"Hell's Angels" is the tenth episode in the Berserk 2016 anime adaptation. It covers manga episodes 158 through 164.
Overview
Luca is spirited away by the mysterious observer, who reveals himself to her as a Beherit-like Apostle self-dubbed the Egg of the Perfect World. The Egg tells Luca his story and his long observation of everyone in Albion, detailing his ideals and the event to soon occur before fleeing from the Skull Knight. The Skull Knight takes Luca to safety as the living mounds of starved corpses rise up. Back in the Tower of Conviction, while the other disciples deal with Guts, Mozgus and the Twins fly off with Casca. While Guts manages to kill Mozgus' disciples, the possessed blood causes the tower to partially collapse with Guts enduring the cave-in to see the chaos unfolding in the slums. Mozgus uses his powers to keep the corpses at bay while the refugees proceed to build a pyre to burn Casca on. Guts sees this while noticing the four senior members of the God Hand manifesting through the blood.
Summary
The Skull Knight facing the mysterious observer.
After saving Luca, who thinks he is the grim reaper, the Skull Knight demands of the mysterious observer to stop hiding and to fight him. Telling the Skull Knight that the living are not welcomed in the burial grounds, the Apostle attacks the Skull Knight before running off with Luca as a hostage. The Skull Knight, deeming that his prey will not get far, is astonished by the form it assumed. When Luca comes to, she finds herself in a small candlelit cave with a makeshift Holy See altar crafted from human remains. Luca then hears a voice telling her that the altar was made from the skin and bones of priests.
The Egg of the Perfect World.
When Luca asks who the mysterious observer is, he explains that he is Nobody and once was an outcast who lived in the outskirts of Albion, hated by people for his deformed appearance. Nobody explains that he found purpose when the hole he made his home in ended up being a place for the people to dump their dead, which nearly made him die, even as the egg-shaped object he had found days before brought five angels before him. Nobody was told by the angels that they would grant his greatest desire in return for something that was dear to him. Nobody offered the bleak world he lived in, to become one to give life to a "perfect world". Thus, says Nobody while revealing himself to Luca as an oversized Beherit on spindly legs, he was reborn as the Egg of the Perfect World. The Apostle explains that nothing occurs in Albion without him bearing witness, including the death count. He even expresses an interest in Nina who, by clinging to Luca, embodies humanity as something that clings to what they both love and hate.
The Bird giving his mentor time to proceed with Casca's death.
Back at the Tower of Conviction, Guts is being overwhelmed by the teamwork of Mozgus' Disciples before he manages to counterattack. Watching Guts battle Angel Face, Farnese has an epiphany: Guts' actions are opening her eyes to the truth that everything she believed in is a farce. Like Isidro, whom Jerome is holding back, Mozgus is eager to join the fight. However, the Bird urges his mentor to execute Casca, having the Twins accompany the inquisitor while he remains to deal with Guts by using his newly gained powers.
The Skull Knight unintentionally destroying the altar.
Meanwhile, admitting that he played a hand in certain events, the Egg explains to Luca that what is to happen has been long ordinated and cannot be stopped. He even explains that Luca's action to bring Casca to Albion was part of this grand design. Luca then asks why the Apostle is revealing all of this information. However, before the Egg can answer, realizing that he wanted someone to know he existed, the Apostle is forced to run when the Skull Knight attempts to kill him but destroys the altar instead. Realizing that the Egg is protected by causality, the Skull Knight is confronted by Luca as she demands to know what is going on. Yet, the Skull Knight advises her to not get involved in this matter.
The Skull Knight and Luca happen upon an animated mass of corpses.
Suddenly, the ground begins to shake and the Skull Knight quickly takes the Egg's Beherit and takes Luca out of the cave before it collapses. Though Luca thanks him for saving her life, the Skull Knight tells her not to as they see the first of several hill-sized mounds of human corpses taking form. With Luca comparing the site to the animated blood from the tower, the Skull Knight silently acknowledges that all of the signs point to the event that will soon be at hand. Soon after, the Skull Knight spirits Luca out of harm's way while the Egg is lying on a rocky slope.
