She’s flashed that rosary necklace like a cop badge before, so it’s definitely not just for meditation. Can’t help wondering if we’re about to see an angelic counterpart to the devils’ calling card, and the results won’t be nearly as pretty.
There is that flatheaded judge (I think?) angel from the prison station that White Chain dropped Vash off at. They returned to their armor while White Chains bro’s were passing by and has been seen lurking around the arena a few times.
I’m not worried, I’m just curious. Is he going to drag them out of the arena and scold them for not training in that form first, or is she going to just join the tagteam?
Are we to assume that the competition is over when the arena is destroyed? Otherwise, White Chain and Ciocioson are on a collision course, which would make me sad. But I am a humble Pree and will accept whatever Abbadon deigns.
Pree Aesma
Ys-Asram (the Blooded One)
Ys-Prama, Hansa, and Prat Payam (who temper my heart)
YISUN Atru Vyam
Forgive me for this violence I have caused to exist.
Joubes Draco, Pimp Hand Adept and Master of the Brass Headhunters
Preem Mammon
Mammon (the Gilded One)
Mammon (who inspires my Greed)
YISUN who allows Mammon to exist
Grant me favor and let mine be the winning ticket.
PREE AESMA
YS-ASRAM (THE BLOODED ONE)
YS-PRAMA, HANSA, AND PRAT PAYAM (WHO TEMPER OUR HEART)
YISUN ATRU VYAM
WITNESS US FOR THIS VIOLENCE WE ARE TO COMMIT.
Pree Aesma
Ys-Asram (the Blooded One)
Ys-Prama, Hansa, and Prat Payam (who temper my heart)
YISUN Atru Vyam
Forgive me for this my only thought HOT DAMN
Gog Agog
Gog Agog (my pal)
Gog Agog, Gog, and Agog (who make life HAPPY and FUN)
GOG AGOG BEARER OF THE WORD BEAST
Grant me a show that’s soooo coooool!!
It doesn’t work that way. White Chain is merely contained within that stone body, plus I find it hard to believe Allison could get inside it. And obviously not at the same time as Cio. Angels and demons are radically different, it would never work.
I have been thinking about the very same thing, Demons and Angels seem to be symmetrical in nature so an Angelic equivalent to the Demon Skin Warrior would make sense, just with similar levels of problems making it normally unviable. But the friendly relationship between the parts and the Conqueror’s Key seem to make this a special case so it would be at least short term viable (which it honestly only needs to be given the timescale the boost would be needed for)
The white flame that is an angel would probably burn her flesh from the inside out.
Remember this:
1. Angels are so volatile outside of the Void that they need stone bodies to contain them. When that body is pierced or destroyed they leak fire or explode.
2. Angels and servants) are of the white flame of Un (not). Devils and Men aare of the black flame of Yis (is). There is a reason devils are so immediately understandable and relatable to mankind. We are kin souls, and our strengths compliment where a white soul like an angel would subsume or diminish.
So perfect way to make devil black flame skin try to contain angel’s white flame from inside where their feelings for Allison in between unions of layers in her body would be the barrier.
Maybe Allison current power of what she has and feelings, love with Cio and friendship with White Chain, would allow for such temporary short fusion burst before the angel would burn off her core body.
But just as last resort to get out from here when Solomon would figure their plan of 3rd party capturing the guy and this union mocking his set of rules.
I bet it would be glorious.
Human body might not be fitting for angel, to use as armour, but Servants come in diffrent forms, made to fit diffrent functions. It might be possible there is a type of servant living-vessel that can host angels
True, but a few pages ago I would have told you putting on a devil mask wouldn’t work either, because the mask is merely what confines the devil to their current form.
I know “Rainbow because gay!” memes are super fun. But for real, I wonder if the rainbow is just how her key manifests. I’m not sure if it makes more sense for the rainbow to be the true form of all existence or have it be a raw from of the unity that is her white flame.
