Don't you think the Shadowlord has changed a lot recently? I'm not just talking about his clothes, but his inner person as well. He seems a lot less brooding, and even cheerful at times! Simply by looking at him, I can tell what he's feeling nowadays. It's like he's become an entirely different person. But even though his behavior is a little wilder now, he still has that same imposing presence. When I think of this, it feels like the Shadowlord became younger somehow.
Also... Now that he's gotten more forthright, I can tell that the Shadowlord is here for %s. Going forward, our relationship with Umbraton is something worth prudent consideration. But if you ask me, having such a bold and confident leader should benefit Umbraton in the future, right? The Shadowlord's powerful and impressive presence tells me that nothing can block his mighty pounces... Or to be precise, those wicked-looking giant claws.
—Vice

I was born in Umbraton... Back when there wasn't a shred of order in this town. But even in a lawless world like that, a "demon child" like myself was still ostracized by others. People avoided me altogether. Even scorn was rare when it came to how they treated me. The only way for me to survive was to descend into the abyss. After seeing the ugliest side of our world for myself—at least I thought I did—I started to understand how precious it would be to live in the light.
With every struggle in the shadows that I survived, it felt like a part of me was lost to the darkness. When I think about it now, it seems that aside from a few common convictions, I almost have nothing in common with my original self. Is it because I've learned to survive in the shadows, or because the shadows themselves have changed me?
Regardless, I was still able to find a kindred spirit in a world like that. That was when I finally knew that my convictions were right.

Many people were curious to know why a demon child from the darkest depths of Umbraton could become the Shadowlord.
Because the shadows only exist when something stands before the light. As such, the shadows cast by those things exist in perpetual darkness. But to a certain extent, we, the shadows, live in the light of this world's prayers. In the Umbraton of the past, there were certain rules governing the chaotic underground world of the city. To survive in that darkness, I donned countless identities and disguises. And in that chaos, the only source of light which gave me hope... Came from a friend whose life I once saved.
He was my ideal. In his light, I finally found the kind of person I wanted to be. Shadow is fluid. It's capable of assuming countless forms... That's why I saw no harm in assuming the identity of "Istvan" and inheriting whatever that name stood for.

I've done a lot of "dirty jobs." I could say that I never wanted to do any of those... But that would just be an excuse. The truth is, I was willing to do anything for the sake of Umbraton's future and the order that I had envisioned. I thought it was all worth it—at least I did at the time.
I couldn't just sit back and watch Umbraton sink into the darkness, so I chose this path. In doing so, I became the most vicious and terrifying shadow in a place of unbridled chaos. Naturally, I wasn't naive enough to believe that burning it all down would bring us closer to the light. Like dying embers, the ghosts and buried memories of Umbraton's past will be rekindled someday. And so as the Shadowlord, I will continue keeping watch over everything in the abyss of the forgotten past.
With the passage of time, I could hardly figure out... Just how much of me was lost to the past as a price for my actions. But as always, I was, and still am willing to pay that price. Because the mask behind which I've been hiding my true self has become one with me: the mask of "Istvan."

At one point, Umbraton was nothing more than the filthy shadow of Lumopolis. My friend and I strived to change this, to raise Umbraton out of the quagmire into which Lumopolis had dumped us... But we both had our own way of doing things. Neither of us was truly right or wrong; all I can say is that we had our differences. However, both of us were convinced in our ability to save Umbraton. Blinded by our ideals, we eventually found ourselves face-to-face in The Pit with our weapons drawn. As everyone can see... I was the one who survived.
I am the shadow left behind by my dear friend, one who aspires to save Umbraton from chaos. Even after forsaking Lumopolis and abandoning my friend... Umbraton and I will continue playing whatever role is necessary to our survival. But perhaps, even without the objects that cast our shadows, our true forms have already been carved out by the light of the past. If so, I hope that we can escape from the chaos of our past and bathe in the light someday.