Kratos VS Guts

Kratos VS Guts Nkstjoa Nkstjoa (Variant) ZDogg S Simbiothero V2 Simbiothero Venage237 Pichu95 DeviantArt DeviantArt ROLVeBloxxer EmperorDedede Killer-Crimson12 Arceusdon 1/13
Season Mini-Season 3, Episode 26
Vital statistics
Air date	February 4, 2018
Written by	Nkstjoa & Big the cat 10
Directed by	Nkstjoa
Episode guide
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Cyrax vs. Fulgore	Dante (Devil May Cry) vs. Dante (DmC: Devil May Cry)

Kratos VS Guts is a What-If? episode of Death Battle.

Description[]

Berserk VS God of War! These brutal warriors don't expect mercy and will give none! Can the Dragonslayer best the Slayer of Gods?

Interlude[]

(Cue Invader - Jim Johnston)

Boomstick: Their lives are gruesome, they went far beyond what was physically possible, and they're brutal warriors whose bad side you'd never want to be on.

Wiz: Guts, the Black Swordsman.

Boomstick: And Kratos, the Ghost of Sparda. 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[]

Completed by Big the Cat 10.

Wiz: In the world of Midland, the warrior named Guts was born from the corpse of his hanged mother...

Boomstick: DAMN…talk about a cheery story opening!

Wiz: …He was then adopted by a women from a band of mercenaries, however she died of plague when Guts was only 3 years old. Afterwards he was raised by the mercenary leader Gambino who taught Guts how to fight at the age of 6.

Boomstick: By the age of 9 he had killed his first man but because his adoptive father constantly abused him he soon killed him as well, becoming a lone mercenary.

Wiz: Soon after this Guts was recruited into the Band of the Hawk, which was led by the warrior Griffith. With the group Guts ended a 100 year war and befriended many of it’s members. However after his relationship with Griffith soured, things went downhill...

Boomstick: Griffith then transformed into an evil monster and summoned a horde of demons which killed most of the Band’s members before raping Gut’s girlfriend and taking ownership of Gut’s soul by branding his neck, while he was pinned down and having his eye gouged out before having cut his own arm off.

Wiz: Filled with rage Guts then took the title of the Black Swordsman and became a Demon Hunter, dedicating his life to destroying monsters like Griffith.

Boomstick: Guts is incredibly fast being able to casually dodge arrow fire, run past people without being noticed, move faster than the eye can see, dodge sword strikes from solders surrounding him and managed to react and catch the warrior Serpico’s sword with his bare hands.

Wiz: He’s also extremely tough being able to survive being stabbed by Griffith and having his shoulder dislocated by him, shrugged off being whipped with enough force to leave scars on his chest, and has survived being struck by lightning, crashing into a bridge, being flung into pillars, being punched a thousand times by Mozgus who was able to destroy human sized bricks with his blows and has taken hits from Zodd.

Boomstick: Wait he’s taken hits from Zod the Kryptonian General? The same guy who had his neck snapped by Superman and then got turned into a crappy Doomsday ripoff?!

Wiz: No Boomstick...not from General Zod, Zodd the Demon...Ugh!

Boomstick: Oh...I see.

Wiz: Anyway Guts possesses a tremendous amount of strength being able to easily lift around 2-6 tonnes, can lift and throw monsters far heavier than him, was able to rip off a Demon’s horn from it’s head with his bare hands, has managed to punch through walls with his fists while injured, can push aside the massive Grundbeld and is able swing around his 400 pound sword Dragonslayer with one arm and even hold it in his mouth!

Boomstick: Speaking of Dragonslayer, it was forged by a hermit called Godo to slay dragons but because it weighed so much it was said that no one could wield it, expect the old Blackswordman himself.

Wiz: The sword is over six and half feet long, making it good at cutting through opponents several metres away from Gut’s location and because it’s been covered with so much Demonic blood it now exists in the physical and astral planes of existence allowing it to affect a variety of Supernatural threats. But Demons aren’t the only things this sword has been used against, it’s been able to cut through a tornado, heavily armoured soldiers and even a being composed of electricity.

Boomstick: Guts also has a prosethic arm that was built to replace the arm he previously cut off, this arm has incredible strength, along with a powerful arm cannon and a rapid fire crossbow.

Wiz: He also carries several throwing knives and can throw them with extreme accuracy along with spiked grenades capable of blasting through thick Demon hide. He’s a master swordsman having been wielding them for practically all his life his skill only being matched by the likes of Griffith and Zodd.

Boomstick: He’s also a brilliant tactian being able to spot weak points in an opponent and take advantage of them even if he has to be stabbed, shot, impaled or has to jump through fire to finish off an opponent. He is also extremely ruthless not holding back against armoured soldiers or demons and prefers to finish opponents by cleaving them in half.

