A Berserk Story Like No Other

I do not own Berserk or their characters, only the plot. This story contains a few OC's thanks to a dear friend of mine who helped me create the plot, but the OC's are theirs. Everything that is displayed is just done out of fun and imagination. This is not the original story.

'Yo.' = Thinking

"Yo." = Speech

'Yo'. = Voices

When the night rolled over the falling sun, darkness was always welcomed without hesitation. The land was bare, desolate but vast and oddly therapeutic to those who thrived in the night. A figure, could be seen walking down a dirt road with their guard up, a black handled spear with a dark purple lining throughout the handle and pole of the weapon being rested against their shoulder, the handle being held by their right hand. With a short hooded black robe encasing their form, their features were unconfirmed by the hood but what could be seen however was the tanned skin of their hands and forearms as well as tight black pants with equally black boots that hugged their figure perfectly. The gentle wind bristled against the figure, making them scoff in a low tone as it seemed to have enough strength to blow down their hood, to reveal the person underneath. This person was in fact, a woman… This woman has black locks on the left side of her head while having white locks on the right side. They have deep amethyst eyes with a vertical scar running down her left eye, tanned skin and slightly curled horns on either side of her head which meant, she was no ordinary woman. She was in fact, a half demon.

'This should be a simple task. Find my target, kill them and take their head back to headquarters… Easy enough. And considering no-one has ever come back from this mission and the bounty is moronically high, it may take longer. No matter.'

A sudden rustle of leaves brought the woman out of her thoughts, making her feet stop her dead in her tracks as her eyes scanned the shadowed bushes and trees beside the road. After a moment of not seeing anything suspicious around her, she began to walk once more to track down her target.

Unbeknownst to her however, another lone figure was meandering carefully through some woodland to make sure their position was not compromised by anything nearby but luckily for them, the darkness easily contrasted their form to help blend in with the surroundings. The figure could be seen swiftly walking around the trees, a dark coloured eye that could be considered obsidian was looking around in sharp glances to try and see if anything was suspicious around them… However, it wasn't long before their body stopped when they felt a sudden presence nearby, which made them instantly go on guard as the gentle breeze made their own black, tattered cloak swish passed their body. This gave a good look of the person, even in the darkness.

Iron armour plastered the front of their legs and boots, leading it up to a waist band belt which held a small bag on the right side of their waist and a simple knife just before it. Moving up to the upper body, this held an iron chest piece while also wearing a leather strap across their chest, starting from the left side of their shoulder, down to their right waist which held a few iron throwing knives in their own single slots. Upon their left shoulder, held a black iron shoulder and bicep guard but to complete the set, there was a mechanism that was nothing short of a magnificent piece of work. This was an iron prosthetic arm, which was more than it seemed to be… The other arm, their right arm to be exact, was covered in bandages from their mid-forearm to their hand, covering the entirety of the back of the hand and palm. Their hair was pure black, just like the darkness but for some reason, at the left of their fringe held a small patch of white which somehow went with the rigged look they had. Their features were rough, strong and the definition of cold though if one were to look closely in the one eye of the person, they would see nothing but pain… And pure hatred.

'I can't draw attention to myself. Not to mention this wound on my hip isn't helping… Shit.'

Low whispers and inhuman noises began to fill stale air around the half demon woman, making her breathing calm and slow while her senses went to work to try and pinpoint where these noises were coming from. It wasn't long until a dark purple shadow began to form around the treeline next to the road she was casually walking only moments ago, soon forming to reveal many different shapes of yellow looking orbs and sharp fingers that seemed to be made of bark, metal or bone though neither mattered. The woman knew what she was up against and it was wise to not let her guard down, no matter how inferior these little shadows were to her.

'Spirits… So soon? No matter. Perhaps, with some luck, I can draw out my bounty by making enough noise?'

The plan of course wasn't the best but the trail on her prey had gone cold, but she wasn't going to give up such a high paying bounty for some little setback. The footprints, the blood and noise from following them had suddenly vanished and yes, it was irritating that they were delaying the inevitable, but it shouldn't take too long by her calculations. Seeing the shadows of darkness begin seep out of their hiding places, the robed woman found herself smiling almost wickedly as she readied her weapon for combat though it really didn't take long for one of the stray souls to swipe at her with their claws, which met air but as soon as their attack end, a spear head was thrusted through their skull without a moment's pause.

