JJK: Chapter 55

Title: Blizzard Curse

Although the task location was described as the North Pole, it was actually on Greenland, within the Arctic Circle. The southwestern part of the island, where most of the human population lives, had been covered by a blizzard for nearly a week. All nearby flights were canceled, and local industries such as fishing and tourism were severely affected, relying only on supply ships from Denmark to provide some relief.

This abnormal weather was not a once-in-a-century natural disaster but was caused by an unknown curse. A team of jujutsu sorcerers sent to investigate returned with only one survivor, who, barely alive, managed to disclose some information before his body turned into an ice sculpture and shattered into pieces. Witnesses reported that his body was so thoroughly frozen, down to his bone marrow, that there wasn’t a drop of blood left as his remains crumbled into powder.

The existence of a curse was thus confirmed. While blizzards are common in that region, the fact that this one had been ongoing for almost a week, with such extreme weather, confirmed that the cause was a special-grade curse. Unable to fight it, the local authorities sought help repeatedly, offering higher and higher rewards.

Eventually, the case was handed over to Japan. In the jujutsu world, curses and sorcerers are often in a kind of ambiguous balance. In regions where jujutsu sorcerers are abundant, the strength and frequency of curses also tend to be high. Conversely, in places with fewer and weaker curses, the number and power of jujutsu sorcerers are also limited. The Heian era, known for its flourishing jujutsu, was a time when curses were rampant, and sorcerers were extremely powerful.

Of course, there are always exceptions, such as the birth of Gojo Satoru, which caused a gradual strengthening of modern curses. And now, in a sparsely populated region with very few jujutsu sorcerers, a special-grade curse had appeared, making it an exceptional case.

Shin Shuichi first took a flight to Iceland, where he would wait for a supply ship to take him across the sea to the island. The journey would likely take until the following evening.

"So cold..."

Shin exhaled thick clouds of white breath, pulling his thin jacket tighter around himself. Thankfully, he was constantly reinforcing his body with cursed energy; otherwise, with his light clothing, which kept drawing stares from passersby, he would have frozen in no time.

'Ah, immense cursed energy is really convenient.' he thought smugly as he walked the streets, searching for a shopping mall. Though he could withstand the cold, he figured he might as well buy some warmer clothes to blend in with the locals. "How should I spend the day? I heard this place is great for watching the Northern Lights. It’s a big draw for tourism, but with the weather over there, who knows if I’ll get to see it tonight…"

As expected, he didn’t get to see the Northern Lights. Instead, he admired the snowy landscape of this isolated land. The daylight faded quickly, as fleeting as an illusion in a dream.

Shin didn’t have to worry about adjusting to a time difference, so the next day, he took a cab to the port. Fortunately, his English wasn’t bad, so communication, though a bit slow, wasn’t a problem. Driving through the endless expanse of white, this scenery was something he could never witness in his homeland.

The vast sky seemed to merge with the land at the horizon, and on this magical terrain, ice and snow coexisted harmoniously with volcanoes and hot springs.

As the sea came into view, it added a dynamic element to the stillness, with restless waves pushing blocks of ice onto the shore, offering a brief escape from the endless rise and fall of the ocean.

When Shin arrived early at the port, he took his time enjoying the breathtaking scenery, snapping a few photos to make his friends jealous when he returned.

Once he spotted the ship in the distance, Shin headed to the port, and when the enormous vessel docked, he truly understood the meaning of "grand." He had rarely been to the sea back in Japan, and cruise ships were something he’d only seen online. Now, seeing one in person gave him a unique feeling. Compared to this, even the most massive curses he’d fought seemed insignificant, not to mention the awe-inspiring mountains and oceans.

Tightening his collar against the rising winds, Shin watched as the ship’s gangway was lowered, and after he boarded, the vessel slowly set sail, breaking through the ice and heading toward the cursed land.

The person who greeted Shin was a bearded man with black hair and features resembling those of an Asian. His eyes were sharp, though filled with worry. Having already been briefed about Shin, he quickly glanced at his credentials before leading him to a prepared private room.