Wiz: Guts can also done the Berserker armour in battle, which shuts off Guts’s nervous system allowing him to be unaffected by any injuries he receives in battle and thus allows him to fight unhindered against his opponents. The armour also greatly enhances Gut’s physical stats enabling him to lift a 30 tonne mast, run fast enough to dodge lightning and run up to a tornado and has allowed him to continue fighting even when he had 3 broken ribs.

Boomstick: Guts has accomplished some pretty insane feats having survived against and between the powerful demon Nonferatu Zodd, has killed an army of men in a single night while badly injured, fought off wolves after falling off a cliff, killed the Sea God from within, has slain over a 1000 demons and survived living in the brutal world of Midland.

Wiz: However he is still human and can killed with enough force, his tendency of allowing himself to be injured to gain an advantage is incredibly risky, he requires time to reload his longer ranged weapons and while his Berserker armour does allow him to take a LOT of punishment it does not heal him instead merely forcing broken bones back into place to allow him to continue fighting. The armour also causes Guts to lose any sense of self restraint and control causing him to fight with extreme ferocity but at the cost of causing temporary insanity.

Boomstick: But with his badass sword and fighting skill, Guts is one warrior who you would not want to cross paths with!

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 better pray you die quickly, or this could be painful.

Kratos[]

Wiz: The ancient Greeks told tales of fantastical creatures, the Titans, the Gods, and Mount Olympus. But then came the legend of a lone warrior: Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta.

Boomstick: Born and raised in Sparta alongside his younger brother Deimos, Kratos was more than a little eager to become a great Spartan himself. It wouldn't take too long, as he grew up into a full-on captain. What began as a unit of 50 grew to thousands and his victories further cemented his greatness.

Wiz: But his lust for conquest and glory only grew with each success, until the day he and his army faced barbarian tribes, whose sheer numbers and strength threatened to overwhelm them. In his desperation, Kratos swore allegiance to Ares, the God of War, to lay waste to his enemies.

Boomstick: And Ares definitely delivered the goods, both by helping win the battle and with two of the most badass blades ever: the Blades of Chaos. Life couldn't be any better...

Wiz: As per his servitude to Ares, Kratos spread chaos in the God of War's name by raiding villages and killing countless innocents, making him even more ruthless and slowly chipping away at Kratos' humanity.

Boomstick: And let's not dance around the bush here: Kratos was totally cool with all that... until one such temple of his latest victims included his own wife and daughter. And then he was cursed to forever bear their ashes on his skin, a permanent reminder of his worst deed.

Wiz: Boomstick, you composed yourself rather well there.

Boomstick: I imagine that's like having a couple hundred sticky notes stuck to you.

Wiz: Never mind. Enraged at Ares' manipulation of him, Kratos denounced his allegiance and began his quest for redemption through service to the other gods... until they manipulated and betrayed him as well.

Boomstick: So now that we got the backstory out of the way, let's get back to those awesome blades from earlier. Kratos wielded the Blades of Chaos for some time... until Ares was like "Gimme those back". So then Athena gave him the Blades of Athena, which are like the Blades of Chaos, but fancier... and then he got those wrecked. And then Athena, but a spirit because she was dead, spoilers, turned them into the Blades of Exile, which are like the Blades of Athena, which are like the Blades of Chaos... and now I've gone cross-eyed.

Wiz: And I thought you were supposed to keep things simple. In any case, like its two predecessors before it, the Blades of Exile are quite versatile blades. They can be swung from the chains on his wrist, emit flames upon impact, pull Kratos towards his foes and can even be used to traverse the environment by climbing or swinging from point to point.

Boomstick: But oh man, there's a lot more to him than those trademark blades, even if they are by far the coolest starting weapons ever. See, he's used a ton of different weapons, items, and magical attacks throughout his adventures, most given to him by other gods. Turns out they were either relinquished from him after his last adventure or straight up drained from him, always restoring the status quo.

Wiz: Thus, we will look at the weapons and abilities he received during his siege of Mount Olympus, as they were the last he received from the Greek Gods.

Boomstick: He can fire, uh, fire arrows with the Bow of Apollo. It can be rapid-fired or charged for a more powerful shot.

Wiz: Then there's the literal Head of Helios, capable of blinding foes with swift bursts of light with Solar Flash or the more powerful...

Boomstick: SOLAR FLARE! Aside from being capable of burning nearby enemies, Helios' Head is just the most metal lantern ever. Perfect for when you can't find the light switch. Speaking of heads, if he comes across a gorgon, he can tear its head off and turn his foes to stone with its gaze, leaving enemies wide open to be smashed to bits.

Wiz: Now onto his additional close-range arsenal. The Claws of Hades are not only capable of ripping out the souls of its victims, but can also summon them on his own whim. And what the Nemesis Whip may lack in damage, they more than make up for with its electrical properties, shocking with its strikes or with a burst of lightning.

