The Hidden Chronicle: Unveiling the Enigmatic Secrets of a Vampire's History

Highlights

Cid faces a dilemma of maintaining his weak persona or revealing his true power as Shadow while dealing with vampire ghouls in Lawless City.

Entering the Crimson Tower, each participant has distinct objectives. Claire seeks to rescue her brother Cid, while Mary's concealed vampire identity is at risk of exposure. Despite his intention to vanquish the Tower's leader, Crimson, Shadow neglects to deliver a fatal blow to the heart, inadvertently providing Crimson with a chance for survival.

Caution: Spoilers ahead for The Eminence in Shadow, Episode 22, "The Haven," currently streaming on HIDIVE.

For those who must conceal their true strength, life can become challenging. Cid Kagenou, aspiring to be the powerful Eminence in Shadow, finds himself confronted with a difficult choice during his journey through Lawless City with his sister Claire. Should he continue to observe events while pretending to be weak, or take swift action as the formidable Shadow?

With the vampire ghouls flooding Lawless City, every faction is driven by their own ambitions and objectives. Claire, burdened by guilt for bringing Cid to this perilous place, makes it her utmost priority to rescue him. As she and Mary venture into the Crimson Tower, a chain of unpredictable events begins to unfold.

The Entrance Of The Crimson Tower

In the climactic finale of the first episode, an intense confrontation looms between the formidable rulers of the city, Yukime and Juggernaut. However, just as tensions reach their peak, Shadow unexpectedly steps in, disrupting the impending battle. This momentary interruption prompts both Yukime and Juggernaut to temporarily set aside their differences. With an unspoken agreement to avoid crossing paths with Shadow, the three powerful entities venture forth into the majestic Crimson Tower.

Prior to their entrance, the White Demon, a notorious killer who preys on the weaker, carefully observes the interactions among Shadow, Yukime, and Juggernaut. Troubled by the reputation of these two leaders, he hesitates to attack them out of fear of imminent death. However, he remains oblivious to Shadow's true identity and, failing to detect any trace of mana from him, concludes that Shadow is weak and decides to strike. Before he can fully comprehend his surroundings, Shadow's slime dissects the White Demon into pieces, swiftly bringing about his demise.

Inside The Tower

Entering the tower, all the parties have their own objectives. Mary and Claire make their way into the vampire's library where they encounter Beta from Shadow Garden. They first establish whether Beta is a friend or foe, then proceed to inquire about her reason for being there. Beta and her followers are in pursuit of the progenitor's blood sample. Suspecting that Mary may not be human due to her vampire nature, Beta poses questions to confirm her suspicions. Meanwhile, Claire is eager to leave promptly in order to rescue her brother, Cid. This prompts Number 666, one of Beta's subordinates, to react and ask more questions, but Beta swiftly dismisses her.

Once they leave the library, Claire expresses her suspicion about Mary's unclear allegiance. At that very moment, they come face to face with Juggernaut, who is eliminating Crimson's subordinates - allegedly, they are high-ranking officials of Crimson. While attempting to conceal themselves from Juggernaut, he easily detects their presence and engages in a fierce battle, inflicting decisive blows on both of them. Mary ends up with the short end of the stick and sustains severe injuries. However, when Claire attempts to heal her using her magic, it proves to be ineffective. In an unexpected move, Mary kisses Claire without consent and draws on her blood to restore herself. Suddenly, Mary's vampire abilities are exposed, but despite this revelation, she is still no match for Juggernaut. Just as Juggernaut is about to land a devastating blow on Claire, Shadow appears just in time to save her, swiftly kicking Juggernaut out of the building. And just like that, Shadow disappears.

Mary's Past

Following the non-consensual kiss, Mary finds herself compelled to offer both an apology and an explanation regarding her connection with the vampires. She elaborates on the vampires' gruesome past, when they would ruthlessly slaughter humans purely for sustenance. However, as human intelligence evolved, so did their understanding of the vampire's vulnerabilities: sunlight, a piercing blow to the heart, and their dependence on a continual consumption of human blood, without which they would lose their extraordinary abilities. The tables turned, and the hunted became the hunters. In response, Elisabeth, the reigning vampire ruler at the time, made the radical decision to cease their feast upon humans. Consequently, the vampires developed a newfound tolerance for sunlight, with the exception of Elisabeth herself.

However, upon the arrival of the red moon, Crimson surreptitiously added a drop of her own blood to Elisabeth's meal, igniting a merciless killing spree. Once she finally regained her sanity, Elisabeth beseeched Mary to scatter her ashes in the vast expanse of the sea. However, Mary's loyalty to the former Queen proved unyielding, and she failed to fulfill this final wish, choosing instead to keep a vigilant watch over Elisabeth's lifeless body. Tragically, it was during this period that Crimson seized the opportunity to abscond with the body, intent on resurrecting the formidable Blood Queen upon the next crimson moon's emergence.

Shadow's Movement

With the primary goal of locating funds in the tower, Shadow enters and unknowingly rescues his sister. As the leader of Shadow Garden, he discovers the vampire's hidden treasure and collects what he needs. Deciding he has relied too heavily on his habit of arriving fashionably late, Shadow sets out to defeat the tower's boss, Crimson, before anyone else reaches the top. He executes this task with efficiency, launching an attack on Crimson while he is in the midst of resurrecting the Blood Queen and successfully beheads him.

Despite appearances, Crimson isn't truly dead. Shadow failed to stab him in the heart after beheading him, so it wouldn't be too shocking if he resurfaces in the next episode. However, credit goes to Cid for attempting the unexpected concept of swiftly defeating the villain.