1. I don't remember how it started.Copy !req
2. As far back as I can remember,
it's what I always wanted to be:Copy !req
3. The Eminence in Shadow.Copy !req
4. Alpha...Copy !req
5. Everything you said turned out to be true.Copy !req
6. I looked in those ancient textsCopy !req
7. and found a description of what we
believe to be the Cult of Diablos.Copy !req
8. As I suspected.Copy !req
9. The more we learn,
the more powerful they appear to be.Copy !req
10. Nevertheless, I...Copy !req
11. We lurk in the shadows, and hunt the shadows.Copy !req
12. Yes, that's what I want.Copy !req
13. That is how I will finally become
the Eminence in Shadow.Copy !req
14. But man, this elf is a pushover.Copy !req
15. The last summer of my high school career,Copy !req
16. I, Minoru Kageno,Copy !req
17. Deceased ~ Minoru Kageno (18)Copy !req
18. was following the path to becoming
the Eminence in Shadow,Copy !req
19. when my journey seemed to be cut drastically short.Copy !req
20. Claire always wanted a little brother!Copy !req
21. She'll be overjoyed!Copy !req
22. What the...Copy !req
23. But something's not right.Copy !req
24. He's not crying at all.Copy !req
25. Oh, I get it.Copy !req
26. Waah! Waah!Copy !req
27. What a hearty cry!Copy !req
28. I must have been imagining things.Copy !req
29. I have no idea how or why this could have happened.Copy !req
30. But that's just a minor detail.Copy !req
31. More importantly, the air is filled with magical energy.Copy !req
32. In my past life, magic was the stuff
of dreams and fairy tales.Copy !req
33. But now I can claim this
overwhelming power for my own.Copy !req
34. That's the only thing that matters.Copy !req
35. With this power, I can...Copy !req
36. Uh, I pooped.Copy !req
37. Waah! Waah!Copy !req
38. Oh, before I forget,Copy !req
39. I was reborn as the son of Baron Kagenou,
an aristocrat living out in the boonies.Copy !req
40. For generations, this family has
pumped out Dark Knights,Copy !req
41. fencers that enhance their
physical abilities using magic.Copy !req
42. And everyone has high hopes for the Kagenou heir...Copy !req
43. who is not me.Copy !req
44. Hidden in the shadow of my abundantly talented sister,Copy !req
45. I grew up as the average, ordinary
Dark Knight in Training Background Character A.Copy !req
46. But under that exterior...Copy !req
47. I see business is booming, my dear bandits!Copy !req
48. So kindly show me all your valuables.Copy !req
49. Don't get cocky with us, kid!Copy !req
50. He just...Copy !req
51. You, over there, enough idle chitchat.Copy !req
52. I said, show me the money.Copy !req
53. A slime sword...Copy !req
54. Nice, isn't it?Copy !req
55. Wow, it's even more useful than I thought it'd be.Copy !req
56. Uh, wait...Copy !req
57. All right, fine...Copy !req
58. Next...Copy !req
59. I can test it on you.Copy !req
60. If you really work at it,
you can survive for about two minutes.Copy !req
61. So hang in there.Copy !req
62. Don't mock me, boy!Copy !req
63. Surprised?Copy !req
64. I might not look like much,
but I'm a Bushinryu master!Copy !req
65. Just kidding.Copy !req
66. You didn't last two minutes.Copy !req
67. Yup, I'm really happy with this slime bodysuit, too.Copy !req
68. My caravan friends, I have avenged you.Copy !req
69. Don't worry, I will make good use
of the gifts you left behind.Copy !req
70. Money, art, food, and...Copy !req
71. A cage? Is it a slave?Copy !req
72. This is unexpected.Copy !req
73. You're not a corpse.Copy !req
74. You've started to rot, but you're still alive.Copy !req
75. Which means you're possessed?Copy !req
76. That wavelength...Copy !req
77. I've felt it before.Copy !req
78. It's just like a magical overload.Copy !req
79. I can use this blob.Copy !req
80. It's not my body,Copy !req
81. so I can do anything I want with it
without hurting myself.Copy !req
82. After that, I started shooting it up with magic.Copy !req
83. I tried all kinds of things that didn't work
in a period of exhilarating experimentation.Copy !req
84. Then, one month later...Copy !req
85. I finally succeeded in containing the magical overload.Copy !req
86. But...Copy !req
87. Oh, man...Copy !req
88. Who knew something that decomposed
could revert to normal?Copy !req
