze, the concentrated fire striking its face with crushing, precise force.
"No way…" the princess murmurs in awe at the sheer, brutal power.
He stands next to Rorisang. He then says, "It's not done yet. They're tougher than they look." The demon stands up, staggering, with half a face burned away and its skull visibly damaged. Rorisang thinks to herself, "He did that without using full strength. Incredible. He barely even strained!"
"Stand back," the prince says. He raises one arm, charging a blast in his hand, the air around it shimmering violently. He then speaks, his voice regaining its boom. "I always thought demons have brains, but even high-level ones think they can take me on… Kihimurra…"
He blasts the demon, the intense concentrated energy completely vaporizing it, leaving nothing but smoke and ash.
"Are you okay? That was too close," Hakuna asks, turning to Rorisang.
"Who is that?" Rorisang questions, her eyes fixated on the smoking cloud where the demon once stood.
Hakuna turns and sees a figure emerging from the smoke cloud. "You've gotten stronger, Vessel of Psycha," the figure states, his voice cold and ancient. Hakuna snarls, "Grr, Sparta… Rorisang, stay back. This is not your fight."
Sparta walks out of the smoke, a figure of absolute malice. "This is a very interesting development. Far, far stronger than your predecessor indeed. It seems the Psycha chose well this time."
"You have no business being here, Sparta. Get back to the Underworld," Hakuna barks, his eyes glowing intensely as steam shoots from his body, his power trying to force the activation of Divine Energy.
Sparta then continues, completely ignoring the rage. "The day we fight fast approaches, Hakuna. I suggest a very intense training regimen to prepare for your final judgment." Hakuna then roars, his power surging. "I'll take you down right now, HAAAA!"
He flies towards Sparta in an attempt to land a punch. "Fist of Inferno!" But Sparta vanishes. He was just a mirage. "Don't be too hasty, boy! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Haahahahaha…."
The chilling laughter carries on as he fades away, leaving Hakuna alone with Rorisang and the smoke.
Fade out…
End of Episode 25.