Berserk: The Prophet

Edward looked at Hecker, who had clearly misunderstood everything, with an expression of utter disappointment and near despair. He could no longer suppress his emotions and knelt down beside Hecker, weeping, his hands clenching the small, slender fingers still clad in arm armor.

"Hickel, I...I didn't mean to..."

Edward tried desperately to explain to Hickel, but he was overwhelmed by his long-suppressed emotions and wept so bitterly that he couldn't even utter a complete sentence.

Hickel moved her lips slightly, but spat out a mouthful of blood. With difficulty, she raised her hand and gently touched Edward's face, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

We trusted each other so much...

"Hahahahahaha..." Abecassis stood aside with a playful smile on his face, as if he were watching a wonderful drama.

"What a childish game of friendship. The three of you are all this age but still have the mentality of children. It's only natural that you'll fail, isn't it?" Abecassis narrowed his eyes, his tone full of sarcasm.

These three guys who had given him a headache for 14 years were finally all in his hands, and the emperor would surely reward him handsomely.

Looking at this enemy he still hadn't completely killed, Gurenbeldo's eyes suddenly turned fierce. It must all be Abecassis's doing!

"Ugh...why are you looking at me like that? You haven't settled the score for breaking my arm yet! Gurunberdo, I'll personally chop off your head!!"

Abecassis's voice carried a mixture of painful madness and the triumph of a victor. His gaze swept between the three men, as if he were watching his prey's final struggle.

Upon hearing that Abekasias wanted to take his head himself, Gurunberdo gripped his warhammer tightly, his massive body seemingly still capable of fighting on.

Ever since leaving Juda's prison, Gurenbeludo has wanted to smash Abecassis's head with his own hands every moment.

"...Ouch!"

Even Abecassis, who was known as a "giant," was barely as tall as Gurenbeldo, who was kneeling on the ground. Seeing that Gurenbeldo still seemed to have the ability to move, he did not want to move forward any further. However, he had already drawn the greatsword from his back, and if he did nothing, he would lose face in front of his subordinates.

"Damn it, what are you all standing there for?! Have you taken control of all the cannons on the fortress? Point them at Gurunberudo!"

The Grand Duke's soldiers, who had captured the fortress's defensive cannons, looked at each other and turned the winches. The six dark cannon muzzles slowly pressed down with the sound of iron chains scraping, aiming at Gurenbelud.

"Hahaha—! Shoot!"

Abecassis, who hadn't seen Gurenbeldo withstand the stone cannon, revealed a wild smile. Even Gurenbeldo couldn't withstand such pressure, could he?

Just before the cannon fired the stone projectiles, Gurenberudo used all his strength to shield Benedict Cuth with his body.

“Bang bang bang—!”

The next instant, all six cannons fired simultaneously.

The second and third shells landed around Gurunberudo.

The fourth and fifth shells struck his body, shattering his armor and embedding fragments into Gulumberdo's body.

“Gu…!”

Gurunberdo let out a low roar. The cannonballs not only shredded his armor but also tore off his flesh, leaving his entire body a bloody mess.

Even so, Benedict Cuth, whom he held in his arms, was miraculously unharmed.

"Oh, even at a time like this, you still choose to protect a woman? Gurenberudo, that's really not like you, hahaha." Abecassis laughed wildly from the pain of his severed arm; he wanted to torture Gurenberudo to death bit by bit to vent his hatred!

Then...to completely annihilate and enslave this country, what a joke, how can the children of infidels be worthy of living in this world?

Gurenberudo's blood dripped onto Benedict's face as he gasped for breath, staring at the girl in his arms, as if blaming himself for no longer being able to wield his warhammer to protect her.

—Will I just die like this? I won't even be able to avenge Benedict. If I die, will I never be able to fight again?

Throughout my life, I've always considered fighting everything, until I was about to lose Benedict Cuth, when I finally realized what truly mattered.

Ah, yes, in that sense, Edward was right. I was completely unaware that I held something precious in my hands, and I crushed it with my own hands.

I want to keep fighting, let me keep fighting, let me fight until I forget Benedict Cuth!!

“Grunberdo…” Benedict, who had been unconscious, opened her heavy eyelids. “My fire dragon, you must live… Let us be your food…”

"food...?"

“Then you must go and find the Eagle of Light…that is your destiny,” Benedict murmured, the last direction she could point Grunberdo in.

Abecassis's greatsword pierced Gurenbeldo's chest.

Blood gushing from the huge hole in his chest also flowed onto the Behelit of his warhammer.

The creature's expression changed instantly; its distorted mouth, nose, and eyes slowly returned to normal. Then, the mouth emitted a piercing, mournful cry that seemed to belong to another world.

Dark clouds, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, began to swirl around Gurunberudo, instantly raising clouds of dust.

The volcano's direction also shifted, causing the earth to tremble violently. Both the Judas and the Grants felt an unprecedented fear!

--volcano--

While Slater was chasing Green, Abain was busy fighting several Shadow Hands. After dealing with the Shadow Hands, Green had already disappeared.

Before he could even look for Green, the current situation caught him off guard again—the volcano erupted.

Huge amounts of volcanic ash were ejected into the clouds, pumping lava and rocks erupted, and the entire earth trembled violently.

"Damn!!"

Without a second thought, the injured Abain and the black wolf Luke had no choice but to leave immediately, fleeing desperately through the forest. Mudslides and landslides followed closely behind, and a deadly natural disaster was about to sweep across the entire Grant Island.

Is this your story, Saifumi...?

Yes, I have been lost from my homeland for a thousand years, and now only this wisp of my soul remains...

Grimm and the dragon communicated through their thoughts, and through the dragon's memories, he learned about the unknown past and everything that had happened on this island over the past thousand years.

[...It was truly unexpected to meet you here. I believe you already understand that we are both visitors from another world, not bound by the will of this world, existing outside the story, with no destination in life or death.]

[...Perhaps you haven't realized it yet, but the law of cause and effect in this land has already begun to loosen and undergo invisible changes because of your arrival.]

[...People outside the story?]

【You should never have been here, Child of Prophecy. Though I know not the reason for this, the causal laws and the will of the world that govern this land will never allow your existence!】

"...So what should I do?"

Struggle, resist, struggle!! You must fight with all your might to survive! Until you have enough strength to fully return—to the world that truly belongs to you!