--Just after the start of the second round of qualifiers. Around the time Prim was converted to a vendor .

　That morning, Prim Lancaster also said, "Good morning! and set about ransacking the Lord Treasurer's room.
　Richter L. Klingbloom had recently accepted this grand wake-up call with a look of resignation on his face.

　Even while he was washing his face, he was rushed from behind and dragged out to the backyard to work out every day. Richter has grown accustomed to such a life, and is disgusted with himself for letting himself be carried away.

　Four days after the spectacle, Prim said during the first break, "I'm giving you company.

Since I'm going out with you, why don't you help me with my training?
"What are you talking about?

　"What are you talking about?
　Richter couldn't help but butt in with a rant (as you read it) that wiped out the fatigue from his training.
　I had no intention of having you accompany me in my training, in fact, I was the one who was being completely accompanied.

　--I know why she's dragging Richter out.
　I know why she's dragging Richter out, I know she's training him so that she doesn't embarrass herself in the arena. It's not that I'm bored while I'm wielding my gladius, which is annoying.

　But it was the barbarian in front of me who forced me into the preferential slot in the first place.

Don't look so disgusted!　I'm aware of that!　I'm the one pulling you out!
"Then why did you say it like that?
"Well, you see, ......, I don't owe you anything, not even a clear sale. ......
I don't owe you anything, do I?
Yes, but...!

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

"What's up with ......?
Thank you!!!!

　Richter lets out a big sigh at her beaming smile.

I'm busy. Don't take up too much of my time.
I don't mean to be so difficult!

　I'm not going to ask you to do anything too difficult!" A pleased Prim picked up a few rocks lying around and handed them to Richter.

"Here.
What are you going to do with these?
Can you throw it at me?
Avoid it?
I'm going to throw it back in Mr. Richter's face.
What are you talking about?
Oh, don't try to leave!

　Richter drops all the stones at his feet and turns on his heel.
　Who would have known that the girl who hurriedly clung to his waist was the fighter who had attracted so many fans during the Colosseum era? But the secretary in the butler's uniform who quietly watches from the window is completely unaware of this shameful situation.

"I'm just going to hit you back in the face!　Really!
I'm sure you'll have a great time.　Don't you have any brains?
That's terrible!　Yes, I do!　All you have to do is catch it!
I see. So that's what you're saying.

　Aside from finally being downgraded from you to you, Richter crossed his arms and said.

You can usually catch it when you hit it back, so don't worry.
"Yeah. Well, what's wrong with that?
What's the point of this exercise?
To hit you in the face with a flying rock.
Right. In the middle of a fight, against a guy you're practicing on.
Well, yeah, but... What's the matter?
It's nothing. It's gonna bounce off the ...... at a ridiculous speed, that rock.
If you knew it was coming, you'd take it, right?
Don't mix barbarians with humans, you fool.
"Gubutsu ......?

　Looking at the twisting barbarian, Richter shook his head.

　You're out of your mind.
　I'm not sure what you mean by that.
　He was forced to participate in a martial arts tournament despite his busy schedule.
　You can't be so thick-skinned as to expect me to accompany you in your training.

　--He glanced at the barbarians in front of him.

　She keeps Richter company as she continues her daily training to improve herself.
　Although she has become more rounded after her fight with Futa, her skills are still intact.
　It's not as if I don't have an idea why she asked for this special training.

　That murderer. Richter remembers watching the game with a hostile look in his eyes for the first time in a long time.


　He was out of his mind. Richter let out another sigh.
　Picking up the pebbles he had dropped earlier.


"Hey, is that a swear word?
"Neither up nor down, just referring to you.


"Oh, yeah. What do you mean?
"It's stupid.
You mean like ...... good?
Congratulations, dude.














　-Arena Spectacula.

　What the audience saw was a momentary trajectory.
　A line appeared between the two sides. In the moment between their eyes and their consciousness, they understood what had happened.

　The cross spear swung out, and Arawn turned upward with great force.

　Red dripped from his forehead.

"I won't eat that hand anymore. Don't be so dirty with me, ......!

　There's no chance for the spear to regain its stance.
　She was unconscious from the stone hit on her forehead, looking up at the sky, and Prim was closing in on her.

　But the spear was flicked away by a carelessly flung arm.

　Prim's spear, with its tense expression, had no chance.
　Prim, who hadn't let her guard down even against the defenseless Arawn, would not be caught by surprise by trying to win.

　But to say the least, it was odd that Aylan was able to reflect Prim's spear now. He was looking completely upward, and the only thing he could detect was a presence.
　He frowned, "What the hell?


