KILL SIX BILLION DEMONS: Beginnings are false and I am a consummate liar.

[Doran]

Yabalchoath

[AMX]

Yabalchoath

OK, what's going on with the sword there?
Does she flip it around between panels?

[Olinser]

OK, what's going on with the sword there?
Does she flip it around between panels?

Presumably she did, yes.

[Onyavar]

I wonder if one page was left out, now.

Allison got the book out of her backpack, threw the pack away, washed (and healed!) her face. (Or the face cuts in 112 were exaggerated)
And Cio reversed her facial maskial developments. Where are her horns and protrusions that she evolved during the voyage?
And what exactly happened those last four pages?

[some guy]

And Cio reversed her facial maskial developments. Where are her horns and protrusions that she evolved during the voyage?
And what exactly happened those last four pages?

On the top row of panels, Cio is shrinking. Her hair becomes shorter, and her size change is most noticable by the comparing her upper legs with Allison.
Presumably, with reverting in size, her horns, mask and protrusions also reverted.

[Ibrinar]

As I expected, nothing goes over some attempted murder to patch up relationships! Well in stories where the main characters are fighters with supernatural powers at least, if you are in something like a romcom or a drama or something throwing down can still help in some situations but you usually should avoid severe damage.

[Nettlekid]

Let's not forget that we have a critically injured Allison and a rapidly de-powering Cio in a vault next to the Grand Dragon himself and, perhaps more concerningly, his high priest and top official who has a fragment of his power and is invested in keeping the status quo. We still don't know what it was in here which destroyed Yabalchoath so consummately that she couldn't even remember it upon being reassembled.

[Olinser]

Let's not forget that we have a critically injured Allison and a rapidly de-powering Cio in a vault next to the Grand Dragon himself and, perhaps more concerningly, his high priest and top official who has a fragment of his power and is invested in keeping the status quo. We still don't know what it was in here which destroyed Yabalchoath so consummately that she couldn't even remember it upon being reassembled.

Nothing. She escaped the vault with her piece of stolen Key. We already saw a large group of people taking down Yabalchaoth outside the vault and she was explicitly betrayed by people she thought she controlled. Memory loss is because they shattered her mask and it had to be rebuilt and she was re-named. Just like Vladok lost all his memories when he was renamed to Princess etc.

At this point it's more likely that Mottom is going to bust down the front door and there is going to be a free for all between her and the Dragon's followers while Allison and Cio book it for safety.

[PraetorDragoon]

Now kiss.

[virgileso]

Now kiss.

As you wish.

[Onyavar]

Now kiss.

Update
Happy now?

[Tom Tearcamel]

I don’t think I ship them romantically. I kinda like Ally as a chaste hero. I’m hoping Cio is daydreaming. The alt_text does say “don’t hold your breath.”

That being said... super cute.

[Olinser]

I don’t think I ship them romantically. I kinda like Ally as a chaste hero. I’m hoping Cio is daydreaming. The alt_text does say “don’t hold your breath.”

That being said... super cute.

I'm still half convinced that Allison is about to pull an Elan and realize the whole thing is just one huge mind screw by Incubus and she's still back on the ship outside the vault.

[Nettlekid]

I'm still half convinced that Allison is about to pull an Elan and realize the whole thing is just one huge mind screw by Incubus and she's still back on the ship outside the vault.

Either by Incubus or by Mammon/one of Mammon's guards. Maybe this is why Cio couldn't remember the vault - it scrambles your mind, sticks you in a daydream, and totters you back outside. Maybe Mammon's not even old and decrepit at all, maybe that's the image of himself he wants to cultivate via illusion to lull people into a false sense of security and discount him as a threat.

We do seem to be within the fanfiction now. This is playing out exactly the way Cio would write it.

[Eldan]

Ooh, that would be a nice one. You go inside the vault, you think you get what you desire - he's the God of Greed, after all - and then it's all an illusion. This is what Cio wants.

[Aquillion]

I think it's entirely possible that, in this state, mentally and physically exhausted, Allison could get caught up in the moment and kiss Cio without it necessarily meaning she's ready to drop everything for a relationship with her. I'm not saying we couldn't end up with an Ally x Cio ship being canon, but it'll take a while and more than just this one kiss to get there (and, on the other hand, I don't think that that necessarily means that this kiss isn't real or something. A kiss is just a kiss, etc.)

If nothing else, Allison still has a boyfriend, so it's going to take a bit to resolve that.

I don’t think I ship them romantically. I kinda like Ally as a chaste hero.

The very first page did start with her about to sleep with her boyfriend, you know!

