Chapter 12

River of Life (命の川, Inochi no Kawa) is the twelfth chapter of the Trigun manga. It is also the final chapter of the first volume of the Shōnen Gahōsha release.

Summary
Morgan issues a final warning, which Gramps had nothing to do with. Meryl is ready to go down guns blazing in glory, but Milly stops her, and they realize they’re really in over their head. Meryl starts to go to pieces, seeing the parallels between herself and her parents and gramps and his son. She pulls herself together just in time for the third attack. The other men are wounded, and gramps relieves them of their duties before they get killed before going off himself to face off with Morgan and Patricia. Badwick freaks out, worrying about his father and realizing that if they deal with the deed in town that they won’t have any trouble. Granny wallops him with a ladle.

Morgan offers gramps a check for the land. Gramps shoots it out of his hand, claiming witnesses to his death if Morgan were to try anything. Morgan says there will be no witnesses, and Milly and Meryl step up again, armed and ready, though no one thinks they can do much with their weapons.

Badwick bolts out the back of the house on a motorcycle. Patricia reacts and tosses one of her boys. Meryl takes a shot at him, and he spirals out of control, missing Badwick and crashing out hard. Everyone’s shocked, Meryl most of all. No one notices Vash, where he was still hiding in the barrel, blow the smoke off the gun and claim the debt from the sandsteamer repaid.

Milly is all over the effect, now threatening the men to stand down. Meryl is still trying to figure it out. Morgan, calling the bluff, orders another attack, but the Nebraskas flee. Granny comes out saying that Badwick took the deed when he left. Gramps thanks Meryl for making him realize that he must let his child live his own life, which strikes a chord with her.

Badwick, who’s been riding all night, pauses for a minute and toys with the idea of tearing up the deed. Instead he turns it in to town. As he turns to leave, they stop him. Turns out the deed was signed over to him.

Meryl and Milly are fleeing to whatever to be on time. Meryl pauses to drop a letter in the mailbox, relieved.