The Eminence in Shadow is a Japanese light novel series written by Daisuke Aizawa and illustrated by Tōzai. It began serialization online in May 2018 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. The story is about a boy named Cid Kagenō, who has always looked up to the heroes that work in the shadows of society. The protagonist, Cid, is a delusional chuunibyou who aspires to become the ultimate shadow broker who manipulates events from the background, in other words, an "eminence in the shadows". He establishes Shadow Garden, a group whose sole purpose is to combat the evil cult of Diablos. Cid sees the events of the story as vigilantism against normal criminals that he and his friends are overblowing for fun. However, the irony is that in reality, there really is a huge far-reaching evil cult, and his friends take the whole eminence in shadow/shadow garden aesthetic + rhetoric dead seriously. The series has gained attention in the anime fan base due to its unique blend of comedy, action, and its memorable protagonist.