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Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 premiered today, and with it comes the continuation of last week’s suspenseful cliffhanger.
It seems that the Vassal Heroes from the world beyond the Waves of Calamity are in some way involved with the Spirit Tortoise’s awakening.
The friction with the Spirit Tortoise seems to be the main conflict of the series’ second season. Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 explains the Vassal Heroes’ involvement in the conflict.
However, their motives and goals, as detailed in Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5, may come as a surprise to viewers of the first season.
Follow along as this article fully breaks down Rising of the Shield Hero season 2 episode 5 in its entirety.
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 greatly advances season's plot, introduces antagonist
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5: Ost’s memories parlay into present problems
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 opens with Ost Hourai in a foggy, unknown area as she asks herself where she is. She recounts her role as a Spirit Tortoise, including the souls she’s taken and her purpose in doing so. However, she shows some regret about her actions, questioning why she needs to tell herself anything if she’s emotionless.
Flashbacks of the Allied Forces’ battle against the Spirit Tortoise play, as Ost questions why she, as a familiar, suffers when seeing the soldiers smile at her.
A chilling laugh is suddenly heard ringing throughout the area, as Ost questions who it is. She approaches the figure, asking who it is, as the silhouette of the individual is seen. However, she ends up calling out in pain and falling to her knees while holding her head.
Suddenly, Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 cuts to the previous episode’s closing scenes, where Naofumi’s party discovers the Vassal Heroes.
Naofumi explains that they are heroes of another world, sent there to kill the Four Cardinal Heroes. He says they should’ve been sent home during the Wave battle at Cal Mara Island.
L’Arc then tells him not to look tense, saying they’re not here to fight him. Instead, they are there to combat whoever broke the Spirit Tortoise’s seal and is controlling the beast.
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 then plays its opening theme.
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5: Negotiations begin
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 then returns to the two groups’ discussion, with Naofumi questioning L’Arc’s declaration of their intentions. Ost interrupts, saying it’s likely that whoever broke the Tortoise’s seal came from another world, like Naofumi and the Vassal Heroes.
The Vassal Heroes agree with her, with Glass saying that the perpetrator is attempting to do the same with several Guardian Beasts in multiple worlds.
L’Arc says he knows what Naofumi is thinking but emphasizes that their desire to kill him and desire to kill the controller are different. The Vassal Heroes ridicule his actions while emphasizing that destruction here is bad for their world.
L’Arc suggests they team up, but Naofumi refuses as he does not want to team up with those he’ll eventually have to kill. He does, however, emphasize that they’re free to do whatever they want so long as they’re not actively trying to kill him or his group.
The groups then part ways, as Raphtalia and Naofumi seem to differ in opinion on how the situation should’ve been handled.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the Spirit Tortoise’s head is seen regenerating at an alarming rate. Queen Melromarc updates the other leaders on Naofumi’s status, saying it won’t be long before the beast is dead, but they must buy time. In a shocking turn of events, the Queen announces that she herself will lead the charge to inspire the troops.
A nearby Eclair seems to disapprove of this but obeys her orders regardless. The leaders emphasize that they’ll be right behind her as Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 returns to Naofumi’s group.
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5: Journey to the center of the Tortoise
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 returns to Naofumi’s group and their trek towards the Spirit Tortoise’s heart.
Raphtalia expresses her disbelief that someone from L’Arc’s world is controlling the Tortoise. Naofumi emphasizes that it isn’t necessarily from their world before looking worriedly at Ost and making a joke about Glass’ outfit.
Ost then appears to remember more of the Tortoise’s pathways, emphasizing that they're getting close. She guides the group as they comment on her remembering more and more information while Filo questions where the Vassal Heroes went.
Perspective then cuts to the Vassal Heroes, who are running through a cave tunnel swarmed with bat familiars.
Suddenly, a monkey-like familiar appears, which Glass engages and defeats as Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 returns to Naofumi’s group.
The group has just stumbled upon a Dragon Hourglass, which Ost says is where the souls the Tortoise gathers are collected. When it's full, it apparently creates a barrier that protects the world from the Waves of Calamity.
Ost confirms that it isn’t the heart, saying the knowledge of the object had just come to her. The caves begin shaking as Naofumi tells the group to hurry out, as Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 returns to the Vassal heroes. The group has found the Tortoise’s heart, with Glass resolving to destroy it.
Therese questions what this will do to the Tortoise. Glass replies that it doesn’t matter since the most they can do is release the Tortoise from “his” grasp. The three then steel themselves for their task, as Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 returns to Naofumi’s group. They seem to be approaching the heart themselves, as Rishia and Ost converse.
The two are discussing Ost’s confusion about reconciling her role and current emotions regarding those she’s come to meet. She realizes that the souls of those smiling are the ones she needs to protect rather than take them to protect others. Rishia grabs her hand and tells her to rely on her comrades instead of carrying the burdens all by herself.
