WUM 217

Chapter 217: The Corporate Slave's Just Duel!

Matt had just gotten off the plane at Tokyo airport when he was teased by a group of mischievous kids. Fortunately, the kids had no malicious intent; they were just having a bit of fun at his expense.

Being blind, Matt couldn't see the blue sky outside the airport or fully appreciate the bright sunshine of the day. Even more frustrating was the reason he had come to Tokyo: Erica, who had repeatedly attacked the Hand Union's branches, had been captured and brought to Tokyo. Matt had come to save his beloved woman.

If the Hand Union hadn't known Erica's identity and deliberately used her to lure Matt to Tokyo, Erica would probably have already been executed. So, as long as Matt was safe, Erica wasn't in immediate danger.

One of the distinctive features of Tokyo's airport was the unusually high cost of taxis, which even Matt, a lawyer, found difficult to afford. Despite being in a high-paying profession, Matt often helped the poor by taking on pro bono cases, so his income barely covered his expenses.

After all, the area around Hell's Kitchen was a massive slum. If it weren't for that mysterious person who periodically cleaned up the area, the environment there might be even worse by now.

Sometimes Matt wondered whether the actions of Uchiha Akira were justified. After all, looking at the results, Akira's killings had certainly scared off many deceitful criminals.

Before long, Matt had boarded a bus, and because his hiking pole was quite long, he folded it and stowed it in his backpack.

Due to the crowded train, Matt couldn’t find a seat and had to endure the uncomfortable squeeze of the packed carriage.

Before long, Matt noticed something unusual: a woman in a short skirt was pushing her way toward a man who seemed to be dozing off. Although the man's space was more crowded, the woman was determined to squeeze her way to him.

Once she got to the man's side, the woman deliberately leaned closer and made some physical contact.

Matt could clearly observe everything with his abilities, and just as he was wondering what the woman was doing, a shrill scream suddenly pierced the air.

"There's a train pervert groping my butt!" The scream woke up the dozing office worker. When he saw everyone around him staring, he realized the "pervert" was him.

"No, I was standing here the whole time without moving!" The office worker vehemently denied, claiming he hadn’t even noticed when the woman had gotten close to him, and now he was being falsely accused of being a pervert.

In Japan, being accused of being a "train molester" was a serious matter—at the very least, it would require an apology, but at worst, it could cost someone their job, destroy their family, or even land them in prison.

The office worker had been exhausted from working overtime the night before and had been feeling mentally drained. Now, he found himself falsely accused by a woman.

"Do you think I would ruin my reputation as a woman just to frame you? You're just a pervert, a habitual offender!" The people around them made space, not wanting to get involved in the situation.

Once the crowd cleared, the woman leaned closer to the office worker and whispered, "Two million yen, or else you can kiss your job goodbye!"

Matt overheard the woman’s words clearly, and his brow furrowed. This woman wasn't just framing the man; she was also attempting to extort him.

As she was extorting him, the office worker, who had been quietly enduring the situation, suddenly shouted, "What? You want to have a fair duel with me?"

"I’ve never heard such a bold request in my life. Fine, I’ll oblige!" he declared.

The office worker threw a punch at the woman’s stomach, knocking her to the ground. He didn’t use much force, just enough to send her down without causing serious harm. After all, if he had hit her too hard and ruptured her spleen, he’d be in even more trouble.

The woman, stunned by the blow, quickly recovered and attempted to retaliate. Humiliated and enraged by the failed extortion attempt, she lunged at the office worker, using her nails and teeth to fight back.

The two struggled, and the people around them were too busy with their own concerns to intervene. After all, they were on their way to work, and being late meant losing wages.

Matt watched the absurd scene unfold before him and quickly stepped in to break up the fight. Unfortunately, the woman managed to scratch him with her nails, leaving two bloodied marks on his arm. She even tried to grab Matt’s hiking pole to continue attacking the office worker.

When the train arrived at the station, the conductor took all three of them—the office worker, the woman, and Matt—to the police station.

"What’s going on here?" A chubby officer asked. He looked quite relaxed, clearly used to handling situations like this.

"They’re both train perverts. They molested me!" The woman immediately accused both men, including Matt, of being perverts.

Before Matt could defend himself, the office worker chimed in, explaining that the altercation had started because the woman had challenged him to a duel.

Each person told their side of the story, and the officer decided to ask Matt for his version.

"I saw them arguing and wanted to mediate," Matt explained. "Plus, you can see I’m a foreigner and, more importantly, I’m blind." He removed his glasses, showing the officer that his eyes were blind.

The woman was unhappy with this explanation. Framing a blind man would make it difficult for her to defend herself.

"And where’s your cane?" The officer asked, now understanding the situation. Based on the evidence, it seemed highly likely that the woman had falsely accused the office worker.

When the surveillance footage was reviewed, the whole incident became clear. The office worker hadn’t made any aggressive move toward the woman. The altercation was classified as a fight between the two of them.

The punishment was mild: both the woman and the office worker received a fine of 5,000 yen, while Matt, being blind and having had minimal involvement, was deemed innocent.

Hearing the verdict, the office worker burst into tears. Yes, although he was crying, a broad smile was spread across his face.

"Aren’t you upset? You must have been wronged," Matt asked, puzzled by the office worker’s reaction.

"You foreigners wouldn’t understand," the office worker replied. "This isn’t the first time this kind of thing has happened. Many office workers have been threatened like this—pay up or they’ll report you for molestation. If they manage to frame you, you could face six months in prison, and if you’re married, you might even end up losing your family. Just a five-day detention is a relief to me."

One of his colleagues had already been imprisoned for a similar accusation, and if the office worker hadn’t acted quickly, delivering a combination of punches to the woman, his wife might have been on her way to divorce him.

Matt listened to the office worker’s words, feeling a bit silent. In the crowded train, there were blind spots everywhere. If the man hadn’t reacted quickly, the outcome could have been much worse.

And in this case, saving him had been as simple as using a little force.

Having spent an entire afternoon on this matter, Matt seemed to finally understand something, but at the same time, he couldn’t help feeling a bit unwilling.