[Onyavar]

That is the "boyfriend" she dated to lose her virginity. That's pretty much all we know about him. And her sorority mates claimed he's a creep. "chaste hero" doesn't fit her really, more "ambivalent towards everything including her sexuality hero"

"Illusion sequence"? Gah, I really hope NOT. Mammon is not god of illusions, that would be more Incubus' style. And it would be a waste of so many pages.
Though I could accept this last page to be Cio's dream world, or Allison break the kiss with a "Hey that's not what I... please let's pretend it never happened." which is going to fuel even more drama later.

[Eldan]

I'm not opposed to the ship, as such. But this just seems too nice.

[Professor Gnoll]

Those scars all but confirm that the "don't wear it out person" is Allison... or that we're meant to think they are.

[Ibrinar]

Hmm congratulations to all shippers it was real and despite its utter situational inappropriateness, as she pointed out, she found it nice. Since I am a shipper I am happy. Well unless Cio gets beheaded next chapter by the person behind them with a big weapon, but I doubt it.

[Nettlekid]

This feels weirdly forced to me. I'm not against the ship per se, but there hasn't been enough time for the characters to connect. It's been only a few days and the summary of their interactions have been Cio criticizing Allison for inaction, sending her home, showing up for the drinking contest and flying away with her, then splitting up for Mottom's palace, reuniting on the ship, and now the heist. That's IT. Not to mention their personalities don't exactly mesh very well. Cio's been manipulative, not vindictively but just from the standpoint of an author designing a character rather than a sapient entity interacting with or respecting another. So with that in mind this whole thing feels really weird and kind of unpleasant, even putting aside the recent violence. I'm honestly surprised that it wasn't some kind of hallucination.

[Onyavar]

This feels weirdly forced to me. I'm not against the ship per se, but there hasn't been enough time for the characters to connect.

I agree on the weird, but the reunion and the heist had several points that should give lots of credit to the shipping:

On the ship, Allison learned that Cio has fantasies. She shut those down, hard. Then Cio gave her tips for survival and they reconciliated, somewhat. At that point, they were still acquintances, at best. Yes.

Then, right before and during the heist, ruthless!Allison gave Cio a really hard time again, something which really bothered ethical!Allison. Worst of those, she learned that Cio wanted to renounce her old evil ways, but forced her to come along regardless. And then, she insulted Cio by stating they werent even allies. For all that, she now apologized by announcing Cio her only+best friend (within Yre).

Allison broke the kiss (which Cio initiated, I believe, and which probably didn't last two weeks!) in the most recent strip, basically telling her would-be lover that she isnt ready but they might try again later.
That response is reasonable even if Allison is abhorring that relationship but just doesn't want to antagonize Cio right again.

But to Cio, right now, this must seem like the ultimate hope, enough to fight for her love... Which I guess she will have to right in the next strip, either with words or action.

[Nettlekid]

But to Cio, right now, this must seem like the ultimate hope, enough to fight for her love... Which I guess she will have to right in the next strip, either with words or action.

Knowing the bittersweet way Abbadon usually plays these kinds of things and the crapsack nature of the world, I wouldn't be surprised if this "love" is just one manifestation of the insatiable hunger of the Chaotic Black Flame to possess and consume all things. Cio portrays it as adoration, affection, and love when at its heart it's rooted in greed and possession.

[Onyavar]

Quite true.

But even a greedy, possessive Cio can't consum[mat]e her love with Allison if either of them dies. Which is why hope is the fuel that Cio needs against 000001.

I bet that the solution is talking, even if they trade blows for a few panels. Cio is no match for Mammons confidante. And she knows what Allison wanted here. We just have no idea: does 00001 need Zaid and if so, for what? will she trade him? Or is he in another castle?

[Olinser]

Quite true.

But even a greedy, possessive Cio can't consum[mat]e her love with Allison if either of them dies. Which is why hope is the fuel that Cio needs against 000001.

I bet that the solution is talking, even if they trade blows for a few panels. Cio is no match for Mammons confidante. And she knows what Allison wanted here. We just have no idea: does 00001 need Zaid and if so, for what? will she trade him? Or is he in another castle?

I have serious doubts he's even there. Mammon barely seems aware of what's directly around him and had no idea who Allison was while Mottom recognised her immediately, I would be shocked if either he or 001 even know who Zaid is. I feel like the whole Zaid was in Yre was just a lie and Incubus has had him the whole time and was using her search for him as the hook he needed to offer his deal.

[Nettlekid]

I have serious doubts he's even there. Mammon barely seems aware of what's directly around him and had no idea who Allison was while Mottom recognised her immediately, I would be shocked if either he or 001 even know who Zaid is. I feel like the whole Zaid was in Yre was just a lie and Incubus has had him the whole time and was using her search for him as the hook he needed to offer his deal.

