KING OF SWORDS 10-140
Chapter: 10
“Remember, oh student, this above all other laws: the grip of a sword is suffused with a deep and powerful poison that rots to the bone. It can never be rid of once touched, no matter how much you wish otherwise.
The sword does not kill. The hand kills. The hand is the most beautiful part of a human being, and is capable of nearly infinitely other things than parting men from their ghosts. Once you touch the sword, a terrible tragedy will occur, and your hand will slowly lose this ability. Over time, it will cease to be a hand, and become a sword.”
Ryo-ten-Ryam
Oh my, this certainly is awkard.
In case somebody doubted it: ZOSS NEVER LEFT AND THE DEMIURGES ARE TERRIFIED OF HIM. Well, one of them at least.
Only she can save herself
Indeed; it’s a poor king who does not trust his generals.
More than that: It is a poor king who picks generals who cannot be trusted.
She can only overcome her destiny by meeting it head on.
Her name must be fulfilled. She cannot Return until she has been banished.
To be fair to Incubus, only one such as Jadis, who has peered at the universe sideways and gained the terrible, perfect knowledge of its shape can trily know when exactly Zoss is going to show up with the latest book’s title drop.
Could this be labeled a family reunion of sorts? I certainly find it funny enough to be one!
The universe works itself to us through a divine comedy which we are too stupid to laugh at. I say that if you find it funny, then perhaps, unlike most things, it is true!
GOGGER-OH SHIT ITS HIM
Welp. She is in the right direction enough that Zoss can do a little push.
It is in this moment that this one thinks on the fourteenth precept of Sword Law:
“The weak swordsman clings to victory. He thinks of his life, his obligations, the outcome of the battle, his hatred for his opponent, his training, his pride in his mastery. By doing so, he is an imperfect vessel for the terrible fires of Will. He will surely crack.”
Even with his power, the Bearer of the Word 「Flame」 yet remains weak. See the cracks appearing in his facade!
The first precept of Sword Law:
“The perfect sword is the one which is never used.”
Perfection is overrated.
But never undervalued …
So they all keep REMINDING HIM!
Really now, this guy is way in over his head. He’s done goofed. He’s lost and forever unfounded. He’s just some idiot in an idiot hairdo. He’s the kid that will cry wolf, except he’s made a deal with the wolf so they can do war after the wolf has eaten everybody else in the village. He wants to win by killing the universe.
And that is what he thinks means winning.
Boy oh boy could I teach him a thing or two, and I’m just a funny drunkard.
Incubus studied under Meti – I do not think the wording is a coincidence.
Firstly, attending to Zoss’s appearance alive. It bears mentioning, that once you are [strong] enough, death is less a truth and more an opinion that you can pleasantly disagree with. As the demiurges have been more obsessed with violence than Strength, I imagine none of them have the option as much.
Secondly, on the topic of Strength, someone corrected me a bit ago and said that Strength was about the ability to Choose, and actually yes that is correct. More than the ability to leave people alive when you could kill them, Strength is about the ability to have that Choice, to say “I have options.” The weak are those without options; if a weakling lets someone live, perhaps the weakling thinks it will cause others to think less of said weakling, or perhaps the weakling is afraid that the someone will come back stronger, strong enough to kill that weakling in turn. Mother Om was rather clear when we and Allison Ruth met her, about her awareness of just how weak she is. Solomon, conversely, gleams so bright as to be blind to the unbranching isolation of the path that inexorably marches toward whatever end awaits him. I do not blame the Demiurges, though, since violence has been the flavor of the day so many days in a row that it’s become easy to forget that Strength, the Strength to Choose, is even a thing. I myself prefer to choose life over death when I can, but as a mercenary I know how weak I ultimately am.
Thirdly, and most pressingly, I would like to take a moment to point out the emphasis in Zoss’s last statement. YOU cannot save her. He did not say “she cannot be saved.” Key differences. It pays to pay attention to words.
Does Solomon contemplate other options, though? A man who sees no alternatives is as weak as the man who has no options, is he not?
Accepting the cost of one’s choices is an aspect of strength, I believe. Om had it not. Incubus certainly lacks it, as Solomon. White Chain, though… White Chain has broken her personal wheel. White Chain has subdued the evil of her own lack of choices by choosing. White Chain has surrendered, she has ceased to seek victory, and has found her strength as a result.
Allison may yet find it.
As the old saying goes, sometimes every choice is the wrong one. But the choice White Chain has made means that she is at peace with any outcome.
