Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage (1999 Video Game)

Earl Boen: Balzac

Quotes 

• Narrator : An outcast warrior enters a land plagued by an evil fate. He is not like ordinary men, for he carries the Dragon Slayer. A mighty blade of retribution whose fury knows no equal. His enemies will know true fear once he starts to swing!

• [first lines] 

  Old Man : [disgusted, trying to fix his wagon]  Ah... Dammit! The whole thing's shot...

  Rita : [sighs]  Great. I've got no luck. These things always happen to me.

  Old Man : [angry]  Rita! Stop your complaining and come help me!

  Rita : Oh well, OK old man, I do owe you...

  [looks inside the wagon at Job] 

  Rita : Hey Job! You help too. After all, you're as strong as two men.

  [Job gives off an inhuman moan, until bandits attack the wagon] 

  Bandit No. 1 , Bandit No. 2 : Attack the fools!

  Rita : What the...!

  Old Man : [gasps and runs for cover]  My God, bandits!

  Bandit No. 1 : [laughs]  We can help you fix your wagon all right. It'll cost you though!

  [points his sword at Rita, who ducks] 

  Bandit No. 2 : [walks up to Rita]  Hey now. You're a little cutie, ain't you! You'll fetch a good price in the market!

  [laughs] 

  Rita : [slaps the bandit away]  Don't touch me, you bastard! You'll get nothing from me!

  [notices Casca approaching] 

  Rita : Huh?

  Casca : [walking over to Rita's dog Iruku and pets him]  Oh...

  Bandit No. 2 : Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!

  Casca : [petting Iruku]  Awww...

  Rita : Who is she?

  Bandit No. 1 : Whoever she is, there's something wrong with her.

  Bandit No. 2 : [laughs]  Yeah, but look at her. She's pretty hot! We can take her with us too, for some fun later.

  [laughs] 

  Bandit No. 1 : [laughs]  You're right, buddy.

  [to Casca] 

  Bandit No. 1 : Hey you! Over here!

  [goes to grab Casca, but gets his hand impaled by a knife] 

  Bandit No. 1 : Aaah! What the...!

  [Guts arrives on the scene] 

  Bandit No. 1 : Damn you! You're gonna die for that!

  Guts : I doubt it, punk.

  Bandit No. 1 : Huh? Who does this guy think he is? Your big sword won't save you, tough guy!

  [to the rest of the bandits] 

  Bandit No. 1 : Come on! Let's get him boys!

• [Guts, Casca, and Puck arrive in town and see Rita performing] 

  Puck : [noticing Rita]  There she is! Hey look, guys!

  Rita : Ready, Iruku? Jump!

  [Iruku jumps as the crowd cheer, then Rita runs, does some backflips, and shoots knives at a barrel held by Job before taking a bow] 

  Rita : Ta-dah! And now, here comes our main event! The strongman... Job!

  [Job moans and starts swinging a club around] 

  Guts : [slightly excited]  That's the guy!

  [Job falls down with his hood coming off, revealing an inhuman growth on his chest, frightening the villagers] 

  Villager No. 1 : [scared]  He-he's possessed by the Mandragora!

  Villager No. 2 : Damn monster!

  Puck : [confused]  The Mandra... what?

  Villager No. 2 : Get the hell out of our town!

  [the villagers start throwing rocks at Job] 

  Rita : [tackling one of the villagers]  No! Stop it, you fools!

  [Puck looks on with a worried grunt] 

  Rita : What has he ever done to you people?

  Villager No. 1 : Oh the hell with you! We're not gonna let a Mandragora zombie go free!

  [a scared and sad Job stands up, growls, transforms into a huge beast, and starts attacking villagers] 

  Puck : [hiding behind Guts]  Oh my God! What is that thing?

  Rita : Job! No...

  Villager No. 2 : Good Lord...!

  [the villagers scream and run] 

  Rita : Stop it, Job! Settle down... Nooooo!

  Guts : [unsheathing his sword]  Stop!

