King of Swords 10-151
Chapter: 10
“I once heard a fellow refer to the Trigram Mantra as little better than an ideal set of rules for drinking hard liquor. In many circumstances I’m actually inclined to agree with him.”
-Musko Reeve
Kill Six Billion Demons
Seeker of Thrones
RIGHT NOW PLEASE ABADDON DO NOT LET WHITE CHAIN BE YEEETED
Dave is going to shatter her body into a billion little pieces. Don’t worry though, she’ll come back. Eventually. Probably.
At least she probably dealt a similar amount of damage to his ego! Maybe. Isn’t that supposed to be Allison’s job?
“They broke seven of your transverse ribs and fractured your clavicle.”
“A-ha, but I got off several cutting remarks, which no doubt did serious damage to their egos.”
-Julian Bashir and Elim Garak
Picard survived being stabbed in the heart as an Ensign. Worf could walk off losing several vital organs. Riker manages to duplicate himself at one point. They literally disassembled Data. Physical damage means little in Star Trek.
Cutting Words is supposed to debuff the enemy’s attack! You use that to keep you and your allies safe. If you cast Cutting Words and got hurt anyways, then Cutting Words was probably not good enough. ;P
My friend of black flame, you seem to have forgotten far too soon!
That shell is not her body.
Excuse me, but the proper term is “yote”.
“Yacht”?
Why, you shipping these two?
There is no shame in being yote: It places one in the high ground, the most desired strategic position. It might scare those birds, however.
Though, more seriously, I can only hope that White Chain’s next shell carries something from this moment.
A man who cannot see that even the chains of discipline will turn to naught but slag and ash is truly a man trapped within himself.
A true king of swords knows not only how to cut, but the value of each cut. Without weighing his blade carefully, he will soon find it carving away his own flesh. Intra.
Ki Rata depends on perfect control for each move or the user risks severely damaging their body. White Chain doesn’t need to harm Solomon, she only needs to disrupt him enough for him to lose control, just once.
well brother, this is very smart. I still think that in the end she will just poke him in the butthole with a gog agog worm
Ah yes, the infamous technique: Gog Agog Is Agog That Butthole-Worm Keeps Working, Why Do These Men Not Have Proper Underwear
In fairness, a typical pair of underpants will not be enough to defend against your everyday ferocious burrowing anus worms, much less anus worms imbued with the powers of a god and weaponized with martial arts.
This comment chain is going very well.
That sounds like the voice of experience speaking.
I am getting very confused with all this swapping between metric and imperial. Is it alright to round it down a smidge and call it a tenth of an ounce?
Shouldn’t you be reasonnable and use real units that make sense ?
Eyup. Ain’t about beatin’ the other man in the body, folks can heal from that.
Mental wounds don’t heal right. She just cut him real, -real- deep.
The normal mind does not wake in the morning knowing this is its last day alive. But in that realization there is a freedom, a STRENGTH. Its a good time to consider yourself, and your place on the Wheel. And in this place, a monument to one man’s pride and ego, the dust and stone soaked in a thousand tournaments of battle and bloodshed, all will remember this moment. An angel, the strongest willed sister among her many brothers, goes forth like a breath exhaled from Heaven, with one thought and one goal in her mind.
SHE
WILL
KILL
HIM
I cannot agree. All things that die are eventually forgotten. If the goal is to be remembered, the only possible method is to not die. A living mind can accomplish more in time than could be compensated for by any singular blast in death.
No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe; every man
is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine;
if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe
is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as
well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine
owne were; any mans death diminishes me,
because I am involved in Mankinde;
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.
The Art of War says to always leave your enemies with ways to retreat and surrender. We’ve known for over 2500 years, an army that knows it’s outmatched and trapped with no way to survive can defeat a ten times larger force. But I fear ten times White Chain’s power is still nowhere near enough.
“In the twilight rain
these brilliant-hued hibiscus –
A lovely sunset”
御達人
First winter rain –
even the monkey
seems to want a raincoat.
“Consider me
As one who loved poetry
And persimmons.”
Coolness –
the sound of the bell
as it leaves the bell.
Despite how cool I do find Jadis, I find myself wishing now that Saitama was the Demiurge of sloth.
This next bit is going to happen before anyone else present can blink.
I wonder what we will see after they do.
Ah, but whose order and discipline to derive that strength? The order and discipline of festering avarice? The order and discipline of despotic control? That strength is false. The real strength is tested by breaking chains, and practicing disciplined freedom.
Oh my. This fight is proving incredible! My sales next tournament will be through the roof! Though something doesn’t feel right—I can’t help but wonder if the angel is goading Solomon into doing something incredibly stupid…
Disciplined freedom is a nice name for a longer leash.
