Previously on Hakuna, the BBC set out to find the Xhosa Princess, Nolitha, at the ancient Tshabadira Palace, where she is being held captive. As they set out, an army of Fallen Angel Blood Demons with unimaginable, unreadable power await them. What happens next? A desperate rescue attempt, a furious battle, and a clash of vessels.
Let's find out…
Assault on the Tshabadira Palace
Hakuna lands with a deliberate, bone-jarring impact directly on the massive, ornate front gate of the Tshabadira Palace. His energy, raw and focused, crackles around him.
The BBC lands behind him in quick succession, their stances ready for immediate combat.
"You think they know we're here? This seems a little too quiet for an expected invasion," Enzo asks, scanning the towering, desolate structure.
"I don't know, but just in case they missed the memo, we'll make a dramatic entrance. Move back," Hakuna says, channeling his power. "Fist of Inferno!" Hakuna roars, driving a concentrated, superheated punch straight into the massive iron gate.
The impact sounds like a mountain crumbling. The hinges shriek under the pressure, snapping violently, and the enormous, reinforced gates fall inward with a deafening crash.
Meanwhile, deep within the palace walls, Nolitha senses the powerful, familiar surge of energy.
"Ahh, he's here. I knew he wouldn't disappoint. The little Prince has finally arrived," Rorisang says, turning her sinister smile toward the cage.
"What are you talking about? Are you delusional?" Nolitha questions, playing ignorant but feeling the magnetic pull of Hakuna's presence.
Rorisang then continues, her eyes dark and knowing. "I may not have had the Royal Tie yet, but I know how the connection works, Nolitha. Look at the sudden, faint glow on your adorable, lying face. Your panic is radiating."
"Mxm," Nolitha mutters, kissing her teeth in annoyance, a clear sign of her frustration at being powerless and exposed.
As Nolitha looks away, the entire palace structure shakes violently from the kinetic shockwave of Hakuna's entrance.
"Now, while I go welcome our distinguished guests and secure the future of the Tshabadira clan, you just stay put and be a good little prisoner," Rorisang says, turning to leave the chamber.
"Ha ha, very funny. You're entirely too smug for someone about to be utterly dismantled," Nolitha retorts sarcastically, already formulating ten escape plans.
The silence outside is instantly shattered by a deafening, demonic roar. A Grizzly-sized demon charges through the debris of the front gate and attacks the boys.
"Fist of Inferno!" Hakuna roars again, landing a series of blistering punches that strike around six demons that have emerged, destroying them instantly and vaporizing them into ash.
"I am definitely getting the feeling that this entire thing was carefully thought out, leading to perfect anticipation of our arrival. This is a prepared ambush," Super says, stating the tactical observation calmly.
"Way to state the obvious, idiot. We established that minutes ago," Hakuna replies, already frustrated by the overwhelming numbers.
"Shut up your mouth and focus, Hakuna! You're the one who led us into the trap!" Super snaps back at the prince.
"Enough bickering. I'll deal with this overwhelming vanguard," Freddie declares, stepping forward with an unexpected sense of command.
"Huh? Freddie? You're going to take on all of them?" Super stammers, genuinely surprised.
"Freddie? What are you planning?" Hakuna mutters, wary of his friend's confidence.
"Shh. Just watch the show, gentlemen," Freddie says, his eyes focused entirely on the horde.
An inconceivable number of demons attack simultaneously from all upwards angles, raining down on the small group. Freddie vanishes in a blinding surge of concentrated yellow energy.
Super then attempts to speak, his eyes wide. "Oh, great, le—"
Before Super can finish his word, Freddie reappears, having utterly destroyed all demons in the immediate vicinity.
What? That was too fast. How did he pull off that level of destruction?
Freddie's Evolution and Rorisang's Arrival
You want me to go into detail? You want a proper explanation of the sheer speed and power of Freddie's new fighting style? Oh, come on, that's going to take forever…
Fine, here we go, an analysis of Freddie's Flurry:
Freddie grunts mentally, his focus absolute. "Hmph!"
His aura flares violently, surging with compressed power, and here comes the part where he truly vanishes from sight, utilizing his enhanced kinetics to achieve unimaginable speed.
Super then attempts to speak, "Oh, great, le—"
With blazing, blinding speed, Freddie attacks the incoming horde. His speed allows him to perceive the demons in slow motion.
