Chapter 244

is the two hundred and forty-fourth chapter of Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen.
==Summary==
Round three of the Shinjuku Showdown features Hiromi Higuruma and Yuji Itadori against Sukuna! Higuruma volunteered himself to go out after Hajime Kashimo, but Yuji accompanies him with a plan to ensure that Sukuna answers for his crimes and stands trial within Deadly Sentencing.
==Plot Details==
As Higuruma and Yuji descend from the skies, Sukuna watches the two with a grin.
When the sorcerers were plotting prior to the battle of the strongest between Satoru Gojo and Sukuna, Atsuya Kusakabe reiterated the plan to have Fumihiko Takaba distract Kenjaku and allow Yuta Okkotsu to kill him after Gojo was confirmed to have lost, and reminded Yuta to rush back to Shinjuku afterwards. He then opened up the floor for discussion on who to send to battle Sukuna after Gojo's defeat. Hajime Kashimo suggested that everyone should fight Sukuna at once, but insisted on going first. Kusakabe retorted his statement, as there would no point in sending people who have no chance of survival or creating an opening to the frontlines, such as Kasumi Miwa, who was no longer able to swing a katana due to the binding vow she made in Shibuya when attacking Kenjaku.
Kusakabe speculated that sorcerers could use cursed energy to reject the merging with Tengen, and some people could still possibly survive even if Sukuna and Kenjaku achieved their goals and created a monster from the merger to wreak havoc on the world. He believed that since Kenjaku was hunting down remaining players in the Culling Game to end it, the sorcerers could survive longer if only Sukuna remained, even if only for a few days. 
Noritoshi Kamo suddenly stood up and declared his intent to flee overseas with his family instead of participating in the battle. Kusakabe accepted his apology and acknowledged that not many people were well-equipped for the upcoming fight. Yuji thanked Noritoshi for teaching him due to Choso's inability. Kusakabe then listed the requirements for the combatants: they must be able to use reverse cursed technique, wish to die, or do not mind dying. Anyone who did not fulfil any of the three requisites should not participate or only provide support.
Hiromi Higuruma then raised his hand and volunteered to fight Sukuna after Kashimo, as his cursed technique can "confiscate" Sukuna's technique. Kashimo was angered by Higuruma's insinuation that he would lose, causing Kinji Hakari to calm him down. Higuruma then explained that if Sukuna received the death penalty from his Deadly Sentencing, he could battle him with the Executioner's Sword. While he acknowledged that the Executioner's Sword's ability to kill with one hit would be useful, Kusakabe was skeptical of whether a verdict for confiscation or death could be ruled. Yuji confirmed that Higuruma cannot control what charges Judgeman could bring against Sukuna.
Yuji then informed Higuruma of the three times Sukuna possessed his body: at Sugisawa Municipal High School #3, at Eishu Juvenile Detention Center, and at Shibuya. Given Sukuna's actions that led to casualties at the detention center and Shibuya, as well as possibly more crimes committed while possessing Megumi Fushiguro, Yuji believed that it was more than likely Judgeman could prosecute Sukuna for a crime that could lead to a death penalty verdict. However, Higuruma posited that this may not be the case. He summarized that Sukuna's crimes so far were: bodily injury to Yuji and attempted murder of Gojo at Yuji's high school; attempted murder of Yuji and Megumi at the detention center; murder of Mimiko Hasaba, Nanako Hasaba and Haruta Shigemo, attempted murder of numerous civilians, and arson of inhabited buildings at Shibuya; and finally bodily harm, attempted murder, or illegal possession of a dead body due to him taking over Megumi, though the crime depends on Megumi's condition.
Yuji then suggested that circumstances of the detention center were far worse due to the Finger Bearer, but Higuruma believed it would be hard to accuse Sukuna of crimes committed by his cursed objects since he didn't wilfully aid or abet them. In a similar vein, it would be difficult to charge him with the murder of Nagi Yoshino. Higuruma then listed out the varying punishments for a guilty verdict for murder depending on the severity, with capital punishment usually being guaranteed for the killing of two or more people.
Higuruma believed that according to the Nagayama Standard, Sukuna was impossible to rehabilitate based on the dangers he posed to society, which would lead to a death sentence normally. Kusakabe understood what Higuruma was implying, much to Miwa's surprise. Kusakabe then explained that while the totality of Sukuna's crimes would result in a death penalty, Higuruma's cursed technique tries each crime individually, which meant there was a less than 30 percent chance of Sukuna being tried for a crime that would result in the death penalty.
