Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! Episode 12 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

The Truth Within the Memories

The Sanctuary door appears in the arena during the Goddess' Trial overseen by Nelson and opens. Shadow Garden enters through it, Epsilon takes Nelson hostage, and Alexia and Rose follow inside. Inside, Alpha's group uncovers Olivier's memories and the Cult's Diablos experiments, learning that Nelson is the Eleventh of the Rounds and that he uses the Tears of Diablos. Cid, pulled into a white void, meets Aurora and agrees to help her destroy the Sanctuary's core. Nelson is ultimately exposed and attacked by Delta, then rises mutated and multiplies himself as Delta attacks again.

• Door opens during trial

  The Sanctuary door appears in the arena, Shadow Garden enters, and Epsilon takes Nelson hostage as the princesses follow.

• Olivier's memories and the Cult's secrets

  Inside the Sanctuary, Alpha's group studies Olivier's memories, the Diablos experiments, and the Tears of Diablos, exposing Nelson as the Eleventh of the Rounds.

• Cid and Aurora in the void

  Cid enters the white void where Aurora is held and agrees to help her destroy the Sanctuary's magical core so she can be freed.

• Nelson's mutation and Delta's hunt

  Delta stabs Nelson, who rises mutated and multiplies himself while Delta charges in again.

Recent Timeline

• Lutheran's unmasking and death (Episode 9)

  In Lutheran Barnett's office, Cid identifies the cult knight there as Lutheran, who admits he killed Lukreia to take the Eye of Avarice research. Lutheran fights Shadow using the combined Eye of Avarice and control unit, but is cut down and killed by Shadow with the same method he used on Lukreia. Shadow then flies off, and Sherry finds her father dead.

• Natsume's plagiarism and Archbishop Drake's assassination (Episode 10)

  At a signing event in Lindwurm, Cid discovers that the popular author Natsume is Beta. Her books, including Romeo e Julietta and Asherella, are plagiarized from the past-life stories Cid once told her, which he had shared expecting inspiration rather than theft. Meanwhile Archbishop Drake is found dead, killed by the Cult's executioner. A rooftop assailant who attacked Cid is killed by Epsilon, the Cult's henchmen are captured, and the executioner goes into hiding.

• Church takeover and Shadow's entry into the Trial (Episode 11)

  The acting archbishop Jack Nelson cancels Alexia's audit of the murdered archbishop and has the Church take over the investigation, so Alexia leaves angered, expecting key evidence to be destroyed before the King's approval arrives. Cid, secretly entered by Rose, does not come forward as the next challenger; instead he creates a distracting light and jumps in as Shadow, leaving Nelson unprepared. When Shadow channels his magic, the Sanctuary conjures a door on its own and Aurora appears. Shadow and Aurora fight a battle both enjoy, and Aurora, restricted from using her full power, is defeated by a single slash and vanishes into light, shocking everyone present. The arena barrier then breaks open unexpectedly, a magic door appears in the middle of the arena, and a magic seal spreads across the whole city.

• Venom's defeat and Aurora's release (Episode 12)

  As Alpha's squad enters the Sanctuary door, Nelson's guard Venom tries to kill Epsilon in the arena. His slash only cuts off her fake slime breasts, and the enraged Epsilon reattaches them and defeats him faster than anyone can see. In the white void room, Cid removes the straitjacket Aurora was wearing, and she asks him to work with her to reach the Sanctuary's core and escape.

• Aurora's memory and Nelson's exposure (Episode 12)

  To move past a memory of her younger self crying, Aurora slaps her younger self and tells her that crying changes nothing, and the memory shatters. Alpha then forces Nelson to confirm he is the Eleventh of the Rounds, one of the chosen Knights called Nelson the Avaricious, exposing his place in the Cult's leadership.