If one is damned if they do and damned if they do not, surely there is at least some measure of pride in the choosing?
If one is damned no matter one does, that means one can do whatever they want and the consequences will be the same regardless. So why not become a monster if you will bear the consequences either way? To be damned regardless of what you do is the ultimate freedom since you no longer need to bear the responsibility of choosing your actions.
But this makes you no more than an animal since they don’t bear responsibility for their actions either.
“*You* cannot save her.” Not “She cannot be saved”, but that it is a thing that cannot be directly controlled. Curious.
There is a chance for the world yet.
You cannot save her, though. She is doomed. As the world. As you yourself are.
Destroy the enemy called I.
More booze?
Ah, I spot a fool who speaks truths. Drink deeply of the spirits, friend.
I am reminded of the story of Ant and Cicada, wherein Cicada has spent the summer months singing to the heavens and producing joy for himself and others, only to be forced to beg for food from his neighbor, Ant, when food becomes scarce. Ant, being a miserly idiot, keeps the spoils of the work of himself and his family to himself, and Cicada dies of starvation.
Of course, most forget the part where male ants’ lifespans stretch for but weeks. For all his food, Ant dies the same, with less happiness in his life than humble Cicada. It is a monstrous tragedy, just as all fables are.
Why would one fear doom? Is it not the one thing in our doomed lives that we can count on? When doom comes, greet it as one does an old friend. Why, if I had only known doom was coming so soon, I’d have baked it a cake. Shame it so rarely announces itself.
But, consider: Cicada dies begging and likely cursing himself for a fool who was forced to beg. Ant died knowing that his family would have the food he had gathered, and so survive even without him. Since that was Ant’s goal, and thus his condition for happiness, Ant died happy.
So, unless one can know for certain whether the happiness that Cicada had while alive was greater than that of both Ant *and* his family at the survival of said family, one cannot say who died better.
Well spoken. Yes, looking back on it, it was admittedly not the best of my takes. I am blighted with bad takes. A chronic disease, I think. I aspired once to belligerence, but this disease kept me from joining the order. That, and my complete ineptness with every weapon or art that has had the misfortune of being wielded by me.
Still, I suppose the conclusion stands that it is a monstrous tale, as fables are. The choice presented, one between living unhappily today to die happily tomorrow and living happily today only to die unhappily tomorrow, is terrible. And, as I am foolish enough to hope, it is a false one. The choice is hardly binary; many live unhappily and die unhappily, after all!
There is another version of the tale told once to me, wherein Ant invites Cicada in. “Sing for me and my family and my friends,” Ant tells his neighbor, “bring joy to us as you have in the past and I will see that you do not starve.” And so, Ant and Cicada live happily and die happily.
I think this is an ending I much prefer. It is not a perfect one, but it is one which allows the possibility that suffering need not be the constant companion of joy. Being not belligerent, I am foolish enough to hope for as much.
Fate is ALWAYS under direct control despite Fortuna’s best efforts to distract us with her wheel, but one of the key components to achieving true Strength is to realise when a give fate is beyond YOUR ability to control. Contrary to the demiurge’s belief (and what a fantastic plane to make this point upon) the suns do not rise because they wish them to. The weight of the world is divided between the fulcrum which you can control, and the vast bulk which you can not.
Grasp the lever. Flip The Wheel.
*She* can save her, or she can perish. This is the way of things.
“Relinquish your foolish delusions of control. You cling too much to victory.”
Alison can’t expect to go in and fix everything personally, and she can’t expect to win by simply defeating every enemy. Some tasks have to be entrusted to others, and some obstacles have to be avoided or made irrelevant rather than overcome.
True. To win strategically, she has to keep Jagganoth from destroying everything, and (allegedly) she can’t do that by fighting him. She will have to talk him down (flashback: talking to the Bomb in Dark Star). I believe that this is why Zoss chose her, since she is a philosopher.
Leakybrains been done a lotta act-now-think-laters tho. What be markin she as moreover philosophist than gungho? Is startin change a bitsome now.
She has a degree in philosophy.
😀 Aye she does dun’t she! Uttersome forgots. Easy done, studied mayhap tho nae oversome display’d.
Is that a reference to Grigorii from Dragon’s Dogma? One of my fave villain monologues there, and from another story of an Ever-turning Wheel no less…
Does Zoss mean for Allison to ultimately subdue him as well?
It also sounds a lot like a “As you are now, you cannot.”