Kusakabe then raised a second issue: the minor offenses attached to Sukuna's more major crimes. Higuruma agreed, stating that Judgeman could prosecute Sukuna for property damage or breaking and entering at Shibuya rather than the massacre, which further lowers their chance at securing a death penalty. Yuji agreed with Higuruma, remembering the time Judgeman accused him of entering a pachinko parlor, which confirmed the possibility of Judgeman trying Sukuna for minor offenses that Yuji committed while containing him.
Higuruma then brought up a third problem: Sukuna could be charged with crimes from a thousand years ago. While Kusakabe did not believe that could happen due to statute of limitations, Higuruma listed out the changes in the legal system regarding statute of limitations since the Heian period. Yuji was confused about whether statute of limitations could apply or not, and Higuruma admitted that he himself was unsure, especially since the issue is further complicated by time prior to Sukuna's incarnation in modern times, which could be interpreted as him being "abroad", which would make him exempt from the statute of limitations. Since Judgeman is a shikigami connected to Higuruma's cursed technique, it would also accept whatever possible interpretation
Higuruma himself makes.
Taking everything into account, Kusakabe concluded that: Sukuna's crimes from a thousand years ago, Judgeman's own discretion, and Sukuna's countless potential crimes in the modern day meant the chances of Judgeman accusing him of crime that guaranteed a death penalty was extremely low. Hakari thanked Higuruma for his willingness to participate nonetheless, as even confiscation would be a great help to the sorcerers. However, Higuruma pointed out that he was unsure whether Ten Shadows Technique or Shrine would be confiscated since he never trialed someone with multiple techniques. Suddenly, Yuji proposed a way to guarantee the death penalty for Sukuna.
Back in the present, several crows fly towards Sukuna, having been used by Mei Mei to perform Bird Strike. Sukuna notices them and strikes them down with lightning using Kamutoke. Observing this from afar, Mei Mei notes how sorcerers of Gojo, Kenjaku, and Sukuna's caliber all chose to strike down the crows, surmising that Bird Strike is capable of doing damage to them. She then reveals this was a distraction for Higuruma, as the lawyer-turned-sorcerer strikes down on Sukuna with his enlarged gavel. Sukuna dodges the smash, but Yuji suddenly appears next to him, shattering the debris and launching them at the King of Curses. Sukuna attempts to use Kamutoke again, but his arm is restrained by Higuruma's gavel, allowing Yuji to close in for a punch. Though he blocks the fist with his other three hands, Sukuna notices a strange effect from the punch. Higuruma then announces a re-trial for Yuji as he activates his Domain Expansion: Deadly Sentencing, constructing the courtroom around the three. 
It is revealed that Yuji was the one who proposed the idea for a third trial. By redoing his trial but including Sukuna, they could prosecute Sukuna for the slaughter at Shibuya. Higuruma realized the possibility of success from this option, deducing that he could continue the trial for the crime by adding Sukuna as a codefendant, and even if he fails to convict Sukuna, this would nonetheless allow them to narrow down the crimes to when Sukuna was possessing Yuji.
Inside Higuruma's domain, the lawyer gives his statement while holding the evidence submitted by Judgeman. He postulates that Yuji's false confession during the second trial was driven by his guilt, and accuses Sukuna of being the real culprit of the crime.
==Character in Order of Appearances==
==Battles & Events==
*Jujutsu Sorcerers vs. Sukuna (Started)
==Locations==
*Tokyo
**Shinjuku
==Jujutsu==
Cursed Tools
*Kamutoke 
Hiromi Higuruma's Techniques
*Domain Expansion: Deadly Sentencing
Mei Mei's Techniques
*Black Bird Manipulation
**Bird Strike
Shikigami
*Judgeman
== Trivia ==
* The Nagayama Standard mentioned by Higuruma refers to the guidelines laid down by the landmark decision made by the Supreme Court of Japan regarding the punishment for spree killer Norio Nagayama. The court ruled that the death penalty shall be decided in consideration of the degree of criminal liability and balance of justice based on a nine-point set of criteria.
== References==
==Navigation==