Previously on the story about the kid who fell in love, we saw that anyone can fall in love, even a self-centred idiot like Hakuna. So, now we're just gonna see more fights and it's back to business, but something's different about this day, as always...
What? You wanna know what it is? Meh, you'll see soon enough.
A Royal Disturbance
Hakuna walks to school alone today. Relax, it's still not it. Super couldn't come to school now because, you know, troubles at home and stuff. It was an unusually quiet morning without Super's usual insults and general grumpiness, leaving an odd void in Hakuna's routine. The air was crisp, the sky was a clear, perfect blue, but for Hakuna, a sense of unease settled in his stomach as he approached the school gates.
Now, as he walks into the school yard, everyone looks at him suspiciously again. The whispers start almost immediately, little murmurs that grow in volume the closer he gets to the main building. Their eyes follow his every move, their expressions a mix of awe, fear, and a strange sort of curiosity. They had seen him fight the Level 5, they had seen his power, and now they saw him as something more than just another student. He was a celebrity, a public figure, a prince of a fallen clan, and the weight of that newfound notoriety was a heavy burden.
"Oh no, not again..." the boy thinks to himself, his shoulders tensing as he slips into a defensive demeanour, a posture he had long since perfected to deflect unwanted attention. Just as the anxiety began to build, a familiar figure appeared from behind him. Rico, with his usual nonchalant cheerfulness, nudges the prince playfully. "Prince Hakuna, I can say it now, right?"
"I really hope this dies down. The dangers of this are inevitable..." Hakuna replies, his voice low with worry about what lies ahead. This kind of fame was a beacon for enemies, a flashing sign that read 'target'.
"Relax, indulge yourself in this moment of futile fame, it'll go away soon enough..." Rico chimes, trying to comfort him. He was blissfully unaware of the true gravity of the situation, seeing it only as a fleeting, teenage moment.
Suddenly, a loud, earth-shattering smash echoes through the yard. Everyone flinches, and a cloud of dust billows up from the ground, obscuring their view. From the swirling dirt, a figure emerges: Sehloho, Hakuna's older brother, having just landed in front of them. The ground is cracked beneath his feet, a testament to the sheer force of his arrival.
"Wow, what an amazing entrance..." Hakuna comments, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Sehloho, completely ignorant of the sarcasm, responds with a flat, serious tone. "I know. Now, you and I need to talk..."
"Ya think?" Hakuna asks, with even more sarcasm, his eyes narrowing.
They walk away, leaving Rico in a cloud of dust and confusion. Rico coughs, waving his hands in the air. "Well, that was interesting..."
"Uhh, Rico, who was that?" Enzo asks, walking into the scene with a bewildered expression.
"Oh, that's Sehloho Ntlamele, Hakuna's older brother and the current king of the Letebele Empire. Big deal..." he says casually.
Everyone looks at the both of them, completely astonished. The weight of Hakuna's identity had just been confirmed, and the implications were staggering.
A Family Feud
Sehloho begins to speak, his voice cold and commanding, devoid of any warmth or brotherly affection. "Tell me, little brother, how was your identity revealed?"
"Some demons came and wanted to kill me. During that time, they called me by my name, with the word 'prince' and 'Vessel of Psycha'." The boy responds, his own voice a flat mirror of his brother's.
Sehloho then begins to explain. "Hmm, well, Vessel of Psycha means..."
Hakuna cuts him off, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "It's fine. Max told me everything about it..."
A dangerous glint appears in Sehloho's eye. He charges a blast on his finger, a tiny, glowing orb of concentrated energy, and aims it directly at the school building. "I guess all witnesses shall be eradicated..." he says flatly, the cold logic of an emperor far outweighing any sense of familial ties.
Hakuna, his eyes flashing with fury, instinctively blasts it away, sending the charged energy harmlessly into the sky. A dark expression settles on his face, the anger and protectiveness for his friends boiling to the surface. "I never said anything about destroying Milnerians, so don't. Anyone who is proven as a threat will be dealt with by me. Is that clear?"
Sehloho's eyes narrow, his expression hardening. "Watch your mouth. I'm going to be keeping an eye on you from now on..."
"Do what you want for all I care, just don't get in my way..." the boy says dismissively, turning his back on his brother.
"This entitled generation is definitely getting on my nerves..." Sehloho says this while flying upwards, disappearing into the clouds.
Psycha, the demon residing within Hakuna, chimes in, her voice echoing in his mind. "Wow, glad I'm not with him. His energy is dark, almost too dark..."
Hakuna, startled by the sudden presence, yelps. "What the...?! I totally forgot you existed! And what are you doing outside my body? People could see you..."
"Relax, no one can see me. I'm just sending signals to your eyes and ears so you can hear and see me as if I'm right in front of you..." the demon says casually, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.
"Titanus Skeleta helps you with that, doesn't it?" Hakuna questions, a hint of intellectual curiosity replacing his panic.
Psycha raises an eyebrow, a phantom expression on her ghostly face. "Ah, you're not an idiot at all. But before, I just used hallucination, but that caused problems for whoever used my power. It took a lot of energy to maintain it, so we had to develop a workaround, and you are the first to see it in action..."
