King of Swords 2-17
“PATTRAM SWORD HAND
The school for this style is located in the Low Oak province. The school is always ruled by three monks who set its training, prayer schedule, and ceremonies. It does not engage in politics, defense, aiding the poor, or external meddling, as many other schools do, but solely focuses on perfecting martial arts. When the school goes to war, as it sometimes does, it is a terrible sight.
Its masters are incredibly disciplined but equally brutal, and they often train their students to the point of vomiting, collapsing, or ruining their body. I have heard that students occasionally die during its more unforgiving periods, though the masters would not elaborate any further.
The school of Sword Hand is a killing school. It is an external style that focuses on blows so precise and sharp that they turn the edge of the hand, foot, or finger into a cutting implement strong enough to part flesh, sunder armor, and cleave bone. It is widely considered one of the strongest external styles for a reason. Unarmed or empty-handed styles that do not strongly focus on internals have little regress against sword hand, and for that manner neither do many weapon styles. It’s one weakness is its incredible drain on stamina. If a practitioner does not kill his opponent in a few serious blows (and the style is rarely used seriously for anything other than killing intent), he will quickly find himself too weak to even drag one foot after the other.
I have seen masters of this school sever solid rock with a fingernail. Little more needs to be said on its brutal effectiveness on the human body. It is an evil school, and I am glad that my study of it has been rapid.”
-Manual of Hands and Feet
Why on EARTH would any of these people pull out a knife instead of, you know, running the hell away
Or better yet, pull out a knife and THEN run the hell away? Or maybe both at the same time? The criminal mind is a mystery.
Run away, and the guilded cage will forever been known as weakest of all slaver rings.
Run away and the unfavorable Image of Goblins being worthless in a fight intensifies.
Charge and lose, and rumors will fly about how you refused to fold when a demiurge attacked your pub.
Charge and win, and you are going to be famous.
Whatever you chose, remember that the guilded cage clan is everything you have, and the clan and its bloody reputation is worth more than your life.
Now, choose.
The boundaries of my need to preserve my martial reputation ends at the point when and where my opponent is visibly glowing with power and my current incarnation lacks that feature.
You’ve never been in a really good bar fight, have you?
(You like marrow? I love marrow!)
Misplaced confidence? Or, possibly, being incredibly drunk.
Well, on the earth I’m from, I suppose the phrase would be something to the effect of, “And then someone in the back said, ‘everyone, attack!’ And then it turned into a ballroom blitz.”
Disregard this is not a ballroom by conventional standards, anywhere is a ballroom that can house a ballroom blitz if you try hard enough.
They are an gang of extortionist. Lose, run away, show weakness, and your basis for living is gone anyway.
Looks like a party!
No yeah, seriously. Trust me on this. It’s my thing, and in a universe where violence is inescapable, parties look like this.
Numbers provide a sort of comfort to the weak, as does the weight of steel in their hands.
Kingship is a continuous cutting motion, and the bearer of the Key of Kings holds no blade. Clearly, one of them must be a more suitable bearer.
I dunno, I doubt stunts like what Alice just pulled are all that uncommon in Throne.
The same reason that thugs unload entire clips into Superman’s face instead of turning tail? Though, it’s honestly more justified here, as our dear AL-YIS-UN isn’t quite as invulnerable as the Man of Steel.
They intend to reach heaven, clearly.
Having not seen them GUNS, they foolishly think they’ve brought knives to a fistfight.
On Throne, you don’t get to be the toughest gang in three blocks by running every time a demigod squashes someone.
They are most likely doing this for the slim chance that the collective effort may be enough to slay Allison, and the even slimmer chance of being the one to claim the power in her brow for oneself.
Even Fear is oftentimes overpowered by the amazing force of Greed!
In this universe, that crazy martial arts style is basically what most Angels are capable of. And Angels are more or less cops. So they’re probably used to seeing this kind of extreme violence. Also yeah they’re part of some hardcore gang and this girl doesn’t look like an actual Angel, so may as well get into the melee.
It is entirely my desire to see Nimona get her ass whupped by AL-YIS-UN
My body is consumed with a burning, hungry need.
The need to see Nimona and Al-Yis-Un being the bestest friends forever.
Not shown: One unhappy guy who just realized he forgot to bring a knife today.
“Dammit! I swear, I left it right next to my keys…”
Regress> redress. Manner>matter.
So when manual of Hands and feet has it’s last entry it’s going to be a one sentence description of Ki rata huh? “Ki Rata should never be pursued.”
Yes, more magical martial arts write ups please.
“Gravity still works? That means we can take ‘er.”
AH, GOOD CLEAN FUN
That looked pretty fatal. And they’re not even slightly intimidated for some reason?
Nimona? Is that you??? WATCH OUT ALLISON SHE’S A SHAPESHIFTER
Are there still links to the old forum posts?
The King gets stuck in!
Leroy Jenkins!
ROWDY FIGHT BOYS LOOKIN’ FOR A GOOD PUNCH UP
STRENGTH: THE GOD OF SHAPES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewFBuYHldeY
https://youtu.be/9ada9xsMnm4?t=311
she could kill you with
a wink of her eye
oh yeaaaaah
Hrmm… Sweet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjQ7jJx9PJk
“And now”, cried Alison, “let the wild rumpus start!”
Max Sendak is smiling somewhere. It may be rictus.
I thought that critter was kept in a cage in the back corner of the basement?
