Once, a demon-driven war raged across the continent. Now, as the Imperial Crowd Power invades the Independent Trade City, the threat of conflict has returned. Though the City's forces make a valiant stand against the Imperial armies, the sheer number of incoming Demon Blades puts the City on the defensive. As the fight reaches a furious pitch, Siegfried and Luke clash, while Cecily faces off with Valbanill. The final battle has arrived!
Powerful advisors from all over the Continent gather in Housman for the top secret "Valbanill Meetings." The inhuman Valbanill will soon break free from its prison, unless the Sacred Blade can be forged anew. All eyes are on Luke, as he is the only blacksmith who knows the secret technique of forging a katana, passed down through the centuries from father to son. Meanwhile, Cecily battles her own feelings for Luke, as she learns more about his tragic past and the cause of his unwavering duty. Can Luke overcome his grief and finally become the Sacred Blacksmith he is destined to be?
Now safely home from their trip to the Militant Nation, Cecily, Luke, and the others return to their everyday lives. However, the Independent Trade City of Housman is soon struck with increasingly strong earthquakes, signaling that the time of Valbanill's reawakening draws near. The pressure only continues to grow as Luke and Cecily learn of the Campbell family's secret curse: the Sheath of the Sacred Blade. Can Luke help change Cecily's fate by forging the true Sacred Blade before it's too late?
Powerful advisors from all over the xontinent gather in Housman for the top secret "Valbanill Meetings." The inhuman Valbanill will soon break free from its prison, unless the Sacred Blade can be forged anew. All eyes are on Luke, as he is the only blacksmith who knows the secret technique of forging a katana, passed down through the centuries from father to son. Meanwhile, Cecily battles her own feelings for Luke, as she learns more about his tragic past and the cause of his unwavering duty. Can Luke overcome his grief and finally become the Sacred Blacksmith he is destined to be?
After the vicious demon attack at the Market's auction, life in Housman has finally returned to normal. However, when an imperious girl named Charlotte E. Firobisher shows up and starts making unreasonable demands of master blacksmith Luke Ainsworth, things take a dark turn. Charlotte's true purpose and the nature of her three companions are shrouded in mystery. Cecily Campbell will have to hold her own against three Demon Blade-wielders in order to save Luke and Aria from certain doom. But is she up to the task?
As the power of the Sacred Blade wanes, Luke, Cecily, Lisa, and the Demon Blade Aria travel to the Militant Nation, seeking information on forging a new Sacred Blade to combat the inhuman Valbanill. Meanwhile, Siegfried and the Empire have nefarious plans of their own that would trigger a second Valbanill War. With the help of old friends and new allies, can Cecily and Luke find the strength to stand up against the encroaching darkness?
Trapped underneath Blair Volcano, Luke and Ewain find themselves inside an icy cavern where a mysterious sword stands firmly planted into the ground - until an earthquake dislodges the blade, hastening the breaking of Valbanill's seal and the legendary Inhuman's awakening. A replacement blade must be placed in its stead immediately, for Valbanill has already begun to stir... The pair is saved by a rescue party led by Cecily, and Luke must make a choice: to either allow Cecily to become the Sacred Blade's Sheath and suffer the fate of her grandfather, or to forge a true, durable Demon Katana at great personal cost to both Lisa and Luke. Will Luke find the strength and courage to save the woman he loves, as he stands once more before the Inhuman Valbanill?
A Knight's Sword The Market Festival has come to the city of Housman, where a fabulous blade known as the “Demon Sword” is put up for auction. Recently knighted Cecily Campbell's newest mission is to guard the sword at all costs. There's just one problem: the sword has the mysterious ability to transform into a beautiful woman known as Aria. Still, it's all fun and games at the festival, and Cecily and Aria become fast friends—until a huge fire demon appears! The demon will stop at nothing to steal Aria, even if it means reducing the entire city to ashes. Can Cecily and her companion Luke—the Sacred Blacksmith—save the citizens of Housman from a rampaging demon and its sinister plans?
