JJK: Chapter 27/28

Chapter 27: Sunshine, Beach, and Beautiful Girl

It was a scorching summer day. July's heat was relentless, and Eichi and Satoru, now on summer vacation, arrived at the beach together.

Eichi spread his arms wide and relaxed his whole body as he lay in the shallows, feeling the waves repeatedly push him.

A cool sensation came from his arm. He turned his head and found a translucent object pushed onto him by the waves.

He reached out and picked up the strange object, discovering it was a dead jellyfish.

Its clear body and extremely elastic feel made him unable to resist squeezing it.

"It's a bit like an unbreakable jelly, bouncy and springy."

Sitting up and playing with it for a while, Eichi suddenly thought of a few questions.

"I remember jellyfish are poisonous, aren't they? I've been holding this for so long, am I okay?"

Although he now had a strong physique and could use Reverse Cursed Technique, Reverse Cursed Technique was relatively ineffective against attacks with a poison attribute.

Just like Uraume, who could use Reverse Cursed Technique and was not weak among Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerers, it still took a long time to handle Choso's poison.

This was because the procedures required for Reverse Cursed Technique to detoxify were more complex.

Unless your Reverse Cursed Technique was fully automatic.

"It seems jellyfish venom can only be delivered through their tentacles, right?"

After checking himself and finding no signs of poisoning, Eichi began to examine the jellyfish in his hand again.

Having lived in the mountains in his previous life and having seen the sea only a few times, he was curious about everything related to the ocean.

"Don't always stay here alone like an old man, come play with us!"

Slap.

A jellyfish much larger than the one in his hand was placed on his head, making it look from afar as if he was wearing a jellyfish hat.

"SA. TO. RU."

He slapped the jellyfish off his head. A stinging sensation spread across his face, and a "#" symbol appeared on his forehead.

"Don't you know jellyfish are poisonous, you idiot?"

Eichi roared, clenching his fists.

"It's fine, it's fine. I was stung by that kind of jellyfish when I was six, and I was completely fine."

Saying this, Satoru extended his right hand and gave a thumbs-up, a mischievous grin under his sunglasses, his exposed white teeth faintly reflecting light.

His fists hardened again.

"Very well, let's have a match."

After speaking, Satoru waved his hand, and the suction from Cursed Technique Blue pulled two surfboards emblazoned with palm trees and waves into his hands.

"Alright, be prepared, Satoru."

"You too. Don't cry if you lose later, okay?"

"Ha, you're the one who's going to lose."

When Suguru returned from underwater, he saw his two best friends playing like crazy.

He walked to the temporary small camp on the beach.

Suguru opened the cooler, took out a slice of watermelon, sprinkled some salt on it, and watched the two frolic while eating.

In the island nation, watermelon was a noble fruit, more expensive than meat, and rarely eaten by ordinary people.

You ask why?

How could such a small island nation grow watermelons? It relied almost entirely on imports, so of course it was expensive.

In his previous life, Eichi's method of scooping and eating large mouthfuls of watermelon every summer would surely be deemed extravagant if people here saw it.

In fact, they also liked to eat it that way, but it was too expensive to afford.

So they chose to cut it into small pieces and eat it bite by bite, and they would sprinkle salt on it beforehand to enhance the sweetness.

However, Suguru's leisurely time was soon interrupted.

A dark blue, almost black water ball flew onto his head and burst with a pop.

The bursting water drenched him completely.

"Suguru, come play!"

He looked up, and sure enough, an annoying Satoru was waving and shouting.

"Satoru, we are still working."

Suguru was strongly suppressing the urge to rush over and argue with him.

Because of Eichi, Suguru met Satoru earlier than before, but also because of Eichi, he adapted to Satoru a bit slower.

He was used to Eichi, who was at least usually serious, so at first he was a bit prejudiced against the never-serious Satoru.

However, after a few interactions, that prejudice quickly faded.

Moreover, Suguru found that when he was with Satoru, he always felt a sense of freedom and carefree joy.

This greatly alleviated the pressure he usually felt from ingesting Cursed Spirits.

The world is so wonderful, yet I am so irritable, this is not good, not good.

Repeating this phrase in his mind, Suguru's urge to get up lessened significantly.

But the next moment, Satoru's special, highly compressed Cursed Technique Blue water bomb hit him again.

Eichi turned to look. Cursed Technique Blue had already been activated again, seawater being sucked in like a miniature black hole.

This time, the water ball burst at a lower position, and the upward impact pushed Suguru's bangs up, merging them with the hair on top of his head.

###

Silently restoring his hairstyle, Suguru got up and took a volleyball from a nearby box.

"Take that."

The volleyball flew with immense force, carrying Suguru's anger toward Satoru's face.

"Beach volleyball, this is good."

Dispelling the water ball in his hand, Satoru unceremoniously hit the ball toward Eichi.

Eichi, who had been about to watch the show, paused. However, his movements were not slow. He aimed at Satoru's face and hit the volleyball back.

