Kadokawa

Cid Kagenou has a dream. Not being some typical protagonist or the Final Boss - he has his eyes set on becoming a hidden mastermind working in the shadows! Now that he's been reborn in another world, Cid has been hard at work building the perfect stage to act out his long-desired role. The only issue? His imaginary adversaries and plot devices seem to actually exist in this new realm... and his alone is left in the dark!

One Big Fat Lie And A Few Twisted Truths

Even in his past life, Cid's dream wasn't to become a protagonist or a final boss. He'd rather lie low as a minor character until it's prime time to reveal he's a mastermind... or at least, do the next best thing - pretend to be one! And now that he's been reborn into another world, he's ready to set the perfect conditions to live out his dreams to the fullest. Armed with his overactive imagination, Cid jokingly recruits members to his organization and makes up a whole backstory about an evil cult that they need to take down. Well, as luck would have it, these imaginary adversaries turn out to be the read deal - and everyone knows the truth but him!

I honestly can't remember what catalyzed this desire.

All I know is I've admired shadowbrokers for as long as I can remember.

Was it a certain anime? Or was it a manga - or a movie?

Eh, I guess it doesn't matter. I was all in for anything that featured a mastermind, or an eminence in shadow, as I like to call them. These characters were never the protagonists or final bosses but were relegated to a role behind the scenes where they flaunted their powers and meddled in the affairs of others. I've always looked up to the men in the shadows.

I wanted to be one of them.

Think of children who worship their favourite superheroes.

That was me but with master puppeteers.

When the foul-tempered Princess Alexia is captured by the Cult of Diablos, the Shadow Garden takes the stage, assaulting the cult's hidden base. Crossing swords with the kidnapper, Cid gets the chance to make his true debut as an eminence in shadow (and show off his totally awesome secret technique). As the attack lights up the night sky over the capital, all will know of the hidden powers that lurk in the darkness!

Nothing Could Be Further From The Truth

Cid pays a visit to the Sacred Land, where he finds himself getting roped into the Goddess's Trial. It's a ritual event that summons warriors from the past to engage with only the most worthy from the present. When Cid squares off against the witch who brought devastation to the world, the door to the Sanctuary creaks open, granting the Shadow Garden valuable insight into the possessed and the Cult of Diablos. That is until Cid, blissfully ignorant of the conspiracies playing out behind the scenes, runs amok!

I honestly can't remember what catalyzed this desire.

All I know is I've admired shadow brokers for as long as I can remember.

Was it a certain anime? Or was it a manga - or a movie?

Eh, I guess it doesn't matter. I was all in for anything that featured a mastermind, or an eminence in shadow, as I like to call them. These characters were never the protagonists or final bosses but were relegated to a role behind the scenes where they flaunted their powers and meddled in the affairs of others. I've always looked up to the men in the shadows.

I wanted to be one of them.

Think of children who worship their favourite superheroes.

That was me but with master puppeteers.

The Midgar Academy for Dark Knights is occupied by terrorists posing as the Shadow Garden! Faced with a stressful, high-intensity hostage situation... Cid is having the time of his life! Whether it's being the first student struck down as an example of swooping in dramatically from the rooftops in the nick of time, there's no better opportunity for him to show off his prowess as a shadowy mastermind!

The Red Moon Hangs Low In The Night – An Omen Of What’s To Come

Deep within the Lawless City lies the Blood Queen, a Progenitor Vampire, slumbering in her coffin for many moons. An expert at landing himself in trouble, Cid should know better than to go after her… but he’s dying to get a piece of the action. It’s time he shed his daytime persona to take on the role of Shadow! It seems, however, that he’s not the only one with this idea. Soon enough, he finds the three rulers of the Lawless City-Juggernaut the Tyrant, Yukime the Spirit Fox, and Crimson the vampire – are all on his tail. To complicate things even further, the Shadow Garden descends on the scene as the hour of the Blood Queen’s awakening looms closer and closer…

I honestly can't remember what catalyzed this desire.

All I know is I've admired shadow brokers for as long as I can remember.

Was it a certain anime? Or was it a manga - or a movie?

Eh, I guess it doesn't matter. I was all in for anything that featured a mastermind, or an eminence in shadow, as I like to call them.