As the Independent City of Housman prepares for the imminent awakening of the inhuman Valbanill, the original Sacred Blade appears at Atelier Liza in her human form, freed from her duty by Luke and Cecily's recent reinforcement of the seal. She reveals to Luke, Cecily and the rest of the group the last key pieces of information that they need in order to create a new blade and reseal Valbanill. While the process would consume the last remains of the Demon Blade Aria, reviving her as the new Sacred Blade, it would condemn her to a lifetime of centuries under Blair Volcano, alone in the darkness. As Cecily wrestles with this bitter knowledge of what she must do, the people of Housman plan for a very special wedding...
This engrossing volume on curve and surface theories is the result of many years of experience the authors have had with teaching the most essential aspects of this subject. The first half of the text is suitable for a university-level course, without the need for referencing other texts, as it is completely self-contained. More advanced material in the second half of the book, including appendices, also serves more experienced students well. Furthermore, this text is also suitable for a seminar for graduate students, and for self-study. It is written in a robust style that gives the student the opportunity to continue his study at a higher level beyond what a course would usually offer. Further material is included, for example, closed curves, enveloping curves, curves of constant width, the fundamental theorem of surface theory, constant mean curvature surfaces, and existence of curvature line coordinates. Surface theory from the viewpoint of manifolds theory is explained, and encompasses higher level material that is useful for the more advanced student. This includes, but is not limited to, indices of umbilics, properties of cycloids, existence of conformal coordinates, and characterizing conditions for singularities. In summary, this textbook succeeds in elucidating detailed explanations of fundamental material, where the most essential basic notions stand out clearly, but does not shy away from the more advanced topics needed for research in this field. It provides a large collection of mathematically rich supporting topics. Thus, it is an ideal first textbook in this field.
This book provides a unique and highly accessible approach to singularity theory from the perspective of differential geometry of curves and surfaces. It is written by three leading experts on the interplay between two important fields — singularity theory and differential geometry.The book introduces singularities and their recognition theorems, and describes their applications to geometry and topology, restricting the objects of attention to singularities of plane curves and surfaces in the Euclidean 3-space. In particular, by presenting the singular curvature, which originated through research by the authors, the Gauss-Bonnet theorem for surfaces is generalized to those with singularities. The Gauss-Bonnet theorem is intrinsic in nature, that is, it is a theorem not only for surfaces but also for 2-dimensional Riemannian manifolds. The book also elucidates the notion of Riemannian manifolds with singularities.These topics, as well as elementary descriptions of proofs of the recognition theorems, cannot be found in other books. Explicit examples and models are provided in abundance, along with insightful explanations of the underlying theory as well. Numerous figures and exercise problems are given, becoming strong aids in developing an understanding of the material.Readers will gain from this text a unique introduction to the singularities of curves and surfaces from the viewpoint of differential geometry, and it will be a useful guide for students and researchers interested in this subject.
Once, a demon-driven war raged across the continent. Now, as the Imperial Crowd Power invades the Independent Trade City, the threat of conflict has returned. Though the City's forces make a valiant stand against the Imperial armies, the sheer number of incoming Demon Blades puts the City on the defensive. As the fight reaches a furious pitch, Siegfried and Luke clash, while Cecily faces off with Valbanill. The final battle has arrived!
This book provides a unique and highly accessible approach to singularity theory from the perspective of differential geometry of curves and surfaces. It is written by three leading experts on the interplay between two important fields — singularity theory and differential geometry.The book introduces singularities and their recognition theorems, and describes their applications to geometry and topology, restricting the objects of attention to singularities of plane curves and surfaces in the Euclidean 3-space. In particular, by presenting the singular curvature, which originated through research by the authors, the Gauss-Bonnet theorem for surfaces is generalized to those with singularities. The Gauss-Bonnet theorem is intrinsic in nature, that is, it is a theorem not only for surfaces but also for 2-dimensional Riemannian manifolds. The book also elucidates the notion of Riemannian manifolds with singularities.These topics, as well as elementary descriptions of proofs of the recognition theorems, cannot be found in other books. Explicit examples and models are provided in abundance, along with insightful explanations of the underlying theory as well. Numerous figures and exercise problems are given, becoming strong aids in developing an understanding of the material.Readers will gain from this text a unique introduction to the singularities of curves and surfaces from the viewpoint of differential geometry, and it will be a useful guide for students and researchers interested in this subject.
