Chapter 11: The Precedent of Partnership
The air in the U.A. locker rooms was thick with the scent of ozone and nervous sweat, but Hiromi Higuruma moved through the space as if he were in a vacuum. He didn't participate in the boisterous chatter of the other boys. He simply donned his costume—the charcoal-grey suit that felt more like a robe of office than hero gear—and stepped out into the hallway.
Momo was waiting for him.
She stood by the wall, her own tactical suit adjusted for maximum utility. As Hiromi approached, she didn't offer a high-five or a boisterous greeting. She simply fell into step exactly half a pace behind him. It was a rhythm they had perfected over years of "mandatory" social gatherings and secret training sessions.
"The Battle Trial," Momo said softly, her voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of tension. "All Might is pairing us against Bakugo and Iida. The 'Recommended' versus the 'Explosive.' The class expects a spectacle."
"Let them have their spectacle," Hiromi replied, his eyes fixed on the simulated city skyline ahead. "We are here to establish a record. Do you remember the first time we met, Momo? Truly met?"
Momo's expression softened, a rare flicker of a smile touching her lips. "The Winter Gala at the Yaoyorozu estate. I was seven. I was hiding in the library because the guests were... overwhelming."
"And I found you," Hiromi said, his mind flashing back to that night. "You were crying because your father told you that your Quirk was a 'billion-yen asset' for the family. You felt like an object on a shelf."
"And you sat down next to me," Momo continued, her gaze turning distant. "You didn't offer me a toy or a platitude. You told me that an asset without a manager is just a liability waiting to be seized. You told me that if I learned the 'laws' of my own creation, no one could ever truly own me."
That had been the turning point. While their parents discussed mergers and quirk-marriages, Hiromi and Momo had been building an alliance of necessity. He had taught her how to view her Quirk not as a factory of justice. In return, she had provided him with the one thing a judge rarely finds: absolute, unwavering loyalty.
The Battle Trial: Briefing the Defense
Inside the monitoring room, the rest of Class 1-A watched the screens with bated breath. All Might stood at the console, his massive grin reflecting the high-octane energy of the matchup.
"Team A, the Heroes: Higuruma and Yaoyorozu!" All Might boomed. "Team D, the Villains: Bakugo and Iida! The villains are guarding a nuclear weapon on the fifth floor. Heroes, you have fifteen minutes to secure it or capture the villains!"
Hiromi and Momo stood at the entrance of the building. The siren blared, signaling the start.
"Momo," Hiromi said, his voice dropping into the cold, clinical register of a lead counsel. "Bakugo is a reactive force. He views his power as an absolute right. He will interpret my presence as a challenge to his sovereignty and will leave the objective to hunt me. Iida, conversely, is a proceduralist. He will stay with the bomb, following the 'rules' of the exercise to the letter."
"So, we split the defense?" Momo asked, her hands already glowing as she began to manifest a localized GPS jammer and a set of flash grenades.
"Exactly. You secure the weapon. Use your creation to counter Iida's speed—frictionless floor coatings or structural barriers. I will handle the 'Assault.' I will hold the court on the second floor."
Momo looked at him, her eyes burning with a dark, protective intensity. "He's dangerous, Hiromi. He doesn't fight like a student. He fights like he wants to erase people."
"Then he has come to the right place," Hiromi said, his Cursed Energy beginning to hum beneath his skin. "I've spent two lives dealing with people who think they are above the consequences of their actions. Go. That's an order from your Agency lead."
Momo nodded sharply. "Understood. See you at the verdict."
The Encounter: The Prosecution Begins
Hiromi walked through the front doors of the building. He didn't run. He didn't sneak. He walked down the center of the main corridor, his footsteps echoing with a rhythmic, haunting precision.
BOOM!
A massive explosion tore through the ceiling of the hallway ahead of him. Smoke and heat billowed outward, masking the silhouette of the attacker. Through the haze, Katsuki Bakugo emerged, his face twisted into a feral, toothy grin. The nitroglycerin-sweat on his palms hissed as it met the air.
"There you are, suit-bag!" Bakugo roared, launching himself forward with an explosion-powered lunge. "I'm gonna show you what happens when you try to act superior to me! You're nothing but a target!"
