Chapter 14

Earlier that day.

It would be the final swarm they would have to deal with, and this time, they were not orcs or boars. These things were far more aggressive than those combined.

"What the hell are those things?" Rook paused as he peered into the last valley they were requested to clear out. Sukuna peered in himself and was just as confused. "If anything, these things look like rejected divine beasts… chimeras of sorts but not true beings… I think someone was playing God and didn't like what they made…"

The beasts below were a mishmash of everything and any beasts Sukuna could call upon. But they were horrid things, as bad as a curse or worst if given the chance. "So destroy these, no point in saving their meat since we don't know right?" Rook asked.

"Agreed, get in there."

His confidence is growing as is his strength, the boars that he had trouble with just one, he took out easily on his own. The second place they went to were monstrous minotaur like beasts. He struggled but not to the point of losing his mind.

This however…

He watched with care and saw Rook hacking away, before long, the beasts in the valley began to take charge and forced the boy into a corner. He was overwhelmed before it happened. The boy blacked out, and a twisted look came over him. "AAAAHHHHHHH!" he roared and gained a second wind.

He slaughtered everything. "So this is what I was like in madness… granted the boy is rather tame at the moment…" he muttered to himself.

When the last of the beasts was killed, he went into the valley. Sukuna knew he had to be on edge since Rook has yet to settle himself. In fact, the moment his eyes came upon him, he licked the blood off his lip and took aim. Rook pointed his sword at him.

"You are aiming your blade at me? The one you have called Oji this whole time? Or is that a lie, Rook?" he spoke firmly and confidently, knowing he could reach him with his words, after all, he saw the hand tremble. 'Like when I took over the brat… and the brat is fighting for control again…' he thought.

"Rook, look me in the eyes. If you intend on using that sword against me, look me in the face to do so!"

He tried not to, but eventually, their eyes met. That deranged look in the eyes of Rook only reminded Sukuna of his own. However the moment they met, Rook attempted to look away once more. "Look at me," he ordered and came closer and closer. Before long, the tip of the sword was up against Sukuna's chest. "Are you going to give in to your bloodlust like I have? Are you willing to throw everything you worked hard for away on a whim due to a momentary laps of judgment?"

The more he spoke, the more he saw Rook resisted. Before long, the sword dropped from his hands, Rook backed away yet held his head. "GAAAHHH!" He roared painfully. "THINK CLEARLY YOU MORON!" he shouted at himself, before long, Rook settled down.

Yet he trembled.

His whole body shook as he peered back to him. "Oji… I'm sorry…"

He has nothing to be sorry for, if anything, Rook just demonstrated his strength. "Take a seat"

Rook dropped to the ground and sat perfectly still as if he were to be getting a lecture. Sukuna sat across from him and stared into his eyes. He froze doing so but a nod of approval came from Sukuna. "You held yourself back very well, good, this is progress."

He didn't see it that way. "I held… a sword against you!"

"You're not the first."

"I was tempted to take your head!"

"Still not the first one to try…"

"I wouldn't have regretted it until I settled down…"

"That's different"

"OJI!" Rook shouted. "Are you taking this seriously?!"

Sukuna forced a smile and nodded. "Indeed I am, because I know it took me years to eventually calm the bloodlust I had… I suppose calm isn't the best term… repressed? I think that's the better explanation… but the fact remains is you held yourself back. When I was trying to learn this I had to be knocked out to break free from it."

The boy didn't see this as progress, not the least bit. "But the fact is… I was willing to cut you down because I was so driven by the battle. I wanted to fight more, I wanted to kill more and yet, as you said, I couldn't tell friend from foe… and I was certain I would never have held a sword against you, Oji."

He was upset with himself, but this is excellent progress. "You have acknowledged your shortcomings. It's a start, now we work on improving them. The more we put you in this position, the more we are going to have you control yourself. So until then, you only hunt with me. Is that clear?"

He full heartedly nodded to it. "Yes, of course." He sighed aloud in disappointment. "I thought I was getting the hang of it."

Sukuna couldn't stop himself from snorting a laugh. "Boy, do you remember how beaten up you were when you took out ONE boar?" he asked. Rook nodded. "You just killed 30 of them without an incident. I saw you too, half of them you didn't use your sword."

"I didn't need it until the end…" it suddenly hit him. "Am I really that much stronger?"

"It won't be long now." Sukuna decreed. "Your goal is within reach, but first we curb your bloodlust. The moment you can control that, the sooner we get you to the next level."

The spark in his eyes returned. Rook nodded to it all but then, he looked over the death and the dead that linger on the ground. "What are these things? You said chimeras right?"

"Indeed, within the earthly realm and heavenly realm, the ones who are the caretakers have certain liberties if I were to assume correctly. These here are legions Lady Tiamat's uncle tried to forge with his power, to build numbers if I were to guess. Needless to say he lacks finesse."

These things, they were forced together. Sukuna knows that since he himself has done such things before, especially with the ten shadow technique he stole from Fushiguro.

Before leaving, Sukuna opted to burn everything before they returned to the domain, thankfully, these beasts were low rank. He was able to contain them within his power and shred them to nothing. With the cleaning done, they returned back home. Rook took his prey back and vowed to make something good out of it.

Sukuna returned home where he heard his son's unusual request.

He was taken aback to the notion, but was all the more curious as to why his son wanted to go and investigate the school. Not even Yua has shown interest in it, but she is also busy with her children. When he gave his blessing, Ryoto rushed off to his room to prepare. All the while, Sukuna was given a deathly glare by the wife.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

"Could you not have told your son in your proper form?" she whispered. He jolted a little but sneered. "Ryomen, you can't hide forever!"

"Who said I was hiding!" he protested. "It's not the right time yet, he just started to mature his mind…"

"When ARE you going to tell him?" she asked with her hands on her hips. "I wouldn't be surprised if mother starts interfering…"

He froze. Sukuna knows Mother Tooru is gone from this world, but not in a spiritual sense. He has no doubt if anyone could come from the grave to haunt him, it would be her… especially her!

"Don't bring your mother into this…"

"She's yours too, she was the only one you knew. Do you really think she is going to sit by and have you LIE to our child?... her GRANDCHILD?"

'Damn it' he thought. "I'll tell him soon, I swear," he vowed.

"Fine then, like Ryoto, you have one month." She decreed.

"What?!"

"I think it's fair. One month to come to terms and tell your son who you really are while he is at this school figuring out its intentions."

Tsk…

He was trapped by his words. As such he as one month to come up with a way to tell Ryoto that he is Ryomen Sukuna…