JJK: Chapter 67

Title: Bone Curse

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The scene in the auditorium left Shin Shuichi's gaze icy cold as he stared at the grotesque cursed spirit. This feeling… it was eerily similar to the Tengu. Wasn't the technique supposed to be confidential? How could these cursed spirits also possess such methods?

As for the possibility of the technique being leaked, Shin found it unlikely. Knowing the greed of the higher-ups, such a technique would never be given away so easily. Collaborating with curses was even less likely—unless they were ready to face utter annihilation.

If this Bone Curse was indeed akin to the Tengu, then even after killing it, it would leave behind a tangible corpse. In that case, Shin could bring it back for Shoko to study.

As his thoughts raced, the Bone Curse's attack came swiftly. Its body extended grotesque bone structures, transforming it into a monstrous form. Massive bone spikes, as thick as arms, shot through the air, sealing off every escape route around Shin.

Wheel of Time

With ease, Shin stepped back, evading the hovering spikes. Blade in hand, he charged toward the Bone Demon, which leapt toward him with a pouncing motion. When his blade, Shin struck the dense thicket of bone spikes, an ear-piercing screech echoed. While he successfully cut through large sections of bone, it was partially due to the blade's innate advantage against cursed defenses.

The creature, now resembling a thorny bramble, had lost all semblance of a humanoid form. Shin cleaved through a significant portion of the bone spikes, even slicing its skeletal face in half. The cursed spirit seemed entirely composed of bones, with the scant bits of flesh barely serving any purpose. When Shin cut through nearly half of its body, there was no splatter of flesh or blood—more like chopping wood.

Releasing his technique, Shin heard a sharp explosion behind him—the sound of the earlier bone spikes embedding themselves in the ground. The Bone Demon, as expected, appeared unfazed despite losing nearly half its body. It now resembled a fragmented ball of spikes but wasted no time sprouting new bones to restore its form.

Increasing his cursed energy output, Shin dodged the next attack and brought his blade down like lightning, severing several large bone spikes. Suddenly, the creature's spiked mass began to "blossom," peeling open in segments. From within, a shadow darted out, slashing viciously at Shin’s neck and head.

But such speed was trivial to Shin, even without using his technique. With Dojigiri and his secondary blade, Onikiri, he parried the incoming bone blades. Splinters of bone scattered in the air as Shin got a clearer look at his opponent.

It was barely humanoid—more like a grotesque entity emerging from the larger mass of bone spikes. Its lower body remained connected to the spiked mass, while the upper body lacked features like a head. Instead, a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth sat in the middle of what could loosely be called its torso. Flanking this mouth were two skeletal arms, which morphed into sharp bone blades at the elbows.

The bone blades, now chipped and dented, were merely a small part of the creature's bizarre form. Dragging the enormous spiked mass behind it, the Bone Curse charged recklessly, using its partially humanoid form as little more than a battering ram. Shin experimented with destroying parts of it, only to find that it could quickly regenerate.

The Bone Curse's body, fused with cursed energy, was remarkably durable—particularly the parts it had strengthened for offense. Even his blade couldn’t slice cleanly through those areas in one strike. What’s more, the Bone Demon seemed to lack any vital points; no matter where Shin attacked, the creature would regenerate its lost sections from the ever-growing spikes.

Rain of Time.

Condensed cursed energy manifested as rain, falling within the space of the auditorium. Under Shin's amplified output, a curtain of rain enveloped the area. The Bone Demon’s body began to blacken and decay under the pure effects of Shin’s technique.

This technique, entirely under Shin’s control, targeted any cursed energy-bearing entity within its range, sparing only himself. With no living beings left in the auditorium apart from Shin and the Bone Curse, there was no need for restraint.

The Rain of Time was the result of Shin’s foundational research into domain techniques. By engraving his technique into the cursed energy forming the boundary, Shin created a rain that disrupted the cursed energy of anything it touched. Though maintaining the balance between the barrier and the technique required immense focus, Shin had refined it to devastating effect. It now acted as an area-wide skill that inflicted lethal debuffs on anything caught within its range.

Based on Shin’s calculations, under his maximum cursed energy output, an ordinary human caught in the Rain of Time would wither into ash in mere moments. For sorcerers and curses, their survival depended on how long their cursed energy could hold out. It was also an effective way to deplete an opponent’s reserves.

