It seems slavery is the hot topic this current anime season, as coming off the heels of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation‘s premiere of a slave-trade-centric episode, The Rising of the Shield Hero has dropped a new trailer teasing Naofumi’s upcoming mission to liberate the Zeltoble nation’s scores of currently-shackled demi-humans.
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Premiering during a special August 27th livestream hosted by The Rising of the Shield Hero light novel publisher Media Factory in celebration of the series’ 10th anniversary, this new trailer gives audiences their first glimpse at Kinema Citrus’ animated take on the original light novels’ ‘Rebuilding Arc’.
Having recently acquired the territory to establish a new demi-human sanctuary thanks to his defeat of the Spirit Turtle, the trailer opens with a troubled Naofumi (CV: Kaito Ishikawa – Sakuta Azusagawa in Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out) forced to confront the reality that the refuge may be less-than-prepared to endure an incoming onslaught from the Guardian Beast Phoenix.
Unfortunately for Naofumi, the threats to his sanctuary are not just apocalyptic.
Shortly after establishing the safe haven, Naofumi enlists the aid of the slave trader Beolukas (CV: Kenichi Ogata – Gran Torino in My Hero Academia) in seeking out, purchasing, and returning any enslaved residents from Raphtilia’s (CV: Asami Seto – Nobura Kugisaki in Jujutsu Kaisen) hometown of Lurolona, whose borders now fall under Naofumi’s jurisdiction, to their rightful homes.
However, Beolukas soon reveals that this task will be easier said than done, as thanks to word of Naofumi’s liberation mission spreading across the world, prices for Lurolona natives have skyrocketed across Zelotoble’s notorious underground slave market.
Unwilling to let the demi-humans’ suffering continue in perpetuity, Naofumi, Raphtalia, Filo (CV: Rina Hidaka – Naon Yuno in Mato Seihei no Slave) and Rishia Ivyred (CV: Natsuko Hara – Meinya in Made in Abyss) respond to this news by setting out to Zeltoble to liberate the slaves themselves.
Once there, in need of the necessary funds to purchase the numerous Lurolonans before the next auction, Nafoumi, Raphtilia and Filo proceed to bet on themselves and enter a team combat tournament – registering under the name Team Rock Valley – held within the country’s underground coliseum.
As the trailer comes to a close, audiences are met with a brief glimpse of Fohl (CV:Kohei Amasaki – Kotar0u Kitagawa in My Clueless First Friend) and Atla Fayon (CV: Konomi Ohara – Arona in Blue Archive the Animation), a pair of white tiger demi-human siblings, the latter suffering from a terminal genetic disorder has left her blind and unable to walk, who the team will encounter during their time in the underground tournament.
In its final shot, the trailer showcases the anime debut of Orca therianthrope Sadeena (CV: Ami Koshimizu – Holo in Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf).
Briefly mentioned in The Rising of the Shield Season 1 episode 15, this drunkard is an integral part of Naofumi’s mission, serving as his guide throughout the coliseum tournament – during which, as seen in the trailer’s final battle sequence, she’ll have an intense reunion with her long lost friend, Raphtalia.
The Rising of the Shield Hero takes up his shield once more this October, with same-day simulcasts for English-speaking fans set to be provided by Crunchyroll.