Kato didn't fully understand what had just happened. One moment he was at home with Arou, and the next, Kayomi burst in, shouting something about "getting away from him."
Then, everything blurred and he found himself in an abandoned building with shattered windows and debris strewn across the floor..
Kato: (to himself) What the hell? One minute I was home, and now I'm here? What is this place? An abandoned building? Arou? Where are…
Arou: I'm here Kato.
Kato turned to see Arou standing on a balcony inside the building.
Kato: Huh? What are you doing up there? (looks around) Forget that, how did we get here?
Arou: I brought us here.
Kato: Why would you do that?
Arou: Because I'm kidnapping you, Kato.
Kato's expression shifted into one of confusion.
Kato: What? What are you talking about, Arou? Stop messing around. Let's head back.
Arou's expression immediately turned cold
Arou: I'm not messing around.
Kato's heart sank and suddenly Kayomi's warnings began to make sense. Something was very wrong.
Kato: Why would you want to kidnap me?
Arou: The Kaimi Daja's goal is to gather all the Heirs of the fracture. Since you're the last descendant of the Hamorabi Clan, you became our target. We need the God Eye.
Kato's head felt like it had begun to swell.
Kato: Kaimi Daja?! What the hell are you talking about, Arou?!
Arou: I forgot to mention that part, huh? Yes, I'm a member of the Kaimi Daja. I was sent to spy on and watch you.
The sudden revelation sent a shockwave through Kato's mind, and everything came rushing back at once—the losses, the warnings, the painful truths he'd tried to ignore:
"You ain't human anymore."
"Your mom's in a coma because she wasn't compatible with shadow energy. She's going to die."
"The world doesn't work according to your desires. You're one of us now, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Kato: (to himself) How did it come to this? Mr. Ervin warned me the Kaimi Daja would come for me… but we had one of them with us this whole time?
Arou jumped from the balcony and landed in front of Kato.
Arou: I'm sorry you had to find out like this. But we have a dream, and you're one of the keys to achieving it.
Kato: (angrily) "WE?"
Arou: It'll be best that you don't resist. You….
Kato: DON'T TALK LIKE I'M LETTING YOU TAKE ME! GIVE ME A BREAK!!!
Arou scratched the back of his head.
Arou: This isn't easy for me, you know. I was the one who taught you hand to hand combat and treated you like a little brother. I also wish you weren't the one we were after so we could've been...
Kato: BEEN WHAT!? (steps away from Arou) YOU'RE THE REASON WHY I'M IN THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR HEAD WHEN YOU LOOKED AT ME AND TRAINED ME?!
Arou hesitated a bit, but he eventually responded.
Arou: I felt sorry for you…
Kato turned to Arou, his face etched with a mix of sadness and raw disappointment.
Kato: I see…
There was a bit of silence before Arou broke that since with a question.
Arou: Kato… Do you believe Shadows, Clarions and Humans can ever live in peace again?
Kato: Huh?! Why are you asking me this now?!
Arou: I want to confirm something. And I won't get a chance like this again.
Kato briefly thought about the question and everything he had seen before he responded.
Kato: I want to believe there's a way to make peace.
Arou: And how do you intend to do that?
Kato shot an angry look at Arou.
Arou: I'll start by stopping you and the Kaimi Daja from hurting anyone else and also stop the actions of the bad shadows from and eventually change the ideas and minds of everyone about shadows.
Aoru sighed in disappointment.
Arou: The same answer as always huh? Do you believe in that on your own accord or because Ervin told you to?
Kato: Huh?
Arou's voice then rose in annoyance.
Arou: EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU, YOU ALWAYS GIVE THE SAME ANSWER! You all parrot the same words because Ervin told you that's what he believed in. Are you all brainwashed?! Try thinking for yourselves for once! You all act like everything can be solved by talking it out, by changing your ways, by pretending everyone gets a happy ending. I don't believe in that. No one else sees things the way I do. No one else questions it. And that's why I hated all of you and why I joined the Kaimi Daja. We're different. We do things differently.
Kato: And you think going after all the heirs is going to change anything?!
Arou: Yes. Their powers are instrumental to our cause and we intend to capture and contain you.
Kato clenched his fists.
Kato: And the people you've hurt for your goals?! Don't their lives matter?!
Arou: They do. But I can't bring myself to worry about them if it doesn't affect our goals. They were necessary sacrifices for our goals to be realized.
Kato immediately got enraged and then asked.
Kato: My mother… SO YOU'RE CALLING MY MOTHER A NECESSARY SACRIFICE?
Arou sighed and looked at Kato with conflicted eyes and responded.
Arou: Yeah.
As soon as Arou spoke, Kato's shadow energy spiked, instantly activating his God Eye. Arou remained unfazed, watching the transformation with clinical detachment.
Arou: (to himself) He immediately activated the God Eye. Typical. I guess he's expecting me to foolishly use my technique in front of that eye. But, that's not going to happen. He's emotional right now so he won't be able to fight properly. This should be easy.