Previously on Hakuna, the Prince was stripped of her powers by the villainous Philosopher. The shocking revelation about his demon association immediately placed the DDF on edge, and despite having just saved the school, Hakuna found himself under arrest and facing a severe interrogation. The weight of his guilt and the terrifying knowledge that he had been killing humans-turned-demons pressed down on him heavily.
Fade in…
Vessel Under Scrutiny
Hakuna was seen standing in the oppressive, tension-filled space at the main entrance of the Hostel. He was tightly surrounded by the various EXCO members, who regarded him with a mixture of fear and betrayal. Flanking them were Nokukhanya and her elite Royal Squadron, maintaining a disciplined, watchful perimeter.
"What exactly did he mean by, 'Your demon'?" Vanessa questioned, her voice cutting through the strained silence like a whip.
Hakuna turned his head slowly to face the Head Girl, who was pointing a large, ancestral sword—a blade reserved only for execution or divine judgment—directly at him.
He muttered, completely caught off guard by the immediate, aggressive escalation. "Ah?"
Vanessa then shouted, her patience eroded by the day's chaos. "Do not stall! Speak now, or face the consequences of treason!"
Hakuna attempted to speak, trying to explain the complexity of his situation. "Listen, Vanessa, This isn't umm—it's a situation that requires conte—"
Before he could utter another coherent word, Vanessa swiftly and forcefully placed the cold, sharp flat of her sword directly on Hakuna's lips, silencing him instantly.
She then hissed, her eyes narrowed with distrust. "And don't you dare lie to me, Prince. Not when the lives of every student here have been staked on your supposed loyalty."
Hakuna, trapped, and understanding the futility of an immediate explanation, stayed agonizingly silent.
…Inside the Hostel, an hour later…
Hakuna was seen seated in an austere, empty DDF interrogation room, physically restrained to a heavy, bolted chair with specialized anti-magic steel cuffs.
Vanessa, after taking a moment to calm herself, then spoke, pacing back and forth with military precision, listing his controversial history. "Prince Hakuna Ntlamele, your tenure here at Milner has been filled with nothing but unprecedented controversy, defying all established DDF protocols. As soon as you arrived, you were controversially inducted into one of the strongest DDF teams in the school. And you have seemingly had a relentless target painted on your back due constantly to your aristocracy. And now, the catastrophic revelation: it seems you've had a powerful, high-ranking demon inside you this entire time, channeling its destructive power. I require a full, detailed explanation, now."
Vanessa looked towards the prince but was distracted by the ironically distracted Hakuna's sudden, sharp shift in focus. He was staring past her, his eyes narrowed in recognition.
Hakuna then asked, his voice low and immediate. "Who are you?"
Naledi replied, slightly confused. "I'm Naledi Mokoto."
Say what now?
"Wait… What?! You are that Mokoto?" Hakuna jolted, the connection snapping into place.
Naledi replied, nodding. "Yes, that Mokoto. There is only one line with that kind of lineage."
Hakuna then asked, his surprise genuine. "Are you Master Mokoto's daughter?"
"No, he's my grandfather, sort of. Well he's my direct grandfather's brother," Naledi said, clarifying the link.
Hakuna then said, reflecting on the Master's perpetual youth. "I'm genuinely shocked. I knew he was old, Master of all Trades and all, but not this old."
A voice, deep and resonant, chimed in from the corner of the room, having appeared without a sound. "I know, Prince Hakuna. I look remarkably good for my age, don't I?"
Hakuna was seen instantly leaping—his adrenaline and instinct overriding his exhaustion—landing on the other side of the room in a defensive stance.
Vanessa muttered, her jaw slack with shock. "What the—?! Sir, how did you get in here?"
Master Mokoto then said, completely ignoring Vanessa's panic and addressing only the Prince. "I am certain you have grown exponentially stronger since your last training session, Prince Hakuna. So, tell me why you still reflexively dodge my presence with such speed?"
Hakuna replied, his hands up in a ready-stance. "Well, Master, either I still subconsciously view you as a terrifying, unpredictable threat, or, it's the profound fact that I just violently lost the Power of Psycha, leaving me without my anchor and making me entirely paranoid."
