Episode 7

**A Fencing Tournament of Intrigue & Bloodshed** (謀略と流血の剣術大会, *Bōryaku to Ryūketsu no Kenjutsu Taikai*?) is the seventh episode of the *The Eminence in Shadow* anime adaptation.

## Synopsis

* English
* Japanese
 Cid gets a report from Nu about powerful cult members lurking in the Royal Capital. Too bad he's too distracted about the upcoming fencing tournament to notice.

 シドは、剣術大会でオリアナ王国の王女ローズと対戦。モブらしいやられ方で会場をざわつかせる。そんな中、黒づくめの集団がアーティファクトで魔力を制御し、学園を占拠する。

## Summary

While examining the box of chocolate in her office, Sherry Barnett thinks of what her father told her about love at first sight. She finally decides to try the chocolate, finding it really sweet, and growing her own infatuation toward her admirer.

After school at the Academy in the afternoon, Nu disguises as a student and approaches Cid to tell him that the man in black they caught last night had undergone powerful brainwashing to the point of his mind already been destroyed, which is shared trait of the Cult's vanguard, the Third Children. But unfortunately with his broken mental state, Nu was unable to obtain any relevant information out of the perpetrator no matter what she tried and suspected that the black hooded cloak worn by the pretenders was obtained through black market channels. While Nu elaborates the Children of Diablos, Cid is distracted from thinking how Skel ended up signing him for the Bushin Festival, a prominent fencing tournament.

When Nu explains that the Cult's goal is to use Shadow Garden's name to lure them out of hiding, Cid angrily tells her not to and Nu complies with Cid's misinterpreted order which is actually for his non-participation in tomorrow's elimination tournament.
As Nu also inform Cid that they confirmed a presence of a Named First Child in the Royal Capital called "Rex, the Game of Betrayal", she clarifies a First Child are those who maintained their sense of self despite being one of the Children and if the Cult of Diablos are deploying Named Children to the capital, it's clear they have some other purpose in mind. Cid states he needs some time to think and leaves. Nu stares at him in awe, believing he has already reached a solution. Seeing the other students going about their afternoon, Nu reflects on how her past ended from her Demon Possession, grateful for who she is now and preferring her current self.

Starting the day of the qualifying tournament, Claire easily wins her fight and pins her opponent to the ground, with the audience praising her performance. Meanwhile, Skel and Po place bets, lamenting their lost earnings on poor selections, before Skel sounds baffled hearing Cid is next. With Student Council President Rose Oriana against Cid, who recalls how Rose is from a nation of the arts but is the best swordswoman at the academy. As he thinks how she is a definite "named character," he says aloud how one should be grateful for such good fortune, surprising Rose.

As their fight starts, Cid decides to show his forty-eight techniques he mastered and lets himself get hit to cough up fake blood, part of his secret background character technique-- "Spinning Drill Fall: Bloody Tornado." An unsightly defeat in the first round at the hands of an indisputable champion, Cid stops the referee before he can deem Rose the winner, wishing to continue; when he really wants to show off his other forty-seven other techniques. After Cid continues standing after each clean hit wanting the fight to continue, Rose is surprised by his determination and decides to get serious, but the referee intercedes to save Cid, summarily announcing Rose the winner. The referee states how it's too dangerous for Cid to continue after losing so much blood, and despite Cid's protests, he is carried out. With the bout finished, an impressed Rose commits Cid's name to memory.

After the fight, a heavily bandaged Cid hopes he will still get a chance to show the remaining of his techniques, but will skip school for a few days for now to sell the illusion of him recovering. He is then approached by Sherry, oblivious that she is awestruck by him, who explains that she watched his fight and felt he was incredible as he kept standing up, even though she normally doesn't watch sword fights. She then gives him cookies she baked as thanks and suggest they can start as friends. Cid isn't sure why she gave him cookies and what she means by starting as friends, but he accepts, to which she tells her father and he joins them. Cid recognizes him as an important person: Lutheran Barnett, Assistant Principal of the Academy of Science. Cid notes that if he wishes to remain as obscure as possible, he shouldn't be having a contact with him. After some small talk, he uses his injuries as an excuse to leave.

That evening, Sherry is thinking about Cid while eating some of the chocolate he gave her, and wonders if she should visit him since they are friends. Recalling how he dated Princess Alexia a short while ago, she decides to go and talk with Alexia. While the princess is invites Sherry in, guessing her visit is to talk about the artifact, Sherry reveals she is actually there for her advice. Nervous, Sherry mentions Alexia's being relationship with Cid and wonders if it was true. Alexia states they broke up as they weren't dating in reality, but pretending to be a couple for specific reasons. Sherry gets jubilant by the information, and states she became friends with Cid the other day, progressively upsetting Alexia. Sherry wasn't able to concentrate on her research, but now is glad to learn that they aren't together, leaving happy while Alexia gets frustrated. Outside the door, Marco Granger hears the room destroyed by Alexia.

Five days later, Cid returns to school and feels that everyone is a bit nicer than usual to him. Rose then arrives to explain the Student Council election to fill the vacancy, while noticing Cid's return to class. Concurrently, **"Gaunt Knight"** commands the gathered Cult's forces underground to begin enacts their plan as he ignites an artifact, creating a barrier around the school that only Cid seemingly notices. When Alexia returns to school, she sees the gate is closed during school hours and that the guard is dead. As Cid notices he can't use his magic, a group of masked men in black burst into the room claiming to be from "Shadow Garden", explaining that they are taking over the Academy. While Rose decides to fight them, she soon realizes she can't use magic while the Shadow Garden pretenders are. As one of them easily breaks Rose's sword and moves in to kill her, Cid rushes in and pushes her away, taking the hit and falls to the ground covered in blood.

## Characters

* Sherry Barnett
* Cid Kagenou
* Nu
* Rex (Mentioned)
* Marco Granger
* Skel Etal
* Po Tato
* Claire Kagenou
* Rose Oriana
* Lutheran Barnett
* Alexia Midgar

## Promotional Videos

TVアニメ『陰の実力者になりたくて！』第７話予告≪スペシャルVer.≫「陰の実力者は極めた奥義を見せつけたい！」TVアニメ『陰の実力者になりたくて！』第７話予告≪ノーマルVer.≫「謀略と流血の剣術大会」
## References

1. ↑ https://www.hidive.com/stream/the-eminence-in-shadow/s01e007
2. ↑ https://shadow-garden.jp/1st/story/#story7