Juni Taisen: Zodiac War (十二大戦)

Honored VIPs gathered here tonight,

the Juni Taisen is a war for war's sake.

Those wars with such high economic, humanitarian, and environmental costs

are, once every twelve years,

focused into a battle fought by a mere twelve warriors.

A proxy war.

A fair and peaceful territorial struggle for the countries possessed

by you, our honored guests.

A high-minded gamble for control of the world.

When we reach the point at which half of the twelve fighters are gone,

we shall begin the formal betting.

Now, let us check the current performance of each warrior.

Running out to an early lead is the Warrior of the Ox, with three Juseki.

In second, with two each, the Warriors of the Rabbit and Dragon.

In fourth place are the others, who have only the one in their bodies.

Under these rules,

I'd assumed common sense would lead them to form teams early on.

But only Rabbit has done so.

You said we'd place bets when half of them remain,

but we can assume the corpse doesn't count, yes?

Indeed, you are correct.

But as for warriors who could face that team alone...

Ox.

Knowing that Genius, a team would only hold him back.

He might just slaughter them all on his own.

Monkey and Rat are also a team, aren't they?

We know about Monkey, but what about Rat?

There's so little information about him, I have no idea how well he can fight.

And in this fight,

her pacifism would be to her disadvantage in many ways.

But there's a strong chance these three will be the last ones alive.

Just three choices, eh?

It's so predictable, I doubt bets on any one would yield many returns.

Is there nothing that could shake things up?

For instance... Sheep.

He was the winner of the ninth tournament, to be sure.

He was the sole winner back then.

But he's far past his prime.

There's no way that old man entered the Taisen without some plan.

Besides, he's the most experienced of them all.

He's not to be overlooked.

The Sheep's actions may sway the outcome of this tournament, as well.

Is he a dark horse this time, or a favorite?

Moving on...

Now, it's showtime, everyone! Don't miss any moment!

The Juni Taisen is a grand war whose results will redraw the maps of the world.

After three more warriors die, we will begin the betting.

Do give careful thought as to which warrior you think will survive to the end.

Until then, watch carefully to see how these warriors fight.

I shall be awaiting your bets, honored VIPs.

Juni Taisen

Episode 5: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Now, among the current participants,

there are three fine warriors I could call the clear leaders.

Sharyu, Warrior of the Monkey.

Usagi, Warrior of the Rabbit.

And Ushii, Warrior of the Ox.

When you bring twelve people together,

it's natural that some will be more talented than others.

But the imbalance in their favor is far too great.

Either way, I should avoid direct conflict with those three.

An old man like me, all skin and bones,

would no doubt crumple at a single blow.

But if I take a different tack,

and manipulate the situation so that those three crush each other,

even a powerless old warrior like me might stand a chance.

Excuse me.

You raised your hand at the start, right?

Why... Why?!

It's true that I won a Juni Taisen in the past.

But the past is the past.

If one were to rank the participants in this Taisen,

even the most favorable estimate would put me at tenth or lower.

Youth, in itself, brings great power.

Meanwhile, Taro was...

Still won't sleep for me, eh?

While I'm exhausted...

What a troublemaker.

Shall I tell you a story from my old days?

Long ago, when things were not as peaceful as they are now,

in a far-off land lived a lively weapons merchant.

It is a good product, but I'd like to put this on my tab.

I beg your pardon, but that wasn't our agreement.

I made it quite clear in advance that I'd only trade for cash.

We've been rather strapped for cash ourselves lately.

I'm afraid we can't take no for an answer.

You want to pay me in lead, then?

I see. Seems you leave me no choice.

Pleasure doing business with you.

Excellent work, taking out those pirates.

Well, I'd been feeling that things had run their course.

But to try to sell us the same merchandise...

I sell products to those who understand their value.

Hardly unnatural.

After all, new customers can be a gateway to newer customers.

It's all on the house this time.

I look forward to your future patronage.

As the young man waded through battlefields bathed in death and blood,

he made quite a name for himself as a warrior.

Before long, one of his close clients, the Tsujiie family,

accepted him as their son-in-law.

Then, one Juni Taisen,

he took part as the Warrior of the Sheep.

And so, he won that Juni Taisen, had his one wish granted,

and was able to see his grandson's face.

Hey, Grandpa, what's this?

That's my birthday present to you.

I lived on the battlefield. I thought I would die there.

Try pushing the button.

I never expected to live a long life with a grandson, like normal people do.

Life is akin to the best laid plans of mice and men.

Or of sheep, perhaps.

Grandpa! Thank you!

I win! Grandpa, you stink!

I'm so lost.

This is completely unlike the battles I've fought.

You probably wouldn't be able to keep up with battles these days, Grandpa.

I beg your pardon! I'm absolutely...

Father, are you certain about this?

I shall participate in the next Juni Taisen in my grandson's stead.

I've made up my mind.

I've had more than my share of happiness in life.

I won't let the family and children who gave me that happiness