Boomstick: In case you're sick of chain blades, that's where the Nemean Cestus comes in. Once wielded by Hercules himself, these lion-faced gauntlets give Kratos' punches even more power and can create shockwaves. Inside are chains, which can release the heads themselves to strike or even pull from mid-range. Geez, this guy's gotta have chains with everything, huh?

Wiz: Not so with arguably his ultimate weapon: the Blade of Olympus. Created by Zeus to end the Great War...

Boomstick: World War 1?

Wiz: No... though I'm surprised you actually knew that. The Blade of Olympus' powerful was only further enhanced when Kratos was tricked into placing his former godly power into it, capable of slaying gods and titans alike.

Boomstick: But even Kratos needs more than just weapons to stay ahead. His sole piece of armor comes in the form of the Golden Fleece. This beaut can stop just about any physical attack and can even reflect projectiles right back at the sender. And if he wants some air, he has the Icarus Wings.

Wiz: While normally only capable of gliding and an enhanced jump, when underneath strong enough air vents, Kratos can fly upward. However, overuse can cause the wings to lose too many feathers, resulting in a crash landing. And last, but not least are the Boots of Hermes, which allow Kratos to rush forward at great speeds and even run up walls. At his fastest, he can leave behind a trail of fire that detonates.

Boomstick: And did we mention that he can breathe underwater with Poseidon's Trident? Well, he can. But more importantly, he has two more abilities that can turn the tide of battle with ease. His Blades of Exile allow him to summon the souls of his fallen Spartan brethren. They form a phalanx around Kratos, and thrust their spears while arrows rain down around them.

Wiz: And while he's had various raged-based power-ups over his adventures granted by both the gods and the titans, his deadliest by far is the Rage of Sparta.

Boomstick: Faster, stronger, and wielding the Blade of Olympus, he can wipe out hordes of enemies in just a few moves and becomes an unstoppable force, even ignoring hits taken. With these and everything before them, Kratos has accomplished what seemed impossible and then some. He's slain gigantic beasts, the Furies, the Sisters of Fate, three Titans, and FOURTEEN freakin' Gods.

Wiz: He's climbed out of the Underworld on four separate occasions, saved the world from eternal slumber... and was responsible for its destruction.

Boomstick: Eh, what can you do? He's strong enough to push over large structures, overpower the bite of monsters like the Hydra, broke Perseus' blade with his bare hands, and once stopped himself from being stepped on by the Colossus of Rhodes.

Wiz: The Colossus of Rhodes is similar in build and stature to the Statue of Liberty, which weighs 225 tons. Assuming the Colossus of Rhodes weighed the same amount, it would weigh nearly 1,900 times more than Kratos himself.

Boomstick: And he can definitely take a lickin', like that time he took a repeated barrage of punches from Deimos' gauntlet to the point of the weapon breaking and left absolutely bloodied. Not even a minute later and he was running around ready for action. With everything he's done, Kratos sounds unbeatable... which isn't the case. While technically a demi-god, he still has his limits and can be worn down by foes of superior godly power, like when his pappy Zeus used his astral form.

Wiz: And despite his beyond impressive feats, he's not undefeated. He once lost a battle against the River Styx's ferryman Charon, and has even been killed multiple times: by Ares, by Zeus...

Boomstick: And that pesky sin-eating hellspawn. I'd also point out that he has a bit of a one-track mind and one hell of a temper, but that works just fine here. In fact, I think the real moral here is don't make him angry. Because if you do...

From Poseidon's first-person perspective, Kratos grabs him by the head, then jams his thumbs into his eyes. Kratos proceeds to further squeeze into Poseidon's eye sockets before breaking his neck, then letting his body fall off a cliff.

Boomstick: Yeah, word to the wise: don't piss Kratos off.

Kratos: By the Gods, what have I become?

Grave Digger: Death. The Destroyer... of Worlds.

DEATH BATTLE[]

Nkstjoa
Nkstjoa (Variant)
Killer-Crimson12

(*cues Berserk Musou - Small Light*)

ATHENS

It was peace time. The Greek city was prosperous. Rebuilding from Ares' attack years ago. The market filled with people. Not a care in the world.

A man in black armor with a black cape walked through, a large sword on his back and what most would mistake for a metal gauntlet, which was actually a mechanical hand. Guts' eye peered across the townspeople, almost tempted to take in the tranquility and let down his guard.

(*music end*)

Just then, the moment was snuffed out. The people turned in Guts' direction and ran away screaming far away from him. Guts scoffed, believing that they had finally made him out as the Black Swordsman. Instead, he turned around...

Seeing a legion marching forward consisting of rotting undead legionnaires, each armed with blades and armor of macabre design. A centaur saw the lone swordsman standing between them and the townsfolk.

