"Kushan Scouts (1)" is episode 133 of the Berserk manga.

Synopsis Edit


Isidro bests the bandits in combat.

In an abandoned village, several bandits demand food collected by a young orange-haired boy. Though he is at first opposed to giving up his scavenged supplies, the boy relents when his life is threatened. As the bandits eat, the boy asks the men how the food tastes, seemingly out of longing. The bandits reply that it tastes good before trying to shoo him away. The good taste of food is soon overpowered by what the men believes to be poison. The boy opens his vest, revealing that he stashed away a decent portion on his person before poisoning the rest. Angered, the bandit leader tries to kill the boy, but the youth is too quick; he uses sausage links to stun the man before striking him with a sheathed sword. He makes a point of letting the men know his name: Isidro.

Several more bandits come rounding around a corner, hearing the commotion. Quickly coming up with a plan to remain out of trouble, Isidro begins to feign crying, telling these new bandits that the Kushan army, which has previously been spotted around the area, had showed up and injured the first group of bandits. Thinking that the entire group has been adequately distracted, Isidro attempts to sneak off, but is noticed by one bandit, who says that the Kushan army couldn't have come since no hooves were heard and the bandits on the ground have no visible wounds.

The bandit leans towards Isidro's face and puts him on the spot. He asks which direction the Kushan army went. Knowing his ruse has been seen through but hoping to buy more time, Isidro points in a random direction behind the bandit. When the man turns to look, his face is sliced through by a boomerang-like blade.

A large force of Kushan scouts really has arrived, standing atop the rooftops of the village and surrounding the bandits. In the blink of an eye, the scouts all pounce, using their exotic weaponry to kill every single bandit. Isidro watches the events unfold from behind a barrel, driven to tears out of fear.

A scout finds Isidro's hiding place and draws his dagger, ready to kill the young boy. But his attention, along with every other scout, is drawn by the appearance of a warrior whose armor and cape is completely black, and whose sword is far too large for any normal man to wield: Guts. The Black Swordsman casually walks through the village, his eye never leaving the scouts'. The Kushan charge at him at once, and he stands ready to fight.

Characters in Order of Appearance Edit