Character Graph

Zenon Griffey (Swordsmanship Instructor)

Royal fencing instructor · Academy · Swordsmanship Instructor

The royal fencing instructor who taught at Midgar Academy and was Alexia's fiancé, secretly working with the Cult; he kidnapped her for her blood to win the Twelfth Seat of the Knights of Rounds. After awakening with the red pills, he was vaporized by Shadow's Atomic. In the Sanctuary, Alpha's revelations about the red pills and the Rounds' twelve seats bring him back to Alexia's mind.

• Hidden allegiance

  Revealed to Alexia in a sewer junction as the one who funded the doctor's research and kidnapped her.

• Ambition

  Aimed for the Twelfth Seat in the Knights of Rounds, which he considered far above his post.

• Death

  Took a large dose of red pills to become the Third Awakened, but was overwhelmed by Shadow and vaporized by his Atomic.

• Alexia Midgar (Pact, Other, Hostility)

  Betrothed to Alexia, though the engagement was a public secret.

  Held Alexia captive for her blood and belittled her as a mere 'Fencer Ordinaire', until Shadow killed him in front of her.

• Cid Kagenou (Other, Hostility)

  Advisor to the Section One team who treated Cid as the first suspect in Alexia's disappearance; Cid, as Shadow, confronted him in the sewers and vaporized him.

Lutheran Barnett (Cult Knight)

Midgar Academy of Science · Cult

Sherry's adoptive father and assistant principal of the Midgar Academy of Science, secretly the Cult knight. Once a top swordsman until illness took his glory, he funded and then murdered Sherry's mother Lukreia over her Eye of Avarice research, and was killed by Shadow in turn.

• Role in Sherry's assignment

  Encourages Sherry to accept the princess's request, believing she can do it and building her self-confidence.

• True identity

  Recognized on sight by Cid as the Cult knight, he removes his helmet and wonders whether his walk, cough or stance gave him away.

• Motive

  Sought a cure for his disease and used Sherry for selfish reasons.

• Death

  Killed by Shadow after combining the Eye of Avarice with the control unit artifact and attacking Shadow.

• Sherry Barnett (Family, Mixed)

  Father and daughter; he adopted her and is proud of her growth as a researcher.

  Adoptive father who had been posing as a protector while using her for selfish ends; he killed her mother.

Sherry Barnett (Sherry)

Schoolgirl · Academy

A researcher at the Midgar Academy of Science who carries on her late mother Lukreia's work, and who fell for Cid after bumping into him. She found her adoptive father dead without ever learning he had killed her mother, and has resolved to study abroad in Laugus.

• First encounter

  Bumped into a blood-soaked Cid, accepted his offer to help her up, and was smitten by him.

• Plan

  Sets out to study abroad in Laugus after the academy closes, keeping her vow to a secret purpose.

• Artifact work

  At Princess Iris's request she deciphered the artifact seized from the Cult, and during the academy takeover she used her modified artifact to break the magic-blocking field.

• Cid Kagenou (Other, Friend, Affinity)

  Became smitten with the bloody boy after he offered to help her up.

  Thanked him for his help and told him of her plan to study abroad; she wished to know him better.

• Lutheran Barnett (Family, Affinity)

  Her father, who asked Cid to befriend her and who she is embarrassed about in front of others.

Epsilon

Shadow Garden · Seven Shadows

One of the Seven Shadows, who secretly pads her figure with slime. When the Sanctuary's door opens in the arena, she defeats Nelson's guard Venom faster than anyone can see and drags Nelson into the Sanctuary after Alpha's squad.

• Beta (Friend, Affinity)

  Teases Beta about Shadow's gazes, sharing a sense of being watched because of their large busts.

Rose Oriana (Rose)

Student Council President · Oriana Kingdom

Princess of the Oriana Kingdom, student council president of Midgar Academy and its finest swordswoman, who is convinced Cid loves her. When the Sanctuary's door opens after the Trial, she jumps in after Shadow Garden with Alexia and hears from Alpha the hidden truth about the hero Olivier and the Cult.

• Cid Kagenou (Other, Affinity)

  Opponent in the qualifying match; underestimated him at first, then got serious and was impressed by his determination.