These characters were never the protagonists or final bosses but were relegated to a role behind the scenes where they flaunted their powers and meddled in the affairs of others. I've always looked up to the men in the shadows.

I wanted to be one of them.

Think of children who worship their favourite superheroes.

That was me but with master puppeteers.

Cid is invited to Lindwurm, the Sacred Land, where a ritual known as the Goddess's Trial is held. Ancient warriors are summoned according to the strength of the challenger, providing an opportunity for honor and glory - all the stuff Cid specifically wants to avoid! If his true strength is revealed, all his work to play the part of a nobody will be for naught...

The Door Of Darkness Is Cast Open – The World Advances To A New Field

The specter of war hangs thick in the air of the Oriana Kingdom, where Princess Rose is expected to wed Duke Perv. This supposed marriage cannot and will not stand, though, as it would throw a major wrench in a certain shadowbroker’s plans. Not one to miss an opportunity for sleuthing, Cid makes his way to the royal capital to put a stop to the ceremony, but are there even bigger schemes at work behind this unholy matrimony?

I honestly can't remember what catalyzed this desire.

All I know is I've admired shadow brokers for as long as I can remember.

Was it a certain anime? Or was it a manga - or a movie?

Eh, I guess it doesn't matter. I was all in for anything that featured a mastermind, or an eminence in shadow, as I like to call them. These characters were never the protagonists or final bosses but were relegated to a role behind the scenes where they flaunted their powers and meddled in the affairs of others. I've always looked up to the men in the shadows.

I wanted to be one of them.

Think of children who worship their favourite superheroes.

That was me but with master puppeteers.

In the depths of the Sanctuary, where ancient memories of mighty warriors slumber, Shadow Garden lays bare the long-hidden truth behind the demon Diablos and the hero Olivier - all very critical plot information that Cid pays zero attention to because it's time for the semiannual Bushin Festival! Playing the part of a weak-looking guy who's actually super-strong is Cid's raison d'etre, and where better to strut his stuff than a tournament are?

Before Much Longer… The White Fog Will Engulf The World In Silence

All is well at the Midgar Academy for Dark Knights, but then something wicked suddenly draws near: The students are vanishing one by one – even Cid’s older sister, Claire! Zeta of the Seven Shadows sets off to investigate, while Cid and Alexia embark for Claire’s room where they find… An ancient script, cool magic circles, and incantations that seem important and yet don’t actually do anything whatsoever. What does it all mean, and why has Claire been talking to herself so much lately…?

I honestly can't remember what catalyzed this desire.

All I know is I've admired shadow brokers for as long as I can remember.

Was it a certain anime? Or was it a manga - or a movie?

Eh, I guess it doesn't matter. I was all in for anything that featured a mastermind, or an eminence in shadow, as I like to call them. These characters were never the protagonists or final bosses but were relegated to a role behind the scenes where they flaunted their powers and meddled in the affairs of others. I've always looked up to the men in the shadows.

I wanted to be one of them.

Think of children who worship their favourite superheroes.

That was me but with master puppeteers.

All eyes are on the Bushin Festival as the totally enigmatic Mundane Mann advances toward the finals, winning all his matches in an instant. Just who could this mysterious knight (who is certainly not mild-mannered Cid Kagenou in disguise) possibly be? However, beneath the festivities, a dark drama unfolds as Princess Rose goes on the run following her assault on her fiancé! Was the sordid affair simply a prenuptial argument gone too far, or is something more wicked afoot?

Cid's shadowbrokering fun is interrupted when his sister, Claire, drags him off to the Lawless City to hunt some vampire called the ''Blood Queen" or something. To fit in with the atmosphere of this hard-boiled town, he decides to give his normal background character persona a break and try out a new role - a young man who laughs mysteriously at the violence around him! However, the legendary Red Moon that rises over Cid's carefree head might be more than just an ill omen...

Cid's engaging in a little "fundraising" in the treasure vaults of the Crimson Tower to finance his future shadowbroker activities when he senses the presence of an upcoming boss battle! The newly resurrected Blood Queen is hosting a grisly banquet, and Shadow's not the only one on the guest list. With Cid's sister, Claire, diving into the fray on a misguided mission to save him, will she realize she's getting in over her head before it's too late...?