Megumi Fushiguro's intuition was correct.
Hiromi Higuruma was indeed a monster in the same vein as Satoru Gojo. In the original text, the narration even clearly stated: [A rough gemstone possessing talent capable of rivaling Satoru Gojo].
Although Megumi had not yet truly engaged Higuruma in combat, he could glimpse Higuruma's power just through his Cursed Energy residuals. Simultaneously, his rationality reminded him that Higuruma was the man who had defeated the Tokyo No. 2 Colony's Key Keeper on the very first day.
What was even more terrifying was—this was a total novice to the jujutsu world.
A jujutsu novice actually accomplished such an extraordinary feat; one could only imagine how terrifying he truly was. Megumi had absolutely no desire to be like a disposable minion sent to feed the final boss before his debut. The moment he saw Higuruma summon the black shikigami, he activated his technique:
—Technique Release: Ten Shadows Technique. —Rabbit Escape!
The shadow beneath Megumi's feet expanded abruptly. Black shadows rolled outward like drifting waves, and from these shadows, a rabbit leaped out.
But it wasn't just one. It was 5, 10, 20!
Within just a few seconds, rabbits appeared one after another. They charged fearlessly at Higuruma, continuing to spawn endlessly. This was 'Rabbit Escape' from the Ten Shadows Technique. As long as there was enough Cursed Energy, these rabbits could be summoned in near-infinite numbers. Although the rabbits were weak, their sheer quantity made up for it. The massive swarm could also fully probe the enemy's technique and give Megumi ample time to prepare.
Megumi thought clearly: *Even if this opponent's Special Grade status is self-proclaimed, as a sorcerer who took down a Key Keeper on day one, setting aside everything else, his offensive power must be substantial. Otherwise, killing a Key Keeper would be impossible.*
The truth of this "offensive power"—Rabbit Escape would flush it out!
"Hmm, it seems I've encountered the 'real deal'," Higuruma raised his hand high. A small gavel had appeared in his hand at some point. "Very well. I also want to see what my skills are worth in the world of jujutsu."
By this time, the Rabbit Escape swarm had reached Higuruma's feet. The near-infinite rabbits leaped up, about to strike Higuruma. And in that final moment—
*Thud.*
Hiromi Higuruma brought the small gavel down. "Domain Expansion—"
Megumi's eyes widened in disbelief. *What did this man just say?!*
"—Deadly Sentencing."
"Impossible!"
*Clatter, clatter.* A circle of wooden fencing suddenly appeared. The rabbits slammed into the fence. They instinctively opened their mouths to bite at it, but their jaws couldn't clamp down. The rabbits behind crashed into the ones in front, piling up into a mound, but no matter what, they couldn't cross the fence to attack Higuruma, who stood behind it.
"It's useless," Higuruma said faintly. "All acts of violence are prohibited here. Of course, that applies equally to both you and me."
Megumi clicked his tongue and canceled Rabbit Escape.
One by one, the rabbits vanished, and Megumi's shadow shrank back beneath his feet. He glanced at his own location and saw that, like Higuruma, a circle of fencing protected him as well.
The entire world seemed to emit a low rumble. A spherical space with a black exterior enveloped Higuruma and Megumi. Support structures manifested within the space. Megumi looked at everything before him, and a familiar feeling washed over him. This was—
"—A miniature courtroom?"
"I'm glad you understand so quickly," Higuruma said. "Then, Judgeman, let's begin."
The shikigami named [Judgeman] began to speak. It was a shikigami resembling the scales of justice, but it was entirely pitch black. In the center of the scales was a white human face. The eyes were sewn shut with thread, eyelids permanently closed. That terrifying mouth slowly opened:
"Megumi Fushiguro is currently a student. However, he is suspected of truancy on January 3rd, 2013, and of engaging in a group brawl with others on the same day."
Megumi frowned in thought, suddenly recalling the incident.
That had indeed happened. At the time, he saw a group of people bullying a student from his school. Without a second thought, he went up to beat them. Naturally, a brawl broke out. He hadn't become a sorcerer yet back then, but his physical fitness was already excellent, and he had a talent for fighting. Even alone, he beat that group until they were screaming for their mothers.
Naturally, he got an earful from his sister when he got home.