In the immortal words of Lord Kitchener:
“It’s fucking ON now, chaps.”
This comment is a real Sir Garnet!
All Sir Garnet!
Righto, old bean!
See you, space cop.
I admit, I would have not goaded the emperor into wielding his full might. The smarter course of action, to me, is to let him continue showboating and use his laxness and his ego to your advantage.
I suppose such tactics require being able to take advantage of it. White Chains’s current riven state does not imply getting to this point was anything less than a struggle.
Every exchange they both survive takes White Chain further from victory as David gives more damage then he takes. the only winning strategy is to bait an over extension then reflect, redirect, or disable the attacker.
Infinitely more damage, as to this point Dave has taken zero.
To build off of what 2 Tranquil River said, Solomon has showboated battles for thousands of hundreds of these tournaments. He’s entirely in his comfort zone.
It does not rain on Rayuba.
What does rain means?
As Solomon put the suns in the sky, and they do not follow the laws of gravitation, one presumes he controls the weather too, so that every day is a sunny day in happy Rayuba.
Thus the dark skies and rain are likely a good bellwether of Solomon’s ongoing mood and or control. One’s sister is perhaps getting to him.
I see, Solomon will give all he has, kill the angel but at the cost of one drop of blood. Before she dies, she will ask he to train Allison in Ki Rata. So hope I.
I don’t think his control is lessening. After all, the situation is entirely under his control, as it has been for centuries. No reason to be upset now.
I do, however, think that his control is shifting. Ki Rata is a style that demands absolute control and focus, according to what little I know about it. His control on the weather is lessening because it is necessary.
…Perhaps this is a situation that would be good for those who seek to fight his control. His focus has shifted, allowing vulnerabilities in those areas his focus has just shifted from.
The power drawn from strength is mighty indeed.
All men respect the sword.
Greater still is the power drawn from ultimate weakness.
When a man has nothing to cling to, he has taken the first step to becoming Royalty.
Here comes the rain again
Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion
I want to walk in the open wind
I want to talk like lovers do
I want to dive into your ocean
Is it raining with you
— Annie Lennox / David Allan Stewart
Talk to me.
This really, really sounds like she’s goading him into making a mistake.
*cross fingers*
The heavens weep, but for whom? The angel or he who thinks he is god?
If you cannot win, then make your opponent Lose, many people forget either this or it’s inverse, despite it being the first of all lessons that the world will show you, over and over again
Even if you can win, make your opponent lose. Make being your opponent synonymous with losing. If the price of being your enemy is high enough, you will have only friends.
Thums nae friends.
Ehe, they’re not enemies either~
Openso nae. Fritted an cowed an bittersome an silent, latent enemigos thums likesome be. Waitin.
Welp, the storm clouds are brewing and it looks like the dunghill is about to hit the windmill…
Seriously though, what is the significance of said storm clouds, Allison noticing them in panels 3 & 4, and the “from the outside looking in” perspective of panel 5?
Hmm? Something germane to our story?
This is Solomon Davey’s WORLD. It is ordered by his WILL.
The sun rises and sets as he wills it. The storm can only mean one of two things:
Either he feels the cloud cover will suit his dramatic purposes, or perhaps he is losing focus and somewhere, something is slipping beyond his power to control.
As a man who decided to move several stars into this planets system in order to light the planet anew, Solomon can at least have the power of Foreboding Storm Clouds.
I have a feeling White Chain’s about to “dispel the illusion of Gwynevere” here. The sun was never there, was it?
Stars and planets still work normally I think, and illusions provide no heat.
You forget, in this universe the art of magic is lying so well you convince the universe to go along with your lies. A good illusion is indistinguishable from reality in all regards. A great one is better. Solomon has spent centuries building the lie of his perfect world.
It’s not a very good illusion.
“Why, White Chain? Why, why, why? Why do you do it? Why? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you’re fighting for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom or truth?! Perhaps peace?! Could it be for love?! Illusions, White Chain, vagaries of perception! Temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose! And all of them as artificial as the world itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love! You must be able to see it, White Chain! You must know it by now! You can’t win! It’s pointless to keep fighting! Why, White Chain?! Why?! WHY DO YOU PERSIST?!?”
“Because I choose to.”
Very nice use of this quote. For those who don’t know, this comes from the third Matrix movie, a trilogy written by two trans women. Fitting, considering who we’re rooting for here and what she’s standing for.
This is going to end with our sisters carefully crafted body is going to shatter, but its also going to be so beautiful when she makes her final attack.
