Guts VS Nightmare

Guts VS Nightmare is the forty-fifth episode of Death Battle. It starred Guts from Berserk and Nightmare from Soul Calibur, two large sword wielding destroyers of armies.

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Guts and Nightmare may carry two of the largest swords ever made, but who is the deadlier swordsmen?

Interlude
(*Cues: Invader - Jim Johnston*)

Wiz: For untold decades, scientists have searched for a legitimate method of measuring a person's level of badassness... completely missing the obvious answer.

'''Boomstick: Just check out the size of his sword. Like Guts, the brutal black swordsman from Berserk.'''

Wiz: And Nightmare, the demonic scourge from Soul Calibur.

Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.

Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win a Death Battle.

Guts
(*Cues: Berserk - Et Voici Guts*)

Wiz: In the realm of Midland, rumors run rampant of a man wielding a humongous blade slaying any that get in his way, but before his legend grew, this black swordsman was known simply as Guts.

'''Boomstick: Oh ho, man, I'm so excited. Guts is one of the most badass and hardcore characters ever.'''

Guts shouts and swings a smaller sword, which shatters a ball and chain's ball.

(*Cues: Berserk - Boscorn 2*)

Wiz: But the story of Guts is not for the faint of heart.

'''Boomstick: Yeah, it's... kind of dark. You've been warned.'''

Wiz: After a brutal massacre, Guts was born from the corpse of his mother, who had been hanged from a tree.

'''Boomstick: And we're just getting started. Baby Guts was discovered by a traveling band of mercenaries and was adopted by the camp whore.'''

Wiz: Who... died of the plague three years later. With no one left to turn to, Guts was mentored by the mercenary leader Gambino, who began training him in swordsmanship when he was just six years old.

''???: Hey Guts! Why don't you use a smaller sword? One right for your size?''

Guts tries to attack Gambino, who then knees him.

Gambino: We don't carry any baby-sized swords for kids here anyway.

(*Cues: Unknown Theme*)

Wiz: An extremely determined student of war, Guts was soon brought on to the battlefield and killed his first man at the age of nine.

'''Boomstick: Despite his skill, life wasn't all murder sunshine and rainbows. Young Guts was constantly abused in many ways that I don't really want to go into. But these awful things he had to endure kickstarted the long and excruciating process of grooming Guts into the scariest man in the world.'''

(*Cues: Berserk - More Death and Silence 2*)

Wiz : After killing his crazed adopted father in self-defense, Guts became a lone mercenary and a damn good one. Recognized for his skill, he was recruited by a mercenary group called the Band of the Hawk. Lead by an ambitious man named Griffith.

(*Cues: Unknown Theme*)

Wiz: The Hawk's raiders would be Guts's first taste of comradery and friendship.

'''Boomstick : Over the next three years, they single-handedly ended a one-hundred year war. Things were looking up for Guts, aaaand then Griffith summoned a horde of demons, transformed into a bat monster, and murdered all of Guts' friends, and claimed ownership of Guts' soul by branding his neck. If that wasn't dramatic enough, Griffith then raped Guts' girlfriend in the pool of his friends' blood as he watched, pinned down with his eye gouged out and forced to cut of his own arm.'''

(*Cues: Berserk - Monster*)

Wiz : Definitely not his best day. After all that, Guts dedicated his entire life to murdering Griffith as painfully and brutally as possible... while fighting demons on a daily basis as they are drawn to his brand like moths to a flame.

(*Cues: Berserk - Blood and Guts (Passionate)*)

'''Boomstick: But to do this, he needs the right tools for the job. He carries a belt of throwing knifes and a pouch of mini bombs even demons can't take.'''

Wiz: He also received a new mechanical hand, which houses a flamethrower, repeater crossbow, and a hidden single shot cannon... perfect for blasting a demon's face off.

Boomstick: Surprise, bitch!

Wiz: But none of that compares to Guts' primary tool of destruction, the giant blade known as Dragonslayer.

