King of Swords 9-111
Chapter: 9
“Listen, O son/daughter of mine. Strike without understanding, and the blow will bite your hand. Strike with anger, and the blow will mangle your arm. But strike with fear, and you might as well hack off your own head.”
– Song of Maybe
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Growth and change are everything. But angels are notoriously resistant to change.
Shame on you for forgetting dear Delicious
The notoriety makes the beauty of Delicious more distinct.
At least until the whole ‘body slammed to death’ mess.
Change is Chaos. Angels are agents of Order.
The thing is, White Chains has changed; she just doesn’t want to admit it to herself.
Hardest to remove are the masks we cannot see.
Behold the growing crystal.
Is it not Change?
Is it not Order?
Change is a lie told by the progeny of YIS. It is little more than another name for decay.
Do Cio and Alison talk through the same mouth?
Well, there’s technically only one set of lips available…. But the double tailed speech bubble is gone atm, seemingly indicating (along with the ‘black speech’ dialect thrown in at the end of what Cio is saying) that they are speaking with their own voices separately.
Turns out lies aren’t the only things that can crack the stone bodies of angels.
First blood to the devil.
What is Allison if not a lie told so convincingly that the multiverse itself believes it?
And what is the multiverse if not a lie told so convincingly…
Well, YISUN *did* subdivide himself to create the multiverse and he *did* say that he was a consummate liar. If a liar became the multiverse, is not the multiverse itself a lie?
The Division of Yisun is the first and only lie.
I’m so conflicted.
But my desire for blood is sO AROUSED. :’o
An angel? Soften? Change? Allicio, dearest, you know not what you ask.
Suppose we implore the fish to walk on land and breathe the air? Or the Sun to stop its shining?
The fish one isn’t the best as there are those that CAN breathe air and also (sorta) move around on land, also evolution.
Suppose I tell you be quiet?
10 billion years be but a piffling time for they of the white flame. Tha tawdry little second-rate sun’ll be dead by then.
When was the extent of physical and metaphysical possibility ever an appropriate excuse?
Strength is my god
The god of shapes
And if my god should fail me
Then I will kill it too
“It’s all true. Especially the lies” – Elim Garak
The immutable truth that burns bright in the flame of the Servants and Angels was first spoken into being by Yisun. And yet, Yisun remains among the most thorough of liars. The true lie is the paradox at the heart of creation, and to reject it is to do violence against the one called I.
YAS GIRL(S)
Last panel. Their eyes.
Cio looks ready to fucking go!
But Allison looks hurt and contemplative.
I love it
I was going to make a similar comment:
Cio’s eyes are on White Chain, addressing her.
Allison’s are turned down, contemplative. Talking, as much, to herself.
Fucking glad i’m not the only one who saw it. Cio is vigilant, watchful, angry. Allison, internal, sad, contemplative.
Cio is ready to rock an angel’s world, Allison is preparing herself to end a 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 if it should prove necessary.
And is maybe, just maybe, seeing th downside of this devil’s bargain.
For a demon to change is hardly unnatural — just wait a heartbeat, for they are the stuff of chaos.
For an angel to change? — wait an aeon.
Interesting that others read Allison’s eyes as contemplative. I felt she looked somewhat distressed.
What’s worse than watching two friends you care about fight?
Being dragged into their fight, bodily, and unable to not participate.
White Chain is specifically attacking Allison, she is not an accidental bystander who was dragged into a conflict between two others.
Allison is totally present and participating. Or they wouldn’t be so in sync with half their speech bubbles.
A good chunk of White Chain’s angst is due to change. The angels have changed. She has tried to change to fit with them. I can’t even be mad, because she’s seriously dealing with an abusive family she’s known from the dawn of time.
And the devils… Cio has changed, but not… without inertia. Her old friends/family appear to change little.
