The Devil of the Shield

The Devil of the Shield (盾の悪魔) is the thirteenth episode of The Rising of the Shield Hero anime.

Synopsis
Naofumi shields Melty from the attacking Knights who accuse him of taking the Princess hostage, before retreating to let the narrative play out. Naofumi finds the pendant on a guard for the Church of Three Heroes, which hates the Shield. A doctored recording of Naofumi's "kidnapping" Melty is shown throughout the Kingdom, turning the Shield Hero into a fugitive.

Unable to reach Shieldfreeden, Naofumi plans to protect Melty so she can fix their situation, and they hike the mountains to reach Siltvelt instead. At night, as the Queen's emissaries follow in secret the group are met by the other three Heroes. Myne makes further accusations against Naofumi and with the Three Heroes still believing her they demand Melty's safe return or else.

Plot
As Melty's treacherous bodyguard charges in Naofumi manages to grab onto the Princess just in time. Pulling Melty protectively against him, the Shield Hero throws his shield in the way intercepting the knight's sword with a massive clang. Thus Naofumi prevented the soldier's regicidal assassination attempt. Using the power of his shield, The Shield Hero then throws back his adversary, demanding to know "What the hell are you playing at?"

The Knight, however, curses Naofumi, proclaiming loudly that the Shield Hero has taken the Princess hostage! This declaration confuses Naofumi, Melty, Raphtalia, and Filo but they do not have time to dwell on it. Claiming that justice is on their side, the soldier orders the rest of the knights forward, ordering them to "Destroy the Devil of the Shield!"

Many of the Knights charge in with fierce battle-cries. Keeping one hand protectively on Melty, a provoked but unsurprised Naofumi scoffs at being referred to as a devil by the real villains. Naofumi activates his Chimera Viper Shield before calling Raphtalia and Filo to arms.

Raphtalia parries an incoming attack with her sword, then incapacitates her enemy with a kick, before hitting aside another soldier harmlessly with the side of her blade, then charges towards further adversaries. Jumping into the air, Filo transforms into her giant filolial-form crashing down on top of several enemy soldiers much to her amusement. A determined Naofumi successfully blocks the incoming attack of several soldiers, all the while keeping Princess Melty close but safely out of harm's way.

Meanwhile, two of Melty's former bodyguards including the one holding the crystal ball, stay out of the fight. Smirking the pair watch on as their comrades are shoved aside by Raphtalia and kicked away by Filo. In no small amount of time, many of the guards are lying defeated on the ground. Strangely, some of the Knights drop to the ground in a very dramatic fashion as they are defeated, with one man acting as if he had received a fatal injury.

Eventually, a clearly exhausted Shield Hero stands triumphant. A shocked and confused Princess Melty stands at his side, whilst an exhausted Raphtalia and determined Filo stand protectively in front of them. With a nod from the Knight carrying the crystal ball, the second soldier calls a "desperate" retreat, at which point any Knights still capable of standing run away "terrified."

Filo asks Naofumi if they should pursue the fleeing Knights, but the Shield Hero decides against it. With the fighting over the Princess falls to ground clearly overcome by shock. Raphtalia checks to see if she is alright but gets no response. Naofumi meanwhile, continues to stare down at Melty, clearly wondering what the heck is going on?

By nightfall, the crystal ball reaches Melromarc Castle Town and is now in the custody of a group of mages. Of the Knights that brought it in, there is no sign. The eight magicians examine the crystal balls recording carefully, before heavily altering the footage. Now, instead of defending Melty from her treasonous bodyguards, the footage shows The Shield Hero holding onto Princess Melty with her guards trying "to rescue" her. Through the addition of fake blood, all of Raphtalia and Filo's strikes are portrayed as lethal. Evil, sadistic grins have been added to the Shield Hero and his companies' face as they continue joyfully "slaughtering" the Knights. In the final shot, the three "villains" glare "triumphantly" at their "defeated adversaries" Naofumi still clutching onto a now "clearly terrified" Princess Melty's shoulder, having taken the girl as his hostage.

