Houshin Engi
by Fujisaki Ryuu, adapted from the novel by Ano Tsutomu
published by JUMP Comics; Shueisha, Inc. 
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78.  The Princes' Choice . Part 2
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[163]

78.  The Princes' Choice . Part 2

[164]
- Yin -

Chuuou: Dakki...

Dakki: Ohh...Chuuou-sama, what is it?

Chuuou: My sons...I had a dream about them...

Chuuou: How are the two of them doing....
Dakki: Hah!

[165]
Dakki: Don't worry, Chuuou-sama!  
They're leading the army to invade against the Zhou army right 
now!  As their foster mother, I feel very proud too!

Chuuou: ....is that so....

Oukijin: Sister Dakki!  Chuuou is becoming stronger!!
Kokibi: Chuuou-sama is becoming more cool and dashing!

Dakki: That's right!  He is the "Last Boss" of this war, after 
all!
If we don't do this, Taikoubou and the others will think 
there's no purpose, right?

[166]
- Hansuikan -

ani-Inkou: You are the commander of Hansuikan, Kanei, right?
Kanei: Yes!

ani-Inkou: Go to Kaihankan to bring more troops!  
Then, we will have hundreds of thousands to deal with Zhou's 
50,000.

ani-Inkou: I will personally lead the army into battle!

[167]
otouto-Inkou: Stop it, Brother!!

otouto-Inkou: Are you really going to fight Taikoubou!?

ani-Inkou: Of course!  I'm a prince of Yin!!

otouto-Inkou: This...but... 
Our masters said this before, right?!

Sekiseishi: The two of you listen, 
when you leave the mountain, you must follow Taikoubou.
Kouseishi: If you go against what we have told you...

Kouseishi: You must pay for it with your deaths!

[168]
ani-Inkou: Ha... they were really foolish...
otouto-Inkou: Haah!?

ani-Inkou: I will never feel any gratitude to them!  
I only made use of them to get the paopei!!

otouto-Inkou: !!!

ani-Inkou: Leave, Inkou!  
If you don't leave now, I'm going to use this paopei, 
"Bantennin"!!

otouto-Inkou: Brother...

[169]
- Zhou -

KiHatsu: Hey!  Taikoubou!!

Taikoubou: What is it?  
Is there something wrong?

KiHatsu/Youzen/KouHiko: .........

[170]
KouHiko: You look so distracted...
Taikoubou: What's up?

Youzen: Now is not the time to act all happy-go-lucky!!
You know Bukichi said that Inkou has gathered a large army!!

Youzen: Huh!  It might get to the stage where we have to fight 
a human army!!
Fighting against a human army, we can't use the paopei of 
sendou!!

Taikoubou: That's why I'm thinking of a strategy right now!  
Leave the matter of the war to me!!

KouHiko:  ...........

[171]
KiHatsu: That Taikoubou...

KiHatsu: Actually, he's just pretending it's not a big deal!!

KouHiko: Yeah... he's been betrayed by the people he saved... 
furthermore, 
This time, it will lead to a lot of sacrifice of people.

Youzen: ...that's right, Shishu must be thinking of some plan 
to prevent human casualties now... 
----but, this time, the circumstances are special!

[172]
Youzen: Because Inkou is the prince, but he is also a 
doushi...

KiHatsu: ?
What's so special about that?

Youzen: Shishu has always been against the practice of "sendou 
meddling in human affairs".
Dakki is such an example...

Youzen: Inkou is trying to do the same now.

KiHatsu: So Taikoubou has no choice but to defeat the prince, 
right?  
In that case, we'll just let you guys go deal with him!

KouHiko: But, the prince is only attacking as commander of the 
army now.
That means it will become us sendou killing the humans and 
imperial family!

[173]
KiHatsu: *lightbulb*

KiHatsu:  I see!  If the prince doesn't use paopei, it's 
considered a human war, but if he uses his paopei to win, then 
it'll be exactly the same as Dakki!!
KouHiko: That's right!

