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Seishirou Jigoku
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Seishirou Jigoku was the Meiji period Japanese judge who presided over Ryūnosuke Naruhodō's trial for the murder of John Watson and Haori Murasame's trial for the murder of Jezail Brett.

Forced to commit murder

Main article: Professor Killings

In the year 1890, Seishirou Jigoku went to England with Genshin Asōgi and Yūjin Mikotoba, to study abroad. When Genshin found out that chief prosecutor Klimt van Zieks (was being blackmailed by Hart Vortex to continue his serial killing as the "Professor", he took matters into his own hand via duel. After this, Vortex pinned the "Professor"'s murders on Genshin, Jigoku was a witness but he overdid it at the secret trial so much it was almost like he was the defendant. Ultimately, Genshin being was found guilty of all the murders and was subsequently given the death sentence. However, Vortex got the idea to secretly send him back to Japan to keep Klimt's will a secret, Jigoku helped out on the promise that he would become the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs. So Genshin was alive when buried, but when Vortex saw someone witness Asōgi rising from the latter's grave, he forced Jigoku to shoot and kill Asōgi. Despite the plan being ruined, Vortex kept his promise and Jigoku became the minister.

Career

Trial of a university student

Main article: The Adventure of the Great Departure

Seishirou Jigoku presided over the trial of Ryūnosuke Naruhodō when he was accused of murdering university professor John Watson. Although Genshin's son, Kazuma Asōgi, was originally going to act as the defense attorney for the case, Naruhodō opted to defend himself against prosecutor Taketsuchi Auchi. Ultimately, Watson's actual killer was revealed to be an exchange student named Jezail Brett. Jigoku subsequently acquitted Naruhodō. England called for the right of consul and told Jigoku to send her to Shanghai, China so she'll never be tried in Japan.

Unknown to anyone else, judge Jigoku actually knew this was going to happen. Jezail Brett was really Ann Sasha, England's most notorious assassin, and she was sent by Hart Vortex to keep Watson from talking about the Professor Killings. Jigoku had to send a Japanese man so the same would happen except with vice versa countries, or else Vortex would reveal the truth about Genshin's death. Jigoku had initially sent Kazuma Asōgi to murder detective Tobias Gregson as part of a greater plot to cut all loose ends regarding his murder ten years ago. However, when the lawyer was seemingly killed, Jigoku felt he had no choice but to visit the country himself to handle Gregson.

Trial for Brett's murder

Main article: The Adventure of the Blossoming Attorney

About nine months later, Seishirou Jigoku presided over a similar case, where Brett was murdered and university student Haori Murasame was accused of the crime. Auchi also acted as the prosecutor for this case, and Murasame's defense attorney was her friend Susato Mikotoba; a judicial assistant disguised as "Ryūtarō Naruhodō". Jigoku actually knew that she pretended to be a male attorney but he let her do it anyway. The actual killer of this case was eventually revealed to be journalist Heita Mamemomi, and Murasame was subsequently acquitted. Jigoku later appears to throw Mamemomi to the bailiff before the journalist could say anything about Asōgi's true mission. After formally introducing himself to Susato, he leaves to discuss something with Yūjin.

Murdering a legendary detective

Main articles: Twisted Karma and His Last Bow and The Resolve of Naruhodō Ryūnosuke

Tobias Gregson was given a mission to kill someone for 10/31, aboard the S.S. Balabrock as it head for France. The target was Seishirou Jigoku, and in a twist of fate, the assassin sent with him was Asōgi. When Jigoku returned to his room, he found Gregson there. He body slammed Gregson, knocking him unconscious, but as first class cabins are surrounded by guards, he decided to wait until the emergency drill later that evening to do the final deed. Unfortunately, just as that time arrived, Gregson woke up and started attacking Jigoku in a frenzy. In a moment of panic, Jigoku used the gun the English government had given him in his exchange program sixteen years ago and shot Gregson.

Group photo

In group photograph with fellow Japanese people in England.

He took Gregson’s coat off and hid his body in the freezer, trying to buy some time and fake Gregson’s time of death. He then put Gregson’s body in his own suitcase and waited to take him off the boat, as there was no chance to throw the body overboard due to all the guards. In the Bandol Hotel, Jigoku and Yūjin met up with Susato and Naruhodō. They discussed the Professor Killings and how Genshin was convicted. Them Susato has the English guild master take a group photo of the four of them.

Jigoku had heard about Gregson’s secret room with Everyday Mittlemont from Vortex, and went to drop the body off there. But He set up some firecrackers he bought from Venus and used the candles as a makeshift timer that would go off when the body warmed up. That way, when Mittlemont came to visit, he could be framed. Unfortunately, Klimt's younger brother, prosecutor Barok van Zieks showed up on his investigation of Tobias Gregson and he took the fall instead.

It was only in the subsequent trial that Seishirou Jigoku was finally brought to justice for his crimes and arrested.

Personality

Seishirou Jigoku has a neutral personality, befitting of a judge. He regretted killing Genshin Asōgi and allowed Susato Mikotoba to act as defense despite women not being allowed to practice the law. However, he is willing to go along with Hart Vortex's plan in exchange for being the Minister of Foreign Affairs. But regarding the assassination exchange program, most of the time Jigoku had to be blackmailed.

He is also strong enough to be able to smash the entire witness stand.

Name

  • Jigoku, when written as 地獄, means “hell”. 

Triva

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