Arubi defeated most of his pursuers before he reached a small control room. He grabbed the microphone staff from the main panel, slashing it at the first bandit. With no other free dart, he resorted to throwing baby carrots, leaving small tears in his eyes. He had reserved a sweet spot for them in his stomach.

A foolish bear spread his arms, holding clubs, leaving his stomach exposed. Arubi snapped and dived into the bandit's stomach, hind legs first. The bear collapsed, blocking the door for a few seconds.

The rabbit scanned the spacious hangar under the overhanging control room through a glass wall until he found a large propeller embedded into the front wall.

"Let's have bunn—" A beetroot zinged into the lizard's jaw, silencing him. The other members of the group pushed forward, stepping on the gecko's tail. The poor—literally and emotionally speaking—fella, rammed his head into the ceiling, turning himself tail-less.

"Got you!" a dog-vixen snapped, thrusting forward his rusty dagger.

Arubi pivoted, grabbed the bandit by his wrist, and used him like a hammer, shattering the glass panels. The pieces flew, raining like diamonds, but a loud thud overshadowed the creaking symphony of landing glass.

The dog-vixen lifted his head, and Arubi stomped on his stomach, knocking the bandit's lights out for good. His hind legs propelled him into the air, away from the shards on the floor.

The ninja spared the remaining bandits a quick look. This should give me a few minutes to— His ears twitched. A rumbling of unwashed feet got closer with each heartbeat. "Classic. Can't have a spare moment to iron out my fluffiness." He licked his paw and adjusted the fur between his ears.

Just because he'd gotten approached by men hungry for grilled rabbit, didn't mean he couldn't look presentable. The mix of wolves, reptiles, two pandas, and mutts panted as their hands shook holding the rusty weapons.

Arubi didn't bother to pay them much attention as they were busy arguing how many points a circle has. The ninja's trained eyes counted five, dim crystals behind bars around the big propeller. The rest of the equipment was ordinary, from dirty panels, ropes, chains, a bucket in the corner with a WC tag above it, machines used for moving boxes, to a crane over his head.

A big puff escaped the rabbit's muzzle as he took a much-needed break. His eyes trailed the walls, spotting a broken pathway. Arubi nibbled on his kiseru.

"W'o wa'ts bun'y din'er?" asked one thief when they assumed a multi-angle-like formation. The rabbit's ears twitched, and he returned his pipe into the bag and took out leeks.

"Huh?" voiced another thief with a long face made from ninety percent by his dropped jaw. That was easy, as he was Serpin.

"Ninja!" Arubi leaped, his paws swishing in the air, and the daredevil ended up with an A on his chest.

The bandit's shocked body tumbled, his eyes filling with stars. He'd never gotten such a high mark. An awkward silence spread among the rest until they stormed at the ninja, roaring.

Arubi smirked. "Ninja!" His leek swords slashed across their chests, embedding them with sleek decorations. One by one, they fell in the same heap. Once the last bandit assumed his place, Arubi checked his paw-dy work with a critical eye. Nothing beats a neat triangle. He shoved them back into his wonder bag and turned to search for his partner.

In the middle of his fourth step, Arubi's ears flopped with swaying his body. He didn't need to perk his ears to sense a stomping group of vermin closing upon him. It's one of those days...

He pivoted to face a horde ranging about thirty members, and Arubi wasn't in the mood to sweat. He reached inside of his bag, taking out a small cannon he pumped; its hose led back into the bag.

"Get him!" shouted the leading bandit who appointed himself into a leadership position. Nobody from the group complained as they were short of breath until a red projectile zinged through the air, splattering against the bandit's face. Soon the whole group saw red.

The massacre by ToMaGun (Tomatoes Machine Gun™) had begun.

Chaos spread among them in less than three seconds as the tomato bullets splatted them with its gooey insides. The bandits fell on their muzzles, kicking each other with perfect swings, and a few made somersaults worth of medals; their landing mats were of a different opinion.

A small puff of smoke left Arubi's kiseru. The bandits did an excellent job knocking each out. After ten more puffs, a small group of lucky winners stepped outside of the red field of juiciness. With their heads filled with madness, only a rabbit feast could vanquish their thirst.

Arubi zigzagged among them, luring them into the tomato field. The jackal cleaved the ground with a heavy ax, missing the nimble target. The rabbit smirked and jumped on the jackal's face, using it as a platform. His hind legs propelled him toward the hanging bridge.

"Don't be a chick!"

"Yeah, fight like a hare..." The bear trailed off. "I mean, a man..."

Arubi didn't wait for them to come into agreement. He took out zucchini and threw it. The swirling circle silenced their debate in a jiffy. The rabbit raised his paw and caught his boomerang. It returned halfway peeled and with three teeth attached.

