Guts, the Black Swordsman, and his companions have finally broken free of the monster-infested wilderness and arrived at the port city of Vritannis. But the band finds out all too quickly that humans can be just as monstrous as the nightmarish creatures and apostles they battled in the forest. As Schierke and Isidro face off against pirate slavers, Farnese's power-hungry family tries to force her once again under the yoke of their political ambitions. Berserk is a manga series by Kentaro Miura. Set in a dark fantasy world, the story centers on the characters of Guts and Griffith, members of a mercenary band called the "Band of the Hawk". Manga are graphic novels originating from Japan. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics and cartooning. Outside of Japan, the word is typically used to refer to comics originally published in the country.