Shadow (Cid Kageno)

Cid Kageno is a slim young man with an athletic figure, short hair, and black eyes. His facial features are average, lacking any impressionable qualities. A countenance that is forgettable as it is generic. His new body has similar features to his previous appearance as Minoru Kageno. As a student, Cid wears the mandatory male uniform of Midgar Academy. The standard navy blue blazer with gold suspenders and a white dress shirt. A casual appearance is facilitated by keeping the black apron tie loose. White loafers and navy blue pants complete the bottoms and a sheathed sword is on the left side of his hip.

Shadow: The outfit Cid chose for Shadow is an ebony slime jumpsuit, styled similarly to a stand-up collared coat. Gold and purple trim adorns a dark jacket, shirt, pants, and tall boots. A long hood casts a shadow to hide the top half of Cid's face. The only discernible facial features are his mouth and the glow of his red eyes; in this form Cid looks like someone 19 or 20 years old.
Mundane Mann: Formerly a fallen aristocrat of the Altena Empire, Cid borrows his face to enter the Bushin Festival. The mask features a pale face with baggy eyes, a drooping mouth, and unkempt facial hair. A hunched back and cheap gear aid Cid's desire to appear "weak."
John Smith: For Cid's second foray into Lawless City, he wears a double-breasted black suit over a pinstriped dress shirt. A skinny black tie is kept tight around his neck. The final elements are straight-toed shoes and fingerless gloves. Anonymity is maintained through the use of a mask of dominance. The entire outfit has an "FBI agent" aesthetic.
Jack the Ripper: In order to eliminate the corrupt nobles of the Thirteen Swords of the Night, Cid became an infamous serial killer. Donning a full-body clown suit and leaving behind playing cards, his enigmatic cruelty baffled the authorities. Within a few days, Cid managed to destroy the Thirteen Swords of the Night.

In his previous life, Minoru Kageno possessed a tall, toned physique due to his constant training. His face was plain, with short black hair and black eyes, resembling his post-reincarnation life as Cid Kagenou. As a student of Sakurazaka High, he wore a standard white school robe, a light blue shirt, blue pants, and a blue tie. On Earth, he operated as a vigilante, using the alias Fancy Hoodlum Slayer. The attire was all black, and a balaclava (ski mask) covered his face.

From his earliest childhood, in both lives, he had a lifelong fascination with the characters of Shadowrunners. Clique leaders and puppeteers who secretly wield enormous worldly power and influence. Cid was and remains obsessed with becoming a true Shadowrunner. Cid's megalomania has gone beyond simple youthful fantasies or "chūnibyō", as he swears lifelong loyalty to becoming an Eminence and refuses to surpass it. Cid spares no effort or expense to achieve his dream, endlessly training and developing elaborate scenarios or dialogue for his routine. Cid's materialistic nature has guided many decisions as he continually seeks more capital to fund his Shadowrunner operations. When not focused on mob or Eminence performances, his overall attitude seems distant or apathetic. To maintain efficiency, Cid divides the things in his life into two categories: "important things" and "unimportant things." The last category does not imply malignancy, but simply apathy. He devotes all his attention to his likes or desires and pushes everything else aside. The pruning process is ongoing, chipping away at more and more of his life until all that remains are things he cannot live without. Cid's extreme modus operandi does not mean the absence of emotions or friends. His laconic demeanor and disdain for others reflect a deepening isolation; however, he has demonstrated the capacity for compassion on several occasions, offering sympathy for people he perceives to have suffered similar or extreme hardships. If someone praises something that is valuable to him, he will go out of his way to express gratitude or give a specific compliment. When reflecting on his single-minded pursuit, Cid expresses open contempt for those who have abandoned their ambitions.

Cid has described the Seven Shadows as friends and frequently thanks them for participating in his role-playing. Periodically, Cid may feel envious or angry at the consistent success they have gained using their otherworldly knowledge, but tolerates many of their decisions. Their relationships are not without their difficulties. A personal philosophy of Cid's is that relational setbacks are resolved over time. Ignoring others becomes an appropriate and valid social strategy with this view. He has received several sharp lessons that maintaining a carefree approach does not always work, but he feels that not enough time has elapsed in these cases; death will sort it out. Cid differentiates himself from his lecherous school friends, articulating a lack of interest in relationships or marriage. His one relationship happened by mere chance; after concluding the ridiculous relationship, he declines an offer to make it serious. Other women have misinterpreted Cid's actions as romantic gestures when he had no such intention. His association with the Seven Shadows has inundated him with beautiful people, making him apathetic towards attractive women. Cid has retained a warrior's pride, continuing his martial arts and swordsmanship training from his past life. He recognizes power and technique, but respects those who understand the intricacies of battle. He finds brute force and borrowed power abhorrent.

