Bunny Meets A Rabbit And A Demon King

(Third Person's POV)

Tsuka is munching on some fresh carrots that she just found inside the forest. Yes, her master spoils her with many delicious treats all the time but Tsuka very much enjoy finding her own food as well.

After eating up all of the carrots, Tsuka got up and began bouncing around aimlessly. Doing this once in a while wasn't so bad.

While she's enjoying her time, lazing around under the shade of a huge tree, she suddenly felt an ominous aura creeping closer. It's not moving towards her but she still felt so curious.

"Squeak~? Human?"

Again, a weird human appeared before Tsuka. However, before she could fully scrutinize and verify the appearance of this human(?), he began running towards random directions all around the forest.

Curious, Tsuka began following this man while keeping a safe distance away from him. Even if he did spot her though, he wouldn't even be able to catch up to her. Not a chance.

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Somewhere in the grassy planes, a bunch of rabbits were peacefully bouncing around, some even chose to sleep. This is the first floor of the dungeon called [Rabbit Paradise].

Like usual, [Rabbit Paradise] was as peaceful as ever, with no other intruders coming other than some grasshoppers, locusts, and some occasional hungry hawks. But that all changed when a certain intruder appeared.

"Well, what do we have here?! Is this a dungeon I spy?!" A raspy voice of a man said while grinning in a sinister manner.

The entrance to the dungeon was named the Rabbit Pitfall, and at the time everyone thought some more easy prey had fallen inside. They thought they could just surround the adventurer and beat him up as usual. However…

"W-Wait! Don't attack!" Number 629 yelled, messaging everyone in the dungeon and halting their advance.

"What's this, then? You beasts choose not to attack?" The grin on the intruder's face because even wider when he noticed that they chose not to attack.

Number 629 hopped out in front of the unfazed intruder, ignoring the several rabbits who told him it was dangerous. The intruder looked down at him and his fluffy orange fur as he emerged from the group of rabbits. Then, without a warning, the intruder began laughing derisively.

Number 629 didn't mind the boastful attitude the intruder is showing since he thought that it was a worthy sacrifice. He knew for a fact that if his dungeon monsters attacked, they all would have died. He was sure of it.

There was strength in numbers and in surrounding someone, but if the opponent in question was too strong, nothing would come from human wave tactics except a slaughter. That's just how big of a gap there is between them.

"Ermm, umm, are you a Dungeon Core? You're in human form, but…" Number 629 asked amicably.

"Oho! You are… not someone I remember. State your number."

Number 629 ignored the belittling tone of the intruder. He just ignored it. He survived for so long while keeping a low profile and slowly gathering his strength. For a rabbit-type Dungeon Core such as him, this is just normal and could be tolerated to some extent.

"I'm Number 629. What about you?"

"I am Number 576. An elite in the Demon King faction, of course." The intruder — Number 576 — gave a self-assured cackle. Of course, he didn't forget to boast at his junior who is many centuries younger than him.

As a Core from the 500s batch, he was significantly older than Number 629, a Core obviously from the 600 batch, and on top of that he had the excess strength to transform into human form.

Not to mention that he was part of the Demon King faction. That was a gathering of Cores which excelled in individual strength, and Core 629 had heard more than a few tales of their conquests.

Still, as a fellow Dungeon Core it shouldn't be impossible to negotiate with this intruder, he thought. They all shared the same Father, after all.

The only exception to that would be the infamous traitor Number 89's faction, but as a rabbit-type core, Core 629 belonged to the Beast King faction. Everything should be fine as long as he remained humble. Neither of them had been hurt or offended yet, and it was expected that younger Cores would show humility to older Cores.

"…My apologies, Dungeon Core Number 576. I would greatly appreciate it if you would leave my dungeon without causing undue damage. I can take you to the exit."

"Hah! I've never heard a more boring proposition in my life. I came here to inspect this place that is in the middle of the Demon King Faction and that traitor's faction and I saw your dungeon here. Now, tell me, are you a member of that traitor's faction?"

"…Erm?" Number 629 tilted his fluffy head, confused. What is this guy saying?

"Hmph. Why would anyone but a traitor make a dungeon in a place like this?"

"What do you mean by that? No matter how you look at it, this is just a plain old field."

