"Mortal Combat (1)" is episode 65 of the Berserk manga series.
Synopsis[]
Wyald, no longer enjoying the fight, moves to strike Guts. The latter, filled with fear, wills his body into action and dodges the attack. He shoves the blade of his sword into Wyald's monster mouth, and pulls it out with a swing, injuring Wyald. He dodges yet more punches and kicks dealt by the giant, and when the opportunity presents itself, he slashes at its legs, forcing it down.
To everyone's amazement, Guts is fighting the gigantic Wyald by himself and winning. He jumps up on Wyald's body and drives his sword into the gorilla body's abdomen, but its arms clap together, trapping Guts between them. Wyald throws Guts once again into the canopy of leaves, and Guts destroys every branch his body collides with. The impact of the final landing on the ground makes him spit up blood.
Guts' victory is ultimately short-lived. Wyald jumps, and he lands on the ground only inches from Guts, flinging him up off the ground. While he's in the air, Wyald swats at him with the back of his enormous hand, sending Guts flying into a particularly thick tree branch, where he hangs limply above the ground. The band members realize he's been utterly defeated, and begin to wonder whether or not he is dead. Griffith struggles to get to Guts, despite not being able to walk on his own. His determination is such that his mouth begins to bleed.
Hanging from the tree, Guts has a flashback of his time training at the foot of the waterfall with Erica. She had just sent another volley of logs over the falls at him, and he had broken bones to show for it. She had asked why he trains so hard when, in her mind, his only opponents are humans. Guts had thought back to Zodd, an unbeatable opponent to any regular person. She had asked whether or not he wanted to face the monster Zodd in battle once again. When he replied he wasn't sure, she told him that any monster would be able to beat him. Again, he wasn't so sure.
Guts inflicts a severe injury compared to the previous ones Wyald has sustained.
Guts springs back awake in the tree just as Wyald is going to grab his body. He slashes upward, cutting through the giant's center eye and the smaller Wyald's torso. Guts falls to the ground as Wyald clutches his wounds. He makes another attempt to kill Guts, who slashes at the giant's hand.
As Guts' broken body stands before the injured Wyald, the latter decides he's had enough of playing around, and will dedicate the rest of the battle to killing Guts, who is determined to fight until the end.