Hiromi didn't move. He stood his ground, his eyes fixed on Bakugo's trajectory. As Bakugo swung a massive, burning right hook, Hiromi shifted his weight by a mere three inches. He didn't block; he redirected. Using the momentum of Bakugo's own blast, Hiromi caught the blonde's wrist and sent him spiraling into the reinforced concrete wall.
"Violation of Article 1: Unwarranted Aggression," Hiromi said, his voice as flat as a death sentence.
"Shut up with the lawyer talk!" Bakugo screamed, recovered and launching a barrage of "AP Shot" blasts.
The monitoring room gasped. The sheer violence Bakugo was displaying was borderline villainous. But as the smoke cleared, Hiromi stood unscathed. He had coated his forearms in a dense layer of Cursed Energy, absorbing the kinetic impact before it could reach his skin.
"You rely on the 'Noise' of your Quirk to hide the 'Silence' of your lack of technique," Hiromi said. He took a step forward, and the air in the hallway suddenly felt heavy—viscous, like cold ink.
"Domain Expansion: Deadly Sentencing."
The building didn't just change; it vanished. Bakugo found himself standing in the center of a massive, mahogany-paneled courtroom. The windows were opaque, showing only a swirling, grey void. The silence was absolute, save for the rhythmic thump-thump of Bakugo's own heart.
Behind the high bench, the towering form of Judgeman loomed, its golden scales perfectly balanced. Hiromi stood at the prosecutor's podium, his suit glowing with a dark, ethereal aura.
"Katsuki Bakugo," Hiromi's voice boomed, amplified by the metaphysical weight of the Domain. "You are charged with Illegal Use of Explosives and Attempted Grievous Bodily Harm. In this court, violence is prohibited. All 'Quirks' are currently under a stay of execution."
Bakugo tried to spark a blast. Nothing. Only the faint smell of sweat. His eyes widened in a way the class had never seen—pure, unadulterated shock. "What... what did you do to me?!"
"I've placed you on the stand," Hiromi said, his wooden staff transforming into a massive, dark iron gavel. "And the prosecution is ready to present its evidence."
The Verdict of the First Strike
Outside the Domain, the screens showed only a black, impenetrable sphere of energy in the middle of the second floor.
"What is that?!" All Might shouted, his hand hovering over the 'Abort' button. "I can't see the students!"
"Don't touch it," Aizawa said, his eyes fixed on the sphere. "That's Higuruma's territory. If you interfere with a 'Judgment,' you might cause more damage than the fight itself. Trust the process."
Inside the courtroom, the trial was swift. Bakugo, deprived of his explosions, was forced to rely on raw brawling. But Hiromi, with his Heavenly Physicality and years of training under Master Sato, was a master of the "Silent Kill."
Hiromi caught Bakugo's desperate jab and delivered a precision strike to the solar plexus. As Bakugo buckled, the Divergent Strike—the delayed pocket of Cursed Energy—exploded against his ribs. It wasn't meant to kill, but it was meant to end the argument.
Bakugo hit the floor, gasping for air.
[GUILTY]
The word burned in the air above them. Judgeman let out a low, vibrating hum.
"The sentence is Confiscation," Hiromi said. The courtroom dissolved, returning them to the smoking ruins of the hallway. Bakugo lay on the ground, but he didn't get up. He looked at his hands, his face pale. His Quirk was gone—not permanently, but for the duration of this battle, he was "powerless."
Hiromi's earpiece crackled. "Hiromi! I've neutralized Iida with a rapid-hardening polymer. The weapon is secured!"
"Well done, Momo," Hiromi said, looking down at the defeated Bakugo. "The trial is adjourned."
...
Author's Note:
This chapter really dives into the "Why" of Hiromi and Momo's relationship. They aren't just friends; they are two people who found order in each other's presence when their high-society lives felt chaotic. The introduction of Deadly Sentencing is the first major "Power Reveal" for the class, and it sets the tone for Hiromi as a mid-range fighter who wins through logic and reinforcement rather than just punching harder.
Momo's competence is also key here—she isn't a "damsel"; she's the tactical genius who handles the objective while Hiromi handles the threat. Thanks for the continued support, the views are still climbing!