"Mr. Shin Shuichi, you can call me Ekott. My homeland is in the grip of an unprecedented disaster. That demon has left us helpless. We are grateful that you’ve come. Here is all the information we’ve gathered—I hope it helps."

Ekott handed over a file and excused himself, leaving Shin alone to examine the contents. Inside the envelope were various documents, including a detailed report from the sole survivor, along with grisly photos of his remains.

The macabre images made even Shin raise an eyebrow. There was no blood, but the organs and body fragments were frozen solid, creating a chilling sight.

There were also photos of the blizzard. Though no curse was visible, the extreme weather and the written reports gave Shin a general idea of what he was dealing with.

"The creature is massive and can fly. Wherever it goes, it brings wind and snow. Its 'breath' creates a cold far beyond anything we can comprehend. It is undoubtedly a form of cursed energy. The attacks are so deadly that no one exposed to it has survived."

The information, though brief, was paid for in blood. Even so, the details were limited. The curse was large, could fly, and seemed to control blizzards, with extremely dangerous freezing abilities.

Shin couldn’t help but marvel at the differences between special-grade curses. This one, for instance, could manipulate weather, altering the climate of an entire region. While this didn’t necessarily represent its full power, it was certainly terrifying.

'How do I fight this? It flies and controls blizzards... Let’s hope it’s not intelligent. Otherwise, it might just flee back home.'

As the ship’s horn sounded, signaling their arrival, Shin left his room and met Ekott on the deck. The moment they stepped outside, the biting wind cut like a knife, stinging his skin.

Looking out, Shin could barely see the nearby port through the blizzard. Beyond that, nothing was visible as the swirling snowstorm enveloped the landscape. Even the towering icebergs were reduced to blurry shadows.

After the ship docked, Ekott led Shin off the vessel. The cargo would be unloaded slowly by others, so they boarded a snowmobile to escape the howling winds. As they drove, they discussed plans to exorcise the curse.

The city, never very bustling, was now almost entirely obscured by the storm. Few people dared venture outside, and those who did were heavily wrapped, their faces hidden beneath layers of clothing.

Once inside a large building, Shin was greeted by a few people who thanked him profusely. However, Shin cut straight to the point, telling Ekott to quickly arrange the necessary preparations so he could find and exorcise the curse as soon as possible.

Grateful, Ekott hurried to issue the orders. In this weather, walking outside for just a few moments was enough to risk losing your way in the snow. Most factories and communications had shut down due to the storm and the curse, leaving satellite signals as the only means of contact.

Shin Shuichi only wanted to finish the task quickly and return home. He had no time to get acquainted with the higher-ups. A swift, decisive approach was the best solution.

Soon, Ekott brought over a modified snow vehicle. It was equipped with a satellite navigation system to prevent them from losing their way in the blinding blizzard and ensure they didn’t drive in circles. This way, they wouldn’t struggle to find their way back in the harsh conditions.

The environment outside was incredibly hostile. As Shin looked through the window, it felt like they were driving into an unknown realm. The city quickly vanished behind them, leaving nothing but the endless, unceasing wind and snow in every direction. The vehicle was outfitted with a sharp, ram-like structure on the front, and its tracks easily plowed through the thick snow.

The only sounds breaking the silence were occasional reports of "no curse traces detected." Besides the driver and the technical staff, there were a few personnel with some level of cursed energy to help detect traces of the curse. Even the technical team overlapped with jujutsu duties.

Shin was familiar with this kind of setup—these were "windows" and monitoring assistants. He wasn’t relying entirely on them, though; he was also sensing the cursed energy around them.

After searching the eastern and northern sectors, they still hadn’t found any signs of the curse. Following Shin’s suggestion, Ekott gritted his teeth and ordered the team to head northeast. By now, they were dozens of kilometers away from the base.

This decision was undoubtedly risky. The further they ventured from their base, the higher the chances that an unforeseen event could turn their journey into a death trap, making it impossible to return. However, everyone on this mission had already accepted the possibility of death before embarking, so there were no complaints—only silent execution of orders.

