Previously on Hakuna, we got a glimpse of his true power. It was pretty exciting; he literally almost tore half of a kaiju-sized Level 8 demon with his bare hands. Just imagine what's going to happen when he masters my... 'cough, cough' I mean Psycha's power. That is going to be a sight to behold. Now we're gonna see another glimpse, not now though, not now, but soon...
The Tournament's Perfect Timing
The sun rose on a quiet morning, casting a gentle, golden light into Hakuna's room. The prince was going through his usual morning routine, a sense of calm settled over him after the turbulent events of his birthday. As he got ready for school, his phone buzzed. It was a text from Enzo.
"Hey Hakuna, I just got the news that Fight Club is hosting a tournament today. We're gonna need to partake in it. Please make sure you aren't busy this afternoon..." the text read.
A small smile tugged at the corner of Hakuna's lips. "Hmm, I wonder if there'll be another demon attack there. Guess we'll have to see..." Hakuna says, his voice a low, thoughtful murmur.
Psycha's voice chimes in once again, her ethereal presence a familiar echo in his mind. "Why do things always have perfect timing with you?"
"What do you mean?" The boy questions, genuinely perplexed by the demon's comment.
Psycha continues, her voice taking on the dry, authoritative tone of a teacher. "Well, today was the day we do a test on your energy control and how long you can go when using my power, and it just so happens that fighting strong opponents is key to that realization..."
"I have a really bad feeling that this is your way of telling me to participate..." Hakuna voices, a defeated sigh escaping his lips.
"Of course, it is, you big idiot. Now go ahead and participate..." the demon says, and in Hakuna's mind, she takes on the image of a stern schoolteacher pointing a stick at a blackboard with the word "Participate" scrawled on it in chalk.
Hakuna then sighs, his shoulders slumping. "Oh heavens, fine..."
Hakuna goes to school, and his day is just ordinary, filled with classes and conversations. But the afternoon brings a different energy to the campus, a buzz of anticipation that can only mean one thing.
Fight Club Tournament starts...
...At the Tournament...
The entire schoolyard has been transformed. A makeshift ring is set up, surrounded by a roaring crowd of students. The announcer, a figure with a booming voice and a flair for the dramatic, begins to speak. "Alrighty, we are back with a bang after our last incident! This time we are prepared, but are you? We are going to be seeing some of the most spectacular fights this world has ever seen. I'm talking about the BBC gang, past dominators of Fight Club, making their official return with a new member. Okay, I know you've been dying to see him fight. I've only seen what he does when he's bored and already want to see more. He is the first ever to defeat a Level 5 Demon with his bare hands, and then later, he defeated a Level 8. He is the charming prince of the Letebele Clan, it's Hakuna Ntlamele!"
Hakuna, who had been standing beside his friends, shrinks from the spotlight, his face flushing with embarrassment. "Wait, how did they...? Oh dear..." the prince mutters to himself. He remembers his fight with Merca and how Sparta kept on stating his true identity in front of other people. He also recalls the possibility that Rico, in his casual way, confirmed everything about him in the schoolyard. The thought of his fame, and the potential danger it brought, was a heavy weight."Oh look, we have a celebrity in our group. How nice..." Enzo chimes in, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Ha-ha, very funny. Let's just go see who's first..." Hakuna says sarcastically, trying to deflect the attention.
Again, Fight Club isn't even six months old, and already we're talking about past dominators. What is with these people and exaggeration?
Freddie, holding the tournament bracket, speaks, his voice a hesitant murmur. "Looks like I'm first, against... Patso..."
Super says flatly, "Patso, huh? The idiot who used to bully you back in primary school. This could be your chance at getting revenge..."
"Yeah..." Freddie replies, chuckling nervously, the memory of his past tormentor bringing a nervous tremor to his hands.
"You think he can handle it?" Psycha asks the prince, her voice telepathically reaching his mind.
"I don't know. I never really took the time to study him because he never got himself into dangerous situations like Enzo, Super, and me, so we're yet to see..." Hakuna replies, also telepathically.
"How did you do that?" The demon asks, genuinely surprised.
Oh, by the way, Hakuna can now speak telepathically with Psycha, and somehow, Psycha didn't know about it.
"Do what?" The boy says cheekily, a small smirk playing on his lips.
"You're speaking to me telepathically. How?" The demon denotes, a hint of awe in her voice.
Hakuna then speaks, his voice confident. "I told you time and time again, never underestimate me..."
It's time to start the fight.
The Flurry of Fear
Patso is already in the ring, his posture radiating a cocky confidence. As Freddie walks in, Patso looks at him with a vague sense of familiarity. "You seem familiar. Doesn't matter, I'll be done with you soon anyway..." Patso says, his voice a low, dismissive growl. He prepares a fighting stance, a typical brawler's pose.
Freddie does the same, his nervousness slowly replaced by a determined resolve. Patso runs towards Freddie. He's quick, but Freddie is fast, really fast. The two are a blur of motion, but Freddie's speed allows him to outmanoeuvre his opponent with ease. Freddie leaps over Patso and lands a powerful punch. The sound of the impact is loud, but Patso falls but stands up with not even a scratch on his face.
"Tingly..." he comments, a sinister smile on his face.
Patso, now annoyed, runs up and down the ring, his fists flying at Freddie, but Freddie, with his incredible speed, dodges every single attack, landing punches that don't do damage. Hakuna observes Freddie's speed and formulates a plan for him, a quick, brilliant strategy that could turn the tide of the fight. He then communicates with him telepathically, "Freddie..."