Guts allows himself to be hit so that he may strike the killing blow.
Back in the tower, as Mozgus flies off with Isidro grabbing him by his head, the Bird and the other disciples use their weapons to restrain Guts, before they proceed to attempt to execute him with Farnese, Jerome, and Nina looking on. Guts, despite being heavily wounded, manages to kill Angel Face and the Imp before luring the Bird to him and mortally wounding him. In his final moments, the disciple sinks to his knees and prays in gratitude for meeting Mozgus and seeing God's miracle in the end. Guts was about to leave when, due to the possessed blood forcing itself out while displacing the bricks, the tower begins to shake. Then, as Serpico appears to save Farnese, the entire upper floor collapses into a hand-like formation.
The "festival" that the Skull Knight predicted in full swing.
In the slums, seeing the tower under the moonlight, Pepe, Fouquet and Lucie fear for Luca's safety before seeing possessed people slaughtering everyone within reach while setting tents on fire. Those who survive assume it to be the doing of the pagans and flee towards the Tower of Conviction while Azan, concerned by Farnese's whereabouts, leads the injured away from the tower. While these events are unfolding, Azan compares them to those of the pagans' cave. Guts, having survived the tower's cave-in, sees a giant Brand of Sacrifice formed by the tents' fires and notices that the area looks like the Field during the Eclipse.
Semi-corporeal versions of the God Hand appear at Albion.
Back on the ground, everyone sees the hills of corpses approaching Albion and is about to attack the Holy Iron Chain Knights, when Mozgus uses his flames to engulf the main bulbous mass along with the possessed refugees. Tossing Isidro off of him and declaring his appearance to be God's work, Mozgus assures the people that they will be saved as he tells them that Casca is the cause of their suffering and that she must be burned at the stake. As Mozgus and his remaining disciples deal with the possessed dead, Azan following suit out of a need to protect the refugees as they grab Casca and drag her towards a pyre being assembled. Seeing his nightmare becoming a reality from atop the tower, Guts spots four masses of possessed blood forming. Guts realizes that these masses represent the four senior members of the God Hand.
Moved by his wrath upon seeing the God Hand, Guts attempts to strike down Void, only to remember the Skull Knight's words that they are incorporeal while noting Griffith is not among them. But hearing the increased yelling of the refugees having finished the pyre, Guts decides to ignore the God Hand and to reach Casca by fighting his way through the spirits.
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Jerome, Puck, Isidro, Casca, Serpico and Farnese all gasp at the battle between Mozgus and Guts, while Guts remarks that the events of the Eclipse are happening again. Guts looks up, blood smeared across his face before asking if it'll also end the same way as before too. Mozgus stands before Guts, now in a demonic, scaled form while Puck tells Isidro to witness his ultimate attack. Serpico looks up and opens his eyes, remarking that he must leave. Mozgus lectures Guts before calling upon his "divine" power to finish the Black Swordsman.
Characters in Order of Appearance
- Skull Knight
- Luca
- Egg of the Perfect World (First full appearance)
- Guts
- The Angel Face (Pseudo-Apostle Form) (Death)
- The Imp (Pseudo-Apostle Form) (Death)
- The Bubblehead (Pseudo-Apostle Form) (Death)
- Isidro
- Puck
- Jerome
- The Bird (Pseudo-Apostle Form) (Death)
- Mozgus (Pseudo-Apostle Form)
- Casca
- Farnese
- Nina
- The Twins (Pseudo-Apostle Form)
- Griffith (Appears in flashback(s))
- Abbot of the Tower
- Azan
- Lucie
- Fouquet
- Pepe
- Void (Avatar)
- Ubik (Avatar)
- Slan (Avatar)
- Conrad (Avatar)
- Beast of Darkness (Glimpse)
- Femto (Appears in flashback(s))
Manga/Anime Differences
- The Imp's death is heavily censored.
| Conviction Arc | |
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| Manga Episodes |
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| Volumes |
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| Chapters | |
| 2016 Episodes | |
| Other Media | |