"I’ve found it."

It wasn’t the assistants who spoke, but Shin himself. The intense cursed energy was close.

"Mark this location. I’m getting out. You all should return the way we came and wait for my signal."

The team barely registered the slight chill before Shin’s figure disappeared from the vehicle. Stunned, they exchanged bewildered glances. Ekott was the first to react, issuing orders to follow Shin’s instructions.

As the vehicle’s lights vanished into the snowstorm, Shin turned and took a deep breath of the cold air, letting the howling wind slap against his face. His cursed energy swirled, clashing with the thick cursed aura surrounding the area.

He walked toward the source of the cursed energy, realizing that the storm was gradually calming down around him. Soon, he confirmed it wasn’t just his imagination.

The wind stopped. Only a few snowflakes drifted lazily through the air. His visibility increased dramatically. It was as if he had stepped into the eye of the storm, a place of eerie tranquility.

In this strange calmness, there stood several towering ice pillars. The sunlight from above refracted through them, creating an otherworldly, dreamlike glow.

"What is that?"

Shin raised his hand to shield his eyes, looking up at a shadow atop the central ice pillar. Whatever it was had sensed his presence, and something unfurled from its body, casting a shadow that easily swallowed Shin’s form.

"Who are you?"

The sound that reached Shin’s ears was a monstrous screech, but somehow, his mind inexplicably understood the meaning. The voice, neither male nor female, echoed in his head.

Frowning, Shin’s hair and clothes were whipped by a sudden gust of wind, which died down as quickly as it had come, leaving a towering, serpentine figure before him.

A curse—there was no doubt about it.

The figure reminded Shin of a dragon or a serpent. Its body, stretching over 20-30 meters, was coiled around the ice pillar behind it. Its scales, a pale white and icy blue, blended seamlessly with the surrounding snow. Each palm-sized scale scraped the frozen ground, easily peeling away layers of ice.

The curse’s head and neck had morphed into a humanoid upper body. However, it was clearly not human. Its androgynous form was nearly twice the size of a normal person, with several subtle, inhuman differences.

Its skin was an icy blue, almost transparent, though no veins, organs, or even bones could be seen beneath it. The face was perfect, in an unsettling, neutral way, framed by long white hair. Its eyes, however, were pure ice blue. Gazing into them, one’s focus would inevitably sink deeper into a cold, endless abyss.

The most bizarre feature, though, was the humanoid upper body’s arms, which had been replaced by enormous wings. Where the arms would connect to the torso, the wings were still narrow, but as they extended outward, they grew massive. When fully spread, they cast the shadow that had enveloped Shin earlier.

Despite the havoc this curse had caused, standing before it, Shin didn’t feel the biting cold he had expected. Instead, it was the restrained, terrifying aura of a special-grade curse that asserted its presence.

"Human… jujutsu sorcerer. I suppose my name doesn’t interest you. Let’s skip the pleasantries—this blizzard is your doing, right? I’ve been sent to exorcise you. In other words, to kill you."

The curse, supported by its serpentine body, loomed over Shin. Hearing his words, it lowered itself slightly, its icy blue eyes focusing on the small figure before it.

Its expressionless, sculpted face didn’t move, but once again, the voice echoed in Shin’s mind.

"You speak of the blizzard? Indeed, it swirls with my dance. Has it affected those little ones?"

"You are different from them. They are like fish in the sea, while you are a shark, a whale that swims freely. So, why do you protect them under your wings? Is it simply because you share the same kind?"

As the curse’s body rose, the sound of its scales scraping the ice filled the air. Once more, its voice echoed in Shin’s mind.

"The sun rises and sets, flowers bloom and wither. My appearance is no different from these natural phenomena. Why be concerned?"

Shin gripped his katana, Dojigiri, in his hand, its blade gleaming in the sunlight.

"Well said. You don’t care about their suffering, and I don’t need to care about you. But when I cut off your head, I hope you won’t mind, because that too is nature’s will."