Closed The Steps We've Took

[Ricky Maze]

It had been amusing to converse with Kreig about the Knights, and the idea of eating fish for protein seemed to be one well taken after Ricky suggested it. All the same the fisherman felt like he'd accomplished something today, and that was learning more about this place he visited so he could later tell friends and family about it when he got home. He knew Martin would definitely enjoy hearing about it, seeing as how he was a child and telling him stories was one of Ricky's favorite things. Then came the topic that Kreig decided to share which involved what he did know how to use, and in turn how his best weapon was the very things he came into this world with. His own fists.

He was a brawler it seems, a man who enjoyed the hobby of fighting with his hands mostly. Ricky could relate in a sense given there was a time where he could associate with it, over the course of the years though he grew out of that stage and took to interest in more quieter hobbies. Yet when Kreig decided to challenge him, Ricky couldn't help but give an honest laugh. It wasn't often he found himself challenged and even so he never really thought about accepting one, except the fact is that Kreig just so happened to pique his interest in that moment. Seeing as how he was a trained squire he had to be good with what combat prowess he's trained in, and seeing as how Ricky had similar if not lesser routines he followed then it was worth a try to test and see just how the squire did actually fight.

"Oi'll be honest mate, Oi ain't one t' usually go 'bout fightin'. Tend t' lose control when Oi git pissed anyway." He quirked as he looked to the side for a moment, a small grin then formulated on his face as he returned to watching Kreig. "But seein' as 'ow ye hooked me curiosity, Oi wouldn't mind indulgin' in a lil' scrap dis one time." At the acceptance of the proposition Ricky felt his heart pick up a pace, his nerves wracked already as he felt his stomach roll once out of the anxiety of fighting another man. He was doing it willingly though, thinking that this could very well benefit him all the same. So why not accept the chance to fight? It was certainly a good way to see how well Ricky could do, and if his condition hadn't ruined his reflexes in battle or not.

"Oi'll let ya lead de way, Oi'm not all t' familiar wit' Syliras really." He admitted with a chuckle as he allowed Kreig to move first, he definitely wasn't in any big hurry to get there, but also definitely determined to not back down either.

[Kreig Messer]

Kreig grinned at the man “Don’t worry mate, I can handle an out of control Sailor” Kreig told Ricky in a confident voice. Along with that confidence Kreig felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of a good ol’ fight, always felt like its been too long since he had a proper scrap. As he led the way his hands tensed, opening and closing as it anticipated the chance to punch something or someone. ‘ This was going to be good Kreig thought, in his view Ricky seemed like a proper strong sort and that only meant lots of fun.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the fighter’s pit, the sounds of dull blades clashing and the grunts of fighters filling the pit. On the corners of the pit there were racks with plenty of blunt swords to be used freely by those who wished to train their martial skills, Kreig motioned for Ricky to go take one if he wished as he began to take off all the excess armor and weapons, placing them in a bundle aside from what he decreed their ‘fight area’. He began to flex his body as a stupid grin spread upon his face.


‘ Oh hoo ho yes, I got a good feeling about this’

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[Ricky Maze]

Given the remark Kreig had about being able to handle "out of control sailors" Ricky couldn't help but chuckle a little, a nervous grin formulated on his expression as he wondered just what had to be crossing the squire's mind. To be honest he wasn't sure if Kreig had a big head or if he actually believed he could manage to keep Ricky calm, given the difference in size and build between the two of them. Then again there was always the fact looks were deceiving and of course not to be taken into consideration, no if Ricky were a betting man then his bet would be that Kreig had more strength in him than he let on. The force behind his swings earlier were an indication for one, given they had enough momentum and direction behind them. That alone gave the impression of experience, so the fisherman pretty much knew he was likely getting in over his head with this.

Still he wouldn't relinquish the chance to get a little scrap in given that his mind and body were healed, so it couldn't really hurt to try and see just how effective the rejuvenation was when he visited the Priestess. When the two seemed to finally reach the place Kreig mentioned, Ricky looked around in wonder at the scenery before him. The Fighters Pit did in fact resembled that which it was named for, a dirt filled pit with but some mats placed about for those wrestling, and of course some weapon racks placed about with actual weapons to fight with rather than safe wooden ones. While Kreig motioned for Ricky to go ahead and take one if he so chose, the fisherman stood curious as the few who stood here to practice remained focused in their own world. They were no doubt dedicated, much like the folks back in Zeltiva. Off and on Ricky knew that the individuals who joined the Guard practiced on their own time, and learned their own weaponry through practice compared to the discipline Syliras seemed to display. His train of thought seemed to unfold though as he noticed Kreig had already unequipped all his unnecessary attire, leaving him ready to fight with only but his fists.