Nearby however, the other lone figure felt a pulsating ache in the back of their neck as the presence of spirits began to seep into the physical world once more and they knew it was going to be another long night… They forgot how many sleepless nights they had, how many spirits they had killed, how many innocents these spirits had killed and how many had been killed and claimed to their numbers. Still, this wasn't the time to be thinking of such things since it wasn't his problem or fault if they ended up dead. He stopped caring about ants on the road a long time ago… Only the strong survive. The weak die. A dark grin seemed to spread across their rough yet scarred face as they decided it was time to kill something and what better way to do it than to jump in to the lion's den? They could hear the sudden sound of fighting nearby and he couldn't wait to remove the unwanted presence from his path. So, without hesitation, the cloaked figure made their way towards the local presence.

'God's little miracles… How pathetic.'

With the half demon woman, she was easily dispatching the shadow spirits with her spear by twirling it around like a whirlwind but made her attacks just as precise as any arrow and as brutal as any axe. There was no stopping her movements, no matter how many spirits seemed to appear but nonetheless, she could easily feel the presence of something drawing themselves closer and closer to her position. Whether it was a larger spirit or something else, she couldn't as it seemed to be moving at high speeds, but she wasn't deterred by the sudden occurrence… She would kill them too until her bounty arrived or until she ran out of toys to play with. Luckily for her though, she didn't have to wait too long as she felt her wicked smile grow wider as she felt the presence finally break away from the treeline and into her vicinity upon the dirt road. With her back turned the figure, she finally releases one last slash of her spear across the final one of the spirits, the dust particles becoming one with the air around them just like its brethren. When the black robed woman turned to face her new opponent, her amethyst eyes stared curiously at the newcomer as she took in the form of them and honestly, she wasn't all that impressed, but she was given special orders with this one. It was not wise to lower her guard… Ever. Despite only seeing this figure for a matter of a few seconds, she could already feel the hatred rolling off them which made even such beings like her feel the air around her become thick and heavy. With a small tug at the corner of the half demon's lips, she rested her spear against her shoulder before speaking out to them in a confident yet oddly alluring tone…

"So, you've come to hunt me? Unexpected but easier…"

Still, even though her voice was confident; if one were to look closely they would be able to see a surging anger in those amethyst eyes but also, a faint hint of fear from her own human soul.

'Fool… He is no different from any other mark.'

"What are you? I've seen and attacked many things in my time but…"

The half demon seemed mildly confused at this human since she wasn't expecting to feel this much energy from him, let alone emotion. She drowned her thoughts for the moment as she prepared for anything. Her eyes began to follow the figure's movements, seeing a slow bandaged hand rise to clasp itself around a just as bandaged handle on their back. Raising an eyebrow at what this man could be hiding as well as the futility it was to fight, she watched closely until the object was fully revealed… And was gently thrusted into the earth beneath the man's feet. Even she could tell in this darkness of what he was holding, and it certainly didn't take long for her to hesitate in her judgement for a moment, however, she steeled her resolve and held firm.

Glancing from what seemed to be the largest sword she had ever laid eyes upon to the man's obsidian coloured eye, which held nothing but an icy cold glare. Her grip on her spear tightened.

"God's miracles… You shouldn't have crawled out of your den."

The figure found themselves taking a heavy step forward, lifting the freakishly large blade with ease and resting it on their own shoulder. The woman across from the man felt her brow furrow in slight annoyance… What the hell was this? Did the air suddenly get colder?

"As for what I am… I'm human. From what I sense in you, you're not of this world. I want information. Don't comply… I'll crush you."

The half demon knew immediately that this was no idle threat that could just be flung around like a noble's tossing away loose change, no this man held no form of playfulness in their tone and posture. He seemed very intent on killing her… Which was fortunate, because she was hoping on this human could entertain her. However, before her mind even comprehended anything, she felt herself hesitate physically to do anything but that didn't stop words from escaping her lips either.

"You're injured."

