Shiki (Black Cat)

"The warriors that Creed has assembled are among the very best, elite even among the elite. And with the addition of our Tao abilities, we should have more than enough power for our revolution." - Shik

"And you will know... that you and your powers before a true user of Tao... Are just like the dust that litters the ground!" -Shiki

Shiki is a major antagonist of the manga Black Cat and its anime adaptation. She is one of the few surviving Tao Masters, born in a tribe from the "other continent" of Yamto who master the mystical art of the Tao. Shiki, along with her friend and fellow Tao Master Maro want to spread the use of Tao in the entire world. Two years before the start of the series, they contacted the swordsman Creed Diskenth granted him a power of Tao, intending to create a secret organization of their own that would overthrow Chronos: the Apostles of the Star. Shiki is the second-in-command of the Apostles of the Star and one of Creed's closest advisors but she ultimately learns that Creed and her doesn't have the same goals in mind.

It must be noted that Shiki is a woman in the original japanese manga but that she is a man in several occidental translations as well as in the anime adaptation. This may be due to the fact that her true gender remains unknown until she takes of her mask, and even with her mask off, her face remains somewhat androgynous.