The Bone Curse's size now became its greatest weakness. It couldn’t possibly use cursed energy to fortify every part of its massive body. As a result, its unprotected bones began to decay and crumble. The Bone Curse writhed, attempting to shed parts of its body and condense itself into a smaller, sturdier form to resist the rain.

“So, there’s the opening I’ve been waiting for,” Shin muttered, his eyes narrowing.

Dojigiri tore through the still rain, shattering droplets mid-air and carving streaks of emptiness across the scene. The newly formed, more humanoid figure emerging from the spiked mass of bone was promptly reduced to fragments under Shin's devastating slash.

“No brain, no heart—this is just a skeleton. But what about the blood of the dead? This cursed spirit doesn’t seem like the type to consume flesh or blood. Could it be that another cursed spirit drained the victims’ blood?”

Shin hadn’t forgotten the image of the spirit extracting the spine earlier—it wasn’t the behavior of something interested in flesh. Setting that thought aside, he released his technique once again.

The harsh grinding of bone echoed as the Bone Demon’s twin arm-blades fell to the ground, and its gaping maw was broken beyond recognition. Shin had struck at every conceivable vital point, yet the cursed spirit still moved.

Even without its arm-blades, the curse fired sharp bone spikes from its body. Shin’s blade danced, a storm of light clearing the area around him in an instant, leaving only fine powder drifting to the ground.

“This thing really doesn’t have any conventional weak points. Then I’ll cut it down to size and finish it off with a fully powered Arrow of Time.”

Just as Shin prepared his strike, the Bone Demon extended a bony hand from its body, swiftly forming a seal. Shin immediately sensed the unnatural stirring of the scattered corpses around him. Pausing his technique, he watched as the corpses violently exploded. From the mangled remains, countless white bones erupted, forming unnatural, jagged shapes.

The growing forest of bone extended in all directions, piercing the ceiling and leaving deep marks. These were not ordinary spikes. Halfway through their growth, the bone structures detonated, scattering smaller shards like a hailstorm across the battlefield.

Shin’s gaze hardened. “Killing them wasn’t enough? Now you desecrate their corpses?”

Wheel of Time: Reversal.

The encroaching bone forest vanished in an instant. The mangled corpses were restored to their original state, untouched by the Bone Demon’s technique. The cursed spirit hesitated briefly, its movement halting.

“I can’t use time stasis—after it ends, I won’t be able to use my techniques for a while. If this thing really requires complete destruction of every inch of its body, regular slashing won’t cut it.”

With two blades in hand, Shin unleashed a relentless storm of strikes, severing the Bone Demon’s arms. The three cursed blades danced in a merciless flurry, breaking down the demon’s resilient body from head to toe.

Releasing his technique, Shin summoned the spectral visage of a demonic warrior, which struck the final blow. The Bone Demon exploded on the spot, scattering fragments of bone across the floor.

Shin’s glowing fingers traced the energy lingering on the fragments. Observing the debris, he quickly spotted a peculiar piece. One bone shard was expanding, attempting to regenerate its form.

“So, I was right,” Shin murmured, a knowing expression on his face. “This thing doesn’t lack vital points—it just shifts them constantly across its body. When intact, it’s impossible to pinpoint the vital location. But now that it’s reduced to fragments, it has no choice but to rely on one piece to regenerate. That makes things simple.”

Arrow of Time.

Cursed energy condensed in Shin’s hand, extending into a blinding form of concentrated destruction. Before the Bone Demon could gather the surrounding fragments to defend itself, the flash of cursed energy had already disappeared, leaving behind a faint trace in the air.

The wooden floor beneath was obliterated, exposing a layer of dust and sand. The Bone Demon’s remains were nowhere to be seen—only scattered fragments of bone dust littered the area.

“Failed to keep a complete corpse…” Shin muttered, surveying the aftermath. His gaze locked onto something in the corner—a cursed spirit resembling a small, unblinking eyeball.

Picking it up, he noticed it swivel slightly, reflecting his image. A faint smile crept onto Shin’s face as he seemed to realize something. He dropped the eyeball to the ground and drove Dojigiri straight through it.

The cursed spirit’s vision froze, reflecting only the sharp edge of Shin’s blade before its image dissolved.

---

Meanwhile, Suguru Geto, observing through the cursed spirit’s reflection, smiled as he addressed Mahito, Hanami, and the other curses nearby.

“The first experiment was a success,” Geto said with amusement. “We even managed to test his technique. Based on the data, his foundational ability involves accelerating his own time. For him, speed seems almost irrelevant now.