I don't think that's likely. This is the first we hear of Zaid's location after the Concordance of the Demiurges, when he was hovering naked at their meeting. Jagganoth was angry that angels from Mottom's worlds (I assume he means Earth?) had trespassed through his land. Then they learned (through Jadis' translator who Abbadon implied did not translate correctly) that he was the inheritor of Zoss' power, so I guess they agreed to lock him away until further notice. That all sits well enough with me, and since Incubus wasn't even at the meeting I don't think he would have been able to go against those wishes.

Looking over this, there's something I don't quite understand. The Thorn Knights worship Jagganoth, right? So why was he unaware of Juggernaut Star's mission to abduct the new heir, and why was he angry to see Thorn Knights in his territory?

[Professor Gnoll]

Looking over this, there's something I don't quite understand. The Thorn Knights worship Jagganoth, right? So why was he unaware of Juggernaut Star's mission to abduct the new heir, and why was he angry to see Thorn Knights in his territory?

The Thorn knights don't worship Jagganath, they serve Metatron. You're thinking of the Knights Belligerent, one of the four knightly orders founded during Zoss's reign. They're not angels like the Thorn Knights, they're Humans or Servants.

[Nettlekid]

The Thorn knights don't worship Jagganath, they serve Metatron. You're thinking of the Knights Belligerent, one of the four knightly orders founded during Zoss's reign. They're not angels like the Thorn Knights, they're Humans or Servants.

You're right, my mistake. Crossed one group of war-crazed zealots for another.

[Olinser]

I don't think that's likely. This is the first we hear of Zaid's location after the Concordance of the Demiurges, when he was hovering naked at their meeting. Jagganoth was angry that angels from Mottom's worlds (I assume he means Earth?) had trespassed through his land. Then they learned (through Jadis' translator who Abbadon implied did not translate correctly) that he was the inheritor of Zoss' power, so I guess they agreed to lock him away until further notice. That all sits well enough with me, and since Incubus wasn't even at the meeting I don't think he would have been able to go against those wishes.

Looking over this, there's something I don't quite understand. The Thorn Knights worship Jagganoth, right? So why was he unaware of Juggernaut Star's mission to abduct the new heir, and why was he angry to see Thorn Knights in his territory?

That's the point. The last time we ACTUALLY saw Zaid was at that meeting - a meeting which Mammon did not attend. So Zaid being there requires the resources to turn over who they THINK is the next King to the accountant flunky of a senile demiurge. I have real trouble believing they'd do that, so I see no way Zaid ended up in Yre without Incubus manipulating it, and the simpler explanation is that it was just a lie from the start and he was never there.

[Nettlekid]

That's the point. The last time we ACTUALLY saw Zaid was at that meeting - a meeting which Mammon did not attend. So Zaid being there requires the resources to turn over who they THINK is the next King to the accountant flunky of a senile demiurge. I have real trouble believing they'd do that, so I see no way Zaid ended up in Yre without Incubus manipulating it, and the simpler explanation is that it was just a lie from the start and he was never there.

Resources? The people sitting at that table owned 5/7 of all the cosmos. There is no issue about resources, they can do anything they please. More importantly, none of them was in a position to try to pull a fast one on any other because the others would call them out on it - Gog-Agog was looking for an excuse to point fingers, and Jagganoth wasn't in a mood to be tricked. Unless Mottom was lying to Allison about where Zaid is (and there seems to be no reason for that) then she left that meeting under the impression that Zaid was being taken to Mammon's fortress, which means the other Demiurges believed that as well, and even though Incubus is strong he's not so much stronger than them that he could do a swap like that under their noses. Moreover Incubus couldn't care less about Zaid, he knows Allison is the proper successor, so Zaid's location doesn't matter to him.

I think Occam's Razor ought to be applied here. The outcome which requires the least assumptions is that everyone's telling the truth, no one enacted a secret offscreen plan, and that Zaid is in Yre. This also makes sense story-wise because Yre is established as the most impenetrable vault in the cosmos, and Zaid is an entity that the Demiurges want under secure lock and key. The more convoluted version that you're suggesting is that we must assume someone who wasn't present at the meeting and who at that point we hadn't even met in the story had enacted a secret plan that enabled his floozy courtesan representative to snatch away Zaid from in front of the eyes of the five most powerful entities in the cosmos while they were watching, fooling them into thinking he was safeguarded when he wasn't (what benefit does Incubus have in Zaid not being protected?) and then the author Abbadon telling both Allison and us the readers a piece of false information (bad storytelling) from someone with countless spies and informants who yet doesn't know the information is false. That's a stretch.

Also remember that the other Demiurges don't know Mammon is as senile as we've seen him - he hasn't been seen in a long time.