One demon follows, attempting to track the energy, but Freddie grabs it by the head mid-air and smashes it to the ground, the impact creating a crater.
Another demon attacks from above, dropping from the palace roof. Freddie instantly deploys a concentrated energy saber—a focused weapon of pure light, a new development.[1]
"Woah, he has a weapon now? That's impressive," Hakuna murmurs, momentarily forgetting the chaos.
Freddie cuts through all remaining demons so fast, delivering precise, debilitating strikes, that their demonic brains register this event only after their bodies have already fallen to the ground in hundreds of pieces. The sensory overload is too slow to register the attack.
"You really did get stronger, Freddie. That was incredible," the prince says, his relief evident.
"Yup, and this is only the beginning. I trained hard for this," Freddie declares, his energy receding back into his body.
Rorisang then chimes in, floating down gracefully from a balcony. "Oh, hi boys! Are you enjoying yourselves? I hope the entertainment was sufficient."
"Nice mini-Hell you got here, Rorisang. Sadly, none of these demons cause for much entertainment. They're all too slow," Super says flatly, refusing to acknowledge her power.
"Where is she? Where is Nolitha?" Hakuna questions, cutting straight to the point.
Rorisang then continues, strolling forward with dark amusement. "Come now, the fun has just begun. You've only just entered the body of this poetic battle, Prince. There's no need to rush toward the climax, not yet. Now, enter the second wave—a personalized greeting."
It's silent for a beat. Rorisang waits patiently, but nothing happens.
Hakuna then speaks, starting to lower his guard. "Is there something that's supposed to happ—oof!"
A massive, incredibly fast demon, clearly a Level 7, came out of nowhere and tackled Hakuna with overwhelming force, sending him flying straight toward the outer reinforced wall of the palace.
As this takes place, hundreds more Level 5 demons appear from shadows and portals, instantly engaging the rest of the BBC.
"Seems like we're gonna have to hold on while Hakuna deals with that one. We've got a full-scale battle on our hands," Enzo declares, summoning his energy.
Hakuna vs. Khidorra
…Meanwhile, near the Palace Outer Wall…
Hakuna slams into the wall, shaking the entire structure, and is seen battling the demon that tackled him.
"I told you before, Prince. You won't be so lucky next time. I am here for final retribution," the demon says, its voice echoing with the whispers of hundreds of destroyed demons.
"Do you even have a name, you loudmouthed big idiot? Or are you just another sentient punching bag?" Hakuna questions, already annoyed by its theatrical dialogue.
"I am known as Khidorra," the demon declares, puffing out its massive chest.
"Very symbolic, Khidorra. But you don't have three heads, so the name is inaccurate," Hakuna says.
Khidorra then continues, stepping closer. "Yes, I do not have multiple heads, however, I am an amalgamation of all the demons you have mercilessly destroyed. A poetic end to your reckless killing spree. I am the retribution of all those fallen demons, including Merca! I am the one who is many! I am—Oof!"
Hakuna punches Khidorra squarely in the face, interrupting the monologue.
"I get it, I get it. Your origin story is tragic. But Sparta giving you intelligence was a bad idea on his part, because now you're just loud mouthier and more annoying than Merca ever was," Hakuna says, wiping his fist.
Khidorra then grunts, enraged by the dismissal. "Grr, you will rue the day you were born, human! You will pay for Merca's defeat!" He says, slamming his massive fists into the ground.
The ground breaks apart violently, sending massive chunks of earth and debris flying. Hakuna prepares to fight, his eyes beginning to glow an intense yellow.
They both vanish in streaks of light as their battle begins, their movements too fast for the eye to track.
Rorisang's One-Sided Power
…Back at the palace entrance, the BBC attempts to stop Rorisang, who is casually dodging their attacks to no avail.
"Come on now, boys. You have to at least be able to land one finger on me. You're supposed to be Hakuna's backup," she says, taunting them effortlessly.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Rorisang. We're only stalling for time. We know what this is," Super says, trying to maintain the psychological high ground.
"Is that so?" She asks, her amusement clear.
Her eyes begin to change colour, the whites completely vanishing, leaving them jet black, fully unleashing Sparta's power.
She then says, her voice cold and commanding. "Then I'll have to entertain myself, haven't I?"