My master once said to me: “Whenever you have a problem which you cannot solve, make it someone else’s problem. If they cannot solve it, they will make it yet another person’s problem, and so on, until one way or another the thing is done.”
It is a fundamental truth concerning power/weakness, which I think applies just as well to kings as to bureaucrats.
does your master work in a call centre?
Is it just me, or does Zoss’s body look an awful lot like that of an angel? At the very least, his body has the same artificially articulated look that the more recent angel from the tourney did, and his right hand has a hole clean through it that doesn’t seem to show anything within, as armor would.
Zoss is known to wear an angel’s shell as armor, despite the shell not being made for such purpose. As for the holes, he is quite dead. I don’t imagine any particular holes could bother him any more than having his head cut off did.
I’d be happy with Dream-Allison coming around to share White Chain’s armor with her, inspired by Zoss’s fashion of course. Perhaps that’s the same as putting a devil-mask on.
Somewhere it was mentioned that one of his arms is a prosthetic. Though what is an arm but a way to manifest one’s will upon the world? I feel that Zoss has that covered.
Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust into my side: and be not faithless, but believing
Reach hither thy hand, and pull my finger, and behold.
(sorry)
Do not apologize for greatness!
I think his entire body is prosthetic now, save for his head. Seems he’s had practice with replacing body parts, and practice led to complete mastery.
Well, he WAS decapitated at the start of K6BD.
Or was that the end? The distinction between endings and beginnings can be so blurry at times.
A, a friend like myself.
Fucking finally old man, better late than never eh?
It is said that a Wizard never arrives late, or early. He arrives precisely when he means to.
Wonder if the same is true of kings. Then again, who was Hermes Trismegistus but the Greatest Philosopher and the Greatest Priest and the Greatest King?
Ah yes the Wizard and those of similar ilk always arrive exactly when THEY want to. Not necessarily when they NEED to or the moment for the BEST outcome for all. Oh NO that is something completely different and AVOIDED by all but a few, if any.
Sorry Incy my friend, but when it comes it comes to the Zoss.
H E ‘ S A L R E A D Y H E R E
Zoss was here all along, yes.
So, Incubus, how do you expect to outrun the old man?
I smell a reference
you schnoz would be right
S U C K E R S
Indeed, for the Rising King is an excellent host.
[S] Rising King: Ascend
Death means little to an angel and defeat means little more.
Just wait and build White Chain a new body, sometimes a controlled loss is more valuable than a pyrrhic victory, usually even.
Dignity, self-respect, and being true to yourself mean much more.
Solomon David may win the duel, but he can never defeat White Chain.
Why build a new vessel with untrained hand and questionable matereal when one can become the vessel?
Oh my what wild speculations run streaking through ones imagination.
What would be the physical manifestation of our triumvirate of travelling companions if they become one in body and three souls?
They say Royalty is a continuous cutting motion, more or less, and none were more adept in it than the gods and man. But what of the sword itself? What if it too, could walk the path?
Angels were the swords of gods borne against those who transgressed. Now it is time for White Chain to master her own keen edge!
Reach Heaven Through Violence!
Any magician or sword smith knows that every sword has a spirit. Some sword may even dance on their own.
Sword spirits are prone to shift as the will of their wilder and the laments of the severed cling tightly to them. In time each grows to become a mirror of sorts, reflecting the time and circumstances it once served in. They are also stubborn spirits, refusing to change for subsequent weilders until their story grows enough to entirely consume that if its last master. While all are unique, they are still, ultimately, a blade that cuts, and so caution is a must with their kind.
I’ve taken the effort to gather several blades, purely for the spirits they hold within. At the same time, I dare not draw them.
I KNEW someone would quote it! You quoted both of them!
Hear this and know it well: The EDGE OF TRUTH is the infinite edge that cuts all edges and passes through all things that exist, whether illusion or real. Making war against Truth is deadly, for it will always make you weak. Truth, therefore, is a sword of authority that even kings must bow to. Instead, acknowledge illusion, and CREATE Truth if you can.
Once one has made peace with the truth, even if it is one’s own creation thereof, then that peace begins to create Heaven. Who cares then if the truth is violent? Peace will bring Heaven regardless.
Peace! Wisdom! Emptiness!
And when the moment comes…
TRUTH.
“Power is justice, and the only Truth.” -Gokui/Akuma
Excellent page. Incubus’s shock, that knowledge drop, Zoss! *chef kiss*
Also, love the the text about the shifting role of a hand to a sword…
Not seeing any text relating shifting hands to swords.
