Griffith
Backstory:
Griffith is originally the founding leader of the Band of the Hawk who offered his services to Midland's war against the kingdom of Chuder while orchestrating his plan to subtly obtain the throne. But a chain of events result with Griffith imprisoned in the Tower of Rebirth and he is reduced to a crippled shell of his former self by the time he is saved. But Griffith learns that he is predestined to become the final God Hand member, offering the lives of his own men during the Eclipse ritual to transcend his humanity and be reborn as Femto. He regains his corporeal form three years later, having learned his significance in the Idea of Evil's plan, Griffith recruits a new Band of the Hawk to fulfill his dream of a kingdom of his own. Ultimately, Griffith establishes the city of Falconia where he rules humanity after the World Transformation event.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Weapon Mastery,
Martial Arts (Could dislocate Guts' arm in their first battle and force him into submissive position),
Acrobatics (Easily countered Guts' attack by jumping on his sword),
Social Influencing (His charisma is nearly irresistible by many, even before becoming Femto. Griffith is an undefeated leader of Band of the Hawk and his strategic brilliance has proven to be far superior to any other general's, which made him and his army feared),
Genius Intelligence,
Extreme Pain Tolerance (Laughed off being repeatedly whipped by the King of Midland),
Supernatural Luck (When a poisoned arrow was shot at him, it hit his behelit. He is somewhat protected by Causality),
All previous enhanced to an extreme degree,
Multilocation (Exists in any place where negative human thoughts swirl in large concentrations),
Abstract Existence (Type 1; The God Hand are said to be a massive body of thought),
Causality Manipulation and Fate Manipulation via the Idea of Evil (Can manipulate the flow of cause and effect to any result he desires, which also allows him to manipulate fate itself. His existence and entire life is planned by Idea of Evil, which makes this ability passive, and makes his opponent unable to hit him, as every attack is fated not to connect),
Precognition (Has sight on the flow of causality and can make prophecies based on it),
Immortality (Type 1, 5, and 9, his essence resides on astral plane),
Mind Manipulation,
Empathic Manipulation and Aura (Charismatic. His aura and supernatural beauty can instantly make almost any man obey him and enthrall everyone when he appears. Almost made Ganishka go insane by his presence alone),
Gravity Manipulation,
Soul Manipulation (Could send hundreds of souls into the vortex. Could materialize soul of a fallen soldier and hundreds of others),
Reality Warping and likely Subjective Reality (Is like author of the story in the physical plane of existence with only those existing outside the traditional flow of causality being able to be unaffected by him),
Matter Manipulation (Should be able to, just like Slan, create an avatar of himself out of material like troll intestines),
Telekinesis (Compressed many apostles into a ball just by thought. Sent Guts flying by just looking at him. Can also redirect close range attacks with it),
Transmutation (Should be able to, like Conrad during Eclipse, create a large mound of flesh and transmute it into shape of a hand),
Size Manipulation and Shapeshifting (Scales to Ubik and other God Hand members that could change the size of their avatars during the Eclipse),
Dream Manipulation (Filled humanity's dreams with the vision of him),
Creation (Created a large city, Falconia, in a heartbeat),
Non-Physical Interaction (Easily destroyed Ganishka's fog form which exists on astral plane),
Incorporeality (Cannot be harmed by any normal means),
Spatial Manipulation (Could grab a space-cutting slash from Skull Knight's Sword of Actuation by warping space),
Attack Reflection (Should be able, like Void, to reflect attacks via his space-warping),
Wind Manipulation (Created large winds to scatter Ganishka's Apostle Form),
Flight (Can fly with the wings on his back),
Avatar Creation (Can create a physical avatar of himself that looks like his former self),
Resurrection (Can be reborn) and Transformation (Unwillingly turns into the Moonlight Child on the night of a full moon),
Probability Manipulation via Causality and Fate Manipulation (He is said to have a very strong fortune, Causality and Fate manipulation help him get improbable outcomes)
Weaknesses: None notable as Femto.
Berkut
Backstory:
Berkut is the nephew of King Rudolf, making him Alm's cousin, believing that one's status is important in terms of strength, he believed Alm to merely be some village kid, underestimating him despite the fact that he had already shown great leadership over the Deliverance, and lost in battle against him twice. Upon learning that Alm was the son of Rudolf and that he would be the actual heir to Rigel, Berkut allows Duma to give himself more power at any cost, the cost happened to be his fiance, Rinea.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Lance User, Regeneration (Low-Mid. The Blessed Ring, and Coral Ring passively heals Berkut, and healing is capable of mending stab wounds through the torso),
Summoning via Nuibaba's Mirror (Summons a horde of Terrors by smashing the mirror, which were capable of defeating the Deliverance),
Non-Physical Interaction (Can harm souls),
Extrasensory Perception,
Can survive without his soul
Minor Probability Manipulation via Wildfire (Increases his chance to land hits and dodge attacks),
Resistance to Magic and Arrows via Phantasm,
Statistics Amplification (Kriemhild increases Berkut's defenses by a small extent),
Weaknesses: A beast slaying weapon could easily kill his horse, is overconfident against people of lower class
Song: Corrupted Light
Falconia, a radiant city of ethereal, pristine white, basked in the soft, brilliant glow of sunlight streaming through its streets. A young figure, his silvery white hair shimmering in the light, stood motionless in the heart of the bustling metropolis. His arm rested on the pommel of his sword, the young man appeared to be expectantly waiting for someone.
