Juni Taisen: Zodiac War (十二大戦)

I'm happy to have two other pacifists with me.

If the rest of you change your mind, you can tell me at any point.

So, Mr. Sleepyhead over there and...

Hey! Mr. Bunny Ears, come over—

Hey, you!

This way!

Okay, let's go.

Come on.

Juni Taisen

Episode 2: Tricks Both Mongrel and Fowl

They really did erase the population of a city of 500,000 in a single night, I guess.

I think some people got left inside...

Do you think they're okay?

Is this really

the time to worry about others?

Good point.

For now, let's look for a place where we can lay low.

I see...

Wow, I guess this would be quite a blind spot.

By the way, thank you for agreeing to my peace proposal.

No problem. That's why you saved me, after all.

Yeah.

I just realized. We haven't introduced ourselves, have we?

Sharyu: Warrior of the Monkey, killing peacefully.

Killing Peacefully

Monkey

Nezumi: Warrior of the Rat, killing all.

Killing All

Rat

Sharyu

Nezumi

You're quite young, aren't you?

Though, to have been chosen for the Juni Taisen,

you must be sufficiently accomplished as a warrior.

Well, when it comes to fighting, everyone has their own standards

for how much is "sufficient."

Dealing with children can be such a hassle...

You're quite powerful, aren't you?

Well, enough to defend myself, I would hope.

Don't be modest.

You were the one who brought down the floor, weren't you,

Miss Sharyu?

Oh, he could tell?

I think someone saw your alliance about to be formed,

and was preparing to launch a first strike to prevent it.

But you sensed that and protected us by

taking out the floor and returning us to square one.

Isn't that right?

Yes, that's more or less accurate.

But I didn't just "sense it," or anything so vague as that.

Someone was emitting a palpable urge to kill.

It means another warrior was present who wanted

to end the Juni Taisen with an approach that was the polar opposite of mine.

Down we go...

It seems most of them chose to use the chaos to hide for the time being.

There are no strict boundaries on the Juni Taisen's playing field.

I've heard that one can go so far as to leave the country if one wishes.

In fact, the last tournament's winner, Boar,

turned the fight in his favor

by choosing to travel to a densely populated place.

But with a clear time limit dictated by this poison in our bellies,

I doubt anyone will get too far from this town.

Which means that, sooner or later, I'll get another chance

to use this "Old-Timer" I created.

Where the hell did he get off to?

Hey, there!

Please sample

Hello, hello, hello!

Highway Exit

Killed right off the bat, and reduced to someone's puppet...

Pathetic.

Yeah, figured this place would be abandoned.

The rules of this year's Taisen

say we have to steal the poison jewels the others swallowed.

That twelve-hour time bomb is gonna make it

hard to use the standard strategy of laying low in the early running.

That doesn't apply to me, though.

If there's a theory, go the other way. That's how I roll.

I let the world think my fighting style is my savage "Mad Dog's Vise" bite.

But what actually defines a Dog warrior is the venom secreted from the fangs.

Of course, anyone who gets a taste of it ends up dead.

Welcome.

You were a fool to come here alone.

I produce the venom in my own body, and by infecting my enemy with it,

I can kill, kill, and sometimes even kill...

Of course, a bite is a bite,

so to say that biting is my style isn't technically a lie...

I could tell at first glance that the pitch-black jewel was a type of poison.

And knowing that, I had my body prepare an antidote to neutralize it in advance.

Cheating? Maybe, but I don't feel the slightest bit guilty.

When I get an advantage, I'll use it to the fullest.

Seems we have a pretty bloodthirsty bunch this time around, too...

They'll likely thin their own numbers at the start,

so for now, I'll wait.

I'll gladly wait.

Waiting's what a dog does best.

I'll wait until they're down to three or fewer, here in this perfect hiding sp—

A bird?

Found you!

H-Hi, there.

There we go.

About before... I wasn't trying to hide the fact that I broke the floor.

But...

Actually, maybe I was.

I knew you would look at me that way if you knew.

I'm not trying to appear accusatory.

I'm just the naturally shifty-eyed type.

More importantly... Were you able to identify the attempted aggressor?

I wasn't.

I didn't really have time to investigate further.

It took all I had just to allow everyone to escape.

I told you not to be modest.

If you'd wanted to, you could have identified them,

and even killed them on the spot, couldn't you?

I could have, it's true.

But I don't use my power that way.

There are more appropriate, more worthy ways to use great power,

Nezumi-kun.

Appropriate, huh?

Though, I have a feeling the aggressor was the one acting more appropriately...

Please don't get the wrong idea!

I don't mean you any harm, I promise!

The hell is this little brat thinking?

She was in a perfect position for an ambush.

I-I'm the Chicken! Niwatori, the Chicken.

I came here because I... I was hoping we could team up...

Team up?

That's right... She tried to accept the Monkey's offer, too.

For such a timid waif, that's one hell of a flashy, revealing outfit.

Like a costume someone chose for her.

Sent into the Juni Taisen against her will, maybe?

Team up, you say?

Y-Yes...

Things may have gotten a bit chaotic, but in a battle royale,

it g-goes without saying that you should group up at the start, right?

If it really went without saying,

Th-Then, when we're the last two standing,

the Monkey wouldn't have been the only one who tried it.

we can settle it with a fair fight, one on one!

Everyone knows there's only one winner in the end.

So please, work with me! Please!

Doesn't she get that teamwork and betrayal go hand in hand around here?

Can't see what I'd get out of working with an idiot like her...

But if we fight now and I end up wounded, that's not good for me, either.

I don't want even the slightest chance of getting eliminated early.

My best chance might be to pretend to team up with her,

and then kill her before we run into anyone else.

Besides, we really need to hurry!

We're in trouble! Big trouble!

That scary-looking warrior with the two hatchets...

Don't be shocked, but he's a necromantist!

A necromantist?

He killed the Boar warrior, and he's already formed a team of three!

What did you say?

I... I have an ability called Eye of the Cormorant.

I can communicate with birds flying in the sky, and I see what they see.

Oh, that's how I found you, too.

That pigeon... So that's how she did it.

A-Anyway, after the floor collapsed,