Said text is the quote from Ryo-ten-Ryam.
It is said that Death is but a doorway, and Time is but a window. Zoss is back.
Another teacher who has yet to learn his own lesson. Let go Zoss. Let go of the wheel. Let go of the wheel on which you continue to crush us all.
“You’ve got to let go, Zoss. The Universal War wasn’t your fault.”
You cannot have my pain.
im glad his head hole seems to be healing well
way to make a badass entrance
Return of the King
I wonder what Auntie Maya’s been doing. We haven’t heard from her at all since the tournament started, even though the rest of the parade of fools made an appearance…
This raise so many questions, that last sentence “you cannot save her”, so who can?
– WC can save herself
– WC can’t be saved in this exact moment, she needs to let go of her current shell, fight what she belives in and have a new one more fit to her current persona, she can’t die anyway
– maybe “they” can save her like Allison and Cio combining with White Chain as triple fusion but would not break the rule of one participant
– or Zoss mean that other old angel who is still in the running
“– maybe “they” can save her like Allison and Cio combining with White Chain as triple fusion but would not break the rule of one participant”
Kings make the rules, they don’t follow them. Or in other words, the choices Solomon has given aren’t the only ones possible. (Notice, too, how Solomon saw fit to change the rules of the game as he pleased. Allison should do the same.)
Breaking Solomon’s rules will probably benefit him, although he’ll probably be too angry to realize it.
The title drop.
The King of Swords.
Incubus.
Incubus is a mere pretender. They true King of Swords does not sit on a throne or even command a kingdom. She even heartily refuses that she has an apprentice in the fool following her around.
A true king needs not defend the throne.
One may speculate that the true King of Swords shall become an even truer king, perhaps the truest, by actively denying a throne.
At some point, and I have to say it is taking them a remarkably long time, one of the demiurges will realise that Zoss regards Allison as his heir.
I expect they may be a little upset about this.
But Incubus already knew, and said so to Jagganoth. Jadis presumably knows too since she knows everything.
Incubus is dismayed at the thought that Allison may be something other than Zoss’ heir.
There’s also a VERY strong implication that Zoss has been looping events to try and break the cycle. It would appear that, before this, he was choosing Zaid. Juggernaut Star is obsessed with Zaid because he’s the “proper” heir.
Kant and Bentham in a bout
One Foot takes the trolley out.
It’s the taking part that counts.
Hard to keep feeling superior and magnetic and infectious when the god of pretty much everything shows up.
Also in my head he sounds like Kratos.
100% Agreed. Zoss is voiced by Kratos. This must be.
“Close your heart to it GURL.”
OK, that makes it the first time someone other than Allison has seen Zoss, which means that he’s definitely real and not some phantom of Allison’s mind. I wonder what Incubus will do with this knowledge (or rather, what this knowledge will do to him)?
Also, the emphasis on “you” is apprectiated. It’s not in Allison’s power to save White Chain, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be saved. And that is pleasing to this one’s heart ^^
Zoss could still be in Allison’s mind; the Incubus we see here is the young pretty Dream Incubus, not the old cut-up Physical Incubus. He is a projection. Zoss could be too, and Incubus sees him because they are both visiting Allison’s mind.
As for what Incubus will do with this knowledge, he is going to crap himself and go running to his big brother Jagganoth in a panic.
Projection or not, the fact is that Incubus, who is familiar enough with Zoss, recognizes him as the real deal; which confirms that it’s really him, and not a figment of Allison’s imagination.
I think he already did the first of those, as soon as he recognized the speaker.
It may just be that my studies predispose me to see such things as presentations of other-memory, but I see the possibility that Zoss may have also passed on his memory-persona in the act of passing on the key (which seems to me to be just as much a part of the god Zoss as the flesh, and perhaps just as privy to memory). Allison’s epiphany on the previous page could have roused that memory-Zoss to action, and because that persona knows how to use the key, it can choose to be real at will.
“Real” for various definitions of real that is. Real enough for everyone present it seems.
Also it bears mentioning, Zoss never said he didn’t die, just the implicit confirmation he did in “never stopped me so far.”
“Reality is a lie.”
But if’n reality be un lie, ‘reality be un lie’ be un lie! Us brains gone boggledybollocksed.