  Accepts Cid's love and has pledged her heart to him; hopes he will earn a princess marriage through the Goddess's Trial.

Alexia Midgar

Midgar royal family · Royal · Crimson Knights

Princess of the Midgar Kingdom and Iris's younger sister, who once used Cid as a fake boyfriend to escape her engagement to Zenon. Now with the Crimson Order, she came to Lindwurm to audit the murdered archbishop; when the Trial goes awry she follows Shadow Garden into the Sanctuary, where Alpha's account of the red pills and the Rounds' twelve seats reminds her of Zenon.

• Fencing reputation

  Known as The Fencing Ordinaire; has always wanted to be as good as her sister.

• Cid relationship

  Asked Cid whether he was interested in continuing their pretend relationship; Cid refused, and she slashed him.

• Audit

  Was investigating the previous archbishop, and the audit is cancelled by the new acting archbishop Jack Nelson.

• Cid Kagenou (Pact, Other, Neutral)

  Fake boyfriend she chose as a low-class aristocrat she could easily control, so she could get out of her engagement.

  Former partner in a pretend relationship that was arranged for specific reasons and has since ended.

• Zenon Griffey (Pact, Hostility)

  Her former fiancé through an engagement kept as a public secret, whom she badmouthed in private; he turned out to be the Cult adherent who kidnapped her for her blood, and Shadow killed him before her eyes.

• Sherry Barnett (Other, Hostility)

  Became frustrated when Sherry revealed her friendship with Cid and smashed her coffee cup and pastries.

• Beta (Other, Hostility)

  Antagonism begins at the Trial when Alexia stomps on Natsume's foot; Alexia sees Natsume as corrupt on the inside.

Beta (Natsume Kafta)

Shadow Garden

One of the Seven Shadows, who lives in public as the popular novelist Natsume, with books lifted from the stories Cid told her about his past life. When Shadow Garden storms the arena she is taken 'hostage' as Natsume and ends up in the Sanctuary with Alexia and Rose, watching Alpha expose the Cult's secrets.

• Role

  Gathers intelligence and identifies the secret hideout

• Trial appearance

  Receives cheers from the crowd at the colosseum while Alexia is annoyed by her popularity.

• Cid Kagenou (Colleague, Affinity)

  Fellow member who reports to him on the investigation

• Alexia Midgar (Other, Hostility)

  Looks down on Alexia with superiority and is secretly annoyed at how Alexia used Cid; believes Alexia is corrupt inside.

Alpha

Shadow Garden

An elf Cid freed from possession and named Alpha, who now runs Shadow Garden in its fight against the Cult of Diablos. Leading a squad into the Sanctuary, she reveals she shares the face of the hero Olivier and lays bare the Cult's secrets, from its Diablos-cell experiments on children to the Tears of Diablos, forcing Nelson to admit he is Eleventh of the Rounds.

• Role

  Recruits for the organization and leads the search for the hideout

• Operations

  Observes the progress of the Shadow Garden raid and oversees the operation's roles.

• Olivier's face

  Revealed to have the same face as the hero Olivier, who is shown as an elf woman in a statue.

• Cid Kagenou (Hierarchy, Colleague, Affinity)

  Leader who renamed her and whom she serves

  Visits Cid in his dorm to update him and watches over him, trusting him to trust their efforts.

• Epsilon (Hierarchy, Mixed)

  Shadow Garden leader giving instructions; Epsilon reminds Delta of the plan.

Aurora

Imprisoned in the Sanctuary

The Witch of Calamity who fought Shadow at the Goddess' Trial, now found inside the Sanctuary, bound in a straitjacket in a white room with her memories incomplete. Freed by Cid, she explains that the Sanctuary is a prison of memories and teams up with him to destroy its core, saying she will vanish into nothing once free.

• Arena fight

  Fights Shadow and is defeated by a single slash, then disappears into light.

