Three days slipped by in a blur. By daylight Ren played the obedient student—training with Maki, Panda, and Inumaki, moving through exercises and drills like everyone else. But when night fell, his true work began. He sat alone with pen and notebook, refining theory into vow, shaping the raw idea of Red Stitch into something new.
And now it was complete—at least, the first half.
Ren leaned back in his chair, staring at the scrawled lines of text. His lips curved into a half-smile, half-grimace.
"It's done… Or at least the first part is done… The 'spider' part of the red stitch will need 5 binding vows to work."
He lowered his eyes to the page, reciting them in his head one by one.
The first one is Thread of Living Silk—Forever.
Vow: "I relinquish the red stitch in my weave. No longer shall my red stitch hurt anyone. From this day, they will stretch and bear eternal weight."
Effect: Red Stitch permanently reconstitutes into an elastic, tendon-like fiber (think spider-silk): extremely high tensile strength, superb elasticity, and shock absorption. Threads will stretch and rebound instead of snapping.
Cost: 'Spider' permanently loses the ability to hurt anyone; it can't hurt anyone forever…
The second one is Adhesion Vow—what I cast clings.
Vow: "What my hands release shall cling to earth, to steel, to flesh—until I will them free."
Effect: Any fired thread gains controllable adhesive properties and can cling to stone, wood, metal, or flesh... Adhesion strength scales with CE invested.
Cost: The adhesion effect is forever… It never stops permanently changing the red stitch forever. Every minute a web stays adhered drains a continuous CE tax from me (small but cumulative). Long-term holds force me to bleed CE reserve; heavy use requires recovery…
The third is "Gossamer Forge—Produce, Spool, Repeat."
Vow: "When I call, my weave shall not wait. It shall spool, pattern, and bind in the instant I command."
Effect: I can produce webbing in selectable patterns (line, net, or web spray, or anything if I have enough cursed energy…) in rapid bursts—instant multi-strand emission like a web-shooter. Threads spool and lock in place automatically.
Cost: Ren can only use the 'spider' form with his hands. Ren can never use spider form on any other part of his body… The spider form of thread can only come from Ren's hands…
The fourth is "Conduct Severance—Flesh for Steel."
Vow:"Threads shall be strengthened at the cost of channel—never again shall they be my conduits."
Effect: The silk's microstructure is mechanically reinforced to a degree normal Red Stitch could never reach—+(huge) tensile/resilience, extreme heat/corrosion resistance, and near-unbreakable knot integrity. These threads behave like superalloy cables: they hold weight, cut through structures mechanically (with deliberate force), and shrug off environmental damage.
Cost: Those threads forever lose the ability to conduct or carry cursed energy—no CE transfer, no technique-binding. Any Red Stitch techniques that relied on thread conduction are incompatible with Spider threads. This loss is permanent and irreversible for every strand produced under this vow…
And the fifth…
"The Weaver Seen."
Vow: "I abandon the hidden path. From this day, my weave shall shine in the eyes of all."
Effect: By binding Spider to visibility, the threads gain a true foothold in the physical world. They do not flicker or dissolve with Ren's exhaustion; once cast, they remain tangible until destroyed by force. Even if Ren falters or falls unconscious, his webs endure like cursed steel, anchoring his will to reality.
Cost: In return, Spider is stripped of secrecy. Every strand is permanently visible, even to those without cursed energy perception. Wherever Ren fights, his presence is broadcast by glowing webs that mark his path. Stealth, subterfuge, and anonymity are sacrificed forever—the Weaver is always seen…
And looking at the five binding vows, which were truly out of this world… Ren couldn't help but laugh softly, his hands trembling as he gripped the notebook tighter. His eyes darted over each vowel again and again, almost stunned at how flawless they felt.
'These… these are insane. Perfect. Better than I ever imagined—no, beyond what I thought I could possibly do... With this, my red stitch will be even surpassing Spider-Man himself. My "spider" threads will be stronger, sharper, and able to form just by a thought—any shape, any form. Swing, net, trap, bind… all mine. This isn't just a cursed technique anymore… it's an evolution. A miracle born out of genius logic and binding vows.
Hah! Hahahaha… Incredible, I have really outdone myself, huh? It's perfect….'
But the rush of awe slowly faded, leaving behind a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
'And yet… it's not complete. Not even close. I'm missing something. How can I finalize this while also weaponizing the other half of Red Stitch? That's the real goal. Spider is only one piece. The other part is supposed to be the weapon. But here's the problem… the real, infuriating problem…'
Ren leaned back, exhaling through his teeth, his grin cracking into frustration.
'The fucking Perfected Red Cursed Circuit. My greatest strength right now… once my greatest 'technique,' has now become my greatest obstacle. If I split Red Stitch into two—Spider and Weapon—how the hell do I run my 'Perfected Cursed Red Circuit'? Ugh… this is the core flaw…
I can't use my 'Perfected Red Cursed Circuit' like this, and there won't be a point in any of this then because I still have my cursed energy pool problem…
This is the wall. Without solving it, all of this is just… theory…
Ugh… I solve one problem, and another one comes up… but it does not matter…
He pressed his palms against his face, then dragged them down, leaving his eyes burning with determination.
'But tonight… tonight I end this problem. I am going to sneak out of Jujutsu High. I know where I can maybe find the answer to this core problem...'
Ren lifted the cooling cup of coffee, the steam brushing against his face as he took a long sip. His smile returned—half wonder, half defiance.
'Binding vows this perfect… and a circuit that turned out to actually be cursed… Haha, damn, I'm actually excited. Let's see who wins—my limits or me.'
End of the chapter.