Summary
InThe Eminence in Shadow,after reincarnating into a fantasy worldand becoming the Eminence in Shadow, Cid Kagenou, as Shadow, leads the organization Shadow Garden. Despite being the de facto leader of the organization, Shadow hardly manages the affairs of the organization and leaves it up to the Seven Shadows. Responsible for growing the organization, the Seven Shadows recruit individuals deemed worthy whose beliefs and goals align with their own.
From the Lawless City arc inThe Eminence in Shadowseries, fans can tell that among the Numbers (lower echelon-tier members of Shadow Garden), Number 666 has more to her than meets the eye. As mentioned by Beta, she has something to do and so must survive. However, who is she truly, and what does her past entail?
There Is More To Number 666 Than Meets The Eye
Mostmembers of Shadow Gardenare women who portrayed symptoms of Demon Possession and were cured by Shadow or the high-ranking members of Shadow Garden. More often than not, they are to be used as experiments or sacrifices bythe Cult of Diablosbefore the involvement of Shadow Garden. Like many others, Number 666 was involved in a dastardly plot orchestrated by the Cult of Diablos.
However, she is not simply the child of a commoner or a high-ranking noble but the daughter of Raphael Oriana, the deceased king of the Oriana Kingdom, making her a princess. With her actual name being Rose Oriana, Number 666 strives to take back her home, which has been overrun byundercover members of the Cult. As a princess, Rose Oriana has an extraordinary status, and even Beta tends to indulge her ‘unprofessional’ tendencies more than expected.
666’s History
Before joining Shadow Garden, Number 666 was known as Rose Oriana to all. She was Cid’s upperclassman in the Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy and the Student Council president of the school. As she was from the Oriana Kingdom, which has a rich heritage in arts, Rose was expected to pick some form of art to specialize in. However, inspired by the Stylish Bandit Slayer, Rose decided to pick up swordplay, seeing it as an art and not merely a means of violence. As her country has a stigma on swordplay, many were disappointed in her; however, she pursued it wholeheartedly. In striving to show her country the true beauty of swordplay, Rose became a transfer student and enrolled at the Midgar Spellsword Academy.
The first time Rose directly interacted with Cid was during the preliminaries of the Bushin Festival, as the duo had a match. WhileCid was merely showing off his background characterlosing techniques to Rose and many others, Rose was one-sidedly dominating the match, but Cid kept getting back up. Although seemingly weak, Cid earned her respect for the resolve and determination he displayed during their match. A week later, disguised men in black robes claiming to be Shadow Garden raided the school. This was orchestrated by Vice PrincipalLutheran Barnett, an undercover member of the cultwho wanted to secure the Eye of Avarice. Using the ancient artifact, he disabled all forms of magic within the school, so the students were left powerless and unable to defend themselves. As Rose was about to be struck down,Cid interfered and ‘sacrificed’ his lifefor her. This earned Rose’s affection, and he has had a soft spot in her heart ever since.
How Did Rose Oriana Become Number 666?
Rose discovered during the Bushin festival that the Cult of Diablos had compromised her father and kingdom and intended to use her. Hiding from them, Rose ran underground as she deliberated on what to do. She then met Shadow, who healed her worsening demon possession symptoms and empowered her, giving her the power to face the cult. With newfound power, Rose confronted the cult and her father, whom they had taken over, and killed him amidst tears. She tried to kill herself, but Shadow appeared and dissolved the situation. Later on, Rose is met by Alpha, who confronts her and gives her two choices: continue to fight alone or fight with Shadow Garden. Choosing the latter, Rose then joined Shadow Garden, where she was told to cast away everything and became known as Number 666.
With her status as a princess, Rose has aduty to her kingdomand her deceased father to free the Oriana Kingdom from the clutches of the Cult of Diablos. To do so, she needs power and influence, which is why she joined Shadow Garden. Because of these reasons, Rose has a greater purpose in life and strives to achieve it. And so, alongside fighting for the downfall of the Cult, she also fights to take back her kingdom.
