King of Swords 2-13
“HEAD OF JOHN
An internal style focused on hardening the self. After many years of preparation and training, practitioners ram three metal studs into their skull, piercing the bone and blocking the flow of Atum at precise meridians. The studs extrude from the skull slightly and are said to be uncomfortable in cold weather. Once this ritual is accomplished, there is a healing, fasting, and meditation period of three weeks. After this, the practitioner finds that the skin of their head and neck becomes almost impermeable to harm and able to exert incredible force. It cannot be cut, severed, or scored by any blade, though I have seen many try.
The chief feature of this style is using the head as a blunt weapon. I have seen acolytes shatter bone with their headbutts in practice and an elder monk break a temple wall with the fierce application of his forehead. By practice of meditation they are also said to have accomplished unbelievable feats. It is a common story among the monks that their most senior member had his body destroyed and his head severed while defending the temple many years ago. His head survived for four weeks without a body, and was later sewn back on to the body of a deceased temple guard, which quickly revivified both the body and the head. I could not verify his claims but his neck did have a most spectacular scar. ”
– Manual of Hands and Feet
I wanna taste those buns.
Oglod’s cooking looks pretty good, too.
thus you are
what you eat
I’m going to assume that is a double entendre.
And I’m going to agree completely.
Same. The dumpling looks great as well.
…Aside from yourself, of course.
THE GODHEAD
I don’t know, Allison, the crazy lady with a freaking key doing pull ups on the literal skull of their goddes is probably a little stressful.
I’ve seen a few angels training in my time.
The fact that she has so few scars tells me she has a comparatively mild instructor.
Or, perhaps, she has taken to the teachings exceptionally well.
Perhaps it is both.
Those are mostly from that one time she slapped a goddess. Except the ones on her face, those are from a ‘lover’s quarrel’ with a demon.
Those are the leftovers from her run ins with Mottom and with Yabilchoath. I don’t see anything new.
why that lady in the fourth panel seems simply marvelous
Just on her way down to the comedy club.
Oh I see! She spent a year doing secondary quests by helping everyone in town! This way she will have plenty of XP for the main quest! It will be easy peasy.
Buwahaha!
Namely, grinding
well, glad to see shes helping out around here! someone had to!
“Now that I have finished stretching, I heard someone has been giving you trouble.”
“…yes, some crazy tunnel ape keeps defiling my shrine every night no matter how much I tell them to stop.”
Finished reading all of the archives – including the stories. This is a wonderful comic, and I praise The Great Father for this chance to read it.
Got to warm up, before you start beating miscreants up.
STEAMED BUNS STEAMED BUNS
Okay stop all the presses right now, where is this, I haven’t eaten steamed buns in years and I want one.
I once saw a man who’s head was pristine but his body was covered in so many scars it was as if he had no skin.
I asked him, “Why is your head so clean?”
He replied, “Because I am a fool who only trained his head to dodge.”
And so I bought a brother some wine.
As epic as folk hero Allison is, I have to ask how the demiurges, the pursuers, or really anyone who’s looking for haven’t found her is she’s been flashing her key/halo like that.
It’s a really big city.
They’re too busy fighting with another demiurges. There’s a war going on.
It sounds like Allison decided to become a superhero.
She just needs a spandex costume, and she’s set.
I know folks have gone mad with the whole “Al-YISUN’s gotten thicc” bit, but come on, Abbadon, do not tease me with such fine buns!
Pork dumplings of that quality are banned in 17 worlds!
If everyone (apart from the monk) on the twilight side of Throne knows Allison, how is that the demiurges have been leaving her alone? There’s no way they would not have sources all over the place.
