According to Alpha and the girls' story,
the Cult of Diablos is an enormous organization
that runs on a global scale.
Wow, that's pretty impressive.
They said something about having to fight against it,
then they scattered to the four winds.
But I get it.
They're all grown up now.
"This cult doesn't exist."
"We can't play along with this travesty forever,
so we're setting ourselves free."
That's what they really meant.
I guess I can't blame them.
It was the same way in my old life.
Wait for me!
As everyone gets older,
they forget about their superheroes.
Even back then, I was fighting my solitary battle alone.
Magic!
Magic...
Magic!
Magic...
Magic!
Magic, magic, magic!
Magic! Magic! Magic! Magic! Magic!
Magic! Magic! Magic! Magic! Magic! MAGIC!
It's always the same.
Even if I end up the last person left in the world...
I will keep striving to be the Eminence in Shadow.
#3: Fencer Ordinaire
The royal capital of the Midgar Kingdom
is a giant metropolis with a population
of more than one million citizens.
At the age of fifteen,
I enrolled in the same school as my sister,
the Midgar Academy for Dark Knights.
It's a super prestigious institution, where promising
students from inisde and outside the kingdom
gather for instruction...
But...
It's a medieval-style hierarchical society,
so I still managed to get in,
even though I'm just Background Character A.
Of course, they still literally treat me
like a background character.
They're all, "Go stay in a cheap
downtown apartment, hick!"
Ahh, class society.
Thanks for waiting!
Hey.
Whoa, what happened to your hair?
We're going to be late, Cid.
Sorry!
For my friends, I selected trueborn,
dyed-in-the-wool background characters:
Skel and Po.
Come on, hurry!
Hey! Wait for me!
Dammit!
I wish they'd let us live in the dorms on campus
like all the upper class kids.
There's no place for bottom-of-the-pile nobles like us
in the exalted abode of Her Highness and her kind.
If we could get to be honor students like my sister,
then they'd let us in the dorms up there.
What, like become champions at the Bushin Festival?
Not a chance.
Seven months into my academy career,
and I'm blending in quite nicely
as a background student.
In the midst of it, a day of reckoning has arrived.
Anyway, you guys remember the penalty for the guy
who scored worst in yesterday's test, right?
We expect you to honor your word.
I know, but...
The penalty in question:
Is to confess love to the most sought-after girl in
school and suffer her brutal rejection.
This is exactly the kind of background character event
I've always wanted to experience!
And the girl in question is...
O, most beautiful Princess Alexia!
Goddess of our campus!
I humbly ask you to join me in
pure and upright courtship!
Not interested.
That's a princess for you.
I know she's destined for political marriage
after she graduates, but...
He wasn't a bad choice for
someone to mess around with.
N-now don't go getting cold feet on us now, okay?
Don't worry.
I spent all night figuring out how I was going to do it.
Watch closely, and see how it's done.
Behold the entirety of the world's most
background-character-like love confession!
Pr-Prim... Primness Alexia!
I-l-l-l-l-
I like you!
W-will you pl-pl-please be my
g-g-g-g-g-g-girlfriend?!
That was perfect!
This is exactly the Background Character A
I've always wanted to be!
Now I just need to wait for her to turn me down,
and fall on my face while I run away in shame!
All right, I will.
What?
I've been waiting for someone like you.
Here's to our new relationship.
Uh, sure...
Why?
How did I get on the rom-com protagonist route?!
Look, that's him.
No way! He's way too average.
This must be a mistake!
I'm so gonna kill him!
But who is he?
You don't think it's weird?
Oh, it's weird.
Definitely bizarre.
Oh, it's weird.
Definitely bizarre.
If I may be brutal,
you have nowhere near the specs that would
make you worthy to date Princess Alexia.
I don't even think I would make the cut.
If she'll take you, Cid, I think even I had a chance.
I should have asked her out myself.
I'm scared; I feel like there's a catch.
I mean, we don't even live in the same world.
Who cares?
If you're lucky, you could get some
sweet memories out of this.
He's right!
But if you want, I could trade place with-
Mind if I join you?
G-g-go aheav...
If th-th-this seat will d-d-do, by all meems...
This sense of insignificance...
Did I pick the perfect background characters
for friends or what?
She's sitting the lower nobility seats!
And she's so close to them!
Wow, that's royalty for you.
Look at all that food.
I never manage to finish it.
Honestly, I wouldn't mind having some of
the lower-class options, but...
