Previously on Hakuna: Master Mokoto had returned to deliver one final, timeless lesson to his former pupils. No longer viewing them as mere students, he imparted the deep philosophical theory of Theosis—his way of signaling their transition into adulthood as they embarked on unlocking the true, resonant forms of their Talents on their own...
Fade In...
Act I: A Test of the Vanguard
The rugged terrain on the outskirts of the sector was bathed in a harsh, unforgiving light. A disciplined platoon of DDF soldiers moved in tight, synchronized formation through the rocky ravine, their boots kicking up fine clouds of pale dust. Up ahead, a heavily organized horde of demons lurked in the shadowed valley, their guttural growls vibrating against the canyon walls.
Drill Commander Senegal Pitso walked near the center of the formation, his hand resting casually near his sidearm, his sharp eyes evaluating every single recruit in the line.
"Alright, pay attention," Pitso addressed them all, his deep voice effortlessly cutting through the tense silence. "This mission is quite advanced for a platoon of junior students. However, over the past six months, you've shown remarkably that you possess skills capable of placing you right alongside even our senior elite students—such as Class President Mashudu, Madam President Sedika, and even their respected captains. So, let's see if I should've brought them instead..."
Tshegofatso, running advanced tactical scan protocols on her handheld terminal, stepped beside Pitso to deliver her immediate report.
"Commander Pitso, the target is an organized strike group of demons," Tshegofatso reported crisply, her eyes glued to the bio-energy readouts on her screen. "Led by a Level 9 Ogre Class, accompanied by two Level 6 Kaiju Classes, and a separate Level 4 Kaiju Class flanking the left perimeter."
Pitso didn't flinch. He adjusted his collar and gave a simple nod. "Alright. You've practiced your own custom formations for various combat scenarios. Show me your adaptability..."
Without a moment's hesitation, the recruits executed their deployment protocols. They began their assault.
Act II: Synergy in the Ravine
First into the breach went Luvuyo.
He lunged forward with blistering speed, two twin daggers glinting in his hands. Closing the gap on the Level 4 Kaiju Class demon before it could react, he threw the right dagger with surgical precision. The blade buried itself hilt-deep into the creature's left eye socket.
As the demon shrieked in agony, Luvuyo leaped gracefully into the air, landing square on its massive shoulders. With a swift, fluid motion, he drove his second dagger straight down into its neck, severing its central spinal cord in one clean stroke.
With the second dagger still gripped tightly in his hand, Luvuyo grabbed the hilt of the first blade, dislodging it from the dying demon's eye socket as he dismounted.
Mid-air, he bumped the pommels of both daggers together at the hilt. With a metallic click, the weapons fused together, extending into the curved limbs of a composite bow. A glowing string manifested itself out of thin air, humming with tightly compressed energy.
Landing firmly on his feet, Luvuyo stood up straight. He aimed the weapon at the first of the two Level 6 Kaiju demons. Using his right hand, he drew back the string of the arrowless bow.
And yet...
A brilliant beam of vivid yellow light coalesced along the bow's centerline, conjuring within itself a dense arrow of pure, concentrated energy.
Having already aligned his sightline, Luvuyo released the string. The projectile tore through the air, sending the arrow straight into the massive demon's left knee joint.
BOOM!
The energy arrow exploded upon impact, shattering the limb, toppling the colossal beast onto the rocky ground, and opening a clear, unobstructed path for the next fighter in line.
Neo moved in instantly.
Sprinting past Luvuyo, Neo lunged forward, thrusting her heavy staff deep into the soft tissue of the toppled demon to pin it down. Luvuyo provided continuous cover fire from above, dropping energy volleys onto the surrounding lesser beasts to suppress their long-range attacks.
Without missing a beat, Neo pivoted toward the second Level 6 Kaiju Class. She moved with rhythmic, martial elegance—one by one, her staff whacked its limbs in rapid succession, shattering its joints and compromising its stance.
Luvuyo drew his bow string back to maximum tension and shot an explosive arrow directly into the creature's skull, killing it immediately as the upper body detonated in a cloud of black mist.
Act III: The Unquantifiable Wall
The junior recruits let out a collective breath, believing the main threat had been neutralized. But then...
The Level 9 Ogre class remained. And this was no mindless beast—it was an intelligent, battle-tested warlord.
