Crimson Methodology — Chapter 96

Kai2 flopped out of my shadow with a splash, then bounced across the floor in little hops like a slippery fish trying to figure out how gravity worked.

"You're not even trying to sneak around anymore, huh?" I said, grinning.

It gurgled, twirled in the air like a dolphin, then landed beside my notebook and stared up at me expectantly with those big, stupid eyes.

I tore another paper off the wall, adding it to the pile behind me. Day three. Three days locked in this ruined apartment, walls covered in pages of blood-vessel maps, chant fragments, binding vow drafts, and scribbled hand signs. Kai2 had turned two of them into a blanket. It even snored.

But me? I was having a great time.

"Alright, let's go over this again."

I flipped the notebook open to the main spread: the perfected sequence of nine hand signs, inked bold and circled in red.

> Tiger — Initiate cursed energy flow.

> Serpent — Weave the threads, outline the vessel paths.

> Bird — Stabilize flow, keep energy balanced.

> Horse — Strengthen vessel walls to withstand the cursed threads.

> Ox — Seal weak points, prevent energy leaks.

> Dragon — Circulate cursed energy evenly throughout.

> Monkey — Prevent adverse reactions to the red threads.

> Rabbit — Expand control to capillaries and smaller vessels.

> Wolf — Final lock, synchronizing the entire system.

Beautiful. Practical. Symbolic. Each one was like a program input—directing the cursed energy into obedience.

Kai2 flopped upside down, wiggling its fins.

"Not now. I'm in the zone," I said, biting into another slice of cold pizza. Yeah, even geniuses need carbs. I drank some water too—gotta stay hydrated if I'm going to hijack my own bloodstream.

And the chant?

Oh, the chant.

I read it aloud for the fiftieth time, letting each line roll through me like warm static:

> "By crimson thread and blood's embrace,

> The woven path within my veins..."

My fingers twitched in rhythm with the words, already syncing with the hand signs I'd been drilling for hours. This wasn't just poetry—it was control. A full ritual. Words, motion, and will fused.

> "Let cursed energy pulse and roar...

> A steady flame I'll not abuse...

> Let this bond be strong and true,

> A cursed circuit born anew."

Thirteen lines. No wasted syllables. Every part of it is tailored to do exactly one thing: perfect the Red Cursed Circuit—without ripping me apart from the inside.

I leaned back and exhaled.

"Okay... chant, hand signs, blueprint... now the fun part."

Binding vows.

Not just one. Ten of them. Five for cursed energy control. Five for stability and safety. I had to layer them, stack them, and braid them into a foundation that would hold while I activated the ritual.

I began reciting them one by one, whispering like a priest in a back-alley shrine.

---

For Control:

1. "For the next five minutes, I vow to confine my cursed energy solely within my blood vessels, enhancing control by one hundred percent; no cursed energy shall escape my body's boundaries."

2. "For five minutes hence, my cursed energy flow shall synchronize perfectly with the red stitch thread, allowing me to weave a flawless internal circuit."

3. "I vow that during this five-minute span, every cursed energy pulse inside me shall respond only to the commands of this red thread, amplifying precision beyond all previous limits."

4. "For five minutes, I deny all external cursed energy usage; all output shall be suppressed to maintain supreme internal mastery."

5. "I bind my cursed energy within the circulatory network for five minutes, granting absolute regulation over each vessel and fiber it touches."

---

For Protection:

6. "I vow to shield my blood vessels from rupture and distortion caused by the red stitch thread, no matter the strain it endures."

7. "I accept any physical fatigue or pain as a toll for perfect harmony between cursed energy and my vascular system."

8. "My circulatory system shall remain intact and undamaged, even if it demands sacrificing my cursed energy reserves."

9. "I will not allow this circuit's growth to disrupt or deform the natural flow of life-giving blood."

10. "I accept the burden of this cursed circuit's power to protect the fragile vessels that carry it, lest it shatter within me."

---

I scribbled a final note beside all ten vows: Duration: 5 minutes. Requires Rika to fully manifest.

Kai2 swam in midair behind me, then flopped onto my back with a dull "slap." I didn't even flinch.

"Hey, dumbass. Are you excited? Because I am."

It chirped like a rubber toy, then curled up behind my neck.

Rika was the last piece of the puzzle. Without her massive cursed energy support, this whole thing would collapse halfway through. Five minutes. That's all I would get. But if I pulled it off...

"I'm going to have perfect cursed energy control," I said to myself. "Not Gojo's, not Geto's, not Sukuna's. Mine. Built by hand."

I grinned wide, fingers twitching again. I was practically vibrating with anticipation. This wasn't desperation. This was… joy. Creation.

Three days, and I've built something no one else has.

"Tomorrow," I whispered. "Tomorrow I activate it."

Kai2 rolled off my shoulders and did a lopsided cartwheel across the dusty floor.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll feed you," I muttered, tossing it a dried fish snack I kept for him.

As it munched noisily, I stood, cracking my knuckles and smiling at the room.

I'd written on the walls, the ceiling, and even the cracked fridge. Every page is a piece of the puzzle. Every vow, every line of the chant, every hand sign—all of it ready.

Only one thing left.

"Rika," I whispered, looking at my hand. "You're going to help me make history."

I wasn't anxious. I wasn't afraid.

I was ready.