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Post by Nathan Branigan on Aug 27, 2008 3:35:04 GMT 1
Nathan's kick would hit Kazuki, but it would not get a large enough effect to have Nathan's opponent fall or trip. It seemed the latest blow he had made with Adam had numbed the leg to some degree. However, the hit was made and Nathan would be able to press forward with his assault, or so he thought.
Kazuki would bring his left side into the equation, the movement of his body causing Nathan's left fist to narrowly missing his opponent's head. The movement also opened up Kazuki's beginning attack. He reached his left arm out at Nathan's attacking and extended left arm. It would give him the chance to pull Nathan in any which way he wanted. However, Nathan's right arm was prepared for such a situation. He didn't have the speed to grab Kazuki's wrist straight on, but he did have enough for something else. As Kazuki's left arm would extend for the grab, Nathan would throw his right arm down on it. This would push Kazuki's extended arm down, avoided the situation of allowing Kazuki an early advantage in their battle for dominance. Whatever Kazuki planned had now been avoided and Nathan was ready to begin his own attack.
It would take a very small amount of time for Nathan's left arm to return back to its position of defense. This would allow him to take the offense with his right arm. Nathan would step forward with his right leg which just returned from the quick kick to Kazuki's own supporting leg. With the closer range would also come some added momentum in his quick step forward. Nathan would send his right hand forward in a fist to hit Kazuki's diaphragm. It would knock the air out of the Asian's lungs as the fist came from below with the palm side facing upward.
If Kazuki tried to gain some distance from Nathan, it would lead him closer to Adam. If he stayed, he would be hit. It would be awkward for Kazuki to stop the blow with his left arm which was under Nathan's attack.
Stay and fight Nathan, or jump back into the giant's range. Either way, Pain Killer had a shot at Kazuki from behind. Nathan's attacks may be simple, but they would also keep Kazuki busy as Adam got ready for his own assault. Normally Nathan would try to fight against such behavior, but Adam was out of his reach for now. He would have to make due with what he recieved.
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Post by Pain Killer on Aug 27, 2008 16:06:37 GMT 1
With his hand knocked away, Adam would push himself to a kneeling position as planned before, noting how Kazuki stepped back from him with some disdain. Of course, he couldn't fault the fact the older man was using his speed to his advantage, ducking in and out of range to keep from being hit, but that didn't mean he had to like it, either. As Nathan attacked once more however, Pain Killer hesitated, shaking his right arm briefly in an attempt to get more feeling back into it. The youngest surviving Rydell felt as though he could still use it, but resigned himself to not testing that theory quite yet. Instead, he would stand from his kneeling position, watching for an opening in either fighter to exploit.
...The hell with that.
Barely a second later, Adam's patience for such a tactic ran dry, causing him to push himself forward towards his two opponents. They hadn't gone too far, as Kazuki had only taken a step away before, which cut the time taken to get in range down considerably. Pain Killer would find himself behind Kazuki, just within punching range, though he was at something of a dilemma. If he just simply swatted at the Asian man, the other foe would remain unscathed, something Adam wasn't too thrilled with. He had no intention of favouring one over the other, even if it meant removing one foe to deal with the other.
