Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! Episode 9 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

The End of a Lie

At dusk, Princess Iris and the knights are unable to act without their magic while terrorists hold the academy. Sherry reaches the auditorium and uses her modified artifact to disable the magic-blocking field, and the students fight back. Cid confronts Lutheran Barnett, who admits he killed Lukreia and is slain by Shadow, while the gas system he activated sets the academy ablaze. The academy closes for an early summer break, and Sherry decides to study abroad in Laugus for a purpose she keeps secret, swearing a vow as she parts from Cid.

• Magic-blocking field disabled

  Sherry activates her modified artifact in the auditorium, freeing the students' magic so they can retaliate against the terrorists.

• Lutheran unmasked and slain

  Cid recognizes Lutheran Barnett beneath the Cult Knight's helmet, and Lutheran confesses to killing Lukreia before Shadow's blade kills him.

• Academy burns and closes

  Lutheran's gas system ignites the school, and after the terrorists are found dead the academy closes for an early summer break.

Recent Timeline

• Artifact commission and Shadow Garden imposters (Episode 6)

  Princess Iris formally commissioned Sherry Barnett to decipher an artifact seized from the Cult of Diablos, and Sherry accepted. Iris assigned Glen and Marco Granger of the Crimson Order as her bodyguards. Meanwhile, Shadow rescued Alexia from three men falsely claiming to be Shadow Garden, killing one in an alley and another on a rooftop. Nu disarmed the last of them and began interrogating the pretenders.

• Student qualifying tournament defeat (Episode 7)

  In the first round of the student qualifying tournament, Cid fought Student Council President Rose Oriana and kept rising after each clean hit. The referee stopped the bout to prevent further blood loss and declared Rose the winner, and Cid was carried to the infirmary. Rose took note of his name, and Cid's public display of his techniques ended there.

• Cid's sacrifice, Rex's defeat, and Glen's death (Episode 8)

  Cid jumped in front of attackers to shield Rose and was killed, then revived himself alone with a secret technique that keeps blood flowing to his brain through magic. Cid later intercepted Rex and four of his men in the corridors, kicked Rex into a classroom of dead cultists, and finished him after he panicked at the realization that the killer was beyond an artifact's power. Glen, unable to use magic under the Cult's barrier, held off Rex with Marco so Sherry could escape with her artifact, and was later found dead by Nu, having been no match for the Cult with his magic sealed.

• Terrorist defeat, academy fire, and Lutheran unmasked (Episode 9)

  After the magic barrier fell, students fought back, and Shadow Garden members arrived and killed the terrorists, leaving the students safe when Iris and the knights arrived. During the skirmish the Cult ignited the pressurized gas system, the gaslights exploded, and the auditorium and school burned, forcing an early summer closure. In the office, Cid identified the cult knight as Lutheran Barnett, who admitted he had killed Lukreia to take the Eye of Avarice research.

• Lutheran's death, Shadow's outlaw status, and Sherry's departure (Episode 9)

  Lutheran fought Shadow using the combined Eye of Avarice and control unit, but was cut down and killed by Shadow with the same method used on Lukreia, after which Shadow flew off and Sherry found her father dead. Shadow was declared an enemy of the kingdom and wanted for mass murder, kidnapping, arson, and armed robbery, and Alpha burned the wanted poster and ordered Gamma to gather the available Seven Shadows. Sherry decided to study abroad in Laugus, the leading city of scientific research, to pursue a goal beyond her current knowledge, and parted from Cid with a vow.

Character Graph

Po Tato (Po)

Lower nobility

A low-ranking noble and one of Cid's friends at Midgar Academy, a fellow background student at the bottom of the noble ranks. His chocolate gift got him branded a stalker, and when Skel signed Cid up for the Bushin Festival preliminaries, Cid punched them both.

• Cid Kagenou (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who pressed Cid on how far he got with Alexia and said they would have gone all the way.

Skel Etal (Skel)

Lower nobility

A low-ranking noble and one of Cid's friends at Midgar Academy, a fellow background student at the bottom of the noble ranks. He signed Cid up for the Bushin Festival preliminaries without asking, and Cid punched both him and Po for it.

• Cid Kagenou (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend from the bottom of the noble ranks; they confront Cid about his dating progress.

Alpha

Shadow Garden

An elf girl Cid cured of her possession, who pledged herself to fighting the Cult of Diablos and became Alpha, the first member of Shadow Garden, whose operations she now directs. After the academy attack brands Shadow an enemy of the kingdom, she embraces his resolve and burns the wanted poster, then, with Sherry's research and the artifact remains in hand, has Gamma assemble the Seven Shadows.

• 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.

• 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.

Zenon Griffey (Swordsmanship Instructor)

Royal fencing instructor · Academy · Swordsmanship Instructor

The official royal fencing instructor and Alexia's fiancé, who secretly funded the Cult doctor's research and kidnapped Alexia for her blood to win the Twelfth Seat of the Knights of Rounds. Overwhelmed by Shadow in the sewer, he swallowed red pills to become the Third Awakened, but was still beaten and vaporized by Shadow's Atomic.