"Hmm, I should get to class..." the prince relents, the bizarre conversation leaving him with a lot to process.
Hakuna walks back to class, the weight of his family's legacy and his new demonic companion a heavy weight on his shoulders.
The Breathing Dimension
School goes as normal as it can be, then there's a free period, another training session for the prince. This was his fifth day of training, and Master Mokoto had promised to step it up. Hakuna walks into the classroom, ready for the usual sight of the teacher sitting at his desk.
Until... immediately, an unseen force rushes at him. Hakuna instinctively catches a Karate Chop aimed at his shoulder, a move that would have shattered a normal person's bone.
"I knew there was something weird about today..." Hakuna says, his voice a calm sigh.
We're still not at the "different" thing...
Master Mokoto, his hand now held in place by Hakuna's, chimes in. "Well, it is your fifth day of training, I had to step it up, just a little bit..."
"I guess that means we're about to have our round 2..." the boy says cheekily, a confident smirk on his face.
Okay, fine, the different thing about today is that today is the 25th of April, this is Hakuna's birthday, and just like any certain time a boy gets a growth spurt, this is the certain time that Hakuna's power experiences the same. His power reaches an all-time high, this often affects things around him, you'll see what I mean any minute now...
The room changes, a familiar blank space of white light and endless nothingness. Hakuna moves away from Master Mokoto and prepares to launch himself towards him. He vanishes and reappears with a powerful punch flying at Master Mokoto's face, a blur of motion and raw power.
Master Mokoto barely blocks it, his arm shaking slightly with the effort. "You've gotten stronger in these five days, haven't you?" The teacher comments.
Hakuna, feigning pride, replies. "Hmm, I didn't realize. Maybe I have..."
Master Mokoto lands a powerful punch on Hakuna's chest and sends him flying back, a powerful shockwave rippling through the air. Just as he lands, a voice echoes in his mind.
Psycha, chimes in. "Damn, seems like the old guy is getting serious, maybe I should help..."
"Shut up, I'm fine..." Hakuna reprimands, his voice a tight whisper.
Master Mokoto, his expression shifting, questions, "You mind telling me who you're talking to, young prince?"
"A small nuisance, nothing to worry about. Ignore that..." the boy says, regaining his focus.
They clash, this battle, a dance of power and skill, too fast to see with the naked eye. Each punch, each kick, each deflection is ground-shakingly powerful. Hakuna flies back and begins to charge his energy, a golden light radiating from his body. He says, confidently, "You've probably only heard rumours of this, and now you get to see it in action..."
Hakuna's eyes glow with a fierce light, his aura radiating around his body, and just as Master Mokoto realizes what is happening, Hakuna yells out, "Kihimurra, Fist of Inferno!" Hakuna's fists seem to be set ablaze with a golden, fiery energy. Taking a deep breath, he says, "Here goes nothing..."
Hakuna moves faster than before, getting closer and closer towards Master Mokoto, and just as you may think he's defeated, Hakuna hits a barrier. It's an invisible wall, a shield of pure energy. Hakuna's attack has a double shock effect, and as the second shock hits, the barrier is destroyed.
"I suppose that's enough sparring for today..." Master Mokoto says, halting the prince's momentum.
"Damn..." Hakuna mutters, his fists still crackling with power. His aura fades away along with the glow in his eyes, the flames on his fists extinguish.
"Have you ever heard of the application of Energy Manipulation?" Master Mokoto queries.
"Nahh, not really. What is it?" Hakuna says curiously.
Master Mokoto begins to explain. "Energy Manipulation is used in many different ways. You use this technique subconsciously whenever you fire energy blasts, even when you fly you use Energy Manipulation, but there is a lot more you can do with it..."
"Like what?" The boy asks attentively.
Master Mokoto continues. "With this, you can share your energy and absorb energy from the atmosphere. You can use this technique to heal people. Energy Manipulation can be used for many different things..."
"Seems interesting..." Hakuna says, wondering what else he could do with this new ability.
Master Mokoto, snapping him back to reality, issues an instruction. "I want you to meditate..."
"Meditate, seems easy enough..." the boy says, barely acknowledging the challenge.
"Oh no. While meditating, I want you to raise and lower your power in similar rhythm to breathing..." the teacher says.
"Say what now?" Hakuna says, voicing his confusion.
"Exactly. I have to run to the office now; continue until I get back..." the teacher concludes.
Master Mokoto leaves Hakuna to it. Psycha chimes in. "Rather advanced for a 15-year-old kid, huh?"
"I can handle it..." the boy says with a determined look on his face. The demon, Psycha then thinks to herself, "I've been with this kid since he was born and still, I never know what's going on in that big head of his..."
Hakuna sits in a meditative pose, and as he inhales, he raises his power, and as he exhales, he lowers his power. This goes on for a few minutes, and we forgot what today means. Hakuna's power is unstable on this day. This is why he never trained on his birthday, and so, the consequences are being realized.
...At the Office...
