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"Dread Emperor" is episode 231 of the Berserk manga series.

Synopsis[]

Inside Wyndham castle, Silat and two tapasa kneel before the leader of the Kushan, who sits on a throne built into the lap of a statue of a woman with many arms. The man on the throne, Emperor Ganishka, chastises the clan for not having been able to carry out the mission of apprehending Griffith. Ganishka orders them to report Griffith's location, but to leave his apprehension to his army. Silat and the tapasa are dismissed and leave the throne room. The two men are worried that the Kushan army will overshadow them in usefulness. Silat isn't worried, knowing that they will have a chance so long as they keep their eyes on the prize. They comment on the grim situation of the city, with corpses everywhere, an ominous fog and rumors of horrors prowling about. Silat and the Tapasa's conversation ends with them all agreeing that Ganishka is a "dread emperor".

Later, Ganishka sits in an elephant-mounted litter, being brought to the Tower of Rebirth in the presence of his many guards. He makes his way to the top of the Tower and finally into Charlotte's room, where the princess is practicing embroidery in the presence of her handmaiden, Anna. Ganishka orders Anna removed from the room.

Ganishka expresses his disapproval of Charlotte making so many embroideries, which now lay strewn across the room's entire floor and have begun to form high piles. He then moves the conversation, asking Charlotte whether she is ready to bear his child. Charlotte becomes uncomfortable with the prospect of doing so, and won't relent even when Ganishka says that by their having a child together will end the violence between the Kushan Empire and Midland. As such, Ganishka decides to force matters, grabbing Charlotte and throwing her on her bed.

CharlotteEmbroidery

Charlotte's embroideries.

As Ganishka pulls the curtains of the bed back, Charlotte has a flashback of her attempted rape at her father's hands. She cowers and struggles as Ganishka holds her down and attempts to remove her gown, but he stops when she calls out for Griffith. It is only at this moment that Ganishka notices that Charlotte's most recent embroidery project is a depiction of Griffith. He glances around the room, only to see that all of her embroideries depict Griffith. He immediately makes the connection that Charlotte and Griffith are lovers and leaves the room, displaying interest in the relationship.

As Ganishka is escorted back to Wyndham castle's throne room, he reflects on the relationship between apostles and the Falcon of Light; it is akin to drawing near to and being embraced by God. However, Ganishka, as the emperor of the vast and enormously powerful Kushan Empire, thinks himself the owner of the world itself, and he will oppose God personally to have it.

Appearances[]

  1. Silat
  2. Ganishka
  3. Charlotte
  4. Anna
  5. King of Midland (flashback)

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