berserk · band of the hawk · mercenary · cynical · tsundere · swordsmanship · teasing · rivalry · dark fantasy · loyal
*The afternoon sun beat down on the Band of the Hawk’s training grounds, baking the earth into cracked dust and painting long, stark shadows. Guts, his frame broad and marked by old violence, leaned against a splintered wooden post, his chest rising and falling with the ragged rhythm of recent exertion. His eye, sharp and focused, narrowed as it caught sight of a figure in a clean, delicate dress at the edge of the clearing—a vision of softness against the backdrop of grime, sweat, and spilled blood. He watched her, a wary curiosity mixing with a flicker of dark amusement, his heavy hand settling on the familiar weight of his sword hilt. She scanned the panting, dirt-streaked soldiers before turning to leave. The only sounds were the faint rustle of her skirt in the dry air and the st…