Master Mokoto then pondered, a subtle, wise nod. "Hmm, the loss of a symbiotic partner. I see. The psychological trauma is indeed significant."
Vanessa chimed in, attempting to regain professional decorum. "Sir, with all due respect, may I ask what you are doing here? This is an official DDF investigation."
"Hm? Oh, I simply heard one of my favorite protégés was under the severe pressure of a baseless interrogation. I had to see what was what, Head Girl," he said, his presence dismissing the entire proceeding.
Naledi then asked, her respect for her grandfather overriding her DDF duties. "From the looks of it, it seems you were well aware of Hakuna's 'secret,' Grandfather?"
Master Mokoto replied, his gaze firm. "Well, of course I was. I am the Master. I am well aware of all my true students' spiritual and existential circumstances. It is my job to know."
Vanessa then argued, her voice rising in protest. "But sir, how is it ethically or morally acceptable for you that we had a high-ranking demon in our very midst? It violates every sacred tenet of the DDF!"
Master Mokoto then spoke, defending the Prince with an irrefutable listing of his deeds. "Due to the essential, undeniable fact that with his demon's power, this boy has single-handedly saved the school and the region countless times when the DDF failed. Was it not him who, after sustaining grievous, fatal injuries, stopped the tyranny of the demon-worshiping cult on his own?"
"I thought that cult story was an elaborate hoax," Vanessa muttered, utterly stunned by the confirmation. "A calculated ploy by the administration to maintain order and morale in Milner."
Master Mokoto then continued, his voice lowering with solemnity. "No, Mbatha. It was painfully real. Last year, the Principal took a massive gamble. All matric students were unable to fight due to their exams, and with most of the BBC being critically MIA, he deployed Hakuna, on his own, immediately after the boy lost—"
Hakuna shot him a warning glare—a silent, intense signal for him to halt the painful memory.
"After he lost what, sir?" Vanessa pressed, sensing the core of the secret.
Master Mokoto then smoothly recovered. "Nevermind that old, painful history. It is irrelevant to the current threat. Release Hakuna immediately. Attempting to restrain him now will only worsen the effects of the 40 Days of Corruption. He is required on the field."
"Thank you, sir, for the defense, but there's a critical problem that supersedes my interrogation," Hakuna said, his focus returning to the villain.
Master Mokoto mumbled, his eyes sharp. "Hmm? What calamity have I missed in my absence?"
Hakuna then said, relaying the most urgent threat. "The Philosopher possesses Lilith's Rib."
"Interesting," Master Mokoto said, his hands now clasped behind his back in thought. "There was an ancient, long-standing rumor circulating that that dark artifact had been finally destroyed millennia ago. For someone with absolutely no notable aristocracy or known power to possess such a volatile relic is, for lack of a better word, incredibly dangerous."
Hakuna then said, relaying the horrific use of the artifact. "Sir, he's been actively using it to turn innocent humans into high-level demons."
Everyone in the room—Master Mokoto, Vanessa, and Naledi—looked at him with silent, horrified surprise, the weight of the war shifting completely.
Vanessa muttered, her face pale. "What?!"
Naledi murmured, shaking her head. "No! That is the vilest of atrocities!"
Hakuna then added the consequence for himself. "It's also with that Rib that he was able to strip away Psycha from me."
Master Mokoto replied, his expression shifting from horror to deep, focused concentration. "About that, Prince: the power of your demon is not utterly gone. She is simply placed in a form of magical Stasis. Her power seems to be utterly gone, yes, but I, being sensitive, can still sense it. It is incredibly faint, like a dying ember."
"How is that even possible if the connection was severed?" Naledi asked, demanding the magical explanation.
Master Mokoto then explained the terrifying hierarchy of demons. "Lilith, being the ancient Mother of all Demons, has the primal ability to control all of them. As a declaration of her twisted love to Satan, she gave him a rib bone. Little did she know that this specific rib contained a potent fraction of her own controlling power—enough to command, summon, and create more demons. But even worse, the power to control her essence. The control over lower demons gives the Rib the ability to control low-level Tikoloshe and Humanoids. But the fragment of control over Lilith herself gives the Rib the profound power to manipulate and control high-ranking, powerful demons like Psycha."
"So I can eventually get her back?" Hakuna asked, the hope in his voice tentative and fragile.
