Chapter 7: The Jurisprudence of the Soul
While his body was being forged into a vessel of hyper-dense muscle and bone, Hiromi's mind was being sharpened into a razor. He knew that in both his lives, power without a framework was merely a disaster waiting to happen. To truly master Deadly Sentencing, he had to become more than a combatant; he had to become a living encyclopedia of the Law and a master of the "Binding Vows" that governed Cursed Energy.
The Internal Library
Hiromi spent his late nights in a state of "Meditative Research." He used his Cursed Energy to enter a deep trance, a technique he developed called Cognitive Reinforcement. By flooding his brain's neural pathways with a precise, low-frequency flow of energy, he could process information at ten times the speed of a normal human.
He didn't just study Japanese Law; he studied the history of universal justice. He memorized the Code of Hammurabi, the Magna Carta, and the intricate, often contradictory Quirk Registry Laws of the modern era. He looked for the "holes"—the places where the Law was intentionally left vague to protect those with high-ranking Quirks.
In this world, 'Heroism' is a legal shield, he noted, scribbling notes in a journal that would look like gibberish to anyone else. If a Pro Hero destroys a building while chasing a villain, it's labeled 'Collateral.' If a civilian does it to save their child, it's 'Unlicensed Quirk Usage.' The law is being used to curate a hierarchy, not to protect the people.
This realization fed his Cursed Energy. Every time he uncovered a new injustice in his father's files, his "well" of energy grew deeper and darker. It was a self-sustaining cycle: his intellect fed his resentment, and his resentment fed his power.
The Manifestation of the Courtroom
By age twelve, Hiromi was ready to move beyond simple physical strikes. He needed to master the Innate Domain.
He sat in the center of the dark bunker, the air around him shimmering with heat. He focused on the concept of "Equality." In his mind, he visualized a space where a god and a beggar stood on the same level, judged by the same cold, unfeeling standard.
"Domain Expansion..." he whispered.
The first dozen attempts were failures. The reality of the world resisted his will. His CE would flare out and dissipate, leaving him coughing up blood as the "backlash" of a failed expansion racked his internal organs.
I am missing a pillar, he realized, wiping his mouth. In JJK, a Domain is an extension of the soul. My soul isn't just a lawyer; it's a protector of the process itself.
He tried again. This time, he didn't try to force the world to change. He invited it to be judged.
"Deadly Sentencing."
The sound of a heavy iron door slamming echoed through the bunker. The concrete walls bled away, replaced by infinite rows of mahogany benches. The ceiling vanished into a swirling void of gold and black. And there, looming fifty feet tall, was Judgeman.
The entity was terrifying. Its three-eyed, blindfolded face turned toward Hiromi. The golden scales in its hands were perfectly balanced. Hiromi felt a surge of absolute peace. Within these walls, he was the master.
"We need to set the rules," Hiromi said to the entity.
He began the process of Binding Vows. He voluntarily restricted himself:
The Pact of Non-Violence: No physical harm can be dealt within the Domain until a verdict is reached. This vow made the Domain's barrier nearly indestructible from the inside.
The Disclosure of Evidence: He granted Judgeman total access to his own memories in exchange for the entity's divine insight into the opponent.
The Sentence of Confiscation: He refined the "Quirk-stipping" mechanic. He realized that since Quirks were biological, his Domain would treat them as "tools of the crime," allowing him to temporarily "confiscate" the biological function itself.
The Ultimate Spar: Flesh and Law
On his fourteenth birthday, Hiromi held a final training session that combined everything. He had the estate's engineers release twelve "Executioner Drones"—high-speed, lethal units designed to test the reflexes of Top 10 Heroes.
He didn't use his Domain immediately. He wanted to test his "Yuji-like" physical evolution.
As the drones swarmed, Hiromi became a ghost. He moved with a "Lagged Strike"—a more advanced version of the Divergent Fist. He would strike a drone with a soft touch, let it fly past, and then, a full second later, the delayed Cursed Energy would detonate, turning the machine into a fireball.
He was sweating, his lungs burning with the effort of maintaining constant CE reinforcement while moving at Mach speeds. His shirt was torn, showing the dense, corded muscle of his torso.
Suddenly, he stopped. He let the drones surround him, their lasers locking onto his chest.
"Court is in session," he said.
The Domain snapped into existence instantly. The drones' lasers flickered and died. The "No Violence" rule froze their internal firing pins.
[DEFENDANT: SYSTEM 12]
[CHARGE: TRESPASSING & INTENT TO HARM]
Judgeman held up a file. Hiromi didn't even need to look at it. He knew the "intent" of the machines was programmed by his father to test him.
"Guilty," Hiromi declared.
The scales tipped. Instantly, the drones fell to the floor. They weren't broken; their "power to move" had been confiscated.
Hiromi stood in the center of the silent, mahogany courtroom, his chest heaving as he deactivated the Domain. The transition back to the cold, concrete bunker was jarring. He stood in the dark, the only sound being his own rhythmic breathing.
"U.A. won't be a school for me," he whispered, clenching his fist. "It will be a witness stand."
He spent his final night before the exam reading a book on Hero Ethics, a faint, cold smile on his face. He was no longer just a boy. He was a system of justice made of flesh, bone, and cursed energy.