Kinji Hakari once again recalled what had happened not long ago.
At the time, he had been wondering how Hiromi Higuruma would make his move. He really had not expected the other man to directly call out a Domain Expansion!
Kinji Hakari had been scared stiff.
Domain Expansion was the pinnacle of jujutsu sorcery. Anyone capable of it was a powerhouse among powerhouses.
He truly had not expected a modern sorcerer who had only just awakened his jujutsu talent to learn it within a few days.
But the instant Hiromi Higuruma's Domain Expansion enveloped Kinji Hakari, he stopped panicking.
The Jujutsu World had undergone many changes since its earliest days, and the changes to domains had been especially significant.
In the past, domains had not been like they were now. They had been an introductory skill for jujutsu sorcerers.
Modern domains were extremely difficult to construct because they were forcibly given a Guaranteed Kill condition.
Among ancient jujutsu sorcerers, however, domains had been more like circles that divided the battlefield. They only added a Guaranteed Hit effect, so they were not particularly difficult.
When Kinji Hakari saw the courtroom rise around him, he immediately realized something.
Hiromi Higuruma's domain, like his own "Idle Death Gamble," was a special domain with only a Guaranteed Hit effect and no Guaranteed Kill effect!
Once he was sure the rules would not kill him, Kinji Hakari immediately became interested and prepared to test Hiromi Higuruma's domain.
Yet that single test caused a problem!
Higuruma somehow produced a set of documents and accused him of running an illegal underground casino.
After he admitted it himself, the shikigami behind Hiromi Higuruma opened its eyes and declared him guilty.
Then it confiscated his cursed technique!
Without his cursed technique, Kinji Hakari could not even use Domain Expansion.
However, since Hiromi Higuruma had only found Kinji Hakari guilty rather than sentenced him to death—
Higuruma could not draw the "Executioner's Sword" and could only attack him with a gavel.
With the physical enhancement granted by cursed energy, Kinji Hakari could barely hold his own against Higuruma.
But Kinji Hakari did not have much cursed energy to begin with, and after their continuous struggle, he was rapidly running dry.
"Damn it! Do I have to run first?"
Just as Kinji Hakari considered whether he should temporarily avoid the confrontation, the small gavel in Hiromi Higuruma's hand suddenly lengthened!
It kept extending, catching Kinji Hakari completely off guard.
"Bang!"
The hammer smashed into Kinji Hakari's shoulder. The tremendous force sent him flying, and he only managed to stop after crashing through several theater seats.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Kinji Hakari clutched his injured left shoulder. The pain was nothing; the real problem was that the cursed energy in his body was nearly depleted!
Under normal circumstances, he would have long since restored his cursed energy through "Idle Death Gamble."
But with his cursed technique confiscated, he could not do that at all.
"Are you still not leaving?" Hiromi Higuruma looked at Kinji Hakari. "With your abilities, you should be able to escape, right?"
Although Hiromi Higuruma's cursed technique was powerful, he had his own weakness.
If his opponent had not been sentenced to death, his gavel alone might not be enough to defeat them.
Even if the other party lacked a cursed technique, his own weapon was merely a hammer.
A hammer did not provide much of a boost in combat power.
So even without a cursed technique, if a jujutsu sorcerer chose to flee, Hiromi Higuruma would still have a hard time catching up.
Kinji Hakari struggled to his feet and placed one hand over his chest.
"A hero can't run away in the middle of a battle!"
"You're a hero too?"
"Why wouldn't I be? I'm fighting for the ordinary people inside the barrier right now. You're the villain here!"
As Kinji Hakari talked trash, he frantically thought of a solution.
His mind raced.
His cursed technique had been confiscated, his cursed energy was running out, and he was injured.
Under these circumstances, if he fought Hiromi Higuruma head-on, the odds of losing were at least ninety percent.
More importantly, Kinji Hakari still had not completely figured out the mechanics of this guy's domain.
"Deadly Sentencing."
That courtroom-like domain seemed to issue rulings based on the crimes of the person on trial.
He had been found guilty and had his cursed technique confiscated because he admitted to running an illegal underground casino.
But what would happen if the verdict did not take effect?
In theory, even if someone was a murderer, as long as the verdict had not taken effect, he was innocent, right?
"What are you thinking about?"
Hiromi Higuruma's voice interrupted Kinji Hakari's thoughts.
"Are you thinking of a way to turn this around, or are you thinking about how to run?"
"No, no, no!" Kinji Hakari bared his teeth in a smile that only a gambler could wear. "I really like gambling."
"Gambling?"
Hiromi Higuruma raised an eyebrow slightly.
"That's right. Gambling."
Kinji Hakari rolled his neck.
"I have an idea in my head right now. It is a little risky, but if I win this bet, I win!"
"And if you lose?"
"Then I die."
Hiromi Higuruma stared into Kinji Hakari's eyes for several seconds, seemingly trying to determine whether he was serious.
A few seconds later, Hiromi Higuruma sighed.
"I've seen plenty of people like you in casinos." He raised his hammer. "At the casino, they always talk tough. They always think they can turn things around, but in the end... they lose everything."
Before his words even faded, Hiromi Higuruma suddenly stepped forward. The hammer in his hand lengthened again and swept toward Kinji Hakari's head!
But this time, Kinji Hakari did not dodge. The corners of his mouth even curled into a smile.
As Hiromi Higuruma watched Kinji Hakari stand still, an absurd thought surfaced in his mind.
Could it be...
The moment that thought appeared, Higuruma saw Kinji Hakari raise one finger.
"I demand a retrial!"
The instant those words rang out, the hammer in Higuruma's hand vanished.
Not only that, but the surrounding environment rapidly changed once more.
The theater transformed into a solemn courtroom in an instant.
Hiromi Higuruma and Kinji Hakari each took their places at their respective stands.
After a suspect was convicted, he could request a retrial.
And as a judgment-based cursed technique, "Deadly Sentencing" possessed that same trait.
A jujutsu sorcerer whose cursed technique had been confiscated could recover it through a retrial, and Higuruma could not object during the process.
But Hiromi Higuruma had not expected Kinji Hakari to be so bold.
He had not dodged at all when facing his attack. Was he not afraid Higuruma could refuse the retrial?
This guy was merely gambling!
He was betting that Higuruma's domain had procedural similarities. He was betting on the existence of the concept of being "on trial."
And that madman had actually won the bet!
But his surprise lasted only a moment.
Although Hiromi Higuruma admired Kinji Hakari's nerve, it was useless.
As the owner of the cursed technique, he knew perfectly well that Kinji Hakari's crime was indisputable.
No matter how many retrials there were, he would still be guilty!
This retrial was nothing more than a final struggle before death.
He looked at Kinji Hakari and spoke mockingly.
"Your life is already like a candle flickering in the wind. Enjoy your final moments."
However, Kinji Hakari merely moved his body a little, a dangerous curve forming at the corner of his mouth.
"Really?"
Kinji Hakari's smile filled Hiromi Higuruma with an ominous premonition.
Kinji Hakari formed a strange hand sign with both hands and shouted with a grin.
"Domain Expansion: Idle Death Gamble!"
The entire courtroom erupted in a blaze of intense light the next instant.
A train came crashing into the courtroom from nowhere, and the environment surrounding the court completely changed!
Higuruma's courtroom still stood at the center of the area.
But the outer ring had turned into a subway station!
Hiromi Higuruma stood in the center, dazed as he looked around.
Across from him, Kinji Hakari grinned.
"Welcome to my territory, Mr. Lawyer."
"Now, let's have a gamble!"