Satoru, preparing to receive the ball, noticed with his Six Eyes that something seemed to be flying from the beach's direction.

He quickly ducked, and the volleyballs from Suguru and Eichi's directions simultaneously appeared where his white hair had been, then crashed violently into each other.

"Hey, hey, 2 against 1, that's not fair."

Satoru shouted in protest, grabbing the two volleyballs that had collided and were about to bounce away.

"What, are you giving up?"

Eichi provoked, and Satoru immediately took the bait.

"Huh? You're the ones who should be giving up, right?"

The next moment, Satoru hit both volleyballs back.

Happy times flew by, and soon the group gathered back at the small campsite.

After a quick rinse to wash off seawater, they began to set up the camp again.

Suguru and Eichi set up the parasol and spread out the mats.

Satoru opened the cooler and laid out the food and cold drinks one by one.

However, many of these snacks disappeared after being placed on the beach mat.

"Suguru, have you found the target?"

Eichi, who had set up the parasol, sat on the beach mat.

"Not yet, the ocean is too vast."

Suguru opened a bottle and poured out some iced fruit juice.

"Are you sure the Rainbow Dragon is active in this area?"

Eichi turned to look at Satoru, who was still openly sneaking snacks.

"I'm sure. As expected, edamame fresh cream kikufuku is the best."

After eating a dozen different desserts, Satoru made his assessment.

"It seems we're in for a long battle."

"Indeed."

Eichi and Suguru sighed.

"That doesn't matter. If the Rainbow Dragon comes out, we'll catch it. If it doesn't, we'll just enjoy our vacation."

Satoru looked nonchalant.

Eichi thought about it and agreed. It was a rare trip to the beach, and it would not make sense not to have a blast.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 28: Rainbow Dragon

It was another day by the sea, and after several days of searching, Suguru finally found the target of this commission, the Rainbow Dragon.

Speaking of which, this commission had been taken by Satoru on Suguru's behalf.

After learning that the Gojo Family had a cursed tool suitable for him, Suguru began taking jobs to earn money.

Along the way, he did not forget to confirm the status of the cursed tool with Satoru.

Satoru usually did not care much about his family's affairs. In his opinion, those decaying, rotten elders were far less interesting than Eichi and Suguru.

However, he happened to know about Playful Cloud, since it was a rare Special Grade cursed tool. At the time, Satoru had even borrowed it to play for a while.

But because he kept bumping his head while using it, he stopped.

Moreover, it was not cool at all. He swung it around for ages, and there were no special effects.

After remembering that such a thing did exist, Satoru gave an affirmative answer.

So Suguru worked even harder.

Under these circumstances, when Satoru came to hang out with Eichi, he remembered a big commission and asked Suguru if he would take it. Suguru accepted without hesitation.

It was a large, nine-figure commission.

Satoru knew about this commission because its issuer was the Jujutsu Headquarters, and the Gojo Family had discussed it internally.

However, they later felt the risk was too great and wanted more compensation, so they did not respond.

After all, the enemy to be dealt with in this commission was a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.

The Rainbow Dragon was a Special Grade Cursed Spirit born from people's fear of dragons and snakes. It possessed a body that even a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer would find difficult to damage, as well as powerful speed, strength, and amphibious combat ability.

The Jujutsu Headquarters had organized two attempts to exorcise it, but both failed, and several Grade 1 and Grade 2 sorcerers were injured.

Unlike other Cursed Spirits, whose activity range was small and relatively fixed, the Rainbow Dragon's range was vast, almost covering half of the island nation.

This gave the Jujutsu Headquarters a huge headache.

Previously, when exorcising Cursed Spirits, they would obediently remain at their birthplace. Headquarters only needed to send a few sorcerers from commoner backgrounds to investigate, then gather personnel for a subjugation based on the Cursed Spirit's condition.

However, the Rainbow Dragon's activity range was too wide, so they could only search and fight at the same time.

But the Rainbow Dragon would fly for a while and swim for a while, and they could not keep up.

Leaving it alone was not an option either. Its harm was too great, even affecting the island nation's fishing industry to some extent.

To solve the problem as quickly as possible, the Jujutsu Headquarters simply offered a bounty.

There was no other way. Before Satoru intervened in the Jujutsu World, the strongest power was actually held by the Three Great Families. Almost all high-ranking officials at Headquarters were from the Three Great Families, and mobilizing enough masters for missions required their consent.

But the Three Great Families would not act without sufficient incentive. They were unwilling to move unless the benefits were substantial. In the end, Headquarters made this decision.

On one hand, they urged the Three Great Families to form a Cursed Spirit exorcism team as soon as possible. On the other hand, they offered a bounty to see if a few brave individuals would deal with the Rainbow Dragon.

Thus, through Satoru's introduction, this commission fell into Suguru's hands.

The weather after the rain was exceptionally clear, and a dragon-shaped Cursed Spirit, entirely silver-white and ethereal under the rainbow, emerged on the sea surface.

