CHAPTER 19: JUDGEMENT

The air was heavy. The sky, red.

In the center of an abandoned courthouse in eastern Tokyo, the floors were cracked, and the broken scales of justice lay shattered beneath the weight of two lives colliding.

Itadori Yuji stood at one end of the room, fists clenched.

Higuruma Hiromi stood at the other, black robe fluttering like the gavel of fate itself.

Megumi sat cross-legged atop a high rafter, eyes locked on the floor below. "Don't hold back, Yuji," he muttered to himself. "He won't."

Higuruma's eyes narrowed. "I heard you punched a god once. Let's see if you can handle a lawyer."

The gavel appeared in his hand — cursed and ancient.

He slammed it to the ground.

Ryoiki Tenkai — Idle Death Gamble.

Black walls encased the entire courthouse, candles lighting by themselves. Yuji found himself in the center of a cursed courtroom, standing at a defendant's bench.

A ghostly Judge Man materialized behind Higuruma, its faceless form towering in silence.

"You're being tried," Higuruma said, his tone flat. "For countless deaths caused by Sukuna while inside your body."

Yuji's breath caught. His fists tightened.

The Judge raised its finger. Guilty.

Higuruma's cursed technique activated. Yuji's cursed energy vanished — nullified.

Megumi's eyes narrowed from above. "Tch. He got the Death Penalty verdict already."

Yuji rushed forward anyway, a blur of motion. His martial instincts took over. He slammed a knee into Higuruma's chest — but the defense attorney twisted, parried, and returned with a vicious swing of the cursed gavel.

BAM!

Yuji was launched backward, crashing into the wall.

He coughed, then stood up again, gritting his teeth.

"I'm not Sukuna," he said through the pain.

"But I'll take responsibility anyway."

"Then prove it," Higuruma responded, eyes cold.

He swung again.

Yuji ducked and rolled, landing a clean punch to Higuruma's ribs — then a flurry to his jaw. The blows connected — but Higuruma didn't fall. He stepped back, his gavel glowing with cursed energy.

"You don't get to run from guilt, Itadori."

Yuji's breath quickened.

He could feel the weight of judgement bearing down on him — and he was unarmed.

Higuruma advanced again.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Each strike of the gavel cracked stone and sent shockwaves through the walls. Yuji danced between them — dodging by mere inches, sweat rolling down his face.

Megumi looked down, quietly impressed.

"He's keeping up… even without cursed energy?"

But Higuruma's gaze sharpened.

He whispered, "Let's raise the stakes."

And slammed the gavel once more.

The courtroom trembled. The candles flared.

A second verdict echoed.

Guilty. Death Penalty.

The cursed blade Executioner's Sword materialized in Higuruma's hand.

Yuji's eyes widened.

"So now it's real," he muttered, wiping blood from his mouth.

"This is where the real fight begins."

They stood across from each other. One with a sword of law. The other with fists of guilt.

Both had demons to slay.