Who riises with the storm I wonder
The hard rock goes pop.
The titan falls from heaven.
An old flame still burns.
Perhaps the Demon was right to Flip The Cart.
The birds are bearing witness, despite the gathering rainclouds. Is this a part of the Multiplicity that is YS-Voya? Or is it just a few dumb little creatures, too foolish to take shelter from the approaching storm? Maybe it is both; that would be a contradiction most holy.
I seem to recall a meme involving fighting an RPG / Anime boss by yourself, losing, and it beginning to rain. We can only hope the sad music doesn’t start playing.
And so the tempo increases and the crescendo rises. The Angel’s song nears a tipping point. Will it rise to magnificent bombast or or slowly fade to piano?
How very interesting.
In battle there are four outcomes that are neither win nor loss. Stalemate, Draw, Forfeit, or Resignation. The later two are further split by which opponent takes the option. Which of these six, then, does our renegade intend?
she really went “come at me bro”
“Spitting blood
clears up Reality
and Dream alike.”
— Sunao,
Zen monk (1887-1926)
Jisei / death poem,
“Thirty years and more
I worked to nullify myself.
Now I leap the leap of death.
The ground churns up
The skies spin round.”
If you could see your way to lending me sixpence.
I could at least buy a newspaper.
That’s not much to ask anyone.
So is Soloman causing the storm?
I just think he’s just no longer stopping it.
Astute observation. And him no longer stopping the storm means his control weakens.
Perhaps, if he seeks to use Ki Rata in this state, he too should repeat the Trigram Mantra to himself.
pretty sure Zoss would get a laugh out of solomon’s view on strength.
Well, considering how much older Zoss is, and the blunders he’s made in his time, a bit of modesty might be in order. After all, the whole mess with the Keys is his fault.
i wonder if allison is doing enough to “cast aside her sword.”
like, can her key perhaps be shared?
LO MICHAEL GATHERS OUR HOST. THE END OF THIS ERA APPROACHES.
It’s about to be raining angels.
Hallelujah, it’s raining angels.
Run, little sparrows!
Fly little Starling, fly, fly! said Dr. Lecter.
So I checked this out because the art in Lancer was really heckin’ neat, and I just blasted through the entire series in less than 24 hours. And I must say, HOT DAMN, THIS IS THE GOOD SHIT! I now take my place among the masses as we wait day by day in agony for new updates.
Welcome on board, fellow traveler.
We wait, yes, but we use the time well on this board dissecting the situation and straining to predict the future.
And we craft poetry.
New flesh allus welcome. Hungry us.
Yon lore o th’ Concordance’ll keep tha busy tweentimes, not least findin it all.
The cock walks, the phantom itch,
The clock burns, Jeff/Marion switch.
Fill your hand, you son of a bitch.
“I’ll congratulate you on making me use 1% of my strength”
Oh my, I almost hear the raindrops on the fifth frame. Gorgeous depiction, as always.
Fool and Tyrant! The Dave of Salami believes that True Strength can be found by following another’s law. Only one’s own convictions can guide one to True Strength; even to hold sacred the convictions of one’s past is to become a Prisoner.
Solomon is losing it. He lost emptiness millennia ago. He lost wisdom during this comic. Now he’s losing restraint.
The storm is both visual metaphor and evidence of what happens when the God Emperor loses focus. Rayuba’s perfect, unnatural weather is breaking down. Perhaps the suns will fall. Solomon’s key-power is withdrawn from running the world and given over to anger.
He will destroy White Chain: she knows this and invites it. He will destroy all his oligarchs and soldiers who are gathered round the ring to see his “victory”: Ki-rata without constraint will erase them all. He will destroy his self-image and his reputation: no pretence of “protecting the people” survives this selfishness and abandon. He will destroy peace, and balance, and his very purpose.
Solomon does not look provoked or goaded to me, though many comments suggest he is about to make a huge mistake or explode or suchlike. I feel what is important here is all about White Chain’s actions, and much less to do with Dave’s. Vigilant Gaze seems to think so too.
Salami Dave’s weakness is birds, that’s why he has had them locked out of the dome. Chains needs to use her wings.
“Don’t you see? Giving up and doing what I want is true strenght, freedom and really cool. Only real winners give up.”
Boy, Solomon just does not want to have this fight for some reason.
The ones who see the truth will deliver the spark that will burn all.
Transcend through faith in the god called I instead of the whims of a tyrant god.
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Stare in tha mirror and sees th’ Grand Enemy tha needs ta destroy.
Should I feel bad cause I am becoming somewhat GAR for Solomon ?
