Berserk 2 continues the Slug Count encounter of the Black Swordsman arc. We get a little more backstory about Guts, showing that in addition to being inhumanly strong, he is a master swordsman, able to perfectly deflect attacks moving so fast they can’t be seen. This surprises Puck, who thought up until now that Guts operated based only on brute strength.
Guts makes his way into the Slug Count’s lair, fighting against him and insurmountable odds. This is one of the first times you see a constant theme in Berserk: Guts’ veritable invulnerability. He gets slammed all over the place, he spews blood over and over, and he responds to this punishment by fighting with a broken hand and broken legs, to the point where he even holds his sword with his teeth mid-attack. Honestly, this sort of stuff is stupid, and while Guts continues to be a superhuman in the Golden Age arc, it becomes a little less ridiculous, with Guts being significantly more human.
The highlight of this volume is the first appearance of the God Hand. It takes place in an Escher like environment, giving an immediate sense of unreality. Guts immediately responds to one of the monsters, calling him Griffith and trying to attack him at great physical cost. This is one of the first hints of the greater story in Berserk, which is genuinely good.
Same caveats as before: no full recommendation simply because of the intensity of this content.