In the sky, Suguru, standing on a manta ray Cursed Spirit, looked at the Rainbow Dragon with fervent eyes.

That was not only his second Special Grade Cursed Spirit, but also the final payment for Playful Cloud, the cursed tool of his dreams.

The more he looked at the Rainbow Dragon, the more pleasing it became to his eyes.

Unfortunately, unlike divine dragons that could summon clouds and rain, avert disasters, and bestow blessings, the Rainbow Dragon, born from the fear of dragons and snakes, brought only harm to an area.

"Vultures."

Dozens of vulture Cursed Spirits appeared and flew toward the Rainbow Dragon.

The Rainbow Dragon, which was flying toward a fishing ground, seemed to sense something.

It turned and looked at Suguru in the sky and the flock of vultures flying toward it.

"Roar!"

A terrifying roar erupted from its mouth.

The Rainbow Dragon twisted its body and flew toward Suguru.

Suguru controlled the manta ray to dodge, while commanding the vultures to obstruct the Rainbow Dragon's vision.

In an instant, several ferocious-looking Cursed Spirits appeared on the Rainbow Dragon's body.

These Cursed Spirits were generally Grade 2 or higher, and among them was one Grade 1 Cursed Spirit.

A praying mantis Cursed Spirit wielded its dual blades, attacking the Rainbow Dragon's body, but the strikes only sparked a bit of fire and left no marks.

Fish with mouths full of sharp teeth bit into the Rainbow Dragon, but similarly failed to break its defense.

The Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, on which Suguru had placed high hopes, opened its gaping maw, but its bite only managed to lightly scratch the Rainbow Dragon's skin.

"Its hardness is truly terrifying."

After speaking, Suguru turned and flew toward the sea.

The Rainbow Dragon pursued closely from behind.

Soon, the battlefield descended to the sea surface.

"Kraken."

Over a dozen huge tentacles shot from the seabed, tightly coiling around the Rainbow Dragon's body.

"Roar!"

The Rainbow Dragon roared angrily, then twisted, attempting to break free.

Its sharp teeth were like divine weapons, biting off the Kraken's tentacles.

But the Kraken's mission was already complete. The high-speed Rainbow Dragon had been successfully intercepted and dragged into the sea.

"Umibōzu. Great Sea Monster. Ame-onna. Merman. Bottle-Gourd…"

Dozens of Cursed Spirits skilled in water combat appeared around the Rainbow Dragon, including several Grade 1 Cursed Spirits.

Thanks to Eichi's help, the number and strength of Cursed Spirits Suguru possessed at this time were far greater than in the original timeline.

Although the Rainbow Dragon was strongest on the field in terms of power, speed, and defense, as the saying goes, two fists are no match for four hands. Faced with dozens of Cursed Spirits systematically taking turns to attack, it could not cope.

Its attacks either missed or were blocked by Grade 1 Cursed Spirits, while other Cursed Spirits' blows continuously landed on its body.

Even if the injuries were minor, they accumulated over time, making the Rainbow Dragon suffer.

On the constantly surging sea surface, a giant sea turtle Cursed Spirit slowly moved.

On the turtle's back, a huge figure stretched its long neck into the water, and black mist surged, enveloping the Rainbow Dragon's entire body.

It was the Special Grade Cursed Spirit.

The illusion interfered with the Rainbow Dragon's judgment, and its movements gradually became distorted.

Suddenly, several pufferfish-like Cursed Spirits burrowed into its belly and then exploded.

The Rainbow Dragon's body swelled instantly, then quickly returned to its original slender form.

But Suguru knew it was injured.

Sensing danger, the Rainbow Dragon began to struggle fiercely, wanting to escape the battlefield and regroup.

"Has it arrived?"

Suguru looked into the distance. A black dot was flying toward them, faster and faster.

The Rainbow Dragon finally broke through the encirclement and burst out of the sea. Under Suguru's control, the Special Grade Cursed Spirit leaped from the sea turtle's back, its gaping maw biting the middle of the Rainbow Dragon's body. Its four limbs tightened, holding the Rainbow Dragon and pulling it toward the sea surface.

"It is a bit off."

Glancing at the black dot's trajectory, then at the Rainbow Dragon still struggling, Suguru acted.

A black fissure opened behind him, and a giant worm Cursed Spirit rushed out, crashing hard into the Rainbow Dragon.

"Yuki-onna."

A figure in a kimono with a hairy face, green skin, and demonic fangs appeared behind Suguru.

A biting cold wind mixed with snow howled past, temporarily freezing the Rainbow Dragon's body.

Several more tentacles appeared, pulling the Rainbow Dragon toward the black dot's path.

"That is more like it."

Just then, the black dot that had been flying for so long finally appeared before the Rainbow Dragon.

A tiger-like body full of explosive muscle, huge wings, and long horns jutting from its head.

This figure, similar to the legendary vicious beast Qiongqi, was the Chimera Qiongqi, a Fusion created by Eichi using Tiger Funeral, Nue, and Piercing Ox.

(To be continued.)