He pointed his spear forward as a signal to charge. The legions ran with their weapons aimed at the idle Guts, only for the first wave to be sliced apart in just a few swings. Another saw him approaching and blocked with his shield, only to see the Dragonslayer slice through it like it was paper. The rest simply marched on, intending to dog pile Guts.

Two pale feet stood in sandals from above a large temple. The figure donned a tattered red skirt, armlets, and a golden arm and shoulder piece. Aside from that were his red tattoos across his back, chest, and left eye, and his only hair a small goatee. Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta, watched the butchering of the undead legion below.

The centaur soon saw the futility of standing back and instead charged forward, intending to skewer Guts with his spear. The Black Swordsman saw this and ducked with his blade held up high. By the time the centaur realized he had missed, he was cut in two, his four legs running around without a torso. As his top half fell to the ground, reaching for its spear in vain, he lost his head quickly to a chop, which also cut through the stone floor beneath him.

Just then, Guts heard footsteps and saw a massive minotaur wielding an axe to match its stature. He thought nothing of it and waited for it to come to him.

(*cues God of War II - The Isle of Creation at 42 seconds*)

Just then, Kratos jumped off of the temple, straight downward onto the minotaur, knocking the beast over. As it fell onto its back, he leaped between its torso and aimed his Blades of Exile downward toward its head. The minotaur grabbed onto his arms and tried to push him away, but Kratos shrugged it off and then impaled the beast through its mouth, the blades piercing through the back of its head.

Tearing his blades out of the slain minotaur, Kratos then turned toward the man standing nearby him.

Kratos: Leave, cretin!

Guts: It is you who should leave, not me.

It seemed the Ghost of Sparta didn't make his point clear enough, so he circled around the Black Swordsman.

Kratos: Stand aside and I will let you live.

Guts: Not until you get out of my way.

Kratos pointed one of the Blades of Exile straight at Guts.

Kratos: Watch your tongue, mortal. Do not think yourself a challenge for a god.

Just then, he felt his blade being struck and stumbled backward: Guts had swung the Dragonslayer.

Guts: I don't care what delusions you have of yourself.

He held the massive sword over his shoulder with just one arm.

Guts: I'll cut you down the same as all others, demented fool.

The Ghost of Sparda did not take this insult lightly. He drew both Blades of Exile, one after the other.

Kratos: I will send you to the depths of Hades!

He stood slightly slouched in his battle stance as Guts pointed Dragonslayer directly towards Kratos before gripping it with both hands.

FIGHT!

(*1:59*)

Guts stood, expecting an approach, but to his surprise, Kratos swung his left blade, which left his hand and was coming downward towards him while attached to chains and with flames ablaze. He sidestepped to the right, avoiding it, then guarded with his Dragonslayer, standing his ground against the next strike. Seeing this, Kratos redirected them both, swinging the blades towards his legs. Guts charged, then jumped forward, avoiding the Blades of Exile, and aiming his massive sword for the Ghost of Sparta.

Kratos had redirected Dragonslayer with both Blades of Exile, then stepped forward and struck Guts backward with his knee. Preparing to capitalize on this, Kratos held both his blades in reverse and jumped upward toward him. As much as Guts had felt the blow, he had felt worse before and immediately swung Dragonslayer at his airborne opponent. Kratos managed to block with the Blades of Exile in time, but was sent flying back due to the force of the swing into a pillar, cracking it.

As Kratos landed to his feet, he saw Guts already in his vicinity, swinging once more. The Ghost of Sparta blocked the first, still standing his ground, but the second swing knocked him back into the pillar, which cracked once more. He rolled to avoid the third, which cut right through it, then went back on the offensive by swinging his two blades. Guts turned and blocked one at a time...

Kratos: To your knees!

Then a two-bladed strike, which forced Guts to his knees, grabbing his chest. As Kratos prepared another swing, Guts' right arm threw out five throwing knives towards the Ghost of Sparta's face with perfect precision. Kratos ceased his attack and knocked them away with his blade, only to realize Guts had gotten out of the way and the pillar neared his head. Guts watched as the pillar fell atop Kratos...

Only to see this pale man lifting it up with his bare hands.

Guts: What... the hell?

Kratos: Worthless!

The Black Swordsman knew he didn't have time to stand dazed at this feat and ran as quickly as he could. Kratos saw this and swung the pillar down. Guts got out of the way, but his Dragonslayer was embedded in the rock from the swing and out of his reach. He then narrowly avoided another swing, then saw Kratos ready to toss it like a spear. He charged as the Ghost of Sparta threw, swerving his body as the massive pillar broke his right shoulder guard, tearing through it like paper.