An ambiguous element of Cid's personality is his feelings towards others. Cid's behavior and statements towards characters are contradictory. It is open to interpretation whether he sees people as props, individuals, or a combination of the two. Rhetorical actions strengthen Cid's mob character persona, but ignore feelings for those involved. Activities such as these reinforce the view of people as props, but his rare instances of soliciting support the notion of people as individuals.

The theory that Cid holds is that the identity of a shadow leader is always that of the person one would least expect. He achieves this by posing as two separate characters: Cid, the supporting character, and Shadow, the mysterious mastermind. Background Cid is a character who blends into his surroundings, hence his name. In his role as a civilian or mobster, he maintains a below-average grade at the Midgar Academy for Dark Knights and diligently seeks out methods to improve his "normal" status. His behaviors can range from befriending moderate students to promoting an average performance or confessing his love to a popular girl only to be rejected. Cid will allow himself to be beaten or stabbed with exuberance if he thinks it will show a normal existence. Extreme actions, such as self-induced cardiac arrest in order to die a pathetic death, are constantly explored and perfected. In his role as Shadow, he is obsessed with appearing calm and mysterious, mumbling sinister phrases and putting on bombastic performances. Shadow is a puppeteer of the underworld, someone who controls everything from the darkness and whose power is unfathomable. Cid deepens his voice to deliver a sonorous vocal performance. Others have described Shadow's voice as an "echo from an abyss," with each utterance possessing layers of meaning. His aesthetic and dialogue choices are determined by the fantasies or story clichés he finds cool. Everyone assumes his improvised performance is genuine, while Cid thinks his friends are obeying the rule of Yes... and Improv and hire supporting actors or extras.

Communication problems complicate these circumstances. The Seven Shadows are vague about their activities, believing that their prophetic leader is aware of all the circumstances of the Garden of Shadows and the world. Cid's ambiguous statements fuel this misunderstanding, allowing for the projection of personal interpretations. As a result, he often fails to understand what is happening or jumps to the wrong conclusions. Not all performances end with Cid's supposed outcome, but he finds the endings satisfying. Success is due only to Cid's ingenuity, his competent subordinates, and luck.

Pre-Reincarnation: Minoru Kageno was a practitioner of various fencing and martial arts disciplines (e.g. karate, mixed martial arts, wrestling, grappling, swordplay, kendo). The various fitness activities kept his body in peak condition, and the exercise equipment while inactive discouraged muscle atrophy. The practice began in his childhood and extended into his teenage years.
Post-Reincarnation: Resolved to be a good Shadow Runner in his new life, Cid Kagenou began training privately. Once again, he gained practical experience from local hooligans. Bandits substituted for the absent bikers. Years of experimentation and practice have yielded superior development compared to his contemporaries. All of Cid's battles thus far have concluded in overwhelming victories, some against highly decorated combatants. The prolonged bouts are the result of observational strategy, a desire to harangue the target, or an ideal Shadow Runner aesthetic. These achievements have not made Cid complacent, as he continues to hone his power and skills, determined to become the perfect shadow eminence. Fighting for Cid is like a nuanced "conversation." Words and emotions are conveyed through actions such as body language or weapon movements. Superiority in combat is achieved through predictive skill. Those who intervene through force turn combat into a contest of strength or guessing. Cid has expressed his dislike and rejects the reliance on simple, overwhelming tactics. Given an ultimatum, he would choose power, but that should not be an excuse to ignore the complexities of battle.

Magic: Magic is essential to fights in this new world. Cid describes magical energy as "tiny grains of light floating" in his body. His magic differs from that of typical Dark Knights, as the color manifests in shades of blue and purple. A chance discovery of a mound of afflicted flesh allowed young Cid to experiment at will. The pile of flesh served as an excellent tool for research and helped Cid develop a cure for the possessed. After turning ten, Cid reported that he had the strength to lift giant rocks with one finger and magically enhanced agility to run twice as fast as a horse or jump as high. Through demanding work, Cid has rapidly increased all of his abilities and surpassed his ten-year-old feats, demonstrating imperceptible speeds, enhanced strength, and his tour de force, nuclear magic. Likewise, personal control of magic has proven complex enough to modify bodily magical density, relocate organs, and manipulate mana emissions. His power is further augmented by an immense magical reserve and natural regeneration. A device that gives numerical values ​​to magic yielded a 9999, a reported quantization error. Despite this reservation, Cid has stated that the quality of mana is more important than quantity: intricate control and compression overcomes limitations and can multiply magical power by a thousand times its original strength. Agility and endurance are not the only factors that benefit magical amplification; the young shadowrunner's magic can suppress its presence. Though not the strongest user of this ability (an honor Cid bestows on Delta), it is still invaluable for assassinations or grandiose entrances.