Where in the world did that come from? Now that she was finally over her comprehension and inner thoughts of this mortal doing something that no human has ever done before to her, she found herself staring at the figure's waist where a slight noticeable cut was as well as fresh blood leaking over the metal. Her eyes quickly focused on his features, where she saw his eye widen and quickly find conflictions in his gaze… It seems even he didn't expect her to say such a thing. She couldn't even find a valid excuse for saying it but now wasn't the time.

"Do you wish to fight or talk?"

For some reason, the man saw a hint of hesitation behind the half demon's gaze and it made him wonder why, though he was more concerned with the fact at how she knew he was injured and why she was even proposing such a silly offer. Did she think he was weak? Possibly… But even when injured, he could put up a fight. Looking down at his body for a moment, the man could see his posture leaning more to the one side which only made a silent scowl emanate from his lips due to his own incompetence. His body always did have a mind of its own at times, though his mind still wanted to fight… Now all he had to do wa-

"Your decision determines mine."

What kind of an answer was that? He wanted to fight, to gather any information at all from this demon and then finish her off for good. So, why did his voice say such a pathetic sentence? If the deafening silence wasn't enough to drive him mad, he could feel a surge of wild thrashing within him thanks to this turmoil that has never ceased its existence within him… He could even hear the provoking growls that he knew were full of insults. No matter, he couldn't exactly back out now.

The half demon felt on odd presence around this human, that she couldn't deny but the fact that he was willing to get into a fight that he couldn't possibly win while injured, it was bane of stubbornness.

'Humans are always so stubborn.'

Despite that, she knew this was a wanted man and very few even found the courage take up such a job but… Why did she just not kill him now when he was weakened? It's the perfect chance, even though it wasn't a fair fight, but it was a bounty nonetheless. She watched him closely, seeing his body shift more and more to one side but also as the man seemed to slowly lower his sword some, looking as if he was ready to dash at her without a moment's pause despite his condition.

"We can talk, but it seems we should go somewhere that isn't here. Let me guess, bad fight?"

There was a silent snicker on the half demon's lips, though she decided to slowly to the side to show him that she wasn't a threat to him… Yet. She watched for a moment before getting ahead of him but still managed to keep an eye on him from behind. She watched him reluctantly follow, after what seemed to be a lot of debating within his mind. That meant he was cautious… Good. It wasn't long until she heard his deep voice take her out of her musings once more.

"A mistake. Nothing more."

Within the man's mind, the wound was nothing new. Just another scar added to the rest of the collection really… He very rarely took off his armour or anything, so what was the point in caring? He never cared of his appearance so there was no point in starting now. The woman however found her lips curling into the slightest of smiles before facing forward, leading him down the road. It seemed the spirits around them have given up for the time being, though it wouldn't matter when she got him where they needed to be.

"Got a place nearby. If there aren't any objections, we can talk while your wound gets treated or just talk about whatever it is you wanted."

Now it was her turn to allow her mind to think about what she just said… What obligation did she have to treat him? With a shake of her head and a stern look once more adorning her features, she continued walking, though it wasn't too long until she saw a dark silhouette of a rundown abandoned warehouse in the distance. All she heard from the human behind her was a simple grunt of acknowledgement, making her roll her eyes at the response.

'So stubborn.'

With the figure's thoughts however, he was thinking of many things that could happen when they reached this destination of hers. It could be a trap, an empty promise, hell it could even be an arena for all he knew… But no matter what, he would be ready for anything. He wasn't going to back down now. Still, it didn't stop the other thoughts from popping into his mind; namely, why she was willing to even patch up his wounds? Why would she even think of deciding to help at all? It didn't make sense but right now, it can be figured out another time. Instead, he felt another tug at the back of his neck which made him scowl once again. They were being followed…

"Company. Care to pick up the pace?"

The half demon allowed a silent sigh out as she motioned him to follow as she began to jog towards the warehouse in the distance, hearing the man behind her quickly follow. Whatever was behind them, it was most likely more spirits and no matter how stubborn this human may be, his wound will catch up to him and from the look of it, it seems to be a day old… Seems like he was on the move all this time.

By the time they got to the abandoned warehouse, the two figures were almost surrounded but for some reason, they weren't barging into the place like a mob who found a witch… And that was when the man noticed something on the walls near the doors of the warehouse and it seemed to go all the way around the place.