Ohhh, that’s a pensive look. This is bringing up old memories of the war, isn’t it?
Like last page’s alt-text said, “Gog-Agog has seen this act before during the war and is not amused.”
Well, White Chain was there too…
Good news! My champion, upon whose victory depends my earnings, is once again a viable fighter! Ia, what a rollertoaster of emotion! Praise Mammon!
Bad news! The Rayubans will not let us back into the arena. Apparently the tickets in my pocket burned up due to my gold-melting body temperature. And my word, these guards are incorruptible! I don’t think I’ll be able to bribe them… Where’s some good old-fashioned corruption when you need it?
I suppose my Headhunter guards and I will have to watch the rest through the Glyphosphere…
Well, if it’s a rollercoaster of emotion you’re looking for, Preem Draco…
Has it occurred to you yet that, while Cioson may be a competent fighter, this does not necessarily make her a viable contestant? After all, I think it’s clear that Madame Cio cannot be classified as any mere armor for the warrior Allision (a permissible intervention under Section 36 Addendum V). Rather, Cioson is a new entity with her own (sometimes confused) will, and has technically not filled out the proper paperwork for her own entry into the tournament!
Now, there is a good argument to be made for her retroactive addition to the bracket, since she was partially created from a legitimate contestant…I might be able to persuade some tournament officials, for a price.
While I applaud your dedication to the craft of the Bureaucrat, Preem Terrapin, this does not seem to follow.
Known historical sources on this subject matter assert that rejection can occur at any time, including such reasons as the human’s mind rejecting that of the demon, indicating that complete gestalt fusion of the two psyches is NOT in fact, what has transpired. Since that is central to the thesis of your claim, it calls into question the validity of the argument at a fundamental level. As a bureaucrat, you should well be aware of the pitfalls and travails of such technical minutiae.
Further consideration: Should Allison remove the “armor” before the closure of the tournament, would that constitute “defeat” of your hypothetical gestalt entity– and, should this process render Cio incapable of combat, would that not also satisfy the requirements for the Battle Royale? The means by which that incapacity is reached were not strictly elaborated upon, leaving a … great many… (ahem)… means by which such a state could be reached, not merely through physical combat. Further, the direct physical engagement of two contestants in a battle not only physical prowess, but also of will and endurance, could be an alternative (and more historically accurate) interpretation of donning “devil-skin armor.” The most common outcomes are subjugation of the devil, spiritual oblivion of the human, or mutual rejection of the union. In all three conditions, there are direct analogues to physical combat at play, with analogous outcomes– Human victor, Devil victor, Stalemate.
While I acknowledge the difficulties in application of existing rules concerning the engagement, I feel you may be too willing to disqualify the combatants, simply for use of a novel fighting technique (that just so happens to be eliminating other participants while they “battle”).
Joubes Draco, Pimp Hand Adept and Master of the Brass Headhunters
Rules, by definition, are for schmucks. For the learned, and for those driven by Greed, rules may be used selectively and ignored at will to taste. All it takes is to find the weak points in the edifice; schmucks can be surprisingly stubborn, but strike the right spot with a well-placed coin and some honeyed words… a crack will open wide enough to enter.
Which is why Rayuba is so fucking frustrating! I have not found the weak spot! I’m beginning to think that this wall of schmuckdom is impenetrable! This place is a farce, its existence contradictory to the ways of the multiverse… DAMN YOU SOLOMON, YOU FALSE GOD!
I suspect this is partially Cio’s power, and partially Cio having a better idea of how to use the power of a key than Allison. She did have one for a bit!
Judging by how they’re holding that rosary, I’d say terrified. Or possibly finding a newfound conviction to turn Allison over to the Doomsday Angel Squad.
White Chain has been very……well, moody makes them seem petulant but a lot of their convictions have been shaken recently. Especially after that conversation they had with Nyave, she’s probably seeing Allison’s wanton use of power here in a bad light. After all, her impulsive, reckless human ward with The God Stone in her head just fused with an infamously ambitious and violent devil. What could go wrong?