"It's coming!
"What?
I told you yesterday. I told you yesterday that there's one more level up in Arawn.
I told you yesterday that there was another level up in Arawn.　No way.


　Drip, drip, drip. Blood stains the pavement.

"Ha ha ...... ha ha ......

　"Hahahaha " The muttered laughter is very creepy.
　The muffled laughter was very creepy. A ghostly battle cry rose up around her.

"Oh ...... fun ......!　I'll ...... blood ...... blood ......!

　The hand covering her forehead feels slick and slippery.
　The burning pain comes from a completely cracked forehead. The stinging heat is a definite injury. The person who inflicted the wound is right in front of me.

　And now I am...

"Aaah!

　We're having a life exchange.

Aah!

　The step is in my pocket.
　Prim is caught by the hilt, and the blow of the cuirass is the full force of the blow.
　Prim was blown up for the first time in the match, but she somersaulted with her lightness. As she landed beautifully, she was able to sense her opponent's location by his presence.

　Arawn's position was above her, following her.

"Aha!

　Arawn spun around like a windmill and flew into the air, landing on Prim's brain.
　As she calmly stepped back to regain her distance, a painful heel drop pierced, split and shattered the cobblestones.

　The shattered pieces, large and small, flew through the air like sand and earth.
　A moment later, the corner of Arawn's mouth twisted as he saw the debris floating around him.
　His eyes shine brightly, and all he can see is the enemy in front of him.

Solo (Air Aria)

　Even on cracked cobblestones, his hand through the armor is unharmed.
　The rotation of both feet is not to kick and pierce the enemy, but to turn the floating stones into flying debris.

d*mn it!

　It's like a ward of blades. Prim sees through all of the flying stones and flicks them away.

　It's the same as last time. It's just a clear opening she's created.

Don't you dare!

　But Prim Lancaster is calm.
　It's certainly a move I've never seen before. But at the end of the day, it's the same thing as kicking rocks away.
　He kept an eye on Arawn's movements as he flicked the stone.
　With such unorthodox karma, Prim intercepts Arawn.

"Eat this, too!

　You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them.

　If it hit him in the face, he would be seriously injured. If you evade, the attack is not valid. If you flick it with your arm, you have an opening to counter. The advantage is all ours.

　A moment to pull back the spear.
　The move that buys you time is enough to make Futa groan.

"Good move, but bad move.

　Fouta muttered at the same time.
　At the same time Fouta was muttering, Prim's return hit Arawn in the forehead.

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha ！！！！！！！！！！！！！

　The speed of her plunge was such that she could not even avoid the incoming stone.

　The speed with which she plunged, the fist she shook, the foot she stepped on, did not show any agitation at all.



"Goof......?

　I'm in.

　It's in.

　The armor, or rather the arm, swells with the wind, twists like a spiral and shoots out, striking Prim Lancaster in the abdomen.

　Twisted might be a better word.
　If Prim had been a novice and hadn't even been able to jump behind her in that instant, she would have seen Arawn's fist at her back.

　Prim is blown away in a crooked heap.
　She would not be able to catch anything and her limbs would not be strong enough, but she would not let go of her grip on the spear.

　He fell from the waist and bounced, fell from the right shoulder and bounced again, finally stopped after rolling like a ball, and exhaled a choked breath as if he remembered.

　The eyes widen in shock and pain.

　But the world is cruel.
　The audience erupts in excitement as the blow goes in perfectly.

　It's decided, isn't it, the game is over.
　--The qualifier had won the preferential slot, hadn't he?

　It's a reversal of fortune for Arawn, who had seemed to be completely outmatched.

　The "manager" in the stands calmly analyzed the situation.
　The spectators seemed to be enjoying themselves, saying that they would be satisfied even if the game was decided by this blow.
　The Lord Treasurer shakes his head, saying that if he loses, so be it.

　But - for the two men on the field, it was by no means over.

"Hahaha ！！！！

　"Aaahh!" leapt "Gold", his eyes glittering with frenzy.
　"I don't know what's going on here.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but it seems that Aylan has been in some war zone for the past year or so.
"What?
I don't know the exact location. I don't know where, but I do know that he's been working on himself in a place where lives are at stake. He's even more refined in his senses than the last guy I knew.

　As the commentator's words echoed, the crowd erupted in cheers.

