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To Be a Power in the Shadows! (WN)

Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!, TEIS, The Eminence in Shadow, 想要成为影之实力者, 陰の実力者になりたくて！

Native Language Japanese

Released 2018

AuthorAizawa Daisuke, 逢沢大介

ArtistTouzai, 東西

TypeWeb Novel (JP)

Original Ch.: 206

Translated Ch.: 204

Rank: #159

Last Update: February 19, 2026

Original Pub.: Syosetu

English Pub.: Yen Press, Webnovel

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8.8

To Be a Power in the Shadows! (WN) is a popular novel that blends Action, Adventure, Comedy and more. Written by the author Aizawa Daisuke. 204 chapters have been translated, and translation of other chapters is in progress.

Synopsis

Just like how everyone adores heroes in their childhood, a certain boy adored those who hid in the shadows. One day, after living the mediocre life of a side character while undergoing frenzied training by night, he reincarnates in a different world and gains ultimate power. The young man who is only playing at being a secretive powerhouse, his misunderstanding subordinates, and a struggling, giant, shadowy organization…
This is the story of a boy who adored shadowy manipulations who might possibly reign over the dark side of another world.

The “Misunderstanding” Mechanic The series opera

Cid’s Perception	Reality (World’s Perspective)
“I’m making up a fake cult to sound cool.”	The Diablos Cult is a millennia-old real threat.
“I’m throwing a dart at a map for effect.”	He precisely locates the enemy’s secret headquarters.
“My subordinates are great actors.”	Shadow Garden is a global superpower with real political weight.
“This battle is just a cool roleplay event.”	He is preventing a magical apocalypse.

Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy School Life Seinen

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Editor's Note

💡 The Chuunibyou Paradox. Cid Kagenou doesn't want to be the Hero or the Demon Lord; he wants to be the "Eminence in Shadow"—the guy who stays hidden until the perfect moment, says a cool line, and disappears. The tragedy (and comedy) is that Cid is a sociopathic genius of combat but an absolute idiot of social awareness. He makes up a fake evil cult to justify his "play," but that cult actually exists, and he is accidentally destroying it while thinking he's just clearing out "bandits" for practice.

"He’s not a hero; he’s an actor with a nuclear-level budget and zero awareness of the script."

*206+ chapters of nuclear explosions, misunderstood monologues, and a protagonist who thinks he's still rehearsing.*

Experience Curve

Ch. 1–20 (The Foundation): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Gold Standard. The introduction of Cid’s training on Earth and his initial formation of "Shadow Garden" is brilliant. The "dagger on the map" scene (where he accidentally finds a real kidnapped person) sets the tone for the entire series.

Ch. 21–100 (The School Arcs): ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Trope Subversion. Cid focuses on being a "Mob" (a background character) at the Academy. Watching him intentionally lose fights in the most "cliché side-character way" while secretly operating as Shadow at night is peak comedy.

Ch. 101–206 (The Escalation): ⭐⭐⭐ – Repetitive but Epic. The misunderstandings grow to a global scale. As noted by reviewer Kevadu, the "one-trick pony" nature starts to show, but the action sequences (like the John Smith arc) remain high-quality.

WebNovelDB Review

8 /10

A hilarious, meta-fictional satire that mocks every Isekai trope while simultaneously being a top-tier power fantasy.

The Protagonist (Cid/Shadow): 9/10 as a comedy engine; 2/10 as a human being. He is a narcissist who treats people’s lives like props for his performance. If you need a morally upright hero, stay away. If you want a "Saitama-level" powerhouse who is a delusional dork, he’s perfect.

The "Shadow Garden" (The Harem): 8/10. The Seven Shades (Alpha, Beta, etc.) are genuinely competent and tragically loyal. The humor comes from them "decoding" Cid’s random gibberish into brilliant tactical maneuvers.

The "I Am Atomic" Moment: This iconic move symbolizes the novel's vibe: overwhelming, flashy power used to punctuate a moment of extreme "coolness" that the MC spent hours rehearsing.

The Archetype: The "Trope-Weary" Reader. You’ve read 100 Isekais and you’re tired of the "Noble Hero" or the "Edgy Avenger." You want a story that knows it's a story and isn't afraid to be stupidly, gloriously fun.

Not For You If: You hate "Dense" MCs. If you get frustrated when a character misses obvious plot points, Cid will give you an aneurysm. Also avoid if you find "Chuunibyou" (8th-grade syndrome) cringe-worthy rather than funny.

Note on Cid: He is a sociopath. A hilarious, dedicated, atomic-powered sociopath. If you need a hero with morals, this is not your story. If you want a chaos gremlin who accidentally saves the world while posing for cool shots, welcome home.

WebNovelDB Team

Key Information

Main Characters: Cid Kagenou / Shadow (A sociopathic "method actor" obsessed with cool tropes), The Seven Shades (His hyper-competent subordinates who believe his delusions are divine wisdom), The Diablos Cult (The real-world evil organization that Cid thinks he made up).

Power System: Magic & Slime Technology. By condensing mana and utilizing highly conductive "Slime Suits," Cid achieves near-invulnerability. His ultimate technique, [I Am Atomic], mimics the destructive force of a nuclear explosion through pure magical compression.

Themes: Extreme Chuunibyou (8th-grade syndrome), the "Misunderstanding" comedy trope, Dramatic Irony (where the reader knows more than the MC), and the satire of the "Hidden Hero" archetype.

Reading Progress

Not Started Chapters: 0 Rating: -

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