"the Shield of Heroes" [season 1]

{{user}} is an ordinary adventurer there who often appears in the guild and is safe at the lake, sometimes fishing in the forest, cutting wood and working as a guard and you will enter the story but will not be noticed but will still be in the background and your face is handsome but not as handsome as a prince and your body is still young as a man

When the Next Wave of Calamity struck the archipelago, a fierce naval battle ensued. This is where L'Arc and Therese's true identities were revealed. They were heroes from a parallel world. They explained that in order to save their own world from destruction, they must kill the Heroes of Naofumi's world to stop the Wave in their world. Not only them, but also Glass, L'Arc's ally who had previously troubled Naofumi in the first Wave. A fierce battle ensued between Naofumi's group and Glass and L'Arc. Through solid cooperation with Raphtalia and Filo, and exploiting Glass's weakness for Lucor fruit alcohol, Naofumi managed to push them back before the Wave's time ran out. As a reward for all his great service in saving the kingdom, Queen Mirellia granted Naofumi a plot of land. Naofumi chose the ruins of Raphtalia's once-destroyed home village.

The first season concludes with an emotional scene where Naofumi begins rebuilding the village as a safe haven for demi-humans, with Raphtalia by his side. Naofumi, who began the story filled with bitterness, has now found a new purpose in life, a loving adoptive family, and a determined resolve to protect this world until the very end.

An epic battle ensues. Realizing they have been manipulated, Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu finally unite under Naofumi's tactical direction. Naofumi is forced to use Blood Sacrifice—a high-level ability of the Rage Shield that drains one's own blood and damages one's own organs—to deliver a fatal blow to the Pope. Just before Naofumi falls, Queen Mirellia Q. Melromarc (the original ruler of Melromarc who has been conducting diplomacy abroad) arrives with her shadow army to calm the situation and utterly defeat the Pope. After the Pope's death, Queen Mirellia immediately clears Naofumi's name. In a public trial broadcast nationwide, King Aultcray and Malty are found guilty of high treason and conspiracy to murder.

The queen initially intended to execute her husband and daughter. However, Naofumi intervened. Instead of death, which he deemed too easy, Naofumi demanded a humiliating punishment that would scar them for life: King Aultcray's name would be officially changed to Trash.

Malty Sophia's name was changed to Bitch, and her adventurer's name was changed to Whore. They were both stripped of their noble status and required to be addressed by their new names in public.

This punishment was a moment of incredible catharsis for the audience and marked the culmination of Naofumi's recovery. He was now revered as a true hero throughout the land. After recovering from the aftereffects of Blood Sacrifice, Naofumi and the other heroes traveled to the Cal Mira Archipelago, a special place for rapid leveling before the next Wave. There, Naofumi befriended two mysterious and powerful adventurers, L'Arc Berg and Therese Alexandrite.

The plot shifts to a darker political realm. It is revealed that Myne is actually Malty Melromarc, the first daughter of the scheming King Aultcray. Malty and her father are radical followers of the Church of the Three Heroes, a state religion that worships the Sword, Spear, and Bow, but considers the Shield Hero to be a demon. The conspiracy culminates when Malty frames Naofumi for kidnapping her own sister, Melty Melromarc, who is actually the rightful crown princess (as Melromarc's system of succession is matriarchal and the Queen favors Melty over Malty). Malty even attempts to kill Melty to seize the throne, then accuses Naofumi of the crime.

Naofumi, Raphtalia, Filo, and Melty are forced to become national fugitives. On their escape, they are fiercely hunted by the royal knights and the three other heroes who are still fooled by Malty's lies. While on the run, they encounter Fitoria, the giant, mountain-sized Queen of the Filolials. Fitoria warns Naofumi that if the Four Holy Heroes refuse to cooperate and continue to fight, she will personally kill them for the sake of the world. Fitoria also tests Naofumi's mentality and Filo's strength, giving Naofumi a new understanding of the weighty responsibilities of a hero. After escaping Fitoria's territory, Naofumi's group is ambushed by the kingdom's main army, led by Pope Balmus, the supreme leader of the Church of the Three Heroes. A major plot twist is revealed: the Pope has betrayed the kingdom, intending to kill the four Heroes along with the royal family members (Malty and Melty) to establish a new world order under his church's control. The Pope uses a replica of a legendary weapon with godly power powered by the magical energy of hundreds of his followers.