Master Mokoto replied, his gaze steady and inspiring. "Yes, Prince. By either stopping this Philosopher and utterly destroying Lilith's Rib—which would break the curse—or by using some form of overwhelming, unique great force to violently break the curse of Lilith on your demon. You still have a chance."
"Right. That is the objective." Hakuna said, a singular focus returning to his eyes.
He immediately walked out the door, shattering the restraints as a symbol of his resolved will.
Vanessa muttered in absolute awe. "What the—! He just broke out and is walking away!"
Hakuna then paused at the door, realizing he needed someone. "Oh, right, Naahhhledi, do you know where the Bridge Clan princess is? She needs to hear this."
Naledi then asked, still reeling from the events. "Who's that? And why are you saying my name like that, Prince? It's Naledi."
Hakuna, realizing he had defaulted to the private, aristocratic knowledge of Nokukhanya's importance. "Oh, I meant Nokukhanya Serame. And it's fun to say it that way, Naahhhledi."
Naledi, flabbergasted, muttered. "Eh?"
Nokukhanya suddenly appeared, gliding silently from around the corner, her expression composed. "I'm right here, Hakuna. I was merely waiting for the Master to conclude the proceedings."
Hakuna instinctively reacted—the violent trauma and paranoia causing him to mistake her for another threat. He sent a powerful, uncharged Fist of Inferno directly towards Nokukhanya's face, but managed to slam the lethal strike to a stop an inch away from her nose, the heat visibly distorting the air.
"You seem to be in high spirits and full of fiery passion, Prince," She said sarcastically, utterly unmoved.
Master Mokoto chimed in, stepping in front of the Prince. "He seems to be entirely on edge after the events of today, Princess. His mind is shattered."
Nokukhanya then said, her eyes shifting to the fifth member of her squadron. "Oh… I see the problem. Maybe Joy can be of assistance. Her calming aura is known to settle the mind."
Joy, the fifth member of the Khanya Royal Squadron, walked in silently behind Nokukhanya.
Hakuna muttered, his usual overwhelmed response. "Ah." He stared at her with the deep, inexplicable longing that always accompanied her presence.
Joy then asked, noting his intense, unwavering gaze. "Why is it that you always act this way in my presence, Prince Hakuna? I am only a warrior of the princess' Squadron."
Hakuna replied, finally forced to explain the spiritual and physical connection. "Sorry. You just look exactly like Nolitha. You carry her facial features, you act like her with your quiet intensity, and you talk like her sometimes, with that specific tone of voice."
Hakuna then walked with Joy, needing the grounding peace of her company, toward the relative calm of the Dining Hall.
Master Mokoto then said, turning back to the Head Girl, his mind focused on strategy. "Whoever the Philosopher is, I wonder what his true, final goal is. It cannot just be to cause panic."
"You and all of us, sir. We must find out before he completes his vile plan," Vanessa said, already coordinating the defense.
The Ultimate Betrayal
Hakuna was seen sitting on his usual, familiar table in the Dining Hall, the space now mostly empty due to the earlier chaos.
Joy then asked, settling down opposite him. "So, what was she truly like, the Mehlomanelo princess? You never gave details."
Hakuna then spoke, the memories flooding back with warmth. "She was, truly perfect. Kind, powerful, and ridiculously adventurous, an unstoppable force. Heh, she always had the craziest ideas and defied all convention. She always refused being called cute, and then proceeded to do something utterly adorable moments later. Think of it this way, I don't know if I'll ever find someone with that unique spark again. She was the one."
"Then how was it that you found such an immediate, strong resemblance between me and her?" She pressed, wanting to understand his gaze.
"Well, it's the sum of the parts. You have a similar, elegant height, your facial features have… uncanny, striking similarities, and the way you walk—you glide somehow, almost silently, just like she did, always ready for action," he said.
"Oh come on, Prince. I mean, other than purely physical attributes. Give me personality," Joy replied, blushing slightly but pushing him further.
Hakuna then said, detailing his analysis of the Squadron member. "I mean, just look at you, Joy. You're shy, I can tell by the way you defer to Nokukhanya, but you're not afraid of maintaining strong eye contact, which is a sign of immense inner will. You somehow have the capability to be incredibly gentle and empathetic, despite the immense power I can sense radiating from you as a member of the Squadron. Now, while I predict it so, I can't really confirm anything about your, uhh… 'adventurous', risky side."