¯\_(^_^)_/¯

The horde of centaurs was hot on Kairo's tail with pointy lances in their hands. The boy's clothes learned they were much better with their weapons than the rest of the bandits as holes embed the patched patches.

Kairo could only defend himself among the sea of fallen bandits. His umbrella rung against two spears, blocking them. The bounty hunter showed his teeth from under a deep frown, and his knees bent under the weight.

The third Centaur aimed at his head from the right. Kairo leaped back and let the tips clash and tangle. One heartbeat resonated in the boy's chest before he dashed back into action.

He grasped his wagasa with both hands, clenching the handle in unison with his bared teeth. The sharp tip whistled through the air, and the dull side of the umbrella dug into the ribs of Centaur on Kairo's left. Snapping bones muffled the curses from his throat and his companion, who turned into a landing mat.

Kairo had no time to celebrate, as he leaped back, avoiding a spear. The weapon pierced the ground, cracks running from the hole as a spiderweb. His red eyes shot toward the centaur, pulling his weapon back. The bounty hunter pivoted with his umbrella attached to his back, dashing into the nearest corridor.

Dang! I must get away from them! Kairo hoped to find a suitable escape rope in a bin. He sprinted around every corner he came across, but luck was in a sassy mood, and another Centaur joined the chase.

"Just what I need," he hissed through his revealed teeth, looking over his shoulder. He turned his attention back to the path in front of him. He gasped, digging his heels into the ground.

His legs squeaked, sliding the floor while his hands turned into windmills to slow down. His crazy ride came to an end with his nose two inches in front of the wall.

That was good.

The wall was dirty.

He tap-danced, trying to cool his heels and wake up his stiff legs while he turned to face the Centaurs. All three fitted in the corridor with their spears ready to turn him into a skewer.

Dang. Kairo wiped his sweaty hands into his hakama. Kairo wished they stopped grinning. It reminded him of the last time he brushed his teeth, and it wasn't in the previous three months.

If the middle Centaur cared for dental hygiene, he was more than happy to solve this problem for the boy as his spear stabbed forward with surprising speed.

Kairo sidestepped to the left. The rusty edge didn't touch him, going through his clothes, yet his heart skipped a beat. His red eyes widened, and his lungs struggled to inhale.

As the weapon retracted, it ripped through the hand-made socks Kairo received from the Konketsu girl. The wool turned dirty as it touched the ground.

A haze enveloped the young hunter's mind, as the Centaurs turned into smudged figures. How could this happen? His heart thudded faster and faster, kicking the blood into his popped-up veins. Smirks appeared on the bandit's faces. Their victim was powerless, too deep in shock to defend himself.

Kairo's fingers twitched before he balled his fists, tightening them with each heartbeat. "You..." he mumbled with his head hung low.

The middle Centaur tilted his head with a big smirk. He was in a good mood, letting Kairo have his last words.

"Do you have any idea..." The young bounty hunter brought his clenched fists higher.

The left Centaur scratched behind his unwashed ear. He wasn't sure if he ever had had any idea.

Kairo's head snapped up with tears spurting from his red eyes, and the floor beneath tasted water for the first time in a century. "... for how much I could sell it, you stupid Mules!" A loud snort escaped with the last curse that happened to be the worst word to be used in the presence of a Centaur.

Their twisted faces turned deep red, and untranslatable curses soared from their throats. The middle Centaur dashed first, his weapon thrusting forward.

Kairo bent down, and with a long stride, he got in front of the front legs. The spear dug deep in the wall, getting stuck. Before the Centaur freed his weapon, the boy swung on his back, ripping a few horsehairs.

The Centaur yelped, standing on his hind legs. His head banged against the low ceiling, knocking himself unconscious. Kairo didn't stop here, as the Centaur behind the first one tasted his sole on his face with a loud crunch.

The Centaur dropped his weapon and covered his face to stop the bleeding. Kairo moved away, as the last Centaur let his spear be and jabbed, but he only punched the air.

The bleeding centaur crashed into his partner, and Kairo used this commotion for his not-so-grand escape. It didn't take even ten strides, and an echo of horseshoes reached the boy's ears before he turned a corner.

The furious centaur followed, but that proved to be his mistake as his body crashed into a group of bandits. Their bodies tangled with painful cries disturbed by juicy cursing.

"Sheesh, keep this PG-14. That's our main demographic," Kairo muttered, hanging from the ceiling pipe like a spider-boy as he continued forward. This incident didn't bother the end of the bandit's strudel, so their weapons aimed high.

Kairo let go of the pipe, turned in mid-air, landed on his hands, and kicked back. Deep and multiple "ugh" sounds ensured him of the high score. Once his legs touched the ground, he sprinted away. He had lost too much time here, and he didn't need another group wheezing behind him.

"Prepare to meat your bloom!"