The doctored footage is subsequently displayed throughout the entirety of Melromarc. Mages show off the footage to stunned citizens, whilst accompanying Knights explain about the Shield Heroes villainy. Security increases and border patrols inspect every cart, as wanted posters to spring up across the country. With this "evidence" in hand, it is clear that Naofumi's party has been branded as criminals again, and the Shield Hero is now public enemy number one in Melromarc.

After spying on a nearby border crossing, a frustrated Naofumi retreats to his parties' temporary hideout in the mountains, understanding that for the time being the four of them are trapped in a hostile land. Rendezvousing with the rest of his party, he asks Raphtalia how her venture into a nearby village went. Confirming that the citizens have been shown the footage, the pair acknowledge that it would be foolish to enter any town or village from now on.

Contemplating his next move, the Shield Hero's attention is also drawn to a rosary (identical to the one that noblewoman showed him), which he found on one of Melty's guards. Shortly after the battle, the group tied up one of the soldiers and tried to interrogate him. He stayed silent though, even when Naofumi throttled him, before once again calling Naofumi "the Devil of the Shield." Here the man's rosary fell off, Raphtalia says it is the symbol of the Church of the Three Heroes, the state of Melromarc's religion, which acknowledges every Hero except for the Shield. Naofumi recognizes it from their visit to the church. At this point, the guard declared that Naofumi would soon know his place for "disturbing our country's order".

Whilst he doesn't understand the full meaning behind this declaration, Naofumi suspects that the King is part of this conspiracy. Melty who had been silently crying up until this point, jumps in and defends her father. She does suspect that her older sister, Malty, might be involved, however, wanting to kill Melty in order to become the crown princess. Naofumi accepts this but still argues that the guards that attacked them were her father's men who may want to kill Melty and frame Naofumi as "the Devil of the Shield".

Ultimately, Naofumi does not dismiss the likelihood of the King's involvement. Melty still insists that he isn't involved and that the Shield Hero should meet with her father to stop this pointless hostility. When Naofumi ignores her, the Princess breaks down and cries into Filo's chest, despairing at just how much the situation has deteriorated and also because she failed in the mission given to her by her mother.

Heading to a nearby ridge, Naofumi spots torches in the distance, which means the soldiers are drawing near. Returning to the camp Naofumi has made his decision. Returning to the camp, The Shield Hero reaffirms that they need to leave the country. He then asks Melty what she intends to do. The Princess starts to explain that she wants to return to Capital and meet with Aultcray. Naofumi tells her straight up that is a bad idea, before promising to protect her if Melty will come along with them for her own safety. Filo pleads with her to do so and Melty accepts.

Now with an additional member, the party sets off into the mountain. They travel lightly, which upsets Filo who is disappointed about having to leave their wagon behind. She makes Naofumi promise to retrieve it once their dilemma is over. The group sets off into the wilderness. crossing over the mountains, reasoning that the rough terrain should make it harder for the Melromarc forces to pursue them. Melromarc patrols are stationed throughout the landscape, additional soldiers are sent to reinforce them. Naofumi has a plan though. Considering that the King is focusing most of his efforts on keeping them away from Siltvelt, Naofumi decides that it is their destination.

After walking non-stop throughout the day, the Shield Heroes party finds a hollowed-out cave. The prospect of a break delights Filo but not Melty, who is still cold towards Naofumi for his previous statements. That night, Melty staring at a portrait of her mother and father is shaken by the knowledge that her sire might indeed be involved in this plot somehow. Still unconvinced, The Princess turns to the Shield Hero and demands to know why there is so much bad-blood between Naofumi and her father.

Naofumi then tells her all about the false rape accusation, her father's role in it and his continued mistreatment towards the Shield Hero. Melty is completely shocked by these revelations. She then tells the Naofumi and Raphtalia about how her mother, Queen Mirellia, told both her and her father to make sure the Shield Hero was treated fairly, but the King does not seem to have listened. She also tells them that since Melromarc is a matriarchy, the Queen holds much higher power than the King. Naofumi finds it very amusing that the King is in fact "adopted royalty" but the moment is short-lived.