The ground seems to be shaking, slightly. The coffee cups on Mr. Muyane's desk begin to rattle.
"Someone is probably fighting again..." Mr. Muyane says with the dash of monotone he always displays, a casual indifference that showed his self-imposed exclusion from school matters.
"You gonna deal with it?" Master Mokoto asks, poking at his unbothered colleague.
Mr. Muyane, dismissively voices, "Nah, if they wanna kill each other, who am I to stop them..."
Master Mokoto sighs, a sound of utter exasperation. "Zakes, you're always oblivious to everything..."
Mr. Muyane then begins to monologue, his voice a melancholic drawl. "I've lost my drive to discipline, it changes nothing..."
The shaking progresses, interrupting the teacher mid-sentence. "What in blazes is going on?" he asks, his voice a mix of frustration and shock.
Mr. Lupuwana walks in, a worried look on his face. He then deliberates, "No one is fighting outside. What could these tremors be?"
"I have no idea, and I'm not really in the mood to care..." Mr. Muyane says, turning to walk away. Suddenly, the shaking gets worse. It's an earthquake, a deep rumbling that threatens to topple the building. Master Mokoto, noticing a pattern, says, "Wait a minute, pay attention to the way these tremors move..."
The tremors come again, they stop, they come again, they stop, a rhythmic pulse that seems to be in sync with something.
Mr. Muyane sighs. "It's almost as if the ground is breathing. It's a very weird day today..."
Master Mokoto then thinks to himself, "Breathing? Could it be?" A sudden realization dawns on him. Master Mokoto stands and walks towards the door, a newfound urgency in his movements.
"Seems you've figured it out..." Mr. Muyane says, casual, yet sarcastic.
Master Mokoto, ignorant of the sarcasm, replies, "Yeah, it's Prince Hakuna. He's meditating in my class..."
Master Mokoto leaves. Mr. Muyane and Mr. Lupuwana are left shocked and speechless. "Did he just say Hakuna is doing this...?" Mr. Muyane stammers.
"I knew he was powerful, but this is way too much, even for a kid..." Mr. Lupuwana mentions in disbelief.
A Birthday Surprise
...Back in the class...
Hakuna's aura grows as he breathes, like a raging fire when fuel is being added to it. The dimension itself seems to be reacting to his power, the very air around him crackling with energy. Master Mokoto stands in awe, "It truly is staggering..."
The fabric of the dimension that Master Mokoto made falters due to Hakuna's power. The walls of the blank space begin to crack, fissures of light appearing in the white void. The teacher then beckons, "You can stop now, Hakuna..."
The boy opens his eyes, and his aura vanishes, the cracks in the dimension healing instantly. "Oh, you're back, what's up..." he says, completely unaware of the cracking dimension behind him.
Psycha, in shock, says, "You seriously had no idea you were literally ripping this dimension apart just by doing some breathing exercises?"
"I think that's enough for today. I have to repair this dimension..." Master Mokoto says, staring at the damaged space.
Hakuna, now realizing, "Huh, woah, what happened here?"
Master Mokoto states, "Hakuna, you happened. You have to learn to control your power. Its instability might destroy everything around you, even you..."
"Actually, back home in Lesotho, I never really trained on my birthday. I always thought it's because I was being celebrated. Darn, it would've helped if they told me about it..." the prince mentions casually.
"Oh, happy birthday. I'll see you later, alright?" The teacher says softly, his face a mixture of relief and concern.
"Okay, I guess..." Hakuna says, still unaware of his power's instability. He then gets ready to leave. As he walks out the door, someone throws a bucket of water at him. Obviously, he dodged it before he even realized it, his instincts taking over.
It was Super and the BBC. Hakuna is seen with his feet dug into the wall of the tuck shop, a testament to his lightning-fast reaction time.
Enzo exhales an expressive sigh. "He did it again. Damn, he's frustratingly quick."
"What are you all trying to do?" Hakuna asks, his voice low, his expression dark, and a hint of anger in his eyes.
Super, says, "Calm down, it's your birthday, isn't it?"
"What does that have to do with throwing water at me?" Hakuna asks, his expression still dark, a simmering rage beneath the surface.
Bodega chimes in casually, "Well, that's part of how we celebrate birthdays. How come you don't know?"
Hakuna then deliberates. "My Palace is situated midway up a mountain. Where I come from, throwing water at someone is an assassination attempt." Everyone looks at him in shock, the cultural difference a jarring reality.
Hakuna calms himself as he says, "No matter, you'll never catch me..." He vanishes.
"He never really took the time to study you, has he?" Super chuckles, a rare smile on his face.
"Nope..." Freddie replies.
Freddie fixes his tie, gets into an "On Your Mark" pose, goes to a "Get Set" pose, and just as he raises his head, BOOM—he's gone. His speed, beyond measure. He catches up to Hakuna and throws a punch. Hakuna catches it and casts him aside, stopping his motion.
"You're quick. Are you strong as well?" Hakuna says, a competitive glint in his eyes.
They both go into a fighting stance.
Fade Out.
End of Episode 11