Dark Symphony (RWBY X Jaune Arc X Sukuna)

Chapter 13: Curse Hunt Part 1

Dr. Oobleck stood in front of a board displaying a map of Vale, adorned with red dots scattered across various locations. He turned to Jaune Arc, ready to share the information he had gathered.

Oobleck: Recent reports from the Vale law enforcement have revealed a concerning pattern, Jaune. There have been numerous cases of missing persons and deaths in specific areas throughout Vale. Take a closer look.

Dr. Oobleck pointed to the board, where the red markings connected different locations.

Oobleck: These red dots represent places where the authorities have documented unusual incidents of missing individuals and unfortunate deaths in the past few weeks. It appears that these incidents are concentrated in these particular areas. Furthermore, there have been sightings of creatures resembling the one we encountered a few days ago. Therefore, we can reasonably conclude that someone is intentionally causing these incidents, although their motive remains unknown.

Jaune nodded, his expression serious, as he hung onto every word from Dr. Oobleck while sipping his coffee.

Oobleck: I have managed to narrow down the potential hideout of the person responsible to some extent.

Jaune nodded again, understanding that they didn't have a definite location yet.

Oobleck: Listen, Jaune Arc. While I investigate these locations further, I have a different task for you. As you are still a student, I cannot allow you to expose yourself to such dangers posed by an unknown enemy. I need you to visit the areas I marked and hunt down some of these creatures, which we will refer to as "Curses."

Jaune: Curses?

Oobleck nodded in confirmation.

Oobleck: Yes, for some reason, Headmaster Ozpin referred to them as curses when I told him about them. But that's a discussion for another time. Can you handle this task? There's no pressure if you feel you cannot-

Jaune: I'll do it.

Jaune interrupted with determination.

Oobleck: Very well, you're decisive. Good luck on your new mission. Report back to me here when you've finished, as I continue my search for the potential hideout.

Jaune nodded and headed towards the door. As he left, he pressed a button in his pocket, activating a device.

Oobleck stared at the board with a blank expression, taking a sip of his coffee.

Jaune ventured into various locations around Vale, eliminating the curses. He understood that the unfortunate victims were already beyond saving, trapped in a state of unawareness. Elimination seemed to be the most merciful course of action. He didn't know much about these "curses" beyond what little information he had been given, and he didn't dwell on the peculiar name or Ozpin's reasoning.

Hours passed as Jaune eliminated a few curses, finding it challenging to locate even three of them. They excelled at hiding, which was beneficial to prevent panic among the townspeople.

Jaune: Now that I've finished, it's time to search one of the potential hideouts for this individual.

He opened his scroll and referred to the picture he had quickly taken of the map before he left.

Jaune: The abandoned downtown subway, no longer in use due to the newer railroads...

He walked for about an hour, eventually reaching the subway entrance. As he descended the stairs, he heard a crunching sound. Stepping onto the final step, he looked ahead to find a massive bug-like creature holding a headless, bleeding body.