Then can I have some?
Mmm, delish!
I'll have some of that, too!
Hey, this isn't bad, either!
I call it: Operation "Dump Me Already, Dammit!"
How's that?
Disenchanted yet?
I understand you're studying Royal Bushin fencing
for your afternoon physical education?
Uh, yes, ma'am.
I thought we could take the class together.
No, I don't think so...
I'm in Section Nine, the lowest of all the sections.
That's all right.
I put in a good word for you,
and they opened up a spot in Section One.
Yes, ma'am.
And thus my lunch and
Operation "Dump Me Already, Dammit!"
came to an end.
Skel and Po remained useless lumps to the bitter end.
We have a new member joining our team today.
I'm Cid Kagenou.
Thank you for having me.
I'd expect nothing less of Section One.
Their adviser, Mr. Zenon,
is the official royal fencing instructor.
Unlike the lower sections, there's an
all-encompassing air of constant vigilance.
As you know, the Royal Bushin style that
we study here is an original style,
derived from the traditional Bushin school.
You might say it's a new friend, like you.
We faced a lot of pushback at first.
But thanks to the much-lauded genius
Dark Knight Princess Iris, the sister of our own Alexia,
we've gained enough momentum
to rival traditional Bushin.
In other words, if you have the strength, you can
successfully parry the skeptical eyes of the masses.
Now...
How much strength do you have?
Alexia's attacks never land,
and her movements are slow.
She doesn't use much magic, either.
At first, I thought she was just
matching her level to mine,
but she wasn't.
The goal of this practice is to review
our strokes and counterstrokes,
and she is strictly adhering to that.
Thinking back, before the lesson,
she was copying my stretches.
In a word, she's hyper-aware.
Perfectly honed technique that stays true
to the basics and eschews any excess.
But it's bland.
Yup, very plain.
The world sees her as far inferior to her sister,
who is currently lauded as the most powerful
Dark Knight in the kingdom.
But her blandness is the result of a lot of effort.
It's proof that she has built up her skill in the basics,
one step at a time.
All right, that's all for today's lesson.
Thank you for a good match.
Thanks for a good match.
You have a good fencing style.
Thanks.
But I hate it.
It's like I'm looking at myself.
Can I assume that that is your answer then, Alexia?
Yes, that's right.
I have decided to be his girlfriend...
Mr. Zenon.
Oh, please, you're acting like a child.
You know you can't keep running away forever.
I'm just a child.
I can't understand those grownup problems.
It hasn't been made public yet,
but we are still betrothed.
Oh, I get it; I see what's going on now.
You're still only a candidate for my betrothal.
Oh, I get it; I see what's going on now.
If you'll give your consent, we can proceed with the arrangements.
For now, I'll blend into the background
and just ride out this main-character-tier event.
Want to stop by Mitsugoshi?
Oh, yes!
So basically, you don't want to
get engaged to Mr. Zenon,
and you needed a patsy to help you get out of it, right?
That's why you chose a low-class aristocrat like me,
whom you could control easily.
Yes, that's right.
Sorry, but I don't want to attract any more attention,
and I'm not interested in getting
mixed up in your problems.
That's cold, coming from my boyfriend.
In name only, you mean.
As if you were any better,
Mr. Cid "I Confessed Fake Love
Because I Lost a Bet" Kagenou.
I had a little chat with your friends.
They turned beet red and sang like canaries.
That's not very nice,
toying with the pure heart of an innocent young girl.
If the student body finds out,
you may never see another
peaceful day at this academy.
Oh, dear, are you all right?
Your face is awfully twitchy.
I'm fine.
My mouth twists like that because
I'm twisted deep in my soul.
But I'm not as bad as you.
Did you say something?
Nope, not a thing.
Anyway, I think I will have you
carry on with this boyfriend act.
You can stop after that man gives up on me.
Will he though?
Anyone can see that I am out of my league.
I know that.
I just need you to buy me some time.
I'll take care of the rest on my own.
I do not see this ending well.
Blah, blah, blah.
You are so whiny.
Wow...
Do I strike you as the type of man
who can be bought with money?
Yes.
Well, you're right.
Woof!
My allowance from my parents isn't nearly enough
to fund my Eminence in Shadow operations!
Can I afford to let this chance slip by?
No!
Good boy.
Such a good doggie, Fido.
Now, fetch!
Woof!
And thus I decided to continue
my romantic relationship with Alexia.
