Curtain Pulled - Chapter 93

Chapter 93: Curtain Pulled

When Ren first saw Mei Mei at the restaurant, his mind didn't settle on her beauty or the opportunity to flirt.

No—his first instinct was caution.

She's not alone.

He hadn't sensed anyone, not directly, but some things don't need cursed energy to be felt. Ren was sure there were other sorcerers nearby, monitoring her, watching the mission unfold.

That's why he didn't force a vow during lunch. That's why he didn't act during the rainy walk home. That's why, even with the perfect opportunity, he didn't move too quickly.

He had to play the long game.

Everyone's watching. Everyone's guessing. So let them guess wrong.

From the outside, Ren's behavior looked inconsistent. Weird, even.

To some observers, he looked like a flirt. To others, just a confused teen being lured by a beautiful woman.

And for those sharp enough to keep tabs on him? They saw Mei Mei willingly enter Ren Sato's apartment. That alone was enough.

Mission success.

They had no idea what happened behind closed doors.

They saw only what Ren wanted them to see.

A trap.

By morning, Ren would be nothing but a misunderstood special-grade—young, inexperienced, perhaps even foolish. Certainly not dangerous.

But in the shadows? Behind the curtains?

Ren had manipulated Mei Mei. Played her role against her. Controlled the entire pace.

He gave the Jujutsu higher-ups exactly what they wanted:

A lie.

They would now believe Ren was subdued. That he had fallen under Mei's influence. That he could be watched, monitored… managed.

Good.

Because they'd stop watching so closely. They'd underestimate him even more.

To many, Ren's power came only from Rika. His special grade was a fluke. A side effect.

And with this staged seduction?

Even Gojo's old reports—about Ren's unstable power, about him being unpredictable—suddenly made more sense. It was chalked up to youth.

No one knew.

Ren's actions were improvisation. He hadn't planned this the day before. No time loop. No secret note.

Just a sharp mind and a gut instinct that refused to miss a thread.

Back in the apartment, just minutes after the binding vow was completed…

Ren stood silent.

Then—

"Aaah—shit—"

He dropped to one knee.

Pain cracked through his head like lightning.

Too much.

Far, far too much.

He grabbed the sides of his skull, groaning, teeth gritting as he muttered, "Ah, oh my god… ahahahahaha—IT FUCKING WORKS."

He laughed through the headache.

Too much knowledge! he thought. Too much!

Terms flooded his brain: Depth Curse Anatomy. Binding Layer Differentials. Cursed Flow Theory. Hybrid Rejection Circuits.

Stuff he'd never even heard before. Stuff not taught. Not written. Not shared.

It's all here.

"I should have taken it slower," he groaned aloud. "Should've split it… one vow at a time… not all of it at once!"

His vision swam.

Thank God for his copy technique. Even though it wasn't perfect, it made his brain faster, more adaptive. Barely.

But even then… this hurt like hell.

Mei ran back from the hall. "Hey—?! Are you okay? Did the binding vow fail?!"

Ren half-growled, half-laughed through gritted teeth. "Shut up. Go to the bedroom. Tell the higher-ups everything went fine. Mission success."

Mei blinked, surprised.

Still, she nodded slowly. "Stupid. Taking that much at once… You know I've been studying this for ten years, right? "

She turned away, muttering, "Call me if your brain explodes."

Then she left.

And Ren had the room to himself.

He coughed. Laughed. Groaned again.

Then smiled.

A slow, predatory smile.

"Ten years' worth of cursed knowledge… just like that."

His fingers twitched as cursed energy danced around his skin.

"I'd take a thousand headaches for this."

He opened his palm.

Cursed energy coated it—not from his cursed circuit. Not from Rika.

From himself.

Raw control. Refined understanding. True, personalized execution.

He could feel the missing gaps connecting.

The questions that had haunted him—how to expand his cursed energy pool, how to finalize his Red Circuit, how to bypass rituals and sigils—all of it now had paths. Not all solved, no. But reachable.

Even his understanding of chants, hand signs, cursed contracts—clearer now.

The knowledge… the infrastructure…

It was all finally his.

He laughed again.

Not because he now knew everything.

But because now, for the first time—

He knew the road to everything.