King of Swords 3-30
Chapter: 3
The district of spires is both Throne’s port and its red light district. Placed midway up the seven rings of Throne, it is a lofty district of tall, haphazardly built towers, spires, airship ports, and gambling dens. The towers are suspended above the lower district of Furnace, Throne’s industrial core, and the steam and smoke from that hellish lower district pours constantly upwards, giving the effect that the entirety of Spires is suspended in an enormous (and foul-smelling) cloudscape.
she’s blushiiiiing
my everything is melting
halp
can the white flame
melt steel beams?
no, see, it’s a cold flame
licks your soul, not a blister
yet you melt all the same
My old master, 91 Bush Conquers the Unrepentant, was an expert in the art of tower melting. You would do well to seek him out for his tutelage.
Yesssssssssss!
Allow me be the first to say: awww
White Chain is one of the good ones.
I’m glad she’s finally getting a chance to smile.
White Chain’s reticence reminds me of Wednesday Addams.
Ok, we need names and elaborate backstories for all those blokes in panel 4 (upper right-hand corner): ready….go!
The Panel 4 Blokes. They discuss politics on Saturday morning TV. And sometimes bad music.
Unfortunately, due to their vastly varying tastes, it tends to devolve into a last man standing sort of show …
They’re all actually fighting game characters from an arcade that used to operate in Throne about three centuries ago. No one knows where it came from, and no one knows where it went. This particular game was called FISTS OF MAYBE, and it showed a surprisingly high amount of knowledge and detail regarding the angelic martial arts, especially considering that each player was only allocated a single button.
Clockwise from top left:
High Sanra: This mysterious person with a painted face is respected even by the Concordant Knights for their mastery of thirteen internal styles and four external styles of fighting. Their signature technique is “the Windfallen Leaf,” an external defensive technique in which they flutter their sword around themself with superhuman speed, blocking all attacks with seeming prescience.
Jono Tharpe: A legendary prize-fighter and vigilante, trained from birth by the legendary Concordant Knight 33 Boxer among Thieves. Has mastered twenty external fist arts, including Numana and Heavy Fist of Yam. Marks his face in honor of his master, who awaits reincarnation in the void.
Crazy Jonny: This small and hyperactive creature, bristling with knives (some of them stuck in his body) is often mistaken for a pallid devil, but upon closer inspection, he belongs to a completely unknown species. Is respected even by the angels for his mastery of Emptiness; he fights insanely, seemingly without any thought of himself, and as a result he is often wounded but seemingly always victorious. Number and type of fighting styles unknown; possibly, “being Crazy Jonny” is a fist art unto itself.
Pree Ana Mishta: Noted master of only one style: Mournful Hands. Considered a paragon of restraint due to her vow of absolute nonaggression. Will die before striking first, but given the chance will win any fight she is drawn into.
Benn (center): considered the most powerful human to learn Angelic fist arts. Master of all three aspects of the trigram. He is a devoted father who supports his nine children by working as a line cook by day and a prize fighter at night.
Jonny is particularly irked by others mistaking him for a Pallid Devil, and often expresses his displeasure by well, staking them with those swords of his. I narrowly escaped such a fate by directing him to the nearest quantum opium den, as the numerous blades embedded in his exoskeleton cause him considerable discomfort when he’s neither engaging in righteous violence nor rendered insensate by drugs.
Benn’s kids are charming little tykes, and their father tips well. After Benn wins a large purse in the fighting pits, he oftimes stops by my stall and orders twelve mothtome pies–nearly always with the extra marzipan crusts, mind you, he’s no skinflint–three for his children, the rest for himself.
In fact, the only thing wrong with Benn’s character at all is more of a quirk of language: in his native tongue, the word “fist” is used to describe both the piece of anatomy and the fighting arts that go with it, and the act of fighting itself.
Therefore, he refers to what he does in the ring as “fisting.” And himself as a “master fister.”
Trust me, nothing turns your evening ninety degrees into chaos like hearing a huge, burly man such as Benn bellow a challenge of “LET US FIST ONE ANOTHER!” at anyone who insults his martial prowess.
What’s this about a fisting?