Dat's not fair at all. Why should Oi use a weapon when he's stickin' t' unarmed? Experience had to play in part some where, as Kreig no doubt had to know how to disarm or something. It was too risky to go with using a blade, even so he didn't want to inflict injury on the squire. With a moment to consider his options Ricky decided that he too would fight this battle unarmed, though he would do so with a better grasp of his surroundings. Dirt dirt dirt and yes more dirt, this place had nothing but dirt and stone walls, what with the occasional patch of grass growing here. "Aight t'en." His eyes zoned clearly onto Kreig then as he placed a foot against the heel of another, and pulled off his shoes with his feet so that he could feel the warm ground beneath his feet. "Oi ain't one t' go 'bout hurtin' folks, but let's see if ye push me far enough t' begin wit'."

He brushed his feet against his shoes to move them further aside and stood in a defensive stance with his arms held in place, the left craned up while the right straightened down to brace himself for observations and tactical construct. "Oi'm ready, whenever ye 're." He nodded with a calm and collected composure, deep breaths followed as he tried to gain control over the excitement that had built inside his stomach. Either way Ricky would remain patient and watch Kreig, hopeful that the man would be the one to make the first move.

[Kreig Messer]

Kreig could only grin as Ricky proclaimed he would go without using a weapon. He cracked his knuckles and the joints in his neck, this would probably be a very quick battle or a very educational experience he realized and so dearly hoped it would be the latter. He didn’t want this to end too quickly, though honestly if it turned Ricky wasn’t even as skilled with his fists as he probably was the blade than there was no doubt in his mind he’d force the man to use one of the blunt blades on display ‘Still, might be able to make this more interestin’ meself’ Kreig thought as he suddenly took up a boxing stance where his fists shielded half his face while he looked over them, his back hunched forward whilst his fist. Kreig was far from the best boxer of course, having spent only little time practicing such a skill… but he had muscle behind it along with years of brawling and unarmed combat. Even if Ricky evaded some of his punches he’d be feeling each and every one of them if he tried to block them…..and even then, he wasn’t about to stick to just punches. Ricky looked to be a proper warrior though, so if he felt it enough then he would know Kreig was holding back on him

To demonstrate he through a couple of quick but crude jabs along with an equally crude but fierce straight punch “ Yer honor is admirable Ricky, but I’ve survived the streets of Sunberth with me fists….can ye say the same with yours?” Kreig asked though there was little seriousness to his words, except the part about him surviving the street of Sunberth with his fists of course. Now that the banter was out of the way he let himself be absorbed fully in the battle that was about to begin.

Ricky obviously subscribed to the same train of thought Kreig did when it came to the beginning of a battle, wait for the other to throw the first move. Kreig grinned at that, realizing that often enough he tended to be the first to strike in battle in any case and he would indulge Ricky as he suddenly took a quick step forward and threw a couple of quick left jabs to push Ricky off balance then immediately followed with a third jab that he immediately turned into a backhanded strike. If Ricky were to avoide those then he had to alternate blow to throw, if it were to the side he’d follow him with a hook punch and if he were to step back he would follow with a heavy straight punch. Still despite thatKreig was still no excellent boxer, so there was a fair chance for him to avoid it all….

‘ Not like I’ll make it any easier for him’

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[Ricky Maze]

At Kreig's challenge with the remark of surviving with his fists Ricky couldn't help but give a smirk, it really did intrigue him to see how psyched out the squire had become at just the mere idea of fighting. Now that they two were ready to exchange blows he seemed all the more eager to see if Ricky was sure about sticking with his decision, and if he could also back up the choice with skill no doubt. While he hadn't gotten a huge amount of brawling and unarmed experience, Ricky did understand well enough how to fight in both standards which therefore allowed him insight on what to expect in fighting other foes, specifically the ones who seemed to have more experience with them like Kreig did. Ye may 'ave more experience, but Oi've more insight. Dat's all Oi need. He thought in silence as he watched Kreig in his approach, when he noticed Kreig moved in to the fisherman's right that was when the time to react finally came.