Reality may be too limiting a word; for any given point of awareness, personal belief governs reality. Such personal reality is subject to episodes of incongruence with ongoing perception, as anyone who’s ever misjudged the height of a step can tell you, but remains the product of personal subjective experience. Through our participation in the colony organism of society, we create a reality-of-the-consensus, support it with philosophy and rationalism, science and empiricism, and technology and ever more precise instrumentations by which we make our measurements, but that can slip away as rapidly as a misjudged step. Reality is not a lie, it is merely far more flexible than the unexamined idea might seem.
If the subject interests I might suggest consulting the dramatic works of Noah Hawley et al, particularly Legion II and Fargo III.
GRANDPA ZOSS! My, but that’s delicious. Dialogue, composition, Rio’s quote and alt-text – all magnificent. So now we know that the book’s end isn’t really far. No more than five chapters away, I guess by some loose extrapolating,
(On the other hand, I’m not sure that “Relinquish your foolish delusions of control” is the kind of wisdom that Allison needs right now)
That relinquishing could be “stop thinking that you’re not in control, and take control”.
I rather think it means the exact opposite: “stop thinking you can control everything”.
Incubus is correct: violence is the only way to win and keep winning, the only way to control everything.
The strength to let go of violence is the strength to let things not go your way. Sometimes you eat dirt and die. Happens to the best of us.
I mean, it happened to the Ruler of the Multiverse and it didn’t stop him.
82 bottles of ash on the wall
82 bottles of ash
Take one down and cast it aground
83 bottles of ash…
Marvelously tactless yet apropos.
Zoss doesnt waste time in petty word plays and frail hopes it seems. Time for a change in tactics
True royalty knows that a game only has power because we give it power, because we play along. “Victory” in a game is meaningless, because it is still obeying someone else’s rules.
Allison must dispense with thoughts of winning. She must stop playing by the rules set by Solomon David.
So by that you mean to say … (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
Relinquish control, and embrace ‘thoughtlessness’. Such is the way to defeat the mighty – for there is a reason the hero of the tarot is declared the Fool, and it isn’t for his fashion sense.
“Zoss! How can I be the biggest downer in the room?”
Rule Heaven through peace.
I offer a warm and sisterly embrace.
Yes.
If you reach Heaven through violence, you will be cast away at its gate. If you reach Heaven through Love, then Peace will grant you rule.
>how I can help white chain?
This is a question, so inversion is necessary. Should be “How can I help…”.
Relinquish your foolish delusions of control. You cling too much to grammar.
It is you who is the fool. Royalty is a continuous grammar correcting motion.
KING OF WORDS 10-140
Well fucking done.
Language is an art, a craft and a tool all at once. One would do well to afford it the proper respect.
Many generations of healthy lack of respect are the very reason we have this language in its current form, and are able to use it to tell people to respect it.
And yet, the opposite claim is true as well. If no one ever followed the rules, no communication or understanding whatsoever would be possible. You need some level of order, otherwise there is no point.
And yet, there is a difference between a healthy lack of respect, allowing for mistakes, misuse and humour, and taking a total lack of respect to the nth degree and having no-one ever following any rules ever and being mutually unintelligible. Despite what we presume to be a mistake, we still understood it. There is a difference between saying ‘some level of order’, and ‘one would do well to afford it the proper respect’.
Tho one could say that Zoss, The Conquering King, Defeater of the Primes, First Master of the Universe did afford exactly the proper respect.
If victory is impossible, disregard possibility and win anyways. The act of winning is to cheat anyways, so why care for rules? Why tell the truth and lose, when you could lie and be victorious?
Victory is a lie, and thus the easiest thing to achieve.
Only two things are certain, they say.
But Zoss has never paid a tax in his existence.
Zoss did, in fact, die. Therefore, I find it likely he has also paid his taxes at some point, which is only just, of course. However, he also happens to be far too powerful for either of those things to mean diddly-squat to him.
Death and taxes are certain, it’s true, but I’ve often reflected on how often people overestimate the inherent significance of both.
I am reminded of the Twelve Mantra of Guru Dana Ram, for the reception of The Sixth Aspect of Enlightenment- The Unexpected Revelation.
“OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH SHIIIIIIIIIT!!!”
It’s reach heaven through Violence. Not reach heaven through murder.
Ha! This entire time I’ve been assuming that Zoss was an imprint left in her head from the key. His appearances have always been so dream like. Well played.
Of course, is Incubus physically here himself? Or in her head? Is he seeing him because she’s seeing him?