• [Guts has killed Job] 

  Villager No. 1 : [laughing]  You got what you deserved!

  [disgusted] 

  Villager No. 1 : You Mandragora freak!

  [kick's Job's corpse] 

  Villager No. 2 : It's disgusting! I'm glad it's dead!

  Rita : [crying]  You murderers! You'll pay!

  Villager No. 2 : [slaps Rita]  Shut up, stupid girl!

  [Rita who notices Guts, Casca, and Puck walking away] 

  Rita : Damn you!

  [throws a knife at them, only for Guts to catch it with two fingers] 

  Rita : He didn't do anything wrong. You didn't have to kill him!

  Guts : I don't feel any mercy for monsters.

  Rita : [sobbing]  You're wrong! He wasn't a monster!

  [a carriage shows up, and out climbs Balzac and Gyove] 

  Gyove : Everyone stand back! Baron Balzac is here for an inspection! Do not touch the body!

  Balzac : [examines Job's body, then looks at Guts]  These huge sword wounds... Was it you? Did you do this?

  Guts : Yeah...

  Balzac : I'm Balzac, ruler of this town. Sir, I must thank you. Unfortunately, once people with this disease run amok, they rampage until they die.

  Guts : Disease?

  Balzac : It started some years ago in a nearby town. No-one has found a cure for it yet.

  [notices Casca, who grabs Puck] 

  Balzac : That woman... Is she also possessed by the Mandragora?

  Guts : [angry]  No... She's got nothing to do with that thing.

  Balzac : Perhaps... Still I perceive that her mind is not sound. Hmm, listen. I believe our doctors might be able to help her.

  Guts : What do you mean?

  Balzac : We are researching cures for the Mandragora possession.

  Guts : Mandragora?

  Balzac : The symptoms appear the same, so perhaps we can help her. Also, we must repay you for your aid. Come to my castle, and bring the girl with you.

  [Guts turns to look at Casca, then back to Balzac] 

  Casca : [hugging Puck]  Ahh...

  Guts : Fine. Show us the way.

  Balzac : Excellent... Then it's decided. You shall be guests in my castle.

  [sneering, to one of his knights] 

  Balzac : Take care of the other one.

  Knight No. 1 : Understood, my lord!

  [Everyone proceeds to board Balzac's wagon] 

  Gyove : [whispering]  Sir... Shall I proceed with the plan?

  Balzac : [whispering]  Yes.

  [Once everybody is aboard, the wagon takes off for Balzac's castle, as Guts look out the back window to see Rita mourning Job's death. Rita is then surrounded by two knights] 

  Rita : [scared]  Uh-oh...

• [Guts, Casca, and Puck have arrived at Balzac's castle] 

  Balzac : Now, before I welcome you both more formally, there is something I would like you to see.

  [Guts, Casca, and Puck start to follow Balzac until he turns around to look at them] 

  Balzac : [to Guts, slightly sinister]  No... It is too dangerous for them. I want YOU to come alone.

  Puck : Don't worry, Guts. I'll take good care of her.

  Guts : [starts to walk off, then stops]  If something happens, come get me.

  [Guts follows Balzac and Gyove down a stairway] 

  Casca : [starting to wander about]  Mmmm... ahh... Ooooh, ha ha ha!

  [long giggling] 

  Puck : [notices Casca wandering off and starts to follow her]  Uh-oh. Wait! Wait, Casca! Oh!

  [Casca and Puck stop to look at a large painting of a beautiful woman] 

  Puck : Wow! She's beautiful. Who could she be?

• [Guts is following Balzac and Gyove down the stairs until they reach the bottom and head into a dungeon] 

  Guts : [holding the brand on the back of his neck, having seen something gross]  Ahhh!

  Balzac : [turns around to look at Guts]  What is it?

  Guts : [slightly embarrassed]  Nothing... forget it.

  [Guts walks up to see a cell full of sick-looking people] 

  Guts : This place is...

  Balzac : A Mandragoran holding cell. There's always the danger that they may go berserk, like that man today. So we keep them quarantined here for our needs.