• 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.

Marco Granger (Marco)

Knight

A known knight Iris trusts and a member of her Crimson Order, who guarded Sherry Barnett with Glen. Knocked unconscious while holding off Rex so Sherry could escape, he was found by Nu, who revealed he was once her betrothed and spared him.

• Joining the team

  Honorably accepted Iris's request to join her new investigation team, alongside Glen.

Gamma

Shadow Garden · Seven Shadows

One of the Seven Shadows who runs the Mitsugoshi Company store and its franchises, built from knowledge Cid shared. After commanding Shadow Garden's forces at the academy, she relays to Alpha Shadow's words that he will accept the guilt for every crime.

• Business

  Built a store and franchises in the kingdom and beyond, including mail-order service, and holds a secret budget of about one billion Zeni.

• Cid Kagenou (Mentor, Mixed)

  Cid mentored her and shared knowledge from his old life, which she used to build her business.

Alexia Midgar

Midgar royal family · Royal

Princess of the Midgar Kingdom and the most sought-after girl at Midgar Academy, who paid Cid to act as her boyfriend so she could get out of her engagement to Zenon. Since learning that Sherry has become Cid's friend, she has been hostile toward her.

• 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.

• 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.

Nu

Shadow Garden · Numbers

A newly promoted member of the Numbers, an employee at the Mitsugoshi store who serves as Cid's supporter. During the takeover she keeps watch among the student hostages, and once the fighting ends she reports to Gamma that Shadow Garden has secured what it needed.

• Promotion

  Promoted to the Numbers by Alpha for her skill; assigned by Alpha to support Cid.

• Gamma (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Works under Gamma at the Mitsugoshi store.

• Marco Granger (Other, Mixed)

  Nu reveals Marco was once her betrothed; she prepares to kill him but decides with Cid to leave him alive.

• Cid Kagenou (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Assigned by Alpha as Cid's supporter; reports to him on the impostor she interrogated and stays at his side during the academy takeover.

Rex

Cult

One of the Cult's Named First Children, who answered to the Cult Knight, Lutheran Barnett. Sent to seize the artifact from Sherry during the academy takeover, he was ambushed and killed by Cid.

• Cid Kagenou (Other, Hostility)

  Cid kills Rex after Rex panics upon finding the classroom filled with cultist corpses.

Rose Oriana

Student Council President · Oriana Kingdom

Princess of the Oriana Kingdom, a land of art and culture, and the academy's Student Council President, regarded as its best swordswoman. When Sherry's artifact restores magic, she leads the students' counterattack and is saved by Shadow in the fray, then tells Iris that Shadow Garden killed the terrorists.

• Cid Kagenou (Other, Mixed)

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

  Rose is distraught that Cid sacrificed himself for her and concludes he fell in love with her.

Lutheran Barnett (Cult Knight)

Midgar Academy of Science · Cult

Sherry's adoptive father and the Assistant Principal of the Midgar Academy of Science, unmasked as the Cult Knight behind the academy takeover. A former sword champion robbed of his glory by illness, he had funded Lukreia's research to find the Eye of Avarice and then murdered her; Shadow killed him the same way, and he died realizing who Shadow really was.

• 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.

Cid Kagenou (Cid)

Kagenou family · Shadow Garden · Midgar academy student · Academy

Minoru Kageno reborn in a world of magic as the son of Baron Kagenou, who plays a forgettable background character while secretly working to become the Eminence in Shadow. He sees through the Cult Knight as Lutheran Barnett and, as Shadow, kills him exactly the way Lutheran murdered Sherry's mother, keeping the truth from Sherry. Shadow is now wanted as an enemy of the kingdom, a guilt he readily accepts.

• 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.

• Alias revealed

  Introduces himself as Shadow to Zenon and Alexia at the sewer.

• Confrontation with knights

  Kills the two corrupt interrogator knights who tried to frame him.

• Encounter

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

• 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.

• Alexia Midgar (Pact, Neutral)

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

  Former pretend partner; their pretend relationship ended.

• Skel Etal (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who confronted him about his dating progress.

• Po Tato (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who confronted him about his dating progress.

• 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.

• 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.

Sherry Barnett (Sherry)

Schoolgirl · Academy

A brilliant researcher at the Midgar Academy of Science, carrying on the work of her mother Lukreia, who was murdered when Sherry was a child. Her modified artifact breaks the magic seal and lets the students fight back, but she then finds her adoptive father Lutheran dead, never learning that he killed her mother. She decides to study abroad in Laugus, vowing to pursue a purpose she keeps secret.

• 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.

Iris Midgar (Iris)

Midgar Kingdom · Royalty · Crimson Order

Princess of the Midgar Kingdom and Alexia's older sister, a fighter stronger than ordinary knights. She formed the Crimson Order to investigate both the Cult and Shadow Garden, but was powerless outside the barrier during the academy takeover. Once it fell she found the terrorists dead, and was baffled to hear from Rose that Shadow Garden had killed them, though the terrorists had claimed that name too.