What if Cio is Aesma? Like she’s lost her memories several times over at this point I don’t think it’d be too far of a stretch. My proof? Have you ever seen CIO and Aesma in the same panel? No, you haven’t.
As is established, Allison is Al-YISUN. YISUN often held the company of AESMA.
AESMA, as is known, is the goddess of greed, aspiration, self-sufficiency, lust for power, and regret.
Yalbachoath surely was greedy, aspirational, and lusting for power. In her current incarnation, Cio strives for self-sufficiency and is deeply regretful.
YISUN also frequently held the company of PRIM and HANSA.
Nyave is hard-working, humble, attends Allison’s practical matters, and often attempts
to get 78 White Chain Born in Emptiness Returns to Subdue Evil,
the resident ancient cynic, to lighten up.
Then there’s OGHAM, god of war, much like a certain red devil.
If she has lost her memory she has lost her spine as well. She left it lying around on the disk of throne when she moved on to deader things, and hasn’t been back for it since.
I mean the staging of this arc was extremely dragonball, now the fusion and even the design of the malerged character feel very dragonball. The power level going out the roof, its all very homage-y.
What’s wrong with dragonball? Toriyama’s a genius. Don’t actually answer that. I know DBZ had issues, but it was the prototypical shonen series. We have these genre conventions because dragonball invented them. Other series have since done all of them better (like HxH), but you still have to deal with DB on some level if you want to do (or approximate) battle manga. It’s just too far reaching of an influence to ignore completely.
I don’t know, maybe I just enjoy a good DB homage….
I am very worried as to what White Chain is about to do
I think White Chain is going to give Cio a very stern look, and then give Allison some good advices about messing with powers she doesn’t understand.
There’s a shock-wave similar to the Castle Bravo Shot currently heading toward White Chain….
i get the feeling White Chain has “seen this act before during the war” like Gog Agog.
“and is not amused.”
No, Gog Agog was going wild about it. It was Gog Agog who’s seen this shit before.
She’s flashed that rosary necklace like a cop badge before, so it’s definitely not just for meditation. Can’t help wondering if we’re about to see an angelic counterpart to the devils’ calling card, and the results won’t be nearly as pretty.
There is that flatheaded judge (I think?) angel from the prison station that White Chain dropped Vash off at. They returned to their armor while White Chains bro’s were passing by and has been seen lurking around the arena a few times.
I’m not worried, I’m just curious. Is he going to drag them out of the arena and scold them for not training in that form first, or is she going to just join the tagteam?
“Oh shit”
-White Chain
“Called it.”
-Me
cause I called it
yu-huh I did
Are we to assume that the competition is over when the arena is destroyed? Otherwise, White Chain and Ciocioson are on a collision course, which would make me sad. But I am a humble Pree and will accept whatever Abbadon deigns.
Yet, we wonder, as with all truly skilled liars; is he lying?
That was just one of multiple pillars the arena is currently divided into. Although if she keeps doing that it may muck up the reshuffling mechanism.
I wonder if there’s going to be at least one mid-level Boss Fight [1] before Allicio vs White Chain?
[1] Because she’s just defined herself as the One to Beat in a way clear across the Arena.
it’s hard to tell if chain is amazed or concerned.
Pree Aesma
Ys-Asram (the Blooded One)
Ys-Prama, Hansa, and Prat Payam (who temper my heart)
YISUN Atru Vyam
Forgive me for this violence I have caused to exist.
Preem Mammon
Mammon (the Gilded One)
Mammon (who inspires my Greed)
YISUN who allows Mammon to exist
Grant me favor and let mine be the winning ticket.
PREE AESMA
YS-ASRAM (THE BLOODED ONE)
YS-PRAMA, HANSA, AND PRAT PAYAM (WHO TEMPER OUR HEART)
YISUN ATRU VYAM
WITNESS US FOR THIS VIOLENCE WE ARE TO COMMIT.
