Higuruma gripped the gavel with both hands and lowered his center of gravity, his left foot forward and his right foot back. The head hung at his side as he watched Qingxiao, breathing very slowly.
"The defendant refuses to plead guilty," Higuruma said, his voice flat, as though reading out a verdict already written. "Enforcement shall proceed in accordance with the law."
Qingxiao smiled and crooked a finger at Higuruma.
"Come on. Let's see how well you can fight."
Higuruma flicked his wrist. The huge gavel's wooden handle instantly shortened, its head shrinking along with it until it became a short-handled hammer, just long enough to swing with one hand.
He stepped forward, closing the distance until they were extremely close, and swung the short hammer upward toward Qingxiao's chin.
Qingxiao hadn't expected that.
He had anticipated a sweep from the long gavel, judging the distance based on the half-man-high weapon. He hadn't expected his opponent to suddenly shrink it into a short hammer.
The short hammer was far faster than the long gavel. The rush of air had already reached the tip of his nose.
He leaned back to dodge, and the wind from the hammer brushed past his nose.
How interesting. This thing could actually change shape at will.
Higuruma gave him no chance to breathe.
The short hammer spun in his hand, its wooden handle instantly lengthening from a short hammer into a long staff, while its head swelled back to its original size.
He twisted at the waist without moving his feet, sweeping the long gavel toward Qingxiao's side with a rush of wind.
The force began with his feet pushing against the ground, passing through his ankles, knees, waist, shoulders, and elbows before finally reaching his wrists, building layer upon layer and lashing out like