Disclaimer: I do not own Berserk only Jake and Jonas and the woman "I dentity revealed later."

Chapter 1

Mercenary of Chaos Rises

Jake awoke in a cave he felt the cold stone on his skin the stale air of moss and water. He felt the burning pain of his wounds and the brand on his shoulder.

"Damn it…"

He turned to see Gatts being bandaged as well Casca was looking at him her eyes full of fear for him. Jake turned his head towards the exit he looked at himself and saw he only had his pants on. He stood and turned to see them all including Jonas to busy taking care of Gatts Jake walked out his blue eyes hollow.

Gatts awoke to find Rickett and Erica looking over him they smiled when they saw he was awake. Gatts felt something was wrong he couldnt see from his left eye and his right arm was different he looked down and saw that his arm was gone and remembered the past.

"Casca where is Casca?!"

Rickett smiled and looked towards the back.

"She's fine not much as a scratch she went to the falls to wash real quick."

Gatts sighed in relief and looked around Jonas was sitting on a indention of the cave he was in normal clothing and had bandges wrapped on his head. His eyes were still the same pierceing green and his hair shoulder length.

"You truly are strong normal men would be dead after what happened to you."

Casca came up from the caves falls and saw Gatts sitting up and awake tears in her eyes she ran and wrapped her arms around him.

"GATTS!"

Gatts wrapped his arm around her and kissed her gently on the forhead.

"Jonas thank you for saveing her."

Jonas laughed and shrugged.

"Me I didn't save her Jake did."

Gatts looked at Jonas then Casca who nodded.

"Then I should thank him where is that bastard?"

Jonas looked away and Casca looked towards the other side of the cave.

"He left with his injuries and all he left without a word but when we came back he seemed different."

Jonas turned and looked at Gatts then the cave.

"It's been a few days since then Jake awoke a two days before you so he's long gone. I'm staying here to help you I want revenge for my friends and I think you might as well."

Gatts looked at Casca remembering what Griffith had planned to do he felt the fury grow.

"Yeah I don't plan and sit here with him and those creatures wandering this world."

Jake looked at the sky at the stars and the moon he felt the pain in his left shoulder and chest he felt his ribs and winced. Jake Carter the Mercenary of Death reduced to this if he could see himself he would probably laugh. His right shoulder stung and he looked at it his blue eyes glanceing at his bandaged body he saw blood seeping through. Jake turned to see spirits coming toward him their malice hate and hunger evident. Jake smiled just as he had thought the brand summoned them the brand allowed Jake to see the brand was meant to make him lose his mind or give himsel to the Apostles to Griffith. Jake felt himself stand he had no weapon not even a knife. But he didn't turn to run he had no intention of going back no intention of being pitied he had left Jonas a letter telling him to get stronger telling him to wait until he had use for him again. Jake looked at the spirits and his rage made him forget his pain his sorrow.

"You want blood!? You want to feel!? Well let me help you let me help you feel."

The spirits faultered slightly at the man they moved towards tone it seemed dark it seemed terrible it seemed Demonic.

"Let me help you feel ..."

H looked up his eyes red his smile crazed.

"Terror and Pain!"

With that he grabbed the closest spirit and with a laugh ripped it in two causeing it to scream the others attacked and Jake laughed and began ripping and crashing into them he felt himself being overtaken but didn't care he laughed and contiued to fight. The spirits tried to stop him but were in turn shocked a human with a brand could fight but only with weapons yet this man fought with his very fists. Then he was sent back by a wave of the spirits he skidded back and felt the rocks cutting into his feet he glared. Then a sword flew from the darkness and imbeded itself in front of him a sword that looked like that of a dark legend black jagged with a guard of spikes and a glowing bloody crystal in its center Jake felt it call to him and reached out and grabbed the grip and lifted the blade it felt light familiar Jake felt the power and smiled.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

The spirits felt the change they moved away but Jake attacked his eyes wild and red he slashed left right his laugh echoing in the fields then the spirits fled they had no intention of continueing this night.

"You are who I searched for."

