Berserk: The Prophet

...I am a man...a man...a man...

Trunks nearly had a heart attack; his smile froze on his face for about ten seconds, a non-still image of stagnation, and his budding romantic feelings shattered.

"Ahem, I never would have guessed. Want to join my party on an adventure? My name is Trunks, a knight who just happened to be passing through." Trunks coughed to cover his embarrassment. A man is fine, he'd heard elves were quite skilled archers.

“...Okay.” Seranti agreed after only a moment’s thought, as a way of repaying this person.

Seranti's expression was the same as always. Anyone would feel bad after what had just happened. He was still as taciturn as before. But he couldn't be bought and sold like a slave. Even if he didn't want to live, he should choose a good place to die. He had to cheer up. His wounds had all healed.

"I'll take you to buy equipment when we get to the next town. Get on my horse first."

“...Okay, thank you.” Seranti carefully examined the person who had saved him, seemingly for the first time not being noticed by that gaze filled with greed and desire.

Trunks straightened his slightly disheveled hood and put it back on his head; after all, those pointed ears were conspicuous wherever he went. His strong body easily slung the man sideways onto the horse's back...

Trunks mounted his horse and led the group on their way; the young people's adventure had only just begun.

night.

The group had no choice but to camp in the wild tonight. The team had already set up their tents, lit a campfire, and started preparing dinner. The lake behind the distant jungle shimmered in the sunlight. It had been a long time since he had taken a bath, except when he first arrived in Barkley. The mud he had rolled around in the forest today made Seranti feel uncomfortable, so he got up alone and walked towards the lake.

Trunks had just finished gathering firewood when he returned and found Thranduil nowhere to be seen. He couldn't help but look around, and for some reason, he had a bad feeling.

“McGill, make me a pot of soup first, I’m going to check where Seranti is.”

“No problem, young master,” a middle-aged man with slightly graying temples replied.

Trunks, carrying his greatsword, asked the others in the party for directions. Since it was cooking time, few people noticed anyone walking around, but fortunately, someone did notice this newcomer and pointed Trunks in the right direction.

Lake Luoze.

Thranduil removed his conspicuous red cloak. The lake water was still quite chilly in early spring, and the coldness of the water on his toes gave him a brief moment of alertness. However, even the coldest water couldn't wash away the filth on his body. Thranduil waded into the lake and swam for a while. The feeling of suffocation reminded him of unpleasant experiences. He surfaced, wiped his face, washed his hair, and cleansed himself of the grime. Small fish swam towards Thranduil, gently nibbling at the scabs and mud on his skin. This made Thranduil unusually happy for a moment, and he laughed, creating ripples on the lake's surface. The fish playfully splashed water on Thranduil's face with their tails, and Thranduil retaliated by splashing the water back until the ripples gradually subsided. The water reflected Thranduil's beautiful face in the moonlight—a face more beautiful than a woman's. Thranduil was stunned.

Unbelievable... There had never been mirrors or any sharp objects in the castle. Seranti's hands trembled as he touched his face; this face... it looked like his mother's...

Tears fell into the lake, disturbing his reflection in the still water. He seemed to understand why he was often stared at by such greedy eyes.

"Ugh...ho..."

Seranti's tears streamed down his face, uncontrollable. He gritted his teeth, his ears perked up, and his unkempt nails scratched his beautiful face. He trembled all over, feeling a deep chill—the sins he was born with.

"Seranti!?"

The young man's voice sounded behind him, and Seranti paused for a moment before turning around.

Trunks saw the blood dripping from Thranduil's hands and face into the lake, and his heart skipped a beat. He waded across the lake and ran toward Thranduil.

What are you doing, you idiot!

Seeing Trunks running towards him, Seranty felt a sudden panic and took a few steps back into the deep water.

"Don't come any closer!!" *Thump!*

Seranti slipped and fell into the deep water, but he was a landlubber and had never learned to swim.

What an idiot... Trunks swam over and held the clumsy Serant in his arms as they swam to the surface.

"Ha...ha...what are you doing? You're a hopeless idiot!"

Trunks surfaced and began berating Thranduil, but Thranduil, already choking on water, was unable to answer. Once ashore, Trunks quickly began pressing on Thranduil's chest to expel the water.

"Cough...cough cough...pfft." Seranti spat out all the water and lay on the shore looking utterly dejected.

Trunks sat to the side, looking at Thranduil's wounds with a pang of heartache. Such a handsome face was wasted; why did he have to ruin it? Trunks grew angrier the more he thought about it. The person he had finally managed to save was so eager to die?! He grabbed Thranduil, pulled him onto his lap, flipped him over, and slapped him hard across the tender white bottom.

"Snapped!!"

Seranti: "!?" (Eyes wide with disbelief)

"I'll teach you to ruin yourself! I saved your life, and if you dare to try to kill yourself again, I'll hang you on the city gate of Pence and whip your ass!!"

Seranti: "!!???" "Are you asking for a beating?"

Seranty suddenly found his strength, broke free from Trunks, and punched Trunks in the face. The two began to wrestle on the pebble-strewn shore, exchanging blows evenly.

"Is it wrong?"

Trunks finally managed to pin Thranduil down. Their eyes met; the little guy was quite thin but surprisingly strong.

Thranduy bared his teeth and growled, gathering his strength in his waist before scissor-legged Trunks' head and executing an over-the-shoulder throw.

Trunks: "???" Damn, that's a really unique attack method, it's so powerful!

Trunks was thrown around in a daze, and Thranduil was already coming over ready to give him a good beating. Trunks quickly rolled away and ran away. The sound of his fists hitting the cobblestones was painful. Trunks quickly pinned Thranduil to the ground again, this time grabbing Thranduil's right arm with both hands.

"Did I make a mistake? Huh!?"

His bones creaked faintly, and Thranduil was in so much pain that he could barely speak. He grimaced in protest, pounding the ground with his left hand, gripping a pebble in agony.

“I did nothing wrong!!” Seranti roared.

What a stubborn guy... Trunks gritted his teeth and forcefully dislocated Thranduil's arm.

A creaking sound rang out as the joint dislocated.

"Aaaaah!! Ugh... Ugh..." Seranti clutched his right shoulder with his left hand, writhing in pain.

Trunks got up, took the cloak, and threw it back onto Seranty.

"No matter what, I saved your life, and I won't allow you to die like this, much less allow you to abuse your body!!"