“His ranged attacks are particularly dangerous—they can instantly accelerate the target’s time to the point of decay.

“But the real problem…” Geto’s expression darkened slightly. “...is the reversal of time. We speculated it might be possible, but confirming it makes him far more troublesome than expected.”

Jogo’s expression twisted in irritation. “That brat... So, what about your plan? If he ends up fighting alongside Gojo Satoru, how will you seal him?”

Suguru Geto held up a crimson orb, his enigmatic smile deepening. “Isn’t that exactly what we’re working on now? Humans are riddled with weaknesses: duty, justice, empathy. These are the chains that bind them, making them easy to separate. It’s not hard—just take it step by step.”

Jogo exhaled a plume of flame and smoke from his head. “Using over 400 lives just for an experimental trial is already excessive. If this continues, the toll will draw the attention of those Jujutsu Sorcerers. They’ll launch an all-out purge.”

Geto cast him a sideways glance. “Are you scared?”

Surprisingly, Jogo didn’t erupt in anger as he usually did. Instead, he wore a grim expression. “We’re up against Gojo Satoru, the so-called strongest sorcerer, and now this another monster. If your plan unfolds as you say, humanity will not tolerate it. I don’t want to die before we even glimpse the dawn of victory.”

Mahito, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. “All I did was play around with a few toys, and they were already on my tail. If incidents like this keep piling up and that brat gets his hands on us, there’s no escaping his technique. And you’re the one who insists we can’t reveal ourselves in front of the Jujutsu High faculty. Doesn’t that leave us fighting alone?”

Geto’s smirk deepened as he gazed at the picturesque beach before them. “Relax. I’ll deploy one of my own cursed spirits, bolstered by the domain techniques of your comrades. Besides, we don’t need to act ourselves. The method of combining cursed tools with humans to recreate curses is quite intriguing. It’s given me plenty of ideas.”

Mahito’s eyes lit up. “The transformation of souls is fascinating. By fusing cursed tools, the subject’s soul undergoes significant changes, though it remains tethered to humanity in some ways. But their body—now fully a curse—is a different story. And their human consciousness disappears completely.”

Geto clapped his hands to snap Mahito out of his musings. “Exactly. For now, there’s no need for you to get involved. Just focus on gathering the cursed tools that meet our criteria. Once awakened, these cursed spirits will make collecting cursed blood much easier.”

“What about Sukuna’s vessel?” Jogo asked, narrowing his eyes. “Without Sukuna, your so-called plan might not be enough.”

Geto chuckled. “Jujutsu High will keep feeding him Sukuna’s fingers. We just need to control a portion of them. When the time is right, we’ll feed them to him all at once. For now, though, he’s always with Shin. You’d best avoid direct contact for the time being.”

He turned back to the horizon. “All we need is patience. Stick to the plan and wait.”

---

“Senpai!”

Yuji Itadori called out as he approached the school. Standing outside, Shin Shuichi waved to him. Beside him was Junpei Yoshino, his expression as uncertain as ever.

“You’re here,” Shin said. “The mission’s already been resolved. Mahito likely won’t show up again. This time, it was an unknown special-grade cursed spirit, so there’s no need for you to go inside.”

Yuji, sensing something amiss, tried to head toward the hall, but Shin grabbed his arm. He knew Yuji well—behind his cheerful demeanor lay a sharp perceptiveness.

“Senpai… Did a lot of people die in there?” Yuji asked, his voice trembling.

Shin glanced at the growing number of police and sorcerers arriving at the scene. With a sigh, he decided to be honest. “Yes. All of them. You know how it is with special-grade curses. By the time I arrived, it was already too late.”

Yuji froze, his hand hesitating on the door handle before he pushed it open. Junpei, standing nearby, caught a glimpse of the carnage through the crack. His pale face reflected a mix of confusion and helplessness. “This… all of this… was caused by curses?”

Shin nodded solemnly. “Yes, and it’s deeply tied to Mahito, the curse I told you about before.”

Moments later, Yuji stepped back out of the hall, his expression grim. He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking with determination. “Senpai, I’ll exorcise Mahito. I swear it.”

Beside them, Junpei stumbled to the side and began to retch. Shin glanced at him with a trace of sympathy, then looked over to see Ijichi approaching. Patting Yuji on the shoulder, Shin said, “Let’s head back. Those curses—they’ll all be dealt with. I promise.”