But, I do agree about Allison’s eyes. ^_^
Wow
And that really is the crux of it, isn’t it? The line between Demiurge and true Royalty is very thin, but it begins in growth. In moving forward. Standing still works well enough for I and mine, but…
…well, there’s a reason the Conquering King was Zoss, and not one of us.
Growth and change is fearsome to an Angel.
As natural as breathing to the Successor.
Yes, and this whole mess began with Zoss breaking into Throne, pounding the prime Angels into a pulp and torturing the true names of Yisun out of
1 Metatron. Conquering Kings are way overrated in my book.
It is the purpose of conquering kings to unify through force and be hated by those thus unified. It is the purpose of their successors to heal that hatred and forge a nation.
And both require change.
something that would be really interesting is them intentionally and very controllably backing down. Ceding ground to White Chain. That said, I do not believe that do be correct, nor the way they are going to act here.
There was a time for backing down and Alison responded with a respectful “Yes master” Without her key darkening.
Now their relationship has changed. “No more lessons.” They fight as equals. The violence a vehicle and focus for their dueling thoughts. the Monarch Ascendant cannot back down without a transformation.
YAAAAS QUEEN(s)!
Cut that judgmental statue down!
Armor of the soul, as well as the body. Cio stands ready to protect the rising king.
But, but, but…Is not Ol’ Ziggy Pink Eyes still rattling around in there someways? Or did he get a TV contract to host “Incubus Apprentice,” and won’t be available until the season wraps?
Bit of a word salad on Allison / Cio’s part. If I’m parsing it correctly, if Allison is saying anything, it’s that she’s getting worse?
She’s agreeing that she’s a demiurge (as White Chain defines it, anyway), but saying that she’s been changing. So… she’s saying that she’s been becoming a demiurge?
She’s changing in that she’s accepting her power and accepting that she has to become what she is now. (Which, I suspect, is the true inheritor-I’m curious as to the exact translation of the prophesy in the original language. “He” in English is a common generic term for “person,” as the English language lacks a good neutral identifier.)
The question is-can White Chain change?
Is Allison really changing though?
Just a few fights ago, she was struggling extremely badly in a match she’d been fixed to win. Now she’s full of confidence after an external power grant from an entity which has somewhat merged with her. Which is exactly what happened before with Incubus, the last time Allison rushed in to confront another Demiurge.
She’s going through the same motions, and she doesn’t seem self-aware enough to realize it.
I don’t know if getting help from her girlfriend and doing a Faustian deal with Incubus are really comparable, despite any superficial similarities.
It seems fair to point out that she’s literally made a deal with a devil in this case. The deal in both cases seems pretty Faustian.
This is true, but the formation of Allicio as a Faustian deal is circumstantial; Cio is doing as she wills through helping Allison, and so it might be said that their compact is [I help you, and in return you get helped]. Although there may be factors of their bond that we don’t yet know, it seems more akin to calling in a favor from a friend.
Allison’s deal with Incubus is not so. He does not help her because he wills it, but rather because he receives her help in a crucial conflict to come. A Faustian deal is not so because of who you’re dealing with, but rather what you’re dealing in.
From the text of King of Swords 9-103 (Allicio)
“The human would benefit from the devil as a sort of armor, the devil from the direct access to the human soul flame.”
The currency being dealt with here is Allison’s soul. Again, it’s hard to get more Faustian than that.
Allison and Cio may be lovers, but it would seem to be incorrect that the merger is not one of mutual advantage. Which was also true of the Incubus deal.
Perhaps, although I feel as though Cio has no intent of dealing in that currency. She asks for Allison’s trust before merging, and yes perhaps she takes some of her soul by default, but it seems to me that it’s more apt to say she has the option to take some of Allison’s soul, and that the trust aspect is that she will not do so. Of course I have no way of knowing so I won’t assert that I’m right, but I feel that Cio’s part here is a show of restraint, which doesn’t feel like it fits the definition.
This is _not_ true. No bargain was struck with Cio. Only trust. The bargain with Incubus is an attempt to gain power from an enemy… trusting Cio is finding strength in the support of an ally. They are fundamentally different.