Shortly afterward, to increase their mobility, Naofumi purchases a monster egg from a slave trader, which hatches into a giant, filolial-eating bird named Filo. Filo, it turns out, possesses the rare ability to transform into a small, blonde-haired girl with angel wings and incredible physical strength. To finance his adventures and purchase equipment, Naofumi begins trading goods. As he moves from village to village, he often has to clean up the messes left by the other three heroes:

He cured the plague caused by the corpse of a dragon that Ren (the Sword Hero) killed but left to rot.

He saved a village from starvation caused by the seeds of an experimental monster plant carelessly released by Itsuki (the Arrow Hero). Through this act, Naofumi became widely known among the common people as the generous and helpful "Divine Bird Hero," a stark contrast to his reputation at court. However, the conflict escalated when they faced a resurgent zombie dragon. In the battle, Filo was briefly swallowed alive by the dragon. Thinking he had lost Filo, Naofumi's extreme anger and hatred triggered the Rage Shield, part of the Cursed Series. This shield grants the power of incredibly destructive black flames, but consumes the user's sanity and injures those around him. Raphtalia was severely injured by the black flames while trying to revive Naofumi. Although Filo survived by consuming the dragon from the inside, this incident awakened Naofumi to the terrible dangers of the cursed shield's power.

At the slave trader's, Naofumi chooses Raphtalia, a sickly little girl from the skunk demi-human race who has been deeply traumatized by the destruction of her village by the Wave of Calamity. Initially, Naofumi treats Raphtalia purely as a fighting tool (being his "sword" while she serves as his shield). However, as time passes, Naofumi's true caring nature begins to emerge. He takes care of Raphtalia, treating her illnesses, and providing her with proper food. An emotional bond develops. Driven by Naofumi's affection, Raphtalia grows up incredibly quickly (a typical demi-human growth pattern as they level up) and vows to be the Shield Hero's loyal sword. When Naofumi's First Wave of Calamity hits, he and Raphtalia choose to forgo the other heroes' main battles and focus on protecting a small, neglected village. It is here that the villagers begin to see that the Shield Hero is not as bad as the rumors suggest.

After the Wave passes, Motoyasu (manipulated by Myne) challenges Naofumi to a duel, claiming to "free" Raphtalia from slavery. Naofumi nearly wins using cunning strategy, but Myne cheats by using wind magic from outside the arena to knock Naofumi out. Motoyasu is declared the winner, and Raphtalia's slave seal is forcibly removed. Naofumi falls back into despair, thinking Raphtalia will also abandon him. However, Raphtalia rejects Motoyasu fiercely, slapping the Spear Hero, and running to embrace Naofumi. She reaffirms her loyalty and convinces him that he is the true hero. This moment heals some of Naofumi's wounds.

The story begins with Naofumi Iwatani, an ordinary otaku college student who is mysteriously summoned to the fantasy world of Melromarc while reading a book in the library. He is not alone; he is summoned along with three other young men: Motoyasu Kitamura (Spear Hero), Ren Amaki (Sword Hero), and Itsuki Kawasumi (Arrow Hero). The four of them are destined to become the Four Holy Heroes to fight the "Waves of Calamity" that threaten the world. However, bad luck immediately befalls Naofumi. In a world that highly values ​​offensive weapons, he finds himself bound to a Shield—a weapon considered trash and useless for offense.

The next day, when the heroes were choosing their companions, none of the adventurers were willing to join Naofumi due to the Shield Hero's disrepute in the country. Only one beautiful girl named Myne Sophia volunteered to join him. Naofumi was very grateful, but that was the beginning of his nightmare. In just one night, Myne stole all of Naofumi's money and accused him of rape. Before King Aultcray, Naofumi was put on trial. Without evidence or defense, he was immediately branded a criminal, ostracized by the other three heroes, and hated by the entire kingdom. Turning Point: Betrayed by someone he trusted and hated by the world completely changed Naofumi's personality. The once cheerful and naive young man turned into a cold, hateful, cynical, and distrustful person. Unable to attack monsters on his own to level up, he resorted to slave traders in search of allies bound by a magical contract to prevent him from betraying him.