Pree Aesma
Ys-Asram (the Blooded One)
Ys-Prama, Hansa, and Prat Payam (who temper my heart)
YISUN Atru Vyam
Forgive me for this my only thought HOT DAMN
Gog Agog
Gog Agog (my pal)
Gog Agog, Gog, and Agog (who make life HAPPY and FUN)
GOG AGOG BEARER OF THE WORD BEAST
Grant me a show that’s soooo coooool!!
OKAY
THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH
THANK YOU
White chain is secretly Jelous that she cant be a part of a Polyamorous Cio-allison Sandwich.
Don’t give away the plot
Just wanted to comment on how much I love the design for Alicio…
trueee
Why not?
White Chain lacks tits. Just imagine how better she would feel if she had them and then tried to fight in her current style.
She just needs to hire a better sculptor. She does not have a normal body you know; it’s an enchanted exoskeleton made of stone.
She could have size F jugs made of chiseled marble if she really wanted.
Bedrock Motorboat Crushes the Unworthy!
Hm. Quite. I am just as concerned as you, Brother.
That is to say, not at all. Behold the axe kick of doom! Let the destruction continue until all creation is cleansed.
White chain’s very nearly clutching their pearls
Nearly?
I wonder if white chain can have his mask/exoskeleton also ‘put on’ Alison – at the same time as Cio …
It doesn’t work that way. White Chain is merely contained within that stone body, plus I find it hard to believe Allison could get inside it. And obviously not at the same time as Cio. Angels and demons are radically different, it would never work.
What if Allison puts Cio on the outside and White Chain on the inside? Like, inhales angel’s spirit or something like that?
I have been thinking about the very same thing, Demons and Angels seem to be symmetrical in nature so an Angelic equivalent to the Demon Skin Warrior would make sense, just with similar levels of problems making it normally unviable. But the friendly relationship between the parts and the Conqueror’s Key seem to make this a special case so it would be at least short term viable (which it honestly only needs to be given the timescale the boost would be needed for)
Allicio adapts White Chain’s flaming eye hair as a glorious weave.
The white flame that is an angel would probably burn her flesh from the inside out.
Remember this:
1. Angels are so volatile outside of the Void that they need stone bodies to contain them. When that body is pierced or destroyed they leak fire or explode.
2. Angels and servants) are of the white flame of Un (not). Devils and Men aare of the black flame of Yis (is). There is a reason devils are so immediately understandable and relatable to mankind. We are kin souls, and our strengths compliment where a white soul like an angel would subsume or diminish.
So perfect way to make devil black flame skin try to contain angel’s white flame from inside where their feelings for Allison in between unions of layers in her body would be the barrier.
Maybe Allison current power of what she has and feelings, love with Cio and friendship with White Chain, would allow for such temporary short fusion burst before the angel would burn off her core body.
But just as last resort to get out from here when Solomon would figure their plan of 3rd party capturing the guy and this union mocking his set of rules.
I bet it would be glorious.
Human body might not be fitting for angel, to use as armour, but Servants come in diffrent forms, made to fit diffrent functions. It might be possible there is a type of servant living-vessel that can host angels
Nah.
Angelic ash armor has to be forged from the ashes of the Ashen Waste, and servants cast the weakest shades there.
Perhaps, with the use of the Key, Alice could cast a shade strong enough to contain an angel inside herself.
True, but a few pages ago I would have told you putting on a devil mask wouldn’t work either, because the mask is merely what confines the devil to their current form.
That did seem strange. Perhaps the mask is more like a window which the black flame can be seen through, but the devil itself exists elsewhere.
The question here would be: Could an angel put on a devil’s mask themself? If so, I think we’ve found the supreme balanced warrior.
Alternatively, an angel putting on a devils mask might result in essentially matter-antimatter annihilation.
Her eyes have eyes. Cio is peeking out.