His mind made up, Pain Killer would curl his right leg up to his chest, before rapidly extending it in a thrusting kick towards the small of Kazuki's back. Ideally, the attack would not only do some good damage, and give Pain Killer a measure of revenge for Kazuki's own knee to his shoulderblade, but would also send the older man into Nathan, doubling the force of any strike he was attempting to perform and vice versa. In the largest male's admittedly simple mind, it was a perfect way to weaken both opponents at the same time.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Aug 27, 2008 17:46:37 GMT 1
ooc: Dear god, you buggers, do I have a target on me or something? Let's see if we can't kill two birds with one stone. ic: His evasion successful, his counter it seemed would not be. Nathan, through a combination of intuition and luck, managed to bat away his grabbing hand before it could find its target, and he would escape any injury. For now, at least. Somewhat expectedly, Nathan didn't just stop his efforts there. Taking a step forward, he made another strike towards the Asian with his right hand, and Kazuki saw his opening. The briefest flickers of a smirk rose onto his face, and as the fist shot toward him his own right, unhindered thus far, would grab the wrist as it approached. With Nathan still retracting his left hand, and of course his own left out of position from the downward block, it would come down to nothing but reflexes between the pair. 'Now that's a game I'll win....'Oddly, however, he made no effort to actually attack, instead only dragging Nathan closer to him in a singular jolt of his arm before driving viciously off the floor with his left foot, to his right side, in a half-dive, half-roll that put him out from the firing line of both fighters and instead put them into one anothers. Yes, he was aware that Adam had got back up off the floor, out the corner of his eye he'd seen the behemoth rise from the ground, but now that he was out of his sight, Kazuki knew that he had to either be behind him or to one of his flanks. Never a good place to have a fighter like Adam, and facing the logic head-on, he could change targets by exchanging his presence for Nathans, drastically lowering the odds of getting a fist to the back of the head or something similar. Kazuki would be unaware of the kick being made, but with his shift in position, it would instead change the target from his back to whatever part of Nathan got in the way first. No less, it might even put the two at loggerheads for a moment, diverting their attention from him a moment. 'Which would be just -great-. Feels like I've got a fuckin' bullseye painted on my back!'
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Post by Nathan Branigan on Aug 28, 2008 3:24:22 GMT 1
Nathan's Asian competitor didn't disappoint, grabbing his punch with his right hand at the wrist. It would stop Nathan's attack and prevent them both from attacking each other. Of course, Kazuki didn't need to attack Nathan to cause him pain. He had a perfectly good attack headed for him.
Kazuki would use his newly gained hold on Nathan to a good cause. He would pull Nathan forward, directly in the pathway of Adam Rydell's latest attack. With this target replacement, both Kazuki and Pain Killer would get what they wanted. Adam would get a solid hit and Kazuki would avoid being in a trap between two opponents on opposing sides.
However, Nathan did not plan on standing by and allowing Adam to land a clean hit. Luckily for him, he didn't have to. the angle Kazuki had granted Nathan had prevented a dead on hit by Adam's kick. It would scrap across his side and stomach. It would still hurt, but it wouldn't be the same as the move Adam intended for his other opponent. This would narrowly save Nathan from a very powerful hit to a vulnerable area.
Nathan would have used Kazuki's close range to make a quick counter on him, but Kazuki and foreseen such events. He released Nathan the instant his pull was completed. This decision would deny Nathan any attempts at a strike back.
Instead of going the route of Adam and Kazuki, Nathan planned on getting out early. He would not stay in between the two fighters long enough for them to take advantage of Nathan's situation. He would jump back, forming a triangle between the three fighters. Just like the beginning of the match, all three fighters would be outside of the action.
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Post by Pain Killer on Aug 28, 2008 5:51:09 GMT 1
OOC: Well, I didn't want you to feel left out, bossman. IC: Goddamn it!Once again, it seemed Kazuki was a step ahead of the self-proclaimed Pain Killer, managing to dodge to the side as he kicked towards the man's blind spot. The speed of the Asian man was something Adam had never seen before from him, even before Kazuki had been hospitalized, and brought back memories of a rather recent conversation he'd had with him. "These days, only around seventy percent"... That trip to the hospital must've actually done him good, looks like he's closer to top form than before.The thought went by as a blur, as quickly as Kazuki had dodged to the side away from the boot headed his way. In his place, however, lay the other fighter, the one that Pain Killer hadn't focused on thus far in the round. Thanks to Kazuki, however, it seemed that would swiftly be remedied, as Adam Rydell was hardly one to let an opportunity escape him when it lay right in front of him. It was true his kick had not been intended for Nathan, and indeed the targetting would be off course enough for it to be a glancing blow, but the fact it had not connected in a solid hit against something would force Pain Killer to fall forwards in something of an exaggerated step, bringing him closer to his newest target. If Pain Killer was surprised by his new situation, however, he wouldn't look it, his face smirking confidently as he was brought closer to Nathan. Moving with the motion, Adam would swing his left elbow towards Nathan's right side of his jaw, on course to connect as his right foot landed on the ground. Ideally, Nathan's right arm would be in no position to defend himself, as it had been pulled away by Kazuki in order to bring him into range of Adam's kick, and since Pain Killer had attacked while moving closer, it would give Nathan far less time to react to the attack, likely preempting his attempt to jump away.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Aug 28, 2008 19:35:35 GMT 1
ooc: Ah, hell, I donno. This'll do.