Little does Jono Tharpe know that his master was compromised by the Thorn Knights half a decade ago. His mantras are now Metatron’s mantras, his dream now Metatron’s dream. The two are fated for a violent and emotional confrontation in the near future, I foresaw it in a puddle of water and alcohol that a half dead mercenary lay facedown in.
The Trigam Mantra – the foundation of all Righteous Fist Fights
Being the three who demonstrating Wisdom, Restraint and Emptiness. we have the founders of the Trigam Mantra. Mother Weeping Ink, who demonstrated restraint of the holy flame before the consecration of the Angels as a force within the realms, and when a blind cripple, could still teach wisdom forcibly without unsheathing her sword. Master Folicle, who provoked all by being peaceful to those deserving of punishment, deeply seeing their failings and calling to the surface their misdemeanours with a few words, a glance and a well placed astral 4 stud punch. Master Stavation, who lived of light and fury, despite being amongst the densest of quasi-demons refrained from killing again and forever ate humility and demonstrated the power of emptiness in the demon realm. His stomach, when opened, unfurled among enemies strangling and giving lessons, mastery of the 3rd art of digestive attacks came easily to him and his children.
The lesser of the Tirgram learned at their feet and outshone their legendary acts with a longer life amongst the lesser beings. 1st Sister Spite, who demonstrated Wisdom over restraint. and 1st Brother Flenser, who taught the externally skeletoned ways to be powerful in combat by being empty over restrained. Brother Flenser ended up being a powerful chitineous gambler, often placing his carcass on the gambling table as a last bet, and winning despite formidable odds against.
The one in the middle is Enricardo Santiano Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno MarÃa de los Remedios, Tiger of the City, Master of the Divine Beat Down Style. Renowned for requiring all to say his full name if they are not friends of his, starting fights with a dozen or so guilds all at once, and his immensely ridiculous moustache that seems to only grow in length and beauty after every foe he has defeated.
And what happened then? Well…in The Red City they say,
That White Chain’s small heart grew three sizes that day!
Have you noticed White Chain’s hats? The pillbox one she is wearing here and the winged one from the last fight could actually be the same hat if it closed up sort of like a clamp (the wings would need to bend a little too). You can even see the line at the back of the pillbox where the two halves might come together.
I speculate that the sheer Angelic heat of their body when in a heightened state of activity such as combat is what causes the “wings” to extend. Somewhat like how the heat of the molten gold in my blood causes my head to feel weird sometimes…
This is confirmed on Abbadon’s tumblr
Hackles! With fights like these, where the loser just slinks off and says “you win”, dogfight rules are enough. The hat’s just hackles.
Just thought: do angels have a no-kill rule?
Hm. If this book will concern Allison’s struggles with Pride, I wonder if these notions of, “Hold yourself above earthly desires” will be called into question? Because in some quarters of society, talk like this can be seen as a breeding ground for pretentious holier-than-thou self-isolation.
We’ll see!
The master is also proud
this is axiomatic
To cut oneself off from the world is a source of power.
There are costs, however. There are always costs.
As the Grand Dragon has been so gently reminded, the interest is a motherfucker
Of the five figures that 82 White Chain envisions as examples of noble fist-arts, two among them are users of swords. One even has at least four.
Do I get a prize for pointing out an inaccuracy in their imagination? I need some extra money if I am to afford a new rotating auroid palace and a replacement for my gold-plated frontal lobe (preferably one that is made of gold-resistant circuits). I have approximately three hours left to live before I perish of rotating palace withdrawal, and the metals solidifying in my brain may present a problem as well.
The machine made man or the man made machine. Both striving to become the other only to miss what they left behind and start the change again.
The circuits you require to end your withdrawal, you once cast aside, and can be found near where you first remember waking up.
Oh, you should probably label and preserve your frontal lobe, just in case.
Ah, a healer. Thank Mammon you came along. I am no longer in mortal peril, but I have some medical questions for you – my own physician is proving unsatisfactory and may be reassigned to being cat food soon.
I am addicted to building and inhabiting rotating palaces. Living in a new luxurious mansion on a giant turntable is the only time I feel normal. It all started when I was assigned as a regional manager and given my first palace.
Also, call me paranoid, but could replacing my blood with molten gold potentially cause memory problems? Ever since I had that operation I’ve been forgetting things and places.