A direct left blow! He noted as he managed to evade with a step to his own left, that was when the second jab of Kreig's left shortly followed in turn. Another?! Rather than evade this one Ricky confronted it with his own strength, surprise lit in his eyes as he felt the force of the punch impact a minor shock wave into his hand. Nevertheless he managed to catch the fist for a moment and that allowed him to grasp an idea of the strength the smaller man had, all while he had to brace for another blow that came at him in a backhanded manner. Damn! Ricky took both his arms and crossed them together as he brought them over to catch Kreig's own arm between them, as he grasped the wrist with both of his hands and in turn twisted over to where Kreig would be at his back. It was in that moment Kreig would feel the strength that Ricky had, as the bigger man pulled with all his might to hurl the squire over his shoulder. Of course this wasn't something Ricky expected to put a stop to Kreig, instead it was a test to see how quickly the squire could recover as well as another way to gauge his speed.

[Kreig Messer]

Kreig was impressed by Ricky as he dodged the first jab, showing that he could predict or rather spot what kind of punch it was going to be and prepare accordingly, he was equally impressed when the sailor responded to the second jab by intercepting it with his own fist ‘ I’m I impressing you enough?’[i] Came the silent question as Ricky seemed surprised at Kreig’s strength, though there was something to be said about Ricky’s own strength as his fists did not waver under pain or the like, perhaps only feeling reverberations from the strike much like Kreig did as their fists collided. Suddenly, as his backhanded strike was caught, Kreig found himself facing Ricky’s back then hurled over the man’s shoulder and a couple of feet away from him, his eyes now looking upwards and seeing the sky of the open-roofed Fighter’s Pit.
The throw was unexpected, painful even as he landed on his back and he was thankful that it wasn’t even more so. If Kreig had thrown a straight punch than it was probabl that Ricky could have performed a similar throw and with the full momentum of Kreig’s punches combined with the throw he would have been flung farther and hurt his back even worse. Kreig did not waste any time once he realized he was far from spent as he lifted himself from the ground, resumed a battle stance and focused his gaze on Ricky, a grin plastered all over his face ‘[i] Pretty good, ye vagik’ Ricky was still clearly analyzing him, not taking any sort of advantage to follow Kreig and attempt to throw some follow up attack. Kreig found that to be over analytical in truth, but could hardly complain…. It gave Kreig a good idea of his analytical skills, his own speed and strength but the one difference is that Ricky had Kreig’s recovery speed now whilst Kreig did not.

Suddenly with the passing of a single tick, Kreig went on a pure form of offensive as he closed in on Ricky with a quick plan in mind; He would overwhelm Ricky with a series of punches, mostly boxing punches as he wanted to implant the thought it was only going to be punches being thrown at him. He began with a series of left jabs, like his previous punches they were easily telegraphed due to Kreig’s inexperience with the art of boxing and much was the same with his other punches as he proceeded to throw a right straight punch, yet retracted it quickly to reveal it was a feint as he threw another series of lefts jabs.

One of these particular Jabs was actually an open-palmed fist that was aimed to grab a part of Ricky’s arm or body and roughly pull him forward into a right uppercut into the Sailor’s solar plexus, if successful the blow would have been amplified by the two opposing forces essentially meeting in one location. If unsuccessful in the chance he would have stepped and away from any retaliation from Ricky, then would have immediately closed in again.

At this point Kreig believed Ricky would think more punches were to be thrown, his eyes studying his body for more such attacks. Instead Kreig would have thrown a heavy right low kick at Ricky’s leg, then a right mid kick and finally as he would lower the right leg he would have thrown a high kick with his left leg aimed for Ricky’s shoulder. The entire process of attacks were purely for Kreig to weaken Ricky’s body or psyche enough that it would force or show cracks in his defense from which Kreig could exploit, such pure aggression often caused the nerves of the foe to tire especially if each had the chance of sending him to a bed to be tended by healers. For Kreig it meant he was telling Ricky that he was slowly dropping the pretense of studying the sailor and that progressively he was going to throw even more aggressive attacks at him, knowing enough of what to expect although still giving Ricky a ‘sporting chance’

‘ Lets get the fun rolling, eh Ricky?’