A flock of disturbed ravens alerts the group to somebody's presence. Realizing that they are being followed the group moves on. Unnoticed by everyone except Raphtalia, a shadow is keeping close tabs on them. Somehow though, the soldiers have gotten ahead of Naofumi's party and are searching the area ahead of them. The group tries to sneak around the patrol by walking along a narrow ledge but members of the patrol are already ahead of them forcing the group to double-back.

As they backtrack, Melty steps on a loose rock, which gives out under her. With a cry, the Princess loses her balance. Melty drops her bag and would have fallen to her death had Naofumi not caught her. Unfortunately, one of the patrolling knights heard the commotion and spots the group. Left with no choice the four heroes bolt for a large rock at the end of the trail, the Knights of Melromarc hot on their heels.

The group is hoping that there is a path hidden behind the outcrop. Instead, they come to a dead-end. Backed into a corner, an enraged Naofumi is left with no choice but to turn and face his pursuers. The knights form a line several ranks deep, leaving the Shield Hero and his party members well and truly trapped.

A lone figure emerges from the shadows, ahead of the formation. It is Itsuki. As Motoyasu and Ren, fall into line alongside him, the Bow Hero orders Naofumi to surrender and release Princess Melty immediately. When the Shield Hero tries to indicate that she is not his prisoner since she isn't tied up or anything, a completely smug Motoyasu tells the "villain" to stop lying stating they have seen proof of his "crime."

Melty steps forward and tries to reassure the other heroes that she is perfectly safe. When she adds that Naofumi had in-fact protected her, the other three heroes are caught off guard. When Ren says that they were told Naofumi had abducted Melty, The Princess explains that she was the victim of an evil conspiracy and asked Naofumi to protect her. Insisting that there was nothing to be gained from her abduction, Melty tries to reason with Bow, Sword and Spear Heroes telling them about how the Queen said that the four heroes need to stop fighting and work together.

She pleads with the group to put down their weapons and stop these pointless conflicts. Naofumi reaffirms that this is all a setup. He also indicates that if the other heroes are willing to do as Melty says and just listen, he will tell them everything he knows. For a brief second, it looks as those things might be resolved peacefully.

Then, before Naofumi can demand their answer, a voice cuts across him. Princess Malty orders the Knights and Heroes not to listen to Naofumi, declaring that he has unlocked a brainwashing shield! She says that simply by talking to him, Naofumi can use the power of his shield to take over somebody's mind.

Raphtalia insists that nobody could possibly believe that lie. Malty insists that there is "proof," however. Over the past month, the Church of the Three Heroes discovered people singing Naofumi's praises throughout Melromarc, referring to the "Devil of the Shield" a known criminal, as the "Savior of the Heavenly Fowl." Melty is stunned by her older sister's accusations, as this contradicts their mother's wishes and she is deliberately trying to turn the other heroes against Naofumi.

Malty for her part pretends to be a concerned older sister, stating that Naofumi has obviously already brainwashed her. Malty's statement confirms Naofumi's suspicion that the Three Heroes Church are the ones behind this conspiracy.

In typical fashion, Motoyasu completely accepts Malty's accusation, reasoning that Raphtalia and Filo had indeed been brainwashed, just like he suspected. Raphtalia insists that that is not the case, with Naofumi stating that if he had such a skill surely he would have used it to avoid being in this situation in the first place. Sadly, the other heroes do not use their common sense and when Ren asks if Naofumi can prove that he does not have any such weapon, the Shield Hero cannot answer him.

Unable to confirm either side of the story, the Sword Hero proposes a compromise. He orders Naofumi to hand over Princess Melty promising not to harm her in any-way. Melty is concerned by this, but Naofumi does genuinely consider this option since he is cornered on the edge of a cliff. Unnoticed by anyone, Malty smiles evilly.

Expressing her "gratitude" to Ren, Malty locks eyes with Melty who gasps nervously. Naofumi looks round as the younger Princess moves closer to him and grabs onto his cloak fearfully. Stretching out her hand, Malty offers to take her sister home. The Crown Princess, however, pleads with Naofumi to help her, whispering that if she goes with her sister, then she will surely be killed.