Seeing Guts' suicidal charge for him, Kratos swung his Blades of Exile to cut him down before he could reach him. Guts rolled under one, then jumped over another one, and as he saw another swinging towards him, he took a step, then grabbed it by the handle. Kratos saw this and readied his right blade, but saw it being struck out of his hand by Guts' mechanical arm. He grabbed hold of the metal appendage as Guts went for a stab with Kratos' own weapon. Kratos caught the blade as his other hand began squeezing the metal arm, which Guts felt was beginning to strain under his grip. Kratos soon realized that Guts had let go of his Blade of Exile, then stomped on Kratos' toes.

While not a critical blow, it was discomforting nonetheless and he let go of Guts' metal arm, which then scored a punch on Kratos' face. He ran upward to the dazed Kratos and headbutt him, then saw to his surprise that Kratos was standing upright, almost unaffected by the second blow to the head. The Ghost of Sparta headbutt Guts back, sending him flying backward.

(*cues Mortal Kombat (2011) - Chamber of the Flame*)

Guts rolled before catching himself, then wiped a few drops of blood from his forehead while looking at the finger-shaped imprints in his metal arm. He then saw a fiery arrow nearly striking his neck, and rose up immediately to stop another flaming arrow with his metal arm, knocking it away. He raced for the Dragonslayer with Kratos in pursuit, firing a flurry of fiery arrows. He nearly reached it when he saw Kratos preparing his next shot longer than expected. The flame around the arrow grew larger and Guts could tell it'd be more powerful than the ones before it. He grabbed hold of his metal hand and leapt forward.

Kratos released the charged flaming arrow, which traveled much faster and cut Guts' right cheek as he landed to his knee, his metal arm's repeater crossbow now firing in bursts. The Ghost of Sparta saw the bolts coming toward him too late as he felt two pierce his left shoulder, but then blocked the rest with his blade before jumping backward to evade the remaining.

Seeing Guts has ceased his attack, he took the time to tear the two crossbow bolts out of his arm with one hand, then threw them forcefully to the ground, breaking them. Meanwhile, Guts saw his Dragonslayer right where it was before, but saw the area it was embedded in lit aflame by the arrow. He reached for the Dragonslayer, which began to burn his hand as he gripped it, but still continued to pull in spite of this. He could live through a few burns.

Just then, he narrowly avoided both Blades of Exile being embedded into the pillar behind him, but then saw Kratos flinging himself toward him. Guts swung himself and the embedded Dragonslayer around the pillar just in time, then tore out the sword as he saw Kratos stabbing the blades into the ground. What kind of neanderthal tactic could this be?

Guts: What do you hope to accompli...?

Guts felt a shake in the ground and felt heat in both his boots. Just as he nearly lost his footing at the fiery shockwave, he saw Kratos wielding a massive gauntlet with a lion on it in both his arms as one punched forward. A chunk of the pillar went flying toward as Guts guarded with his blade. He was knocked back, recovering just in time to jump over another shockwave created by both giant gauntlets. He swung in midair, then saw that swing met by a gauntlet punch, knocking the blade backward. He swung once more, clashing with one gauntlet, then swinging downward onto another, forcing Kratos to one knee. As he readied another swing, he saw Kratos aiming one of his fists toward Dragonslayer. Before the Dragonslayer could strike his head, the lion head on the gauntlet was launched into the sword, knocking it back. As he looked at the other hand, he saw the second lion head striking his chest.

His armor slightly dented, he rose to his feet, then narrowly avoided a chained weapon with three metal claws on it. Another struck the Dragonslayer and Guts suddenly felt a shock through his body. Even more so once that same blade rapidly struck while floating in place as he winced from shock.

Kratos: Suffer!

He saw Kratos unleashing a ball of electricity from the weapon and willed himself up to avoid that, then another afterward. Kratos was in front of him, swinging both the Blades of Exile in his hands, pushing back against the Dragonslayer. He pushed back, then stabbed rapidly before Guts' swing knocked both blades upward. With Kratos off-guard, he swung at Kratos' arm, but Kratos positioned it so the Golden Fleece would be struck.

To Guts' astonishment, the gauntlet not only stopped his blow, but knocked Dragonslayer backward. He then saw Kratos' blades glowing yellow and striking the ground. He jumped upward to avoid that shockwave, but upon landing, Kratos grabbed him by the head and slammed his face into the ground. As Guts bounced off the ground, Kratos slammed him back downward twice more.

Kratos: Now die!

A final slam sent Guts to the ground, his nose bloodied. He turned around, his metal arm's hand lower, revealing an opening, and pulling on a wire to it with his mouth. He pulled it...

The cannonball released from Guts' cannon, flying right toward Kratos' chest. To his shock, Kratos had stopped a cannonball with the same armlet that stopped his Dragonslayer. He stepped back, seeing the idle projectile glowing yellow.

Kratos: Enough!

