The last apostle made a desperate attempt to reach his opponent at least at the cost of his life, but his weapon, perfectly suited for torture, was almost useless in combat, so after only a second he too became a victim of a mad demon killer, to whom the name 'Berserk' suited perfectly.
When four apostles fell, Mozgus was already quite far from the chapel. He hovered over the panicking crowd, spreading his 'holiness'. The embodiment of hatred in the form of red protoplasm did not disappear. Only a small piece chased after Mozgus, while the main mass moved towards the refugees gathered around the fortress, absorbing human emotions and growing. Due to its immense size, this mass began to destroy the walls of the central tower, causing it to tilt. Guts, Farnese, Serpico, and three other 'passengers' were trapped at the top of the tower, trying to escape the falling stones.
At this time, Mozgus descended from the heavens and repelled one of the 'appendages' of demonic energy with his fire. This 'miracle' immediately aroused people's faith, and they fervently began to pray to everything and anything. To those around him, Mozgus appeared as a true angel. He proclaimed that all the heresy happening here was the result of the witch's sorcery, so Casca should be burned at the stake immediately. The crowd immediately rejoiced and began to perform miracles, literally conjuring firewood out of nowhere for the upcoming auto-da-fé.
Isidoro, who had been thrown off Mozgus's back just before this speech, managed to grab onto the edge of the fortress wall, saving himself from falling thirty meters to the ground. He saw that Casca was about to be burned at the stake. Moreover, the burning was supposed to take place right beneath him, near the wall.
When the pyre had already started to burn, Isidoro, gathering courage, descended down the rope, untied Casca, grabbed her, and then his unexpectedly formed helpers dropped a weight attached to the rope, causing the boy and Casca to be lifted up by the pulley. The crowd, of course, became agitated and began to curse the heretics who had disrupted the witch's burning, but all this mass of believers could do nothing. But Mozgus could. Although he had been distracted by the destruction of the demons, after saving Casca, he returned to personally kill her.
While all these events were unfolding, Guts was 'stuck' at the top of the tilting tower in the mass of protoplasm. He tried to break through it, swinging his sword, but it was of little use. At the same time, he knew that Casca was already being burned at the stake ahead, but he couldn't do anything, which plunged him into a state of indescribable rage. It was precisely this moment that I chose to 'help' my ward fully transform into Vritras, freeing himself from mortal human flesh.
What are you fussing about here? - I began to criticize him, floating in the air. - We're going to miss all the interesting parts and only make it in time for the funerals. Stop holding back. Feel the power of the Philosopher's Stone and fully embrace it. While you worry about your pitiful life, how can you save anyone else?
Taking my advice to heart, Guts attempted to feel the 'who-knows-what' and... he succeeded. In this state of powerlessness, he finally took the first step towards mastering psionics - he felt the strength within himself. And he immediately realized that it was his human body that held him back. Consciously accelerating the process of replacing organic matter with immortal flesh of Vritras, he simultaneously began to control his demonic energy, not allowing the crumbling organic matter to weaken him.
After a minute of 'combat meditation,' Guts became completely immortal. Now the demons could no longer harm him. He truly understood that his body was under his control, and the destruction of flesh had no effect because his soul 'held on' to the crystal of the Philosopher's Stone. There was no turning back, so all that was left was to move forward and... slay demons.
This time, rushing forward, Guts passed through the protoplasm like water. There was some resistance, but it hardly hindered him. Emerging free, he witnessed Mozgus attacking Casca. Leaping from the top of the tower, Guts impaled the apostle in mid-air, pinning him to the stones of the fortress wall. However, this only slightly stained the 'angel's' pristine garments, causing no real harm.
The enhanced flesh of the apostle allowed him to withstand the blow, sacrificing his Sacrifice. Ironically, that's exactly what it sounded like. Mozgus's sacrifice was his beloved Bible, which he used to crack many heads. When Guts struck, any damage to the apostle's body was immediately restored, but the book was damaged in return. For someone else, it wouldn't have been a problem at all, but Mozgus flew into a rage at such 'blasphemy,' fully embracing his demonic form.
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At that moment, Guts was distracted because the two remaining inquisitors tried to attack Casca. And once again, Isidro had to strain his ass to save her. The Black Swordsman turned around to rush to the girl's aid, but behind him, Mozgus 'rose up', no longer resembling an angel but an infernal monster, although still having wings.
