Akane Nishino/Chronology

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## Background

### Early Childhood

Born into the Nishino family and sister to Akira, Akane was raised into prominence during her childhood when she started her acting career and soon became a famous child actress. During junior high however, she was kidnapped by a stalker and the scandal that followed traumatized her. The incident had forced her to put her acting career on hold while her parents began to arrange a driver for her to get between school and home safely.

She eventually returned to acting during high school and it was there where she met Minoru Kageno, a classmate who she hated after the teen repeatedly failed to recognize her. After taking a remedial class, she decided to walk home after she was unable to communicate with her driver. On her way home, a black van suddenly appeared with two men coming out to abduct her. Before she lost consciousness, Minoru just happen to be at the scene and was the last person she saw.

Upon regaining consciousness, much to her horror, she woke up to discover herself tied and gagged. She learned from her abductors that they intended to use her as ransom from her parents before one of them tried to have their way with her. Before one of them tried proceeding, Minoru dressed as an anonymous figure dubbing himself as "Fancy Hoodlum Slayer" broke into their hideout and knocked out the would-be violator. Initially struggling to fight off the other abductor who revealed himself as an ex-soldier, Minoru later brutalize him after wielding his weapon as a blunt one. After brutalizing her abductors, Minoru freed Akane and told her to be more careful next time before fleeing the scene. Inexplicitly freed from her abductors, Akane's parents did not go public with the incident and only a selected few knew of it.

Akane recalled the events the following day before encountering Minoru at the school gates. To her surprise, Minoru remembered her name and it was when their relationship began to reconcile as she decided to give conversing another chance. She would spend some time watching hm and eventually realized that he was the ski-masked vigilante who rescued her and developed romantic feelings for him. Sometime however, Minoru died of a vehicle accident. Akane was deeply affected by his death to the point she kept his school uniform in hopes of him returning years later.

### The Birth of the First Knight

At an unspecified time approximately three years before Minoru's homecoming as Cid (some weeks or months after Minoru's death), Japan was invaded by magical beasts. And one year later after Magical Beasts Invasion, Akane took part in a project at a human settlement called Arcadia as a test subject in creating warriors to combat the invasive species. Akira kickstarted the project after discovering these warriors' existence called "Knights". The project succeeded as she gained magical abilities and soon people dubbed her as the "First Knight". Despite the project's astounding success, Akira was dissatisfied with the results and continued experimenting on his sister against one of the scientists' wishes. The attempt to increase her powers backfired horribly when Akane lost control of her magic and went on a rampage that destroyed Arcadia, killing several people in the process.

The trauma of the event had caused Akane to bury the memory deep inside, almost erasing it entirely. The now amnesiac Akane and Akira fled and took refuge to another group called the Messiah whose base was set up at their late family's university. Deep down within her subconsciousness, she retained vague recollections of the event and soon developed an immense guilt and suicidal tendencies, valuing human life more as a result.

During her time at the Messiah, both Akane and Akira rose quickly within the ranks and soon became a captain and scientist respectively. Due to her prowess and much to her dismay, several members including her squadron called her their savior. Despite receiving this praise, she rebutted that it was an exaggeration and that she's only doing what she can. During her time in Messiah, Akane would often reminisce her time back in high school, and often fantasizes Minoru coming to save her again when things get tough.

## Volume 4

### Reunion

#### Anime/Game

Akane wakes up, she recalls that when she looks at the moon it reminds her of him. Akane also remarks that she's in her 20s and wonders why she still wearing a school uniform. Near the gate of Messiah, a Messiah knight would ask Akane about if she was really going, Akane responded yes as she couldn't abandon her friends, he would try to warn her that it's not safe at night, but Akane dismisses him as she wanted to pay her respects and at least bring back some of their mementos. Akane would go to visit the ruins of her former High School, Sakurazaka High School. While walking through the ruins of Sakurazaka High she would recall of a boy that she'd despised before. And as she looking at the moon, she would reminded of him of the day she was kidnapped.