KiHatsu: .......

KiHatsu: But... 
After defeating the Yin, can you really build a new dynasty 
without sendou support?

Youzen: Well...

Youzen: We'll have to lure the enemy back to Senninkai!

[174]
There are a lot of strange things in the world.

Sipuxiang: Here's a special report...
Bukichi: Bukichi and Sipuxiang's "Houshin Everything" can 
answer anything!!

Bukichi: Ah, our special guest this time is Nankyuukatsu.  
Does Master's war include the use of nuclear weapons?
(I don't know~~)
Nankyuukatsu: Idiot!!  That sort of thing hasn't been invented 
in this time period yet!!

A war of the past!!  There are infantry, calvary and chariots, 
etc.  All made up of humans!!

According to Taikoubou's "War Manual":
One chariot is equivalent to the power of 10 calvary or 80 
infantry soldiers.

[175]
Just collect the soldiers together and set each side to 
collide!

Defensive                 BATTLE              <-  Advancing
formation                   !!!               <-  formation

Bukichi: Wow, Nankyuukatsu is really impressive!!
Sipuxiang: Not only are you well-built, but you're quite smart 
too...

Nankyuukatsu: Haha~ but of course!!  
If it weren't for that Kou Hiko, I would have been the First 
General of Zhou~~

Nankyuukatsu: Yes... 
before Kou Hiko came along...  
Kou Hiko...

Sipuxiang: And then?  
This time, what will happen to the two commanders, Goshujin 
and Inkou?

[176]
Nankyuukatsu: Well!  They will decide on the formation to use, 
and then order the army to do as they want!!
Victory and defeat in war is decided by the ability of the 
commanders to lead!!

Next day, the Yin and Zhou Armies began to move.
The battlefield is the region of Seiki around Hansuikan.

[177]
otouto-Inkou: ............

Soldier: Uh.....
Soldier: Hm.....?

Soldier: Can we win this war?
Soldier: Hmm....we should be able to.....

Soldier: If we win, the prince promised to cut taxes by half!!
Soldier: Yeah...we just have to do as we're told.

[178]
otouto-Inkou: The soldiers are poor... 
Soldiers fighting for the sake of goods...
I would like to stop Brother... 
But how should I do it...

ani-Inkou: This really is...

ani-Inkou: If our descendants are to find out about this, they 
will laugh at me and say I'm a fool.
But, the path that I have chosen...

ani-Inkou: To defeat Dakki and Zhou, and reclaim Yin again!!  
I will definitely rebuild Yin and show all of you!!

[179]
Taikoubou: Hey!
At this speed, we'll meet the enemy in another two or three 
days.

Taikoubou: Buou... 
I'm going off for a while, I will be back before the war 
starts, don't worry!

KiHatsu: Hey!  How can you leave at a time like this!?

Taikoubou: I need to make a trip to Senninkai!
KiHatsu: WHAT?!

[180]
KiHatsu: Aaaaaahhhhhh~~!

KiHatsu: He's really gone...
Youzen: Yes...

Youzen: Perhaps he's gone to inform the princes' masters?

KiHatsu: Che!  
Really...this guy, like this, can we really win!?

Youzen: Of course!  100% chance of winning!  
Even without him, as long as I'm around, that's enough!

[181]
Three days later.

The Prince of Yin and Zhou Army arrived together on a vast 
plains in formation.
The war will start very soon.

----- BUT!!

KiHatsu: Taikoubou is not back yet!!
Nankyuukatsu: It's alright, Buou!  You have me!!
Youzen: .....
- Taikoubou is late... -



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Translation (c) 2000 Koushi <http://houshin.net/> - all rights
reserved. No part or whole of this document may be broken up
or published on a web-page without the express permission of
the author. It may be freely distributed for _personal_ use
ONLY on the condition that it is distributed in its entirety
and no changes of ANY KIND are made, leaving all original
author and copyright information intact.

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