As if materializing out of thin air, shadows began to emerge over the surrounding hills, coalescing into a formidable army. The shadows slowly parted, revealing the vast force of soldiers, led by a solitary rider on horseback at the army's forefront. Berkut, the prince of Rigel, rode proudly before the troops, approaching the gates of Falconia. Berkut surveyed the city before him, radiating confidence as he contemplated the addition of another conquest to Rigel's growing domain.
"This city will fall as easily as the other territories."
He proclaimed, his voice tinged with a hint of arrogance. With a commanding gesture, the prince ordered his army to stand down, their swords held at the ready. Berkut's gallant steed let out a spirited neigh, trotting steadfastly towards the city gates. Silently, the Hawk of Light observed as the formidable prince of Rigel rode forward upon his black steed, the mighty gates to Falconia wide open to his approach. Griffith tensed, his own sword clutched firmly in his grasp, its golden hilt shining brilliantly in the warm sunlight. Berkut's faithful horse came to a halt within the city, the beast letting out a powerful neigh as the young prince studied his adversary.
Berkut, filled with a haughty conviction, commanded in a high-handed tone,
"Surrender your city willingly, or we shall take it by force!"
However, Griffith remained unfazed, his stoic expression revealing none of the emotions that churned within. Having sacrificed everything, even his own humanity, in the pursuit of power and his kingdom, he would not allow it to be taken from him by a mere mortal prince. With a firm grip on his sword, Griffith responded with a steady resolve,
"You shall not have that opportunity."
Amused, Berkut positioned his sturdy shield and raised his fearsome blade, Verðandi, high above his head. Then, at his command, the Rigelian troops surged forward, streaming into the city like a river ready to flood its banks. Berkut, filled with determination, bellowed the command to attack, inciting his troops to surge forward. His loyal steed sprung into action, whinnying loudly with wild abandon. Berkut directed his sword, Verðandi, at Griffith as he charged with the horse, aiming to strike the Hawk of Light. However, Griffith swiftly defended himself, deflecting the blow and sending Berkut and his horse flying backward, the stallion grumbling in pain as a stream of foam flowed from its mouth. Berkut roared defiantly, brandishing his lance and declaring,
"Your resistance is doomed! Your kingdom will soon be ours!"
With a firm tug on the horse's reins, he commanded it to rush towards Griffith. The Hawk of Light deftly evaded the charge, sidestepping the animal and using its own momentum to send it careening to the cobblestone street. The stallion let out a pained neigh as it lashed out, though it missed the Hawk of Light.
In a cunning attempt, Berkut commanded his steed to gallop in circles, generating a cloud of dust to conceal their movements. However, Griffith was not so easily fooled. With a calculated backhanded swing, he unexpectedly struck Berkut's horse with the hilt of his sword, knocking the animal off its feet. As a consequence, the prince also fell to the ground, grunting in the process.
With a sense of righteous indignation, Berkut raised his powerful blade, Verðandi, high above, expressing his disdain that his conquest was proving less effortless than expected. He roared loudly, bellowing,
"To hell with subjugation, I'll reduce your city to ashes!"
Seizing a resilient shield from his steed's saddle, he charged directly towards Griffith, intent on engaging him in close combat. Berkut launched a swift attack, narrowly missing Griffith. In response, the Hawk of Light countered with a well-aimed strike of his own, his silvery-white hair swaying gently in the newly churning breeze. Undeterred, Berkut utilized his sturdy shield to repel the force of the blow, and managed to land a scratch on Griffith's armor with his formidable blade. However the blow was avoided, leaving the prince's lance to stab through the air, missing its target.
Griffith swiftly took up his sword once more, lunging at Berkut, who nimbly evaded the attack. The prince's loyal steed attempted to strike at the swordsman, but once again, Griffith successfully outmaneuvered it, somersaulting to the side to avoid its attack. Taking advantage of the opening, the swordsman thrust his sword forward, piercing through the horse's skin. With a piercing equine cry, the horse collapsed, lifeless, onto the ground. Berkut, slightly stunned from the fall, swiftly regained his footing and resumed wielding both his sword and shield, prepared for the next exchange.