Megumi had fought plenty since he was little; this was just a trivial drop in the bucket.
*Does a trivial thing like this really warrant being written into law?* Megumi thought.
But the issue wasn't whether the event was worth legal codification. It was something far more serious: This event was undoubtedly from Megumi's past, a past Higuruma should not know! Megumi was certain this was his first time meeting Higuruma; there was no connection between them before this.
*How does he know this?*
While Megumi was still thinking, Higuruma proactively voiced Megumi's suspicion. "Judgeman knows everything about those within the Domain."
"However, you need not worry. It does not share that information with me."
"Ultimately, the verdict is reached based on the arguments presented by you and me."
Higuruma raised his right hand. Suddenly, his Cursed Energy boiled, and an envelope appeared in his grasp. He shook the envelope in his hand. "Except for this 'evidence'."
"This is the relevant evidence submitted by Judgeman for this case."
"However, the 'evidence' may not necessarily confirm your suspicion. Of course, I won't tell you the contents."
"Now, you must make a statement in your own defense to obtain a verdict of [Not Guilty] from Judgeman."
Megumi exhaled slowly, roughly grasping the current situation.
Compared to modern sorcerers, for sorcerers of the past, Domain Expansion was a more fundamental technique. The reason being, the [Sure-Kill] aspect common in modern Domains was omitted back then.
Forcing one's [Cursed Technique] to take effect as a [Sure-Hit] on targets within the Domain—this was the function of standard Domains in the past.
Modern sorcerers became fixated on the [Sure-Kill], raising the difficulty threshold for constructing a Domain. Eventually, Domain Expansion became a high-level technique, and the number of users dropped drastically.
And now, this Domain perfectly fit the rules of ancient Domain Expansions. This Domain was not [Sure-Kill], nor did it cause physical harm to those inside. It even required explaining the rules to the trapped person to a certain extent to fulfill the conditions of a [Binding Vow] for it to function.
Megumi could even determine that if he truly achieved a [Not Guilty] verdict, this Domain Expansion would simply be a waste of the opponent's Cursed Energy. In other words, although he barely managed a Domain Expansion, in practice, its use was full of uncertainty, and a failure would be dangerous for the user.
Yet, Megumi's heart rate still accelerated, his expression twisting unconsciously.
"...If I'm guessing correctly, the moment you entered the Dream Migration, you intuitively understood Cursed Energy manipulation and Barrier Techniques. Relying on instinct, you constructed this primitive Domain Expansion. And relying on this primitive Domain Expansion, you killed the Key Keeper of Tokyo No. 2 Colony?"
"Correct answer," Higuruma said.
Megumi had to take a deep breath to calm the shock in his heart.
Higuruma observed Megumi's expression. "It seems I did something very exaggerated."
"...More exaggerated than you think. At least, since I became a sorcerer, all the knowledge I've learned tells me that your actions are [Impossible], that even Special Grade sorcerers recognized by the establishment [Could Not Do It]."
Megumi wasn't lying. Even Satoru Gojo hadn't done something so exaggerated; Gojo hadn't learned Domain Expansion by high school. Of course, there was the possibility that Gojo simply didn't need it, but even so, one could infer what kind of monstrous potential Higuruma possessed.
It was hard to imagine what kind of terrifying sorcerer Higuruma would become if he continued to grow.
"I am honored," Higuruma said without emotion. "But I didn't achieve this alone. You aren't the first sorcerer I've met. Before this, a sorcerer attacked me, and I killed him in a counterattack. After that, building on that foundation, I obtained some basic knowledge of sorcery through points. Only then did I find and kill the Key Keeper."
"You, a complete novice to jujutsu, counter-killed a sorcerer who attacked you proactively?"
"Yes. Is that exaggerated?"
"...More exaggerated than you think."
This was the second time Megumi said that phrase, and it carried even more weight than the first. The first time could be described as an unusual sensitivity to Cursed Energy leading to an instinctive construction of reinforcement and basic barriers. But the second time referred to Higuruma's combat talent on top of his sensitivity.
What were the odds of an ordinary person with no Cursed Energy training winning against a sorcerer coming with killing intent?
It was like asking about the odds of a city dweller who had never even killed a chicken winning against a fully armed elite special forces soldier!