Rorisang attacks everyone one by one, moving with blinding, dark speed. She starts with Enzo, who barely manages to block, but she punches straight through his energy defense and knocks him out with a single, precise blow to the head. Bodega tries to get her from behind, but she dodges effortlessly and proceeds to smash his face into the ground, throwing him aside like a ragdoll. Then comes Rems and MXO. Their combined, synchronized forces manage to throw her back for a short while, but almost immediately she incapacitates them with a sonic clap beside their ears, creating a disorienting, high-frequency blast, which in turn knocks them out completely.
Now, only Freddie and Super are left standing.
Freddie then thinks to himself frantically, his confidence entirely shattered. "She knocked everyone out with so much ease! Oh shit, I don't stand a chance! My training did nothing! What am I even doing here? This is suicide! I'm gonna die! I don't wanna die, no, I just…"
Super places his hand firmly on Freddie's shoulder, grounding him.
"Come on, Freddie. Stop panicking. Let's do this together. We're all that's left," he says, his voice determined.
Freddie then mutters, his energy flickering. "Super, but I… I can't."
"You think this bitch's going to stop us? No way. Come on, man, there's no way we're letting her win this easily. Show me what you've been training for, and let's end this," Super voices, his energy starting to burn bright.
Freddie flares his energy, finding his resolve through his friendship. "You're right. There's no way we can lose. Not together," he says, regaining his focus.
Super flares his energy to match Freddie's intensity. "That's right. Now let's do this," Super declares.
Rorisang then comments, watching their emotional connection. "The power of friendship. How incredibly futile and entirely predictable."
Super and Freddie move with blazing, synchronized speed. Their combined, concentrated speed is so great that by the very end of Rorisang's sentence, they both land a perfectly timed, combined punch on her face.
"Shut the hell up and die, Rorisang!" Super snarls, momentarily breaking her composure.
Their combined assault, utilizing both Super's power and Freddie's speed, is enough to drive her back a considerable distance.
Sparta chimes in, his voice slightly concerned. "You seem quite challenged, Princess. They've managed a solid hit."
"Calm down, Sparta. They only seem to have a momentary advantage in speed and synchronization," Rorisang says, wiping a trickle of blood from her lip.
Freddie then thinks, "Could this be it? Are we winning? This is it, we can do—Uuaaaagh!"
Rorisang, with a speed that still manages to outstrip Freddie's, catches him violently by his neck.
"Shit," Super voices, immediately flying towards Rorisang in a desperate attempt to free Freddie from her crushing grasp.
"Hmm, just like I said, futile," Rorisang says flatly, entirely unimpressed by Super's attempt.
She brutally smacks Super to the ground using Freddie's body as a literal weapon, the double impact knocking Freddie out instantly. Super is conscious but immobile, pinned under the combined weight of the attack and Rorisang's pressure.
"What fun we just had. Let's take this inside, shall we? Hakuna should be done with his fun as well," she then says, her dark eyes gleaming with anticipation.
She effortlessly lifts everyone from the ground using telekinesis, binding them in dark energy threads, and floats toward the palace interior.
The Boiling Point
…At the Palace Outer Wall…
Khidorra and Hakuna have been evenly matched throughout their entirety of the battle, trading blows that could shatter mountains, but then the mental interference hits Hakuna.
Hakuna thinks to himself, his mind reeling from the psychic shock of Rorisang's triumph. "She beat them all on her own? Just like that? Impossible. How can that level of power exist?"
"Eyes on the prize, human!" Khidorra yells, taking advantage of Hakuna's moment of distraction.
He lands a powerful, crushing punch on Hakuna, sending him flying backward, narrowly missing the outer wall.
Hakuna manages to catch his footing, sliding to a stop, his face a mask of pure, cold rage.
Khidorra then speaks, trying to break the prince's resolve with philosophy. "The Princess has made quick work of your companions, Letebele. You all are just a bunch of teenagers trying to be heroes in a world of adults, a world of chaos and true power. You are out of your depth."
Hakuna's energy skyrockets, displaying a sudden, overwhelming purple hue that lights up the entire vicinity. His control is gone, replaced by lethal intent.
Hakuna then speaks, his voice low, distorted, and terrifying. "I'm getting tired of your endless chatter, dubbing yourself as some superior life form. I couldn't care less about such things, and I don't care about your philosophy. However, you've pissed me off, Khidorra. And now, I'm going to show you what happens to people who piss me off."
"Kihimurra!"
A massive, devastating, blinding explosion envelops the whole vicinity.
Fade out…
End of Episode 34.
[1] An example of the weaponry applications of Nzilo