The great Mammon, whose veins flow with molten star-fire, lives in the Grand Vault, which spins upon the great turn table of throne, hub of the wheel itself. You exist in similitude of your god. The most sincere form of flattery is yours. Embrace your unquenchable need and be content.
As for your memory. The things you have forgotten are valuable or you wouldn’t care. They are the price you willingly paid for your slice of heaven. Do not seek them lightly for taking them back would constitute a breach of contract. All penalties, both express and implied would enact themselves in your life forthwith.
Now, I’m no healer but I am taken to believe that you may want to allow the red blood, hot and untainted by artifice, to run freely through your veins occasionally. Severing your biology totally from the natural order makes the spirits angry.
Careful with your words, Joubes Draco.
Precept 1: There is no such thing as a sword.
“Yet it is my favorite type of fruit, said YISUN”
Soo whats the mantra of The unrighteous styles?
A variety of self-serving, somewhat contradictory, and far more interesting platitudes of an aspect far more in line with the terrible rampant beauty of Mother YIS.
FUCK. KILL. EAT.
The particulars and order being a topic of much (violent) dispute among various practitioners, though in practice the differences are slight, even under the best of circumstances.
Don’t forget SMOKE.
Mastered by the most terrifying demon… Spoop Dogg.
Certain schismatics, true ruffians mind you, have added a fourth directive of REPEAT.
*Fuck Kill Eat*
And if youre lucky, Ill do it in that order!!!!! 👺👹👺
“Cheerful and Violent.”
Careful Chain, denying the truth will wreak havoc on your armor.
in the cafe R list shaving spots
the other guy moves her through table tops
did you see the flash collab or not?
Usually she’s quite stone faced… I’m not sorry.
82 White Chain Born From Emptiness Returns To Warm Hearts
They are truly an excellent heater, with their internal flame and all.
Not me though. I have no heart. My molten gold blood keeps me plenty warm.
Ironic, given that Angel Atum is one of the coldest metaphysical quasi-substances in the universe, second only to that of UN Aspected Gods
You did well.
For a human.
Most humans can’t learn heat-eater martial arts, though, so that’s a pretty low bar.
That is such a kind look. I can’t help but smile in sympathy.
Restraint.
Wherein all tendencies and instinctual impulses are controlled.
One acts and does not react.
Emptiness.
Wherein the earthy needs, worries, and cares are transcended.
One may even transcend causality.
Wisdom.
Wherein the essential paradoxes of existence are perceived.
One discerns the hidden name of god and laughs.
It may at first seem like a paradox but the application of the principle of emptiness to the martial arts requires a great deal of rote training for humans. Various schools have subdivided emptiness into gradations of not-emptiness which I will not bother to mention. Suffice to say that emptiness removes obstruction to the will and training acting as one, yet if even that much is said then the real meaning behind those words is lost. Some say, “One heart, one life, one strike, one kill” yet they do not say this until they find a respite from combat, however brief, except when fighting inferior opponents. The schools of “no-style” can excel at emptiness but require the complete mastery of another style before a student can even begin study.
Glory, Fullness, Foolishness.
The warm black flame was never meant to hold back! Use the fury that YIS has given you, and strike without thought! Only the blade held by an unthinking fool can cut god!
lol whatever you say, Lord Gloom
This is… adorable? Is that the word?
I believe the word you’re looking for is “Wholesome.”
This is probable.
*happy tears*
Good use of positive reinforcement, White Chain.
Just caught up. I’m loving the world of this comic, it reminds me of my favorite manga.
“I also don’t blush!”
I’m sorry, it’s hard to hear White Chain’s last line in anything but the voice of Michael Dorn.
Sir, I must protest! I am not a Merry Man!
It appears noteworthy, that Founders of the Righteous Fist Arts bear mark of the Key, without actual possession of one.
That’s just a manifestation of their Atum, or internal flame. Every being has an Atum–you can see that angels have the flame, some demons have it (white and black, respectively,) and even some of the servant races manifest them in various panels, as Abaddon has confirmed on Tumblr and I think in the comments. For instance, the pie seller? Little guy with a trunk in the last chapter? He has the flame above his head. I think it’s more visible when a being is in Throne or the Void, as opposed to being on a world.
W H O L E S O M E