Prim Lancaster.

　Her roots are in Changshan Cross-Javelin, one of the three major spear arts in the world.

　"She was born as a swordsman, and her hometown is Changshan.

　It is the headquarters of Jongsan Jujitsu.

　She came to the Colosseum of the Principality with the dream of making her hometown proud.

　Her spearmanship, which she had trained in her hometown, was further refined in the Colosseum.

　He had studied with many fierce fighters, crossed the wreckage of many fierce fighters, and...

　He bowed the knee before the champion.

　I remember the day when I was first speared as if it were yesterday.

　It was a fine day like today.











　A cheer went up in the garden of the palace.

　The storm of emotions, out of place in a place where one should be quietly admiring plants, was a frenzy created by those who should be condemning it.


　Instead of lustrous flowers, dull silver and sparks were scattered where the feverish people were staring intently.


"Not yet, not yet!

　The girl, her two tufts of black hair in disarray, swung her spear angrily.

　The young man, who never once misjudged her skillful spear-handling, continues to take her on.

　The heat of the battle was still rising, even after the tea had gone cold since the start of the sword dance.


　But for some of us, it was only natural.

　I'm not sure what to make of it.

...... Even that woman can be pushed this far?

　Ahead of his gaze, the figure of a girl fighter danced with a cross spear in her hand.

　Even the spear that she used to beat Richter to death on that day was not able to reach the man in front of her.
　No, she is being subdued with the same weapon and strength.

　The way he wielded his spear without giving up was beautiful, and yet fragile.

　A feeling that only Richter could understand.
　The others are shouting, seeing her pushing as the superior force.

　No, it wasn't. She was so determined to win that she couldn't push.

　Her opponent, Futa, is so calm and "knows" everything about spearmanship that it's as if he's challenging a fortress with a bamboo spear.

　Some will laugh at his recklessness.
　Some will shake their heads and say give up.

　But... But I know the feeling of trying.

　The person who I would least like to be laughed at for his stupidity was taking the fight seriously and without any restraint.

　As a sword wielder, you can't help but challenge the strongest.



How about this?

"Then how about this!

　The technique was very similar to Lilac M. Fangini's "Court Style Swordsmanship: Rain".

　Because it was delivered as a spear, the distance was wide and there was no way to avoid it.

　However, thrusting the spear at that speed with a long-handled spear would consume much more of his arm's endurance than Lilac's "Court Style Kenjutsu: Rain".

　And yet, he released it. I knew it, but I did it.

　After all, it was proof that I was running out of cards to play.

Imitation: Prim Lancaster = Tsuneyama Jujitsu: Manten

　The spear and the spear met head-on with a "Gah Gah Gah".
　While everyone around him was excited by the showy appearance, Prim let out one big breath and looked up.


　--The champion is strong.


　They've been on stage for the same amount of time, fighting with the same weapons, and yet...
　Prim was already breathing hard.

　But still...

But still--I don't want to lose!

　He looked forward and swung his spear.

　If he had been in the Colosseum, he would have already lost feeling in his arms and would have been flung off the spear.

　In a corner of his mind, Prim thought about that.


　The Colosseum, which he had challenged with the intention of representing one of the three major spear techniques, carrying the sign of Jyoyama Jujutsu.

　In the beginning, he had no opponents, and he was enjoying proving the greatness and splendor of jujitsu.

　--In the beginning, I had no opponents and I was enjoying proving the excellence of my crossbow.


　But in reality, it was not so easy. As soon as I was promoted to the major class, I couldn't win anymore.

　The ever-victorious and undefeated Tsuneyama Jujitsu. The undefeated Jyoshan Jujitsu... Prim was not able to live up to the call of his hometown.

　She was depressed and down in the dumps.

　That's when she met Futa.

　On that day, there was a defense of the champion. It was against the same swordsman who had beaten Prim.

　The unpopular and unstoppable champion, who the crowd spat out as if he would win anyway.

　Prim saw Futa after the fight, when he had overpowered his opponent as expected.

　Prim was depressed, but what she saw in his eyes was a champion who was not basking in the afterglow of victory, but was just quietly swinging his sword.



　--It must have been at that moment that she yearned for him.


　I challenged him to a hand-to-hand combat, and was defeated in a flash by his spear.

　It was so easy that it was funny. He used the same cross spear, and I thought my pride would be shattered.

　But... As soon as the match was over, he started practicing the cross spear, and his back was dazzling.