'Talismans? How did she acquire such things?'

His eye narrowed in curiosity as well as in slight anger is he was reminded of his past once more. Quickly removing that thought from his mind, the man turned to see the woman stare at him in the same curiosity before motioning him to follow her. He silently obliged, watching her movements while also taking in the sight of the warehouse… The air was damp and already the scenery was off putting but despite not having a better sense of smell than demons or animals, even he could smell the very dry blood in this place and the extensive amount of moss that crowded the wooden beams of the place. From what he could gather, this pace was a supply storage from the war and judging from the mention of her treating his wounds, there was a possible medical bay near the far back… It seems his suspicions were correct when they wandered into a medical room that had definitely seen better days.

Still, it was kept tidy somewhat and even cleaned as best as it could be if the patches of blood stains were anything to go by on the floor and the wooden table, which seemed to be for patients who were required to lie down.

"Remove your armour and sit. I'll be back in a moment."

After she said that, the woman was gone out the door and the man was left in the room… Instantly, his lone eye narrowed as he felt something was off but hesitantly began to comply to the order, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to be ready for anything. Moving his hand up to the bandaged handle of the weapon that resided on his back, the man removed it slowly and placed it against the wooden table. The weapon was clearly not meant to be wielded by a human, considering the weight and length but it seemed that this wasn't the case with this man… The weapon was clearly in the shape of a sword, but it was much too big, too crude, too rough and heavy to be considered a sword. No, if it had to be anything, it was just a hulking mass of pure iron. Next came the tattered black cloak and if one to look closely enough in the darkness of it, they could see the countless amount of dirt, grime and blood that littered the material. After that, the armour came off his body which was leather underneath, seemingly giving away that it was an armoured leather tunic. It was smart since the armour didn't hinder his movements against his skin. Once the top half of his body was bare to the world, the man sighed as he felt the brisk air in the warehouse wash over him, making the pain in his waist somewhat numb but not enough to ignore it.

There were candles lit on a small desk nearby, giving the medical room an even more eerie glow but luckily, he stopped caring about that since he was a boy. With a sigh passing his lips, the man lightly traced the wound on his side with his only human hand, feeling the sensitive flesh at his fingertips while remembering how such a simple mistake cost him time on his next prey… No matter. Once this was done and over with, he would get back on track. He was brought out of his musings by the sound of footsteps, making his body stiffen some before standing up to his full height and awaiting the woman's return.

When the half demon returned to the medical room, she was surprised to see that her 'patient' actually obliged to her request but now that he was in the light, she could finally see him properly. He easily towered over her and she was 5ft 11 which was above the average height of a woman and by the looks of him, it seems he was about 6ft 8… After that, she took in his features as well as the rest of his exposed upper body. Scars of all ranges littered his well sculptured body but even she could see that this wasn't one of those body's that were there to look appealing… No, this looked like a body built by war and survival. She had to admit, she was a little intimidated but still, she had her own scars too. She looked to the left and saw the iron prosthetic arm with bandages surrounding his elbow, meaning that must have been where his real arm ended… She took in his features once more, seeing his eye also looking at her with that almost same intensity from when they first met. His right eye was closed and from what she could gather, it seemed he was blind or had lost it completely. She also noticed his hair was short and a little spiky but had a fragment of his fringe turned white on the right side… It oddly suited him.

Meanwhile the man himself was also taking in her appearance now that light was present. It seemed she had taken off her block robe, leaving her in a tight black short-sleeved shirt that hugged her figure which also recommended the rest of her body perfectly. Even he could tell she kept herself in very good shape… He then took in her features and her hair, seeing that they were two different colours. Black and white hair? He'd never seen such a thing but then he saw a scar running down her left eye and instantly he could tell it was a little too deep, but it seemed to fit her very well and it didn't ruin her eye in the slightest.

She shifted under his gaze before deciding to actually get on with her work by placing a small box of medical supplies on the table next to him, quickly rummaging through it to get what was needed.

"Sit down and relax please. My supplies are limited so I've got nothing to soothe the pain. A big man like you can handle a bit of pain, can't he?"