• Escape plan

  Explains the Sanctuary is a memory prison and that its magical core must be destroyed to leave; plans to vanish into nothing once free.

• Cid Kagenou (Colleague, Affinity)

  Fellow escapee who agreed to work together to leave; Aurora sees Cid as the strongest of those in her incomplete memories and a gallant knight.

Jack Nelson (Nelson the Avaricious)

Church · Eleventh of the Rounds · Cult of Diablos

The acting archbishop who oversees the Goddess' Trial, exposed in the Sanctuary as Nelson the Avaricious, Eleventh of the Rounds. He keeps an ageless body with the Tears of Diablos, and after Delta stabs him he rises mutated and multiplies himself to punish the intruders.

• Acting archbishop

  Cancels Alexia's audit and announces the Church will investigate the murder itself; he activates the arena barrier and prepares to apprehend Shadow.

• Tears of Diablos

  Took the drug Tears of Diablos, which grants great power and an ageless body, but must be taken once a year.

• Immortal body

  Has an immortal body and rises from water in a mutated physiology after being stabbed.

• Venom (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Nelson's guard, ordered to kill Epsilon.

Cid Kagenou (Shadow)

Kagenou family · Shadow Garden · Midgar academy student · Academy · Midgar Academy for Dark Knights

A Midgar Academy student reborn with memories of his past life, who plays a nobody at school while secretly leading Shadow Garden as Shadow, all to become the Eminence in Shadow. After beating Aurora at the Goddess' Trial, he is drawn into the Sanctuary by a door that follows him, then frees her from her straitjacket and agrees to help destroy the Sanctuary's core so they can both get out.

• Hidden strength

  Trains in secret while posing as a background character at school; a skilled fighter who uses crowbars and other improvised weapons as clubs.

• Encounter

  Confronted Lutheran in the office and was cut down and sent falling through the window.

• Trial appearance

  Enters the Goddess' Trial as Shadow after the announcer calls his name, and defeats Aurora with a single slash.

• Sanctuary entry

  Pulled into the Sanctuary after a magical door appeared above the water he stood upon, and entered after failing to avoid it.

• Alpha (Hierarchy, Colleague, Affinity)

  Girl he freed from possession and renamed; she pledged to join and punish the guilty

  Shadow Garden member who visits his dorm and reports on the organization's progress; he owes her a tuna sandwich.

• Beta (Colleague, Affinity)

  Member who reports to him and works the investigation with him

• Alexia Midgar (Pact, Other, Neutral)

  Fake boyfriend who agreed to continue the act until Zenon gives up.

  Met again at the hot springs in Lindwurm; she apologized for slashing him, and he ignores her gaze while she is flustered and then puzzled by his riddle about the sword.

• Zenon Griffey (Other, Hostility)

  Section One advisor who treated him as the first suspect in Alexia's disappearance; as Shadow, Cid confronted him in the sewers and vaporized him with Atomic.

• Sherry Barnett (Friend, Pact, Affinity)

  Friend since agreeing to Sherry's friendship request.

  Gave her help and encouragement; she thanks him before she departs for abroad study.

• Rose Oriana (Other, Neutral)

  Opponent in the qualifying match who now remembers his name.

  Rose secretly entered Cid into the Trial to show off his worth, and Cid decides how to appear in response.

• Lutheran Barnett (Other, Hostility)

  Assistant Principal of the Academy of Science whom Cid had meant to avoid; Cid recognized him on sight as the Cult Knight and, after being cut down by him, returned as Shadow and killed him.

• Aurora (Colleague, Affinity)

  Works with Aurora to escape the Sanctuary; she regards him as a gallant knight.

Venom

Nelson's guard

A guard of Jack Nelson who attempted to cut Epsilon and was defeated quickly by her.

• Defeat

  Quickly defeated by Epsilon after his attempted slash exposed her fake slime breasts.

• Jack Nelson (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Served as Nelson's guard and was ordered to kill Epsilon.

