No nails, save the one set by Zoss The Conquering King to crown his successor. Such single nails as that key are unmatched among creation, peerless in their perfection. There is no need for the many when a single perfect instance will suffice.
Isn’t it just the tips of the nails that stick out? Seems like it’s something that could be easily covered by hair. I don’t know if a practitioner of the Head of John style would be more likely to shave their head so they can show off, or grow long, luxurious locks in order to hide it and surprise their opponent.
Of course, this is all assuming that this isn’t just something else entirely- I mean, I doubt White Chain is teaching Allison the Leisure Kicks style either.
She used her Key of Kings to generate a tiny burst of her energy right at her eye. You can see the key glowing just beforehand, and her eye glowing as well.
Abaddon happened. Seriously, guys, he just decided having Allison get another scar was only going to add more scars to draw, which would bite into the RIPPED CURVES DRAWING TIME. Guy has priorities I can applaud.
This internal style originally developed at the Dāo-yǎn Gōngjí monastery is famed for it’s extremely narrow but highly effective range of application. Iron Cornea masters are famed for their commitment to developing strong defense in a peculiarly small area of the body’s surface, and for the often extreme lengths they go to in order to apply it in battle.
Practitioners can often be identified in combat by their unique stance – bent forward at the waste, eyes bulging, saying “I bet you can’t hit me in the *eye*” – and by their many facial scars from attacks that they failed to properly block.
For the briefest moment, that devil tried desperately to recall what to do when an attempted eye gouge results in a broken blade. The words of their old master rang out in their ears. “RUN, THA THRICE-DAMNED LAGABRAIN. -RUN.-“
Does that include the widely-considered-vital “how to survive angering a living god” or is that next semester once the student body has been thinned out somewhat by the removal of the more hasty and foolish of their number?
That red devil seems remarkably understated for a red. She has more or less maintained the form of a blue. Must be the shy and retiring type.
Handy having armoured eyeballs, but Allison still shouldn’t have left herself unguarded there.
Which raises another point: if she’s knife-proof, why bother with all the extra clothing? It just gets in the way of fighting. Her own cloak could be used against her.
“Allison definitely has a few unearned advantages here”
Well I mean being granted the power of a literal god is certainly unearned, but as I understand it she’s still had to actually learn to *use* said power. And given that her trainer is an angel, I’m going to guess the learning bit isn’t just meditating and ordinary sparring.
Speaking of earning, I really do hope we get some depiction of Allison training with White Chain. Would be good to at least get a glimpse of how she got to her current capability.
On that note, I find it rather charming that the princeling has retained said scars, perhaps as a reminder of past hubris? Or Ms. Cio may just find it dashing >w>
The Essence of Divinity is to play the strings of Fate, manifesting Destiny in cascading harmonies of Struggle and Strife. To stride forth and subjugate Reality itself to one’s auspicious Majesty. Truly spoken, the God is not born, but Made in their own image.
1. The sickle-sword wielder and the red devil both had pretty good strikes, there. Not their fault they’re up against someone who’s apparently Nigh Invulnerable.
2. I’d say it’s pretty clear Alison is being set up to challenge the current holder of the word “Diamond”. As to whether it actually goes down that way… well, that’ll be interesting to see, I’m sure. (Remember how we all thought she was going to deal with Grampa Dragon?)
The Luke Cage effect.
When you’re capable of taking hits you’re less likely to avoid them. Just stand there and let your enemies waste their effort trying to scratch your armor.
I saw that, but it doesn’t seem to be bleeding and looks more like a welt. The “my eyes can take anything” trope is often used to display extreme physical resilience. As I said, for the purposes of this fight, she appears functionally invulnerable.
In the panel before the eye attack, her key is flashing, on the other panels it is not. I’m thinking a surprise instant attack on her eye would work, but she can strengthen body parts at will.
Also, you should know the real challenge is not the horde of minions, but the boss who comes after
I don’t think her eye is flashing. I think it’s just a matter of the lighting. Prior to the attack, her attacker is not blocking the light, while after the stab, she is. Thus the attacked eye appears brighter in that panel.
As to a possible boss, unless we quickly establish that the boss can hurt her, there still won’t be any drama.
It’s not her eye flashing, it’s her Key of Kings. I reacted pretty much the same way you did until I noticed that; in the next to last panel her Key is very clearly flashing.
If you look through the preceding pages, it’s been doing that, and a small flame effect, with some regularity throughout the fight. I don’t see anything special about this instance.