Nuclear Magic: 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. The energy released is comparable to fission or fusion chain reactions. While channeling the esoteric technique, Cid says, "I... Am... Atomic" in English. It was born out of a desire to be strong enough to survive a nuclear attack. Cid's sole purpose in cultivating magic, aside from general shadowrunner practices, was to achieve this unrealized desire. His logic became that in order to survive a nuclear explosion, he must transcend beyond physical limitations and become a "nuclear powerhouse" incarnate.
atomic variations;
Standard Atomic: Magic is concentrated into a sword, resulting in a devastating follow-up attack. The impact releases a blast of magic that disintegrates anything caught within.
Full-Range Atomic: An area-of-effect atomic magic modification. A magic-imbued sword thrusts into the ground, discharging power in a set radius around the insertion point.
Atomic Recovery: The attack works similarly to the standard atomic technique. The magic still damages structures (destruction of the Crimson Tower), but individuals are healed rather than disintegrated. Those who were turned into ghouls, vampire slaves, also returned to normal.
Atomic Sword: Magic manifests perceptually to lengthen a weapon. A single horizontal strike splits everything in two in the sword's sweeping arc.
Near-Atomic: An early version of standard atomic magic. It is smaller than the traditional technique; later experiments resulted in a more potent result.

Atomic Lobster Shell: A sword splits into nine visible images and transforms into dragon-like slashes. Each dragon consumes a part of the enemy. The first and second slashes bite the arms; the third and fourth slashes devour the legs; the fifth and sixth slashes bisect the torso; the seventh slash pierces the chest; the eighth slash severs the neck. The ninth and final attack swallows the head.
Atomic Rain: The slime takes the form of four wings to gain altitude. Mana is quickly stored in the wings and takes the form of a feather. The magical feathers are released as rapid-fire bursts of energy, raining destruction from above.
Atomic Radar: Magic is concentrated at the tips of the fingers, indistinguishable to the naked eye. The compressed magic is converted into particles and released around the user. They are used to perceive their surroundings. Atomic Radar is a non-offensive nuclear technique.
Rising Atomic: Instead of a sword strike or a radius effect, Cid concentrates magic into a sword and releases it in an ascending beam. Incineration of weaker targets or objects occurs immediately. If the recipient survives the initial blast, breathing becomes difficult due to a freezing sensation permeating the body. Magical damage accumulates rapidly, leading to death.

Magical reinforcement or augmentation helps Cid surpass the limits of the average human body and many Dark Knights. A documented numerical value of Cid's speed is 1200 km/h (648 knots 746 mi/h). Rapid acceleration allows for high-speed exchanges, quick maneuvers, or intricate movements. He has even maintained this agility while in the air, demonstrating sharp turns, slow descents, or bursts of movement for flight. These movements are fast enough to periodically leave an afterimage. Revealing that enemies were attacking an afterimage is one of Cid's favorite expressions as a shadow runner. His offensive strategy of quick retorts and counterattacks makes extensive use of magical amplification. Magically boosted agility can allow for suppressed presence maneuvers for assassinations or grand entrances. Cid's standard defensive strategy is to dodge or parry with quick, brief movements. Unavoidable attacks are countered by magically reinforcing armor or body parts to enhance potential damage. Occasionally, he withstands unavoidable attacks to crush the spirit of opponents. As early as age six, he used fortification techniques to overcome the hardships of past lives - a disadvantage in mass and strength. There is a limitation to the amount of force that can be exerted on a child's body, but Cid overcame it, allowing him feats such as breaking metal. In later years, he withstands powerful attacks, passively resists lethal poisons, and can become immune to modern firearms.

Should harm occur, whether intentional or accidental, Cid developed the ability to heal grievous wounds to himself or others. This ability has evolved from augmenting the body's natural healing capabilities to regenerating damage at a cellular level - scarring or lasting damage versus full recovery. Intricate magical control further allows for internal manipulation that can move or repair vital organs. Through magic, Cid estimates his lifespan to last six hundred years. This duration is still insufficient for him. A shadow eminence must be eternal. Though inferior compared to some strong therianthropes, reinforcement and bodily conditioning have helped develop Cid's senses beyond many dark knights. The heightened awareness is invaluable in and out of combat. Cid's magic perception is high enough to follow the mana behind attacks, even imperceptible techniques. His keen vision can also identify masked individuals, and if strengthened, can see through opaque objects.

