Someone spoke from behind them.
"Sorry… but it seems we can't help you," said the voice calmly.
Shiro froze, eyes widening. "Master Hoshi!!!"
Arata turned toward the voice. "That's your teacher, Shiro?"
"Yes," Shiro replied respectfully. "He's the one who taught us how to survive. The oldest among all of us."
Shiro quickly stepped forward. "Master, Arata needs our help. His mother was kidnapped by Catcher Cat!"
"What!? Arata's mother was kidnapped!?" one of them exclaimed.
"Yes, that's right," Shiro said seriously.
Arata took a deep breath and stepped closer. "Please… I'm begging you. I really need your help."
Master Hoshi sighed deeply before answering,
"I'm sorry, Arata. But we can't do anything. The city is now under Catcher Cat's control… ever since your father's disappearance."
"What do you mean?" Arata asked, tension tightening his face.
Hoshi looked toward the distant silver sky.
"After your father left, Catcher Cat took over everything. They control the city now — the laws, the rules, even the people. Everything has changed under their command."
The air fell silent, broken only by the faint whistle of wind against old metal walls.
"But…" Hoshi continued softly, "you all need to leave now—"
BOOM!
A massive explosion shook the ground beneath them.
"Damn it! Kuro!!!" Hoshi shouted.
Thick smoke filled the air.
"They've found our location!" Shiro growled, gritting his teeth.
Out of the smoke, several dark figures emerged — masked and armed.
"So… you've brought the son of Daiki, huh?" said a man in a black jacket with a sinister grin.
"Tch. Thanks. Saves us the trouble of searching through other dimensions."
"Who are they, Shiro!?" Arata asked, readying himself.
"He's the leader of Catcher Cat," Shiro replied grimly.
"What!?" Arata's eyes widened.
The man lifted his hand. "Yo, Daiki's son. Capture them all."
Dozens of Catcher Cat soldiers charged forward, surrounding them from every direction.
"Hmph! Watch this," said Ninja, stepping ahead confidently.
"Hey, what are you gonna do!? Shoot them all!?" Tanaka shouted.
In an instant — Swoosh!
Ninja vanished from sight, and moments later, several enemy weapons clattered to the ground — cleanly sliced in half.
Kuro was caught off guard.
"Oh? Come here, Ninja. I'll show you my true power!" he said with a mocking grin as the ninja drew his sword.
In a blink, the ninja vanished from sight.
"Wow… looks like you've disappeared," Kuro said calmly.
A cold voice echoed from behind him.
"I'm right behind you."
The ninja swung his sword at lightning speed—
but before the blade could make contact, something strange happened.
Tch—Half Shadow.
Zoom!
The ninja's sword suddenly cracked, half of it dissolving into black mist as if devoured by a shadow.
"What?! Impossible!" the ninja shouted in shock.
Kuro smirked, stepping forward and grabbing the ninja by the neck.
"Hey, are you guys really that strong?" he said, squeezing tighter.
"Ninja!!!" his comrades yelled.
Suddenly, another voice thundered from behind.
"Hey, kid… you talk too much."
Kuro's eyes widened—Hoshi was already behind him!
Boom!
Hoshi's fist slammed into Kuro's face.
But Kuro blocked the strike with his left arm, sliding back a step.
"Tch…"
Kuro smirked again, but Hoshi pushed the others back.
"All of you, run! I'll handle them myself!" Hoshi commanded firmly.
"Robot, help carry Ninja!" one of them shouted.
"Guru, we can help you!"
"You can't!" Hoshi said firmly. "You can't fight them right now. There are too many of them—you must leave!"
"He's right! We have to go!" Eten said urgently.
Kuro grinned darkly. "Oi, oi, oi… I'm not letting you all leave that easily."
He turned his head slightly. "Naito! Don't let them escape!"
"Yes, sir!"
Arata's eyes widened as he recognized him.
"Eh… Shiro, isn't that the guy from my house earlier!?"
Naito glared at them coldly. "I won't let you go again!"
He aimed his hand forward.
"Explosion Hand!"
BOOM!!!
A massive blast erupted, sending waves of heat through the room.
"Arata! Watch out!" Shiro shouted.
Hoshi leapt in front of Arata, blocking the explosion with a powerful swing of his arm.
Smoke filled the area, thick and heavy.
"Tch… you're such an annoyance," Kuro muttered.
"Hey! Have you forgotten the rules of this city? No one interferes with Catcher Cat's work!"
Hoshi glared back coldly. "Tch… like I care."
Kuro smirked. "Then I'll make sure you regret that, black cat."
"Come then," Hoshi said, his aura flaring with raw power. "I'll take you all on right here."
He turned to the others.
"This is your chance—run!"
Eten grabbed Shiro's hand. "Come on! Don't waste this chance!"
"Guru!!!" Shiro shouted as they began to run.
Hoshi smiled faintly, his eyes full of pride.
"Hey, Shiro… thank you… for always being by my side."
"Come on, Shiro!!!" Eten yelled again.
They ran toward a new direction—a hidden refuge—
while behind them, the battlefield erupted in fire and chaos.
Hoshi stood alone against the storm.
They began to hide in the forest.
The sound of drizzle started to fall, soft and cold.
The night air was quiet—filled with sorrow and exhaustion.
Shiro sat alone beneath a tree, her eyes heavy with sadness.
"Hey, Shiro… don't be sad," said Arata gently. "Hoshi won't lose that easily."
Eten looked over and added, "Yeah, we'll help you. You're not alone anymore."
"But what about the law? The government's orders?" Shiro asked softly.
Eten gave a small smile. "Don't worry, Shiro. We're cats, not humans."
"Alright then," said the robot calmly. "We'll depart tomorrow."
Darkness thickened around them.
"Looks like night's coming. We should find something to eat first," Arata said, standing up.
But Shiro remained silent, sitting at the corner with loneliness in her eyes.
Arata noticed and quietly walked over, sitting beside her.
"Hey, Shiro…" he began, his voice soft. "When my father died, I felt the same way. Lost. Empty. I didn't know what to do after that."
He looked up at the cloudy sky.
"But my dad once told me… 'If you believe in the ones you love, keep them in your heart. They'll always stay with you—no matter how far apart you are.'"
Shiro slowly smiled after hearing that.
Arata pointed at the moon above.
"Hey, Shiro… look at the moon. I always wanted to go there someday."
The moonlight glimmered between the drifting clouds, lighting their faces softly.
"It looks so peaceful," Arata said quietly. "Like a place where your heart can finally rest."