Updating to latest manjaro release results in (potentially) corrupting kernel image

That may be part of the problem. To install Manjaro as UEFI the Installer medium (in your case Ventoy) must also boot as UEFI. See [HowTo] Create a Ventoy USB to launch Manjaro (and other) ISO’s.

It’s possible to inadvertantly create a hybrid booting system which is booting similar to MBR, but using a GPT partitioning scheme. Whether that’s the case here, I can’t say.

When installing Manjaro as UEFI using Calamares (the Manjaro installer) an $ESP is created on the Manjaro disk (usually the first partition) - yours is absent, as you have shown by way of the image you posted.

Your Windows version on nvme1n1 appears to be booting as UEFI (presumed by virtue of an $ESP being on your Windows disk). The second Windows installation (on sda) is harder to guage, but it looks like both Windows are sharing the one $ESP.

Never use fsck on an M$ NTFS file system. There is only one reliable tool for checking/repairing NTFS - Microsoft’s own tool chkdsk - from an elevated command prompt run:

chkdsk /f c:

Please see [Primer] NTFS on Linux.

Your existing $ESP (on the Windows disk) was extrapolated from the inxi output you finally gave us. As mentioned, the disk you have installed Manjaro to - the same disk as the screenshot you gave us - has no $ESP at all.

There are none so blind as those who will not see:wink:
A famous quote from some historical figure; maybe it was an :alien: who can say?!


Most of this was more or less informational; I’m no closer to understanding precisely what the issue is.

However;

It seems apparent there are inconsistencies with the way you have your system(s) setup. If it were me, I’d consider doing just that “starting from scratch” - it’s certainly faster.

I’ll note that if you are likely to do that anyway, it would also save a lot of potentially wasted time and effort on the part of those wishing to help.

Let us know your plans.

Regards.