Cid Kagenou
Cid Kagenou is a male anime and manga character who features in The Eminence in Shadow.
Contents |
Biography
Cid Kagenō (Japanese: シド・カゲノー, Hepburn: Shido Kagenō)
Born as Kagenō Minoru, he was inspired to become an 'Eminence in the Shadow' and that passion would influence the rest of his childhood. As a result, Minoru would study daily to expand his knowledge, as well as train daily to master multitudes of martial arts. The boy would continue this course of action to high school while maintaining a facade of mediocrity in public to hide his true potential. During his last year in high school, Minoru would become classmates with former actress Akane Nishino. Although he would mostly ignore her, most notably confusing her name for months. In the meantime, he would be attacking local biker gangs to experiment with and improve his skills. One night, Minoru would witness a kidnapping of Akane and would follow the perpetrators to their hideout while hiding his face with a balaclava and taking up the identity of a bandit hunter, the 'Stylish Bandit Slayer.' After brutally dispatching the kidnappers, he would release Akane before retiring into the night. In the aftermath, his relationship with Akane seemingly improved as he began calling her by her real name. Despite his progress, Minoru started to see the limitations of his physical abilities, knowledge, and skills. As such, he began efforts into researching magic as a solution to his problems. To name a few, he tried a purification ceremony of standing under waterfalls, converting religions, and strapping himself to a cross, but to no avail. During a training session that involved banging his head to a tree, he received a concussion and mistakenly interpreted headlights as the arrival of his long-sought magic. Alas, he was struck by an incoming vehicle and died at the age of 17.
Afterward, Minoru would discover himself reborn into another world as Cid, son of the noble Kagenō family that has developed dark knights for generations. Discovering that magic exists and at a young age, Cid secretly trained in magic, swordsmanship, and martial arts while maintaining the image of unassuming son and weakling compared to his older sister, Claire. As such, he would study and performed his duties as a noble during the day, while discreetly continue his training towards his goal at night. He was pleased that he retained his knowledge of his former life and practiced what he remembered in his new body to develop his skill. Throughout this training, Cid would perform hunts on local bandits in order to improve his skills and gather resources, namely currency. Notably, he would save his sister Claire from the Scarface Gang, rescuing a young Rose Oriana from a group of kidnappers one night, and save a young Yukime from a fervent Gettan and kill all of Gettan's underlings, although Gettan escaped after Cid slashed both eyes and permanently blinded him. Throughout these hunts, Cid would routinely upgrade his disguises, from common dressing and mask to his eventual apparel with the Slime Bodysuit. When he was 10 years old, Cid would hunt down another group of bandits while experimenting with his recently developed slime suit and sword. In the aftermath, he would discover a rotting individual suffering from Demon Possession among his loot. Sensing an abundance of magical power from the body, he would use the body as a research subject to further develop his magical skills.
After a month's continued experimentation, he found himself surprised that he healed the body and returned it to its normal state, revealing itself as a young female elf. Although initially reluctant to accept the girl's gratitude and vow of servitude, Cid eventually decided to recruit her into his campaign of becoming an Eminence in the Shadow. Sensing a need for motivation, the boy would fabricate an improvised narrative about the secretive Cult of Diablos, that desired the revival of the eponymous demon. Explaining that the Cult used its hidden influence over society to manipulate history and hide the truth about Demon Possession, Cid convinced the elf, whom he renamed to Alpha, into joining his non-existent crusade and formally created the organization of Shadow Garden. Afterward, Cid took up the alias Shadow and would shelter and trained Alpha in magic, melee combat, and swordsmanship for the next couple of years. As they trained, the two would recruit six additional members who also suffered from Demon Possession: Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta and Eta. Similar to Alpha, Cid cured them before taking them in, and provided them the same training, as well as knowledge from his previous life. Finding each had specialties, Cid gave a general education as well as specialized training, such as teaching Gamma economics and trade, giving Eta architecture and science lessons, and lastly Beta and Epsilon literature and music from his past life respectively. At the age of 12, Cid noticed that his sister, Claire having the same symptoms and cured her while stretching her though she is unaware of it.
When he was 13 years old, Cid soon learnt that Claire had been kidnapped while he was away during one of his 'missions.' According to Beta's investigation, he learned the culprit behind his sister's capture was most likely the Cult of Diablos. However, while still under the impression the whole situation was an act given, he improvised the story with the Cult. Cid nevertheless convincingly chose a random location on the map as the Cult's hideout. Fortunately, that was where Claire was actually imprisoned, and he ordered the Seven Shadows to move at night. Later as they raided the hideout, Cid found himself separated and lost in the underground tunnels. Ironically, he encountered who he thought was a random bandit, who was really Viscount Grease, an actual member of the Cult of Diablos. Their encounter had the two clashing, and Cid eventually defeated Grease effortlessly despite the Viscount's enhancement drugs. Afterward, Shadow Garden successfully completed their mission to rescue Claire, and reconvened at the Kagenou Manor. In the aftermath, the girls would request a meeting with Cid to report their discoveries regarding the truth of Demon Possession and the Cult of Diablos' practices. The group determined that they would need to leave to expand the organization's strength and influence in order to combat their enemies. Despite believing his subordinates had discovered he fabricated the truth regarding the Cult's existence, Cid nevertheless allowed them to depart while remaining resolute in becoming an "Eminence in the Shadow".
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Cid Kagenou was a slim young man with a muscular frame, short dark hair, black eyes and his facial features are often described as generic and frail. His appearance continued over onto his life when he was reincarnated into another world.
From early childhood onward, he—in both lives—had an abiding fascination with shadow broker characters. Leaders of cabals and puppet masters who secretly exert enormous power and worldly influence. Cid was and still is obsessed with becoming a genuine shadow broker. Cid’s megalomania has gone past simple juvenile or 'chūnibyō' fantasies, as he vows permanent loyalty to becoming an eminence and refuses to outgrow it.
Powers and abilities
Originally, Cid Kagenou was born an ordinary human being with no special abilities. However, he came to train himself in martial arts to the point that during his high school years he could operate as a street level vigilante.
Resolved to be a proper shadow broker in his new life, Cid Kagenou began training privately. Practical experience was, once again, gained from local hooligans. Bandits were substituted for the absent motorcyclists. Years of experimentation and practice have yielded superior development compared to his contemporaries. All of Cid's battles have hitherto concluded with overwhelming victories, some against highly decorated combatants.
Cid's signature nuclear or atomic magic is the culmination of his magical research and training; it is the most potent technique in his repertoire. The functional principle behind it is the accumulation and compression of magic into a single point, his sword, followed by release.
As Shadow, he was the leader of the clandestine organization known as Shadow Garden (シャドウガーデン, Shadō Gāden?).
Notes
- Cid Kagenou was created by Daisuke Aizawa where he featured in the setting of the The Eminence in Shadow universe.
In other media
Television
Appearances
- The Eminence in Shadow:
External Links
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