Not to mention, after fighting just once, this guy went straight for the Key Keeper without hesitation and killed them. That was equivalent to telling a beginner in boxing, "This is a punch, this is a dodge," then stepping aside and saying: "Next, go fight Mike Tyson."
And the beginner fucking won!
Megumi suppressed the shock in his heart and asked as calmly as possible, "I roughly understand [Not Guilty]. What happens if the verdict is [Guilty]? Or more directly, if this really is a miniature court, if I plead guilty—if the sinner shows a good attitude and the offense is minor—will I get a reduced sentence?"
"You really do understand quickly," Higuruma praised, then said expressionlessly, "Regrettably, I have no obligation to answer that question. However, I can tell you one other thing:"
"You have three options: [Silence], [Confession], [Denial]."
"Among them, [Denial] also includes making false statements."
"Meaning I can lie?" Megumi was puzzled. "Isn't this a trial?"
"If everyone told the truth, there would be no need for trials," Higuruma said with a gloomy expression. "One final reminder: You have only one chance to make a statement. The same applies to me. After your statement, I have only one chance to rebut you based on the [Evidence] in my hand. Finally, Judgeman will pass a verdict based on the Six Codes."
Megumi's cheek twitched. *I'm screwed.* He didn't even know what the Six Codes were! Wait, was there even a term like 'Six Codes' in Japanese law? Which six laws did that refer to?
Megumi searched his memory carefully. He could only recall the Constitution and the Civil Code. What were the other four?
"Begin your defense," Higuruma straightened his back, speaking with solemnity. "Judgeman has no patience."
Which meant time was limited. If he exceeded the defense time limit, it would default to [Guilty].
Megumi fully understood the composition and solution of this Domain Expansion, but a terrible realization surfaced in his mind that he had to acknowledge.
That was—
—Megumi Fushiguro did not know the law.
He knew jujutsu, he knew how to throw a punch, he knew that those who hurt others were unjust and that murderers should face retribution. He knew these moral laws imprinted on human civilization. But he had never learned actual legal statutes, the black-and-white "Law"!
*Slap.* Megumi covered his mouth, letting out a soundless sigh.
Although this Domain Expansion had terrifying Binding Vows and could potentially create a totally negative effect on the user if conditions were right, it grasped the essence of a Domain Expansion: Conditions completely favorable to the user.
Megumi had never heard of a sorcerer with a background as a lawyer. Even if there were, they would likely have forgotten the law completely after long-term jujutsu combat.
And for traditional sorcerers like Megumi, they were even more clueless about the law. No, coming from the traditional Big Three Families, Megumi was actually considered decent; their moral standards and legal awareness were still stuck a thousand years in the past!
How was he supposed to debate?!
But Hiromi Higuruma was a genuine practicing lawyer, seasoned in legal battles. By his own admission, he had fought hundreds of battles until his spirit broke, leading him to the idea of imprinting the law into the Dream Migration's barrier, inverting dream and reality to force the whole world to accept the law and achieve a perfect world without crime.
Debating law with a person like that was asking for a beating. The so-called [Not Guilty] verdict became a castle in the sky, sheer nonsense.
So, Megumi thought: *I absolutely cannot follow his logic!*
"Last question." Megumi removed his hand from his mouth and asked, "What is the maximum time limit for the defense?"
Higuruma looked at him deeply. "I have no obligation to answer."
Megumi smiled. "Which means, this [Time Limit] definitely exists, right?"
Higuruma remained silent.
"Then let's test it out." Megumi formed a hand sign. "Let's see just how strong your [Domain Expansion: Deadly Sentencing] really is."
In the original story, Yuji Itadori had also been trapped in Higuruma's Domain. Yuji's choice was to utilize the rules of Deadly Sentencing as much as possible. That was because Yuji had no other ability to counter a Domain Expansion; at that time, Yuji hadn't even learned Simple Domain.
But the current Megumi Fushiguro was the exact opposite. He was a professional.
Why did modern Domain Expansions mandate adding a [Sure-Kill] on top of the [Sure-Hit]? Clearly, as the situation showed, just a [Sure-Hit] was terrifying enough; [Sure-Kill] seemed unnecessary.
The reason lay in Megumi's next move.
"Domain Expansion—"
Megumi announced in a heavy, distorted voice:
"—Chimera Shadow Garden!"