89. Uh-oh! What do I do now?Copy !req
90. Oh! I have an idea!Copy !req
91. Stay sharp.Copy !req
92. This is your first performance as
the Eminence in Shadow.Copy !req
93. I see you've awakened.Copy !req
94. I'm...Copy !req
95. But I can't be!Copy !req
96. I have broken the curse that was
gnawing away at you.Copy !req
97. You're free now.Copy !req
98. You did this?Copy !req
99. What curse?Copy !req
100. Yes, the curse, it's...Copy !req
101. a terrible curse that was cast on you
and the other heroes' descendants.Copy !req
102. I understand your consternation.Copy !req
103. But surely you, too, have heard of it.Copy !req
104. The fairy tale recorded in the scriptures,Copy !req
105. about three heroes who defeated the demon Diablos
and saved the world.Copy !req
106. That story is true.Copy !req
107. And the demon, with his dying breath, cast a curse.Copy !req
108. That is what really turned you into
that rotting lump of flesh.Copy !req
109. But someone has twisted history,Copy !req
110. and turned you into objects of scorn,
calling you possessed.Copy !req
111. And the one behind it all is...Copy !req
112. Yes, the mastermind is...Copy !req
113. No, it's too soon to speak the name.
If you knew, you would only be in danger.Copy !req
114. I don't care.Copy !req
115. Who did this to me?Copy !req
116. I see...Copy !req
117. In that case, I'll tell you...Copy !req
118. The Cult of Diablos...Copy !req
119. a group of zealots who are plotting
to revive the great demon.Copy !req
120. They never come out into the light of day.Copy !req
121. My mission is to remain in the shadows,
to put an end to their evil schemes.Copy !req
122. I guess.Copy !req
123. Yes, my name is Stylish-Copy !req
124. Sorry.Copy !req
125. My name is Shadow.Copy !req
126. He who lurks in the shadows to hunt the shadows.Copy !req
127. Shadow...Copy !req
128. My path is not an easy one,Copy !req
129. but I must fulfill my mission.Copy !req
130. Child of the Heroes,Copy !req
131. are you prepared to walk my path with me?Copy !req
132. When I fell ill-Copy !req
133. I mean, when I was struck with the curse,
I lost everything.Copy !req
134. My only future was to waste away as a hideous beast,
but you saved me.Copy !req
135. So...Copy !req
136. If it is what you wish,Copy !req
137. I will give you my life.Copy !req
138. And I will punish the guilty with death.Copy !req
139. I mean, I made the whole thing up.Copy !req
140. We'll probably be up against powerful
government leaders and stuff.Copy !req
141. And I'm sure there will be many people
under their control who don't know the truth.Copy !req
142. Nevertheless, I cannot show mercy
to any who stand in our way.Copy !req
143. Yes, good! That's the spirit!Copy !req
144. We will need to find the other hero descendants
and take them under our wing.Copy !req
145. Uh, right.Copy !req
146. As we expand our organization,Copy !req
147. we'll need to strengthen our
base of operations accordingly.Copy !req
148. We'll need to collect funds to that end.Copy !req
149. Yeah, but in moderation.Copy !req
150. Okay, then, uh, right...Copy !req
151. We'll call our organization...Copy !req
152. Shadow Garden.Copy !req
153. And your name is now Alpha.Copy !req
154. Three years passed after I brilliantly ad-libbed
my way through my first performance.Copy !req
155. I was now 13 years old,
an average, ordinary Dark Knight in training.Copy !req
156. Your lunge is weak!Copy !req
157. The fencing in this world, in a word, is unsophisticated.Copy !req
158. In my past life, living in the Age of Information,Copy !req
159. I was able to fuse all kinds of
martial arts together and optimize them.Copy !req
160. If I just used them here...Copy !req
161. Jeez! You're too strong!Copy !req
162. That boy never makes any progress.Copy !req
163. Miss Claire...Copy !req
164. Yes?Copy !req
165. Your mother is calling.Copy !req
166. The guests are arriving for your farewell party.Copy !req
167. Cid, I won't be able to practice with you for a while,Copy !req
168. but you make sure to continue training on your own.Copy !req
169. Yes, ma'am!Copy !req
170. You, prepare a towel and
a change of clothes for the boy.Copy !req
171. Oh, man, it's not easy to play the part
of a background character.Copy !req
