Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops

In the early 20th century, the Japanese government creates the Special Armed Garrison, nicknamed Kerberos, to quell rising crime and terrorism. They are heavily militarized, equipped with automatic firearms and nearly bulletproof Protect Gears, marking a major shift in law enforcement. Their brutal methods soon draw controversy and set the stage for a government push to disarm them.

Kerberos conduct becomes increasingly unacceptable as incidents of violence pile up. The government orders Kerberos to disarm and disband, signaling a legal and political crackdown on the unit. Kerberos refuses, which ignites the Kerberos Uprising.

Pinned inside a Kerberos compound, the remaining members resist the government's forces during the protracted uprising. Elite members Todome, Washio Midori, and Soichiro Toribe are summoned to the central building as the siege tightens. The stand-off emphasizes the unit's determination to continue fighting despite international pressure.

Todome boards a helicopter to leave the country, signaling a split with his fellow Kerberos members. Inui confronts him with questions about why he would flee rather than fight alongside his men, but Todome offers no explanation as the helicopter departs. The departure marks a rift within Kerberos and a potential turning point for the uprising.

Shortly after Todome escapes, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force breaches the Kerberos compound. Many Kerberos members are killed or captured as the siege collapses. The government clamps down, effectively ending the Uprising's active resistance.

Three years after the Uprising, Inui is released on parole and immediately begins searching for Todome. His release is framed as a pardon, while his true purpose is guided by contacts and a larger intelligence plot. The search takes him beyond Japan and into a new geopolitical landscape.

Fugitive investigator Hayashi informs Inui that Todome has been exiled in Taiwan, prompting Inui to travel there. The revelation reframes the pursuit as a trek across borders rather than a simple capture. Inui accepts the mission as he pieces together Todome's new life.

Inui travels to Taipei, where he meets Tang Mie, a Taiwanese woman linked to Todome. He befriends her as they search for Todome across Taipei and Tainan. The search leads to a confrontation that ends with the two men finding a moment of uneasy calm.

After a tense confrontation, Hayashi proposes a deal to Todome: surrender for lenient treatment, or else be hunted. Inui defeats Todome in combat and takes possession of Todome's Protect Gear and MG42, possibly the last Kerberos equipment in circulation. Inui resolves to use the gear in the coming confrontation.

Equipped with Todome's Protect Gear and MG42, Inui infiltrates an abandoned hotel where a Public Security unit is based. He obliterates the unit, though he is wounded in the process. The fight showcases a rogue Kerberos weaponry strike against the state apparatus.

After defeating the Public Security forces at an abandoned Kerberos facility, Inui is shot under the Protect Gear's armor by the unit's leader. The fatal blow ends his pursuit and seals the unit's fate. The death marks the collapse of the attempt to reclaim Kerberos by internal means.

With Inui dead, Todome, now alone in Taiwan, decides to return to Tokyo. The decision to go back signals a potential reformation of Kerberos or a new path in exile. The story closes on Todome's return to the metropolis.