"Oho? Playing dumb, are we…? This certainly is just a plain old field. However, this is in the middle of the warzone between the Empire and Demon Realm! We've been in a war for a long time against that treacherous b*tch and you, who so happens to be in the right place to provide assistance to that b*tch during the war, is definitely enough evidence to me." Number 576 roared with amused laughter.

Core 629, on the other hand, was blinking in surprise. He had never known that his dungeon was in such a hotspot of a location. If he had known, he wouldn't have erected his dungeon here of all places.

"Th-That's news to me! I started this dungeon right where I was first placed!"

"I see, I see. And that's why you joined the traitor faction!"

"Whaaat?!" The false accusations kept piling up, but to Core 576 it was the only thing that made sense. What were the chances that a neutral core belonging to neither faction would have a dungeon located right in the middle of a warzone? Slim chances, to be sure.

The war between the Empire and the Demon Realm has been going on for a long time so every core should know what's going on.

"It's a mere coincidence!"

"There are no coincidences in war! You will not fool me!"

Core 629 was telling the truth, but the circumstances made it hard to believe him.

"I'm part of the Beast King faction! Can't you tell that from my animal body?!" Number 629 could no longer keep his composure. He's being accused of something he never did. It was so unfair he wanted to cry

"All I see is a weak rabbit. You must have fled to the traitor after the Beast King cut you off."

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Tsuka has been following the man scower the whole grassy plains until he coincidentally stumbled upon this part of the plains filled with rabbits. She thought, "Wow~, many friends~!"

She was even more surprised when she witnessed an orange rabbit talk using human language. If she gets older, she could also do that, but she's curious how this rabbit managed to do it. Based on their conversation, this rabbit seems to be a 'Dungeon Core' similar to her friend Rokuko.

Whilst she was thinking of such things, the guy who she followed to reach this place suddenly began to bully the orange rabbit. In Tsuka's mind, bullies are automatically labeled as a bad person.

Similar to Pochi and Tama, Tsuka also received the teachings of Kaede and the other girls. And while this sort of perception is sometimes flawed, this time, she was totally correct.

Disappearing from her position, Tsuka immediately reappeared behind the cocky Dungeon Core. Then, almost immediately, Tsuka's form started to change to her battle form.

Even though she had the perfect opportunity to attack, Tsuka didn't. On instinct, a side of her wanted this guy who's belittling the rabbit race to feel extreme fear towards her and her race.

An ominous aura is being emitted from her body while her irises are still emitting gentle streaks of light green lightning. Don't let her cute appearance deceive you, though.

"Who goes there!?" the previously boastful man was so spooked that he immediately jumped away from Tsuka the moment he felt her aura.

"W-What is happening to my body!?"

Number 629, on the other hand, is now lying on the ground and his four limbs randomly clawing on the air. Similarly, all of the rabbits present at the grassy plains also did the same pose.

It was an extremely cute sight, but at the same time, this is the rabbits' way of showing respect towards a noble being from their race. This also happened when Tsuka first transformed to her battle form in front of her so-called friends, the monsters that Rokuko summoned.

This was the rabbits innate reaction from meeting a, in xinxia and wuxia terms, higher being or species. Tsuka is much higher than them in the evolution tree so their bodies, either voluntarily or involuntarily, did that pose to show their respect. Even a Dungeon Core was not spared.

In a cute and endearing voice, Tsuka said, "Squeak, squeak~! Tsuka will, eliminate bully~!" Before taking out her two daggers and posing in her battle stance. Well, it's technically not a battle stance since she just stood in her position in a relaxed stance, but it's a battle stance nonetheless.

"What did it just say? I can't understand a single damn thing!" the man is now feeling stressed since he felt like, even if he used his full power, this rabbit(?) in front of him will just wipe the floor with him.

"Um, it looks like she's still quite young so her speech, even in [Rabbit Language], is still broken. From what I can understand, she's basically saying that you, the bully, must die?" Number 629 replied, unsure if what he heard was correct or not. It's not everyday that you'll encounter someone who wants to kill a Dungeon Core, after all. That's except when you are unfortunate enough to meet a Soldier of God.

"W-WHAT DID YOU SAAAY!?"

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※~To be continued~※

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Author's Remarks:

※ Ah, yes. Really fun to write this one.