While walking through the streets she wonders how long it was when she was alone. Akane would run into the same abductors who kidnapped her 3 years ago. They would kidnap her and place her in the same warehouse that she was once held in, she would wake up a tied with magic suppressing restraints. The abductors would reveal that their client wants them to bring her in alive and so that their client could personally kill her, "Brainless" would strangle her as he remembers the "Fancy Hoodlum Slayer", later they would hear footsteps coming from the roof. One moment later the entire roof would get destroyed and a hooded figure would appear. Brainless and the hooded figure would fight with the latter winning, the hooded figure would reveal himself to be Shadow. After she saw him in amazement, Akane would call out the name Shadow.

#### Light Novel/Manga

Now 20 years old, Akane alongside her squadron investigated an abandoned hospital where three missing knights were dispatched to. Aware that the area was a nesting area for magical beasts, Akane protested their decision to accompany her but ultimately caved into their concerns. After slaying dozens of magical beasts, she discovered an abnormal number of magical beasts' corpses. She speculated that it was a feat that could be done by an Apex Beast she dubbed the "Brute" before one of her squad members found two survivors. Despite her squad's apprehension of one of them who possessed potential symptoms of an awakener like her, Akane took the initiative and asserted for their safety when she ordered them to take them into the Messiah's infirmary.

At the Messiah's infirmary, Akane alongside her brother was informed by the nurse, Yuuka of the two survivor's condition. She informed her of that the boy had no recollection of his memories but his name. Upon learning that his name was Minoru, Akane was taken aback and noted the resemblance between him and her late classmate. Upon deciding that his sister Natsume is an awakener like her, Akira decided to run several experiments on her under an ulterior agenda. Despite her protests, Akane was overruled and was forced to pray for her safety.

Sometime later when the infirmary was overcrowded, Akane decided to take Minoru under her custody out of suspicion that the resemblance between him and her late classmate had a correlation. The nurse was shocked and despite her concerns, the former student assured her that there's nothing to be uncomfortable about since she's an adult and he's still young. After their conversation, a former classmate named Yuudai Saejima confronted her about their overcrowding situation. He suggested to her that he should make an example off of the boy and have him eaten by magical beasts. Repulsed by the suggestion, she retaliated and had irked him as a result. Enraged, he left revealing his knowledge of her past.

After a heated exchange with her former classmate, Akane went to check up on Natsume. While there, Akira barged in furiously about his missing camera. Accusing the awakener of stealing his camera, Natsume charmed the two Nishinos and her caretaker into believing otherwise. Despite stating that he'll take care of her, Akira prepared for a magical beast stampede and revealed that he and his research team discovered the remnants of the Brute. Akane confronted him about his priorities but however, the scientist simply ignored her and left while mumbling to himself that he won't fail in creating a more powerful and malleable pawn.

The following day had Akane help Minoru move into her room and used the opportunity to make him wear her late classmate's school uniform. Imploring him to change. Upon seen him wearing her late classmate's Sakurazaka High School uniform (unbeknownst to her that it was Minoru as Cid wearing it), she was hit with distant memories of Minoru to the point she cried hysterically upon seeing her classmate once more in a form of a resemblance. After reminiscing, she left to clean his clothes while he waited in her room. While washing, Yuudai barged into her room and confronted Minoru. In a jealous rage, he accused the boy of being a spy and attempted to torture him into confessing. Enraged by the blatant abuse of power, Akane intervened and defended the boy that he has been only there for two days while the spy had already infiltrated the Messiah much sooner. Yuudai left reminding her of an emergency meeting before she seethed at his repulsive attitude.