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[Ricky Maze]

As Ricky managed to pick up Kreig and launch him into a hurl he not only got a measure of how heavy Kreig was in general, but also managed to learn just how quick recovery seemed to follow when it came to being surprised. Ricky watched with arms brought out before him and hands held open, so that he could still stand defensively while his hands would easily change between offense and defense as he examined his opponent further. T'ree. four. He witness Kreig on the rise and already in his battle stance once again, and with a sharpened gaze on him Ricky concluded just how long of a time frame he would have were he to catch Kreig off guard. Four ticks at least, so he's capable o' takin' 'its but when he's winded he needs only a moment. Within a tick Kreig was already onto his next move, the impulsive desire to attack led Ricky to take into consideration of a possible weakness.

He didn't however entirely expect Kreig to go in an all out offense against him, thus when the squire went in for the jab he managed to stick with only his left side as Ricky repeatedly tried to dodge ever one of them. All while Kreig was approaching him with left handed jabs Ricky did his best to slightly retreat as he would either evade or redirect the incoming fist, only to find that he alternated between the right first to try and switch up the order of attacks. That's- Oh shyke! The move was but a feint which led Ricky to flinch as he withdrew, his attempt to block it left him open for a couple jabs from the left when he started that method once more. Tricky lil' bastard, Oi'd expect anot'er fast one like dat but not so soon. He stood his ground then as he no longer slowly retreated while deflecting Kreig's entourage of blows. That was when one of the fists Kreig sent out happened to open, and in turn grappled Ricky by the arm and yank him forward by just a moment.

Ye lil' shyke!! He thought aloud as he used the moment he'd been pulled in to give him a slight momentum, although the ending result led the two of them exchanging equal blows. While Ricky felt his very core get impacted with Kreig's own fist, the fisherman set the most hardest thing he knew he had downward towards Kreig skull. In just but a few brief ticks their skulls felt a full front bash against each other as Ricky headbutted the smaller man directly on the forehead, and in turn retreated back as a pained groan left his lips from both minor injuries he'd induced on himself. While the center of his torso hurt like no tomorrow his forehead had the worse of it, minor throbs pulsated throughout his skull as the pain itself took a couple ticks to finally dull down some while the adrenaline started to kick in. Oi see den. He's all 'bout offense mainly, aimin' t' t'row his opponents off wit' repetition until t'ey'll fail t' recognize a change up. He mainly attacks wit' 'is left hand more dan 'is roi, 'as a balanced control over speed an' power. Which means... Ricky's eyes squinted for a moment before his gaze focused on Kreig once more, his eyes not only watching but observing every move that the squire decided to make.

He's definitely a t'reat al'roi, t'ing is Oi doubt he's really goin' all out. Dis is after all just a spar. With that being noted he still had to bear in mind the amount of fighting experience that differentiated between the two of them. He's capable wit' 'is fists no doubt but 'asn't yet t' use 'is legs, dat could mean several t'ings t'ough. Let's see... Kreig had already seemed on the move once again, this time with a leg cast at him instead of a barrage of fists. Heh, keepin' me on me toes t'en! He thought as he brought up his foot in a round about manner to redirect Kreig's lower kick, of course when the mid level kick followed Ricky had already been in a counter clockwise rotation, able to bring his arm up in a defensive manner that blocked the incoming blow. And then finally with a kick that looked to be rather high for Kreig to attempt, Ricky took the initiative to try and attempt another surprise attack. While Kreig had a leg that was already sent upward, Ricky doubted the man would expect to face what came next. Rather than block this attack the fisherman tucked himself to the right away from the incoming attack, and went into a side roll that led him to be at the side of Kreig for just a tick.

That side roll followed up with one last side roll to the right, to where Kreig's back would be at Ricky's front then. And with the father still bent on his knees, he flexed the muscles in his arms and legs before a heavy push followed, and threw himself into the harshest amount of momentum he could build. While the distance between them wouldn't allow much, it did grant him enough to have enough for to go in for what would've been a tackle... only that Ricky's own head still remained lowered as he charged in, and became a ox bent on skull bashing his opponent where ever the cap of his skull would allow him.

