Reflections and Resolutions - Chapter 239
Ren walked back to his dorm and stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind him. He sat on the edge of the bed, the distant whistle and pop of fireworks echoing in the background.
'Ah, I almost forgot... it's been a year, hasn't it? 'Ren thought, staring at his hands. 'One full year since I arrived here. It still feels unreal. I can still remember the day I came here… shaking in fear just a few days into this life, certain I was going to die...'
He lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was blank and unremarkable, yet it felt like it resonated with the emptiness of his thoughts.
'Now what? That's the real question. The main plot of JJK's second one is going to start... I have to make a few very important choices. Aside from that, Mei Mei is still out gathering information on cursed tools and Ogami. I'm fairly certain she's fully reintegrated with the Jujutsu higher-ups by now.'
Ren yawned, his eyes drooping. "But other than that... from what I've just learnt from Gojo, I am sure I can make my perfected Red Cursed circuit even better now…"
Suddenly—Kai2 swam out of Ren's shadow. It moved through the air like a dog greeting its owner…
Ren caught it in one hand. "Ugh, why are you out, you freak? It's been a while, hasn't it? I guess you can stay out since it's New Year. I don't think anyone else is hanging around the dorms."
Kai2 slipped out of his grip, floating through the air and performing a clumsy cartwheel. A small smile—one that hadn't been there a year ago—tugged at the corners of Ren's mouth.
"I need to make you useful, too," Ren said. "Once Mei Mei returns with the information on those cursed tools, I can find a way to make you stronger. Now, the only thing left is my own cursed energy pool. I still have no clue how to increase it... Also, is it me, or have you grown bigger?"
Ren pulled Kai2 down to eye level. The curse's fins had grown by several inches, and its tail was noticeably longer.
"Holy moly, you have grown. How? Were you eating shit while I wasn't looking?"
Ren gave the purse a little shake. Kai2 whimpered, looking at him with a grumpy expression before turning its face away.
"Since when did you have an attitude, huh? Freak."
Ren let go, watching the Kai2 float. 'Wait... did he get smarter? Kai2, now that I think about it, he has only come out when I'm alone now. Did he somehow learn to sense when the coast is clear? Hmm... just you wait, you little freak. Soon I'll be digging into your anatomy to see how you're changing.'
Kai2 whimpered again and slipped back toward the shadow. Ren noticed something else as it moved. 'Is it just me, or did he get... slippery? Or faster?' He shook his head. "Well, I guess it's nice to see you haven't been slacking off."
Ren's mind drifted back to his own power. 'How do I expand my cursed energy pool without doing something insane? The only thing that comes to mind is...'
"Binding Vows," he muttered. 'No one has done it this way, but technically, it should be possible, no? I have been checking Maki out all this while I have been here…
It should be possible, no? I have been checking Maki out all this while I have been here… And well, I have noticed a few things about her Heavenly Restriction… but I really do need to study her body closely. I want to see how her body reacts to cursed energy… Because if I can figure out how Heavenly Restrictions work, then I might be able to increase my cursed energy pool because, well, it's simple logic.
If a normal binding vow can affect my cursed technique and my cursed energy output… then a Heavenly Restriction, something which can be called a stronger binding vow, should be able to increase my cursed energy pool, right?
Ha… I really have no clue, but that's the only theory I have so far other than… 'Well, doing some insane experiment on myself with a Cursed Womb: Death Painting…'
Ren closed his eyes, the weight of the day finally pulling him toward sleep. Just as he was drifting off, Kai2 suddenly dived back into his shadow.
KNOCK! KNOCK!!
"Ren, come out! We know you're in there; let's party!" Panda's boisterous voice boomed from the other side of the door. "It's New Year! Plus, we won the Goodwill Event because of you!"
Ren groaned, sitting up. "Party? What the hell? Uh, ok, I will just say no and then go back to sleep… how old do they think I am? Huh?" He moved toward the door.
The moment he opened the door, Panda scooped him into a massive hug, patting his back with enough force to rattle his ribs. Ren let out a pained grunt.
"WE WON!" Panda yelled, grinning. "Against those Kyoto High fools! Why do you look so sleepy? Let's go! We're having lobster!"
Ren tried to speak, but Toge Inumaki popped up from behind Panda. "Sushi, sushi!"
"Yeah! Sushi too! Let's go!" Panda didn't wait for an answer; he simply dragged Ren out of the dorm.
Ren frowned at first, but after a few steps, the frown softened into a small smile.
While Ren was being dragged off to a party, a very different scene was unfolding elsewhere.
THUD!
A bald man collapsed against a brick wall, gasping for air. Standing before him was a woman in sharp heels and a long black skirt. She held a length of rope in her hand.
"Ah, it took such a long time to track you down." Her voice was smooth and calm, almost too calm... "You've been such a pain in the ass."
She took a step closer.
The bald man scrambled to his feet, a desperate, confident look suddenly crossing his face. "W-Who sent you? Hahaha! Doesn't matter! You're done!"
From the shadows behind her, a blond man lunged forward, swinging a sword toward her neck. Without looking, she gracefully pivoted on her heel; gracefully spinning to the right, her skirt flowed along…
The blade was left cutting through empty air.
The blond man froze in shock. "Wh—How?"
Before he could react, a cacophony of sound erupted from above.
CROWWW!
Dozens of crows screamed as they dived from the rooftops.
BOOM.
In the distance, fireworks painted the sky in vibrant reds and golds. She calmly dusted off her skirt as both men lay bruised and bloody on the pavement. She looked up at the colourful explosions, the light reflecting in her eyes.
"Hmm? Who sent me? Oh, you're simply not worthy of knowing that," she whispered. "Speaking of information..."
She pulled her phone from her pocket, the screen illuminating her face. A small smile played on her lips as she checked the news.
"Hmm. So, he won the whole event? Scored the highest, too. Makes sense. Expected." Her smile twitched slightly. "But what's not expected is that he hasn't texted me yet. It's New Year's, for God's sake!"