"War Cry of the Wind (2)" is episode 184 of the Berserk manga series.
Summary[]
Zodd and Locus continue their relentless massacre of the Kushan soldiers, Griffith watching them. The young girl stands a few feet from Griffith's horse, staring up at the beautiful man.
Silat turns to his Tapasa guards and discusses the situation with them. He decides to send them to capture the distracted Griffith. The Tapasa run together right up to Griffith's horse and leap in unison toward Griffith himself. The young girl's screams alert the White Falcon to their presence, but he doesn't move. Partway through their jump, the Tapasa are struck in their chests, knocking them to the ground on either side of the girl.
Their assailant is a small black mass that barely reaches the height of the young girl's knees. It begins to grow in height, forming a distinct torso and head, all of which are cloaked in black. Its face is covered by a mask with three eyes and tooth ornaments. It expresses its disappointment in the two Bakiraka, knowing that they are of the Tapasa variety, known as the height of strength and skill among the Bakiraka.
The Tapasa recognize the black mass' mask and identify it as Rakshas, a Kushan outcast. Rakshas turns to Griffith and explains that he also heard of the Falcon of Light from the oracle. He vows to one day take Griffith's life, but also to protect Griffith until that day comes. The White Falcon only smiles, showing his accepting Rakshas into his group. The exiled Kushan then turns back to the Tapasa. They fight, and Rakshas is able to dodge their attacks like a snake, weaving between their strikes.
The many Kushan soldiers who aren't fighting Zodd or Locus busy themselves trying to lock the main gate to prevent Griffith's eventual escape. Just as they finish placing the thick wooden door lock, the gate is smashed open from the outside, killing the Kushan closest to it. Through the gate's ruins emerges a giant among men in dragon-themed armor with a Warhammer in one hand and a draconic shield in the other.
The man raises his shield so its bottom faces the Kushan, the dragon ornament on it opening its mouth wide at them. He uses a protrusion on his hammer to strike at a hole on the side of his shield, triggering a cannon blast which shoots out the decorative dragon's mouth, annihilating the Kushan standing in its path. While they are distracted, the armored man extends two equally long blades from the bottom of his shield, which he uses along with his hammer to further massacre his terrified enemies.
A lone Kushan pikeman runs into the main hold of the town, yelling for the men garrisoned within to join the fight. He is shocked to see that they have all been massacred. Peering through the darkness, the pikeman sees that the wall on the opposite end of the keep has been burst open and is aflame. He also notices several dark figures standing among the flames. He calls out to them, and they all turn to look, but they do not answer.
There is a small bird perched atop the flagpole above the keep, looking down at Griffith and his fighting comrades. It takes off in flight, soaring over the town and into the hills which surround it. After flying a ways, it comes to rest in the hands of a young green-haired girl leaning against a tree. There is an elf sitting on the brim of the girl's pointed hat.
The young girl's consciousness is transferred back from the bird into her own body. She thanks the bird for letting her use its body before sending it off in flight once more. By possessing the creature, she was able to safely spy on the events happening in the town, and has come to the conclusion that Griffith is not the Falcon of Light, but rather the Falcon of Darkness, who will bring pain and misery upon the world.
The young girl in the town observes the grisly scene around herself. The Kushan have all been killed. Their blood stains the ground red while the setting sun casts a red light upon everything else. She cannot help but watch Griffith as the man in dragon armor bows before him. To her, Griffith is something much more than human, like a fairy tale come to life.
Characters[]
- Zodd
- Locus
- Sonia
- Griffith
- Silat
- Tapasa
- Rakshas (First appearance)
- Grunbeld (First appearance)
- Schierke (First appearance)
- Ivalera (First appearance)