He leaped out of the way, the glowing projectile being sent straight into the ground below him, leaving stone pieces flying. He fired his remaining crossbow bolts, but Kratos simply sliced them apart. Guts then tossed his spiked bombs at Kratos, which he stopped with his blades before swinging both at the Black Swordsman, returning his thrown weapons back to him.

Guts: Shit!

He moved quickly, then, after the bombs had gone off, covered himself with Dragonslayer. Afterward, Kratos got into a running position, the ground underneath his sandals glowing yellow, and zoomed past him. Guts turned around and saw Kratos holding a decapitated head whose eyes were glowing...

A flash of light and Guts' eye went blind.

Guts: Damnit!

He could hear Kratos nearby and moved as much as he could to avoid whatever attack was next. He rolled and swung, feeling a slash to his side. He rolled and slashed once more, a cut to his other shoulder piece. Finally, his sight was beginning to return to him and he saw a gray blur in front of him. Kratos charged and he stabbed forward with Dragonslayer...

(*cues God of War III - End of Vengeance*)

But Kratos seemed to disappear from his sight. He looked below and saw what looked like two trails of yellow. They exploded and Guts went into the air. As he fell toward the ground, something caught him...

One of the Blades of Exile. Kratos held him off the ground as Guts gathered the will to swing the Dragonslayer. The Ghost of Sparta knocked it out of Guts' hand before stabbing the other Blade of Exile into Guts as well.

Kratos: You are no god.

As he said these words, the Berserker Armor began enveloping Guts' limbs, then began creeping over Guts' chest.

Kratos: What treachery is this?

The helmet and its jaw soon swallowed Guts' head as two red eyes stared back at Kratos. Guts headbutted Kratos, actually stumbling him before a slash-like strike was stopped by the Golden Fleece. Kratos launched him away, then saw just as Guts touched the ground that he zoomed forward toward the Dragonslayer.

(*cues Two Steps From Hell - Decimator*)

Just as Kratos turned around, he barely managed to sidestep a slash, which chopped a part of his skirt. He hardly had time to notice as he managed to block another swing and ran forward with the Boots of Hermes as fast as he could. He saw a statue of Athena nearby and ran toward it as Guts zoomed after him, slicing the ground he was on just an instant earlier. The Ghost of Sparta jumped toward the statue, then ran up it as Guts lunged after him, his claws embedded into the statue. He jumped off the statue as Kratos threw his blades into the statue top, then swung it downward as forcefully as he could. He stopped Dragonslayer with the Golden Fleece once more, but saw that as he shoulder charged into Guts, the Black Swordsman hardly reacted to it. He raised his sword upward at Kratos as he felt the sword being dragged downward, then saw the statue falling onto him.

He backed up, then saw that the statue had begun to roll off Guts, who seemed slow to get up. Kratos took out a gorgan head and pointed it right at Guts, who simply stared back, turning to stone. Kratos quickly took out his Nemean Cestus and flew forward for a charging punch. The stone around Guts' hand cracked, then shattered as the arm gripped Dragonslayer. As the punch connected, Kratos saw stone shattered around him and the Dragonslayer swinging before him. He swerved backward, avoiding one swing as he took out the gorgan head once more. Before he could even stare at it a second time, Guts swung and cut it in half, narrowly missing Kratos' fingers as he zoomed backward.

Guts charged forward, traversing straight through a blinding beam of light. He couldn't even feel any burning as he swung at the Head of Helios' eyes, another head in half. Kratos switched to purple hook-like blades and glowed purple as the soul of a massive cyclops emerged in front of him. Guts charged forward, leaping upward, and as the cyclops punched with its fist, the Dragonslayer cut through a few fingers before stabbing into its eye. As the cyclops' soul fell to the ground and withered away, Guts felt two hooks going into his back. The Claws of Hades now in his opponent, Kratos pulled, revealing the soul of Guts. The Ghost of Sparta pulled back with the soul in tow, but found that the berserk Guts wrestled it back with enough might and will to force his soul back into him.

Seeing himself at a disadvantage, Kratos ran up the Temple, jumped high upward off of it, then sprouted Icarus' Wings and looked across for another battleground: something narrower, smaller, limiting Guts' movement. He spotted a round arena-esque landscape directly underneath a massive cliff side and glided for it. Seeing the feathers on his wings beginning to wither, he dove for it, using the wings to focus his momentum forward. Just as he neared it, he saw Guts flying in from behind him and swerved just in time to avoid it...

Only to see one of the wings cleaved off of him. He attempted to control his landing as best as he could to avoid crashing into the water that Guts soon fell into, but he knew the landing would be rough no matter what. Nonetheless, he managed to land upon the rounded landscape on his shoulder, bouncing off the ground, then sliding on his back before using his blades to stop him. He got up slowly, but more quickly when he could clearly hear Guts' hands stabbing into the cliff side underneath him before visibly standing atop it.