Yes, exactly. Notice how Cio disappears the moment Incubus shows up. This is playing out in her head.
Yeah I spotted that too, and came to the same conclusion.
Remember that Incubus has been in her head since the heist.
Yes, and Zoss has been there too, just before Allison entered the inner vault in Yre. One might conclude that Incubus only visits her occasionally and doesn’t see what she sees between times.
Physical Incubus is now having a panic attack and it serves the bastard right.
I wonder if Incubus will tell Jagganoth and what J. might think of this.
Incubus could certainly use the lesson Zoss is about to teach. But he won’t, and that’s why he will never achieve something greater than he is.
It seems dangerous to assume that Zoss is talking to Alison in the last panel. Think about how it could just as well apply to Incubus.
Advice to one is advice to all.
Curious be those who
Reach heaven through violence
And find it empty
Nice to see that confident persona completely fall apart in front of a true threat lol
You are strong, Incubus. But I am beyond strength.
Nice.
Never, ever tell Al-Yisun what she can and cannot do.
Or, rather, tell her she can’t do something so you can watch her do it out of spite.
Even death goes. Oh hell I’m not dealing with that guy!
Allison can’t save her, but someone else can.
Theory: Zoss is going to teach Ally that real strength is the friends we made along the way.
It’s funny, you’re not WRONG, but for some reason I just felt an IMMENSE distaste for the way that you phrased that. Can’t imagine why.
I love Incubus’s mind BREAKING in panel 6.
You cannot, but the Master Key can. Start parcelling out some of that Infinite Power already Allisson. What do you think those shiney objects in a demiurge foreheads are? Only a seventh of the name that is all that is and all that is not
Supposedly angels can’t have keys–which is odd, and probably wrong, because the keys were made from something taken from Metatron’s head.
Angels were created before keys were, so I’m not sure I trust the idea that they’re not supposed to have keys, unless Koss saw the future and forged that into them. I suspect it’s some belief that the angels who said it incorrectly believe (and thus make into truth, because they BELIEVE it to be so.)
Personally I’d love to see White Chain with a key.
The rising king bequeathing small portions of her key to Chain and Cio would certainly make sense, though it may take time before either would be willing to accept such a fire of the gods.
Am officially in love with Zoss’s aesthetic. Digging the elbow guard.
Silly Incubus, every fool knows dreams cannot die. The quickest path to immortality is through dreams. I have dreamed eternities while sleeping on the floor beside the fire. I have been gods, and generals, and kings. And when my flesh is not but dust, trod on by the thousands of millions who shall come after me, I will have awakened from the greatest dream and live in the dreams of others. This is easy, any dog can do it.
“The power to cut infinity with the blade of Want is what makes true Royalty. The demiurges understand this in part, and are powerful for it, but cling too strongly to their notions of victory, and thus fall short of ultimate sovereignty.” – or something of the sort, I believe, has been said by Abbadon, and recorded on the wiki.
Litle known fact: Zoss’ halo is present in this scene, but not shown because it is larger than a solar system.
Zoss’ halo is the wheel that is the universe.
Many see the obvious about Zoss’s last words – White Chain is the only one who can save White Chain. But the title has not yet been dropped. Perhaps Zoss will say that the King of Swords – which appears to be Incubus – is the one who can save her. THAT would be interesting.
I also wonder about Zoss’s power. He can show up in dreams, apparently, even those that are already claimed by another. What is stopping him from returning completely, and showing these pretenders at divinity true royalty? Perhaps we’ll find out.
Finally, I wonder about the wisdom of showing himself to Incubus like this. It is clear that the demiurges are his – and Allison’s – enemies, and the advantage of surprise is powerful indeed. Such a legendary warrior like Zoss must know this.
If he did intervene, kicking ass and taking names, I don’t think he would have true royalty. You cannot grasp the secret name of god from the hub of the wheel. And to start laying a beatdown on the Seven would be to return to his abandoned throne at the heart of the cosmos. At least in spirit. And it would also simply continue the cycle of violence that he himself created as the Conquering King.
I suspect he is hoping that Allison will somehow break this cycle. Hence his disappointment when Allison abandoned her friends in the Treasure Vault, and his admonishment to Incubus now. He does not want his successor to simply be better then the Seven at the age old Art of Murder and then be less of a arseface about ruling the multiverse.
Zoss has made it his will not to directly intervene in his heir’s trials. Only to guide them towards understanding royalty when the struggle is particularly harsh.
I doubt he’s willing to change his mind. Nor can anyone else.
