The Rising of the Shield Hero (盾の勇者の成り上がり)

Kizuna, send us back!

Calm down, Naofumi! That's just what that Kyo guy wants!

I don't give a shit!

I'd rather fall for whatever trap he's set than leave Raphtalia there alone!

It's no good. They've shut it off on their side.

That piece of shit!

Naofumi-san?

Naofumi, I know someone here who's really good at finding people.

If we ask him for help, I'm sure he'll find her right away.

So... calm down okay?

Kizuna-sama?

It's Kizuna-sama!

Don't worry. They're from Sikul!

They're on our side!

Welcome home, Kizuna-sama!

I'm home.

Sorry, can you go get Ethnobalt for me?

Come on!

No! Let me go!

Let me go!

Damn it. The rain's driven away all my customers.

Shut up!

I was lucky enough to find a mutant like you.

You're going to make me a lot of money tomorrow!

The Rising of the Shield Hero

Episode 9 Humming Fairy

They locked our nation's Cardinal Hero, Kizuna-sama, in the Infinite Labyrinth?

This is a serious act of hostility!

We will lodge an official complaint with Mikakage immediately!

Yeah, go do that.

But how did you escape from the Infinite Labyrinth?

It's thanks to them!

I see!

We can't thank you enough for saving our hero!

Um, no, it was nothing...

That's Rishia-san.

And this is Iwatani Naofumi.

He's a Cardinal Hero just like me!

From another world, though.

What's wrong, everyone?

Kizuna-sama, get away from him.

Call the guards!

He's come to destroy our world.

Naofumi's here to destroy the world?

That makes no sense!

Naofumi saved my life! How can you say that?

Naofumi-san!

Naofumi!

Oh, and where might you be going?

Ethnobalt!

It's been a long, long time, Kizuna.

I keep trying to find you, but I was too slow to find where you were.

Who the hell are you?

Are you the one who wants me to find someone,

Cardinal Hero from another world?

I am Ethnobalt, wielder of the Boat Vassal Weapon.

Kizuna, first, take this.

He missed you.

Thank you! So you held on to him for me, huh?

Yes. Glass was keeping him at first, but she's been busy.

Chris!

I'm happy to see you again!

K-Kizuna-san, what's that?

Sorry. This is my shikigami, Chris!

Shikigami?

Yup.

Glass and I made him.

About four days ago, Chris started going crazy.

Thinking back, that must have been when you escaped the Infinite Labyrinth.

Yes.

He'll tell us where Glass is, too.

I see! That's perfect for finding people!

But how do we find Raphtalia-san and Filo-chan?

Well, I'll have Naofumi make one, too.

How?

You need the blood of the owner and something to function as a shikigami catalyst.

For instance, a single strand of her hair.

Her hair?

I absorbed some into my shield once.

Raphtalia's hair. This is it.

That's Raphtalia-san's hair?

And then your blood, Naofumi.

Let us begin the ritual to create the shikigami, then.

I wish for something to protect them, and give them power.

The creation of that which serves as servant and as fragment of their magic.

Let a servant that gives protection be born!

This is...

Wh-What's going on?

Nothing... It's manifesting faster than I imagined.

To whom does this catalyst belong?

Shikigami Shield

Shikigami Shield?

This is a shikigami?

That's right! Nice work, Naofumi!

I was worried for a moment. I'm glad it worked, though.

Raphtalia?

Cheer up a bit!

If it worked, that means the person the catalyst belongs to is still alive!

Then...

Raphtalia-chan is safe!

Whew...

I-It's cute!

But we don't know how long she'll stay safe for.

We need to hurry.

Yeah, I know.

But it's not just Raphtalia. There's Filo, too.

We'll find them both.

Right!

Ethnobalt, right?

Thank you for creating my shikigami.

Not at all. I hope you find your friend soon.

Are you human?

You can tell? You're amazing, Naofumi.

No, something just felt off.

A rabbit?

Ethnobalt is a descendant of a species of monsters

that have protected this world for generations.

A descendant of monsters that protect this world?

So that's it.

You don't usually show your true form to people just after meeting them, though.

Strangely, it felt safe to let him see me this way.

Maybe animals just like him?

So, it's not just because you can make shikigami

that you're supposedly good at finding people, right?

Naofumi...

That's just who Naofumi-san is, though.

Of course, that's not all.

Ethnobalt is the Boat Vassal Weapon's wielder.

His boat will take us to where the person you're looking for is.

You can't use the Return Dragon Vein yet?

No, I can take us anywhere that's not locked off.

But his skill is way more amazing than that!

But it's just a ship, right?

Let's go someplace else.

I-It's floating!

The "boat" was the thing he was standing on?

Where is Raphtalia?

Naofumi, you're not going to name it?

A name? Yeah, eventually.

Now, tell me where Raphtalia is.

Hurry up and pick one, okay?

Chris, do you know where Glass is?

That's...

They're in the same place?

That's not good.

What do you mean?

Raybul.

They're allied with Mikakage, the ones that locked me in the Infinite Labyrinth.

And Kazuki, that "genius mage," is from there, too.

An enemy country, then?

You have a lot of those.

I do!

The whole world's been on edge for a while.

A war could start at any time.

If they're still there, that means...

It's likely they were captured.

Even if it's a trap, we have to go.

I hope Filo's there, too.

I'll warp the ship, then.

You can use portals?

We can travel fast by riding along the connections between the dragon hourglasses.

And we don't have to register with the hourglass first,

or be transported right in front of it.

If the hourglass was right in their headquarters, that'd be really dangerous.

It's a big improvement over Return Dragon Vein.

It's all I can do, though.

No, it's more than enough.