Did Allicio just use a Volcano Kick? Warlock Punch or F-Smash are generally better…
Behold the power of the DORIAH
It’s identified as Aesma’s Heel.
the Big Gay… spoken of in legend…
Bubblehead! Your time was too short.
And damnit White-Chain, why is your face so unreadable?
Bubblehead, lost but never forgotten 🙁
Allicio: Doctor, I think I might be gay.
Doctor: how can you tell?
Allicio: RAINBOWS!
I know “Rainbow because gay!” memes are super fun. But for real, I wonder if the rainbow is just how her key manifests. I’m not sure if it makes more sense for the rainbow to be the true form of all existence or have it be a raw from of the unity that is her white flame.
The pure flame, cut by the lens of will.
Joking aside though yeah, it’s probably supposed to be the 7 colors of the other keys.
BY THE POWER OF GAYSKULL!!!
The teacher is worried about being surpassed by the pupil.
The teacher finds the Trigram mantra falls utterly short for dealing with this new paradigm.
New Mantra: Mindlessness; Abandon; Plenitude.
All virtues better suited to the black flame.
I think Ciocioson’s new mantra might be Moderation In No Things.
New mantra:
One Hundred percent maximum no chill!
Ohhh, that’s a pensive look. This is bringing up old memories of the war, isn’t it?
Like last page’s alt-text said, “Gog-Agog has seen this act before during the war and is not amused.”
Well, White Chain was there too…
The Rising King Ascendent
It’s the same pattern of stones as Salami Dave’s one finger one point strike.
Abbadon just likes using that pattern I guess?
“And with the power of gay, I sentence thee!”
Good news! My champion, upon whose victory depends my earnings, is once again a viable fighter! Ia, what a rollertoaster of emotion! Praise Mammon!
Bad news! The Rayubans will not let us back into the arena. Apparently the tickets in my pocket burned up due to my gold-melting body temperature. And my word, these guards are incorruptible! I don’t think I’ll be able to bribe them… Where’s some good old-fashioned corruption when you need it?
I suppose my Headhunter guards and I will have to watch the rest through the Glyphosphere…
This story of rising to riches , falling , and rising again that is going here is severely underappreciated , IMO.
Well, if it’s a rollercoaster of emotion you’re looking for, Preem Draco…
Has it occurred to you yet that, while Cioson may be a competent fighter, this does not necessarily make her a viable contestant? After all, I think it’s clear that Madame Cio cannot be classified as any mere armor for the warrior Allision (a permissible intervention under Section 36 Addendum V). Rather, Cioson is a new entity with her own (sometimes confused) will, and has technically not filled out the proper paperwork for her own entry into the tournament!
Now, there is a good argument to be made for her retroactive addition to the bracket, since she was partially created from a legitimate contestant…I might be able to persuade some tournament officials, for a price.
While I applaud your dedication to the craft of the Bureaucrat, Preem Terrapin, this does not seem to follow.
Known historical sources on this subject matter assert that rejection can occur at any time, including such reasons as the human’s mind rejecting that of the demon, indicating that complete gestalt fusion of the two psyches is NOT in fact, what has transpired. Since that is central to the thesis of your claim, it calls into question the validity of the argument at a fundamental level. As a bureaucrat, you should well be aware of the pitfalls and travails of such technical minutiae.
Further consideration: Should Allison remove the “armor” before the closure of the tournament, would that constitute “defeat” of your hypothetical gestalt entity– and, should this process render Cio incapable of combat, would that not also satisfy the requirements for the Battle Royale? The means by which that incapacity is reached were not strictly elaborated upon, leaving a … great many… (ahem)… means by which such a state could be reached, not merely through physical combat. Further, the direct physical engagement of two contestants in a battle not only physical prowess, but also of will and endurance, could be an alternative (and more historically accurate) interpretation of donning “devil-skin armor.” The most common outcomes are subjugation of the devil, spiritual oblivion of the human, or mutual rejection of the union. In all three conditions, there are direct analogues to physical combat at play, with analogous outcomes– Human victor, Devil victor, Stalemate.