Swordsmanship: When he was able to move, young Cid began another rigorous training regimen. His past life activities and knowledge of combat provided him with a suitable starting point. The family Cid was born into has a long tradition of training Dark Knights. At age six, his father began teaching him the Bushin Style; regular sparring sessions with his sister Claire became the norm. Traditional adherence and a lack of globalization have resulted in styles remaining unrefined. Superfluous movements are still present in many techniques. In the new world of the Middle Ages, magic is essential to battle. Magic can supplement strength or speed, but as a consequence, magical combat ignores refinement and many aspects of Maai: the fundamental idea of ​​rhythm, angle, time, and space. Incorporating contemporary Earth methodologies with new tools gives Cid an overwhelming advantage over others in the new world. The katana is Cid's preferred sword style, but he has shown familiarity with wielding other weapons, both conventional and unconventional - the manga and anime depict it as either a long or broadsword. He has revealed two distinct sword styles. The first style is based on adherence to the fundamentals. Through constant practice, techniques are refined until only the essential movements remain. Cid uses this style for Shadow and Mob Cid, paring down refinements and dexterous movements to maintain the facade of Cid's background character. The second style is extravagant, drawing attention through artistic and beautiful movements. Additionally, he has shown the ability to refine personal or imitated enemy techniques in the heat of battle.

Both sword styles take a methodical approach to adversaries, relying on ripostes or counterattacks to overwhelm or weaken an opponent. The precision of parries can be delicate enough to intercept a sword thrust from tip to tip. If a ranged or area-of-effect attack is required, intense, empowered sword strikes can create swirling waves. Cid has exhibited a mastery of mushin (removing emotions from the mind or attacks) combat practices. It offers fluid defense and offense that is difficult to perceive. Feints serve to deceive opponents and help master the pace of battles. Cid has exploited perceptive opponents by using subtle feints to deter approach. This perception can manifest as vivid hallucinations of mutilation and makes it difficult for those affected to discern reality.
Martial Arts: Melee martial arts are another casualty of the unrefined teachings of the New World. It is considered advantageous to practice magic, as throwing and guarding can be rendered irrelevant by superior magical strength. Despite the neglect of others, Cid continues the development and practice of melee techniques. Unarmed combat has been noted as his specialty, but there are few instances where he ever displays this confidence. Hand-to-hand skirmishes are the predominant form of warfare, but Cid incorporates multiple striking techniques into his personal swordplay.

Cid displays above average intelligence in several areas, but falls short in others. He has a notable fluid intelligence in battle. As an expert in combat, tactical decisions and cool-headed analysis aid his methodical approach to fighting. His cunning has dissected enemy techniques and replicated them with refinements. In science and technology, Cid comes across as a generalist, displaying only a cursory understanding of modern enlightenment, the Wisdom of Shadows. What he lacks in natural talent, Cid makes up for in repeated trial and error for innovative technologies. The discovery of slime conductivity was a significant advancement. His analytical brain can extend to objective situational awareness for non-combat strategies or investigative deductions. Cid can communicate in several different languages. He speaks the Midgar language fluently and retains Japanese skills from his past life, displaying knowledge in hiragana, kanji, katakana, and romaji. English words are part of his vocabulary, but his fluency has not been demonstrated. Cid's social acumen is the price for his combat prowess, as his interpersonal emotional intelligence has significant deficiencies.

Mob Cid keeps a low profile to disguise his "true" identity as a shadow runner. Mob Cid is a mediocre individual who blends into the background. Some actions and words are carefully crafted to reinforce this perception. The practices rehearsed are called "normie techniques" (mob-fu manga). If Shadow's atomic magic were the culmination of dedication to eminence, normie techniques would be the mob variant. Cid has stated that forty-eight techniques exist, not including special variations, but only a few have appeared canonically.

Spinning Guard, Bloody Tornado: After receiving an attack, the individual staggers backwards in a spiraling aerial course, leaving a trail of blood behind them. For added effect, add additional blood while on the ground. The blood is kept in containers and secretly opened during flight.
Death in Ten Minutes, Broken Heart: Magic supplements standard blood and heart functions after a lethal attack. The body will appear dead to outside observers. Because it induces cardiac arrest, it is dangerous and can be disastrous if performed incorrectly.
Swiss Cheese Dance, Bloody Puppet: The technique creates the illusion of bullets piercing the body. It is achieved by grotesquely flailing around and screaming in pain. Generous use of fake blood completes the effect.
Technique 49: Slows down the perception of time by magically enhancing the body. Used to cheat on exams and get average grades.

