JJK: Chapter 59

Title: Cursed Womb

°°°

Although Larue managed to escape, the mission was considered complete under the circumstances. Both the unknown entity and the cursed spirit were recorded. Based on Shin Shuichi’s description, researchers specializing in the origins and archetypes of cursed spirits deduced that the creature might be an imaginary cursed spirit, potentially linked to the mythical “Baku,” known as the dream-eating tapir.

Another previously unrecorded special-grade cursed spirit had emerged, drawing significant attention. However, this development had little to do with Shin, who had already completed his task. It was now someone else’s problem.

Cursed user-related missions were rare. Most of these rats had gone underground over the past two decades, hiding in the shadows. Encounters like these were few and far between compared to the sheer number of cursed spirit cases.

—-—

With summer approaching, the surge in human restlessness had led to an increase in curses. Fortunately, most of them were around grade two in strength, with only a handful of special grades appearing. The Jujutsu High sorcerers were swamped, and it had been a while since the entire group had gathered.

Ginza, Tokyo – A High-End Office Building

Recently, two deaths had occurred here, both suicides involving individuals jumping from the building. A third victim had survived because their floor wasn’t high enough for the fall to be fatal. When questioned, the survivor described feeling as if their mind was being manipulated, their already unstable emotions driving them to break the window and leap.

After detecting traces of a curse, the investigation was assigned to Shin Shuichi due to the location's sensitivity. A bustling urban area required a discreet and swift resolution, making Shin the ideal candidate for the job.

Upon arrival, Shin found a chaotic scene. The building’s occupants had been evacuated, and reporters were swarming beyond the barricades, bombarding the police with relentless questions.

Among the reporters was Mio Nizawa, a journalist whose usual charm was beginning to wear thin. She had tried every polite approach possible to extract information from the stoic police officers but had gotten nowhere. Frustrated, she dreaded returning to face her sleazy, bald editor, whose temper was as infamous as his wandering eyes.

Desperate, Mio even considered loosening her blouse slightly to fish for answers when her photographer nudged her excitedly.

“Mio, look! Over there—there’s a young man walking with the police officer. Is he going into the building?”

Mio’s sharp eyes followed the photographer’s gaze. A young man dressed in black, wearing sunglasses, was conversing with the perpetually grim-faced officer, whose expression had inexplicably softened into a smile.

“This guy’s a goldmine,” Mio thought. 'He’s definitely tied to the case, maybe even some special investigator.' Her instincts told her he’d look fantastic on camera, his natural charisma rivaling that of celebrities.

Revitalized, Mio sprang into action, dragging her photographer along as she pushed through the crowd. Her heels clacked sharply against the pavement as she rushed toward the young man, determined to get the scoop.

---

Shin Shuichi quickly noticed the commotion. The sight of Mio and a wave of reporters breaking through the police barrier made him sigh inwardly. He preferred facing curses to dealing with the media frenzy.

To him, it felt like he was fresh meat being eyed by a horde of zombies, their microphones like grasping hands.

The officer beside him, Detective Otani, frowned deeply, his earlier smile vanishing. “Get these vultures out of here!” he barked at his subordinates. The officers scrambled to push the reporters back, grumbling about how journalists always arrived faster than the police, oblivious to the chaos they left in their wake.

Despite her best efforts, Mio only managed to get a quick look at Shin’s face before being pushed back along with the crowd. Her photographer fumbled to take photos but soon realized something alarming.

“Did you get the shots?” Mio asked, her voice urgent.

Her photographer, sweating profusely, checked the camera nervously. His response made Mio’s blood pressure spike.

“What do you mean you didn’t get the shots? How could you mess up something so basic? You’re saying you did take them, but now they’re gone? What—did the ghost in the building come out and delete them?”

Frustrated and exasperated, Mio stomped her foot. “Ugh, we were so close! Now I have to go back empty-handed.”

As the journalists dispersed, Shin had already disappeared into the building, leaving the chaos behind. For him, it was just another day at work.

Shin entered the building and removed his sunglasses. After escorting him, Detective Otani left. White Wolf darted in through a sealed side door and ran inside at Shin Shuichi's command.