In a class populated by students who already have some exposure to the concept of a manifold, the presence of chapter 3 in this text may make for an unusual and interesting course. The primary function of this book will be as a text for a more conventional course in the classical theory of curves and surfaces.'MAA ReviewsThis engrossing volume on curve and surface theories is the result of many years of experience the authors have had with teaching the most essential aspects of this subject. The first half of the text is suitable for a university-level course, without the need for referencing other texts, as it is completely self-contained. More advanced material in the second half of the book, including appendices, also serves more experienced students well.Furthermore, this text is also suitable for a seminar for graduate students, and for self-study. It is written in a robust style that gives the student the opportunity to continue his study at a higher level beyond what a course would usually offer. Further material is included, for example, closed curves, enveloping curves, curves of constant width, the fundamental theorem of surface theory, constant mean curvature surfaces, and existence of curvature line coordinates.Surface theory from the viewpoint of manifolds theory is explained, and encompasses higher level material that is useful for the more advanced student. This includes, but is not limited to, indices of umbilics, properties of cycloids, existence of conformal coordinates, and characterizing conditions for singularities.In summary, this textbook succeeds in elucidating detailed explanations of fundamental material, where the most essential basic notions stand out clearly, but does not shy away from the more advanced topics needed for research in this field. It provides a large collection of mathematically rich supporting topics. Thus, it is an ideal first textbook in this field.
As the power of the Sacred Blade wanes, Luke, Cecily, Lisa, and the Demon Blade Aria travel to the Militant Nation, seeking information on forging a new Sacred Blade to combat the inhuman Valbanill. Meanwhile, Siegfried and the Empire have nefarious plans of their own that would trigger a second Valbanill War. With the help of old friends and new allies, can Cecily and Luke find the strength to stand up against the encroaching darkness?
As the Independent City of Housman prepares for the imminent awakening of the inhuman Valbanill, the original Sacred Blade appears at Atelier Liza in her human form, freed from her duty by Luke and Cecily's recent reinforcement of the seal. She reveals to Luke, Cecily and the rest of the group the last key pieces of information that they need in order to create a new blade and reseal Valbanill. While the process would consume the last remains of the Demon Blade Aria, reviving her as the new Sacred Blade, it would condemn her to a lifetime of centuries under Blair Volcano, alone in the darkness. As Cecily wrestles with this bitter knowledge of what she must do, the people of Housman plan for a very special wedding...
Powerful advisors from all over the Continent gather in Housman for the top secret "Valbanill Meetings." The inhuman Valbanill will soon break free from its prison, unless the Sacred Blade can be forged anew. All eyes are on Luke, as he is the only blacksmith who knows the secret technique of forging a katana, passed down through the centuries from father to son. Meanwhile, Cecily battles her own feelings for Luke, as she learns more about his tragic past and the cause of his unwavering duty. Can Luke overcome his grief and finally become the Sacred Blacksmith he is destined to be?
Powerful advisors from all over the xontinent gather in Housman for the top secret "Valbanill Meetings." The inhuman Valbanill will soon break free from its prison, unless the Sacred Blade can be forged anew. All eyes are on Luke, as he is the only blacksmith who knows the secret technique of forging a katana, passed down through the centuries from father to son. Meanwhile, Cecily battles her own feelings for Luke, as she learns more about his tragic past and the cause of his unwavering duty. Can Luke overcome his grief and finally become the Sacred Blacksmith he is destined to be?
Now safely home from their trip to the Militant Nation, Cecily, Luke, and the others return to their everyday lives. However, the Independent Trade City of Housman is soon struck with increasingly strong earthquakes, signaling that the time of Valbanill's reawakening draws near. The pressure only continues to grow as Luke and Cecily learn of the Campbell family's secret curse: the Sheath of the Sacred Blade. Can Luke help change Cecily's fate by forging the true Sacred Blade before it's too late?
