Martyrdom

Held motionless under threat to his last eye, his arms locked by the claw and pliers disciples, Guts can only watch Mozgus fly from the tower with the twins and the captive Casca, Isidro clinging to the inquisitor's head. The four disciples who remain condemn the swordsman to death by the wheel for raising his hand against a clergyman, and the largest drives its weapon into his stomach, then hurls him through a column and into the far wall with a second blow.

Dragged upright by the claw disciple, Guts faces a finishing swing he can neither survive nor evade, so he levels his prosthetic arm and bites the hidden trigger; the hand folds down and fires a cannonball clean through the disciple's belly. The dying blow still launches him into the air toward the claw-wielder, whom he splits in two mid-spin with the Dragon Slayer, appalling Jerome, traumatizing Nina, and unnerving Farnese at his willingness to take a hit to win. He then blows half the face off the charging pliers disciple with thrown explosives and runs it through.

Only the crow-man remains, and Guts waits out its final prayer before it raises its collar-spear and charges, loosing feathers at his face. He refuses to flinch, letting the spines bury themselves and the collar coil around his throat, then swings once to snap the spear and open the creature's neck; it sinks down praying as it dies. Pulling the collar and feathers free, Guts turns toward the stairs, pausing only to meet the tearful gaze of Farnese before a violent earthquake cracks the walls and shakes bricks loose.

Part of the Conviction Arc, the chapter ran in Young Animal issue 10 on May 12, 2000. It resolves Guts' battle against Mozgus' disciples through his cannon arm and explosives and underscores Farnese's fixation on him, closing on the tremor that heralds the tower's ruin. The Crow, Guts, the Imp, the Bubblehead, Jerome, Nina, Farnese, Mozgus, Casca, the Twins, Puck, and Isidro appear.