The thirteenth floor.

Shin Shuichi was chatting in a group chat on his phone while ahead, White Wolf—now much larger—was chasing a faceless humanoid cursed spirit around. Whenever the spirit tried to escape, Shin blocked its retreat at the doorway. Just by displaying his condensed cursed energy, he frightened the spirit into submission.

Shin uploaded photos of White Wolf to the group chat. Since cursed spirits couldn't be captured on camera, the photos only showed White Wolf foolishly pouncing at thin air. Unaware of this, White Wolf had become a topic of idle chatter among the bored group members.

Bang!

The cursed spirit, cornered by White Wolf and further trapped by Shin's blockade, couldn't even attempt to break through the walls. Pressed by the looming threat of death, it finally shattered the building's thick floor-to-ceiling windows and attempted to escape through them.

Hearing the commotion, Shin looked up to see the spirit leaping out. "Thirteenth floor, huh. Wonder what happens if a cursed spirit jumps from that height."

The sudden noise also drew the attention of reporters lingering below. However, when they looked up to locate the source of the sound, they saw nothing.

Wheel of Time: Reverse.

The shattered glass turned into an illusion. The cursed spirit found itself back inside, staring blankly at the intact glass in front of it. Its limited intelligence failed to grasp what was happening. Before it could react further, its vision spun, inverted, and faded into nothingness as Shin swiftly exorcised it with his blade.

Shin slid his sword back into its sheath and waved his phone at White Wolf. "Emergency mission. Let’s go."

---

West Tokyo City, Eiju Juvenile Detention Center.

“Three hours ago, the window detected the presence of a curse womb. While 90% of the evacuation was completed, the facility was sealed due to the situation. Five inmates from Dormitory 2 remain trapped inside with the curse womb,” Ijichi explained, adjusting his glasses with a serious expression.

“If this curse womb can undergo abnormal growth, it may evolve into a special-grade cursed spirit. Gojo-sensei is currently out of town, and we’ve already notified second-year student Shin Shuichi. Unfortunately, being short-handed and facing tasks beyond our abilities is common in this field. This time, however, the situation is both urgent and unusual.”

Ijichi continued, "Before Shin arrives, your task is simple: confirm if there are any survivors. If there are, prioritize their rescue."

He stressed, "Do not engage in combat! If you encounter a special-grade cursed spirit, you have only two choices: run or die. I repeat, your goal is to locate survivors. Avoid combat at all costs. Reinforcements will arrive soon!"

Yuji Itadori listened attentively before raising his hand. "Uh… how are cursed spirits classified again? I don’t really get the whole special-grade thing."

After Ijichi briefly explained the ranking system, Yuji nodded in realization. "Oh! So that means the second-year upperclassman is super strong?"

Megumi Fushiguro replied calmly, "Jujutsu High has only three special-grade sorcerers. One is Gojo-sensei, another is Okkotsu Yuta, who’s currently abroad, and the last one is Shin Shuichi."

Nobara Kugisaki, who had met Shin once, hadn’t expected him to be a special-grade sorcerer. Unlike Yuji, she knew a little about the jujutsu world, thanks to her grandmother back home.

Ijichi added, "Shin has exorcised special-grade cursed spirits solo multiple times. This mission shouldn’t be an issue for him. However, he’s currently handling another task, so he’ll take some time to get here. In the meantime, be extremely careful!"

“No problem! Let’s just do what we can!” Yuji declared enthusiastically.

Megumi and Nobara weren’t as optimistic. Nobara silently thought, This idiot doesn’t understand. Special-grade curses are nothing like low-level ones. This mission is extremely dangerous, even if all we’re doing is searching for survivors.

—-—

A distressed woman suddenly broke past the barricade, rushing through the officers. Her face, etched with life’s hardships, was filled with raw fear and worry. "Is my son okay?"

Ijichi stepped forward to reassure her. “There’s been a suspected gas release in the facility. That’s all I can disclose. We are organizing a rescue operation as we speak.”

Watching the woman break down in tears, Yuji’s resolve solidified. "We’ll save them. Megumi, Nobara."