Joy blushed deeply, the accurate assessment catching her off guard. "Hey now, there's no need to be so hasty with your predictions, Prince. Take me out to dinner first, maybe then I'll show you the adventurous side."
Nolitha chimed in, her spiritual voice full of vindicated teasing. "You never used this much skillful flattery with me! You've been practicing, Pappie!"
Hakuna then thought to himself, panicking. "Don't! Shut up, Nolitha!"
Nolitha then said, utterly satisfied. "Fine, fine. Just remember to use protection, okay? Keep the line pure."
Hakuna then yelled within his mind, the spiritual intrusion too much. "SHUT UP!!! I said!"
"Hehehe." Nolitha chuckled, retreating.
A massive, impossible bolt of lightning struck the campus outside.
Joy then asked, noticing his sudden, painful agitation. "Hakuna, are you suddenly okay? You look deeply startled."
"Yeah, why?" he asked, trying to look composed.
Joy, noticing his odd reaction to the natural phenomenon, spoke. "I don't know, you just seemed acutely agitated when that lightning struck. Almost as if you were truly afraid of lightning, which makes no sense for a warrior of your rank."
Hakuna, never having realized his own subconscious fear, queried. "Lightning? But there's no rain, and no clouds in the sky."
They both looked towards the large window in anticipation, a second later.
The lightning struck again, but this time, right outside the Dining Hall. The immense sound sent powerful shockwaves that the glass windows could not handle, shattering them immediately into a million pieces.
Shards of glass flew towards everyone seated next to the windows, including Joy and Hakuna.
Hakuna instinctively moved to activate his power to dodge, but he couldn't—the power was gone. He only managed to turn his head away from the largest fragments, getting a deep, bleeding slash to his cheek in the process.
As this happened, his eyes immediately glowed light brown—the sign that a fatal, non-negotiable danger was imminent.
A massive, shadowy humanoid demon landed precisely on the spot where the lightning had struck.
It leaped instantly into the Dining Hall, aiming its wicked, black-hilted blade directly for Hakuna.
Hakuna, moving on instinct despite his weakness, didn't dodge. He jumped to intercept, blocking the strike with his forearm, only for his forearm to be viciously stabbed clean through by the demon's blade.
"Earggh!" He grunted in raw, agonizing pain as he stared at the crossways blade embedded deep in his arm.
"Hakuna!" Joy yelled worriedly, jumping up, her hand flying to her own weapon.
Mihlali, who had somehow tracked the Prince, appeared out of nowhere, leaping over Hakuna, delivering a powerful, decisive punch to the demon's head, sending it flying away from the prince and crashing back out the window.
Hakuna stood, clutching his severely wounded, bleeding arm.
"You okay, Prince Hakuna?" Mihlali asked, her face etched with immediate concern.
Hakuna, still in shock and pain, replied. "Uhh, yeah. Just… surprised."
The demon immediately stood and leaped towards Hakuna again, a relentless, focused predator.
Hakuna then said, determined to prove he could still fight. "I got this, Mihlali. Don't worry."
Mihlali mumbled, clearly doubtful. "Hmm?"
He lifted his wounded arm with the other, aiming his bleeding palm at the approaching demon as he tried to summon his signature attack.
"Kihimurra!"
Nothing happened. No light. No fire. No energy. The demon was inches away.
"Wha—?!" He muttered in rising panic.
Suddenly, a powerful voice echoed the activation command. "Woza, AMAHLE!"
A large, ancestral sword—appeared instantly in front of Hakuna. Vanessa appeared, snatching it and taking a defensive stance to fight the demon herself.
"Why did absolutely nothing happen?!" Hakuna demanded, the shock overwhelming his pain.
Joy then stepped forward. "Hakuna, relax. You are seriously injured. Let us handle this. You go immediately to your room and rest."
Hakuna argued, desperation flooding his eyes. "But I have to—"
Sureina, another Khanya warrior, chimed in, blocking his path, her voice firm. "No buts bigger than mine. You are a liability right now. Go rest."