172. But I must play Background Character A perfectly
if I want to be ready for the day I know will come.Copy !req
173. When nobles turn fifteen,Copy !req
174. they start attending the Midgar Academy
for Dark Knights in the royal capital.Copy !req
175. My sister is enrolled at the Midgar Academy
for Dark Knights, too, but...Copy !req
176. When the day came for her departure...Copy !req
177. she was nowhere to be found.Copy !req
178. What is the meaning of this?Copy !req
179. Even attacking her in her sleep,
how could they overpower Claire?Copy !req
180. The scoundrel must have been a master fighter!Copy !req
181. Then we have to accept this?Copy !req
182. Is that what you're saying?Copy !req
183. Oh, no, that's not what I meant.Copy !req
184. I was just stating a fact-Copy !req
185. Stop making excuses, bald man!Copy !req
186. Take that and that and that!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!Copy !req
187. Go find our daughter, dammit!Copy !req
188. What are we going to do
if something happens to poor Claire?Copy !req
189. Beta...Copy !req
190. Yes, Lord Shadow?Copy !req
191. Alpha had collected members for Shadow Garden
as if she was adopting abandoned kittens.Copy !req
192. So our numbers have grown rapidly.Copy !req
193. Where's Alpha?Copy !req
194. Searching for clues to finding Miss Claire.Copy !req
195. She moves fast.Copy !req
196. Is my sister still alive?Copy !req
197. Most likely, yes.Copy !req
198. The kidnapper, as expected,
belongs to the Cult of Diablos,Copy !req
199. a high-ranking officer.Copy !req
200. Why did they take my sister?Copy !req
201. We believe they suspect that Miss Claire is
one of the heroes' descendants.Copy !req
202. I see.Copy !req
203. I guess when these girls get involved,Copy !req
204. even regular old bandits can instantly
transform into members of the cult.Copy !req
205. Look at this map.Copy !req
206. We have determined the locations of their hideouts.Copy !req
207. But we don't know which hideout is the one
where they are keeping Miss Claire.Copy !req
208. That one.Copy !req
209. Darnit, I missed!Copy !req
210. That is where we'll find my sister.Copy !req
211. B-but there's nothing there...Copy !req
212. It can't be!
These cryptograms were a bluff?Copy !req
213. In that case, if we compare it against this account...Copy !req
214. It all comes together!Copy !req
215. Lord Shadow, I believe there is a secret hideout
in the location you indicated!Copy !req
216. I knew it.Copy !req
217. You took in this enormous amount of information
and saw the truth in an instant!Copy !req
218. I'm so impressed!Copy !req
219. You're quite the actress, Beta.Copy !req
220. You deserve an Academy Award.Copy !req
221. Contact the Seven Shadows.Copy !req
222. We move tonight.Copy !req
223. Yes, My Lord!Copy !req
224. You know, I had a daughter.Copy !req
225. I would prefer not to have to resort to violence...Copy !req
226. Claire Kagenou.Copy !req
227. You can still dodge that while locked up
in magic-sealing chains?Copy !req
228. I was taught that it's not about how much
magic you have, but how you use it.Copy !req
229. You had a good father.Copy !req
230. That baldy?Copy !req
231. No, I was taught by my brother.Copy !req
232. Your brother?Copy !req
233. When we fight, I beat him every time.Copy !req
234. But I am always learning from my brother's sword.Copy !req
235. And yet he never learns a thing from me.Copy !req
236. That's why I pick on him every day.Copy !req
237. I've heard about your brother.Copy !req
238. When you showed signs of possession,
he is the one that healed you, right?Copy !req
239. Not that again.Copy !req
240. I keep telling people, that's not what happened.Copy !req
241. There is no way that boy could have healed me.Copy !req
242. That is certainly true.Copy !req
243. But just in case, I'm going to need to learn
more about this brother of yours.Copy !req
244. If anything happens to that boy,Copy !req
245. you'll have to answer to me!Copy !req
246. You! You mutilated your own hands?Copy !req
247. I'll kill you, I'll kill your beloved family,
your friends, everyone you-Copy !req
248. Cheeky little brat.Copy !req
249. No matter.Copy !req
250. We'll know if she's compatible once