ic:
Evading successfully, the eldest of the three fighters would land into a tight roll before coming back around to facing the pair of opponents, pushing himself up off of his knees quickly and holding his form low for an instant as he determined whether either of the pair would break their ranks to come at him. Instead, when it was clear that both of them would be in the process of attacking each other, Adam in particular, he'd suspect, he decided to steal an opportunity.
He would have been out of range of the pair from his dive a few moments earlier, but from his crouched position his body would spring off like a bullet into the fray once again.
Facing facts, Adam was the larger threat to him just now. His speed was the key play in avoiding those huge, heavy hits, but with Nathan as a distraction, he couldn't focus on avoiding all of them without leaving himself open to one or the other. On one hand, he could go for Adam. That right arm was still weakened from before, and any retaliation would be much less trouble than usual. On the other, he could go for Nathan, who already would be tied up in dealing with the oncoming Pain Killer and would struggle to deal with both opponents attacking at once.
'Screw this....'
Mercenary though it might be, he'd weighed up the odds in his head and decided that Nathan would be the most appropriate target. Approaching as Adam swung the elbow, even if by some chance he would intercept that, he would surely be out of options to deal with Kazukis attack, as the Asian planted his ground and torqued his body violently to swing a powerful right kick to the younger fighters back.
It was simple, and echoed to Nathans earlier attacks made to the Asian, but with both opponents striking almost in unison, it remained to be seen if he would be able to avoid a serious hit from either of them...
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Post by Nathan Branigan on Aug 29, 2008 22:10:03 GMT 1
Not intending to give Nathan the chance to escape, Adam Rydell came forward immediately. He would close the distance as Nathan stopped the momentum of Kazuki's pull. This would keep Nathan from escaping in time to avoid the hit.
However, Nathan was not defenseless. Kazuki had the advantage of speed in their encounter, but now the role was reversed. When Adam come in to send a left elbow to Nathan's face, intending on a quick and devastating strike, Nathan would be prepared. He would send out his left hand to come into contact with Pain Killer's elbow in the form of a palm strike. This would not stop it fully, but it would slow it down considerably as it acted as the equivalent to a push. With this, He would begin his retreat.
On his way out, yet another snag come in the way of his escape. Kazuki Shinato, mimicking Nathan's previous strategy, sent a right kick to Nathan's back. This would cause Nathan as a good deal of pain, but the hit came slightly after he moved to escape. It would allow him to continue his movement out of the center, bruised yet still alive.
He would continue his strategy of forming a triangle with the other two fighters. Why change a plan that has yet to fail completely?
OOC: Sorry for the late post.
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Post by Pain Killer on Aug 30, 2008 2:36:47 GMT 1
Unfortunately for Nathan, his escape wouldn't quite be as quick as planned. First, to put any sort of force into his block with a palm strike, he would need to put some considerable bodyweight if he hoped to slow down Pain Killer's attack, as the larger male was using both his strength and momentum to aid the strike. This on its own would force Nathan to take a second to change direction in order to jump backwards, but Kazuki's strike to the back would cause Nathan's escape to slow considerably. After all, Pain Killer knew from experience just how hard the Asian man could hit, and the very least he could see it doing would be slowing the other male in the air, shortening the jump considerably.
Of course, this was assuming Adam would simply let the kid escape.