A silent smirk tugged at her lips at her tease, but she couldn't help herself, and it was worth it when she heard a light grunt and grumble erupt from him as a response. He sat down and sighed, looking off to the side to try and focus on anything but her at this moment in time. It wasn't long until he felt her begin to clean his wound and soon begin to close it up with stitches…

"Nalia Daetau, by the way."

…

"… Guts."

The half demon, now known as Nalia, didn't expect the man before her to say his own name but welcomed it slightly while also thinking at how his name seemed to suit him perfectly. Another smile danced upon her lips as she stitched up the wound, making sure to be careful to not make things worse for his body to cope with. Her hands were fast but delicate around the wound and it wasn't long until everything was cleaned, stitched up and dressed in fresh bandages around the man's lower back and abdomen so the stitches wouldn't be provoked by his armour.

"All done. So… What were these questions you wanted to ask?"

The large man, now known as Guts, inwardly appreciated the fact that she wanted to get this stuff done out the way too, so he didn't have to stay here any longer than he needed to. Rubbing the bandages slightly, he slowly looked towards the woman with a cold gaze before deciding to speak in a soft yet commanding tone.

"The God Hand. Do you know of them?"

The half demon closed her eyes, sighing gently as she moved herself as she began to slowly pace back and forth in front of the seated man.

"God Hand… Odd you bring them up. Haven't heard of them in a long time…"

Her features seemed to scrunch up some, making Guts' eye narrow as she seemed to try and remember what she could about them. He just hoped she had any information that was valuable to his journey, if any was presented at all…

"Why would you want to deal with beings like them? Creatures like them lost their honour long ago… Sorry, but I know nothing except that they exist and their methods to gain… Such… Power…?"

Her voice slowed in a questioning manner, looking at the man before her with an incredulous look, her head tilting to the side so she could look at him better… Or something better. The large man however raised an eyebrow slightly before once again narrowing his gaze at Nalia, a silent scowl upon his lips.

"Oi, what's with star-"

"You bare the cursed mark… The Brand of Sacrifice…"

How did she notice such a thing earlier? No wonder she was drawn to him in such a way. Now she knew why her demonic instincts were wanting nothing more than to feel the bloodlust but her human senses were nothing short of hesitant, fearful and curious. It was confusing but very intriguing, though she didn't expect a human to even live through such a thing… Luckily, she was only ever told stories rather than witness it herself. However, the woman quickly composed herself and cleared her throat, folding her arms underneath her chest before turning away from him.

"There is a contract office in the nearby city. It's where mercenaries get their jobs but… It isn't run by humans."

She heard a sigh pass his lips but what he said next was something she didn't expect.

"A demon's integrity is about as high as the pointless preachers who worship something that doesn't exist. Beings that claim to be a God are nothing but mindless shits with pointless morals… And I'll crush anyone who says otherwise."

Nalia turned her head slightly, just enough to catch his steeled gaze which sent a sliver shiver up her spine but honestly, it also made her demonic senses want to fight him and kill him with her bare hands… But even she could sense the hatred behind that eye and it was as intense as it was intriguing. Though the intensity was soon gone and replaced by coldness before Guts moved to put his clothing back on. Just feeling the cold yet heavy metal being placed upon his back brought a sense of comfort to him, though it didn't last as he made his way to go out the room.

"Thanks for the patch up and the information. I'll be going."

But before he could even get passed the half demon, her voice rang out in the room in a demanding tone, bringing him to a sudden halt which also made him stand beside her. He sighed silently through his nose and turned to look down at her but found that Nalia's eyes were covered by her white locks, making it harder for him to decipher what she was feeling.

"Do you still intend to kill me?"

His voice was devoid of emotion but then again, it wasn't like he cared. The world was a cruel place, he knew this, and he knew what humans were truly capable of. In some way, he knew she was the same and it made him somewhat curious…

"…"

Guts felt his patience running thin as each silent moment passed but before he could once again take a step passed her, her hand shot up from her side and firmly stopped him in his path. He looked down once more, this time with a sense of anger which was also reciprocated by the half demon, who stared back into his lone eye with her own fierce gaze.

"I won't kill you… On one condition."

"… And what would that be?"

The large man was more than tempted to shut her down there and then, but he saw in something in those eyes that could only be one thing he knew all too well… Revenge. Hatred.

"… Will you allow me to accompany you?"

Thanks for reading.