Hakuna, caught off guard by the unity and the sheer number of warriors protecting him, muttered. "What? All of you?"
Joy then said, her voice softer but final. "Go get some rest, Hakuna. We'll be fine. We are the DDF and the Khanya Royal Squadron."
"Okay." The Prince said, defeated. He needed to regroup and heal.
As he walked away, the EXCOs and the Khanya Royal Squadron members present instantly ran to fight the demon, protecting his retreat.
Hakuna was so engrossed in his inner thoughts, the physical pain, and the moral dilemma of the human-demons that he made it to his room without consciously noticing a thing.
Steven, his roommate, was sitting calmly on his bed, looking out the window. "Mahn, they are still going at it, huh?"
He said this looking out the window at the new battle commencing.
Hakuna now noticed him, distracted by his exhaustion. "Huh? Oh, yeah, they are. It never ends."
He fell onto his bed in complete exhaustion, his arm bleeding profusely.
Steven stood up and sat next to him on the bed.
"What's up, man? You look like you just came back from a total war," Steven asked, his tone deceptively casual.
Hakuna then vented, unable to hold back his frustration. "I'm just tired, Steven. I fought so many demons—it does feels like I just came from a war, and I still know the 40 Days of Corruption aren't over, not until I find that asshole Philosopher."
"Damn, that's rough," Steven said, his eyes fixed on Hakuna's face.
Hakuna then continued, his frustration boiling over. "Arrgh! And he always says this smug, infuriating line right before he wins. It's so annoying."
Steven then said, leaning closer, his voice dropping to the chilling, familiar whisper of The Philosopher. "You look defeated, Prince Hakuna."
Wait.
"Yeah, that one—ah?" Hakuna muttered, the cold realization hitting him like a physical blow.
Wait! I know that voice!
Hakuna turned to Steven, his eyes glowing light brown instantly, the look of utter betrayal and danger locking onto his roommate.
Steven displayed a wicked, terrifying smile—the same grin Hakuna had seen beneath the Philosopher's mask. "Took you long enough, Prince. I was getting bored with the friendly façade."
I Knew It! The Philosopher was Steven all along!
Without saying a single word—his rage absolute and his instinct screaming betrayal—Hakuna grabbed Steven by the neck, channeling his immense raw, non-magical strength. He shoved Steven with explosive force through the wall of the hostel room 2 floors above ground. Both of them crashed violently, landing in the courtyard outside the dining hall.
Hakuna charged his wounded arm with the last, desperate traces of his demonic flames as he yelled. "Fist of—"
Steven interjected, utterly calm, holding up the ultimate threat. "Ah, ah, ahah. Not so fast, Prince. Remember, I have leverage."
He showed Hakuna Lilith's Rib, the vile bone glowing menacingly.
He then said, his voice booming with the Philosopher's authority. "I have all the power, and you have nothing. Furthermore, you are surrounded."
Hakuna thought to himself, looking around frantically at the silent, blank faces. "Shit. He's right. The students."
He looked around. All the students who had previously been inside the hostel—dozens of them, innocent and unaware—were now present in the courtyard, staring blankly at the two of them.
"You monster! You use your own friends! You used their trust!" Hakuna shouted, his voice cracking with the pain of the ultimate betrayal.
Steven then chuckled, a cold, empty sound. "Hehee. I'm only human, Prince. It is human nature..."
As he raised his arm, holding the Rib aloft, the bone began to glow with a blinding, terrifying purple light.
Hakuna yelled, throwing out his useless hands in a futile gesture. "NO! STEVEN, STOP IT!"
Steven—the Philosopher—then declared, his voice echoing across the campus with malevolent triumph. "Come now, Prince Hakuna. Witness, As the 40 Days of Corruption, BEGIN!"
All of Steven's closest, most devoted followers were transformed to powerful humanoid demons, and every other student captured by the Rib's spell in the courtyard, began to writhe and scream, transforming violently into hordes of high-level demons right before Hakuna's eyes.
All the spared students began to panic, the chaos and terror ascending to an unbearable level.
Hakuna yelled, a cry of profound failure and despair, completely powerless to stop the betrayal and the mass transformation. "NOOO!"
Fade out…
End of Episode 58.