Episode 316 (Manga)

“Full Moon (1)”
Installment	Berserk, volume 36, episode 316, 22 pages
Story arc	Fantasia Arc
Publication	Young Animal No. 21, 22 October 2010
Previous	"Tentacled Ship"
Next	"Full Moon (2)"

"Full Moon (1)" is episode 316 of the Berserk manga series.

Synopsis

Isma voices her concerns for the villagers, wondering if they are safe. Two children approach, and Isma recognizes them as two of the villagers who teased her about her parentage. Isma runs towards them, but Schierke has recognized the children for what they are: disguised tentacles. The tentacles revert to their true forms and prepare to attack Isma, but Isidro swoops in and attacks them both simultaneously. Schierke finishes them off with her fiery hair attack, its powers amplified by the full moon.

Schierke explains to Isma that tentacles are transformed humans, and relays the news that she cannot sense other humans in the village, besides Guts and his party. When Isidro wonders why Isma was the only island inhabitant that was spared by the sea slugs, Schierke reveals that the decoration left to Isma by her mother truly does have evil-repelling powers and that Isma was unknowingly saved by them. Isma sinks to her knees, saying that while she was not fond of the villagers, she did not wish death to them, and the fact that she truly is the only inhabitant of the island begins to sink in.

Isidro instructs Isma to remain where she is while he descends to the village to help in the fight. Schierke ruins his attempt at impressing Isma by pointing out that he'd only get in Guts' way. She explains that Guts has gone berserk and that he now has trouble distinguishing friend from foe. Isidro asks how Guts was able to control himself in Vritannis, and Schierke reveals to him that she'd been drawn into the Berserker Armor, where she was able to help Guts remain sane.

Schierke requests that Isidro and Isma guard her body while she attempts to recall Guts' mind. She summons her luminous body and flies directly at Guts, but the Berserker Armor prevents her from entering his mind; Schierke's consciousness is forced back into her body.

Guts' mind is lost to the Beast of Darkness.

Guts begins a relentless massacre of the tentacles, and Bonebeard begins to panic at his lack of control over the situation. Casca suddenly notices something away from the battle and runs off, Farnese close behind. A giant sea slug falls directly behind Farnese, preventing Serpico from following the girls.

Guts notices the girls as they run by. Farnese protects Casca from several smaller tentacles as they make their way to what it was that Casca saw. Casca hugs it protectively as a sea slug rounds on her, but it is killed by Guts. Standing on the slug's corpse, Guts stares at Casca.

Farnese recognizes that Guts has just saved Casca from death, and wonders whether he is currently lucid. She is warned not to approach by Schierke, who has come down to the village with Isidro and Isma. Serpico quickly places himself protectively between Guts and the rest of the group. Guts stares at their silhouetted forms, and he hears conflicting voices over whether or not to attack them.

Guts then begins to hear another voice, this one coming from Casca's direction. Instead of seeing her as a silhouette, Guts is able to see Casca clearly, but it is not her voice he hears; it is the voice of the flame-creature that appeared to him on the beach outside Vritannis. It reaches out to touch his chest.