The Eminence in Shadow (Volume 3) – Hidden Normie Technique

Cid has only just recovered from his background character defeat in the Bushin Festival to student president Rose Oriana when the school is attacked by terrorists claiming to be Shadow Garden. He can’t believe his luck!

The Eminence in Shadow (Volume 3) – Hidden Normie Technique

What happened?

In the tournament, he was delighted to go up against Rose Oriana in the first round. Nothing says background character like getting destroyed early on in the tournament. However, it’s also a good chance for him to put some of his hidden normie techniques to good use. After a couple of fairly outrageous stumbles and a lot of fake blood, the referee calls the fight, ending Cid’s fun. He did, however, make an impression on Rose who was impressed by his tenacity. There was another that noticed him too. Sherry Barnett offered him some cookies and asked if they could be friends. Cid accepted before realising she was the foster daughter of the assistant principal.

Before the day was out, things took a strange and wonderful turn. The school was cloaked in a field that restricted magic use and then terrorists in black cloaks flooded the school. Rose tried to stand up to them, but without her magic, she was a sitting duck. Cid dived to save her as it was inconceivable that anyone other than a background character is the first to die in this situation. He took a shallow cut and stopped his heart with magic. Once everyone had been taken to the auditorium by the terrorists, he revived himself and started the fight back. He spotted Sherry sneaking around rather ineffectively and offered her some assistance. She held the key to unlocking the magic, making her the protagonist of this arc. Cid would sit back and swoop in as Shadow at the last second. It was a good day!

The Eminence in Shadow Volume 3 Shadow watching over the school

What did you think?

I love the way his efforts to go unnoticed seem to have a big impact on a few important people. Alexis has already revealed that he was the first person she ever considered a friend. Rose believes that he sacrificed himself to save her because he loves her, and Sherry is kind of clueless about anything but research. Still, she also thinks Cid likes her because he gave her chocolates. And once again, Cid’s random actions seem to have consequences that pull him deeper into the next plot line. It’s a fascinating story and I can’t wait to find out if it really is just coincidence or if there is something grander guiding the story.

There’s something strangely satisfying about an overpowered protagonist that doesn’t behave like a fully-fledged hero. Cid is ruthless and doesn’t think twice about slaughtering anyone that gets in his way. Sure, it’s generally bad people, but it’s still murder. I would like to see more of the girls of Shadow Garden which is something that I felt while watching the anime too. It is great seeing Cid, but I would like to get a little more from their perspective. That might help explain a lot of what’s happening. It might not, but it’ll be worth it. This series continues to be a lot of fun. I can’t wait to read more.