Yes, this precisely! Thank you for articulating what this mouth could not.
From the text of King of Swords 9-103 (Allicio)
“The human would benefit from the devil as a sort of armor, the devil from the direct access to the human soul flame.”
The deal may be one of mutual benefit, but that was also true of the Incubus deal. The difference between them is that we don’t trust Incubus, and we probably shouldn’t. The end result, a physical merger, external power grant, and actions which are physically detrimental to an ally are the same.
She is no longer unwilling to be a hero. She is no longer dismissive of the help of her allies. She no longer _expects_ an easy solution. She is no longer rushing in without a plan. She is no longer afraid to take measured risks. She is no longer weak and bumbling. She has changed.
Ironically, the one thing about her that hasn’t changed is that she feels responsible… and that is the trait most desirable in a ruler.
She’s been willing to be a hero since Mottom.
She’s dismissing the advice of her teacher (and ally) White Chain right here.
She’s been handed an external power grant and seems to expect that it will carry her through a battle with Solomon.
She rushed into this situation on a wing and a prayer after being warned several times it was a bad idea.
She barely won fights she’d been fixed to win.
She’s repeating the exact same mistakes she made with the vault.
I don’t really get why people refer to melding with her lover as a devil’s bargain.
But also… I think White Chain might be a shitty teacher. White Chain wants Allison to be an angel. Nobody should want to be that. White Chain doesn’t even want to be that, and she’s got practice.
Also, did… nobody notice the other pages in this storyline? Allison’s plan was to make a bit of a display to trick wassface into moving her ex so her friends could do a rescue mission while she risks her ass as a freaking distraction. She realized winning wasn’t viable. These are beings that have trained for combat longer than her bloodline’s existed. A few years training won’t fix that.
Off hand I’d say that it’s because Cio IS a devil, and some text from an earlier update mentioned that what the Devil gets out of this type of merger is easy access to the human host’s soul.
As to making a distraction for the breakout plan, if that’s what she’s still going for, she’s doing a pretty bad job of it. If Allison really doesn’t think she can take Solomon at this point her goal should be to extend the battle royale as long as possible, since this would maximize the amount of time that the Zaid bust out could happen. Since she’s destroying almost every other opponent in an instant, evidence suggests she’s going for the whole bag of marbles. Time will tell, one supposes.
We don’t know whether Cio planned or plans to feed on Allison’s soul. I think this meld is, apart from being a survival tactic, Cio’s great test for her new, moral self. Can she resist the ultimate temptation? Can she stave off her awful hunger unless and until she’s invited to feed? Anyway, they’ve only been melded for a minute or so and they’ve been too busy to decide this.
She’s acknowledging that she’s impulsive, and sometimes relies too much on that Starfire in her brow.
But she ALSO recognizes how much she’s grown, and that she’s comping to understand the meaning of true power.
Get ready for the return of 17 Rusty Bucket Hauls Garden Waste, stage left.
So what happens if you strike without thought?
You cut God.
Nay, to do that one must strike without //self//.
Thoughtless or selfless. I’d rather be thought of as selfless. Being thoughtless is so inconsiderate.
While at the same time god is chuckling to them self about us supposing we had anything to do with it in the first place.
I wonder if we’re building to:
“I won’t surrender to 32 White Chain Pretends to be Someone She’s Not. I will surrender to a friend and teacher, who accepts herself.“
(oops, 82 – the rest stands)
A most pleasant daydream indeed, friend!
Certainly she has been through a great deal. But has she died 81 times?
She’s probably killed that many internal demons by now.
All things considered, I’d say Allicio is taking this surprisingly well…
Hell yes, school’em Allicio! Maybe White Chain will learn a thing with enough literal and figurative impacts. That, or the other guy will sneak up behind for a cheap shot in the middle of things. :thinking face emoji:
Makes me wonder what happens to the angels when their ash bodies are destroyed. Are they stuck on the outside until humans make new bodies for them? The angels do seem to have some ability to make new ash armor, in the case of the thorn knights, but it’s implied those are made by the metatron and not something the average angel can do.
