Episode 1

The Hated Classmate (嫌いなクラスメイト) is the series premiere of the The Eminence in Shadow anime adaptation.

Synopsis

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Akane copes with her trauma by being popular and working hard to make people like her, but one boy in her class doesn’t care about her at all. That bothers her to no end. 「陰の実力者」. それは、主人公でも、ラスボスでもない. 普段は実力を隠してモブに徹し、物語に陰ながら介入して密かに実力を示す存在. 影野ミノルは幼少期からの夢である“陰の実力者”になるべく、着々と準備を進めていた.
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Summary
Akane Nishino wakes up in the morning and takes a shower. After that, she gets prepared for school and a personal driver takes her to it. There, she is greeted by most students, however, she sees the one she despises, Kagenō. She greets him and he greets her back, but calls her Nishimura. She tells Kagenō that her name isn't Nishimura and Kagenō apologizes, stating he was pretty good at remembering named NPC, but lately haven't got much sleep, and calls her Nishitani. She gets annoyed and corrects him, revealing her actual name, but Kagenō again gets it wrong and calls her Nishimura as he leaves. Akane notes that she doesn't despise him for getting her name wrong, but for never looking at her and even when his eyes are facing her direction, they seems to be looking at somewhere far-off place.

When Akane was in middle school, she had to take a break from show business due to a scandal. Since then, she has been hiding behind a mask. She plays the teacher's pet so that the teachers like her, and plays the popular girl, so that students like her, and is very careful to make sure no one hates her. After school, she calls her driver, but he doesn't pick up as he was attacked by some men. As he didn't came to pick her up, Akane is forced to head home walking, which is her first time doing it since the incident from middle school. On her way, she is kidnapped by the men that beat the driver. While she loses consciousness, she sees Kagenō approaching.

Later, Akane wakes up tied in some warehouse. The kidnapper tells her that the daughter of Nishino Zaibatsu shouldn't walk alone at night. The other kidnapper tells her that she just needs to stay there and once they get the ransom, she will be freed. Outside, Kagenō observes the kidnapper and changes clothes and puts on a mask. The kidnapper wants to have some fun with Akane, and notes that this should be her second kidnapping, and that the first time was some stalker. Kagenō then comes down from the roof window, saying he is a Stylish Ruffian Slayer. The kidnapper pulls out a gun, but Kagenō throws a piece of glass, injuring his arm and disarming him. He then charges the guy and throws him to the ground and smashes his face. The other kidnapper sees that Kagenō isn't an ordinary man and states he was bored doing those kidnappings with amateurs. He notes he is former military and takes out a knife and attacks Kagenō. Using crowbars, Kagenō manages to disarm the man, but still gets overwhelmed. He then decides to get serious and show him the potential he found in crowbars as he fought bikers. The man then realizes he is Balaclava Berserker, a man who has been fighting the bikers with crowbars. Kagenō notes that the bikers started wearing helmets, so he had to stop using the crowbars like tonfa, and instead use them as regular clubs. Kagenō then proceeds and breaks the man's leg and beats him up. Kagenō then frees Akane and tells her to be more careful next time. Akane then calls the police and her father uses his connections to make the case not go public.

Next day, Akane goes to school. She sees Kagenō and greets him and he greets her back, calling her Nishino. She is ready to correct him, but realizes he got her name right and this time feels he is looking at her. She then felt he is also living a life behind a mask. The next morning, the news report that Minoru Kagenō got hit by a truck and didn't survive.

Kagenō doesn't remember since when, but he always dreamt of being a hero. He spend his days training, while at school he was a "background character". He reached a point where he can beat up some guys, but when surrounded by armed men, he doesn't stand a chance. If he becomes the best martial artist in the world, he may be able to beat those men too, but he still won't be able to do anything about a missile. Kagenō wants to overcome those limits.

After being hit by a truck, Kagenō is reborn in a new world. He forms an organization and with his squad, they are about to start an operation. He also had obtained a new power, magic. Kagenō wants to be the one who operates from the shadows, showing everyone their inner strength and greatness deep within themselves, as the one true Eminence in Shadow that he could never achieve in his previous life in our world.