“Jumping Fish”

“Jumping Fish”
Installment	Berserk, volume 21, episode 166, 20 pages
Story arc	Conviction Arc
Previous	"Shadow of Idea (3)"
Next	"Monstrous Priest (1)"

"Jumping Fish" is episode 166 of the Berserk manga series.

Synopsis

Isidro and Puck watch from Albion's outer wall as the refugees close in on the restrained Casca. As Isidro searches around for a way to help her, Puck notices Jerome, Nina, Serpico and Farnese emerge from the rubble of the Tower of Conviction onto the outer wall, having somehow managed to climb down the nearly destroyed Tower.

Jerome is holding Nina by her arm, putting on the false front of still being allied with the Holy Iron Chain Knights so as to keep up appearances with Serpico and Farnese. His ruse is shattered by Isidro, who humorously calls out to Jerome and asks for his help. The knight grabs Nina by her waist and runs off, fearing for his life, but Serpico and Farnese do not give chase.

Down below, Casca is tightly bound to the tall wooden pillar, unable to move. She is terrified by the refugees who crowd her and scream in her face, having flashbacks of the ordeal she went through during the Eclipse. Seeing that everything is in place, the flying Mozgus orders that the refugees to set Casca alight.

From the top of the Tower and between the swings of his sword, Guts watches as the pile of wood beneath Casca's feet goes up in flames, and she herself will be consumed in only a few moments. More desperate than ever to descend the Tower, Guts charges directly at the spirits in front of him, which have combined into a single enormous blob.

Guts takes to sprinting directly down the Tower of Conviction to save Casca from Mozgus.

Isidro and Jerome have come up with a plan. Together, they have found a long slab of wood and a rope. Jerome holds the wood steady as it is stuck out over the edge of the wall. Isidro, who has the rope tied around his waist, stands on the edge of the wooden board as though it were a diving board. For the second time in two days, a terrified Isidro bungees down to ground level, directly next to Casca. He cuts her bindings with his dagger and wraps his arms around her waist. Nina pushes a large rock that has the other end of Isidro's rope tied around it off the wall. It acts as Isidro's counterweight, sending him and Casca high into the air, safe from the flames, and back onto the wall.

Mozgus has watched their whole rescue operation and becomes enraged. He swoops down, hoping to catch Casca and bring her back to the refugees, but Isidro notices the inquisitor flying closer and pushes her to the floor, making Mozgus miss his target. Mozgus returns to an upright position a few feet from the nearly vertical surface that is the wall of the Tower of Conviction. Though he speaks, Isidro, Jerome, Nina, Serpico and Farnese's attention is drawn to a small black shape above him.

Having gotten through the blob of spirits, Guts sprints directly down the only-slightly-tilted wall of the Tower of Conviction and impales Mozgus on the Dragon Slayer.