(*Cues: Berserk - Forces (God Hand Mix)*)

After a single slash, a table is covered in blood and half of a man screams as he falls to the ground.

'''Boomstick: Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough, it's too big to be called a sword. More like a heap of raw iron. And it might just be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.'''

Wiz: Forged by the legendary hermit Godo, Dragonslayer was made to... well... slay a dragon. Unfortunately, it was laughed off as impossible to use by anyone.

Boomstick: ...except for Guts.

Wiz: Standing six and a half feet long and weighing over 400 pounds, the Dragonslayer is enormous. Though not unfeasible. In real life, the largest sword ever used in battle belonged to a Frisian freedom fighter and stood seven feet tall. Though it wasn't nearly as heavy: only 14 pounds.

'''Boomstick: With a single swing of Dragonslayer, Guts can cleave through a man wearing heavy armor... along with his weapon, his horse, and any other people, animals, or demons that happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.'''

Wiz: And after killing over a thousand demons... no, I did not stutter... Dragonslayer has bathed in so much demonic blood that it now resides in both the physical and astral planes of existence... somehow. Meaning it is capable of harming any supernatural beings.

Boomstick: Even ghoooooosts.

(*Cues: Unknown Theme*)

Wiz: Guts is an absolute monster in combat. He can move faster than the eye can track, killed one hundred soldiers on his own in a single night, and once jumped into the mouth of a giant sea god, cut his way through it, and killed it within.

Guts places his sword behind him.

Zodd: You intent to gamble your life on a single strike?

(*Cues: Berserk - Des Cambrioleurs!*)

'''Boomstick: Guts will do ANYTHING to defeat his foes, including jumping into fire or allowing himself to be impaled just to gain an advantage. And... somehow he always survives. He's fallen hundreds of feet, gotten stabbed through the face, taken one thousand supernatural punches at once, and even been run over by an... elf, fairy Mothra going supersonic speeds.'''

Wiz: But his disregard for his own safety can be costly. Honestly, the only reason he's still alive is sheer dumb luck and unstoppable willpower.

Boomstick: And if Guts isn't tough enough on his own, he wears the Berserker Armor, the most insane battlegear you've ever seen.

Wiz: Activating the Berserker Armor seals off the wearer's nervous system, making him immune to pain and its natural inhibitions. This allows Guts to fight at his fullest potential, boosting his power and speed at the risk of damaging his own body.

'''Boomstick: With this armor, Guts' sword swing is more powerful than a cannonball, so the force can break his own arm. But don't worry: the cursed berserker armor will literally rip and pierce his body to pin the bones and muscles back in place.'''

Wiz: Now don't get the wrong idea. The armor does not actually heal Guts; it just holds him together. This is dangerous because, well, even though Guts won't feel pain, that doesn't make him invincible.

'''Boomstick: Plus, the berserker armor also kinda forces Guts to give in to his inner demons and lose all sense of morality and restraint... making him the most violent demon-killer ever.'''

Wiz: Violent and completely uncontrollable.

'''Boomstick: Guts is the embodiment of rage and the epitome of badassery. Believe me, the last thing you wanna do is get in this guy's way.'''

Guts approaches knights, who panic at his mere presence.

''Guts: My sword has gotten very dull. However, it's three times as thick and does three times the damage of a normal sword. You'd better pray you die quickly or this could be painful.''

Nightmare
(*Cues: Soul Calibur V - Legends Unveiled*)

Wiz: Long, long ago, transcending history and the world, an enormous sword was forged, designed to be the deadliest weapon on the battlefield.

'''Boomstick: It was called Soul Edge and it was a beast! Gigantic, powerful... sexy.'''

Wiz: At a daunting six feet, one inch in length, no ordinary soldier could wield it... but those who could proved unstoppable.

Boomstick: It left no survivors in its wake, just like my ex-wife at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Wiz: However, a great evil dwelled within the sword. After claiming victory upon victory and being bathed in the blood and hatred of countless foes,

(*Cues: Soul Calibur II - Hellfire*)

Wiz: a fire was born inside of Soul Edge.