It’s been almost a month since we last saw them on KoS p.144, and they weren’t extremely visible then. We’ve been subjected to close-focus against a field of beautiful blue and they’ve been out of the picture, but looking at panels 2 and 5…
Salmagundi has entire ARMIES clustered around his precious little faux-duel with this angel, banners displayed. They do not face the crowds to show their banners on parade. They face inward, towards the hostile.
This is not the act of a being of confidence. He must prove himself to his own generals.
Perhaps he will not be the one to inspire them, this year.
Alison has passed Zoss’s ‘terrible fire’ to White Chain. Perhaps White Chain will pass it on to those watching.
I dislike saying it against the current backdrop, because I don’t want to dilute events in our own world, but no more suitable words come to mind…
The revolution WILL be televised.
Well, the evenings are quite long at this time of the year.
Time to get yeeted White chain
Many say that there is a lack of men with honor. Perhaps this is because such men are oft dfeated more easily by those who lack such. but perhaps it is because we mistake honor and trust. Indeed many a pety criminal still holds a code of morals and is honorable enough to stick to them. But if honor means trust in the ears of the many then it is no wonder so few men of honor are known. For a man who trust his enemies is undoubtedly a fool.
I like to imagine the birds aren’t atop the roof, they’re just really big.
Why doesn’t Allison just use the birds to throw Solomon in the fires of Mordor?
Lots of people are standing around watching 2 others fight, someone is powering up with lightning, and our hero has lost their shirt. According to the DBZ scale, things have definitely gotten serious, now!
We’ve only got three more seasons before Namek explodes!
“…moments later, Solomon stopped time, took off his bling, and gently, but firmly, inserted White Chain’s head into her own derrière…”
I see that Solomon is a truly devoted supporter of his own Bureaucracy, a tireless advocate of Reason, and an immovable bulwark against the forces of Violence and Chaos. His one true goal, which he keeps close to his heart, is but to serve the Bureaucracy and allow it to realize his final Utopia where the needs of all are met and the evil are easily and constantly rehabilitated.
In short, he is an exceptionally poor bureaucrat. I hope White Chain kicks the ass of this disgrace to my profession.
Time to ride the lightning.
I think White Chain should abandon Leisure Kicks for a spell. This battle calls for Weaponized Grimace!
The true display of mastery will be ensuring that an angel exploding causes no harm to anyone involved.
“It’s a terrible day for rain.” – Roy Mustang
Man I just love how the progression was laid out to reach this point of their conversation.
Solomon has been holding his own chains for so long that he forgot that strength arises from freedom. Only if you are free to choose you can gain your own personal strength. Strength from adherence to dogmas and blind following of rules is no strength at all.
You can break the chain but the links will remain.
There’s a lot of folks thinking that White Chain is trying to get Solomon to overextend himself and then take advantage of his weakness, but I’m not entirely sure that’s what’s happening here. Let me propose a counter-theory:
What happens when the body of an angel is no longer a vessel, but a prison?
What happens when you shatter the prison of such a one?
The body of an angel is tough indeed – it would take power overwhelming to truly render such a body to nothing.
Perhaps White Chain seeks to borrow Solomon’s power to strike off her own chains.
The ultimate law of the universe is thus: Yeet or be Yeeten.
Reach Heaven through violence.
Achieve royalty through meeting.
-Path of Kobe, RIP.
*Yeeting
83
Oh that sly angel, she’s tricking him into burning his once a day trick.
Softening him up for Allison!!
There is definitely a gathering storm here… Whether it is to her benefit, I’m not sure White Chain will know it’s too late.
Until it’s too late, I mean, of course.
Gotta be realistic. I hope for some sort of clutch move or escape… I hope she isn’t martyred.
Anyone who says “come at me with every ounce of your strength” either has a ace up their sleeve, or is a fool.
White Chain is no fool.
Or has a death wish.
A death wish can be an ace up the sleeve.
“Want of martyrdom” they used to call it.
White Chain will not cut him when she dies – that would only serve to satisfy Solomon’s vanity. He will have proven to himself that his test for a successor was correct, and wait upon his throne until White Chain returns, then burden her with ruling in his stead.
No, White Chain is trying to undermine Solomon’s Pride, just as Alison undermined Mottom’s Gluttony, and Ciocie Cioelle Estrella Von Maximus the Third undermined Mammon’s Greed.
To do that she is tricking Solomon into destroying, by his own power, all that he has built.
The panel of Alison looking up at the darkening clouds is one of the most beautiful pieces of art you’ve ever done.
Provoking a God is easy. Beating a God is a good deal harder.
but wait… doesn’t it *never* rain on this world….???…!!!
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