Kairo rolled his eyes. Let me guess, I forgot to mention in front too, right? He stopped, and his eyes darted at the end of a narrower corridor. Only twenty meters lay between him and the group of thieves with a grizzly bear leader standing behind them. The grizzly would look credible if he didn't wear the T-shirt with a daisy and text "I love my ex-crement".

Actually, in a sense, it was making sense, but it wasn't appealing to Kairo's senses. Did he just lose his senses by saying three times "a sense" in one sensible sentence? Is the time for ads already? I think I need to pee, Kairo thought, confused by what his mind sensed.

"Get him, chicks!" shouted the leader, and the flock of roosters dashed forward. No time to think. It was time to come to one's senses and do what Kairo did the best.

He took a deep breath. "Tame..." He reached for his umbrella. The thieves were ten meters away. "Amen..." He widened his posture, aligning the wagasa with his waist. His other hand supported it from below. Three roosters stubbed their talons. Kairo felt their pain. It pained him that he couldn't beat them in their best condition. "Ha!" His wagasa shot forward, sending numerous bubbles their way from its tip.

"Cleaner danger!" the bandits shouted in unison and retreated as one mind and body.

It was creepy to see them cooperate so flawlessly. Like they were part of a bee-mind or something, but Kairo had nothing to complain about. He'd never met a bandit with passion for bathing, and this tactic never failed to amaze him.

"Banzai!" the bear yelled once he was alone. His roar vibrated within the empty corridor, and the gust of wind burst the bubbles. His fur bristled with anger and heavy wheezing.

Kairo smirked, and added his own battle cry. "Panzai!"

"Banzai!" he howled, vibrating with the pipes above them.

Kairo ran to him, and the bear did the same until they met in the middle. "Panzai!"

The bear's face turned crimson, and the boy lowered his body to avoid a shower of saliva into his face. "Banzai!" Once the bear caught his breath, Kairo jumped, flapping with his hands.

"Panzai!" The bounty hunter touched the ground after a few long seconds.

The bear's face put the color crimson to shame as a loud growl escaped through his bared fangs. Kairo's hair fluttered as the bandit sucked the air. The bear's chest could burst any second, but he kept going. In one motion, he slashed his body forward.

"Banz—!"

A swift kick in the jaw paralyzed him. The bear's body collapsed on the floor with a big brain-shake. Kairo smirked, rubbing his nose from below with his index finger. "When I say Panzai, I mean Panzai, kapish?" He snickered and ran forward. He needed to snatch a big treasure.

¯\_(^_^)_/¯

Meanwhile, his partner Arubi hid inside of an air vent. The bandits kept running below him, but he was safe. Well, at least from them, but he hated the stale air. It stunk how stinky it was there.

Thankfully, he'd bought the gas mask in the garage sale. Now it came handy. And speaking of hands, he made sure to watch where he laid his paws; he already passed an old handkerchief, gooey stuff under layers of dust, forgotten screws, gnawed cables, and a cult of cockroaches worshiping a cane of The Star Cosmos. It used to be a very popular pop soda until its production stopped when people complained about no pop-sound upon opening as the advertisement promised.

He changed his calculated course when lights from behind one corner, caught his attention. What's that? He carefully approached it since the lights at the end of the tunnel could be misleading. At first, only his ear peeked out, and then he glanced behind the curve.

There was an Insect Disco Show. Arubi's eyes moved from one jitterbugging bug to another, and it bugged him. A pair of centipedes rolled on the ground in a bizarre ball of legs. Untangling them would take hours.

Arubi's ears twitched as loud cheers drowned the music, reducing it into a murmur. His head shot there, glancing a roly-poly bug playing ninepins with its own body.

The next ring showed a muscular ladybug wrestling a potato bug. Both ladies grimaced at each other, breaking from one lock after another. The crowd around them shouted and whistled.

The cue to leave came in the form of drunken dung beetles that mistook the poor rabbit for a barfing nook. Arubi hissed, dashing in the blink of an eye and didn't stop until he'd turned the tenth corner. With this, his carefully planned plan shattered, not to mention that stuff on his paws would take kilos of bathing salts to get rid of.

"Dang it," he cursed, waving with his paws.

The paths looked the same, so finding any landmark was impossible if one didn't count tiny graffiti made by bugs. Arubi's tiny nose wrinkled. Something is rotten in the ventilation. Before he could consider his next step, the ground moved under him. He glanced at the grille; it was missing.

Gravitation took its sweet time to pull him back. Maybe it was because he was trying to learn how to fly. Not even his fluffy tail could cushion the hard landing. Arubi rubbed the sore place on his back. His ears twitched, noting of the people behind him.

"A bunny?" asked one thief.

Arubi's eye sparkled, and the gas mask hit the offender right between the eye and eyepatch. Wild cries filled the corridor; most came from the bandits as they turned into wall decorations.

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