Okay, this Empty Palm style must be ridiculously overpowered. Alison used to be no tougher than any normal human, and after training for what, two years tops, she suddenly fights like some martial arts master from a Jackie Chan movie, has developed near-nvulnerability and apparently a healing factor that would make Wolverine green with envy. Frankly, I don’t see what would pose a serious challenge to her after such a huge jump in power level. Good thing she met Mottom before she began training seriously, or she would have crushed the poor demiurge as easily as she destroyed that husband/tree thing.
There is a scene at the end of the first book where she thumps the wall in a shower leaving a serious impact on it, so she was considerably stronger than any normal human just by possessing the key. Now she seems to understand how to use it to at least further increase her strength.
If she was fighting like some martial arts master from a kung fu movie she wouldn’t be twice dead now without some cheat codes :p. I bet in her current state Solomon would give her a proper ass kicking. That tree was just a tree in the end anyway.
Don’t forget that near the end of the heist arc when Cio partial reverted to Yab she threw Allison into a stone pillar hard enough to leave an impact crater. Allison immediately stood back up.
The Hegemon Prince of Moths, SAVALA THŪN, Grand Duke of the Night District, Guild Lord of the Opaline, Blood Royal of house Thūn and Sovereign of the Endless Dream
Imagine if this level of protection, obtained so easily, resulted in her opponents having effectively the same invincibility against her attacks, turning any fight against her into ridiculous yet entirely non-lethal bouts of slapstick.
The proper counter to the rare Blade-Shattering Eyeball defense is the Forgive Me O Mistress My Queen I Did Not Recognize Thee How May I Serve Thee defense.
It remains to be seen how many of these folks are familiar with that move.
I believe the Thoughtmachine was referring to her key flashing right before she is *almost* stabbed in the eye. There’s also a similar flash of white light at the end of the shattering knife in the next panel. Perhaps she was simply skilled enough to block the blade with her key…
Despite it being repelled, that blow reminded me of how glad I am that I don’t have eyes. I don’t get how mortals can stand to walk around with how terribly exposed and fleshy they are.
Eye see what happened there.
This be Head of John, aye?
I’m not sure how else the Rising King would be able to break a knife with her fucking eye…
She lacks the markings of a Head of John practitioner.
There don’t seem to be any nails adorning her skull.
No nails, save the one set by Zoss The Conquering King to crown his successor. Such single nails as that key are unmatched among creation, peerless in their perfection. There is no need for the many when a single perfect instance will suffice.
Isn’t it just the tips of the nails that stick out? Seems like it’s something that could be easily covered by hair. I don’t know if a practitioner of the Head of John style would be more likely to shave their head so they can show off, or grow long, luxurious locks in order to hide it and surprise their opponent.
Of course, this is all assuming that this isn’t just something else entirely- I mean, I doubt White Chain is teaching Allison the Leisure Kicks style either.
She used her Key of Kings to generate a tiny burst of her energy right at her eye. You can see the key glowing just beforehand, and her eye glowing as well.
Either that or White Chain taught her some Toad Style Kung fu.
by toad style you mean the five venoms
I mean toad style Kung Fu. It’s in more fiction than just the five venoms.
Very good contact lenses.
Abaddon happened. Seriously, guys, he just decided having Allison get another scar was only going to add more scars to draw, which would bite into the RIPPED CURVES DRAWING TIME. Guy has priorities I can applaud.
… I mean, parties?
Eye see what you did there.
Ha!
IRON CORNEA STYLE
This internal style originally developed at the Dāo-yǎn Gōngjí monastery is famed for it’s extremely narrow but highly effective range of application. Iron Cornea masters are famed for their commitment to developing strong defense in a peculiarly small area of the body’s surface, and for the often extreme lengths they go to in order to apply it in battle.
Practitioners can often be identified in combat by their unique stance – bent forward at the waste, eyes bulging, saying “I bet you can’t hit me in the *eye*” – and by their many facial scars from attacks that they failed to properly block.
this was goddamn hilarious, thank you so much
This was perfect
This is actually so funny.
But does Iron cornea style have any offensive techniques?
piercing gaze
Space Ripper Stingy Eyes is their main offensive technique, which I, DIO, invented.
The Manual Of What AL-YIS-UN’s Hands And Feet Gon’ Do To Your Ass
For the briefest moment, that devil tried desperately to recall what to do when an attempted eye gouge results in a broken blade. The words of their old master rang out in their ears. “RUN, THA THRICE-DAMNED LAGABRAIN. -RUN.-“
Hands up, everyone who just thought of That One Shot from Superman Returns.