That sounds likely. Makes you wonder if Zoss secretly wishes he’d never found Throne at all.
It’s pretty obvious that if Zoss doesn’t do something, it’s because he chooses not to. He seems to have a master plan that requires him to be inactive on some matters.
I have no doubt that if he so chose, he could get back on his throne, deal with the demiurges in any way that pleases him, and survivors(?) would bow their heads and say ‘thank you sir’.
He obviously chooses not to. I look forward to know why.
One of Incubus’ epithets is “Sword King of the Middle Army”.
Indeed it is! That is what I was referring to. I am not sure of the difference between “Sword King of the Middle Army” and “King of Swords” is something worth dwelling over, so I hedged my bets with “appears to be”. A small difference, to be sure, but pedantry is a failing of mine.
Yes, Incubus a sword king, but is he the King of Swords? Or just a very naughty little man, playing at sticks.
The King of Swords can only use the sword. Like Ryo-ten-ryam says in the dialogue, the sword is poisonous.
Solomon is the King of Swords. All he does he does through killing, he is a sword, and can only do what swords can do.
THE best of guardians hath that man within whose dwelling place ye drink,
O Maruts, giants of the sky.
Honoured with sacrifice or with the worship of the sages’ hymns,
O Maruts, listen to the call.
Yea, the strong man to whom ye have vouchsafed to give a sage, shall move
Into a stable rich in kine.
Upon this hero’s sacred grass Soma is poured in daily rites:
Praise and delight are sung aloud.
Let the strong Maruts hear him, him surpassing all men: strength be his
That reaches even to the Sun.
For, through the swift Gods’ loving help, in many an autumn, Maruts, we
Have offered up our sacrifice.
Fortunate shall that mortal be, O Maruts most adorable,
Whose offerings ye bear away.
O Heroes truly strong, ye know the toil of him who sings your praise,
The heart’s desire of him who loves.
O ye of true strength, make this thing manifest by your greatness: strike
The demon with your thunderbolt.
Conceal the horrid darkness, drive far from us each devouring fiend.
Create the light for which we long.
~ The Rig Veda/Mandala 1/Hymn 86
She should learn from Aesma, the question is not if you can, but how you will.
I am reasonably confident Aesma never asked that question either.
Sword logic!!!
Wait, I thought Incubus only appeared to Allison in dreams ?
So… Zoss turning up in Incubus’s dream is… well, awkward, isn’t it ?
Does Zoss wear an angel? Look at the holes on his gauntlets, it looks like the same hole placement on an angel’s body.
Zoss putting the fear of unspeakable Gods into twink stick twirlers
Consider: Zoss is certainly dead- his head cleaved from his shoulders.
Consider: a dead body is comparable to a broken sword.
Consider: there is no such thing as a sword.
“Wait a mo, he can see you too? I thought you were one of those inspirational ghosts only I could see, like the fat chef in ‘Ratatouille.” Great, now I have to seriously reexamine my assumptions.”
BAH GAWD, THAT’S ZOSS’S MUSIC!
Hm. Wait.
Could this be a con?
Consider: We know that Incubus, a villain, is not to be trusted. We know that Incubus has power over dreams and over minds, and that others know this. We know that Zoss is dead. We know that Incubus wants to use Allison as a weapon against his enemies, which means be needs her to master types of strength he cannot.
Consider the sword of Occam: Which is more likely-two dream masters, including one who can survive death? Or one, playing both roles and acting surprised?
I’d argue that we have no need of Occam’s sword: not only Zoss came to Allison before Incubus, but what he is saying now is consistent with what he said the other times he’s appeared, and directly contradicts the ideas that Incubus is continuously trying to hammer into Allison’s mind.
But even if we were to apply Occam’s sword here, we’ve seen Incubus in action a few times and he isn’t *that* subtle. Which is more likely: that it’s all been a hyper-complex ruse from a guy who does not seem capable of such complexities, or that this Zoss really is who he and Incubus claim him to be?
Anything Incubus can do, Zoss can do better. This is axiomatic. Is it not more likely that Zoss is real and Incubus the figment? Personally, I think this is exactly what it appears: a brief gathering of old acquaintances. All they need is a six pack and a bowl of pretzels.
