Previously on Hakuna, there is a new, frightening kind of demon surfacing, one that carries the blood of a fallen angel, and as we try to figure out how it came to be, Rorisang had, shall we say, a "new development," having absorbed an ancient demon. But we'll get to that soon enough, I promise…
Black Hellfire Rose
Fade in.
Hakuna is seen standing in his massive, modern kitchen, staring intently at the calendar on the stainless-steel fridge with a look of mounting dread. "Nolitha's birthday is coming up in a few days. How am I gonna top the last gift? I need to find something… extraordinary," he says, rubbing his jaw.
Sehloho chimes in, floating through the wall and landing next to him, sipping a cup of coffee. "Get her a Black Hellfire Rose, little brother. They are completely rare, requiring a specific kind of geothermal energy to bloom. You can only find them growing naturally in the mouth of an active volcano."
"Black Hellfire…? Oh, I already got her a bouquet of those last time," he says, waving a hand dismissively.
"Wut? You did what?" Sehloho mutters, choking on his coffee.
Hakuna continues, pouring himself a glass of water. "Yeah, they were protected by these three large, vaguely reptilian guys with too many teeth. I had to fight some guys for it, nothing dramatic, you know? Just a quick skirmish on the edge of the Magma Chamber. It took maybe five minutes. Aside from another time where I had to fight a gangster i think."
Sehloho thinks to himself, "I had to travel almost a hundred thousand kilometers across three continents, negotiate with a literal Earth Elemental, and fight through a horde of fire sprites for just one single, perfect bloom of that flower, and he got a whole bouquet while casually fighting "some guys"? What in the actual hell does he do when I'm not standing here supervising him?"
Hakuna then concludes, oblivious to his brother's existential crisis. "I guess I'll just walk around town looking for random, expensive things to buy her, since the dramatic gifts are already done."
Bernice walks in, holding a sleek, midnight-black metallic wrist cuff that pulses with faint blue light.
"Oh, hey sis, what's up? You look like you just came from the lab," Hakuna says, smiling at his older sister.
"You left your watch back in Lesotho like an irresponsible child, so I had the lab technicians work on it, and I oversaw the total reconstruction myself," she replies, tossing the cuff to him.
"Woah! This is… next level!" Hakuna mutters in awe, examining the device.
Bernice then continues, listing the complex features with intense technical pride. "New and Improved. This is the Super Watch. It was made from the same kind of highly durable Titanium Fibers as your skeletal structure, along with having the most powerful Chipset known to man—equal to a genuine Super Computer running on a dedicated ethereal core. It has powerful haptics, a 4K resolution screen, integrated stereo speakers in case you're feeling like listening to music without headphones, and it connects directly to your nervous system to convey messages straight to you and only you. It's even got a party piece, something that covers your blind spots."
"What's that, Bernice?" The prince asks, strapping it onto his wrist.
"Sonar," she says simply.
"Sonar? Like a submarine?" He asks, confused.
Bernice then continues, explaining the tactical advantage. "Yeah, but designed for energy detection. It's an enhancement. Just in case. It protects you from things that catch you off guard, specifically by boosting the danger detection range and efficiency of your Titanus Skeleta system. It will prevent you from being hit by entities with manipulated killing intent, like those new Level 4 demons."
"Oh, thanks, sis. That's incredibly helpful. I've definitely been feeling weirdly exposed without a watch and with all this new chaos," Hakuna says, genuinely grateful for the thoughtful, high-tech gift.
"I know. That's why I did it," Bernice nods, satisfied.
Sehloho chimes in, pouting slightly. "What do I get? I'm the King of this entire realm, you know."
They both look at him with confusion, completely ignoring the question.
"Isn't this guy like a king or something? Why does he want gifts?" Psycha asks Hakuna mentally.
"What?" Sehloho asks, wondering if he missed something.
Hakuna's phone rings, the ID showing Nolitha's picture.
"Who is it, Hakuna?" Bernice asks, immediately interested.
"My girlfriend," Hakuna says instinctively, without thinking.
"Who?" Bernice perks up, her scientific curiosity instantly replaced by sisterly alarm. "You have a girlfriend? When did this happen?"
Hakuna, realizing his massive social blunder and the interrogation to come, vanishes in a purple blur.
Bernice then turns to Sehloho, her face serious. "Sehloho, how long has this 'girlfriend' thing been going on? And why was I not informed?"
"I don't know, Bernice, and I'm definitely not getting involved in this. Bye," Sehloho says.
He also vanishes, leaving the kitchen spotless and quiet.
"Fascinating," Bernice murmurs, already pulling out her phone to start an investigation.
The Dump
Hakuna answers his phone a block away, trying to sound calm. "This is a nice surpri—"
"How dare you?" Nolitha interjects on the phone, her voice shaking with rage.
Hakuna attempts to ask, "How dare I wha…?"
"You lied to me! You told me there was nobody else, but there is!" Nolitha shouts.
"Mammie, I think we both know that I'm terrible at lying. That's impossible," Hakuna says, trying to be smooth.
"Who is Rorisang? Don't insult my intelligence!" The princess questions, her voice sharp.
"Rorisang? Oh, some girl I met at the Citadel of Crowns who kept trying to ask me on a date. That's all. I haven't spoken to her since," Hakuna replies honestly.
"So, there was a girl…? You just confirmed it! And she asked you out!" Nolitha denotes, furious.
"What the hell is going on here? Where is this information coming from, Nolitha?" The prince questions defensively, his own anger rising.
The call disconnects, ending abruptly.
"Mammie… Megami… Nolitha?" He beckons, shouting into the silence.