I actually thought of Achilles from grrl power bfirst
Me too…
http://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1358
The comic in question:
http://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1358
What.
I actually thought of Kenpachi Zaraki from Bleach and his “I’ve never met anyone who’s eyes can’t be cut” comment.
In today’s lesson we’ll be covering how to anger a living god.
an integral part of monastic daily practice
Does that include the widely-considered-vital “how to survive angering a living god” or is that next semester once the student body has been thinned out somewhat by the removal of the more hasty and foolish of their number?
Well damn. Just when I though Allison couldn’t be anymore Jedi, suddenly I learn that apparently she has shatterpoint.
it’s pronounced Breaking Point darling
Channeling Agent J for a bit there it seems.
Is it not said that the eyes are the windows of the soul?
One must be wary with the eyes of a budding King.
That red devil seems remarkably understated for a red. She has more or less maintained the form of a blue. Must be the shy and retiring type.
Handy having armoured eyeballs, but Allison still shouldn’t have left herself unguarded there.
Which raises another point: if she’s knife-proof, why bother with all the extra clothing? It just gets in the way of fighting. Her own cloak could be used against her.
Still, I suppose she is still a beginner.
“…why bother with all the extra clothing?”
Because it’s COOL.
Because all in all, she’s still Alison.
No, she is NOT. Alison was a whiner.
KNIFE EYE ATTACK
Technically this would be a Knife/Eye COUNTER-Attack.
“Allison definitely has a few unearned advantages here”
Well I mean being granted the power of a literal god is certainly unearned, but as I understand it she’s still had to actually learn to *use* said power. And given that her trainer is an angel, I’m going to guess the learning bit isn’t just meditating and ordinary sparring.
Speaking of earning, I really do hope we get some depiction of Allison training with White Chain. Would be good to at least get a glimpse of how she got to her current capability.
She has a facial scar running right across that eye. Could she have a fake eye that’s made of a material harder than the dagger?
I don’t think so, since that facial scar’s from when Cio slashed her across the face with her claws.
On that note, I find it rather charming that the princeling has retained said scars, perhaps as a reminder of past hubris? Or Ms. Cio may just find it dashing >w>
The Essence of Divinity is to play the strings of Fate, manifesting Destiny in cascading harmonies of Struggle and Strife. To stride forth and subjugate Reality itself to one’s auspicious Majesty. Truly spoken, the God is not born, but Made in their own image.
Couldn’t help but think of this:
https://youtu.be/FLN3dPMyXeg?t=43
Other thoughts:
1. The sickle-sword wielder and the red devil both had pretty good strikes, there. Not their fault they’re up against someone who’s apparently Nigh Invulnerable.
2. I’d say it’s pretty clear Alison is being set up to challenge the current holder of the word “Diamond”. As to whether it actually goes down that way… well, that’ll be interesting to see, I’m sure. (Remember how we all thought she was going to deal with Grampa Dragon?)
yeah, but grampa dragon was a massive motherfucking god-emperor, thus very hard to kill.
Salami Dave is just a ripped, average sized god-emperor, which is slightly less hard to kill.
Thus the pupil becomes the… well, you get the idea… OH HEY, EYE-DEA!
Oy. Only one she-devil has stabbing privileges with Allison. Keep your pointy bits to yourself, red.
Now that the shoe is on the other foot it’s only fair to simply put both shoes on.
And on the western hills the bread
and apostle (of Tarsus) rise from dead
for such a glimmer in the head
Just like that scene from “2005 Superman”!
Hot damn.
Praise be to the Goddess Leia of the Saber, who suffered these wounds that AL-YIS-UN might receive no harm from them.
The Luke Cage effect.
When you’re capable of taking hits you’re less likely to avoid them. Just stand there and let your enemies waste their effort trying to scratch your armor.
Devil: “Knife to meet you.”
Al-YISUN: “Eye think not.”
Devil: That’s bullshit!
AL-YIS-UN: Eye don’t get your point.
Devil: I stabbed you in the eye? How are you not dead?
Al-YISUN: Cause I’m too f-EYE-ne to be hurt by stuff like that.
Devil: …Really?
Al-YISUN: *punches devil in the face* Shut up it’s hard to come up with eye puns on the spot.
Those puns were getting cornea and cornier.
Should have said “Eye don’t SEE your point.”
Missed opportunity for the triple pun.
