"Go change this damned rule."
Those words echoed repeatedly in Hiromi Higuruma's mind.
Like a stone thrown into still water.
Ripples spread endlessly.
He looked at the boy standing before him.
Yagami Sora.
Someone nearly ten years younger than himself.
Yet the clarity in those eyes was startling.
There was no hesitation.
No hypocrisy.
Only determination.
Deep within those dark pupils burned a steady flame.
A flame capable of illuminating darkness.
Higuruma had seen countless eyes in his life.
Greed.
Fear.
Calculation.
But eyes like these…
He had only seen them once before.
In young lawyers who had just passed the bar exam.
People who still believed justice could exist.
But Yagami Sora was different.
His aura carried something else.
This boy had clearly seen hell.
Experienced despair.
And yet—
He still believed in hope.
"…Change the rules…"
Higuruma muttered.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette.
Out of habit.
He searched for his lighter.
Then remembered.
It had been lost during the Culling Game battles.
With a bitter smile he crushed the cigarette.
The smell of tobacco lingered on his fingers.
"That's not easy."
Higuruma said quietly.
"The rules of this world are written by the powerful."
"The legal system."
"The jujutsu world."
"They're no different."
His voice was hoarse.
A faint tremor hidden beneath the calm tone.
"I tried to pursue justice through the law."
"And what happened?"
"I watched powerful criminals walk free."
"While innocent people were convicted."
"I stood in courtrooms where truth meant nothing."
His fists clenched.
"Do you understand that feeling?"
"The feeling of being powerless?"
"I do."
Yagami Sora answered without hesitation.
He extended his hand.
Palm open.
Not a command.
An invitation.
"That's why we need you."
"Your mind."
"Your technique."
"And your sense of justice."
Higuruma laughed quietly.
Self-mockingly.
"Justice?"
"That thing was eaten by dogs long ago."
"In this game…"
"Justice only gets you killed faster."
"If that were true…"
Sora replied calmly.
"You wouldn't have awakened your technique."
Higuruma's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Your domain."
"Deadly Sentencing."
"It exists to judge criminals who escaped the law."
"You never gave up on justice."
"You're just waiting for a chance."
Silence fell between them.
Higuruma stared at the hand extended toward him.
Long.
Steady.
Strong.
That hand seemed capable of supporting an entire world.
Hope.
Perhaps.
Or salvation.
For years he had tried to grasp that feeling.
Only to watch it slip away.
Now—
It was right in front of him.
"…You're a strange guy."
Higuruma sighed.
Then smiled faintly.
For the first time—
The weariness disappeared from his expression.
He exhaled slowly.
As if releasing years of frustration.
"Fine."
He reached forward.
And took Sora's hand.
Their hands clasped firmly.
Warm.
Solid.
A silent agreement.
Trust.
Something Higuruma had almost forgotten existed.
"I'm tired of this stupid game anyway."
"If I'm going to die…"
He shrugged.
"I'd rather do something insane first."
"Let's overturn this rotten system."
He opened the Culling Game interface.
"My points."
"Over one hundred."
"That's enough to propose a new rule."
Yagami Sora nodded.
"Yes."
"In the Culling Game…"
"Any player can add a rule by spending 100 points."
Higuruma raised an eyebrow.
"So what rule are we adding?"
Sora looked toward the ruined city outside.
His gaze seemed to pierce through the shattered skyline.
Toward something beyond.
"A way out."
Higuruma blinked.
"A rule that allows unwilling players to leave the colonies safely."
"This ritual dragged countless civilians into the game."
"They shouldn't have to die here."
"We'll open an escape route."
"And tear a hole in Kenjaku's game."
For a moment—
Higuruma said nothing.
Then he laughed.
A genuine laugh.
Something he hadn't done in a long time.
"Unbelievable."
"In a world like this…"
"You're still thinking about saving people."
He shook his head.
But the admiration in his eyes was obvious.
Strength alone didn't make someone powerful.
True strength…
Came from the heart.
"…Looks like I really picked the right side."
Higuruma opened the rule interface.
"Alright."
"Let's do this."
"Yagami Sora."
"Let's flip this rotten world upside down."
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL for more chapters.