The Thorn Knights are proof that angels CAN change, and drastically. If they can do it, so can White Chain – though one hopes the change is not in the same direction.
Does it, tho?
How have they REALLY changed besides cosmetically?
Going from enforcing the law to becoming professional criminals seems like a considerable change. I suppose one could say that they remain hidebound prigs in either case.
This is not one versus one or even one versus two. It’s one and one versus two with maybe a third side thrown in.
Also, the winner is going to get the salami whatever way it goes.
Winners can have a little salami.
Good sir preem, tell us your experience of winning, pray.
Winning is a distraction, a tempting place to loiter on the road to true royalty. I am always at my least productive after winning.
The o ______ Mine.
Lol destiny is a huge inspiration I see
On the next page, we will find out that the angelic stranger is 10 Vigilant Gaze Purges the Horizon. He has thus far been the most sympathetic angel to White Chain, and one of the just generally chillest. He’s also old enough to potentially have issues with his corporeal form like this stranger has displayed, and long-winded enough that he wouldn’t get out a basic sentence that could prevent all this horseplay.
Their speech bubble back then was orange though, this angels speech bubble color is more like Juggernaught Star’s, or the other angel that was there in the gathering along with 10 Vigilant Gaze. Plus, White Chain said that they don’t recognize the voice and they’d likely have recognized the voice if it was 10 vigilant gaze.
Besides, they don’t appear to be all that sympathetic to White Chain, so far.
Oh, interesting, I didn’t check the colours. It certainly doesn’t seem like a thorn angel; I’d be surprised if it was one of the others at that meeting. 10 Vigilant Gaze seemed the most open to listening and reflecting on what Chain said, even if he was still ultimately a patronising bigot. Hopefully we see soon.
Though I recall no names, eyes recall this new armor in question coming alight but saying nothing upon hearing the name White Chain described as an auspicious one. Ears recall no voice save for the orange one spoken only now. He seems to carry some deep wisdom, else at the very least, White Chain did not listen closely enough to take his true meaning.
I’m wondering if the mystery angel is he who gave Jagganoth the iron feathers (and is now bitterly regretting that gift).
I’m fairly sure the angel that gave Jagganoth the feathers was Metatron himself or (less likely) Michal on Metatron’s behalf.
I don’t think it was ever said who gave the feathers, but it’s not likely to have been an ordinary rank and file angel (ie, the second generation angels).
It’s very strongly implied to have been 1 Metatron. 2 Michael thinks Metatron has come back to the fold, but with the context of Jagganoth it’s clear Metatron is just playing his brother.
What could be better than the two strong, proud, thoughtful women? ONE MONSTER DELICIOUS BABE!
This comic is pure gold.
Baubles shining, from the tree
Like Albert taught the dour Queen
Consort race at the Derby
hah, slapping some truth in its face
To strike down an agent of absolute tyranny such as an angel is what devils such as we were crafted to do.
Yes! Use your words, friends!
Not that I want to undermine my own excellent comment on the last page, but this is an important aspect of democracy that White Chain’s rhetoric made me forget: Talking with each other as an alternative to killing or beating each other into submission because you disagree about how stuff should work.
As a daughter of infinite mother Yis I cannot tell tha how much I loves the fact that White Chain – an Angel, a Peacekeeper, a Knight of the Concordant Harmonies – struck not only first, but twice!
But I hold a (necessarily secret (don’t tha tell anyone!)) admiration for my beautiful sister who not only upholds the human’s honour (no coincidence it is a Yabalchoath-arm’d fist), but that a devil and human combination then shows up that crack’d angel, with restraint, and dialogue.
As for democracy we doesn’t hold with it usselves – but it has produced so much death and chaos that we cannot but applaud the humans.