Delta

Shadow Garden · Seven Shadows

One of the Seven Shadows, a fighter who treats every battle as a hunt and follows Alpha as her pack leader. Entering the Sanctuary with Alpha's squad, she stabs Nelson before they have all their intel, then charges gleefully at his multiplying clones.

• Hunt

  Stabs Nelson and throws him into the water before Alpha's group has all their intel, then dives back in when he multiplies.

• Alpha (Hierarchy, Affinity)

  Follows Alpha as her pack leader and apologizes to her for striking too early; Alpha reminds her to always make sure her prey is dead.

• Jack Nelson (Other, Hostility)

  Stabs Nelson from behind before the questioning is finished, then happily charges at him again after he rises mutated and multiplies himself.

Olivier

The legendary hero said to have cut off Diablos's left arm; the public believes Olivier was a man, but the Sanctuary's statue shows an elf woman with Alpha's face. Her memories reveal she was one of the Cult's children implanted with Diablos cells, sent not to slay the demon but to harvest its cells.

• True history

  One of the few compatible children the Cult implanted with Diablos cells; the tale says she was sent to vanquish the demon, but she was really sent to extract new cells from it.

• Alpha (Other, Neutral)

  Shares Alpha's face; Alpha leads the group through Olivier's memories to expose the Cult's secrets.

World Memo

• Cult sect faction hideouts

  The Cult is divided into sect factions, with the Fenrir sect faction maintaining hideouts spread across the capital

• Artifact magic suppression barrier

  A red-eyed artifact, when ignited, creates a barrier around the school that suppresses magic use within it. People inside cannot use magic, while those who came in with the artifact's effect are not affected.

• Eye of Avarice artifact

  An artifact that absorbs and stores magic from any user and can be programmed to ignore some magical frequencies; it cannot absorb magical traces that are too small or spells exceeding its capacity, and once it reaches maximum capacity it releases all stored energy.

• Goddess' Trial ritual rules

  The Goddess' Trial is an annual fighting ritual in which ancient warriors are awakened from the Sanctuary to compete against modern challengers.

  Challengers must request participation in advance, and the ancient warriors answer only the few they deem worthy. Hundreds try each year, but only about ten reach battle.

  The barrier around the arena cannot be left until either a contestant or a summoned warrior is defeated. Participation carries a hefty fee and a real risk of death, while a winner receives a commemorative medal that lets them join any knight order in the world.

• Three classes of Sanctuary doors

  Sanctuary doors are not physical entries but change shape and location at will, and appear according to who seeks them and who is worthy: a Forbidding door, a Beckoning door, and a Welcoming door.

• Sanctuary as memory prison

  The Sanctuary is a memory prison built from ancient battles, with a magical core at its center that must be destroyed to escape, and magic used inside is absorbed by that core.

• Tears of Diablos: yearly dose and output limit

  The Tears of Diablos, the Cult's pills also called the Beads, must be taken once a year to keep their effects, and the Cult can produce only a small amount each year, which Nelson states is twelve.

Clue Board

• Drake's hidden secret (Episode 10)

  Alpha finds Archbishop Drake dead and wonders what he was hiding that led to his killing; the secret remains unrevealed.

• Archbishop murder evidence destruction (Episode 11)

  The audit into the murdered archbishop is canceled by the new acting archbishop, and Alexia expects the key evidence to be destroyed before the King can approve her investigation.

• Shadow's concealed identity (Episode 11)

  Shadow hides his true name, and Zenon's demand to learn it goes unanswered; Shadow only declares that Shadow Garden lurks in darkness.

  Nu marvels at Cid's deep thinking, which she calls Shadow's Wisdom, hinting that Cid's identity connects to the hidden Shadow Garden

  Cid enters the trial as Shadow under a distracting light, and the crowd is fixated on Shadow and forgets Cid, so his identity stays hidden while people wonder who Shadow is.

• Magic seal over Lindwurm (Episode 11)

  After the barrier breaks, a magic door appears in the middle of the arena, and a magic seal then spreads across the whole city while Alpha and Delta observe the spell. Its purpose is unexplained.