Berkut charged forwards, his lance aiming towards Griffith's face, only to be evaded by the skilled swordsman's swift maneuvering. Frustration etched on his face, Berkut unleashed a relentless barrage of stabbing and slashing attacks, hoping to land a hit, but his efforts were met with Griffith's graceful dodges.
"I was expecting better from you."
Griffith commented, his tone calm and composed. With a swift movement, he lunged forward and landed a blow on Berkut's torso, knocking him the ground with a resounding thud. Berkut defiantly rose to his feet, a smug smirk playing on his lips.
"Ah, you've underestimated me, you mere hawk. A sheep cannot match the might of a lion."
He launched a powerful swing at Griffith with his mighty blade, Verðandi, attempting to drive him back. The prince managed to land a handful of swings, but Griffith skillfully parried or blocked each blow with his sword. Finally, the swordsman delivered a well-aimed kick, knocking Berkut a respectable distance away. Berkut's body slammed into one of Falconia's many structures, the impact causing a surge of pain coursing through his body. Regaining his footing, Berkut launched himself forward, spiraling down towards Griffith, brandishing his fearsome blade, Verðandi. In a swift succession of motions, Berkut aimed a kick at Griffith's abdomen before throwing a punch at his head. However, the hawk easily dodged both attacks, proving too elusive for the prince to land a hit.
Griffith unleashed a furious flurry of swipes, swinging his sword with impressive speed and precision. Berkut deftly dodged each attack, dancing back with each powerful strike. The clash of their weapons echoed into the air, each hit resounding with a loud clang. Frustrated, Berkut pulled back his sword and lunged forward, intent on landing a decisive blow. However, Griffith's blade met Verðandi with a force so mighty it shattered Berkut's lance into pieces, leaving the prince unarmed.
With Berkut now disarmed and cornered, Griffith channeled his considerable power into a single powerful punch, which sent a few of Berkut's teeth flying.
"You're done for."
He declared, his tone devoid of emotion. With a swift kick, the Hawk of Light pushed the heir of Rigel away, watching him collapse to his knees, wounded and bloodied. A desperate cry escaped Berkut's lips as Griffith swiftly moved in and delivered a decisive stab of his sword, causing another gush of blood to spill forth.
Before Berkut could make another move, Griffith swiftly manipulated gravity to keep him firmly in place, rendering him helpless. The swordsman then rose his arm, unleashing his tremendous telekinetic prowess to lift a nearby building off its very foundations with terrifying ease. With a cold and dispassionate tone, Griffith declared,
"You never stood a chance. You were foolish to challenge the God Hand. Perish for your insolence."
With a casual motion, he dropped the structure onto Berkut's pained and terrified form, the weight of the building brutally crushing the prince under its immense mass. Yet, Griffith manipulated the gravity of the house, condensing its weight upon itself and Berkut's corpse into a small, incredibly heavy marble.
With a swift transformation, Griffith embraced his true form as Femto, and summoned his fellow members of the God Hand to join him. Together, they prepared to unleash a symphony of violence upon the Rigilean army, a brutal and relentless massacre that would serve as a potent demonstration of the consequences of challenging a god among men.
Strength: Berkut may be a prince of men, but Griffith was a demonic god. The Rigil prince may command power to destroy a town, scaling to characters estimated to be around 15 KT, Griffith is several more times powrful than Guts, who can defeat a storm god with a destructive power of 687 KT, making Griffith at minimum 45X more powerful.
Speed: Berkut can keep up with Alm, who can dodge lightning at Mach 223. But Griffith can speed blitz Guts, who can react and move at Mach 146. That may be slower, but to curbstomp someone in speed, Griffith would have to be moving at least 5X faster. Simplifying Griffith to being between Mach 750-1000, that would make him between 3.3-4.4 times more faster. Even if Griffith was slower, his precognition would let him be able to see what his opponent is going to do before they even do it.
Skill: While Berkut is certainly skilled with a lance, Griffith is a prodigy in combat, having never lost in his life until his rematch with Guts, and his powers would likely augment them.
Experience: Berkut dies at 17, while Griffith is 24, and has faced much more powerful beings than Berkut has.
Powers: I hate to admit, but this is my first foregone conclusion battle that I wasn't aware that I was setting myself up for. I knew that Griffith was supposed to be unbeatable at the current point of the manga, but I did not know that his powers were versatile and potent to such an extent that he literally cannot be hit, let alone lose, because of fate bending to his will. Even though Berkut has means of manipulating probability himself and resist oposing magic, none of it matters when Griffith can manipulate reality where none of his gear works.
The winner is Griffith of the Hawk.
Next time:
"Cheers, love! The calvary's here!"
"My devices work best when they don't work as intended… which is most of the time."