I don't remember how it started.
As far back as I can remember,
it's what I always wanted to be:
The Eminence in Shadow.
Alpha...
Everything you said turned out to be true.
I looked in those ancient texts
and found a description of what we
believe to be the Cult of Diablos.
As I suspected.
The more we learn,
the more powerful they appear to be.
Nevertheless, I...
We lurk in the shadows, and hunt the shadows.
Yes, that's what I want.
That is how I will finally become
the Eminence in Shadow.
But man, this elf is a pushover.
#2: Shadow Garden Is Born
The last summer of my high school career,
I, Minoru Kageno,
Deceased ~ Minoru Kageno (18)
was following the path to becoming
the Eminence in Shadow,
when my journey seemed to be cut drastically short.
Claire always wanted a little brother!
She'll be overjoyed!
What the...
But something's not right.
He's not crying at all.
Oh, I get it.
Waah! Waah!
What a hearty cry!
I must have been imagining things.
I have no idea how or why this could have happened.
But that's just a minor detail.
More importantly, the air is filled with magical energy.
In my past life, magic was the stuff
of dreams and fairy tales.
But now I can claim this
overwhelming power for my own.
That's the only thing that matters.
With this power, I can...
Uh, I pooped.
Waah! Waah!
Oh, before I forget,
I was reborn as the son of Baron Kagenou,
an aristocrat living out in the boonies.
For generations, this family has
pumped out Dark Knights,
fencers that enhance their
physical abilities using magic.
And everyone has high hopes for the Kagenou heir....
who is not me.
Hidden in the shadow of my abundantly talented sister,
I grew up as the average, ordinary
Dark Knight in Training Background Character A.
But under that exterior...
I see business is booming, my dear bandits!
So kindly show me all your valuables.
Don't get cocky with us, kid!
He just...
You, over there, enough idle chitchat.
I said, show me the money.
A slime sword...
Nice, isn't it?
Wow, it's even more useful than I thought it'd be.
Uh, wait...
All right, fine...
Next...
I can test it on you.
If you really work at it,
you can survive for about two minutes.
So hang in there.
Don't mock me, boy!
Surprised?
I might not look like much,
but I'm a Bushinryu master!
Just kidding.
You didn't last two minutes.
Yup, I'm really happy with this slime bodysuit, too.
My caravan friends, I have avenged you.
Don't worry, I will make good use
of the gifts you left behind.
Money, art, food, and...
A cage? Is it a slave?
This is unexpected.
You're not a corpse.
You've started to rot, but you're still alive.
Which means you're possessed?
That wavelength...
I've felt it before.
It's just like a magical overload.
I can use this blob.
It's not my body,
so I can do anything I want with it
without hurting myself.
After that, I started shooting it up with magic.
I tried all kinds of things that didn't work
in a period of exhilarating experimentation.
Then, one month later...
I finally succeeded in containing the magical overload.
But...
Oh, man...
Who knew something that decomposed
could revert to normal?
Uh-oh! What do I do now?
Oh! I have an idea!
Stay sharp.
This is your first performance as
the Eminence in Shadow.
I see you've awakened.
I'm...
But I can't be!
I have broken the curse that was
gnawing away at you.
You're free now.
You did this?
What curse?
Yes, the curse, it's...
...a terrible curse that was cast on you
and the other heroes' descendants.
I understand your consternation.
But surely you, too, have heard of it.
The fairy tale recorded in the scriptures,
about three heroes who defeated the demon Diablos
and saved the world.
That story is true.
And the demon, with his dying breath, cast a curse.
That is what really turned you into
that rotting lump of flesh.
But someone has twisted history,
and turned you into objects of scorn,
calling you possessed.
And the one behind it all is...
Yes, the mastermind is...
No, it's too soon to speak the name.
If you knew, you would only be in danger.
I don't care.
Who did this to me?
I see...
In that case, I'll tell you...
The Cult of Diablos...
a group of zealots who are plotting
to revive the great demon.
They never come out into the light of day.
My mission is to remain in the shadows,
to put an end to their evil schemes.
I guess.
Yes, my name is Stylish-
Sorry.
My name is Shadow.
He who lurks in the shadows to hunt the shadows.
Shadow...
My path is not an easy one,
but I must fulfill my mission.
Child of the Heroes,
are you prepared to walk my path with me?
When I fell ill-
I mean, when I was struck with the curse,
I lost everything.
My only future was to waste away as a hideous beast,
but you saved me.
So...
If it is what you wish,
I will give you my life.
And I will punish the guilty with death.
I mean, I made the whole thing up.
We'll probably be up against powerful
government leaders and stuff.
And I'm sure there will be many people
under their control who don't know the truth.
Nevertheless, I cannot show mercy
to any who stand in our way.
Yes, good! That's the spirit!
We will need to find the other hero descendants
and take them under our wing.
Uh, right.
As we expand our organization,
we'll need to strengthen our
base of operations accordingly.
We'll need to collect funds to that end.
Yeah, but in moderation.
Okay, then, uh, right...
We'll call our organization...
Shadow Garden.
And your name is now Alpha.
Three years passed after I brilliantly ad-libbed
my way through my first performance.
I was now 13 years old,
an average, ordinary Dark Knight in training.
Your lunge is weak!
The fencing in this world, in a word, is unsophisticated.
In my past life, living in the Age of Information,
I was able to fuse all kinds of
martial arts together and optimize them.
If I just used them here...
Jeez! You're too strong!
That boy never makes any progress.
Miss Claire...
Yes?
Your mother is calling.
The guests are arriving for your farewell party.
Cid, I won't be able to practice with you for a while,
but you make sure to continue training on your own.
Yes, ma'am!
