Morning of Departure (2)

Griffith presses Guts on whether he truly intends to walk away from the band, and Guts holds firm. Rickert begs him to stay, while Judeau accepts that the choice belongs to Guts alone and refuses to stand in his way. Corkus, however, storms up and unloads years of resentment, admitting he has long nursed a quiet loathing for Guts and even toyed with the idea of stabbing him in the back mid-battle. He pins his dislike on Guts' perpetual scowl and caps the outburst by sneering that Guts could never measure up to Griffith.

Guts thanks his comrades for the time they shared. He glances at Casca, turning over Judeau's earlier words about her in his mind, then offers only a silent smile before moving past her toward the exit. His way is blocked once more, this time by Griffith with his blade unsheathed.

Griffith reminds Guts that he earned his loyalty through a duel and expects him to buy back his freedom the same way. Wishing they could have parted with nothing more than a goodbye, Guts draws his sword as it catches the early light. Casca throws herself between the two men and begs them to lower their weapons, but Guts orders her aside and Pippin drags her clear. When she demands the others intervene, Judeau reminds her that mercenaries live by a simple creed: what the sword takes, the sword must reclaim. Recalling Griffith's words to Charlotte by the fountain, Guts steels his resolve, and Judeau notes privately that Guts' many reckless feats have sharpened him to the point where he and an off-balance Griffith stand as equals.

This installment belongs to the Golden Age Arc and sets up the pivotal duel between Guts and Griffith.