Down to his last legs, Kratos summoned the magic of his Blades of Exile. The souls of his Spartan brethren surrounded him, their shields and spears covering him. Arrows flew upward, then forward towards Guts' direction. He charged, avoiding the arrows or not even reacting to the few that struck him as he effortlessly cut through the shields in front of him. Kratos swung both Blades of Exile at Guts' back, but saw no reaction from Guts, who also had a spear going right through him. The two clashed as fast as they could, but Kratos knew that in time, he would be overtaken.

A surprise pain to his chest: a swift slash from Dragonslayer to his right that drew blood. Kratos caught the next swing with his hands at the two struggled to redirect the blade. Just as Guts began to redirect the blade toward Kratos' side, he saw Kratos standing on one leg...

As the other booted Guts straight through the cliff wall, leaving a gaping Guts-sized hole in the wall.

(*music end*)

Kratos looked over at his wound and knew he had to treat it. He placed his Blade of Exile over the wound, pressed directly against his chest, as he readied himself for what would come.

The civilians in the distance could hear a shout from across the area as birds were frightened away by the sound.

(*cues - Junkie XL - Marathon*)

The flames of the Blade of Exile seared the wound together. From within the cliff, he could hear what sounded like bones snapping back together. He knew that Guts would be getting out soon and that he had to end this.

He took out the Blade of Olympus and waited as Guts stepped out of the cliff wall, the Dragonslayer gripped tightly in his hands.

Kratos: This ends now!

Kratos let out a roar as the world around him became desaturated, the Blade of Olympus glowed blue and Kratos' tattoos glowed red.

The two clashed, the two barely even phased by either's attack. They zoomed past, then collided once more, neither backing away from the clash. In that moment, Kratos redirected the Dragonslayer away from Guts and stabbed the Blade of Olympus through him. He was confident in victory, but wasn't about to get cocky and leave himself open, which he nearly did to a swing from Dragonslayer. Guts then tore himself free from the godly blade and as they continued zooming across and dueling, Kratos couldn't help but notice the wounded area had began to seal, and all that remained was of the blood spilled from before. Was he... healing?

He shook out the sliver of fear in his system and focused on the fight. Guts wasn't about to allow Kratos to get another strike at him as he constantly forced Kratos to break off his defense or risk being cut down from another angle. The two took a few cuts in the midst of their skirmish, but neither reacted to them, though Kratos used the Golden Fleece to stop those that could cleave through him. Guts hardly reacted to them and charged forward again and again, each sending Kratos' back closer to the cliff side. The Ghost of Sparta fired off a godly projectile, but Guts stopped it with his Dragonslayer. It dragged him back several feet and, to Kratos' surprise, caused a few cracks within Dragonslayer itself. In spite of this, the next projectile was dodged as Guts was right in Kratos' face once more.

Kratos: Your end begins!

Kratos channeled the power of the Blade of Olympus and brought it down onto the Dragonslayer. This time, it partially embedded itself into the steel weapon, and forced it to the ground as Guts struggled to pull it back upward. Seizing this, Kratos slashed the Blade of Olympus at Guts' chest, then flew forward with the blade drawn.

Kratos: Hades awaits!

He rolled to the ground afterward, knowing he had struck something...

But he realized the blade had left his hand and soon flew upward into the cliff side, high up where he could not reach it with ease: Guts had knocked it out of his hands. Kratos then saw the world returning to normal color and felt the cuts he had taken while in the mode: the Rage of Sparta had run out.

Kratos: By the gods...

He turned around, only to see himself too late to avoid a stab. He could only grab the Dragonslayer and try to stop it from going too far into him as it embedded itself in his chest. Guts pushed forward as Kratos pulled backward, slowly forcing the blade out of him. He shoved it back, knocking the blade against the cliff side, but Guts swung backward immediately. Kratos stopped the blade with his hands once more to keep himself from being sliced from his shoulder. With another forceful shove, he not only forced the Dragonslayer into the cliff side itself, but Guts' right arm had been twisted out of shape as a result.

This did nothing to stop Guts, who then reached for the Dragonslayer with his left arm and began tearing it out of the wall. Kratos grabbed hold of the Dragonslayer's handle to keep it in place, but then the Black Swordsman stomped forward. His target: Kratos' foot. This time, the boot dug in deeper and a few toenails were crushed. Kratos loosened his grip for just that instance and Guts slammed the Dragonslayer's handle into his head, right by his right eye. The Ghost of Sparta tried to recompose and push forward once more, but Guts successfully slammed the handle into Kratos' head once more, striking the area of the eye more directly, which began to bleed. Kratos could barely stand or push as Guts brought the handle down upon his head once more...

Taking Kratos' right eye with it. The pale warrior fell onto his hands and knees, looking down at the ground as Guts now tugged away at the Dragonslayer unopposed, listening as he heard Guts' right arm twisting itself back into place. He finally tore it free from the cliff side and as Kratos looked up at him, swung it down onto his head.

