Chapter 29
The ground trembled under foot.
Yua felt dread fill her body the moment she felt the tremors. Her instincts were screaming for her to find Rook. She has to find her son!
Running as fast as she could to the spar pit. Yua froze as pillars suddenly sprung up from the ground! She watched in aw and horror as her son was nearly swept up in it! Yet, he kept calm and began to use his momentum to climb to the tops of these sudden pillars.
"BAHAHAH! NOT BAD BOY! KEEP UP WITH ME!" shouted Sukuna.
Rook, had a determined look on his face as he nodded back to him.
Sukuna… has earth element power… and he is using it as if he has had them for years!
She kept a keen eye on it all, Rook held his own, as it appeared to not be a spar session. Rook was meant to stay on his feet, anticipate the earth shifting and act accordingly.
"Reflexes…" she whispered. This was all to improve his reflexes and reaction time!
But there was one thing Yua was hoping Rook would notice about Sukuna's movements.
Just from where she stood, he was using his lower arms only. Then he would use one arm… then… he didn't move at all, but his feet shifted. When his feet shifted, a stronger movement of earth would happen!
"Earth power isn't controlled by the hands, but by the feet. It's the closes to the source of his power…" she whispered to herself.
They went on for a good two hours, Rook had be struck here and there by the stray rock. But every time he was, Sukuna… stopped.
"You good?" he called and would cease all attacks.
Rook cleared the blood away and stopped bleeding. "I wouldn't get this curtsey in a real fight!" he shouted back.
"Point taken…"
And Sukuna would go back to what he was doing!
Still, he would stop himself if her child got hurt. He never would have done that before.
By the end of it all, Rook was out of breath and tired. Sukuna was smiling wickedly!
#
"GAH! HOW?!" Rook shouted as he flopped on the ground. He was tired, out of breath and could barely stay on his feet… which was why he opted to just lie on the ground for a moment.
Oji was smiling wickedly again. "That was fun right?" he asked with a big grin on his face. "We HAVE to do this again!"
Rook shuttered, at the same time… he had to admit it was a lot more challenging than he thought it would be. It was fun too, but he just wished Sukuna would have toned down the attacks a little… although they weren't attacks, it was just the sudden shift of the earth, he can't he held responsible if a stray pebble goes rogue or something.
"So, what did you learn?"
Rook peered up. "You're merciless,"
"Known fact, what else?"
"You really are strong to command earth like that…"
"I don't command it, I merely shift it."
"You were throwing me off with your arm movements,"
That was when Oji froze oddly. He peered at him curiously. "Oh?" he asked.
"Yeah, your arm movements, before you did that to make me think that's how you controlled the earth around me. But it wasn't it. Since I noticed the change later on, you moved your arms but the earth didn't shift…" Rook then peered down, and saw the markings in the ground. "Your feet on the other hand…"
This took Oji aback. He sighed but bore a sinister smirk. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you considering who your mother is…" he decreed.
He helped Rook to his feet. "Thanks to you, I am able to control this rather well, but the flaw of it appears to be my footing… I'll adjust for that soon enough."
Rook nodded to him, but it was strange. "I… have something on my mind about this…"
Oji paused and gave him his full attention. "Go on…"
"Well, I have read that when one is deprived a sense, the other sense are heightened right? I have felt that my eyes were hindering me…"
"I am not blinding you…"
"What, no… wait… WHAT!"
"Why do you feel as if your eyes hinder you?" Oji asked trying to refocus on the notion.
"I look at my dad and see that his eyes are covered since he gets over stimulated with curse energy right? At the same time for a human like me…"
"Sorcerer"
Rook paused. "Pardon?"
"You're not human, you are a sorcerer. Speak as one."
That… caught him off guard, and yet, Rook smiled and graciously nodded. "When one cannot see their other sense sharpen… I wonder that if my eyes are hindering me… I also wonder if this is a stupid idea!"
Oji peered him over. He looked to consider what was said and yet kept staring at Rook oddly. "Then try it," he said. "It doesn't have to be fighting, it doesn't have to involve sparring with me. Pick a task that is simple… and safe for your mother's sake and mine since I gave you this idea and Chusi will kill me if you get hurt and your mother is pissed off."
He snickered, but found Oji was not laughing.
He was rather serious.
"What would be a good task?"
Oji paused to consider it. "Speak with Sanso, work the fields along side with him but find a task that will simulate your sense and yet you are aware of your lack of eye sight. You have to go by smell, taste, touch and hearing… pick a task that requires all five sense but you are deprived that one."
He was inspired.
Rook felt his energy return and he announced he would do it.
"Start the day after tomorrow"
"Huh? Why?!" Rook demanded.
"By this afternoon, I'll be surprised if you can stand on your feet."