Once the Rydell boy felt his elbow get struck, he didn't continue to push against what was causing him resistance. Instead, he would go around it, in a manner of speaking. His left arm extended upon impact, causing Nathan's strike to slide along Pain Killer arm while the larger male twisted his hand so that the thumb pointed downwards, causing his palm to face Nathan's body. His hand would follow the momentum and snap towards Nathan's arm, grabbing roughly around the smaller man's upper arm, just above the elbow, before suddenly yanking him left, or from Nathan's perspective, to his right.
The idea was simple, which often gave the best results for the likewise simple-minded Rydell. He would pull Nathan closer and to his left, while lifting his left leg and driving the knee into the boy's stomach, looking to wind him and perhaps stun him momentarily to deliver a much more devestating finishing blow.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Aug 30, 2008 3:49:13 GMT 1
He was tired. There was no doubt about that now. Both preceding fights had been draining, but this one was starting to catch up on him. Not least the fact he was having to remain even more alert than normal to counteract the fact he had two opponents to deal with...
As a result, this brief moment that took him out the centre of the action was a godsend. Not only did it allow him a moment to compose himself, but he could take in the actions of his opponents from a new perspective briefly.
Adam, in typical fashion, clearly had no intention of letting up. If Nathan was able to slow down that haymaker being thrown at him, the subsequent blow would probably end up having him trapped with nothing to fall back on. Adam was a powerful opponent, Kazuki knew from deep personal experience, but there were ways to beat him, just as there were ways that he himself could be bested. To that end, however, as Adam continued to press on, he would return to a normal grounded stance after his kick struck Nathans back.
Watching for his opening, the instant Adam made the grab for Nathans arm, a spark flashed through the Asian.
'That's my opening!'
His right leg, having set to his back-foot after returning from the kick, would cross forward and in front of his left, immediately during this, he would spring off the canvas in a gliding step, using the force of his bodys natural torque to spin himself counter-clockwise, all the while bringing his left leg around in a furiously powerful reverse roundhouse intended for the back of Nathans head, heel first. With his left arm tied up by Adam, the younger fighter would have no logical means of evasion, and if that weren't enough, he had an attack to deal with from the biggest of the three as well.
'It's been fun, but the numbers need to thin out. One of us has to go first, and damned if it's going to be -me-....'
The thought was valid, as well. If Nathan by some divine intervention avoided the kick, it would simply carry on to Adam with equal force The only difference being the actual target, where for the largest of the three it would be in the face, as opposed to the back of Nathans head. He was shooting for a knockout to one of his opponents here, and despite being the physically weakest of the three in brute strength, not even Adam would be able to avoid being floored by the force of a kick this powerful from Kazuki, let alone Nathan.
[EDIT: At Tanyas behest, I've been asked to add this.
"Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku!!"]
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Post by Nathan Branigan on Aug 30, 2008 17:17:02 GMT 1
To spite Nathan's efforts, Adam Rydell still managed to best the less experienced fighter. As his left palm strike successfully stopped Adam's elbow, something new came into play. Refusing to admit defeat in this exchange of blows, Adam extended his left arm. It would grab Nathan at the joint without much resistance from the Paragon Junior. A feeling of helplessness shot up Nathan's spine as he realized that he failed to stop Adam's attack. He was now at the mercy of the much larger fighter.
Adam would pull Nathan towards him and to the left. This would set Nathan up for Adam's newest attack. He would send a powerful left knee directly at Nathan's gut. It would knock all of the air out of his lungs and set him up for a finishing move by the man.
Out of a natural instinct, Nathan threw his right arm in front of his gut. This would protect his body from the strike somewhat, but he would still feel the push in his body that would release some air. The knee would strike up with enough force to cause a good deal of pain in Nathan's right arm. Nathan's body reacted in the normal way. It would force his upper body down somewhat from the hit. Now for Adam's final blow...or so he thought.
Kazuki, not intending to give Nathan the chance to escape, sent a powerful kick meant for the back of Nathan's head. It would of immediately resulted in knocking Nathan unconscious. However, Adam's attack forced him down. This would cause the hit to miss Nathan's head and instead slam directly into the face of Pain Killer. This would cause Adam to fall to the ground and release Nathan in the process.