Boomtick: Literally, it's a demon made of freaking fire.

Wiz: The demon Inferno had one purpose: to infect the world with evil and chaos, but in order to do this, he needed a warrior capable of wielding the true power of Soul Edge. He planned to possess this warrior and transform them into the azure-clad knight of darkness, Nightmare.

(*Cues: Soul Calibur II - Eternal Struggle (Theme of Cervantes)*)

Wiz: Inferno's first victim came in the late 16th century when a pirate named Cervantes de León raided an English galleon and discovered the intriguing blade aboard, claiming it as his own.

'''Boomstick: But as we know, this was no ordinary, flesh-covered sword with an eyeball. Inferno seized this opportunity and possessed the pirate, '''

(*Cues: Soul Calibur II - Hubris*) 

'''Boomstick: testing his body by slaughtering the entire population of a Spanish port town. Talk about a test drive!'''

Wiz: Unfortunately, while powerful, Cervantes was not the ideal vessel Inferno had sought.

Boomstick: So he made him sit in that town until two chicks showed up, killed his ass, and somebody more powerful picked up the sword.

Wiz: That someone was a knight named Siegfried and this was the body Inferno was looking for. Once Siegfried's hand touched Soul Edge, Inferno began eating away at his soul, torturing him endlessly and feeding on his fear and anger, transforming him into Nightmare.

(*Cues: Soul Calibur V - Chaos and Cosmos*)

Wiz: Nightmare was strong enough to threaten all of Europe, conquering whole armies and devouring thousands of innocent souls.

'''Boomstick: If you haven't figured it out by now, Soul Edge is kind of like the Ring from Lord of the Rings... if it can cut people and hungered for souls.'''

Wiz: However, Soul Edge's power was incomplete. At some point, it had been broken and shards of the demon sword had been scattered across the world. To unlock Soul Edge's true power, Nightmare set off to find the lost pieces of his sword and repair it.

Boomstick: As Nightmare discovered each shard, the power of Soul Edge grew, and so did Nightmare's. 

(*Cues: Soul Calibur V - Lord Of Terror*)

Boomstick: He can fight with numerous stances, channel fire and lightning through Soul Edge, and devour the souls of hundreds at once with Soul Wave.

Nightmare lifts his sword into the air.

Nightmare: Watch this!

He channels Soul Wave as knights nearby are ensnared by the shockwave. From above, the devastation is massive.

(*Cues: Soul Calibur IV - Destiny Will Tell*)

Wiz: Despite Nightmare's evergrowing power, Siegfried constantly battled to free himself from Soul Edge's curse and eventually he succeeded. The two did battle atop of Ostrheinsburg Castle, but Nightmare's power was so great the entire structure was obliterated by a single swing of his vile blade.

Boomstick: Just like a crazy ex-girlfriend, he figured if he couldn't have that body, no one can.

Wiz: Soul Edge cannot be defeated by an ordinary blade. In fact, only one weapon has ever been able to harm it: a supposedly holy blade called Soul Calibur. Unknown to most, Soul Calibur is actually the final shard of Soul Edge, reforged into a second sword made specifically to combat its demonic counterpart.

'''Boomstick: Poor guy. How would you feel if some asshole decided to make a weapon specifically designed to murder you? '''

(*Cues: Soul Calibur IV - Regin of Doom*)

Boomstick: And it kept showing up everywhere.

Wiz: Nightmare has come close to conquering the world on numerous occasions, yet a warrior wielding Soul Calibur always seems to show up and hold him at bay. While Soul Edge seems indestructible...

Boomstick: ...apart from that pesky holy sword...

Wiz: Inferno does require a mortal body to create Nightmare. Should Nightmare fall, Inferno can risk his own life by manifesting himself to protect Soul Edge, as his very existence is tied to the sword.

Boomstick: But if Nightmare manages to absorb that final shard, Soul Edge and Nightmare will merge into their final form: 

(*Cues: Unknown Theme*)

Boomstick: Night Terror, a larger, deadlier, fly-ier Nightmare.