“Understood,” Megumi replied.

"Got it," Nobara said, her expression serious.

The three entered the gate and began their journey into the cursed domain.

Fushiguro Megumi summoned his Divine Dog to scout and stand guard. However, after stepping inside the building, they were surprised to find that it was no longer the two-story dormitory but a sprawling, five- or six-story apartment-like structure. When they turned to look back, the entrance they had just come through was gone, replaced by walls covered in tangled pipes.

“This is… a domain! This is the first time I’ve seen one with such a vast range,” Megumi muttered, already sensing that something was wrong.

Yuji Itadori and Nobara Kugisaki grew nervous upon noticing the missing entrance. After all, it was crucial for their survival and retreat. Seeing their unease, Megumi explained, “My Divine Dog has memorized the scent of the entrance. This is just an environmental transformation, not the entrance disappearing into thin air. Once we find the people, we can follow Divine Dog back out.”

“Oh, good doggy!” Yuji praised, his tension momentarily forgotten.

Seeing Yuji and Nobara so relaxed, Megumi was speechless. After Yuji finished petting Divine Dog, he turned and said, “Thanks to you, Megumi, we’ve got a chance to save those people. You even saved me—haha!”

Megumi’s expression grew complicated, but he said nothing as the three pressed onward. Before long, they came across a large, empty room and were greeted by a gruesome sight.

It seemed like there were three bodies. Two were twisted into spherical shapes, vaguely identifiable as human only by their mangled limbs and tattered clothes. The third was a half-body propped against the wall—its upper torso was relatively intact, with only some blood beneath its nose and mouth. Compared to the others, it was almost untouched.

Yuji silently approached the intact corpse and saw a name on its clothes: Okazaki Sho. This… was the son of that woman.

“I’m taking his body out. He’s her son,” Yuji said firmly.

Hearing this, Megumi grabbed Yuji by the collar and pulled him back. “There are still two lives left to confirm. Forget about the body for now.”

“But if we leave, we might not find the way back,” Yuji protested.

“Not ‘later.’ Forget it!” Megumi said, each word deliberate.

“We weren’t even trying to save people like this to begin with. Now that he’s dead, there’s no need to waste energy on him.”

Yuji, anger suppressed, grabbed Megumi’s collar. “He’s her son! How can you say that?”

Megumi remained unfazed. “This is a juvenile detention center. Didn’t you read the intel? Okazaki Sho was caught driving without a license. He hit and killed a young girl on her way home from school. And this wasn’t even the first time he drove without a license.”

“Do you plan to save everyone you meet? And if the person you save kills someone later, what will you do then?”

The two were about to erupt into a full-blown argument when Nobara ran over. “Hey! Could you two at least choose the time and place to fight?”

She pointed toward something, and the three saw Divine Dog’s head sticking out of a wall—its body was gone. It was already dead.

Megumi’s heart sank. He hadn’t even sensed the shikigami’s demise. It was killed so swiftly and silently that he didn’t realize it had happened.

At that moment, a black hole appeared beneath Nobara’s feet, and without any warning, she was swallowed by it.

“Run! We’ll come back for her later!” Megumi shouted at Yuji as he turned to flee.

Before he could finish speaking, an overwhelming aura descended upon them. Something… had arrived.

Barely able to move, the two looked toward the presence behind them. It was a hulking humanoid monster. Its enormous mouth, nearly devoid of lips, revealed rows of sharp teeth, and its eyes were located atop protruding ridges on its head. Just standing there, the creature’s oppressive aura rendered the two almost immobile.

'This pressure… It’s unmistakably a special-grade! So, this is what it feels like…' Megumi thought in terror.

The creature closed in on Yuji, its presence like a vice grip. Summoning all his strength, Yuji broke free of its hold and regained some mobility. Without hesitation, he wielded the cursed tool given to him by Gojo, and swung it fiercely at the special-grade curse.

But the next moment, Yuji felt a sudden lightness in his hand. The cursed tool, now broken in two, fell to the ground. The handle still clutched a severed hand—his own.

'When… did it happen?' Yuji thought in shock.