Invincibility is no excuse for sloppiness, her Sifu must be most annoyed. Still, marked improvement from earlier chapters.
Way to be overpowered Allison, it’s a little cheating. It seems she still has a few things to learn.
Hmm. Fighting style needs work and improvement.
Magical invulnerable bullshit working okay though.
God Mode.
And so Allison’s functional invulnerability ruined any drama or tension remaining in the scene.
If you look closely in panel five there’s what appears to be a cut on her neck, so she’s not invulnerable (yet). Just very tough, apparently.
I saw that, but it doesn’t seem to be bleeding and looks more like a welt. The “my eyes can take anything” trope is often used to display extreme physical resilience. As I said, for the purposes of this fight, she appears functionally invulnerable.
In the panel before the eye attack, her key is flashing, on the other panels it is not. I’m thinking a surprise instant attack on her eye would work, but she can strengthen body parts at will.
Also, you should know the real challenge is not the horde of minions, but the boss who comes after
I don’t think her eye is flashing. I think it’s just a matter of the lighting. Prior to the attack, her attacker is not blocking the light, while after the stab, she is. Thus the attacked eye appears brighter in that panel.
As to a possible boss, unless we quickly establish that the boss can hurt her, there still won’t be any drama.
It’s not her eye flashing, it’s her Key of Kings. I reacted pretty much the same way you did until I noticed that; in the next to last panel her Key is very clearly flashing.
If you look through the preceding pages, it’s been doing that, and a small flame effect, with some regularity throughout the fight. I don’t see anything special about this instance.
TBH her eye safety is probably because of the internal alignment of ATUM or something like that, which is what Empty Palms is all about
Okay, this Empty Palm style must be ridiculously overpowered. Alison used to be no tougher than any normal human, and after training for what, two years tops, she suddenly fights like some martial arts master from a Jackie Chan movie, has developed near-nvulnerability and apparently a healing factor that would make Wolverine green with envy. Frankly, I don’t see what would pose a serious challenge to her after such a huge jump in power level. Good thing she met Mottom before she began training seriously, or she would have crushed the poor demiurge as easily as she destroyed that husband/tree thing.
There is a scene at the end of the first book where she thumps the wall in a shower leaving a serious impact on it, so she was considerably stronger than any normal human just by possessing the key. Now she seems to understand how to use it to at least further increase her strength.
If she was fighting like some martial arts master from a kung fu movie she wouldn’t be twice dead now without some cheat codes :p. I bet in her current state Solomon would give her a proper ass kicking. That tree was just a tree in the end anyway.
Don’t forget that near the end of the heist arc when Cio partial reverted to Yab she threw Allison into a stone pillar hard enough to leave an impact crater. Allison immediately stood back up.
As if a mere blade could cut or pierce Royalty.
Messy messy…
nice name
Ma’am. Again – this is an Arby’s.
Your name, Sir or Madam (whichever the case may be) is truly inspired. Thank you.
its not an arbys, actually the “gilded cage” is just a fancy term for Golden Corral
“Even a knife can shatter / Even a strong man can fall.”
That red devil must be thinking “Oh shit” right about now.
It was at exact this moment the demon realized it had fucked up.
Imagine if this level of protection, obtained so easily, resulted in her opponents having effectively the same invincibility against her attacks, turning any fight against her into ridiculous yet entirely non-lethal bouts of slapstick.
The proper counter to the rare Blade-Shattering Eyeball defense is the Forgive Me O Mistress My Queen I Did Not Recognize Thee How May I Serve Thee defense.
It remains to be seen how many of these folks are familiar with that move.
I believe the Thoughtmachine was referring to her key flashing right before she is *almost* stabbed in the eye. There’s also a similar flash of white light at the end of the shattering knife in the next panel. Perhaps she was simply skilled enough to block the blade with her key…
“Know thy self, know thy place.
I know my limits, and can be no greater.
I weep daily when I see my face,
For it was better not to know.”
Ninth Student of Bagoret – FBC, 08
God mode.
Heh… “Ow, my eye! The doctor told me not to get any daggers stuck in it!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRslzYZxC2I
Despite it being repelled, that blow reminded me of how glad I am that I don’t have eyes. I don’t get how mortals can stand to walk around with how terribly exposed and fleshy they are.
So…passive invulnerability, or channeling her power to stop it?
At moments like this I recall the wise counsel of my own instructors so freely given after one or another incarnation. “You should have blocked that.”
Armor of Will is great against knives
Corneal Mass Rejection