You, prepare a towel and
a change of clothes for the boy.
Oh, man, it's not easy to play the part
of a background character.
But I must play Background Character A perfectly
if I want to be ready for the day I know will come.
When nobles turn fifteen,
they start attending the Midgar Academy
for Dark Knights in the royal capital.
My sister is enrolled at the Midgar Academy
for Dark Knights, too, but...
When the day came for her departure...
she was nowhere to be found.
What is the meaning of this?!
Even attacking her in her sleep,
how could they overpower Claire?!
The scoundrel must have been a master fighter!
Then we have to accept this?
Is that what you're saying?
Oh, no, that's not what I meant.
I was just stating a fact-
Stop making excuses, bald man!
Take that and that and that!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!
Go find our daughter, dammit!
What are we going to do
if something happens to poor Claire?!
Beta...
Yes, Lord Shadow?
Alpha had collected members for Shadow Garden
as if she was adopting abandoned kittens.
So our numbers have grown rapidly.
Where's Alpha?
Searching for clues to finding Miss Claire.
She moves fast.
Is my sister still alive?
Most likely, yes.
The kidnapper, as expected,
belongs to the Cult of Diablos,
a high-ranking officer.
Why did they take my sister?
We believe they suspect that Miss Claire is
one of the heroes' descendants.
I see.
I guess when these girls get involved,
even regular old bandits can instantly
transform into members of the cult.
Look at this map.
We have determined the locations of their hideouts.
But we don't know which hideout is the one
where they are keeping Miss Claire.
That one.
Darnit, I missed!
That is where we'll find my sister.
B-but there's nothing there...
It can't be!
These cryptograms were a bluff?!
In that case, if we compare it against this account...
It all comes together!
Lord Shadow, I believe there is a secret hideout
in the location you indicated!
I knew it.
You took in this enormous amount of information
and saw the truth in an instant!
I'm so impressed!
You're quite the actress, Beta.
You deserve an Academy Award.
Contact the Seven Shadows.
We move tonight.
Yes, My Lord!
You know, I had a daughter.
I would prefer not to have to resort to violence...
Claire Kagenou.
You can still dodge that while locked up
in magic-sealing chains?
I was taught that it's not about how much
magic you have, but how you use it.
You had a good father.
That baldy?
No, I was taught by my brother.
Your brother?
When we fight, I beat him every time.
But I am always learning from my brother's sword.
And yet he never learns a thing from me.
That's why I pick on him every day.
I've heard about your brother.
When you showed signs of possession,
he is the one that healed you, right?
Not that again.
I keep telling people, that's not what happened.
There is no way that boy could have healed me.
That is certainly true.
But just in case, I'm going to need to learn
more about this brother of yours.
If anything happens to that boy,
you'll have to answer to me!
You! You mutilated your own hands?!
I'll kill you, I'll kill your beloved family,
your friends, everyone you-
Cheeky little brat.
No matter.
We'll know if she's compatible once
we've analyzed her blood.
Viscount Grease!
What do you want?!
Intruders!
We think there are seven of them!
They appear out of nowhere, like shadows!
Our men are dropping like flies!
We're no match for them!
That's impossible!
Some of our knights are good enough
to be in the Royal Guard!
What the?!
Y-you...
Who are you?
We are Shadow Garden.
It is our mission in life to
annihilate the Cult of Diablos.
We know everything.
About the revival of the demon Diablos,
the heroes' descendants...
...and the truth behind demon possession.
The Cult of Diablos?!
Where did you learn that name?
How did you find that secret?!
I won't kill you.
At least, not before you tell us everything you know.
That was an interesting trick.
I'll go after him.
No need.
He's headed straight for him.
Is that why we split up?
Lord Shadow is so brilliant!
I'm lost.
I guess I got a little carried away hunting the small fry.
Dammit...
You knew I was coming this way?
But there's only one of you!
In terms of quantity,
you have more magic power than Alpha.
But unfortunately, you have no idea how to use it.
And yes...
your lunge is weak.
Your fighting has absolutely no finesse.
Allow me to give you a master class
on the correct use of magic.
Lesson One:
Concentrate a minimum amount of magical energy
in your feet for a burst of speed.
Lesson Two:
Once you've gained the proper distance from your
opponent, speed and strength are unnecessary.
You don't even need magic.
Lesson Three:
I'm only just getting started!
Have I ever felt so overwhelmed in battle before?
If I have, it was as a boy.
When I was sparring against my teacher,
after I had only just taken up the sword.
But...
I don't care how stong you are,
the darkness of this world is so much deeper
than even you can imagine!
Then I'll dive deeper.
As deep as I can go.
I'm serious, boy!
I'll teach you something!
About the darkness of this world!
We're all worthless!
And fragile!
That is reality!
Taste it for yourself!
Your own powerlessness!
Disgraceful.
What is this?
This enormous magical energy?!
Playtime's over.
Of course...
It's not just his technique...
It's everything!
I was powerless against the darkness.
But maybe this boy...
Millia...
He was pretty tough for a regular old bandit.
Well, that's pretty much how we
successfully pulled off this rescue mission.
After breaking out of her chains, Claire showed up
back home the next day in a very bad mood.
She is ridiculously tenacious.
And her injuries were more or less healed overnight.
She set out for the royal capital
as if nothing had ever happened.
I wish I could go to the capital.
It's a giant metropolis that doesn't even
compare to this backwater village.
There's bound to be some character there
in the position of main protagonist.
And I bet there's a last boss, too.
Well, I'll get to go there in two years.
In the meantime, I'll put Alpha and the girls to work...
Shadow...
The hour has come.
It is time for us to leave you.
What?
This is goodbye.
What?