While I acknowledge the difficulties in application of existing rules concerning the engagement, I feel you may be too willing to disqualify the combatants, simply for use of a novel fighting technique (that just so happens to be eliminating other participants while they “battle”).
Rules, by definition, are for schmucks. For the learned, and for those driven by Greed, rules may be used selectively and ignored at will to taste. All it takes is to find the weak points in the edifice; schmucks can be surprisingly stubborn, but strike the right spot with a well-placed coin and some honeyed words… a crack will open wide enough to enter.
Which is why Rayuba is so fucking frustrating! I have not found the weak spot! I’m beginning to think that this wall of schmuckdom is impenetrable! This place is a farce, its existence contradictory to the ways of the multiverse… DAMN YOU SOLOMON, YOU FALSE GOD!
I suspect this is partially Cio’s power, and partially Cio having a better idea of how to use the power of a key than Allison. She did have one for a bit!
Also Cio’s (Yabalchoath’s) *will* to power. C.f. Allison’s lifelong denial of her own power.
To hide is an action
This is axiomatic
It’s a bonus action if you’re a second level rogue.
Second, yes, the cunning one
or taking the same chance to run
but wait ’til 7th: Evasion
now I wonder if White Chain is proud, or terrified, or disappointed
Judging by how they’re holding that rosary, I’d say terrified. Or possibly finding a newfound conviction to turn Allison over to the Doomsday Angel Squad.
White Chain has been very……well, moody makes them seem petulant but a lot of their convictions have been shaken recently. Especially after that conversation they had with Nyave, she’s probably seeing Allison’s wanton use of power here in a bad light. After all, her impulsive, reckless human ward with The God Stone in her head just fused with an infamously ambitious and violent devil. What could go wrong?
It’s hard to see the last panel as anything but foreboding.
What if Cio is Aesma? Like she’s lost her memories several times over at this point I don’t think it’d be too far of a stretch. My proof? Have you ever seen CIO and Aesma in the same panel? No, you haven’t.
That actually makes a terrifying amount of sense.
As is established, Allison is Al-YISUN. YISUN often held the company of AESMA.
AESMA, as is known, is the goddess of greed, aspiration, self-sufficiency, lust for power, and regret.
Yalbachoath surely was greedy, aspirational, and lusting for power. In her current incarnation, Cio strives for self-sufficiency and is deeply regretful.
YISUN also frequently held the company of PRIM and HANSA.
Nyave is hard-working, humble, attends Allison’s practical matters, and often attempts
to get 78 White Chain Born in Emptiness Returns to Subdue Evil,
the resident ancient cynic, to lighten up.
Then there’s OGHAM, god of war, much like a certain red devil.
I have thought the stories of Aesma was just to parallel Cio and ol’ Yalb, but that’s more interesting so I’ll take it. 😀
If she has lost her memory she has lost her spine as well. She left it lying around on the disk of throne when she moved on to deader things, and hasn’t been back for it since.
Every comic is bound to have some arcs in it that aren’t as good as others.
I mean the staging of this arc was extremely dragonball, now the fusion and even the design of the malerged character feel very dragonball. The power level going out the roof, its all very homage-y.
What’s wrong with dragonball? Toriyama’s a genius. Don’t actually answer that. I know DBZ had issues, but it was the prototypical shonen series. We have these genre conventions because dragonball invented them. Other series have since done all of them better (like HxH), but you still have to deal with DB on some level if you want to do (or approximate) battle manga. It’s just too far reaching of an influence to ignore completely.
I don’t know, maybe I just enjoy a good DB homage….
Looks like someone’s about to inflict some violence.
“White Chain! We need more time!”
“… It’s your plan. You deal with it.”
A fine example of why it is often preferable to provide help when it is requested. Helps you shape how the situation develops.
Word.
The minute an Angel tells you there is room for interpretation in the Law, a Devil is ready and waiting with a loophole to offer you.