Out of desperation, Nathan forced his body to move. If he stayed sill, he was finished. He immediately ran to the right and forward. Adam would still be hit too hard from the kick to stop him. Kazuki wouldd have a gap in his assault, enough for Nathan to narrowly escape.
Nathan had managed to evade his defeat, but only with the help of someone who had intended to end the match for him instantly. His right arm, now numb from Adam;s attack, would be off much less use in the remainder of the fight. He would bring up his guard, left arm and leg in front of the right side. He would try to shake his right arm out of its numb state. 'That was close, but at least I got out alive' He thought optimistically.
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Post by Pain Killer on Aug 31, 2008 2:46:11 GMT 1
OOC: Thank God I don't suffer from IDTHS. Anyways, feel free to post without me from here on out.
IC:
With Nathan being pulled into the self-proclaimed Pain Killer's knee, the larger male could tell things were going to end soon. Even with the hand flying down fast enough to take some of the impact away from his chest, Nathan would be in a perfect position for Adam to finish the kid off. His right hand had already begun raising up to his shoulder, turned downwards for a powerful blow to the back of the kid's head, when he caught a flash of motion out of the corner of his eye.
Damnit.
He'd completely forgotten about the third man in the fight, which wasn't particularly surprising given his singlemindedness. He instinctively flinched away from the blurry motion heading towards his face, tilting it down and away from the incoming object. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to save his head from taking the blow, Kazuki's heel striking him right above and to a lesser extent, directly into his right eye, snapping the self-proclaimed Pain Killer's head back from the force. The larger male found himself falling backwards, his legs somehow lacking the strength to keep his balance any longer, causing the Rydell boy to fall flat on his back on the ground, swimming halfway between consciousness and unconsciousness.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Aug 31, 2008 3:15:54 GMT 1
'What!?'
With his back to the pair as his heel would whip around, he would not realise where his kick had struck until after Adam had hit the ground, a mere instant after the oldest of the fighters landed once again. His left foot, some momentum still remaining in the final stage of its arc, would slide back to put his right side forward as he quickly shifted his eyes between the pair of fighters. Nathan had, it seemed, managed to escape unscathed. At least, from the kick anyway. The way he held his right arm, protecting it and putting his left side quite visibly forward, he must have used it to buffer the blow from Adam.
'There's not a whole lot I can do about Adam now, he's got to be out from that kick...Just leaves the kid.'
His eyes narrowing sharply, he took a step or two towards Nathan, his body burning as he looked over his half-broken target. Pausing briefly, without moving his head, his eyes glanced slightly towards Adams form on the ground.
"Sorry, big guy. You and I will finish our business another time, outside the ring, on our terms. A shame, I'd have loved to have fought this final against you alone, to see how much you improved, but fate doesn't give us that kind of luxury."
For a moment, a smirk would emerge as he took another step or two away, making his way towards Nathan again, before making one last remark in his direction. He wasn't entirely sure if Adam was conscious or not, but the words would be spoken regardless.
"Rest for now. You're gonna need your strength for our next fight."
With that, his focus shifted entirely back to Nathan, and the smirk faded abruptly as he looked over the younger boy. Instinctively, his muscles twitched in preparation as he glared towards him. Yet, for a moment, his posture changed. His ready-stance dropped, he stood more head-on than usual, his guard lowered as he glanced over his remaining opponent.
"You've been very lucky so far, but now there's no third party distractions. You've got one arm as dead-weight, and I know his last attack has sapped your strength, yet you remain standing and he does not. I'm afraid, however...."
Bursting off the ground, a growl escaping his lips as he shot towards his opponent, he set to close the gap and end this fight.
"...That it won't be the case for much longer!"
Nathan, with one arm all but useless and barely getting his breath back from the heavy knee dealt to him, would find himself facing Kazuki head-to-head now, and without distraction the Asian would not fight conservatively. Speed remained on his side, and as he approached he would weave to his right, intending to come at Nathan from the boys left. His right fist cocked, he would swing a brutal right cross to Nathans head. Indeed, the youth had his left arm free to defend and counter, but it was a fight of two effective weapons against one, both of Kazukis fists against his left. With no need to observe elsewhere for possible threats, he was directing everything towards Nathan. Attention. Power. Anger. Everything.