Akane arrived late but was excused by the Commander, Haitani who hosted the meeting. In the meeting, Haitani revealed to the Knights photos that contained dozens of magical beasts' corpses that all took place at the Nishino elementary and senior high. Yuudai was shocked and denied the suggestion that one person was capable of such feat albeit the Commander pointed out that the First Knight could be responsible. Despite speculating who could perform such feats, Haitani rebutted that there's no prove and that it's a mere theory before an alarm for a magical beasts' stampede activated.

In the stampede, Akane joined alongside her fellow knights to defend their base. Despite putting on a valiant effort, the defending Knights was gradually overwhelmed. Akane decided to charge into the horde as bait to lure them away from the base despite her superior's protest. Despite her efforts, she was nearly killed when a jet-blacked-robed figure appeared to wipe the remaining beasts before disappearing. Shortly after the stampede, Yuuka informed her that Yuudai was murdered. Due to her poor relationship and past instances with her former classmate, Akane was accused of the crime. Despite Minoru defending her from the allegation, Akane began to suffer a mental breakdown from her past actions until Yuuka sedated her, drugging her unconscious. Unbeknownst to both Minoru and the Messiah, Yuuka had abducted her to a secluded area.

Sometime after the nurse instigated a stampede, the Black Knight and Natsume who revealed themselves as Shadow and Beta confronted her. The nurse revealed to the other worldly duo that she was the spy and perpetrator behind Saejima's death. In her confession, she also revealed herself as a survivor of Arcadia and sought revenge on the First Knight after her actions led to the death of her husband. In addition, she explained that her husband was the scientist who tried to stop Akira from escalating her condition. However, it was all in vain as the scientist became mad with power and continued running experiments on his sister until she lost control and destroyed everything alongside the spy's husband.

After the spy injected the Brute's blood into the former student, Akane began to recall her past. Unable to process her actions, she reentered her First Knight state and went berserk after killing the spy. In a fight to free the berserk Knight, Shadow easily dodged several incoming attacks and subdued Akane with magical chains. Restored to normal, the mysterious figure told her to be careful and not to get kidnapped again before she lost consciousness. At that time, she heard it clearly.

Akane woke up to find herself in a room foreign to her. Recalling what had transpired and what the Black Knight had told her, she realized that he was Minoru Kagenou and vowed to atone for her actions before she could once more reunite with him.

## Volume 5

### Under Shadow Garden's Custody

Akane was briefly mentioned when Shadow Garden's scientist, Eta was dragged to the Kingdom of Oriana by Gamma to report Alpha on her research. In her report, she noted that she has a name and that she spoke in a language that she couldn't comprehend. She concluded her report to the second in command that she would require Beta to translate what she says and that the silvered-haired elven brought several technologies that runs on electricity.

In her journal, she elaborated that the technology Beta smuggled was beyond repair with theirs and believed that it'll take up to 20 years to catch up. On her journal report on the former student, her body structure resembled that of more of a human than elves and beastkin and that her magic was underdeveloped. She regretted refraining from dissecting her when Beta stopped her when she could've done so without killing her. She believed Shadow brought her to the Other World to elevate their knowledge and asked him for permission to perform surgery on the alien. She lastly believed that the knowledge Shadow taught was interconnected with what Beta brought and became curious of his.

## References

1. ↑ *Volume 4 Auxiliary Chapter: Rise of the Fancy Hoodlum Slayer!*
2. ↑ Episode 1
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Volume 4 Chapter 5: Sneaking Around in Japan, Just like the Old Days!!*
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 *Volume 4 Epilogue: Behold, a Full-Fledged Eminence in Shadow!*
5. ↑ Volume 4 Lurking in the Darkness in Fantastical Japan!
6. ↑ Episode 32
7. ↑ *Volume 4 Chapter 4: Lurking in the Darkness in Fantastical Japan!*
8. ↑ *Volume 4 Chapter 6: Something Smells Fishy... But an Eminence in Shadow Always Cracks the Case!*
9. ↑ Volume 5 **Chapter 4 The World is at Peace Today**
10. ↑ Volume 5 Eta’s Research Journal