If Guts were still human, he would have had to turn around to block the blow. But he had already realized his immortality, so he simply ignored one apostle to kill two. A harpoon shot from his left hand, speeding like a bullet and piercing the head of one of the winged inquisitors. But the motion of the harpoon's tip did not stop there. By manipulating the 'cord', Guts directed it towards and pierced through the body of the second inquisitor. Mozgus delivered a powerful blow to Guts' 'defenseless' back, but he only used the momentum given to him to quickly pull the two apostles towards him and cut them into pieces with his sword, ensuring their demise.
"Now, it's your turn!" - The demon killer turned his gaze to the last apostle.
"You can't penetrate my armor. As long as the Lord's strength protec—"
It is unknown how much longer Mozgus intended to talk, but at that moment, Guts lunged forward and struck with all his might. The apostle's body was covered in almost impenetrable armor. It consisted of separate 'scales' that, with a bit of imagination, could be mistaken for feathers. The strength of these scales was so great that they could withstand even Guts' sword strikes. But they couldn't withstand the force of this blow.
Just one strike brought Mozgus to his knees, although technically he remained standing. His knee was literally driven into the stone pavement of the fortress wall. And a deep gash appeared on his 'wing' from which blood seeped.
"How dare you?!!" the apostle exclaimed, trying to strike back and escape the trap, but then he was hit by a waterfall of equally powerful blows.
If Guts had targeted the enemy's vulnerable spots, he would have been dead by now. But instead, he kept delivering one blow after another, not allowing the apostle's 'limbs' to even come close to him. None of these strikes were fatal. Each blow only slightly pierced the armor. But there were so many of these strikes that within seconds, the apostle's entire body turned into a bleeding wound. And with each passing second, his armor became less and less capable of protecting him.
Madly roaring, Mozgus attempted to attack his opponent with his fiery breath, but Guts literally drove the blade of his sword into his mouth and severed the upper part of his head from the rest of his body. The apostle's corpse staggered and fell from the wall, simultaneously igniting in a hot flame that consumed the last hope of the gathered mob below.
While this spectacle of burning witches and battle unfolded, the people paid no attention to their surroundings. And they were mistaken, because these surroundings were filled with demonic protoplasm, which now engulfed the crowd, dissolving them without a trace. There was nowhere to run, and all the people could do was pray to an incomprehensible God, whose usefulness was only slightly better than nothing.
Thousands of deaths and a feast for demons awakened the Brand of Sacrifice on Guts and Casca's bodies. And while the swordsman hardly felt any pain due to the protection of the Vritras body, the girl began to groan and cry, trying to suppress the pain. At that moment, Guts approached her and embraced her. This simple gesture of kindness gave the deranged girl some sense of protection, and she quieted down, hugging him back and closing her eyes.
Unfortunately, this moment of joy and tranquility did not last long. The protoplasm filled the entire area outside the fortress and began to creep inside. Serpico noticed that it was afraid of fire. The still burning corpse of Mozgus formed a safe haven around itself, where a dozen desperate praying refugees stood frozen.
Guts, with his extensive experience in fighting otherworldly creatures, immediately began gathering firewood and suggested waiting for dawn on the fortress wall. The sunlight should dispel the demons, making their current location the most advantageous. The others were immediately inspired by his words and believed that they would survive this night.
But the speech had the greatest impact on Farnese. Alongside Serpico, she had been following in Guts' wake, neither hindering his demon and inquisitor slaughtering nor offering any assistance. Yet, it was thanks to him, not any "holy figures," that she now had a chance at survival.
The demonic mess continued to surge and surge. It engulfed the wall, and only the fire of the torches could somehow deter it, albeit briefly, because this goo had less brains than a paramecium. But the prospect of being saved from demons by burning wood didn't please me at all, so I cast a simple spell on the torches, increasing the speed of their burning. As a result, it quickly became clear that this company would not survive until morning. And while Guts would definitely be fine, Casca and Isidro would be devoured.
The demonic mess continued to surge and engulf everything in its path. It crashed against the fortress walls, and only the flames of the torches could momentarily ward it off. But the creature had less intelligence than a paramecium, so it didn't take long for the flames to lose their effectiveness. The prospect of surviving by burning wood will not bring me any joy at all. So, I cast a simple spell on the torches, enhancing the speed of their burning. It quickly became apparent that this company would not survive until morning. While Guts was sure to be unharmed, Casca and Isidro would be devoured.