The demiurges are not exactly the most attentive of individuals. Right now Mottom and Mammon are probably still too busy trying to kill each other over the aftermath of the breaching of Yre, and Solomon is preoccupied finding a successor and entertaining the illusion he can somehow stop the fighting. That leaves Incubus, who has no reason to go searching for her, Jagganoth, who doesn’t exactly spend much time in Throne, Jadis, whose trapped in glass, and Gog-agog, who, yeah…
The only reason Mottom bothered to breach Yre in the first place was that she was after Allison. Think “multiverse-spanning never-ending blood vendetta of the Bitch Queen from Hell”.
I can’t help feeling it’s unlikely that she would suddenly decide to take a year off from that. IMO a bit more back story is needed, at some point, to fill in a few gaps. Doesn’t have to be done straight away, but it’d help the flow of the whole thing.
Come to think of it, since the old Devil King said Cio would die if the raid on Yre failed, can anyone remember what his standard for success was?
I believe he did not give any standard. However, I would imagine that the destruction of Yre, the reignition of the Multi-Universal War, and failure to find what was sought after, might constitute a certain standard to which Himself finds somewhatlacking.
Oh goodness. All caught up to the present moment.
This is awkward.
“Aside from me and my exercise routine, I mean”
Purpose burns bright as any fire.
This scene would make a lot more sense if the Priestess hadn’t made it clear in the last page that Allison regularly defiles the Goddess’ skull.
Allison is playing this off as if she’s Angel Initiate Batman: I was just limbering up here before dealing with your problem. But what about all those other nights? Also, there’s no other place to limber up… except the ground (as we see her doing here), which is presumably everywhere?
If you can demonstrate a way to do pull ups off the ground I’d love to see it
I’m trying to think of something witty, but the beginning of this chapter of the Rising King’s chronicles is just too wonderful.
Gosh, I absolutely love how you’ve established Allison’s integration into the local community. It not only does a great job of world-building, but character-building too. Awesome stuff as always, and I can’t wait to see what goons Allison is gonna pound next!
i can’t believe they have burger king in throne
Ahhh… sidequests. A vital component to any training regimen.
I find it a bit cheap that Allison (who is established as a fairly average lazy person with an interest primarily in anime and only lost weight to sort of fit in with the cool crowd) went through all this character development off-screen. A couple pages of training montage showing how much she suffered through it may have been clumsy, but I just find it odd that she just went through a powerup not long ago already.
She was possessed by a guy who made her super competent and she eventually got rid of those powers leaving her back as a mostly useless girl who can barely hold up her huge ass sword. I can allow that because there was a sort of cost to those powers and it was only temporary.
But now she’s got a permanent power boost presumably making her at least as competent as when she was possessed. Plus she’s presumably learned the super angel martial arts techniques. All off-screen.
Tell you what, if she ever returns to her world, she’ll have something to explain.
If.
I read the comic in a way that she didn’t lose the Incubus competences, only the stamina and healing factor. What we saw in that embrace-your-self scene was her insecurities merge with her empowered self. She never lost her knowledge, but now she is back in control. A K so, she dropped the sword because she nearly cut up a little girl.
Except she wasn’t so much possessed as partitioned. As he explained, he just put in charge the part of her that was ruthless and strong willed enough to wield the Key without being handicapped by the other parts.
She now knows that potential is already in her, she just needed to access it and refine it with the rest of her.
I’m sorry you missed the pages and pages of on screen character development (a.k.a. the story so far)
Some of you mentioned the partitioned thing, which is very true. However, the reason why I feel like she received a degree of power boost during the Incubus thing is that she became a whirling beast of death and devastation while fighting down the invisible stairs and etc. That’s a little more than just putting aside her insecurities, isn’t it? She was easily fighting on par with demons and devils who’ve been doing this shit almost all their existence. Am I wrong?
I probably am. Perhaps we can put it down to abilities granted by tapping into the key. Up to this point however, I thought she could only use it to open portals and very very occasionally channel the power into her hand to perform a super punch like she did to that Tree King guy some time ago. Has someone stated the exact rules about what the One Key To Rule Them All can do?
> Has someone stated the exact rules about what the One Key To Rule Them All can do?
