Previously on Hakuna, the Prince went on his first solo mission with his newly discovered Royal Squadron, a team of formidable female warriors. He is still bitterly adjusting to the necessity of having to share the immense strategic and combat load instead of doing everything himself entirely. Upon reaching their objective—a heavily guarded tower in Tshabadira territory—a shocking and confusing revelation concerning their target, Rorisang, has them muddled. They must now decide what to do with their suddenly vulnerable captive.
Fade in…
The Price of Malevolence
Rorisang was revealed to be inside the room at the top of the tower. She was lying restrained on a metal table, chained at the wrists and ankles, and seemingly in profound, internal pain, her breathing shallow and ragged.
Hakuna approached the table, examining her condition, his expression turning from focused anger to clinical puzzlement. "This is peculiar. She is completely drained of energy, and her body is showing signs of severe spiritual corrosion."
Kamohelo, the squadron's spotter and communications expert, mentioned, observing Rorisang with detached curiosity. "My prince, there seems to be a strange, almost mirrored resemblance to you in her depleted state. The residual energy suggests demonic exposure, but her exhaustion is almost fatal."
Hakuna then spoke, confirming the intuition of his squad. "Yes, like me, she was also possessed by a demon, Sparta. However, I've never heard of anything remotely similar to what she's going through now. The possession has destroyed her."
Psycha chimed in, her mental voice laced with a knowing, ancient disdain. "Ahh, it appears Sparta has no more use for his pawn. His pact with her has expired, leaving her utterly empty."
"You know what this is? You recognize this phenomenon?" The prince questioned Psycha, demanding immediate information.
Psycha replied, confirming his suspicions. "Yes, vessel. This right here is what we term Negative Possession."
"Negative Possession? I thought all possessions were negative, Psycha," Hakuna asked, needing clarity on the specific terminology.
Psycha deliberated, her explanation detailed and chilling. "A demonic possession where the intent of the possessing demon, unlike the mutually beneficial symbiosis of mine and your father's, or the inherent spiritual connection between me and you, is sourced entirely from malevolence and impure intentions. Sparta never intended to make Rorisang powerful; he simply needed a temporary conduit for his own agenda."
"Hmm, but what does that technicality have to do with her catastrophic physical and spiritual condition now?" he asked, pointing out the signs of decay.
Psycha continued, laying bare the brutality of the demon's strategy. "Well, Sparta never fully intended on giving her the lasting, permanent benefits—the foundational spiritual gifts—of an actual Positive Possession or a true symbiosis. She was just a disposable pawn. Therefore, upon the cessation of the pact, she received none of the sustaining gifts that a true demon host expects."
"Huh? What do you mean by 'sustaining gifts?'" Hakuna voiced, seeking elaboration.
Psycha continued, detailing the tragic costs of Rorisang's ambition. "Yes. She did receive unparalleled, temporary power—an amplification of her latent darkness—sufficient to face your Divine Energy. Yet, she was never promised eternal youth, or a spiritual anchor. And the result is devastating: not only had this fraudulent agreement left her spiritually weaker than when she started, but she no longer possesses a functional Talent. Her inherent magical gift, the core of her being, is just… Unknown. Erased by Sparta's spiritual corrosion."
"Maybe I can help her. I can feel the spiritual rot," Hakuna said, a flicker of his lost hope returning, a need to save someone, anyone.
Psycha spoke, dismissing the idea brutally. "I doubt it. The erased Talent is permanent; that part of her soul has been consumed. And worse, there's still a vicious residual malevolence within her from Sparta, a slow-acting poison, slowly eating away at her entire life force."
Hakuna declared, stepping closer to the table, his decision made. "Right then. I may not be able to do anything about her original Talent being permanently nonexistent, but perhaps I can at least save her life and remove the lingering poison. I won't let her die this way."
Divine Intervention
He activated his Divine Energy, the purple aura instantly surging around him, making the air thrum with power.
The entire Royal Squadron felt this immense energy spike, even the two warriors still engaged in cleanup on the battlefield below, instantly freezing them in awe.
Hakuna then spoke, his voice no longer his own but an amplified, powerful echo that reverberated throughout the entire tower and the surrounding area. "I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE NOLITHA, MY LOVE, FROM THE HAND OF SPARTA, BUT WITH HER POWER NOW MINE, I WON'T LET ANYONE ELSE DIE UNNECESSARILY. NOT ON MY WATCH."
He hovered his hands, glowing with pure Divine light, over Rorisang's still body, his eyes closed in deep concentration.