Jake spun around and looked at the woman he hadn't heard or sensed her she wasn't normal he held his ground his red eye's assessing her he slowly got into position ready for an attack.

"Now that won't due look at you all broken and bloody I can't have that."

She was in front of him in an instant Jake brought the sword up expecting a slash then was caught off guard as the woman moved the sword away and lightly tapped him on the chest. Jake felt as if he'd been hit by a cannon and flew backwards he slid a few feet and fell to a knee useing his sword to stop the fall. His eyes turning back to cold blue as the pain returned.

"Shit... What the hell are you?"

The woman smiled and walked forward her body became alot more evident and Jake saw her curves her scantly clad body and her pale ivory skin. Jake saw this and gripped the sword tighter it was to cold for someone that looked like her to walk around like that. Jake stood up and placed the sword on his shoulder his pain evident but he knew that if he was going to survive he had to ignore it. The woman smiled and walked towards him.

"A man that stands with those injuries would be called a demon if seen among normal people."

Jake continued to stand his eyes cold and dark.

"I see so that is why it grew so well you never were seen as normal your life was full of-"

Jake was in front of her his sword tip at her throat his eyes cold and blazeing with fury.

"Shut your mouth and die."

He stabbed forward through her neck but instead of blood or the sound of fleash ripping he only heard her laugh he looked forward and saw she was gone. Then a arm wrapped around his neck and her breath was on his ear.

"Don't be so hasty boy I'm not your enemy yet."

Jake narrowed his eyes and held his ground.

"Is that so well you have a strange way of showing it."

She grabbed Jake and spun him around then kissed him Jake pulled back and wiped his mouth but his surprise was evident. The woman smiled and licked her lips.

"If you survive this you really are the one and if you die to bad you I will just have to find someone else."

Jake looked at her holding the sword.

"What the hell are you-"

Jake felt his heartbeat echo his eyes widened and a burning sensation filled his body Jake fell to a knee and dropped the sword he breathed raggedly and then the woman smiled at him.

"Here it comes the strife that will make you or break you."

With that Jake screamed his body burned and a pain he'd never felt reached into him his blue eyes turned red and tears of blood poured from them he arched and screamed and ripped and teared the ground he screamed and turned towards the woma who merely watched.

"This pain I can't take it its to much... I should just..."

Griffith flashed into his mind his smug smile his sword his power and he saw himself laying in his own blood dead with Griffith laughing returning to his human form with false light and wings Jake felt himself looking at his dead form and then he walked over to it.

"That's right I should've died here I did die here... Jake Carter the Mercenary of Death died in hell before but now I have a second chance.

The Griffith turned towards him and flew at him with his sword Jake smiled and grabbed the sword stopping Griffith.

"I will make the mercenaries paradice. I don't care if destiny is absolute I don't care if you have fate I'll take it and destroy it."

The sword Jake had held appeared in his hand and Jake looked at it and smiled.

"I was drowned in my powerlessness my inability to hold you off to even hurt you severly made me question myself."

Jake stabbed through Griffiths chest and Griffith dissappeared Jake smiled and turned towards his dead body.

"Destiny said that that was my fate but I'm still standing... I won't die and I will survive all in the name of killing that man and changing fate..."

She watched him his back arching to the point where it would snap as he jerked and turned she sighed he was going to fail just like all the others. Then he stopped screaming but still stayed like he was. She felt a dark pressence come from him and then he roared.

"I...Will...Not...Die...GRIFFITH!!!"

He pulled up and stood straight his eyes were red and he roared a demonic roar and his body became covered in black energy. He was covered in it started to form around him and take shape he roared at the heavens and then the energy solidified. She stared at him her eyes filled with awe. He was covered from the neck down in ebon black armor that was like a second skin, his leggings had a human skull on the right his left leg a demons. He had a long black cloak on his back clasped by two fangs his gauntlets were like claws pointed and sharp his hair had grown out and become a mane. His armor had the emblem of a raven on his chest. The woman smiled her eyes red she walked forward and reached out.