Yes, they did. And they are, basically, “You can do anything; no rules apply”.
Bean Buns of Power!
a healthy post-workout glow?
Are you a lucky little lady in the City of Light
Or just another lost angel?
Allison why did you spend a year doing EVERY SINGLE SIDEQUEST IN THRONE WHILE THE COSMIC WAR HAS BEEN BUILDING UP!
Asking important question here.
I can only imagine the obligatory, “Bringeth me the asses of 20 great bears!” guy, and Allison just dropping back by Earth to order a bunch of rugs off of Amazon.
Experience Points.
Gotta grind those levels before you can continue the main quest.
Staying out of that war seems like a good idea. And the best place to stay out of that war is Throne, because it is neutral ground. Doing all the sidequests is probably a side effect of learning angelic martial arts.
This being should be grateful; the heir of the Conquering King has herself knelt down to offer aid, in spite of his prior insult. Were she less (or perhaps more?) wise a King, she could have simply smote him for his insolence. Praise Alice-UN, who has shirked Glory for Righteousness.
AL-YIS-UN doesn’t yet have the neck scar.
Good bao is fantastic and you did a wonderful job drawing it’s warm tasty fluffiness.
dude i’m living in vietnam at the moment and i swear to god i can actually taste that bun bao – amazing work right there
“yeah, YOU!”
Reach heaven through reps!
Carry coals for centuries
smouldering but still ready
to burst aglow with room to breathe
I will never be over buff Allison. the biceps that launched a thousand ‘ships.
And now I really want a Pork Bun. Thanks Abbadon.
Oh, saints and stars!
A hero!
Royalty for hire. Will cut injustice for food.
AL-YIS-UN
What is this? Behold! Our King has learned the value of aiding the small, the weak, and the poor! And in doing so, is rightly coming into Her power. HAHA! There may yet be hope for the cracked and broken Throne!
Down with the thiccness
Allison’s muscles are giving me palpitations.
What’s the filling? It cannot be purely Purpose, as Purpose on its own lacks layers and sauce.
In the recipes they have where YOU come from, maybe.
Indeed. Purpose on its own can be the meat, but a bun of perfection needs sauce too, and these particular buns appear to be layered. The nature of layering throughout the multiverse is that it contains discontinuity, a separation between one thing and another, an imposition of the great lie of partition upon reality.
Goblin blood and pastry would work fine for sauce and layering, respectively.
So,uh, does anybody else think that looks like a spine inside the pie?
I think those are beans.
Adds texture.
You’d think she would be lean and muscly with that kind of HIIT workout, i guess she’s cultivating mass Always Sunny style
Imagining someone running a gym in Throne is entertaining.
An amusing parable I once heard while travelling amongst humans:
Worshiper: Well, Ys-bey, I made it to your shrine. Despite your directions.
Merchant: Ah, Worshiper, welcome! I hope you’re ready for an unforgettable transaction.
*The merchant looks at the shrine and notices the Rising King using it as a pullup bar*
Merchant: Oh, Aesma’s Blood, the shrine is defiled! But what if… I were to give the Rising King some merchandise to coax her off it? Delightfully devilish, Oglod.
*The merchant begins to prepare a meat bun, and the Worshiper sees it.*
Worshiper: Why is there a tunnel ape defiling the shrine, merchant?
Merchant: That’s not a tunnel ape, it’s a Servant. A Servant that’s preparing the shrine for your worship. Ommmm… worship.
*The merchant finishes the preparation of the bun.*
Merchant: Well, Rising King, I hope you’re ready for a mouthwatering steamed bun!
Worshipper: I thought you said she was a Servant.
Merchant: Oh, no, I said she can sure eat. She can sure eat my steamed buns.
Worshipper: You’re giving this defiler a steamed bun?
Merchant: Yes. It’s a regional tradition.
Worshipper: Uh-huh. What region?
Merchant: Hell 52
Worshipper: Well, I’m from Hell 54 and I’ve never seen anyone give people steamed buns. You know, this servant looks quite similar to a human.