we've analyzed her blood.Copy !req
251. Viscount Grease!Copy !req
252. What do you want?Copy !req
253. Intruders!Copy !req
254. We think there are seven of them!Copy !req
255. They appear out of nowhere, like shadows!Copy !req
256. Our men are dropping like flies!Copy !req
257. We're no match for them!Copy !req
258. That's impossible!Copy !req
259. Some of our knights are good enough
to be in the Royal Guard!Copy !req
260. What the?Copy !req
261. Y-you...Copy !req
262. Who are you?Copy !req
263. We are Shadow Garden.Copy !req
264. It is our mission in life to
annihilate the Cult of Diablos.Copy !req
265. We know everything.Copy !req
266. About the revival of the demon Diablos,
the heroes' descendants...Copy !req
267. and the truth behind demon possession.Copy !req
268. The Cult of Diablos?Copy !req
269. Where did you learn that name?Copy !req
270. How did you find that secret?Copy !req
271. I won't kill you.Copy !req
272. At least, not before you tell us everything you know.Copy !req
273. That was an interesting trick.Copy !req
274. I'll go after him.Copy !req
275. No need.Copy !req
276. He's headed straight for him.Copy !req
277. Is that why we split up?Copy !req
278. Lord Shadow is so brilliant!Copy !req
279. I'm lost.Copy !req
280. I guess I got a little carried away hunting the small fry.Copy !req
281. Dammit...Copy !req
282. You knew I was coming this way?Copy !req
283. But there's only one of you!Copy !req
284. In terms of quantity,
you have more magic power than Alpha.Copy !req
285. But unfortunately, you have no idea how to use it.Copy !req
286. And yes...Copy !req
287. your lunge is weak.Copy !req
288. Your fighting has absolutely no finesse.Copy !req
289. Allow me to give you a master class
on the correct use of magic.Copy !req
290. Lesson One:Copy !req
291. Concentrate a minimum amount of magical energy
in your feet for a burst of speed.Copy !req
292. Lesson Two:Copy !req
293. Once you've gained the proper distance from your
opponent, speed and strength are unnecessary.Copy !req
294. You don't even need magic.Copy !req
295. Lesson Three:Copy !req
296. I'm only just getting started!Copy !req
297. Have I ever felt so overwhelmed in battle before?Copy !req
298. If I have, it was as a boy.Copy !req
299. When I was sparring against my teacher,
after I had only just taken up the sword.Copy !req
300. But...Copy !req
301. I don't care how stong you are,Copy !req
302. the darkness of this world is so much deeperCopy !req
303. than even you can imagine!Copy !req
304. Then I'll dive deeper.Copy !req
305. As deep as I can go.Copy !req
306. I'm serious, boy!Copy !req
307. I'll teach you something!Copy !req
308. About the darkness of this world!Copy !req
309. We're all worthless!
And fragile!Copy !req
310. That is reality!
Taste it for yourself!Copy !req
311. Your own powerlessness!Copy !req
312. Disgraceful.Copy !req
313. What is this?Copy !req
314. This enormous magical energy?Copy !req
315. Playtime's over.Copy !req
316. Of course...Copy !req
317. It's not just his technique...Copy !req
318. It's everything!Copy !req
319. I was powerless against the darkness.Copy !req
320. But maybe this boy...Copy !req
321. Millia...Copy !req
322. He was pretty tough for a regular old bandit.Copy !req
323. Well, that's pretty much how we
successfully pulled off this rescue mission.Copy !req
324. After breaking out of her chains, Claire showed up
back home the next day in a very bad mood.Copy !req
325. She is ridiculously tenacious.Copy !req
326. And her injuries were more or less healed overnight.Copy !req
327. She set out for the royal capital
as if nothing had ever happened.Copy !req
328. I wish I could go to the capital.Copy !req
329. It's a giant metropolis that doesn't even
compare to this backwater village.Copy !req
330. There's bound to be some character there
in the position of main protagonist.Copy !req
331. And I bet there's a last boss, too.Copy !req
332. Well, I'll get to go there in two years.Copy !req
333. In the meantime, I'll put Alpha and the girls to work...Copy !req
334. Shadow...Copy !req
335. The hour has come.Copy !req
336. It is time for us to leave you.Copy !req
337. What?Copy !req
338. This is goodbye.Copy !req
339. What?Copy !req