WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 165, "Tokyo No. 1 Colony, Part 5," by Gege Akutami, John Werry and Snir Aharon, available in English from Viz Media.
Yuji Itadori is facing probably his most dangerous foe yet, Hiromi Higuruma. After being stripped of his cursed energy, Yuji found himself near helpless in the face of Hiromi's relentless attacks. Desperate for a strategy that would allow him to avoid fighting Hiromi one on one, he demanded a retrial and both combatants were transported back into Deadly Sentencing. This time around, Yuji was found guilty on the charge of committing mass murder in Shibuya and sentenced to death -- but is his fate actually set in stone?
Even though Yuji pled guilty to the charge, the truth remains that he wasn't the one who committed those murders. After being force-fed several of Ryomen Sukuna's fingers in quick succession, he temporarily lost control of his body to the King of Curses. Unfortunately, Yuji still misguidedly believes this was his fault.
Incidentally, Yuji's innocence might be what allows him to avoid the death sentence. Despite Hiromi's apparent apathy over the last few chapters, he was introduced as a person who always wants the rule of law to prevail. He's also intrigued by Yuji, as he remarked that no one else had been able to stand before him for as long as Yuji had, especially without any cursed energy. When Yuji readily confessed to the mass murder, Hiromi was even somewhat shocked, meaning it's almost certain that he’ll ask for more context about the Shibuya incident. Indicting Yuji for a crime he didn't really commit would go against everything Hiromi purports to believe.
Of course, this is assuming Hiromi isn't strictly bound to the terms of his cursed technique, in which case he'd have to execute Judgeman's sentence. Yuji being able to unilaterally summon Hiromi's Domain Expansion implies that the ex-lawyer might not be able to resist the terms set by Judgeman. A sorcerer summoning another's Domain is unheard of and, if Hiromi is truly beholden to his cursed technique, their fight could become a lot more dangerous.
Whereas Hiromi was previously trying to kill Yuji because he bothered him, being forced to carry out Judgeman's sentence (as part of the agreement that grants him his cursed technique) would require him to get even more serious about their battle. If Chapter 166 plays out like this, it would send our hero back to square one and his worst-case scenario: A one-on-one battle to the death with a completely bloodthirsty Hiromi Higuruma.
Of course, there's always the possibility that Sukuna might once again make an appearance. Throughout the series, Yuji's parasitic twin of sorts has kept his cards close to the chest. But one thing we know for sure is that he has an unfinished agenda. His and Yuji's lives are intertwined, so he certainly wouldn't stand for his host to die prematurely. It's unlikely Yuji will allow Sukuna to take full control of his body again so, if he does interfere, it'll probably be to offer a clever solution on how to deal with Hiromi and Judgeman. Of course, there's also the ever-looming possibility that Sukuna might decide to take advantage of the Binding Vow that allows him to swap places with Yuji for a minute once he says a keyword.
Yuji is currently in an incredibly tough spot, but it's almost a given that he'll make it out alive. There's still a lot of story Jujutsu Kaisen has left to tell and even though Gege Akutami tends to be trigger happy towards with characters, Yuji should be safe for now.
