Jujutsu Kaisen: False Dawn

Chapter 106 – The First Day

The first day was hell.

Ren's muscles screamed. His shirt was soaked with sweat. The soles of his feet stung from the brutal repetition—running, jumping, punching, and doing it all again. And all of it without cursed energy.

None.

Not even a flicker.

Why?

Simple.

Ren wasn't used to his new cursed circuit yet. It was like giving a regular person a sports car with no instructions.

'If I press the gas without understanding how to handle the steering… I'll crash.'

That's why he was doing body training. Pure, raw physical conditioning. Like an F1 driver training his body to handle the car's speed, G-force, and precision—Ren was preparing his frame to match his circuit.

'I have to move like someone who belongs in the world I'm trying to survive in.'

By the time he stopped, his body felt like jelly. But the pain was good. The pain meant something was working.

Back at the school, the whispers had already started.

"The Wild Beast of Tokyo High is back!"

"He's training his body now! Like, no cursed energy at all?"

"Is he doing rehab?"

Ren walked through the hallway without saying a word. Some people looked at him and turned away fast. Some watched him like he was a dangerous dog off its leash.

He just kept walking, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

'Let them talk. I don't have time for rumors. I don't care about image. I care about results.'

Later, in a quiet classroom, Ren stood with his arms crossed, waiting.

Gojo burst in with his usual flair, sliding the door open like a cartoon character and spinning into a pose.

"Ren-kun! You will be learning about swords from Maki, your classmate! And someone you saved, by the way, so—bank on it!"

He held up two fingers in a peace sign and gave a toothy grin.

Maki was already standing near the back of the room. Her arms were crossed, and she looked pissed.

She didn't say a word.

She turned on her heel and walked out.

Ren followed.

Gojo tried to keep talking behind them, but the door was already swinging shut.

Outside, the hallway was quieter.

Maki's footsteps echoed ahead of him, sharp and clipped.

Then she spoke without turning around.

"You really want to learn how to use a sword?"

Her voice was dry. No effort to hide the tension.

Ren replied in a calm tone.

"Do you think I was lying?"

Maki scoffed and glanced back over her shoulder.

"Hmph. Meet me at the training ground. 7 a.m. sharp. If you're late, I leave."

She turned the corner fast, not waiting for a response.

Ren just stood there for a second, watching her disappear.

'Hmm. She still has trouble talking to me, huh?'

He ran a hand through his messy hair.

'After I saved her that time… it's still awkward. She probably doesn't know how to deal with it. Honestly, neither do I.'

He exhaled.

'She's the only person who's seen me go all out. Thankfully, her cursed energy perception is garbage—whatever she saw, she probably didn't understand. But still, she knows more than anyone else. That makes her a risk. I have to make sure she trusts me.'

Ren started walking again, slowly.

'And yeah… I still want to study her body. How she moves. How she reacts. She's trained differently. She fights without cursed energy—and that makes her a rare case. Maybe even valuable.'

That night, in his dorm room, Ren sat on the edge of his bed.

His body still ached from the morning training. But his mind wasn't tired.

'The warehouse… I still have to raid that. But no. Not now. It'd be better when Geto attacks. Chaos will give me cover. I'll move then.'

He stared at his hand, watching how his fingers curled and uncurled.

'Red Stitch… I can feel it. It's right there. I could evolve it using binding vows. I have enough theory to make something dangerous. But something's missing. It's like I'm on the edge of understanding it, but it's not clear.'

Ren stood up and walked to the window.

He stared out into the dark campus, watching the lights flicker in the distance.

'I'll start working on Red Stitch once I fully adjust to the new circuit. Right now, I have to get used to my circuit.'

He leaned against the windowsill.

'And Geto… yeah, I can beat him now. I'm pretty sure I'm stronger than JJK 0 Yuta at this point. I have too many techniques. Too many cards. Not only that, I know Geto's whole stick... I know what he will do and how he will do it... meta-knowledge is broken truly... my one gift...'

His eyes narrowed.

He looked down at his hand again, imagining the circuits glowing beneath the skin.