Cid Kagenou

Cid Kagenou (Cid Kagenō), formerly known as Minoru Kagenō, is the central antihero and main protagonist of The Eminence in Shadow series. He leads the covert organization Shadow Garden, operating under the alias Shadow, which he established to live out his chūnibyō fantasies, unaware that his imaginary adversaries actually exist.

Appearance

Cid is a slender young man with a well-built physique, short dark hair, black eyes, and features that are often described as unremarkable and delicate. When utilizing his Overdrive technique, his eyes turn red. Cid also bears an unmistakable resemblance to his previous identity as Minoru Kagenō.

At Midgar Academy, Cid is required to wear a uniform consisting of a dress shirt, trousers, a blazer jacket, a tie, and loafers.

Shadow: As Shadow, Cid dons a full-body sleek suit made of black slime material, along with gloves, a domino mask, and boots. The outfit is jet black with golden accents. His eye colour also changes from black to red in intense situations.

Mundane Mann: Under his Mundane Mann guise, Cid adopts a plain man’s face superimposed over his own, with a hunched back, drooping shoulders, and misaligned pelvis.

John Smith: Disguised as John Smith, Cid wears a black pin-striped suit, fingerless gloves, and another domino mask to conceal his identity. He also adorns a gold ring on each finger, which controls the mana-infused garrote wires he employs to eliminate his enemies.

Minoru Kagenō: During his previous life as Minoru Kagenō, his constant training resulted in a tall and muscular physique. Nonetheless, his face remained rather unremarkable, featuring short black hair and black eyes. Minoru also shares an identical resemblance to his post-reincarnated form as Cid Kagenō.

As a student at Sakurazaka High in his previous life, he wore a standard white school coat, a light blue shirt, blue pants, and a blue tie in the Novel/Manga.

Personality

Cid Kagenou is the main protagonist of The Eminence in Shadow series and a self-proclaimed “Eminence in the Shadow.” He suffers from “Chūnibyō,” a condition where he believes he possesses hidden knowledge and is a powerful being. Despite being aware of his delusions, Cid refuses to give up on his fantasies and is determined to live out his desires.

Inspired by various media, Cid obsesses over becoming a figure of great power and influence in the shadows of society. He takes pride in his achievements and despises those who rely on borrowed strength. Cid values genuine effort and respects individuals who display exceptional skills.

Cid’s alter ego, Shadow, is characterized by his full-body slime suit, domino mask, and hooded trench coat. In this persona, he strives to appear cool and mysterious, often reciting ominous lines and engaging in eccentric behaviour.

While his followers in Shadow Garden idolize him, Cid is oblivious to their romantic adoration and prefers to earn money himself rather than rely on their funds. He fears that his knowledge and ideas may be discovered as borrowed from others, although he never claims them as his own. Cid strives to maintain a calm and serious demeanour but often relies on luck, improvisation, and physical dexterity to overcome challenges.

Despite his lack of knowledge about the real world, Cid possesses intelligence and cunning. He has demonstrated ingenuity in creating the Slime Suit and developing a cure for Demon Possession. However, his focus on his fantasy of being an “Eminence in Shadow” hinders his understanding of reality, often leading to misinterpretations and mistaken conclusions.

Cid embraces the persona of a “mob character” in public, intentionally appearing mediocre and average. He willingly subjects himself to torture and harm to maintain this image and often makes decisions based on fulfilling his own fantasies and clichés. He even stops his own heart in order to create dramatic moments he deems as “mob saves the main character events.”

Although Cid discards personal relationships and family ties to pursue his goals, he displays a sense of mercy and responsibility towards those he cares for. He is willing to accept the role of a villain if it means protecting loved ones. However, due to his limited understanding of family and friendship, Cid sometimes makes poor decisions that can negatively impact others.

Cid remains largely unaffected by romantic interests and is surrounded by beautiful women who are part of Shadow Garden. He has developed a dislike for women as a result, making him immune to their charms and seductions. However, he still retains some appreciation for women and has preferences in food and drinks, such as vintage red wine and apple juice.

Cid believes that there is no limit to power and that one can always strive for greater heights as long as they continue to push forward. He rejects the idea of settling or reaching a pinnacle and advocates for constant growth and improvement.

Power and abilities

Cid is a very powerful and versatile character. He is a master of magic, swordsmanship, and stealth. He is also very intelligent and resourceful. These abilities make him a formidable opponent and a valuable asset to any team.

Cid has a wide range of powers and abilities, including:

• Superhuman physical strength: Cid is incredibly strong, able to easily lift and throw large objects. He is also very fast and agile, able to dodge attacks from much faster opponents.
• Superhuman senses: Cid’s senses are far superior to those of a normal human. He can see in the dark, hear sounds that are too faint for human ears, and smell things that are too far away for human noses.
• Master swordsmanship: Cid is a master swordsman, able to wield a variety of weapons with deadly precision. He is also an expert in hand-to-hand combat.
• Slime suit: Cid’s slime suit is a powerful armour that grants him a variety of abilities, including:
  • Enhanced durability: The slime suit makes Cid very difficult to injure. He can withstand attacks from powerful opponents without sustaining any serious damage.
  • Shapeshifting: The slime suit can shapeshift, allowing Cid to change his appearance to match his surroundings. This makes it difficult for enemies to track him down.
  • Regeneration: The slime suit can regenerate any damage that is done to it. This makes Cid very difficult to kill.
• Magic: Cid is a powerful mage, able to cast a variety of spells. His magic is purple in colour and has a circuit-like pattern. He can use his magic to do things like:
  • Heal wounds
  • Control the weather
  • Create illusions
  • Attack enemies with powerful energy blasts
• Intelligence: Cid is incredibly intelligent, with a vast knowledge of magic, swordsmanship, and strategy. He is able to quickly think on his feet and come up with creative solutions to problems.