　Just as Aylan was about to deliver the finishing blow, Prim rolled her body to avoid the blow.
　Aylan's fist was powerful. The recoil of the wind and the broken cobblestone blew Prim away again.
　But that was Prim Lancaster. She didn't need to use any extra strength to get up, and landed beautifully.

"...... Geez.

　Blood.
　You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them.
　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

　I can't lose my concentration, I can't lose my temper, because there is a definite "will to kill" raising its fist to kill Prim Lancaster at this very moment.

"Aha!

　On the offensive. Prim can't even breathe as she continues to receive the barrage of fists and kicks.

"Oh, brother, you don't mean to tell me there's a higher level of ...... eye rune?
I thought the condition was a wound, but it was my own blood. I don't know if I should say that I'm removing the limit in my head. I don't know. But what's happening in front of me is real. There's no stopping Arawn now.
I'm not sure what to say, but I think it's a good idea.


　I'm just watching the game as a reporter.
　I'm just sitting here as a "manager" doing my duty to make this spectacle as exciting as possible. I'm not even a warrior.

　And yet, I couldn't help but gulp because of the sheer intensity of the fight.

　It was a different kind of tension than when Futa and Ocean fought.
　The way the odds of winning and losing are swapped at once makes you wonder what will happen next.

　This is the battle between the "Eight Flashes of Heaven".

　But at the same time, I think.
　But at the same time, I'm not a warrior, I'm an amateur, so I'm sure the spectators at the spectacle are too.

I can't believe it.

　I turned to look at Futa.
　The feeling of wondering what would happen was a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.
　The feeling of clinging is only possible if you put your emotions into the fight in front of you.

　But the commentator next to him was just calmly watching the flow of the fight.

"No!

　His voice echoed as if he were lightly plucking the taut strings of the spectacle.

"This is not the end of Prim.


　The crowd erupted again.
　The crowd was excited when Aylin took the lead.
　But after that, when Prim is constantly being hunted down, it's hard not to feel for her.

　It's not selfish, it's not irresponsible.
　The audience is such a creature. We pay to be here because we find enjoyment by entrusting our hearts to someone else.

　At the very least, the spectators who come to see the finals have already come to see a game, not a spectacle, so they will be happy and sad.

　But," muttered Futa inwardly.
　He wasn't sure what he should do, but he didn't have the authority to change the rules of Spectacular.
　So there's no reason to tell him.

　The only person who could see Futa's expression was the actual person next to him, who seemed to be thinking about something.


"Gosh, .......

　Prim, who coughed, naturally sensed this.
　It's not a good idea to go on like this.

　The previous Arawn was certainly a woman who was worthy of being called "Shura" and who would do anything to win.

　But killing was just a side thing.


　I don't want to kill each other.
　I just want to fight fierce men as a swordsman to show my strength. That's all.
　If you end up killing them, it's only because they're weak.

　I knew what she was thinking to some extent. That's why I hated her.

　But now she's different.
　She really believes that it is in the exchange of lives that we can see the full power of each other.
　She believes, almost to the point of insanity, that one's strength can only be proven by overcoming that "full power.

"Let's chant--let's chant!

　A barrage of fists and kicks. You would think that he would have lost his mind by now, but his movements are very calm and "hunting".

　The Siren of the Deadly Mountains and Bloodstreams, as the saying goes, is the only one who can survive her attacks.

　The Siren.
　The Sirens are a magical fairy tale that attracts and sinks ships with their beautiful songs.
　A mermaid who gathers and sinks the fiercest of the fierce in a river dripping with blood, and builds a mountain of corpses.

　That's Arawn. Arawn B. Smiles.

　If you compare adventure to sword fighting, then yes.
　A fierce man with a mind to reach the end of the sea would be very attractive to her.

But that doesn't mean I have to let you catch me!

　He spat out a bloody flame.
　He continued to pound away at her with a barrage of fists and kicks for a few more minutes.
　He showed no sign of fatigue, which was impressive, but Aylin must have noticed.
　Prim Lancaster's spear-handling was the best in the world. He was the best spear-handler in the world, even the champion.

　There was no way he could be all about attacking.


Tsuneyama Jujitsu: Hoshishirube


　A large star that can be seen by anyone looking north from anywhere in this world.
　The second largest star in the world is a gentle guide that guides people and protects their lives.

　This technique is one of the secrets of Tsuneyama Jujitsu.

"Ha-ha!　Ha-ha-ha-ha!
"You know it but you can't help yourself. That's what this is all about.


