盾の勇者の成り上がり [Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari] (Novel)

Naofumi Iwatani, an uncharismatic otaku, suddenly finds himself summoned to a parallel universe as one of four legendary heroes tasked with saving the world from prophesied destruction. As the Shield Hero — the weakest of the four — he is soon alone, penniless, and betrayed. With no one to turn to and only his shield, Naofumi must find a way to rise.

Naofumi continues his adventure, but his task is not yet complete and obstacles mount as the waves of destruction approach. He finds a new friend and powerful abilities that may prove too dangerous for the people around him. Will Naofumi live up to his role as the Shield Hero, or will a growing darkness within him consume him first?

Still beset by enemies, Naofumi continues to adventure and battle his way through the fantasy world. He encounters new friends and foes — including a powerful threat who reveals herself in the midst of an epic battle and a new companion tied to the royal family. Once again, Naofumi finds himself plotted against, set up, and betrayed.

Naofumi is on the run. A corrupt nobleman from Raphtalia's past returns to unleash an ancient beast, and a new mysterious character arrives to change the tide. The mastermind behind Naofumi's troubles is finally revealed, an epic battle for the fate of the heroes unfolds, and the long-missing queen arrives. The truth behind Naofumi's betrayal, the secret of the Church of the Three Heroes, and the reasons for mounting war tensions are finally brought to light.

Naofumi heads to the Cal Mira islands to continue leveling up. There he meets a mysterious young man named L'Arc Berg, and Glass makes her second appearance. Mystery and intrigue surround every step of his journey.

After their battle with Glass, Naofumi and the other heroes meet with the queen and learn about the seven star heroes. More drama unfolds before they can leave the islands. Naofumi encounters Rishia, betrayed by Itsuki and his party, and invites her to join him. Before he can develop her abilities, a massive monster bearing the appearance of a giant tortoise must be defeated — a creature so powerful that even the mightiest adventurers cannot stop it.

Naofumi and his friends defeat the Spirit Tortoise after it rampages across the country. Setting out in search of the other missing heroes, they meet Ost, one of the Tortoise's servants, who warns that the beast is still alive and that someone is pulling the strings — using the tortoise to destroy the world.

Saved at a critical moment, Naofumi's group barely escapes their battle with Kyo, who flees to another world. Naofumi attempts to follow but awakens in prison, his friends scattered and himself back at level one. How will he survive the new challenges that await him?

Naofumi finds himself separated from his companions and reduced to level one. With the help of Kizuna, one of the holy heroes from this new world, he reunites with his friends and prepares to battle the enemy Kyo. But before he can, a female samurai named Yomogi attacks, declaring she acts on Kyo's behalf — and something about her powerful weapon is deeply strange.

Finishing the battle with Kyo, Naofumi and his friends return safely to their world. Rewarded by the queen of Melromarc for saving the world from the Spirit Tortoise, Naofumi asks for land of his own. Thinking of his partner Raphtalia, he decides to build a new settlement on the ruins of her old hometown — the start of a whole new chapter in his life.

After claiming victory at a coliseum tournament and freeing demi-human slaves, Naofumi receives word on the whereabouts of Motoyasu, the Spear Hero. The ensuing manhunt leads to a scene of carnage, and faced with an unchanged Sword and Spear Hero, Naofumi completely loses it. Then assassins after his life suddenly appear, and everything spirals out of control.

After defeating seemingly immortal invaders, Naofumi finally convinces Ren, the Sword Hero, to reconsider his ways. Returning to the colosseum to hone their skills, they are confronted by an unbelievable sight: the Bow Hero has assumed an alias and is completely consumed by his own twisted sense of justice, manipulated by the wicked Witch and consumed by a curse. Can Naofumi bring him to his senses?

Naofumi finally convinces the other three heroes to face reality and stop treating their situation like a game. After a journey riddled with difficulties, Naofumi and crew arrive in Q'ten Lo, a country that has made repeated attempts on Raphtalia's life. Discovering that even its own citizens suffer under incompetent rulers, they decide to start a rebellion — but mysterious weapons designed to nullify heroes' abilities suddenly strike mid-revolt.

The Heavenly Emperor of Q'ten Lo is after Raphtalia's life. To ensure her safety, Naofumi teams up with the country's revolutionaries to overthrow him. As they push forward and reclaim territory, Naofumi learns someone is pulling strings from behind the curtain — and just before reaching the former capital, they come face to face with the emperor's ultimate line of defense: Sadeena's own sister.

After the successful revolt in Q'ten Lo, Naofumi returns to his village and moves to restore order in Melromarc before the battle against the Phoenix. With more allies than ever, he must decide who will fight. Then the day arrives — the Phoenix finally appears. A completely unexpected turn of events awaits, and Naofumi is doomed to experience unthinkable grief.

Traveling to Faubrey, Naofumi encounters Takt, the Whip Hero — the man whose disdainful actions caused the death of Atla during the Phoenix battle. Fueled by rage, Naofumi tries to fight him, but Takt steals the shield from Naofumi's arm. Weakened and critically injured, Naofumi finds himself in a mysterious unfamiliar world, where a reassuring ally waits — but another impossibly difficult decision lies ahead.

At a request for aid from Ethnobalt, Naofumi returns to Kizuna's world, where enemies have defeated the local heroes and completely taken over. Reunited with Raphtalia, L'Arc, and other friends, they discover traitors among their opponents — familiar faces standing in their way. It's time to rescue the captured Kizuna and finally confront the adversary behind the waves.

Naofumi obtains the mirror vassal weapon, which can enhance abilities through food. The party heads to a town inhabited by a famous chef, but after an offhand comment, Naofumi finds himself facing down the chef in an all-out cooking battle in an unfamiliar setting with no rules — where only a master of cunning can win.

After his cooking battle escalated to open warfare, Naofumi has finally obtained the truth about the Vanguards of the Waves. At a castle on the Demon Dragon's former continent, Naofumi and his party face thugs and then a far more serious confrontation: S'yne's sister and Witch herself, wielding holy and vassal weapons obtained by illicit means. The Demon Dragon makes an alarming suggestion — that Naofumi unleash the power of his rage once more.

村ごと見知らぬ場所に飛ばされた尚文たち。待っていたのは……盾の勇者? 絆たちの世界から、元の異世界に帰還してきた盾の勇者である尚文とその一行。 セインの姉の警告もあり、警戒を強めながら溜まっていた報告や用事を済ませていた。 しかし本拠地である村に帰ってきた尚文は、何の前兆もなしに謎の眩い閃光に包まれて、村ごと見知らぬ場所に飛ばされてしまうことに!? 「俺達の言葉が嘘か本当かはお前等が決めれば良い。それよりも聞かせろ。お前等は何者だ?」 そんな尚文たちの目の前に現れたのは、盾の勇者を名乗る青年で……! 異世界成り上がりファンタジー第二十弾、ここに開幕!!

Naofumi and his allies have been swept back into the past, village and all, by a strange phenomenon. He enters an uneasy alliance with Mamoru, the Shield Hero of the past, but cannot fully trust him. One night, an orphan in Mamoru's care leads Naofumi to a hidden chamber beneath Siltran Castle — and what he finds there raises urgent questions.

The minor nation of Siltran has driven off an assault from the massive nation of Piensa with Naofumi's aid — but Piensa retaliates by invading nations seeking alliance with Siltran. Some of Naofumi's allies are badly injured while scouting, and their wounds are marked as incurable, beyond even the Shield Hero's power to treat. Naofumi vows to do whatever it takes to save his friends, and the search for new powers begins.