Ost Horai

Ost Horai is a key character in The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 anime, particularly during the Spirit Tortoise arc.

She first appears as a beautiful woman serving as the regent/concubine in the Spirit Tortoise Nation. She approaches Naofumi and his party, initially asking them to kill her (and the rampaging Spirit Tortoise she's connected to). In reality, she is the humanoid manifestation and soul of the Spirit Tortoise itself—one of the world's Four Guardian Beasts.

Her role involves gathering souls (often through tragic or manipulative means in the past) to empower the Tortoise and create a protective barrier against the Waves of Calamity, though this comes at a great cost to lives. When the villain Kyo Ethnina hijacks control of the Tortoise, disrupting its original purpose, Ost seeks out Naofumi (the Shield Hero) for help in stopping it—knowing that succeeding means her own destruction along with the beast.

She becomes a temporary ally to Naofumi's group, teaching him advanced magic (like Liberation spells) and providing crucial insights into the Tortoise's mechanics. Despite her calm, caring, and somewhat earnest personality in the anime (with a touch of scatterbrained sincerity at times), she carries a deep sense of duty and willingness to sacrifice herself for the greater good. Her arc culminates in emotional moments tied to her fate and her lingering presence afterward.