Kratos grabbed onto the Dragonslayer with his left and gripped Guts' left arm with his right and as Guts pushed forward, the Ghost of Sparta pulled in the same direction:

Guts' left arm was torn free from his body, as was the Dragonslayer that it still held. Guts was forced forward, but still went for a blow with his right hand when he realized he was stuck in place: the Blade of Exile had pierced through his leg and into the ground, keeping him pinned. Just then, Kratos threw the Dragonslayer straight at Guts, sending the two into the cliff side.

Despite being pierced by his own weapon and held off the ground, Guts pushed forward to tear himself free from his weapon as Kratos walked up to him and grabbed him by the neck. He lifted him upward, forcing the blade through his lower body until blood spewed from between his legs. During this, Guts reached for Kratos with his right hand, the claw-like fingers intending to rip away at his flesh. Kratos kept it at bay with his other hand as he then forced Guts downward, cutting his chest entirely in half. Now his body was split in two, save for his neck and head, but even then, Guts' hand reached out for him, managing to scratch him between his neck and shoulder. In retaliation, Kratos snapped the arm backward, then grabbed hold of Guts by the top of his head and lifted him upward once more before finally shoving him back down.

Guts' two halves lied on the ground and his right hand continued to twitch even as blood spewed from the Berserker Armor. Soon enough, the last drop fell and the fingers ceased to move.

K.O.!

Kratos had placed a wrap over where his right eye once was as undead legions began to emerge around him. As this occurred, Guts' body began to release red and green orbs, which found their way to Kratos. From there, the Ghost of Sparta attacked the horde, wielding the Blade of Olympus in his right and the Dragonslayer in his left.

Results[]

(*cues God of War III - Overture at 44 seconds*)

Boomstick: Hot damn! Now that would make him look even more awesome in his next game!

Wiz: Guts was more than worthy, easily the strongest human Kratos has ever faced, and managed to stay in there despite the odds stacked against him.

Boomstick: It's no secret that Kratos was ultimately physically stronger, as Guts' best feat was lifting a 30 ton maste while in his Berserker Armor. Even if we assumed the Colossus of Rhodes feat may have been assisted by some godly power, Kratos stopped a titan from crushing him in its hands... twice.

Boomstick: That's like an ant stopping a human.

Wiz: Both have faced fast opponents before, and while Guts had once managed to dodge lightning while in his Berserker Armor, it's more likely that Guts had anticipated the attack rather than moving at the literal speed of lightning.

Boomstick: Because if he could, he'd literally be going 224,000 miles per hour, or 62 miles per second, which is absurd even for that armor. But even then, he was freakishly fast, forcing Kratos to fight defensively and stay on his toes.

Wiz: Which is where one of the biggest advantages came in. The Golden Fleece could stop blows from the Blade of Olympus, which could cut into titans like butter, and could only be destroyed by Zeus' astral form, which was on an much higher plane of power than what Guts was capable of.

Boomstick: Though Kratos can still be harmed by just about any sharp or bladed weapon and was even killed by impalement before by Ares throwing a pillar across the land while he was still a mortal. Guts would be smart enough to try to attack around the Golden Fleece, and with the Berserker Armor's swings having more power than a cannonball, how would Kratos fare without the fleece?

Wiz: When up against the sea monster Scylla, Kratos could stand his ground and block strikes from its massive tentacles... and this was without any godly power-ups or additional items. He could certainly stop blows from the Dragonslayer when the time called for it.

Boomstick: And why do I keep bringing up the Berserker Armor? Because without it, Guts was completely overwhelmed in nearly every category. And his habit of allowing himself to get hurt to gain an advantage really wasn't the best counter against a guy who can literally tear the heads off of fellow gods.

Wiz: Not that Guts was dumb, but Kratos isn't a simpleton by any means. Whether it's solving puzzles or facing opponents with one specific weakness, Kratos is more than intelligent enough to adapt and change his strategies. And more importantly, Kratos prefers to avoid and block attacks, rarely ever attempting the same level of risk Guts utilized. As for any tactical prowess Guts had, that would be lost the moment the Berserker Armor was equipped.

Boomstick: Not to mention his far larger arsenal could keep Kratos from getting predictable while Guts' Dragonslayer being his lone close-range weapon was unfortunately much easier to predict. And despite the Berserker Armor being able to hold Guts together, it could only keep this up until his last drop of blood was spilled... and getting cut in half would definitely speed up the process.

Wiz: In the end, while Guts was more than capable of killing Kratos if given the chance, the Ghost of Sparta's greater arsenal, defense, and strength allowed him to slay the Black Swordsman.

Boomstick: Kratos sure went Berserk on Guts... and spilled them too.

Wiz: The winner is Kratos.