The next morning, beneath the light of dawn, a weary-looking Guts trudged back toward Yamashita, carrying his greatsword on his shoulder. He headed for the thatched cottage by the river, where the blacksmith Godot lived.
"!!"
"Is that Guts?!"
"Where did you go last night?"
"We went to the cave early this morning to bring you something to eat, but you weren't there!"
"Are you all right?"
Seeing Guts, the youngest warrior in the Band of the Hawk, Rickert, ran toward him from a distance alongside Godot's adopted daughter, Elektra. Rickert had avoided being sacrificed during the Eclipse because he had been separated from Guts and the others. Panting, he fired off question after question.
He hadn't seen Guts since daybreak and had feared something had happened to him. Only now, seeing him return, did Rickert finally feel a little relieved.
"!?"
"G-Guts!"
"Your hand..."
"What's that?"
As he drew closer to Guts, Rickert immediately spotted the golden, flame-shaped mark on the back of the hand that held the greatsword. Surprised and stunned, he asked in a trembling voice.
Even though the mark was gold, it reminded him of the terrible Brand on the back of Guts's neck and on Casca's chest.
"Yeah..."
"It's a demon's mark..."
Guts watched Rickert for a moment, then, without trying to hide it, let out a self-mocking smile and said as much.
"Yikes!"
"A-a demon?!"
Rickert and the little girl beside him, Elektra, were both startled. Elektra's eyes went wide; she covered her mouth and immediately hid behind Rickert.
"That's not true!"
(`^)
"I'm not a demon!"
Before Guts could say anything else to slander her, the troublesome little girl hurriedly bounced out from behind him and shouted in protest.
As it turned out, Annie had been following right behind the tall, broad-shouldered Guts.