'It's time to end this.'
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Post by Nathan Branigan on Aug 31, 2008 5:19:15 GMT 1
~"You've been very lucky so far, but now there's no third party distractions. You've got one arm as dead-weight, and I know his last attack has sapped your strength, yet you remain standing and he does not. I'm afraid, however...."
"...That it won't be the case for much longer!"~
Nathan hated to admit it, but Kazuki was right. Adam's last hit had done a great deal of harm to him, even if he did escape. With his right arm in its current condition, he wouldn't be able set up a decent attack or defense. Nathan was a punch and counter based fighter. Without an arm in the game, he wouldn't be able to fight someone like Kazuki Shinato. He was more or less a sitting duck.
Kazuki would jolt forward, moving to Nathan's good side. Whether this was a form of mockery or honor, he did not know. His only choice was to react accordingly. He could have backed off to keep some form of distance, but Kazuki would win a speed battle. With his current condition, he would also win in an endurance or stamina test. Kazuki would still have two usable arms and win a strength competition as well. add the fact that Kazuki had far more experience than Nathan and you would get the idea. Nathan's chances of winning this fight were very slim.
Kazuki would send a powerful right cross at Nathan's head. Instead of retreating, Nathan pride called for him to make a different move. He would face Kazuki in a brief final clash. He would move forward and send his own punch at Kazuki's head. This would come in with a large amount of momentum from the combined movement of both Kazuki and Nathan. However, it would also leave Nathan vulnerable on his right side. If it did, by some miracle, hit its target, It would land directly on Kazuki's nose. This would disorient the older fighter and give Nathan and opening to send a kick to the man's gut. It would send him back and allow Nathan to keep Kazuki away.
The match was coming to an end and only one of the fighters would remain standing. The loser would join Adam Rydell on the floor.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Aug 31, 2008 20:01:19 GMT 1
The response would be one borne of speed, and nothing more. No small grins, no other thoughts clouded into his mind, he felt an especially sharp clarity for the moment. Nathans retaliatory punch was one of only two real outcomes he would have seen to his own advancement and as such, Kazuki had already looked ahead to that. Coming from the outside of Nathans left as he was, the punch towards him would swing to the inside of his own attack, and that suited the elder Asian perfectly.
Pulling his head to his left, he would drop down maybe half a foot, causing the fist to skim past his ear with the narrowest of margins before exploding forward, inside the younger males guard. From his left foot forward, his right leg would whip through with the knee bent in a weight-driven strike to the lower left of Nathans ribcage. His punch, as a result of his earlier shift, would not take its initial target. Instead, with the dip down, he would extend the arm outwards to have it pass by Nathan, wrapping around the other boy as he closed the gap and intended to prevent his retreat from the blow.
He was intent to end this here, to use this last attack to put Nathan down and finish this fight once and for all. Despite a lack of actual injury, he was still sore. His body ached from head to toe from the fights before and this one, and he was immensely tired. Relying almost entirely on adrenaline and sheer will to keep himself standing, let alone attacking, he knew he would only have a few more minutes at best before he would be completely out of energy.
Entering this tournament had been a statement to himself at first, a way to prove that he'd not been permanently put out of action by his injuries before, but now the victory was close enough he could taste it. Giving up now, just because he'd 'proved his point', would be pointless. Walking out of here the champion would stand as the clearest testament to his reasons were for competing here tonight.
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Post by Kyukaku on Sept 1, 2008 7:55:56 GMT 1
Christ, that took a lot longer to read than I thought it would.
Anyways, to the point, I wasn't dissapointed by this fight. However, I was surprised quite a bit. Goes to show you how quick things change in a 3 way match. Though the win isn't by an extreme large margin, Kazuki fought the hardest and it showed in the end.
Winner (again...) Kazuki!
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