Man! I had my eye on her, too!
He's a gold digger.
But seriously, who is that guy?
Fortunately, everyone focused only on the fact
that Alexia had a boyfriend.
And I was able to sit back and play the role
of the background boyfriend character.
Mr. Zenon opted for the wait-and-see approach.
Of all the...
That man is so infuriating.
He thinks he's so great,
just because he has a little bit of skill with a sword.
Sure, sure.
You saw that phony smile on his face,
didn't you, Fido?
Sure, sure.
You will say "sure" only once.
Sure.
As expected, Alexia was very prudent in public,
but behind closed doors,
she was a whirlwind of insults and spite.
Debating her would be a waste of time.
I must devote myself to the role of a robot
who is programmed only to agree.
You're a princess.
Isn't your face enough to get you to the front of the line?
Of course it is.
But the point is not to eat ice cream.
It's to inform the entire world of my relationship.
Oh, that makes sense.
But what exactly is the problem
with marrying Mr. Zenon?
As a prospective husband,
I think he's a pretty prime selection.
Everything is the problem!
I hate everything about his entire existence.
But he's good-looking,
and has status, fame, and money.
And in fact, he is popular with all the other girls.
That's all just on the surface.
It's easy to pretend to be perfect.
That's what I do.
I see, that's a very convincing argument.
Did you say something?
No, ma'am.
Anyway, I don't judge only by what I see on the surface.
Then what do you judge by?
Flaws.
Hmm, a very negative way to judge people.
Sounds like you.
That's why I have nothing against a guy like you
who's totally average, full of flaws,
and has no real redeeming qualities.
Thank you, I'll take that as a compliment.
If I may ask, what are Mr. Zenon's flaws?
He has none.
So he is a prime selection.
No.
There's no such thing as a human being with no flaws.
If one did exist, they'd either be a massive liar
or not right in the head.
I see.
Thank you for that totally arbitrary
and biased response.
You're very welcome, my ever-so-flawed Fido.
Here's your reward for today.
Woof!
So two more weeks passed,
and I continued to play the boyfriend with
no relationship progress worth mentioning.
Your fencing is a mystery to me.
You've got the basics down,
but nothing more than that.
There's absolutely nothing else to it,
but I can't take my eyes away from it.
Thanks.
But I still hate it.
What's wrong with you today?
Your fencing was unusually aggressive and sloppy.
Just the ramblings of a white coat.
You don't have to look at me like that.
All my life, I've wanted to be as good as my sister Iris.
But what I have has never been
the same as what she has.
So I figured it out on my own,
tried to get stronger in my own way.
And look where it got me.
You know what they call me, don't you?
The Fencer Ordinaire.
Exactly.
But your style is just as ordinary as mine,
unfortunately for you.
I don't think it's unfortunate.
I like your fencing style.
Someone told me the same thing once before.
At the Bushin Festival,
after I'd suffered a humiliating defeat.
My sister said it to me.
She could never understand what
was going through my head.
How pathetic I felt.
I've hated my sword style ever since.
I'm not a great person.
If somewhere on the other side of the world there was
an unfortunate incident that killed a million people,
it wouldn't bother me.
You are the vilest of scum.
But there are things that would bother me.
They might be things that other people
would see as worthless,
but to me, they are the most precious things in life.
That's why I like your fencing style.
What exactly do you mean by telling me that?
Nothing.
But if I did mean anything,
it's just that I get pissed off
when people diss the things I like.
That's how I feel.
Oh...
Goodbye.
I guess this is the end of my unwanted relationship.
Come on, Cid, you have to cheer up.
I know it was wrong of us to rat you out,
but you don't have to hold it against us forever.
Yeah, yeah.
So?
How far did you get?
With what?
You have to ask?!
You know! With her!
You dated her for two whole weeks!
There had to be a little...
You know!
I didn't get anywhere.
Gah, you are such a good-for-nothing loser!
If it were me, I would have gone all the way!
I know, right?
I definitely would have at least kissed her!
No, a little farther.
Maybe a soft caress.
Or maybe something a little more hardcore!
May I have a moment?
Pl-please, go ahead!
You should know that Princess Alexia
did not return to her dorm last night.
The Knight Order has been investigating it
as a potential kidnapping.
And as the last person to have been in contact with her,
you have been named as a suspect.
I would like to ask you some questions.
I assume you're willing to cooperate?
I realized something...
I was in big trouble.