Ebony Swirl: Magic is used to lengthen a slime sword, and magical energy is concentrated into its length. The technique differs from Atomic Sword in that multiple attacks cut through enemies like a "whirlwind" rather than a single blow.
Overdrive: Brute force input of magical energy into the body to overcome normal biological limitations. Recoil damage occurs if the body's stress exceeds acceptable strain.
Cage of Darkness: Magical threads are woven to enclose the target. The space slowly shrinks until the threads tear the target apart.
Black Chain Prison: Raw slime is subtly placed on the target. At the right moment, the slime turns into solid chains to immobilize the target. Shadow boasted that no one has ever managed to escape the technique.
Shadow Puppet: Imperceptible magical threads are attached to one or more of an ally's bodies. The connection acts as a tube that pumps magic to the recipient. The magical demand of the technique is proportional to the number of individuals attached. At the higher extremes, the skill is exhausting.

Musician: As a virtuoso pianist, Cid can play and has memorized several classical and romantic compositions. His favorite piece of music is Sonata No. 14, "Moonlight" in C-sharp minor, Op. 21 No. 2: I. by Ludwig van Beethoven. Although it began as an activity forced upon him by his parents on Earth, Cid grew fond of it and realized there is much shadowrunner potential in it. A secondary benefit is that it provided an excuse for his absence from extracurricular activities. Reincarnated in the new world, Cid makes full theatrical use of this ability. He never misses an opportunity to play the piano if one is available to further his shadowrunner persona, either as Cid or Shadow.
Card Player: Cid has proven to be a skilled card player. The legitimacy of his current conduct is yet to be confirmed. Cid has scammed others in the past. He specified that he would respond to cheating with cheating.
Acting: Cid is as dedicated to rehearsals as he is to combat drills. He has demonstrated exemplary improvisational skills for conversations or tricks. In almost every line of dialogue, Cid stays in character, even if the words are nonsensical. He is shown to be a successful mimic, as each character has distinct voices and mannerisms. The characters he spends the most time on are Shadow and Mob Cid.
Luck: While his ability is debatable, Cid displays an incredible amount of luck. His artificial knowledge of the world has remarkable accuracy, and location decisions based on whims coincide with important events.

Slime byproducts are the core of Shadow's arsenal. Infusing magic into matter always results in energy loss. However, by utilizing slime's high magical conductivity (ninety-nine percent compared to iron's fifteen or mithril's fifty), Cid can create a variety of powerful items that rival artifacts. Slime's fluidity offers endless applications.
Slime Sword: Shadow's primary weapon is a katana. The anime sword's hilt is depicted with two horizontal keels; it would be a variant of a longsword. For the manga, a more decorative or ornamental broadsword design was chosen.
Slime Body: A black suit made of slime. It can change state and form through the application of magic. Cid can fortify or reinforce parts of the body to increase protection and dispel large attacks.
Slimeball Projectiles: Globules of slime are compressed into round bullets and launched at high velocity. Although the number of joules is not specified, one ball has enough kinetic energy to penetrate the skull and heart of two different people.
Slime Tendrils/Tentacles - The fluidity of slime allows for the creation of flexible appendages. Reminiscent of vampire blood magic, slime tendrils can offer perfect offense and defense. Lethality can be modified by altering the sharpness of the tip or edge. When attempted on less conductive material, such as water, the potential power is diminished.
Wires/Threads: Wires are steel or magic-based threads reinforced with magic. These threads can be used as lethal weapons or offer esoteric utility. The potency varies depending on the strength of the opponent.

Crowbar: Easy to carry, sturdy, and discreet, the crowbar was the Stylish Ruffian Slayer's weapon of choice. The swan-neck crowbar allows Cid to wield crowbars like a tonfa (T-staff) or blunt weapon.
Miscellaneous Items: Creative use of magical infusion has allowed unconventional objects or items to be turned into weapons. Cid has used pens and playing cards as lethal projectiles and water to mimic vampire blood tendrils.

Cid Kageno is 16 years old but in his different appearances/transformations he looks like an adult man of 19 or 20 years old.

It is said that Cid Kageno is 1.70 centimeters tall and in his different appearances/transformations he is 1.90 centimeters tall.

masculine

Human

Cid kageno, Shadow, Minoru kageno, mob Cid, Mundanne Mann, John Smith, Jack the Stripper.

The eminence un shadow