Neo attempted to step forward to complete the sweep, but her foot froze mid-air. Every single student in the platoon halted instantly, their breathing catching in their throats. Even Commander Pitso took a sharp, involuntary breath.
A sudden, suffocating pressure erupted from the standing Ogre. It wasn't just a wave of spiritual aura; it was an absolute physical weight that crushed the surrounding air pressure. The instinctual threat response within their bodies immediately screamed at them, forcing every single soldier to leap as far back as they physically could, retreating dozens of yards in sheer self-preservation.
This was their very first instance of encountering a high-tier demon whose formal level designation was completely unrepresentative of its true, terrifying power.
Categorized: Unquantifiable.
The massive Ogre class took a slow, deliberate step forward, its crimson eyes fixed on the trembling recruits.
Commander Pitso felt a cold sweat break across the back of his neck as he frantically calculated their dwindling options. "What do I do? I can't get any of these kids killed, nor can I fight at full output without worrying for their safety! Are we... about to be wiped out?"
Suddenly, a figure appeared out of nowhere, standing precisely in the empty space between the terrified soldiers and the encroaching beast.
The figure emitted no sound upon arrival. They created no shockwave upon their landing. They didn't even displace the slightest bit of ambient air pressure as their feet made contact with the dirt.
Pitso stared at the back of the individual, muttering in absolute, breathless awe, "The Seventh Founding Member...?"
It's Hakuna.
Behind the commander, Luvuyo's eyes widened as he tried to process what he had just witnessed. "He didn't even make a sound... How did he do that?"
Pitso cleared his throat, taking a cautious step forward. "Are you here to assist us, sir?"
Hakuna tilted his head slightly, his tone completely relaxed as he muttered, "Yeah, you could say that..."
In reality, Hakuna had simply sensed high-density daemonium from miles away while wandering the sector, deciding it was the perfect live punching bag to test his physical conditioning after six solid months of grueling training.
And wait... why are you completely shirtless?
Deep within his mindscape, Psycha chimed in with mild surprise, "I didn't even realize he was..."
Hakuna mentally interjected, shutting him down instantly: "Shut up..."
Hakuna casually raised his arms, stretching them high over his head until his joints popped, before letting them drop back to his sides. He closed his eyes, taking a long, deep, rhythmic breath.
Gradually, his eyes snapped open, glowing with an unusual, shifting color that hummed with divinity. The air around him began to distort...
And then, abruptly, the divine glow completely vanished. The ambient pressure dropped back to zero.
Hakuna sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck in absolute frustration. "Ahh, damn it! I was so close!"
The massive Level 9 Ogre class stopped in its tracks, tilting its heavy head in utter confusion at the bizarre, shirtless human standing before it.
Inside his head, Psycha reprimanded him sternly. "Using what you know about Advanced Energy Manipulation to force the divine power of your Talent seems a bit too much like taking a shortcut..."
Hakuna relented, dropping his shoulders with an annoyed groan. "Ugh..."
He adjusted his stance, dropping his center of gravity. In an instant, his right fist became completely shrouded in roaring, white-hot flames that scorched the rock beneath his feet.
He looked up at the towering Ogre, his eyes narrowing. "Well... so much for training the basics... Fist of Inferno!"
Hakuna cocked his right fist back and delivered a massive, full-body straight punch forward.
His fist did not make physical contact with the demon. He was standing twenty yards away.
Yet, the sheer, unimaginable kinetic pressure caused by his movement, combined with the raw elemental destruction generated by the Fist of Inferno, unleashed an apocalyptic wave of compressed heat. The thermobaric shockwave expanded instantaneously, vaporizing the Level 9 Ogre class down to the subatomic level and completely disintegrating the entire cliffside, mountain ridge, and canyon area stretching for miles behind it.
The blinding light faded, leaving behind a smooth, glassed trench where a mountain range had stood seconds prior.
All the DDF recruits and senior officers present stared in dead, horrified silence, their mouths agape.
Luvuyo swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he muttered, "Is that... the same Hakuna?"
Commander Pitso stared at the glassed landscape, his face completely pale as he replied, "I don't know... but I'm really glad he's on our side..."
This is the absolute, terrifying strength of the Monster.
This is how his allies see him—not merely as a warrior, but as a living weapon of mass destruction that must never, under any circumstances, fall into the wrong hands.
Fade Out...
End of Episode 84