Previously on a story about Hakuna, the Prince had just reached a new level of power, returning to the battlefield to protect his Master. He faced an intelligent, regenerating demon named Merca, and with his new might, a single punch sent the powerful creature flying. Now, the conclusion of the battle, with a few surprising revelations and a new, formidable enemy.
The Ultimate Taunt
The scene opens with a violent explosion that rocks the ground and sends a tremor through the surrounding area. Hakuna stands tall, his powerful energy still flaring around him. The air is thick with tension as he questions the dazed, staggering demon. "Why do you keep calling me Vessel of Psycha?" he asks, his voice a low rumble.
Merca, regaining his footing, screeches in a rage-filled response. "You'll find out soon enough, for now... DIIIEEE!!" He lunges, attempting to grab Hakuna with his massive, regenerated arms, but the prince is too fast, a mere blur of motion that Merca can't hope to catch.
"You came here, all excited, thinking you have a chance at going against me?" Hakuna taunts, his voice filled with a confident mockery.
"You're just too good of a prize to pass up. I had to claim you by myself..." the demon replies, his voice a strained hiss of frustration.
"By himself? Could there be more of them out there?" Hakuna thinks to himself, a new resolve hardening in his eyes. "I don't care... I'll kill them all..."
Merca flies towards Hakuna with a desperate fury, but he misses, his momentum carrying him past the prince. In that moment, the prince strikes. With a single, swift motion, Hakuna lands a punch that sends Merca spiraling to the ground. Hakuna appears over him, his towering presence an intimidating weight. "All bark and no bite. I really hate dolts who think they can take on anyone just by making claims about it. It makes me furious..." he says, his voice low and menacing.
Merca limps backward away from Hakuna in fear, his body trembling, his mind screaming in panic. "How can a kid be this powerful?! It's impossible! I have to finish him, no matter what..."
Hakuna appears in front of Merca in an instant and places his palm in front of the demon's face. "Don't even think about manifesting again, KIHIMURRA..." Hakuna fires a powerful blast of energy, but as the golden light surges forward, a new figure suddenly appears in its path.
This person... he blocked it! How?!
"Forgive my disobedient pet; he got a whiff of your potential and wanted to test you for himself..." the figure states, his voice smooth and calm, a stark contrast to Merca's raw fury.
Hakuna, getting ready to fight this new foe, questions, "What in the hell are you?"
The new demon, his expression unreadable, replies, "Oh, my dear prince, it's a bit premature to share credentials as of yet. Know this, I'll come back when you are ready, Vessel of Psycha..." He flies away, grabbing Merca by the neck like a misbehaving child.
The figure, a demon named Sparta, then says, "Meeting you has been a welcomed turn of events. I hope the next time we meet; you'll be at your full potential..." They vanish into the air, leaving nothing but a lingering sense of mystery and danger.
The violent aura that was coming from Hakuna fades away, the menacing glow in his eyes stops, and his calm demeanour returns. Master Mokoto, who had been a silent observer, speaks. "I guess the training has paid off. You managed to give an equal of mine blazes, but that other guy, he seems to know you..."
Hakuna responds, his mind racing to figure out the whole mess. "I'm trying to figure that out, as well as why they keep calling me 'Vessel of Psycha'."
Everyone comes back to the scene, their expressions a mixture of shock and awe. Super, with his usual sarcasm, chimes in, "Talk about hoarding the spotlight; you stopped the demon again..."
Vanessa, lost to all that has transpired, questions, "Wait, that was a demon? That's not possible. Demons don't have intelligence; they don't speak, nor do they coordinate."
"Obviously, you need glasses. That idiot that Hakuna fought is a level unknown. From the way he was fighting, I'd say he's a level 7, possibly 8. But what was the other guy talking about?" Super replies, shutting her down almost instantly.
Hakuna voices his conclusion, his voice calm and precise. "That one... he was able to stop a full-powered energy blast attack from me without any notable effort. It required my full power to just barely finish Merca, so I'd say that one is a Level 9 Demon..."
Everyone looks at Hakuna in disbelief. Enzo, realizing the magnitude of what has happened, stammers, "Impossible... there's no way! A Level 9? That's just below The Devil himself..."
Hakuna, having another thought pop into his head, states, "I have to find out a few things..." He flies off alone, a determined look on his face.
"Well, he's gone again..." Freddie says, as if Hakuna's exit is a normal occurrence.
Vanessa, attempting to return everyone to the issue at hand, says, "Uh, guys, am I the only one who is concerned about Hakuna being a prince?"
"We knew, sort of..." Super says, blankly. He shocks everyone again, leaving them to wonder why he is so close with Hakuna.
Master Mokoto then mentions, "I don't think he should be alone, so you guys should follow him..."
Super voices his sarcasm. "I gotta babysit the new kid again? Perfect..."
"He just hates everything," Vanessa observes.
A 5000-Year Legacy
...At his house...
Max is seen meditating in the veranda, a serene expression on his face, as Hakuna lands gracefully in the yard. Max, his voice a calm inquiry, questions, "Hakuna, when did you learn how to fly?"
"Long story. I need to talk to Sehloho; where is he?" the prince responds, scanning his surroundings. Hakuna takes a deep breath and asks the question that has been burning in his mind. "Okay, what is 'Vessel of Psycha'?"
Max's expression changes. "He knows." He thinks to himself, "He wasn't supposed to know yet, but how...?"
Hakuna pushes his query further. "Do you know what it is?"
Max, preparing himself, speaks. "I do. 5000 years ago, Father met a demon that goes by the name Peripheral Psycha, a powerful one at that. Father wanted to be a powerful king, and the demon offered him that and more, on one condition: he would lead a life of good. And so, Father did, and the demon was absorbed into Father and has given him power and immortality. He was the first Vessel of Psycha in our family. This power must be passed down from generation to generation, to the Prodigal Son. I think that's how they told us back then. Although that's where you come in..."
"So I am the next Vessel of Psycha?" the boy points out, the realization dawning on him.
Psycha, the demon in question, makes her appearance from within Hakuna's mind, her voice a calm echo. "I've been waiting for you to find me. Took you long enough..."
"So now I have the powers of a demon... typical Anime Protagonist," Hakuna says, a fourth-wall-breaking epiphany on his face.
Psycha is confused. "Uh, what?"
Max then speaks, pulling Hakuna back to reality. "Well, Hakuna, you are to train so that you can master this power. Are you ready for it?"
Hakuna, lost in his thoughts, asks a question that had just popped into his head. "Wait a minute, Dad is HOW OLD?!"
Fade out...
End of episode 9.