Don’t you hate it when you think you’ve snagged the role of Wise Old Mentor and then suddenly the literal conquering king of the multiverse shows up behind you and he’s already got the job
Prediction: Allison will use the Red Arts of Change in order to “fix” White Chain
Hrmm… Guess Incubus should have worn his brown trousers for today’s visit! Is that him breaking out in a sweat? Hrmm…
That panel with Incubus reacting to “hasn’t stopped me so far” doesn’t say nervousness to me.
It’s “god damn I’ve got such a crush on this man” I think, and so do I, Incubus.
THE TERROR IS BACK.
Man, the comments on this story are getting longer and longer. Why is that?
Longer in post length or the number of comments? I looked back a bunch and the post count is still within the typical range as it has been for months.
KoS 10-134 got particularly long mainly due to the delay between comics.
Nae sure, seemslike peoples be mekkin observins then discussin an askin.
Methinks everyone here is in idiot. Well, almost everyone…
Only the worst kind of idiot strives to be king.
Everyun agrees us sure.
ah’right homies…
everyboby all yall hold up…..
the BIG MAN wants to take a,,
TIME OUT!
*turn*
ahah.. fuck yes: it looks linke the big man wants
wants to level with us about something?
he wants that us all to
keep it real about………………………..
*zoss sits backways on chair*
AIDES
I wish this comment system had a like function.
“Neither you Simon, nor the fifty thousand
Nor the Romans, nor the Jews
Nor Judas, nor the twelve
Nor the priests, nor the scribes
Nor doomed Jerusalem itself
Understand what power is
Understand what glory is
Understand at all, understand at all…
To conquer death
You only have to die”
Physical power is useful, to a point, but has no true value. Perception is the true key to the spirit and it is through that that absolute strength is found. The body weakens, the form crumbles, but the mind endures all. She sees the world but does not perceive it in its truth, only by allowing the Wheel to spin can she find the path towards an inner power for beyond what can be conceived by lesser minded.
Hah! The Grand Dragon is proof enough that even the most cunning mind cannot withstand the ravages of time. Nothing lasts forever.
The difference though is that Mammon has natural immortality due to being a servant and can’t die directly from age related causes (doesn’t stop the effects from ravaging him though apparently, and there’s probably a boost from his key as well), thus unlike the others, he isn’t using some mechanism to stay young.
Though I guess give the others simply time, whether a few hundred, thousands, or tens of thousands more years and you’d start seeing some kind of effect. Mottom already hinted at feeling some of the psychological effects of it.
Zoss on the other hand, seems to be beyond time somehow, as he is implied to be putting the wheel through repeated cycles, which have been happening for who knows how long. Possibly millions of years given how there’s already tens, probably hundreds, of thousands of years of history and backstory.
Yo Abbadon, can you mention delays on the site instead of only on Twitter?
+1 to this please.
CALLING IT NOW – Zoss is going to tell her to let her lose, and then teach her to reforge her body!!!! AAAAA yes!
(the following opinions are not mine, nor are they meant as a criticism of this fie webcomic)
“Curse you Zoss!” cried Amphy the Amphibian Girl “an’ you too, Incubus, you honorless pimp! I was a soldier an’ I accepted the poison of the sword to defend my country an’ my people, when Gods like you deserted us, with yore high-flown talk!
These, in the days when heaven was falling,
The hour when earth’s foundations fled,
Followed their mercenary calling
And took their wages and are dead.
Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
They stood, and the earth’s foundations stay;
What God abandoned, these defended,
And saved the sum of things for pay.
“Ol’ Houseman knew” she shouts “People of Throne! To hell with them who call themselves gods and kings! Follow me, soldiers of revenge, to freedom an honor! Bring them all down, every one!”
+2
Philosophical and metaphysical debates aside, I like how the only somewhat heraldic device on Zoss’s attire is a golden tree. Makes me think of Yggdrasil, the tree that connects Heaven and Earth and all the Realms 😛
Incubus: “You’re supposed to be dead!!”
Zoss: “And you’re supposed to be dumpster-diving for ham scraps, you six-piece chicken McNobody.”
*How can I
not how I can
“YOU cannot save her. So be someone else.”
Blood is easily spilled. Any fool can cut the flesh.
The true test is victory without bloodshed.
I just realized that Zoss is wearing arm bands like we’ve seen on SD. Fashion? Function? Both?
huh, i just noticed this but is zoss’s body just an angels body with his decapitaded head stuck on? its got the holes in the hands and elbows like angels seem to have and the armor he had at the very start looked a little different
So it just struck me those golden studs in Zoss’ head look like nailheads. Does he use that one martial art that makes your head indestructible?
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