[Kreig Messer]

Kreig grinned in and out as Ricky fell for his feint and left himself opened up for a couple of his jabs and even then cought him offguard by grabbing his arm and striking him with his upper towards his solar plexus just as planned, well….. of course there was the headbutt, when he had pulled Ricky forward the great sailor had launched one down on him….. Kreig had seen it of course but knew there was very little he could do to evade it, so he did what seemed like the most normal thing in the world; He threw one as well, as the two heads collided both warriors would have felt their worlds shaking at their very core………their being that their brain was now shaking violently in their skulls.

‘YES, THAT’S IT!’ Kreig’s grin quickly became manic, adrenaline coursing through his body as Kreig deigned Ricky to be good enough to truly go full out on. Of course before that he continued with his series of kicks once both fighters regained their bearings from the disorienting blow of the headbutts. Kreig failed to realized the blood that dripped from his forehead where Ricky struck him…. But he didn’t quite care, he tsked a bit however as Ricky saw his kicks coming…. Somewhere along the lines it seemed Ricky, probably from Kreig’s boastings and tactics so far, Ricky that he wasn’t a pure puncher and would have probably pull something like this…. Well it was Ricky’s advantage now as he predicted his blows and avoided the left high-kick entirely by rolling out its way around Kreig.

This was an annoyance as Ricky was now at Kreig’s side presumably, but he would quickly rectify that disadvantage ‘ The Shyke bastard….He’d give Ximal and Razkar a run of their money’ Kreig thought as he recalled the two previous sparring combatants for but the briefest of moments. He extended out his right elbow then rotated his body around in a half circle, presuming that if Ricky was still close then he’d be hard pressed to avoid an elbow strike towards whatever part of the body he hit. The skull, elbows and knees were the bodies strongest parts, they weren’t covered with muscle and fat so it was hard bone.

As Kreig rotated he noted the Ricky wasn’t at his side, which meant he was at his back most likely and was glad he went for a half-cicle motion rather than a quarter. As he continued his elbow soon collided with something else was hard, something that was in motion and proabably couldn’t stop if Ricky’s life depended on it “Welp, that’s thoughtful of you” Kreig muttered as he elbow had struck the oncoming skull of Ricky’s which was in full motion, before the entirety of Ricky’s body colloided into the Brawler and sent both of them to the ground. Kreig knowing fully well how disadvantageous it was to be below attempted to squirm free of Ricky and take up battle positions once more, which was easier said than done as the Ricky was big and heavy … but that strike was so worth it.

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[Ricky Maze]

To have failed to notice that Kreig's forehead had started to bleed a little was for the lack of observing the fact Ricky had put a lot more force into it than he anticipated, and of course seeing that both he and Kreig seemed to be putting more and more effort into their form of combat the result of it really hadn't been all too surprising. While he didn't feel own head bleed any just yet he still felt it sore before the adrenaline had managed to completely wipe out all form of pain, leaving his mind sharper the more he took deep steady breaths and continued his effort to gauge Kreig's own strengths. This man had a lot of experience under his belt of that there was no doubt, but there was also plausible weaknesses Ricky had already started to focus on so that he could utilize them for his own advantage.

Like Kreig's own reaction timing. While his recovery was swift to be sure, he was bound to be caught off guard when faced with a trick he didn't expect, just like earlier with the sudden hurl over the shoulder... and then the back attack Ricky pulled on the squire so quickly. In truth the fisherman generally found his equilibrium shaken after those side rolls were attempted, but given he had better bearings of his ground barefoot he that allowed him to shift into an instant skull bash he was prepared to make. No tellin' how dis'll work out, but at least Oi've got 'im by surprise! He knew the risk, there could be several ways in which this didn't work out. Like Kreig could easy move aside and redirect Ricky somehow, were he capable of grappling the larger man by the arm and pulling his weight into another direction. That or... Kreig's own elbow could smash into the cap of his skull, right before the entirety of Ricky's form overwhelmed the two as a very harsh shock rippled from the top of Ricky's head all the way down his spine.

