"Girl I Remember" is episode 103 of the Berserk manga series.
Synopsis[]
Jill dives into the story of her childhood with Rosine. As children, Jill came to see Rosine, who was four years older than Jill, as a sister. Rosine was quite boyish in her youth, finding fun in the catching of small insects and reptiles. During her days in the forests as they played together, Rosine often came across interesting finds like seashells, honeycombs and animal teeth, but the most intriguing of them all was a small stone-like object adorned with the features of a human face.
Guts and Puck realize as they listen that this last object was a Beherit. They say nothing, and Jill continues to speak.
Together, Jill and Rosine would play from dawn until dusk, and the now-older Jill realizes that they stayed out so late because Rosine avoided her constantly-fighting parents, with Rosine always being the subject of their arguments. Oftentimes Rosine would greet Jill the next day with fresh bruises inflicted by her parents.
One day, as they sat together on a hill, Rosine informed Jill that the commonly-told story of the Red-Eyed Peekaf is wrong, and that in reality he truly was an elf, and that he now happily resides with his kin. Rosine turned to Jill and proclaimed that she herself was an elf like Peekaf and that she belonged with the elves. Though Rosine would smile after saying so, Jill notes that they were always forced.
Jill explains that before she was born, her village was involved in conflict, and despite the villagers taking refuge in the nearby forest, many women were kidnapped and violated by enemy soldiers, among them Rosine's mother. This instilled doubt in Rosine and her parents, as none of them were sure who Rosine's father really was.
Rosine spoke to Jill before leaving the village. Her only possessions were a single torn dress, a lantern, and a Beherit.
One rainy night not long after Rosine comparing herself to Peekaf, Jill was awakened by tapping on her window. Rosine stood outside in only a torn dress to wear and a lantern to see. Rosine told Jill that she was leaving the village and going to the Misty Valley on her own to live with the elves who supposedly lived there. She told Jill that she left all her possessions to her and departed on her own into the dark, wet night. The village organized search parties for the young Rosine after her disappearance, but were unable to find her. A few days after she left, her parents also mysteriously vanished. As Jill looked through Rosine's sparse belongings, she noticed that Rosine had taken one of her treasures with her on her journey: the egg-shaped face stone.
Jill concludes her story by saying that now that she is older, she understands Rosine's desire to leave the village. Just then, Puck emerges from having fished out the Beherit from Guts' satchel, asking Jill if Rosine's face stone looked like it. Jill confirms that the stones are identical, and Guts decides to explain the use of Beherits to her.
He says that they are magic stones which summon angels that grant power to lowly humans. Though he himself does not know how to activate the Beherit, Rosine evidently figured it out and used it to gain her moth-like elf form. He then voices the reason for Rosine's parents disappearance - to become a monster with the help of the angels, a sacrifice is required, and Rosine offered up her parents in exchange. This new piece of information shocks Jill, and Guts only makes things worse when he says that he will not stop his sword if Jill gets in the way of his swing again. He calls her a nuisance and she moves to slap him, but he effortlessly catches her wrist, telling her that the fairy tale she finds herself in is not intended for children.
Guts stands and walks away. As he begins building a small structure out of the nearby stones, Puck berates him for telling Jill off so harshly for the simple fact that she is barely out of childhood. As it turns out, Guts has been building a makeshift prison just large enough to hold Puck, and he stuffs the elf inside it before sealing it and leaving.
Jill and Rosine are reunited after several years apart.
As Puck tries to get out of his confines through the gaps between the stones, he notices Jill is on the verge of tears. He tries to reassure her, but to no avail. Jill's crying is interrupted by the appearance of a large creature which flies above the trees overhead. It swoops down and lands mere feet in front of Jill. It's the Apostle, Rosine. Jill trembles as a smiling Rosine walks toward her. The Apostle raises her fist, places it on Jill's forehead, then harmlessly removes it.
Rosine bursts into laughter as Jill notices that a frog has been placed on her head. Confused, Jill asks for confirmation that this creature is Rosine, and the Apostle replies by kissing Jill's cheek and caressing her. The Apostle addresses Jill by name.