"Tsuneyama Cross: Guide Star. This is why it is said that a defensive Tsuneyama Cross spearman can never be defeated. I'm sure there are only three people in the world who can use this technique.
What kind of technique is this, big brother?
The reason why you can never break it is because the spear is so strong. The reason why it can never be broken is simply because of the distance between the spears. The reason why you can never break it is simply because of the distance between the spear and the spear. When the spear, which has one of the largest reach among all the spears, is defended, the other spears' attackers are severely limited. In other words, the spear must be able to reach through the reach, in other words, it must be a large swing. In the case of Arawn, he can either slam his fist straight down or swing his long legs. Of course, there are variations to that as well.

　Pop, pop, pop, pop.

　Aylin's expression distorts.
　It's like a traveler who's been placed on an inescapable destiny and has no choice but to follow its lead.
　But you can't stop it. If you stop moving without defense, you will end up being stabbed by Prim, who is always ready to go on the offensive.

　Prim's spear flicks Aylin's feet and hands in a certain direction.
　Aylan's fastest move is to land on his left foot. If it is deflected to the left, he will step forward with his fist or right foot. If it is flicked to the left, Aylorun will step in with a fist or right foot. As long as you can stay on the offensive, you can avoid being counterattacked.

　This is a sand prison. You see yourself struggling in the quicksand.

It takes a lot of strength, even for Prim. That's true, because you have to account for all of your opponent's attacks and keep flipping them in the best direction. But the beauty of Prim is that she can do this without thinking.
"Wow, it's like an animal!
"...... Hey, you're not hiding your poison.
"Children are innocent, right?
"......, so Arawn is forced to go on the offensive against Prim endlessly.
"So it's a battle of wills?
"That's what ...... does.

　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　Both are breathing hard. Prim is sweating profusely, and Aylin is bleeding profusely.

　But Futa's gaze was stern. A battle of wills, that's true. But Arawn, even though he was unstuck. Was there any reason for Arawn to jump headfirst into Prim's move?

　If there was, it means that ...... there is still something to aim for.

　In fact, Futa knew exactly what he wanted. But he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Maybe it's time to give up. ......!
"Hahahaha!　Such, oh such fun!　Why, why, why!　I don't understand!　I don't understand! One more step and I'll have your head in my hands.　I don't understand it, I don't understand it, I don't understand it--it's impossible!


"Well, then keep it up. Scatter in the night sky like a meteor!
"Chant, chant, until it sinks and bubbles away!

　Sparks fly and the dull clang of steel echoes through the air.
　The crowd watched with bated breath, but they were far less patient than the two.
　They shouted one of their names at the top of their voices and fretted over the outcome of the battle.

　--Prim laughs. I've never shown this skill to anyone before. Of course not. Try to beat Futa with it. It's obvious you'd be outmatched.
　But this technique will pierce through all but the clearest opponents.
　Aylan was wary of this, but I guess he couldn't resist it after he was strangely distracted.
　She raises the corner of her mouth to show that she has managed to bring herself to this state.

　--Arawn laughs. I don't want to have a contest of endurance. It was annoying that Prim was controlling her moves, but it was great to think of it as a Tsubagatsu fight where both sides would be buried if they stepped back.
　After all, this could have happened if Prim and Arawn had clashed with their fighting swords. He was proud of his many years of training, but so was his opponent. Then that was not so bad. The higher the stepping stone for your own strength, the better.


　--And that's a shame.


"Brother?
Big brother?
No.



　Aylin stopped moving.



　I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.



　At this time, not only Prim, but also Aylin was measuring the distance.
　Of course, a person who just repeatedly punched and kicked and didn't think about anything wouldn't be named one of the Eight Flashes of Heaven.

　What Aylin was thinking about was "when to pull back".
　If you know that the Tsuneyama Jujitsu is a technique that binds your opponent's actions and counters when they stop.
　Aylin manipulated the timing of the counter.

　Prim's spear was aimed at Aylin's front - his neck.

　If he forced himself to move, the spear would turn into a sword and cleave at Aylin.
　If you move too far, the spear will become a sickle and attack Aylan from behind.
　If you force yourself to move, the spear will become a spear, and its thrust will chase Aylan.


　So, what if he didn't move unprotected?

　What if he realized that if he let go, he would kill Aylan?


　Then the spear would be right on Aylan's neck.

　At that moment, no one could stop me.


"This game. There's a referee.


　Only the child next to her could hear her muttering.


　Prim's position is on the other side of Aylin from the referee.

　That's what Aylin had been working for all along.

　With a vicious grin, Aylan ducked into Prim's pocket as she stopped her spear.

