"Mumu, long time no see," Ryuichi greeted as they stepped forward.
Ryuichi and Eichi stood directly in front of the man with glasses, shielding the little girl and Mumu. After the greeting, Ryuichi's smile vanished, replaced by an exceptionally stern expression.
"You claim the little girl bumped into you. What evidence do you have to prove that?" Ryuichi asked.
The man with glasses sensed that the newcomers had an extraordinary presence—the kind of look that clearly signaled they were not to be trifled with. He glanced briefly at the surrounding crowd and sneered with forced bravado.
"Does this even need proof? It was obvious she bumped into me just now. You wouldn't be so biased as to ignore right and wrong just because she's a child, would you?" the man replied.
"This..." the man added, giving Ryuichi and Eichi a slightly provocative look.
Eichi looked at the man with utter disdain, while Ryuichi shot him a look of contempt before addressing the crowd.
"Everyone, someone must have seen what really happened just now," Ryuichi announced. "If you saw it, please stand up and tell the truth."
After he spoke, everyone looked around at one another. Most people shook their heads; they hadn't witnessed the start of the incident. Seeing that no one was coming forward, the little girl felt even more aggrieved. Tears began to stream down her face as she started to sob quietly. Seeing this, Mumu grew anxious and cast a pleading look toward Eichi and Ryuichi.
Eichi didn't rush. He was observing the crowd, refusing to believe that absolutely no one had seen the event. The man with glasses, seeing that no one stepped up, gradually relaxed. His confidence returned, and the provocation in his eyes grew heavier.
"See? No one saw the situation. So, what right do you have to assume I bumped into her?" the man challenged. "If you can't prove it, hurry up and make her pay."
The little girl glared at the man and cried out, "You clearly bumped into me! Waaaah—!"
Eichi's expression darkened. He loathed people like this the most. Suddenly, a voice called out from the crowd.
"I saw it."
Everyone turned toward the source of the sound as two people squeezed out from the throng. The person on the left had black hair, dark skin, and a lean build, but most notably, his eyes were full of spirit.
Isn't this Buliangren! Eichi thought.
Beside him was a stout man wearing ordinary clothes and a brown hat. Most importantly, he was carrying a professional video camera on his shoulder.
"Eichi, we meet again," Buliangren said.
"Buliangren, you're here too!" Eichi replied.
Ryuichi felt relieved upon seeing that the boy was Eichi's friend. After a quick greeting, Buliangren got straight to the point.
"Anyway, now isn't the time for small talk. I came over to help you," Buliangren stated. He then gestured to the man beside him. "This is Kadokawa, a friend I met on my journey. His dream is to capture the most beautiful scenery."
"He happened to record everything that just happened," Buliangren continued. "We just reviewed the footage, and the truth is right here. Take a look."
"Is that so?" Ryuichi asked.
Eichi and Ryuichi leaned in as Kadokawa lowered the camera and opened a small side panel to reveal a screen. He pressed a button, and the figures on the screen began to move.
Seeing the group huddling around the camera, the man with glasses panicked. Was it really caught on film? If so, I'll be completely exposed. What will people think of me? No, no, they must be bluffing. How could it be such a coincidence that they filmed it?
Ignoring his internal panic, everyone watched the footage. The lens panned from street vendors to buildings and pedestrians before finally focusing on the little girl. She was seen skipping along happily with an ice cream in her hand.
The girl stopped, her attention completely captured by a nearby snack stall. At that moment, the man with glasses walked toward her from the opposite direction. As he walked, he tripped over a stone on the ground. Losing his balance, he slammed directly into the little girl.
The truth was out. Buliangren held the camera up so the man with glasses could see the clip for himself. After watching it, the man's entire face turned pale.
Now, everyone knew of his behavior. He looked around and saw nothing but eyes filled with localized contempt.
"You even tried to extort a child. You truly have no shame," Mumu said with a sneer.
"Exactly! How shameless. That little girl is so cute, and he still tried to scam her," others chimed in.
Seeing her name cleared, the little girl stopped crying and glared fiercely at the man. Realizing things were going south, the man with glasses tried to slip away. However, two burly men stepped out, blocking his path.
"Apologize, or you're not going anywhere," they demanded in deep, booming voices.
Looking at the massive figures before him, the man swallowed hard in fear. Trapped, he had no choice but to walk over to the girl and offer a pathetic apology.
"I'm sorry... please just let me go. It was my fault. I'll never do it again."
The little girl's mood shifted quickly. Seeing him apologize, her anger dissipated.
Ryuichi stepped forward and said, "Now that you've apologized, get lost."
The man with glasses lowered his head and fled in a panic, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight. After he left, the onlookers began to disperse. However, among those leaving was a person in a long black coat. This individual wore a hat and a mask, wrapping themselves up tightly. Before departing, they cast a lingering look at Eichi and then turned away.
The little girl tugged at Mumu's sleeve. "Thank you, big sister."
Mumu crouched down and patted the girl's head. "Alright, it's over now. You should hurry back to your parents. They must be very worried about you."
"Mhm!" The little girl nodded earnestly. She waved to everyone and said, "Goodbye!"
Eichi and the others waved back. Once the girl was gone, Eichi turned to his friend.
"Buliangren, you're competing in the Indigo League too?" Eichi asked.
"I heard the Indigo League is the most prestigious competition among all the regions. There's no reason not to participate," Buliangren replied nonchalantly.
"Then the four of us are rivals," Ryuichi noted.
Looking around, of the five people present, everyone except Kadokawa was participating in the tournament.
"Just so we're clear, I won't be holding back during the matches," Ryuichi emphasized.
Mumu laughed. "Then let's all do our best!"
"By the way, we really have to thank Kadokawa for today. If he hadn't happened to record it, things would have been difficult," Eichi said.
"It was nothing," Kadokawa replied.
"Hey, let's go grab a meal together so everyone can get to know each other," someone suggested.
"Great idea!"
After a day of socializing, the long-awaited opening ceremony of the Indigo League finally arrived.