Realizing that she is right, and after a quick moment consideration, Naofumi pats the blue-haired girl's hand reassuringly. He moves protectively in front of her and declares that as much as he appreciates Ren's offer, Malty cannot be trusted. As Ren demands an explanation, Naofumi turns to Raphtalia who whispers something to Filo.

When Malty objects to Naofumi's declaration, stating that she is only interested in her little sister's safety The Shield Hero overrides her and reveals Malty's position within the hierarchy. Pointing at his treacherous first companion, Naofumi tells the other heroes (and the Knights) that Malty is only interested in power. He reveals that she is not the crown princess, Melty is and that Malty wants to be the heir so badly, she is willing to kill her younger sister! With these new false accusations, all Malty would have to do is claim that she is simply trying to undo the brainwashing and then murder Melty in order to obtain the crown. Turning to the real heir of Melromarc, Naofumi informs her that he intends to honor his promise about keeping her safe, much to Melty's relief.

With all hopes of a peaceful resolution off the table, Naofumi orders Filo to transform. Using her as their steed in combination with the filolial's speed, agility, and Naofumi's Air Strike Shield, The Shield Heroes party almost manages to jump over and escape from their enemies. They also spot a path that they can use, which might lead them to safety. However, Motoyasu throws something at them, which latches onto Filo's leg.

The four tumble to the ground, as Filo suddenly reverts back to her human form. Standing triumphantly over her adversaries Malty sends a purple flare into the air alerting any nearby soldiers to their position. When Ren and Itsuki drop down onto the terrain in front of them, The Shield Hero and his party realized that they don't have any option left but to fight.

Motoyasu meanwhile approaches Filo, who still has the strange contraption attached to her ankle. The Spear Hero then throws his arms around Filo, clinging onto her in a very lewd manner, a hypocritical move, considering what he had said to Naofumi earlier. Filo tries to fight back but finds that she has lost all of her strength. Motoyasu then reveals that the shackle on her foot is a magical one, crafted by the royal alchemists. It zaps all of Filo's strength and forces her to remain in her human form.

Angered at the sight of this, Princess Melty launches a water attack, Zweit Aqua Slash, at the Spear Hero, which narrowly misses cutting down a nearby tree. She then threatens the Spear Hero telling him to release Filo, or her next attack won't miss. With a flash of orange light, a fireball suddenly descends towards Melty. Naofumi jumps in front of the attack, catching it with his shield. High on the ledge, the culprit, Princess Malty glares down at her enemies.

Ren and Itsuki both saw this attack and are shocked that Malty aimed to kill the girl they're supposed to be saving. When Itsuki demands to know what she is doing, Malty abandons all pretext stating they attacked first. She launches more fireballs at Naofumi who tanks all of the attacks. Horrified Ren, orders her to stop, but the Princess simply ingests a magic potion replenishing her lost mana. She then declares that if they are unable to dispel Naofumi's "brainwashing," then her sister has to die!

She launches a further series of fire attacks on Naofumi who intercepts all of them. Here Raphtalia reveals to Naofumi that she has a plan and asks him to look after Melty for a while. As the demi-human moves off, Naofumi realizing he needs to buy her as much time as possible, orders Melty to step back, then activates his Rage Shield!

The group is then forced to use their respective trump cards.

With Motoyasu still fawning over Filo, Raphtalia uses her camouflage skill to drop something behind the otherwise helpless girl. Everyone else is distracted and momentarily blinded by Naofumi's Shield of Wrath, which appears in a flash of red light. High up on the ledge, Myne has been joined by several magicians and knights, the crowns reinforcements.

She orders them to "Bring down the hammer of justice" and the soldiers fire of a volley of arrows at Naofumi. The flames from his shield consume the arrows, however, much to Melty's amazement. Unfortunately, the archers were simply a distraction. A massive orange light appears overhead. Malty and the magicians have accumulated all of their power into a gigantic fireball, which will surely kill anybody it touches. Believing that she is finally about to kill the Shield Hero and her younger sister, Myne chuckles evilly to herself.