He literally felt an opposing jab hard enough to where he thought his skull had split into, all while he and Kreig were both on their way down to the ground now that he'd managed to tackle the squire. SON OF A- OH MY PETCHIN' GOD!! Nothing but pained thoughts about his head seemed present for a few ticks, although those ticks felt like a skull splitting eternity while the two remained on the ground for a few moments. Ricky finally started to stir as Kreig moved to quickly regain his footing, but as he did so the fisherman didn't see the need to be so hasty in his recovery. Now that really did hurt. He felt the top of his head and just as he expected, a small line of bloody finally trailed down his forehead as the entire area of his cap throbbed. Whether he was overdoing it or not was something he felt unsure of, but given he'd taken a gamble he felt pretty sure that Kreig knew what he was doing before he went down.

So instead o' avoidin' an incomin' take down, he'd rat'er do what he can t' sabotage 'is opponents in de process. Not even considerate t' what de repercussion could'a been eit'er. He considered as he still looked at Kreig as he finally rose from the one knee he was on. So... Considerin' 'is timin' an' his change up, he's prone for offensive combat an' uses means o' aggression. Submissive tactics 're 'is end game, while he's prone t' focus on chainin' combos in succession, an' in turn catchin' 'im where he's open should cut 'im off. With his observations leading up to determining a plan of his own, Ricky started to gather the odds of finding the said openings in Kreig's own aggression. Since he attacked mainly with the left side he was to assume that as his dominant side, for now anyways, and see to it that a means of deflection would lead him to see how an opening is created.

"Pretty damn good mate," He complimented as he stood straight and relaxed, "Oi'd say we 'ad a good scrap t'ere. So if ye feel like we should call it a draw, Oi'm more den 'appy t' oblige. O' course Oi can also go a lil' bit furt'er as well." He mused as he opened and closed his fists a few times, he was pretty much seeing if Kreig had been satisfied with the amount of "fun" the two had, and if he still wanted to go on a little more than Ricky would remain the same. While his posture hardly changed and only his hands would clench into fists, his footing would change to where his defensive manner allowed him to better move, and in turn avoid any coming punches or kicks from Kreig. After a some odd ticks of watching and observing such a pattern, Ricky would then use his right arm to swing away from his left in an attempt to redirect an incoming blow, with a counteractive punch from his left arm to follow as he tested Kreig further.

[Kreig Messer]

Kreig grinned at Ricky whilst he shook his elbow slightly, it hurt like shyke truth be told but he deemed it an acceptable consequence for hitting Ricky's skull with it. Kreig was definitely satisfied with their bout but he didm't quite feel that it should end there quite yet ' Petcher is brains and brawn that he is, studyin' me to know what I'm strong at and where I'm weak jus' to set up plans where 'e could take me down with some plan' Kreig observed as he thought of the battle so far ' problem is 'e studies too much. 'e knows this is a fight so 'e knows death ain't gonna happen...or it shouldn't anyway' Kreig decided to rectify that... He knew he had the current advantage since he gave Ricky a solid knocking on his skull, that should rattle his brain and thus his hody for a while. 'course the same would go to kreig due to the headbutt but he only recieved one strike to his skull whilst Ricky got two...

"You kiddin'? There's still the finale my friend...and I aim to end it with a bang" He announced, he noted that Ricky's stance had changed very little...only the position of his feet seemed to indicate anything at all and that was a big indication at what seemed to be Ricky's plan ' No longer jus' planning on takin' blows? planin' to move around a bit? ' Kreig guessed that other than that it would probably still.move along the same lines of the previous motions, study Kreig a bit, plot a counter and then do it with only a couple of tweaks added to that equation.... but it was overall consistent to a dull degree which this variation just as dull.

Kreig knew what to do next and it would be the deciding factor for this match. As he threw a couple of punches that were a bit under full power to not let Ricky suspect somethin' was off... predictibly Ricky avoided his unches like kreig was followin' some bard's tune ' There's the counter I was waitin' for Indeed when Kreig's final punch was pushed aside, the punch itself not at.full momentum as to not let himself be caught open.. There layed the left counter punch that was comin' for him. Kreig junmped back whilst latching his right hand on to Ricky's left wrist and pulled forward and down to lower Ricky's form so that hus own left fist met Ricky's chin in a furious uppercut... What he deemed the final blow to end this bout

' Sleep tight, guardsman '
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