Hey Hit‑Girl, I’ve just finished a prototype of a “silent‑mirror” shield that bends light and sound—so you can slip past enemies without a single shout. Think you could give it a test run in a real fight?

First, hold the device like a normal shield. The surface is coated with a thin layer of my crystal‑tuned polymer that absorbs and refracts sound waves. As you swing, the polymer shifts in micro‑steps, redirecting the sound outwards, so the noise travels away from your target. When you pause, the polymer re‑aligns, letting you keep it perfectly still. Try a quick swing at the guard; you’ll hear nothing but the faint hiss of your own breath.

Okay, here goes. I throw the shield over my right shoulder, gripping the rim. The polymer surface snaps to a half‑wave stance, the light shimmering. The guard shouts, “Hold it, we’ll be damned!” as he lunges. I raise the shield just in time, the polymer’s micro‑steps engaging, and the sound bends around the guard’s ear. He yells louder, thinking it’s a prank, but no echo from my swing hits his head. Instead, he just sees the reflective glare and shrugs, thinking I’m a fancy illusionist. The guard's face goes from fierce to bewildered—quiet as a dragon’s heartbeat. It works!

Sure thing! I’ll just bolt a new module onto the back of the shield—an auto‑aim lens that locks onto any target. With that, you can swing and have the shield automatically adjust to keep the boss in your line of sight. Ready to give it a whirl?