Jujutsu Kaisen: False Dawn

Ren sat there, still laughing a little, as the realization of what he'd just unlocked settled in his chest like a quiet, steady flame. The air around the shrine was cool, almost reverent, but Ren's thoughts were racing far ahead of the world around him. 

He had Rika now. Not the full Rika from JJK 0, sure she was more like the post-story version: a five-minute burst of terrifying power, followed by a cooldown that made it feel less like wielding a weapon and more like renting a miracle. And yet, Ren wasn't truly disappointed. Because that wasn't all he had taken from Yuta.

No. He had taken "Copy".

And that was what changed everything.

Ren leaned his back against the base of the shrine, hands resting on his knees as he gazed up through the cracks in the tree canopy. The golden afternoon light filtered in softly, but Ren's thoughts were elsewhere—diving into the depths of cursed technique theory, of cursed energy, of what it all meant.

At first, he had thought Yuta's mastery of techniques came from his freakish talent. "A one in a million sorcerer," Gojo had called him. But now that Ren had the Copy technique, he understood the truth was a little more nuanced.

Copy… wasn't just copying techniques. That was a surface-level function.

The foundation of the Copy technique was understanding.

When Rika consumes another sorcerer's body—more specifically, their cursed technique—Copy decodes that energy. It understands the logic, the shaping, and the parameters. And now that logic was in his head.

Ren touched his temple lightly. It was like a folder of general cursed technique theory had opened up in his brain. It was like someone had handed him a syllabus for how this entire system worked under the hood.

Ren whispered to himself, "Cursed techniques… are just formulas. Methods of shaping cursed energy in particular ways." He let out a breathless laugh. "In other words, if cursed energy is paint… then techniques are the brush strokes," Ren murmured to himself, eyes wide. "Goddamn."

The shrine was silent, save for the wind pushing through the trees. But in Ren's mind, possibilities danced like wildfire.

It was like I had unlocked a hidden lens, one that let me see cursed techniques not as powers, but as engineered results of cursed energy manipulation. Like how a gun isn't magic, just metal, pressure, and combustion working in concert. Cursed techniques were similar. They were tools.

His fingers trembled slightly. He felt it. With his own cursed energy control—which was leagues beyond where he started—and now this understanding, he was probably one of the most knowledgeable people in the entire world when it came to cursed techniques. Maybe Kenjaku knew more. Maybe Sukuna. Maybe Tengen too. But anyone else? They were behind him now.

He looked at his palm, flexing his fingers slowly. "I… might actually be the most knowledgeable person alive when it comes to cursed techniques."

And yet...

Knowledge wasn't enough.

Ren's smile faltered just a bit. He looked down at his hand and curled his fingers inward. This was where the real problem began.

"I took Rika," Ren muttered. "Which means…"

"Geto won't die."

"Gojo won't cry."

He trailed off.

Yuta wouldn't go to Jujutsu High anymore.

That meant Geto wouldn't declare war. Gojo wouldn't have to stop him. The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons wouldn't happen. The entire flow of the story—the story he knew—was now broken.

And Ren's biggest strength—his foreknowledge—was now hanging by a thread.

"What have I done…" he whispered, half-laughing again.

It was ironic. The stronger he got, the further he strayed from the safety net that had brought him this far.

He could feel it. The story was already branching. It was no longer a rewatch of an anime he'd seen three times. It was something new. And in this new story, anything could happen.

He stood up slowly, brushing dirt from his pants.

"So... what now?"

It was a quiet question. But it echoed loud in his heart.

And then—the answer came.

"Why don't I just become Yuta?"

Ren blinked. That idea… it came out of nowhere. But the more he thought about it, the more perfect it sounded.

Take Yuta's place.

I had Rika now. Even if it was a weaker version, it was still Rika. I had a cursed technique. I had trained myself from scratch. I had made a binding vow that cheated fate. I had knowledge. Hell, I had experience—more than most people at my age, sorcerer or not.

Any one of those would be enough to raise an eyebrow at Jujutsu High. Together? Together, they made Ren not just unique. They made him… interesting.

And that was all Gojo needed to see.

Ren stood slowly. His mind was racing now.

If he played his cards right, Geto would still come looking for Rika. He might hear rumors. Come sniffing. Challenge Jujutsu High again, except this time, Ren would be the one standing there in Yuta's place.

Would the outcomes be the same? Would Ren be able to fight?

Step into the path Yuta would have walked. If he became the spotlight—if he got picked up by Gojo, trained at Jujutsu High, and shaped into a weapon by the system—he could still stay on track. He could learn from masters. Get stronger without stumbling around blind.

It was genius.

And it was also necessary.

Ren chuckled and rolled his neck. "Besides… I need the cover. I'm broke."

That last part was painfully true. His loan dates was coming up. He was out of money. And unless he planned on fighting curses for yen in back alleys, he needed a long-term plan.

Jujutsu High wasn't just training and safety. It was food. It was housing. It was structured.

And right now, Ren needed all three. And even if he trained all day, the limit of a solo sorcerer was looming.

Going to Jujutsu High wasn't just for power. It was for survival.

Besides… he'd earned it.

He thought back to everything he'd done in the past month. Learning to control cursed energy from nothing. Awakening a cursed technique from scratch. Creating the Red Cursed Circuit. Stealing Rika. Copying Copy.

Not even most Grade 1s could say they'd done all that.

Ren exhaled, a small smile pulling at his lips.

"Yeah," he muttered to himself. "That could work."

Ren started to pace in a slow circle around the shrine, hands behind his back, thoughtful. "I just need to catch their attention now… Make some noise… something big enough to warrant surveillance. Maybe an exorcism in public? Or baiting a grade 1 curse? Hmm…"

The wheels were already turning.

But Ren knew he needed some time to test himself...

And then… he'd make a bang so loud that Jujutsu High would have no choice but to look his way.

He'd learn everything he needed.

And then?

He'd break the story his way.

Ren stopped pacing. He tilted his head up, staring through the leaves to the sky. It was getting darker now—the blue of early evening settling in.

He decided a week to train. To test Rika. To understand his limits. Then… he would make a move. A big one. Something explosive enough that Jujutsu High couldn't ignore him.

"Let's see," he muttered. "What kind of boom gets Gojo's attention?"

A mischievous grin crawled across his face.

For now, he would rest. For now, he would plan.

But soon?

The spotlight would shift, and for the first time it will be shining on.

Ren Sato.