"Who said that?" Freddie responds, startled, his head whipping around.
"It's me, Hakuna..." the prince replies, his voice a calm presence in Freddie's mind.
Freddie looks towards Hakuna and sees that he doesn't even look like he's talking.
"Impossible..." Freddie says.
Hakuna continues, already agitated. "Shut up and listen. You're fast, you keep landing blows, but they don't do damage, so why not use your speed to land multiple blows at the same point in an instant...?"
"Hmm, interesting, okay..." Freddie agrees, his mind clicking into place. Hakuna, palming his face, watches with a mix of anxiety and confidence.
Freddie waits for Patso to attack once again. He dodges the attack and begins his assault. In a split second, he lands 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8... 9... 10 powerful punches on Patso's face that send him flying back. Patso falls to the ground, a surprised look on his face. But just as Freddie makes his way forward, he freezes.
An overwhelming pressure hits him, but where is it from? It wasn't physical; it was a mental one, a fear that seeped into his bones. Patso stands up and he seems to have taken damage, but he is infuriated. Freddie can't seem to move. This reminds him of how weak he always was, how he could never defend himself against Patso in the past.
Psycha begins to monologue, her voice a detached analysis. "Hmm, fear tampers with a person's ability to think critically, and that could cost you your victory. As strong as Freddie has become, he still fears this guy which causes him to hesitate whenever he is triggered. This, might as well be, over..."
Immediately, Freddie gets knocked out by Patso with a single punch to the face. Hakuna gets angry and people recognize a spike in his energy levels.
Super then reprimands, "Idiot, calm down, you're causing a scene..."
Hakuna calms down and stands up. He walks to the infirmary, where Freddie is taken after his fight. "What happened there? You were about to win..." the prince asks, a genuine sense of confusion in his voice.
"My drastic increase in strength never really made up for the doubts that clouded my thoughts, especially when it came to Patso. I always told myself I could never be as strong as him..." Freddie replies, acceptance clear in his voice.
Hakuna argues, his voice filled with passion. "But you are! Wait, are you telling me you haven't been seeing what everyone else has been seeing? Freddie, you faced powerful demons, you're able to keep up with me when my energy was unstable, your rival is Super, for crying out loud. You are powerful, you just need to believe in yourself just a little bit more. Soon you'll see that you're the fastest powerhouse anyone's ever seen..."
"Thanks, Hakuna..." Freddie responds, a small, grateful smile on his face.
Hakuna declares, "Pay me back by becoming stronger. I gotta go now; next fight is Bodega vs. Wilson. This'll surely be interesting..."
Hakuna walks back to the seating area. As he sits down, Bodega's fight begins.
The Quiet Ones
"So, you're one of those BBC idiots who always grab the spotlight whenever there's a demon attack, huh? Well, too bad, that makes me hate you a little bit more..." Wilson barks, his voice filled with a petty resentment.
Bodega remains silent and prepares a fighting stance, a calm, poised figure in the ring. "You never paid attention to this one too, huh?" Psycha mentions.
"Nope, not at all. He always stayed observant in the background. He never even stopped fights in the group, but you have to worry about the quiet ones. Bodega, Rems, and MXO. There definitely is something off about them..." the prince replies.
Bodega leaps towards Wilson. Wilson does the same, and their fists clash. The impact is loud, but it feels... underwhelming. "Hmm, so that's his deal..." Hakuna voices out loud.
Super queries, "What are you talking about?"
Hakuna continues, "Look closely. He's like Enzo; he prioritizes strength over power. I don't mean to say it's a flawed way of attack, but it is. Power is just as important as strength; there must always be an equilibrium balance to it. Like me and Super, mine and his power-to-strength ratio is exactly 1:1, meaning our power level is equal to our strength. This overall is more reliable because if you look on the other side of the equation, Wilson prioritizes power over strength. Now combine these two, and their clashes cancel each other out, which is why that impact was underwhelming..."
"So, the idiot has a brain..." Super comments, a hint of grudging respect in his voice.
"So, what do you suggest, Hakuna?" Enzo asks.
Hakuna deliberates, "Rather than trying to size his opponent up with clashes like that, he should just take him down without wasting time and his energy..."
Bodega, with a smirk on his face, chimes in, "I already knew that. You ever heard of savouring meals?"
"Oh great, he's also got a giant ego..." Hakuna says sarcastically.
Bodega runs towards Wilson again, but instead, he dodges, then attacks. One full powered punch throws Wilson out of the ring and knocks him out. "Oh look, the fight ended too quickly, boooring..." Bodega says, also sarcastically.
"So dramatic..." the prince comments, shaking his head.Next fight was MXO's. "This one seems overly content. It's creepy..." the demon Psycha speaks, striking a point of irony.
Hakuna responds accordingly, "You're a demon. Since when do things creep you out?"
"I don't want to talk about that..." Psycha replies dismissively.
MXO makes it to the ring, his opponent, SK. "Remember me?" He asks.
"Not really, no. Why don't you help by jogging my memory?" SK replies, a condescending smirk on his face.
SK used to be friends with MXO, but he never knew he was being bullied. Not in a way that you might think. SK has a Talent, that Talent is Peer Pressure. He used this talent on MXO, driving him to do things, things you would never peg MXO to do. He would go to parties, drink too much alcohol. MXO overcame this talent when he entered high school and never spoke with SK ever since.
The fight begins. "This is odd..." Hakuna says curiously.
MXO flies and lands a powerful punch on SK's face. The impact shakes the ground.
Fade out.
End of Episode 13.