Wiz: Fly-ier?

'''Boomstick: Yeah, when one gains the power of flying-ness? Duh.'''

Wiz: No matter the time, place, or vessel, few can match the vile trio of Soul Edge, Inferno, and Nightmare.

''Nightmare: Blood! Darkness! I shall drown the world in both!''

Death Battle
(*Cues: Tales of Souls And Swords - Soul Calibur II*)

Nightmare is seen in a dark, bleak, lifeless forest and has gathered the pieces of Soul Edge.

(*Cues:  Slave of Desire - Soul Calibur II *)

Nightmare raises his sword and the pieces fly onto it, transforming the blade into its true form.

''Nightmare: At last! At last the time has come!''

He is interrupted by a tree falling down towards him. The person who had cut down the tree was Guts.

(*Cues: Berserk - Et Voici Guts*)

Guts: You're in my way, stand aside.

''Nightmare: Fool! Tremble in my darkness!''

FIGHT!

(*Cues: Berserk - The Wrath of God (Part II)*)

Guts rushes towards Nightmare and the swords clash. After four clashes, Guts manages to corners Nightmare into a large rock. Nightmare blocks another blow from Guts' sword before leaping out of the way as Guts cuts the rock. Shortly afterward, Guts is kicked back by Nightmare.

Nightmare: Pathetic!

Guts reels from the blows as Nightmare punches him, charges up his swing, and launches him high into the air. Nightmare proceeds to raise his sword and charges its power before releasing a large shockwave that knocks the descending Guts far back, eventually slamming into a tree. Guts sees Nightmare charging towards him and jumps to avoid Nightmare's swing, which cuts down the tree. The two clash and find themselves in a standstill.

''Nightmare: What's wrong? Weakling!''

Nightmare takes a few steps forward, pushing Guts back.

''Nightmare: Fear my wrath. Tremble in fe-''

Guts headbutts Nightmare mid-taunt, knocking him backward. Shortly afterward, Nightmare lifts Soul Edge in the air and charges it with fire.

Nightmare: Soul Calibur!

He brings the fiery blade down as time slows. Guts raises his mechanical arm as he remains in place, receiving a small cut on his face by the sword, allowing him to aim his mechanical arm in Nightmare's face. He then prepares his arm cannon, to Nightmare's surprise.

Guts: Die!

The arm cannon fires in Nightmare's face, leaving a cloud of smoke in front of his head. Guts places his arm back, then is started to see that with the smoke settling, Nightmare still had his head.

Nightmare: Impressive...

Nightmare surrounds himself in a bright fire-light energy as Guts braces himself. Nightmare is lifted into the air and his armor turns blood red and he grows fiery wings, becoming Night Terror. After stopping a blow from Guts' sword, he charges and fires a large beam that knocks Guts far through the forest, eventually crashing into a tree. Night Terror hovers toward him and fires two more beams at the reeling Guts before stabbing Guts into the tree.

Night Terror: Burn!

He ignites his sword and then unleashes a large flaming attack that sends Guts straight through the tree. Guts shouts in pain as this occurs, afterward tumbling across the ground and crashing into a large rock. Night Terror points Soul Edge at Guts as he charges it up with fire.

Night Terror: Burn in darkness.

Guts fires arrows at his opponent with his mechanical arm, to which Night Terror summons a pillar of fire to block them. Guts then jumps through the fire toward Night Terror, managing to cut off Night Terror's arm with Soul Edge in hand, sending them to the ground. The injured Night Terror stumbles back and falls into a crouched position as Guts shouts before swinging his sword once more, cleaving Night Terror's head in half. Guts removes his bloodied sword from the fallen Night Terror and starts walking away.

Guts: I told you to stay out of my way.

(*Cues: Berserk - Griffith's Dream*)

All of Night Terror's body except for his sliced off arm disappears into a shadowy smoke, to which Guts stops in his tracks. Soul Edge floats upward into the air as Inferno emerges in a fiery blaze.