• Academy takeover

  Could not act without magic outside the barrier; once it fell she found the terrorists dead and the students safe.

• Alexia Midgar (Family, Affinity)

  Older sister who led the search when Alexia was kidnapped and hugged her in relief once she was safe; Alexia has long felt she could never catch up to her.

• Marco Granger (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Recruited Marco, with Glen, into her new Crimson Order after Zenon's betrayal made her distrust the Knight Order.

• Sherry Barnett (Pact, Neutral)

  Formally asked Sherry to decipher the artifact seized from the Cult and assigned Crimson Order knights as her guards.

• Rose Oriana (Other, Neutral)

  After the barrier fell, learned from Rose that Shadow Garden had killed the terrorists who also called themselves Shadow Garden.

World Memo

• 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.

• Seven Shadows inner council

  Shadow Garden's inner group of seven members, named Alpha through Eta, which reviews operations against the Cult and assigns tasks such as investigation and research.

  Under magic suppression, reinforcements' Slime Bodysuits are likely to malfunction, so most cannot use magic; only the Seven Shadows members retain magic control in such circumstances.

• Academy pressurized gas heating and power

  The academy's power and heating are supplied through a pressurized gas system that runs through the school grounds, with gas flowing through pipes that can burst.

Clue Board

• Possible Cult infiltration of Knights (Episode 8)

  Alpha questions whether the Cult has infiltrated the Knight Order, which Cid's interrogation makes suspicious. Two corrupt interrogator knights framed Cid, but their link to the Cult is not confirmed.

  Zenon, a renowned sword instructor and future Knights of Rounds candidate, is revealed to be a Cult adherent, and Iris distrusts the Knight Order over it.

  Rex reports the status of the Knight Order to a tall, fully armored knight who dismisses concerns and orders him to retrieve the artifact under threat of compulsory deception. Rex refers to this armored knight as the Cult Knight.

• Precision cut echoes a past memory (Episode 9)

  Rose is saved by a precision cut that reminds her of a distant memory, the source of which is not explained.

• Unfinished business with articles (Episode 9)

  Nu reports to Gamma that the necessary articles have been retrieved and only one piece of business remains, though what it is is not stated.

• Sherry's secret vow (Episode 9)

  Sherry keeps secret what she needs to do after leaving the academy and swears a vow as she parts from Cid.

Battle Record

Academy takeover concluded: terrorists killed, Lutheran Barnett killed by Shadow, the campus burned and Shadow became a wanted enemy.

Alley clash with Shadow Garden impostors

Capital night alley · Episode 6

Location: Alley and rooftop in the royal capital

Trigger: Black hooded impostors claiming to be Shadow Garden commit random serial killings in the capital; Alexia confronts one of them while on night patrol.

Sides

• Shadow Garden impostors — Attackers: Black hooded assailants claiming to be Shadow Garden
• Alexia and Shadow — Defenders: Alexia Midgar, Shadow, Nu

Outcome: Shadow kills several impostors; Nu disarms and tortures the last one for information; Alexia is injured in the left arm and faints.

Aftermath

• Alexia receives treatment at the academy and reports that the killer is from a different organization that falsely took the Shadow Garden name.
• Shadow leaves Alexia in the alley and flies away.

Qualifying Tournament Bout

Cid vs. Rose Oriana · Episode 7

Location: Midgar Academy for Dark Knights qualifying tournament

Trigger: Cid chose to enter the student preliminary tournament for the Bushin Festival after being registered by Skel

Competitors

• Cid Kagenou — Competitor: Cid Kagenou
• Rose Oriana — Competitor: Rose Oriana

Outcome: The referee stopped the bout and declared Rose Oriana the winner; Cid was then stretchered to the infirmary.

Aftermath

• Rose commits Cid's name to memory
• Cid leaves the infirmary heavily bandaged

Academy takeover by impostor Shadow Garden

Shadow Garden strikes back at the academy · Episodes 7–9

Location: Academy auditorium and campus

Trigger: Terrorists seize the academy; Lutheran Barnett's plot to frame Shadow Garden

Terrorists vs. defenders

• Cult and terrorists — Leader: Cult Knight (Lutheran Barnett) / Attackers: Terrorists
• Academy defenders and Shadow Garden — Defenders: Rose Oriana, Students, Sherry Barnett / Shadow Garden: Shadow

Outcome: Terrorists dead; Lutheran Barnett killed by Shadow; the academy's gas system exploded and burned the campus.

Aftermath

• Shadow is labeled an enemy of the kingdom and is wanted for mass murder, kidnapping, arson, and armed robbery
• The academy is closed for an early summer break after the extensive campus damage

Ability Table

Music Releases

• HIGHEST (OP)
• Darling in the Night (Eta ver.) (ED)
• Darling in the Night (Zeta 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)