• Why the Sanctuary responded to Shadow (Episode 12)

  The Sanctuary's door appeared for Shadow, and Jack Nelson wonders why it responded to him, since the door appears only to those worthy of passing through it. The reason is left unexplained.

• Alpha shares Olivier's face (Episode 12)

  Alpha reveals she has the same face as the hero Olivier, whose statue shows an elf woman. Why Alpha resembles Olivier is not explained.

• Cult's goal beyond demon revival (Episode 12)

  Alpha suspects the Cult's true goal is not just reviving the demon and says the group will proceed to see for themselves. The actual goal is not yet revealed.

• Aurora's summoning by the Sanctuary (Episode 12)

  Aurora appears after Shadow's entry through a door the Sanctuary conjured on its own, without any summons being activated, and she is restricted from using her full power during the fight. Why the Sanctuary summoned her is unexplained.

  Aurora says she does not think she summoned Cid. Cid entered through a door that followed him, so the reason he was brought into the white void room remains unexplained.

• Source of the red pills (Episode 12)

  The red pills Zenon Griffey used were made by the Cult from Diablos cells, but their side effects were not what the Cult wanted. The Cult's later pills grant tremendous power and an ageless body, and Jack Nelson is forced to reveal that drug is called Tears of Diablos, so the red pills' source is resolved.

Battle Record

Shadow Garden fights Jack Nelson's side inside the Sanctuary after the trial is cancelled.

Rooftop clash after Drake's killing

Cid and Epsilon vs. a rooftop assailant · Episode 10

Location: rooftop near Archbishop Drake's body

Trigger: Archbishop Drake was killed; a fleeing man was stopped by Cid

Sides

• Cid Kagenou's side — combatant: Cid Kagenou, Epsilon
• Cult-linked assailant — attacker: unnamed man

Outcome: Cid blocks the attacker; Epsilon kills the man. Cult executioner, the actual eliminator of the target, remains in hiding.

Aftermath

• Henchmen captured
• Cult executioner in hiding
• Plan B moving forward; Cid proceeds with his own plans

Goddess' Trial bout against Aurora

Lindwurm colosseum · Episode 11

Location: Lindwurm colosseum, Goddess' Trial arena

Trigger: Shadow enters the Goddess' Trial after the announced challenger Cid Kagenou does not appear, and the Sanctuary summons Aurora in response

Challenger and summoned warrior

• Shadow — challenger: Shadow
• Sanctuary summoned warrior — summoned warrior: Aurora

Outcome: Shadow wins with a single slash; Aurora disappears into light

Aftermath

• The arena barrier breaks and a magic door appears in the middle of the arena
• A magic seal expands across the whole city, observed by Alpha and Delta

Sanctuary trial clash

Shadow Garden against Nelson's guard · Episode 12– (Ongoing)

Location: Sanctuary door, Lindwurm

Trigger: The Sanctuary door opens during the trial and Nelson cancels it; Shadow Garden enters and Nelson moves to kill Epsilon.

Sides

• Shadow Garden — leader: Alpha / fighters: Epsilon, Delta, Chi, Omega
• Jack Nelson's side — archbishop: Jack Nelson / guard: Venom

Outcome: Venom is defeated by Epsilon; Nelson mutates and multiplies himself while Delta charges back in.

Aftermath

• Nelson's guards are defeated
• Nelson takes the princesses and Alpha's group into a white void
• Epsilon and her squad are separated from Alpha's group inside the Sanctuary memories

Ability Table

Music Releases

• HIGHEST (OP)
• Darling in the Night (Eta ver.) (ED)
• Darling in the Night (Epsilon ver.) (ED)
• Darling in the Night (Delta ver.) (ED)
• Darling in the Night (Gamma ver.) (ED)
• Darling in the Night (Beta ver.) (ED)
• Darling in the Night (Alpha ver.) (ED)