Then suddenly, Raphtalia appears. Having used her camouflage skill to sneak up on the human, the tanuki firmly declares "Not on my watch!" Before Malty can react, the demi-human draws her Mana Sword, using its power for the first time, Raphtalia creates a blade of pure energy. She then stabs the evil Princess through the chest with it, incapacitating Myne and instantly dispelling what would have been a dangerous spell.

Filo meanwhile, has donned the Power Gloves, which Raphtalia gave her. Not wanting her companion to have all the fun she charges Motoyasu. Seemingly oblivious to the situation around him, The Spear Hero, still lusting over Filo goes to embrace her once again. With her strength renewed b the gloves, Filo delivers a powerful punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying.

Enraged at the fall of their princess and one of the heroes, the apparent knight commander orders his soldiers forward, instructing them to kill Naofumi and his party members. With fierce battle cries, the Knights jump off the ledge their weapons drawn. They shoulder past Ren and Itsuki, completely ignoring the former's words of caution, their minds set on finishing Naofumi once and for all.

Enraged at this, the strength of Naofumi's shield increases. Suddenly the attachment provided by the weapons shop owner disintegrates. To Ren's shock, the shield unleashes a massive fire blast, which throws back all of the attackers and destroys part of the mountain.

Marveling at the Shields power, Ren is the first to recover. As the dust settles, the Sword Hero spots Naofumi and his party members on the other side of the chasm. Using the situation to their advantage, Naofumi's team has managed to cross safely, the energy from that last attack destroying the path behind them, which means Ren and the others cannot follow. Naofumi expresses his faith in Ren, certain that the Sword Hero can figure out what is really going on. Ignoring Ren's suggestion to wait, the Shield Hero then tosses the rosary he took from Melty's guard across the gap at Ren's feet. Leaving a confused Ren behind, Naofumi and his group leave the scene.

After retreating some distance, Naofumi is eventually able to remove Filo's shackle, much to her relief. With a rustle of leaves, a shadowy figure appears before them. Raphtalia reaches for her sword but is stopped by Melty, who reveals that the woman is one of her mother's Shadows. Naofumi also recognizes (by her outdated speech manner) as the same noblewoman that warned him about the Church's activity in the first place.

The Shadow then reveals her purpose. Queen Mirella has summoned Naofumi, she is aware of what has transpired against him and wants to meet up with him. Together they can stop the actions taken by The Church of the Three Heroes. With that the woman departs, returning the supplies that Melty dropped.

Thanks to her information, the group now knows that the Queen is stationed in a country in the opposite direction of Siltvelt. When Naofumi asks if Melty knows anything about this second country, the Princess takes offense at being referred to by her title. She demands that Naofumi stop treating her like an outsider and refer to her by her name from now on. In return, she will stop calling him the Shield Hero and address him by his first name as well.

After a moment's hesitation, Naofumi complies and the two reach an accord. Raphtalia gets jealous of this but insists that nothing is wrong. Suddenly the tanuki's ears start to twitch and looking around Raphtalia says that she has detected a strange smell in their air. Far away in the distance, a section of the forest is on fire. Standing amongst the flames, the perpetrator Princess Malty laughs to herself diabolically, intending to use the fire to flush Naofumi, his party members and her sister out. The episode ends with a close up of Malty's face, the fire dancing reflectively in her evil eyes.

Trivia

 * The espionage force working under the Queen are called Shadows.
 * The state religion of Melromarc is revealed to be the Church of Three Heroes, who worship Spear, Sword, and Bow but not Shield. They address the Shield Hero as "Devil," while the other three are considered "Holy Weapons."
 * Naofumi's alias as "The Savior of Heavenly Fowl" is being confirmed by Malty Melromarc.
 * Naofumi's rise in fame among the people of Melromarc is being painted as "brainwashing," It is also confirmed that certain factions of the people started worshiping the Shield Hero in Melromarc.

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