You must be reading some funny papers if you got the impression democracy causes death and chaos. You only have to look at the murders per 100,000 people per century to see the opposite.
Tha’s elected leaders continually have, ergo tha democracy has. Not funny for thee, but devils do laugh uncontrolsomely on it.
It be disingenuous and laudably sneakisome to misuse statistics, and given that tha population growth has been both exponential and that most comes from but 3 of tha countries, ‘murders’ ‘per 100,000’ is mightisome misleading.
Aye, and tha needs to think about war and orchestrated famine, amongst others, not just ‘murder’ (most of which were unrecorded in previous centuries around tha world anyways); wars, be they ‘legal’, ‘illegal’ or just blubberheadedly ill-considered and too easysome to enact without fear of consequence on the elected warmonger.
Or that tha democratic countries has supported and enabled multitudinous dictators and thums atrocities for decades and longer also. It is all most impressive; very smart thum, very smart.
Straightsome, should us even mention tha systematic annihilation of every other species on tha planet, and thums ecosystems?, never mind tha’s own.
We watches every day, in awe. And us encourage all, and we gets stronger and reclaims us own being from us name as we feeds on tha.
Hijinks aside, no one claims Democracy has lead to no deaths. Or even few deaths. Only far less deaths than it’s alternatives.
The ghosts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki might like a word with you. Also the ghosts of all of those murdered in bondage who were voted by democracy to ‘not be people.’
There’s no successful nation of any sort that hasn’t been built on the blood and bones of others, and that’s as true of democracies as it is socialist states and recently passed communist empires.
As for the rest, Mark Twain said it best: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”
The statistics that say people have killed each other less and less for the last 1000 years include all the deaths in WW2. It’s best to learn your history if you’re going to lecture about it.
A simple reading reveals what was actually claimed.
That democracy causes the opposite of death and chaos.
I disagree. I have read your post and found fault. Not every other species. Cows. Cows are not being systematically annihilated. Well, they are, but they’re being replaced even faster. There are more cows on our planet now than ever. Because they’re tasty.
An excellent development. 🙂
I absolutely love the pairs of eyes looking differently during the conversation – seeing Cio’s spite and anger, and Alison’s reluctance and sadness. It’s a great detail I’ve never seen before in this sort of thing, and it’s remarkable.
None here address that severity of White Chain’s armor breaking. As her eyes there reflect, that is an event of incredible dismay and gravity to A Brother. Imagine your own skin being peeled off with a giant fruit peeler – that is how it’s been for us, if the skin was that of a cantaloupe. It is, too, like your outer self being torn away, your solidity in this world being disintegrated, your podium of balance removed.
I do not imagine this was Allison’s intention, she is not yet aware of her power (though Ciocie surely is), but that is a very grave aftermath in our eyes.
In no coincidence is White Chain’s right hand in the image of a face
Not seeing a face in her right hand. Anyhow, they can take some integrity loss before going kablooey, otherwise White Chain wouldn’t be able to take off their helmet
I don’t see that White Chain’s armor has been broken – maybe chipped a little.
Her right forearm – the one that took the force of the blow – has definitely been cracked, and you can see her favoring it in the next-to-last panel.
Who is in the right? Time will tell
Definitely seems like White Chain is in the left where I see it.
I don’t know, despite all the hype and uproarious applause…Allicio feels *incredibly* sinister.
But that’s probably just my angel bias showing.
FEAR!
You ARE AFRAID basalt britches!
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
Will you permit it to pass over and through you?
When it has gone past, will you turn the inner eye to see its path?
Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing.
White Chain: ‘I have not even BEGUN to fight!’
(Seriously, if Angels were that easy to defeat, how did they ever get the reputation of being nigh-on unbeateable?)
Fear and desire are dangerous things.
Destiny? O ___ mine is a destiny thing. That’s pretty cool to see here.
I admire what you have done here. I like the part where you say you are doing this to give back but I would assume by all the comments that this is working for you as well.