He raises his energy signature, trying to locate her with his power. "Psycha, why can't I sense her?" he asks.
"She might have personally severed the psychic connection," Psycha replies, sounding analytical.
"What? You mean I just got dumped? By a phone call, right after I got a Super Watch?" He questions, aghast.
"Relax, vessel. It could also be because she's unconscious," Psycha says, trying to offer a non-romantic explanation.
"Eh… wait, what? Unconscious?" Hakuna mutters, his panic spiking.
"I now realize that might've been out of term. Apologies," Psycha says quickly.
"Ya think?! I am currently contemplating the end of the world, and you suggest she's unconscious!" He yells, running his hands through his hair.
Psycha then argues, "Hey, I'm a literal demon of chaos and destruction! Why would I be expected to have appropriate bedside manner?"
She is right though.
"Ugh. I'm going to the source," He flies away, aiming for the Mehlomanelo Palace.
The Terrifying Parents
Hakuna lands at the front door of the Mehlomanelo Palace, the air heavy and silent. "Uh…" he stammers, looking at the massive, carved mahogany entrance.
He tries to knock, but his hand freezes in mid-air; he's visibly hesitant.
Psycha chimes in, annoyed by the delay. "What's the problem?"
"Her mom is here," the prince replies.
"Just knock and introduce yourself. Easy as that." She says.
Hakuna then continues, fear evident in his voice. "I don't think you understand, Psycha. Queen Mehlomanelo is not to be trifled with. Respecting someone is one thing, fearing them is another. Now, Queen Mehlomanelo is what happens when you both respect and fear someone."
"I don't see the problem. You kill demons in your spare time. She should be the least of your worries," Psycha argues.
King Mehlomanelo lands quietly behind him, his silent presence completely masking his massive energy signature.
Hakuna then speaks, his voice trembling slightly. "She's just as strong as my mother, but five times scarier, and her ability to appear silently is unnerving."
"Oh, I see… oh sh… her dad is right behind you!" Psycha snaps, realizing her detection had failed the test.
Hakuna mutters, "Eh…"
He turns around slowly attempting mask the jolt of fear he had.
King Mehlomanelo then speaks, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Son of Edward, you finally have developed the decency to knock on my door, or were you planning to jump straight into Nolitha's room again?"
Hakuna then speaks, trying to recover his dignity. "Remember when you asked about me soiling my pants during our first meeting?"
"Vaguely, yes. Why bring up that embarrassing moment?" The king queries.
Hakuna continues, his voice strained. "That almost happened just now when I realized you were standing behind me. Your stealth is legendary, Your Majesty."
King Mehlomanelo laughs, a rich, booming sound. "Hahahahaaa, you crack me up once again, Letebele prince, hahaa. You are a source of endless amusement."
Hakuna thinks to himself, "He has no idea she's gone. If I tell him now, he'll blame me and declare war on the spot. I gotta go before he asks any specific questions about her whereabouts."
King Mehlomanelo then asks, his voice shifting to serious inquiry. "Now, what do you seek, boy? Eh..?"
Hakuna vanished without answering, leaving the King staring at the empty air.
Inferno at Milner
Hakuna lands back at his house on the front yard and walks straight to the dining room where Max is attempting to read.
"Max, stop everything. I need your help. It's Nolitha; I think she's been taken. She called me, then the line went dead, and I can't sense her at all," he says, his voice urgent and frantic.
Max immediately sets his book down, his professional focus returning. "I'll see what I can do. I'll deploy a tracing spell through the palace archives."
Hakuna gets a text message from Super on his regular phone. "Mfana, we need to talk. Urgent. Meet at school ASAP. It's bad."
"I gotta go. New development. You can contact me through the new watch if you find anything. Bye!" Hakuna says, vanishing again.
Max then murmurs, staring at the empty space. "Brother, it seems the Tshabadira have finally begun with their calculated retaliation. They waited until the perfect moment."
"Hmm," Sehloho says, reappearing in the corner, holding a small bowl. "I told you it was a bad time for him to be away. Are those biscuits for me?"
…At Milner High School…
Hakuna lands directly on a demon's head, crushing it and killing it immediately.
"What the hell is going on here?" He questions, looking around at the sheer scale of the attack.
"Something big," Super replies, punching a demon away.
Enzo yells, struggling against three demons at once. "We've got demons coming in all directions, Hakuna! They're swarming the whole campus!"
"Grr, I don't have TIME for this pathetic distraction!" Hakuna growls, his entire body glowing violently with raw, unleashed fury.
Hakuna raises his energy exponentially and points his arms outwards, the light consuming everything. "Run! Everyone get out of my range now!" he says to everyone around him. He then unleashes a powerful chant. "INFERNUM: MARE FLAMMARUM!"[1]
As the crew flies up to escape the blast radius, each and every demon in the immediate vicinity is instantly engulfed in massive, purifying flames and burned into oblivion, leaving behind only smoking craters. The scale of the attack is unprecedented.
Super thinks to himself, "There's just no end to this kid's capacity for destruction, ever. He really just wiped out an army because he was mildly irritated."
"Guys, I gotta find my girlfriend. She's gone. I think she's been kidnapped," Hakuna stammers frantically, the rage fading instantly, replaced by terror.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Super voices, his face grave, looking down at the smoking battlefield.
Fade out…
End of Episode 31…
[1] The Sea of Flames, Hakuna rarely uses magic spells, but this is only one of his vast catalogue of spells, as a high ranking member of the Letebele Clan, he had to have mandatory lessons in magic spells, of which he learned and mastered Max's entire catalogue of spells[Some he invented himself] in a matter of 2 and a half weeks.