What fool let the wild rumpus loose?
What other chicanery are they up to?
Ah, I see where they are at.
They got caught on the horns of a dilemma.
Wonder what else they set loose.
I know I’ve repeatedly said this but I really want there to be a character who’s mastered all the styles listed in the manual of hands and feet. Also as a general rule if you see someone punch somebody through the roof it’s probably a good idea to try surrendering and or running away.
the ottlite patrol will not be scared as long of the white natural daylight illuminates their path
Claim your birthright, Successor. KILL SIX BILLION DEMONS.
“Miss this bar has a two knife minimum, the patrons simply want you to adhere to decorum by taking one of theirs as a loaner, there is no need to launch them into the stratosphere.”
-Recordings from the surveillance camera presented in the trial of, “The subjects of throne v. The false king”
Are we just going to learn new styles of fighting? If so, i’m down for it dude!
It’s common for the criminal element to use short blades and knives as weapons. But one must truly fear the criminal who fights with a spoon. Wooden spoons are particularly deadly, as the wood is typically dead itself. And all know the touch of dead things brings no good.
This all could’ve been settled better if Allison had just bribed them all to leave her alone and thank Mammon for another profitable transaction.
The piano will take you cruising
playing faster, fingers bruising
cards and chips are lost for losing.
I’m pretty concerned about the fact that Allison has her thumbs tucked. That’s how folks get hurt
What are the odds this is going to end in a large orgy … ?
Aaah, the age old riddle; Whats more powerful? Steel or flesh?
The Flesh is weak!
…she just punched this guy so hard he probably went supersonic. Respect to the rest of the bunch for seeming actually more battle-ready now.
TIME TO INCREASE THE UPPITY! KICK THIER ASS YOU BAD ASS, YOU!
Never bring a knife to an empty palm fight
But… I thought he went *splat* on the ceiling? How is there still a body after that rocket-launch of an uppercut?!
holy Empty Palms & evil Sword Hand, the right and left hands of God
Their eagerness is going to seriously require explanation.
And in the last panel, we see a practitioner of the artful dodging style of NOPE
Brawlroom Blitz
ORCBOLG, BREADCUTTER, SIR GOBLIN SLAYER, THOSE ARE AN EXAMPLE OF THE MANY NAMES OF AL-YIS-UN
Fools are those who bring merely knives to a martial arts fight.
i really hope that this whole sequence of events is just allison daydreaming about how much of a badass she’s gonna be when she’s learned angel kungfu, and it’s really just a couple of days after the last time we saw her not a year later, coz that would be great lol
This is all well and good, and in deed the internal/external mental/physical discipline is necessary, but what does picking fights in bars do to prepare the Young Goddess for defeating the 7-fold emperors of rot and then ruling?
..and the man in the back said everyone attack and there was a
BALLROOM BLITZ!
Hrmm… They brought knives to a fist fight, when it is actually a God fight, and they are woefully outmatched.
These people, unlike anteater-face, clearly don’t know a real key of kings when they see one.
A situation where ignorance is very much not bliss.
Who the **** is Nimona? Inquiring mind, and all that
Nimona would be her: http://gingerhaze.com/NIMONA
And now the reference is all too clear. Many thanks!
I’ve been with this comic since the beginning, and it’s been really cool watching AL YS UN grow. It feels good that we’re finally here. W I D E Allison just laying waste to some goblin punks in a trashy space bar. I love it.
A literal god walks into the bar and starts a fight.
“Oh yeah we can take her.”
Criminals might be a superstitious and cowardly lot, but they are also stupid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBdnti4_UUg
And who is Nimona? I don’t recognize her
King of Swords? More like Queen of Blades =)
“Confidence is a muscle.
With time & patience, a good teacher, and routine, it will become stronger.
Humility is its tether.
Letting wild confidence roam will lead you astray.
Balance, as in all thing except life and death themselves, is key to walking the right path.
Too much confidence will veer you off the path. Too much humility will tie you still and standing.”
Seventh Student of Bagoret – FBC, 66
Not used to seeing pure color backgrounds, instead of detailed, is this to save some time?
not to be a bother, but if you make fists like allison is, with your thumb tucked under your other fingers, and hit something, your thumb will break because compressive force from the impact will pop it out of it’s socket. she should be tucking them under her fingers instead, where it’s safe and out of the way!
I just wrote tucked under twice, like a dummy. What i mean is, if you put your thumb inside your other fingers, like, wrap them around the thumb, you’ll break it; if you close your fingers and tuck your thumb under all of them, you’ll be good to punch things. :S
I love love love the human woman’s expression in the last panel. It’s a similar expression I’ve seen you do on the Gun Witch’s face, and it communicates so much about what’s going on in that person’s head. Without any dialogue. Amazing.
Oh, come on. You just saw that guy pull a knife out in a palm fight, and now you all do the same thing. Well, let it be said that fools revel in their ignorance.
Ahh… the Palm of Buddha. Not to be used as lethal weapon.
In the buddhist temples there are statues not made for show. One had so many arms. One (she) sat on top of dragon. I must not forget the celestial beasts, Ki-rins standing guard outside the temple. Then there is Amitabha. He would just give a choice or be willing to let you if you desire; join him in bliss and have eternal life after you fade away from this existence.
Allison, maybe, should have ask these buggers before bringing the the GoD Hammer on them.
Or course those, some of these