Raphtalia comes over, as does Filo, and tells the two that Naofumi and all of them feel the same way. She even recognizes that Ost and the Tortoise, in their own way, care about the people of this world too. Naofumi calls out to them, saying he’s found an exit, which they suspect to be its head.
As they question leaving, Ost opens up a new path, which she says leads to the heart. Naofumi gravely tells the group to go, as the next scene shows them arriving at the heart. However, the Vassal Heroes are nowhere to be seen in the area.
Suddenly, an unknown voice is heard laughing before telling the group it didn’t expect them to come all the way here.
Ost recognizes it as the voice from her visions, and it's revealed to be the white-haired individual seen in episodes prior. He introduces himself as Kyo Ethnina, wielder of the Vassal Book.
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5: Antagonist introduced
Upon returning from eyecatchers, Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 returns to the matters at hand. Naofumi questions the Vassal Book weapon, as Kyo rises up to the level of the Tortoise’s heart. Ost launches a spell at him, which seems to phase right through him.
Naofumi realizes it’s not his real body, as Kyo mocks his “harem” group. He retorts, saying that if he wants to make fun of him, he should come out of hiding first.
Kyo comments on how Naofumi has high “provoke resistance,” which the latter seems to question. The latter also looks to Rishia, who narrows her eyes at their newfound enemy.
He then asks Kyo if he knows something about the “three heroes,” likely referencing the Bow, Spear, and Sword heroes of this world. Their enemy cockily responds that he should try finding things out for himself instead of asking people for help. He then tells him about the three Vassal Heroes.
Kyo says that they’re going around destroying fake Tortoise hearts, which multiply the more they’re destroyed. Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 then shows L’Arcs party realizing they fell for a trap before quickly returning to Naofumi and Kyo. The latter laughs, calling L’Arc’s group idiots for falling for the trap.
Naofumi says that talking to Kyo reminds him of being back home. Kyo then asks him to just hurry up and say what he wants.
Naofumi demands the release of the Spirit Tortoise, as well as the return of the souls which were taken. Kyo pokes fun at this request, calling Naofumi stupid for telling him to stop his actions here since it’d be “too difficult” in his own world.
Ost tells him that he should be prepared for the people of this world to resist, prompting him to ridicule her for not shutting up. She proclaims her trust in the Four Cardinal Heroes, saying their victory is her and the Tortoise’s will. Kyo laughs, telling her she was the easiest to understand among the group before disappearing.
Suddenly, the Tortoise’s heart attacks the group with its self-defense system. Naofumi uses his Meteor Shield to protect the group, but the shield breaks after every attack from the heart. The group begins attacking the heart but realizes it hurts Ost in the process. Nevertheless, she tells the group to continue.
However, the act of hurting their friend clearly weighs on their minds as Ost screams out in pain. Suddenly, her view is transported to the sky above the Spirit Tortoise, as the beast's heart is shown to be destroyed. A sea of blood rushes out, before the scene fades to black and shows Ost standing in front of some sort of crystal.
The crystal glows, as a symbol resembling the Tortoise appears on her chest. She knowingly says “so that’s it” before crying and fading away.
Back with Naofumi’s group, Ost seems to still be alive despite the Spirit Tortoise’s heart being gone. She further confirms that, even with its head cut off and heart destroyed, the beast is still alive.
Fortunately, she now remembers everything about the Spirit Tortoise and herself, before beginning an incantation of some sort. Her spell opens up a pathway of some sort as the Tortoise’s heart regenerates.
The group jumps down the pathway, as L’Arc’s group and the Allied Forces are seen reacting to the Tortoise’s revival.
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5: Final moments and final thoughts
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 then returns to Naofumi’s group, who has arrived at Kyo’s true hiding place. The crystal from Ost’s vision is seen behind him as he talks to the Shield Hero’s group. He teases the group for not understanding their situation, excluding Naofumi and Rishia.
In Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5’s final moments, it’s revealed that Ost Hourai is not a Spirit Tortoise familiar. Instead, she is connected to the beast’s core. Had they killed Ost Hourai from the start, they would have also defeated the Spirit Tortoise itself.
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 ends with this revelation, with the next episode entitled “Racing to Catch Up.”
Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 introduces the season’s main antagonist in a fantastic way. The teasers of his appearance in episodes prior were flawlessly done, as was the red herring of his being in a cave far away from the Spirit Tortoise.
Despite being off to a slow, stakeless start, Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 proves that the series is beginning to pick up a bit. Making Ost the key to defeating the Spirit Tortoise is a brilliant move, as it forces Naofumi’s group into a difficult position regarding their newfound friend.
Overall, Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 has easily been the best of the season yet. Real stakes have been added, the antagonist has been introduced, and a clear resolution for the season’s current plotline is evident from this point on.
Be sure to keep up with all Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 news, as well as general anime, manga, film, live-action, and video game news, as 2022 progresses.
