Anri Sakano – författare

“What a fine night it is to cut the past loose.” Cid’s enjoyed his little visit to his old stomping grounds in post-apocalyptic Japan, but he beat the big monster already, and all the secret conspiracies around here seem to be falling apart, so it’s probably about time he returned to the awesome fantasy world he came from. Just one hitch, though—in the end, just what was his former classmate Akane’s deal?

As a story filled with secret organizations, beautiful recruits and a ton of comedy, The Eminence in Shadow has taken the light novel world by storm and is now ready to win the hearts of manga readers.

Cid and Beta have arrived at one of the last places the aspiring shadowbroker wanted to go—his home world, Earth! (Or at least what’s left of it.) After running into his former classmate Akane, Cid tries to figure out how the heck he’s gonna get back to his cool isekai fantasy life, but little does he know that his dinky old planet’s got some brand-new thrills…!

Cid Kagenou has a dream. Not of 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 he alone is left in the dark!

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!

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 or 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!

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 normie stuff Cid specifically wants to avoid! If his truestrength is revealed, all his work to play the part of anobody will be for naught...

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’être, and where better to strut his stuff than a tournament arc?

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 shadow brokering 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 person a 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 care free 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…?!

A troubled wind is blowing—Mitsugoshi’s new innovations have put them in the sights of entrenched business interests, and the filthy quagmire of shady underworld schemes is escalating to all-out economic warfare! Naturally, there’s no way Cid would ignore something that cool-sounding! If it looks like the girls are getting in over their heads, he’ll just have to step in and betray them to save the day—not as mild-mannered Cid or the grim and mysterious Shadow, but as Super Elite Agent John Smith, he who destroys all and rebuilds it anew…!

After years of the Mitsugoshi group quietly using Cid’s Shadow Wisdom to reshape the world from behind the scenes, the time has finally come to pay the piper. The quagmire of a credit collapse threatens Shadow Garden and the Cult of Diablos alike in an economic disaster orchestrated by one man—Super Elite Agent John Smith! (Don’t tell anyone, but it’s Cid in disguise.) Weaving a web of betrayal from the threads of chaos laid throughout the market, Cid finally succeeds in entangling his enemy, but in the wake of his treachery, will things ever be the same between him and the girls…?

Upon arriving at the Oriana Kingdom, Cid is broadsided by the news that Princess Rose is set to wed Duke Perv—an unexpected development that would throw a major wrench in his future shadowbroker plans! Seems like it’d be a good idea to crash the party and get the deets, but are there even bigger schemes at work behind this unholy matrimony?