Inferno: Darkness will consume everything...

Inferno covers the battlefield in fire, severely injuring Guts. Guts then activates his Berserker Armor and he charges at Inferno before leaping towards him. He strikes Inferno directly, resulting in Inferno and Soul Edge being cut in half. At its apex, Inferno ceases to be and all of the demonic energy has left Soul Edge. The fully-armored Guts lands as the two halves of Soul Edge and a few shards fall to the ground as well.

KO!

Guts repeatedly fires arrows from his mechanical arm at the powerless remains of Soul Edge.

Results
(*Cues: Berserk - Sign-2*)

'''Boomstick: Hell yeah! Now that's what I call a swordfight! While Nightmare wields more power than Guts, this is what Guts does EVERY SINGLE DAY. He gets the shit kicked out of him trying to defeat gods and demons leagues above his abilities and still prevails.'''

Wiz: It's true. All of his...

'''Boomstick: I mean this guy lives in a world where giant monsters are trying to kill you, eat you, rape you, or all three at the same time... and that's just Monday.'''

Wiz: ...it's true. All his life, Guts has had the odds stacked against him and yet he's still kicking while everything else is dead.

'''Boomstick: Ugh, but Wizard, I thought only Soul Calibur could destroy Soul Edge. Ergh...'''

Wiz: That's also true... in the Soulcalibur world. However, Inferno exists on an astral plane. If you recall, Guts' sword Dragonslayer also exists on such a plane, leaving no question that it could destroy Soul Edge. Plus, his Berserker Armor bought him plenty of time to land the killing blow.

Boomstick: Yeah, because it will literally let you fight on until all of your bones are shattered and the last drop of your blood is spilled.

Wiz: And it's not like Soul Edge was gonna have any luck tempting Guts into picking it up and turning into another Nightmare. Not only has Guts dealt with enough demonic shit to know that's a bad idea, he REALLY loves that Dragonslayer. He's not giving that up for anything.

Boomstick: Guts was just a whole nother caliber.

Wiz: The winner is Guts.

Trivia

 * The connection between Guts and Nightmare is the fact they both carry soul-cutting huge swords and are One Man Armies that wear demonic armors. This can be also seen as a battle of opposites because while Guts has slain many hideous monsters, Nightmare is a humanoid abomination; and also due to Guts being one of many whose lives was harmed by evil forces and Nightmare an evil force that harmed many lives.
 * This is the second Death Battle with a character from the Soulcalibur series, the first being Ivy VS Orchid.
 * This is also marks the second time a Soulcalibur character loses a Death Battle, the first being Ivy Valentine.
 * This is the first Death Battle featuring a character from Berserk.
 * As Stated by Chad James (The voice of Boomstick) via Tweet, Guts vs Nightmare was one the show's creators have been wanting to do for years.
 * Interestingly enough, Guts's voice is provided by a slightly altered pitch of Siegfried's voice-overs from the Soulcalibur series.
 * Inferno in the Death Battle is actually depicted using sprites for the Killer Instinct character Cinder.
 * Upon a close inspection at the 13:25 and 14:26 marks, you can see the star constellation of Chuck Norris and Segata Sanshiro in the sky created in the previous fight.
 * While Nightmare's Night Terror form from Soul Calibur III appeared in the battle, it has various differences:
 * Night Terror appears as simply a blood red Nightmare with small fiery wings while its in-game counterpart is a hulking beast with bone-like armor, large fiery wings, and a tail. This was likely done due to a lack of sprites for Night Terror.
 * Night Terror speaks with the same tone and voice as Nightmare while it was only capable of beastly roars in-game.
 * This is also the fifth Episode of Death Battle where a Protagonist of a series is set against an Antagonist of a series, the last four being Boba Fett VS Samus Aran, Starscream VS Rainbow Dash, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran Remastered as well as Kirby VS Majin Buu, the other two where Iron Man VS Lex Luthor as well as Joker VS Sweet Tooth.
 * The opening line for Nightmare's rundown is the tagline for Soul Calibur II.