　His back was so big that I saw it while lying down on the ground.


　It inspired me to stay awake.


　--I'll win the official game. And with that, Prim ran off.

　His spear technique was almost identical to his own. His spear techniques were almost the same. The difference was his experience against many fierce opponents, and the simple difference in strength from training.



　Then surely one day I will reach the same heights.
　I'll reach it. I will.

　I don't know why it was so "fun" to swing against a champion when there was no money at stake.


　One day I will win. I swore.

　So... That's why.


　When I heard that champion Futa had fled the city for cheating I heard something shatter.


　The lone champion. The champion who had always been the strongest, no matter how unpopular he was.

　Questions, anger.

　The rest of the Colosseum was very unpleasant for Prim.




　Not at all.

　In her eyes, it was solitary, but it was only solitary.


　That was all.











　Futa was strong.
　Always was and always will be.

　I can see it every time I hit him with my spear. I can feel it.

　Then why...

　Then why--

"Why the hell not? ......

　I'm not sure what to say.

　You'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.

　The power in the spear remains the same.
　And yet, a feeling of helplessness boiled up from within.

You've always been so straightforward!　How could you let such a beautiful martial art be tainted by a hundred masters!

　Spear and spear fought each other.
　The spear and spear fought each other, and Prim barked with his thoughts.

"Answer me!　From the day you disappeared!　Since the day you disappeared, all the Colosseum's fierce fighters have lost their goals!　I--I don't even know what I'm doing in the Colosseum anymore!

　I don't even know what the point of being in the Colosseum is anymore!" Prim's eyes widen, and her anger reaches a boiling point.

You're right!　If I can't beat you, then what am I, a champion?　I don't care what the audience thinks!　A crown in the Colosseum without you is just an insult in my book!

　Her words were passable, but her heart was not so easy to swallow.

　If the princess had heard these words, she would have at least cowered her shoulders in dismissal, but Futa was serious.

　It was because of his earnestness that he continued to suffer until that day.

　But that earnestness can sometimes become a kindness that saves people.

I was in pain.

　The words that were mumbled without shame or embarrassment were beyond Prim's comprehension.

"Was it hard?
"No matter what you do, you'll never please the audience. No matter what you do, you will never please the audience. Strong or weak... Before that, I don't have what's important as a swordsman. I left that to others.

　These words are too pathetic to be spoken during a sword fight.
　Futa laughs at himself.

　It was inevitable that Prim would be taken aback.
　Fight and you'll be glad you did. It was a normal thing for a "swordsman".
　In fact, Prim thought that they were making Futa's matches boring by not being able to reach the championship.

　Even so, Prim admired Futa's solitude as he continued to work tirelessly and waited for his challenger to take the title.

　But he was wrong.

"What's that?
It's my fault for cheating. I'm not going to make excuses. But that's why I swore I'd never do it again. I'm not asking for your forgiveness.
"Ha!

　Prim laughs.

　He laughed and swung his spear.
　He back-jumped, pausing to catch his ragged breath.

"......, I feel like an idiot for admiring you.

　At these words, Futa closed his eyes.
　He felt free to abuse me as much as he wanted.

　He tried to accept the fact that he had brought this upon himself through his own weakness of mind.

　But his attitude and thoughts were meaningless to Prim.

"I see. So that's what it was.
Yeah. I'm sorry.

　Prim held up the spear.
　His expression is hidden by his bangs. He moves before unleashing a god-speed blow.



　Futa, realizing that he was going to make a decision here, prepared himself.


　And the technique was unleashed.


Tsuneyama Jujitsu: Meteor Ichiya



　He didn't know that Prim thought that way about Futa.

　That's why Futa felt sorry.


《Imitation: Prim and Lancaster = Tsuneyama Juju: Meteor Iya》


　But...

"--I should have told you. It would have been so easy.


　The spear was flicked with such force that it flew across the clear sky just like that day.

　The spear whirled around and around for less than an instant, but somehow it felt longer.

"Everyone was desperate to defeat you.

　I muttered to myself.

　At the same time, the spear rolls on the ground with a thud.


"They all wanted a shot at you.

　Then she smiled at the spear pointing at her nose and the eyes behind it.

"Will you listen to me, Champion? It's me.

　There was no longer any hostility or harm in those straight eyes.

　Instead, there was longing and regret.

"I've never been happier or happier than when I forced you to play with me.



　--The winner, "Champion" Huta.


　Prim Lancaster's first challenge came to an end.