"RECIDITE…"[1]
A thick, undulating cloud of dark energy, the last vestige of Sparta's influence, instantly erupted from Rorisang's body as she floated slightly in mid-air under the force of the powerful spell.
Hakuna then directed his power toward the escaping shadow, addressing the absent demon master. "SPARTA! YOU USED YOUR MINION MERCA TO TARGET ME AND FAILED. THEN YOU USED THIS POOR, AMBITIOUS GIRL TO TAKE WHAT I LOVE AWAY FROM ME! KNOW THIS: NEXT TIME I FIND YOU, I WON'T BE SO MERCIFUL. NEXT TIME, DON'T COWARDLY HIDE BEHIND YOUR PAWNS!"
Suddenly, a brilliant purple flame, born of the raw power Nolitha's sacrifice had bestowed, instantly engulfed the dark, escaping energy, incinerating it completely. The flame was pure, spiritual fire, leaving no residue.
Kamohelo stood in awe, utterly silent, a single thought running through her mind about the terrifying but beautiful potential of what Hakuna had become.
Hakuna looked towards Rorisang, who had fallen back onto the table. Her body was still, but the spiritual rot was gone.
"AD PLENUM SALUTEM…"
A gentle golden glow washed over Rorisang's entire form. Her wounds instantly healed, her skin regained its color, and her breathing normalized. She began to gain consciousness, her eyes fluttering open.
"REQUIEM…" he said, quickly casting a final spell to ensure she remained unconscious, safe from herself and their interrogation.
He stood back, his mission accomplished.
Psycha thought to herself, watching the effortless display of both unparalleled offensive and healing power. "Scary. He now wields both the destructive and restorative aspects of the Divine. He is utterly complete, but also utterly unhinged."
Hakuna's Divine Energy returned to normal, the light receding.
The Unexpected Calm
Meanwhile, Lebone was seen on the battlefield below with Selepe, finishing off the last remnants of the demon skirmish.
"What the hell was that energy spike? It felt like the air itself was screaming," Selepe asked, her weapon lowered, her combat focus momentarily shattered.
Lebone replied, still breathing hard. "That was the Prince, Selepe. His power signature. That was him doing... something."
Selepe then murmured, looking up at the high tower. "I know that Royal Entities are supposed to be overwhelmingly powerful and all that, but that's just menacing. That wasn't just power; that was utter command."
As the battle was finally concluded, Hakuna was seen walking around the immediate area of the tower, sensing for possible hidden enemies or traps, as his squadron systematically raided the tower for any strategic intelligence or "loot."
Hakuna murmured to himself, his senses extended and strained. "This is odd. There's a profound energy disconnect here."
Psycha chimed in, equally sensing the strategic flaw. "Enlighten me, vessel. What concerns you?"
Hakuna continued, detailing the tactical inconsistency. "Sehloho said that the demon army stationed here was too powerful for the clan's military forces, I mean there were Level 7 and 8 demons, an insurmountable task. Yet, we managed to destroy everything in a matter of 56 minutes. And I don't even sense anyone noteworthy from the Tshabadira Clan leadership here at all. They aren't even trying to take it back. I've said this in the previous chapter, but something's really, fundamentally wrong with this entire situation."
He stopped, scanning the desolate, ruined landscape.
"Ehh…?" Psycha then stammered, her attempt to distract him clumsy and desperate. "Uhh, uhm… yeah, you know how inconsistent demon troop movements can be! Anyway, there most probably is a perfectly mundane reason for them having such an inconsistent and undermanned deployment here. Maybe they needed the demons elsewhere."
"Are you saying that this entire mission could have been an elaborate trap, Psycha?" Hakuna asked, his eyes narrowing, his tactical mind catching up to his instinct.
Before Psycha could formulate a coherent denial, a series of massive, synchronized explosions ripped through the ground. The entire area, the tower, and the surrounding battlefield were instantly laced with powerful demonic explosives, detonating simultaneously and destroying everything there.
Hakuna was caught in the epicenter of the blast, the concussive force overwhelming his temporary shield. He was sent flying across the scorched earth toward a nearby hill.
As he tumbled violently along the summit, his body slammed into a sturdy, ancient tree trunk with brutal force. The impact extinguished his remaining consciousness, and he was rendered instantly unconscious.
Fade out…
End of Episode 43.
[1] This is one of Hakuna's original spells, he came up with it on the spot as he realised that Nolitha's power is merely the dominion over any and all forms of matter at the molecular level, even spirits.