From the award-winning, internationally bestselling author of Bullet Train and Three Assassins, The Mantis is a propulsive thriller set in Tokyo’s criminal underworld about the intrigue and tensions a family man faces as he tries to hide his secret life as a hitman. Kabuto is a highly skilled assassin eager to escape his dangerous profession and the hold his handler, the sinister Doctor, has over him. The Doctor, a real physician who hands over Kabuto’s targets as “prescriptions” in his regular appointments with him, doesn’t want to lose Kabuto as a profitable asset, but he agrees to let him pay his way out of his employment with a few last jobs. But the most lucrative jobs involve taking out other professional assassins, and Kabuto’s final assignment puts him and his family—who have no idea about his double life—in danger. The third book in a loose trilogy set in Kotaro Isaka’s imagined Tokyo criminal underworld, The Mantis features all the hallmarks of his work that readers have come to crave—assassins with quirky codenames and modi operandi, page-turning action sequences, madcap energy, and razor-sharp humor—making the novel a frenetic, unputdownable read that hurtles readers toward a thrilling climax.
A Knight's Sword The Market Festival has come to the city of Housman, where a fabulous blade known as the “Demon Sword” is put up for auction. Recently knighted Cecily Campbell's newest mission is to guard the sword at all costs. There's just one problem: the sword has the mysterious ability to transform into a beautiful woman known as Aria. Still, it's all fun and games at the festival, and Cecily and Aria become fast friends—until a huge fire demon appears! The demon will stop at nothing to steal Aria, even if it means reducing the entire city to ashes. Can Cecily and her companion Luke—the Sacred Blacksmith—save the citizens of Housman from a rampaging demon and its sinister plans?
Like her father and grandfather before her, Cecil Campbell has entered the noble ranks of the Knight Guard, sworn to protect the Independent Trade City of Housman. Now the time has come for Cecily to prove herself in battle. A veteran of the great Valbanill War goes berserk in the marketplace. Cecily confronts him with the prized sword she inherited from her father—and it shatters to pieces! All seems lost, when a lone figure swoops to the rescue, and expert swordsman with a sword unlike any Cecily has ever seen. His name is Luke Ainsworth, a blacksmith of much renown, who will forge a new sword for Cecily and join her down a path of magical adventure beyond her wildest dreams.
Trapped underneath Blair Volcano, Luke and Ewain find themselves inside an icy cavern where a mysterious sword stands firmly planted into the ground - until an earthquake dislodges the blade, hastening the breaking of Valbanill's seal and the legendary Inhuman's awakening. A replacement blade must be placed in its stead immediately, for Valbanill has already begun to stir... The pair is saved by a rescue party led by Cecily, and Luke must make a choice: to either allow Cecily to become the Sacred Blade's Sheath and suffer the fate of her grandfather, or to forge a true, durable Demon Katana at great personal cost to both Lisa and Luke. Will Luke find the strength and courage to save the woman he loves, as he stands once more before the Inhuman Valbanill?
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice Pick By the internationally bestselling author of Bullet Train, the high-octane new thriller, set in Tokyo’s criminal underworld, pits an ordinary man against a group of talented and very unusual assassins Three Assassins is the high-stakes, high-style, and utterly propulsive follow-up to Kotaro Isaka’s international bestseller, Bullet Train, a Crime Reads "Most Anticipated Book of 2021." Suzuki is an ordinary man until his wife is murdered. To get answers and his revenge, Suzuki abandons his law-abiding lifestyle and takes a low-level job with a front company operated by the crime gang Maiden, who are responsible for his wife’s death. Before long, Suzuki finds himself caught up in a network of quirky and highly effective assassins: The Cicada is a knife expert. The Pusher nudges people into oncoming traffic. The Whale whispers bleak aphorisms to his victims until they take their own lives. Intense and electrifying, Three Assassins delivers a wild ride through the criminal underworld of Tokyo, populated by contract killers who are almost superhumanly good at their jobs.
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