Equation's Curse
The "Equation's Curse" (方程式の呪い, Hōteishiki no Noroi) is a mysterious phenomenon acting as the main antagonist of the short story Censored Equation, featured in the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: Short Story Collection.
It interacts with those who attempt to solve a massively complex and incomplete mathematical equation that enables individuals to seemingly access other dimensions. The full nature of the curse is largely unknown but it is capable of manipulating the consciousness of those who attempt to decipher the equation.
Appearance
The curse operates as an ethereal concept that exists beyond normal perception. Its presence, most notably its gaze, can only be felt by those who pursue the secret behind the forbidden equation. When taking over a host, it causes their eyes to turn white and give out a warning in a mechanical voice through several different languages.
Upon deciphering the equation, the entity manifests as an ambiguous humanoid with a slight phosphorescence around it. Its skin appears slightly pale, and its irises are pitch-black, creating an unsettling contrast. The being's features are nondescript, lacking any indication of gender or country of origin. Rohan mentions the entity emits a sense of mathematical beauty in its appearance.[1]
Personality
The equation's curse is a supernatural phenomenon that actively discourages those who attempt to solve the equation through its enigmatic presence. Yuto Chikamori's girlfriend describes its glare as "one condemning a crime". Though it is largely in the background throughout the story, Rohan notes that is likely not hostile due to its nature as a natural phenomenon. The humanoid entity it manifests at the end also smiles, as if it finds humor in the futility of Rohan failing to attack it.[1]
Abilities
Equation Censorship
The curse will trigger as soon as the original form of the forbidden formula is perceived, actively warning those who attempt to decipher it through its unsettling presence and perception manipulation. Its gaze intensifies the further along a person gets in calculating the formula, causing them to develop a strong sense of paranoia throughout their daily life.
Should a person unravel enough of the formula, an event is triggered causing the person to perceive all the letters around them as numbers. All the numbers will then become five and countdown to zero. During this time, the person will experience visions of several locations they visited throughout their life. Around the two-second mark, the phenomenon materializes as a humanoid and the person loses consciousness. Unable to wake up, their body will slowly deteriorate until death. The only known way to prevent or recover from this occurrence is for the victim to erase their memories of the equation's solution.[1]
History
Background
Traces of the censored equation appear throughout history, embedded in various objects and events. These occurrences include the margins of the Dutch translation of Anatomische Tabellen, the blue sky in Monet's paintings displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a placard during the televised coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a newspaper advertisement following the 9/11 attacks, and even in the opening video of a Kohaku Uta Gassen performance. The dates and constants associated with these occurrences represent scholars throughout the centuries risking their lives against the curse to unravel the equation. Their collective research was ultimately passed down to Chikamori's girlfriend, who discovered an old journal belonging to a physicist at her university's library.
The curse makes its presence known to Chikamori's girlfriend after she came up with the original form of the equation. Two years after she had started calculating it, it began to watch her from behind constantly, planting in her a deep paranoia. When she had tried to film herself going into detail about the equation, the curse had taken control and issued out endless warnings in English, Spanish, Arabic, etc. After finally solving the equation, it appears behind her as all the printed letters in the vicinity turn into robotic numbers. A countdown from five begins, and she looses consciousness at zero.[1]
Censored Equation
The curse first reveals itself when Rohan examines Yuto Chikamori's notebook. Initially, it takes control of Chikamori and issues out numerous warnings in various languages before ceasing its communication and simply observing Rohan in the background for the remainder of his conversation with Chikamori.
Later, Rohan visits Chikamori's girlfriend in the hospital, intending to delve into her memories. After successfully locating the mysterious equation within her pages, the curse re-appears, once again observing Rohan with growing intensity. As Rohan continues to read, he notices that the number of its watchful gazes increases with each page. He finishes reading the girlfriend's memories, causing the surrounding words to shift into numbers, culminating in a countdown from five. The curse's presence grows more menacing as it breathes down Rohan's neck, transporting him through various locations from his own memories. The floor eventually gives out and Rohan experiences a sensation of falling into a void. Amidst the darkness, Rohan senses the rushing sound of water, the scraping of chains, the smell of dark green, and a pervasive motion sickness. At the center of it all stood the equation's curse with pale skin and eyes of pitch-black. With no signs of hostility, it smiles before Rohan loses consciousness.[1]
In the end, the Equation's true nature remains shrouded in mystery. It is described as a natural force like gravity that humankind is not yet ready to understand or solve. Rohan concludes that the equation's true purpose may only be understood in the distant future, once technological advancements like AI surpass human intelligence and make it possible to decipher its true meaning. The curse serves as a reminder of the dangers of delving too deeply into the unknown, with its effects leaving those involved profoundly altered.[1]
Chapters / Episodes
Novel Appearances- Censored Equation Chapter 1 (Voice only)
- Censored Equation Chapter 2
- Censored Equation Chapter 3 (Mentioned)
- Censored Equation Chapter 4 (Mentioned)
Trivia
- Although Rohan calls it a "curse" throughout the story, he also says that the word "curse" may not be fully appropriate since the equation does not have a will of its own.