Merchant: Ohohoho no, old family disguise!
Worshipper: Yes, and they use this disguise despite the fact that a Servant would look far less out of place here.
Merchant: Uh, one thing I should, er, would you excuse me for a second?
*merchant gets the attention of the Rising King and gives her a steamed bun*
Merchant: Well, good worship was had by all, I’m pooped.
Worsipper: Yes, I should be g- Aesma’s Britches, what is that in her forehead?
Merchant: A key of kings.
Worshipper: A key of kings, in this era, in this part of Throne, held by a mere human girl?
Merchant: Yes.
Worshipper: May I see its power?
Merchant:…No.
Worshipper: Well, Oglod, I must say that your friend is a brash fellow but they have a good heart.
A thousand and one permutations does this parable hold, and within each permutation a new interpretation.
Holy Heck, those scars and muscles are so good <3 <3
I'm so gay for that girl
Those meat buns look really delicious
Hmmm…
Would the great God Koss be founded of that technique? He had three head studs if I recall my theology lessons correctly.
He also did not seem to be slowed down after being decapitated…
I suspect he is. Possibly he also has mastered most forms of Martial Art save for Ki Rata who have only two practitioners left.
It is important to note that Incubus is a Master of Head of John, among another Art that we will find out later. This is why Allison was able to use a special move of sorts while in the council of devils in the Shades.
Duty is it to the Prodigious Body to indulge into the ex-Sin Gluttony. The ex-Sin encourages one to seek a more corpulent form through consumption, though the limitations do not stop at the Body. The ex-Sin extends to Power over the Throne. Gluttony in Power encourages one to seek a more expansive rule through conquest. Thus the Gluttonous Body represents and encourages the Gluttonous Power.
Duty is it to the Prodigious Body to maintain the Orbit. The Orbit is obtained via Gravity, and Gravity through Mass, and Mass through Gluttony. Only with this system may one maintain the Orbit of Power, wherein one accrues their Fanatics, their Satellites.
Thus, through Gluttony, our beautiful Prodigious Body may maintain the Fanatic’s stranglehold of the Known Universe.
What was that, three reps each? You can’t reach a high enough level of hypotrophy with that few reps! For a girl doing this for a year you’d think she’d have figured that out by now. Shameful, really
She said “limbering up” so this was not a workout. And now she’s just doing something to use the time until her lunch is ready.
Oh no, oh gee, oh dear- Alison, uh, Alison sure got Swole in that year.
So when she takes a bite, looks like a thumb, but in the next panel she’s holding the bun the other way around?
How is she managing to stay under the radar for a whole year? I understand that the 2 people gunning for her Mammon and Mottom are in all out war phase. However her power is growing and her halo effect should be very obvious to the casual observer. Then we have the bodyguards hunting for her.
“Allison why did you spend a year doing EVERY SINGLE SIDEQUEST IN THRONE WHILE THE COSMIC WAR HAS BEEN BUILDING UP!”
Al-Ys-Un knows the way to True Power lies in helping random people with their problems.
“Let me guess, someone stole your sweetroll?”
>thicc Allison
Abaddon, You cheeky bastard, you inserted your magical realm into this comic too!
The image quality is a bit low, the pixels are huge.
why the f*ck is she doing that in the middle of the street ?
I love her so much she’s so beautiful and strong and she’s EATING things with gusto which is a lovely fuck you to that weird ‘heroine must be stick-skinny to be compelling’ narrative you find all too often.
As pleasing as Allison’s new physique is to the eyes, her being *happy* is more pleasing to the heart.
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Boy did she grow in leaps and bounds. But steel is truly tested on a worthy battlefield
Relent is power. Its antithesis is defiance. Power is who you give it to.
Fourth Student of Bagoret – FBC, 15
I love the two dudes in the back just sitting on the curb drinking like they’re in front of a 7-11.
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