"After that your mind must be gone and you are nothing but a shell nothing but mine."

Jake's gauntleted hand grabbed her wrist and her eyes widened.

"Don't think so."

The sword was in his hand and he slashed she jumped back and looked at him in shock. His eyes were blue and he had a smile his hair was like a mane and the sword glowed darkly.

"How did you survive and stay sane? How can you still be you!?"

Jake smiled and placed his hand on his right shoulder and then the brand appeared.

"I have a little motivation that keeps me from loseing it."

He smiled but faltered slightly at a dark chuckle he could only hear.

"You will be a good boy and serve me or I will be forced to kill you boy."

Jake smiled and put the sword on his shoulder his body eminateing the dark chaotic energy. The woman glared and dissappeared.

"I can see it."

He blocked her a smile growing as she attacked faster then any mortal could see her and block them the power from the blows were nothing to him he smiled and pushed her off. She slid and slammed into a tree. She looked at him in shock and Jake smiled at her his sword at her throat.

"Well isn't this interesting...I seem to have gained a bit of power thanks to you."

He smiled down at her as she shakily got up.

"I can help you get better control of that power if you let me live."

He looked at her with the same eyes as always cold and hollow.

"How is that I beat you like this with ease."

She smiled and pulled out a leather book.

"I can make deals and heal you after battles for prices if you let me live I can help you!"

She then pulled out a book and handed it to him Jake looked at it and silently read.

"The Souls of Humanity?"

She smiled and nodded.

"This book holds secrets of humanity things that can make you stronger then anyone it also can only be used by beings like us. Now will you show me mercey?"

Jake nodded and turned then he stopped his eyes turning red and a demonic smile crossing his face. Jake spun and stabbed the woman through the chest and she looked at him in shock.

"You said you'd show mercy?"

Jake looked at the book and didn't even glance at her.

"Yeah I did and you really were stupid enough to think i would the only reason I didn't take your head at that moment was to see if you had any more power. Seems I was right now die."

He pulled the blade free and walked away his smile dark the woman stared at his back and she saw it two huge black feathered wings.

"The demon of Chaos... I knew he would be magnificent... I can't die here..."

She closed her eyes and then dissappeared Jake continued walking his armor changing become normal black plate and his hair became short.

"So it only appears when I'm angry or in need of it."

He smiled and walked back towards the cave he needed to be careful though the resent events had changed him all be it for the better now because he knew full well that with the armor he stood alot closer to Griffith then before. But he doubted Gatts choices and would rather not fight the man at least not yet he smiled and then felt a twinge of pain on his shoulder he glanced at it and saw the mark and smiled.

"You need something?"

The skull knight atop his horse would cause any man to shake or feel doubt creep on them but Jake had never allowed these to play a part in his mind and for some reason unlike before he saw the knight not as a strong possible ally but an enemy of the worst kind.

"You made became what I knew you would I see.."

Jake laughed and shrugged.

"I was forced to live through this I wasn't about to die from such an attack then I gained everything back my power my body and even a new book and armor."

The knight only looked at him this time he could see it the dark spark had become an inferno barly held in cheak the man before him was strong but even he didn't grasp the severity of this new power.

"You will know in time what you have done is only going to bring disaster and death upon your head."

Jake laughed and the knight watched him noticeing the flames grow. Jake put a hand to his face and laughed harder.

"You say I will die that only disaster will follow. Good let it come disaster calls chaos and if that is what happens then let it. Understand this skull knight I will do as I please and I don't care what you say."

His eye's were red and smiled at the Knight.

"I plan on killing the gods hand so we're on the same team at the moment... So don't annoy me dead man."

With that Jake walked back towards the cave his eyes returning to normal.

"He is strong and will be a good ally but after all he's done can I truly trust his words?"

Jake contnuied walking and ignored the fact that he had lost control slightly back there. He heard the voice of his past its dark whisper that had always lingured long ago now seemed to have become louder but he ignored it. What could possibly go wrong with him as strong as he was now.

A/N: Revised version expect the other chapters to change slightly as well.