　They were both exhausted. They were both exhausted, and completely on the verge of victory. This was not the kind of carelessness that precedes victory. We won, we should have won. And then...

　A hand armor rises up from below and grabs Prim by the throat.


"Aah! ......!


　The crowd erupted.

　I don't know how many people were able to catch the moment when Prim put the spear to his throat and stopped him.

　But at least the "referee" couldn't stop him.

　That's how this situation came to be.

You said it was weakness to do everything in your power to win. You said it yourself.

　Aylin laughs as he tightens his neck.

　With the spear in her hand, Prim struggled to get Aylan's hand off her neck.

Who is the weaker ...... in a battle to bring an opponent to his knees?

　The question never reaches the audience.

　Holding out his head, Prim stopped the blade.
　If killing is a foul, then her decision was not wrong. No, even if she hadn't, Prim would have stopped the blade.
　Even if she didn't, Prim would have stopped the blade, because it wasn't a fighter's fight.

　Arawn had read all of the rules.
　He checked every one of them to make sure he would win.
　And he prepared several. Ways to poke holes. Ways to "win."

　One of them was to never let the referee see the moment.

You don't have the guts to bring your opponent to his knees. You haven't done enough to win. No matter how much you hone your skills...

　Tighten up. He looks at Prim, who is clearly pale and her small mouth is chattering, unable to utter a single word as she craves air.

　Their eyes intersect.

"You're weak.

　In the event that you've got a lot of time, you'll be able to take a look at the best way to get the most out of your home.



If you're giving up, just say so. I'm defeated. I'll let you go. By the rules, as you call them.

　Arawn B. Smiles came here to win.
　For one reason only. Because we have to win.

　And beyond. If I'm going to fight my way to the end, I'm going to have to be as patient as I was in the preliminaries.

　The way her legs flap in the air as she's grabbed up is like watching herself trapped in the star guide from earlier. The woman in front of me is very lukewarm, despite her skill.

　A sword is not a toy to please others.
　It's a weapon to lead you to the top.

"If you admit you are wrong, I will let you go.

　Prim Lancaster did not nod her head.

　But that doesn't mean I have the strength to shake my head. She already had no strength in her hands and feet. It is strange that she is still conscious when her breathing is completely blocked.

"P-Prim!
Prim!
Stop it, stop it, stop it!

　Even as the voice echoed from the side that had been rooting for Prim.
　Arawn B. Smiles is completely unconcerned.

　That's true.


　Because...


　She's been treating the audience as if they didn't exist from the start.



　After all.
　She never admits her fault. She never acknowledges Arawn's strength.




　A single drop ran down her cheek as she relaxed.












"The winner, Aylan B. Smiles!



　!" Pasta shouted as the referee judged her the winner.
　But the cheers were not half as loud as before.
　Aylan tosses Prim unconscious with an annoyed grin, and simply walks away as quietly as he came.

　"Pasta glared at him as if he was the one who had made the organizer cry, but at the same time he was not satisfied with the man next to him who had a difficult look on his face.

"If you have something to say, say it.　Big brother.
"Surrender is allowed, but the referee will stop the fight, not stop the victory like in a standing match. I'm sure they've refereed before, but even though the ......2 people were moving fast, they honestly lack experience.
It was a wise decision not to mention it on the commentary, brother. It's a good thing that you're not the only one. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that. ...... But if the Colosseum is used as a benchmark, it can't be helped. I think Aylan was good at taking advantage of that.
"Was he good?
No. Yes.

　Pasta looked at the fallen Prim and said.

It was Aylin who won.

　Well, you're right, Pasta.
　I'm sure Pasta would agree that Arawn's approach was right.

　But if that's the case.
　I wonder if the villain I'm expected to play is the same as Aylan.







　A man watches from the waiting room as Prim is carried away on a stretcher.
　Behind him, a secretary asks, "Are you going to go to Prim?

Don't you want to go to Mr. Prim?

　He looked back and shook his head.

I've got another game. I'm going to the waiting room.

　With that, he walked away.
　The secretary saw him go, but he didn't look as if he was thinking, "If Prim loses, so be it.

　"He doesn't seem to be thinking, "I'll just have a good time fighting and lose.

Why didn't you just say so?


　After seeing him off until he was out of sight, the secretary looked at the cards for the second match on the battlefield and muttered.

"I can't lose anymore.








　The first martial arts tournament in commemoration of the construction of the arena Spectacula hosted by Eisenhart in the capital.


　--The second match of the finals.

　Richter L. Klingbloom vs. Leafy Lean Glide