  [Guts looks at the people in the cell, as Balzac stands beside him] 

  Balzac : [preacher-like]  Currently... we're doing research into a cure for this horrible disease. But... in order to prevent the people from becoming too panicked, we're keeping this place secret from the villagers.

• [Guts, Balzac, and Gyove enter a laboratory] 

  Balzac : Tell me; do you know anything about... Mandragora possession?

  Guts : Nothing.

  Balzac : A few years ago, a strange disease began to spread in a village under my rule. Suddenly one day, the entire village was possessed by a root-like creature! The possessed became crazed. No-one knew what caused it. Rumor has it that these bizarre, never seen before plants began to pop up here and there throughout my lands. They moved on their own each night, taking possession of unsuspecting people.

  [picks up a Mandragora sample] 

  Balzac : Because of their human-like shape, and because of their strange effect on their host, people called it "Mandragora" and were terrified of it... The plants attach and inject a poison that drives people mad, but yet it cures all illness in the host body. Legend has it that the plant has the ability to also cure the infected and bestow the benefits of youth and vigor.

  [slow and with conviction] 

  Balzac : The legend is true.

  Guts : Wait, I have heard of it. They say that when it's pulled from the ground, it screams in pain. And... whoever hears that scream...

  Balzac : That's right. They die instantly. But because of its benefit, there is no end to those willing to risk death to get it. However, when you pull it from the Earth, it dies immediately. To refine serum, you need a Mandragora heart.

  Guts : Heart?

  Balzac : When a Mandragora plant grows into a Great Tree, it gains a heart. Even when cut out, it does not die, but instead starts to regenerate.

  [excited] 

  Balzac : The drug made from such a heart will allow us to cure this cursed Mandragora possession! Before I began searching for a cure, I tried attacking a village of Mandragorans. I wish to prevent further spread of the disease, you see.

  [slight shock] 

  Balzac : But the monsters fought back ferociously. I've never seen such carnage. I survived, and brought back some of the heart. But just a piece of a Mandragora heart, sadly it wasn't enough! To cure so many people, we need a bigger heart!

  Guts : Get to the point. What do you want from me?

  Balzac : That village... is on the edge of my land. It still stands, and the heart is there.

  Guts : I see...

• Balzac : I've sent my soldiers to the village countless times since then to get the heart of the Great Tree, but not a single one has returned alive. But we desperately need it for our research! I've seen your abilities, Guts. I have a job for you.

  Guts : A job?

  Balzac : A proposition... Infiltrate the Mandragora village, and take the heart of the Great Tree. As compensation, we will heal your female companion. How does that sound...?

  Guts : Foolish!

  Balzac : The drug we make from the heart of the Great Tree should be able to heal her illness. Let's help each other, friend.

  Guts : I don't trust you, Balzac... I sense that you're not coming clean with me on this... But I'll do it, for my Casca.

  Balzac : Excellent... We have an agreement!

• Balzac : There is a nun in the town who eats and sleeps with the Mandragorans. She fancies herself their protector. She and I have very different positions. And so far, she has turned down my requests for help. But perhaps she will listen to you...

  Guts : Sorry... I don't get along too well with holy people.

  Gyove : Pardon me for interrupting, my lord... But since the item we discussed is near completion, we really don't need his help. The results of our research so far should be enough to succeed.

  Balzac : [angry]  I'm sick of your opinions and time wasting. I won't wait any longer!

  Gyove : [shocked]  But-But, my lord...

  Guts : What's he talking about?

  [shouting can be heard upstairs, as a knight runs in to tell Balzac about the resistance] 

  Knight No. 3 : Sir! The enemy has breached the castle!

  Balzac : What the hell?

  Gyove : Impossible. How could that be!

  Balzac : We seem to have underestimated their strength. Pardon me. I must go attend this emergency.

  [Balzac and Gyove leave the laboratory] 

  Resistance Member No. 1 : Here he is! This one!

  Guts : Huh! What...