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Every motion flowed into the next, everything continued without stopping. A missed attack would become another, and another, and another until it was stopped only by the opponent's body.

Maximos had gone for a sudden strike under the arm, but his strike only hit air. Joshua had started a movement and he would continue it, from left to right: clockwise. His right foot was back in the stance and he used it to push off and pivot on the ball of his left.

A clockwise spin to drive the point of his right elbow downwards into the side of Maximos' neck.

One swing to the next, a good fight was like an ocean, the waves rising and falling one gliding into the next for as long as the fighters could last, or until the wave smashed against the rocks.

The strike missed, his open hand soared through the air. The strike was curved and so his body followed the curve, to his left. His feet skid, scraping against ground as he turned. There are a thousand and one ways a fighter can tell an attack is coming. The opponents stance, their shadow cast on the ground, a sense for what he would do in this situation, or just a simple fighters intuition. Maximos knew, a strike was coming, and what side it was coming from.

In turning he changed his angle, and was presented with the sight of an elbow about to drop on his face. He jerked his head to the right side, leaning in, so that the elbow itself didnt hit straight on, but rather more the tricep behind it. Still, the side of ones neck is a sensitive area, he had to swallow back the pain.

The next moment was crucial. He was within Joshua's defense, his left arm moved up to pin Joshua's right, draping over it to push the forearm down into the upperarm. Pushing up, he took the opportunity to swing a fierce right uppercut toward Joshua's chin.

Ryugi didn't like the idea of getting closer to the girl. Not one bit. However, right now, she was his ONLY lead into this little problem of his, and pain or not, he had to find out what was going on. So, he'd have to grin and bear it for the time being. He warily got closer to the girl, moving within a foot of her, as the pain grew more intense once more...

Broken motion, a wall that's hit that won't allow it to go any further. There are two options when that wall is met... go around it, or go through it.

Maximos was pulling Joshua's right arm down, but that was exactly where he wanted it to go. He let Maxi pull it down over the shoulder, but instead of allowing Maxi the room to turn and throw a punch with his right he threw his hip to the right to pin Maximos' right arm against the side of his body.

"HUGH!"

Joshua brought his right foot down just long enough to tap the surface of the ground and shove off immediately again. The knee drove straight up into Maximos' gut, and with the Joshua's weight on his shoulders there was nowhere to go but down when he didn't have a stable base... and that was the beginning of the motion.

His left hand grabbed for a hold on Maximos' right leg and he wrapped his own right arm around Maxi's left before throwing his weight backwards off of his own feet.

Backdrop piledriver.

Surprise was the first reaction. Joshua's movements werent complex or fantastic by any stretch, that wasnt really an insult, they were basic. Purely fundamentals, not a high powered counter or an artistic parley, he just placed himself close enough that the punch wouldnt be allowed, no room.

He had never seen this style, so base, so simple, and yet effective. He didnt even register the knee until it had already impacted his guy, and out of instinct he leaned forward. The had gripped his leg, and his arm and he heard the large grunt from Josh as they broke into motion.

He couldnt be sure exactly what this manuever was, but as he saw himself go up, he could only imagine he was going to come down, and anyone with a knowledge of human anatomy knew that he if came down, he would be coming down in a most unpleasant way. He had to think of something, he had to assess and adapt.

His right arm was free, his left arm was free. And Joshua in this position was in no position for any high speed counters. His first act was to bring his right arm up, quickly followed by his left leg. His aim being to place his right arm on Joshua's face, and his shove his left leg between himself and Joshua, and then, to push!

Ideally he would break free from the grip, kick off of Joshua jumping straight while the other man was sent flat on his back. Thankfully he had time on his side, this wasnt a jump off of a cliff so the ground was very very near. His only other hope was to throw the balance off, putting enough pressure on Joshua's frame, that Joshua's head would impact first, then Maximos givng them both a little wear, but again throwing the balance off. It all really depended on just how strong Joshua's grip was versus Maximos' push.

WHACK!

With the jolt Maximos's forehead smacked the ground, jarring him a bit. There was barely enough time to settle himself before the next attack came rolling in, or over in this case.

Legs slid out from underneath him, another powerful heft, and Maximos honestly could not see or tell exactly where this was going. But he could tell one very strong thing about this fighting style, and the current manuever in question.

He wanted no part of it.

He needed to clear space and come at this from a different angle. He wasnt ashamed to admit that this style of combat was not one he had any level of expertise at. As those legs came up, Maximos's arm reached out, both his legs leaping forward. He wasnt planning on running away from the fight, but he was going to take the opportunity, when he was just about parrelell with the ground to free some space. Basically he aimed to leap off of Josh, snatch the hat with his free hand, and roll a bit before standing and resuming a fight stance, giving one of those taunting waves for Josh to come and get some.

And by no means was he free at all. Joshua was right, Maximos wasnt used to an opponent of this caliber of this skill, and still it seems a few bits of rust needed scraping off the far corners before the night black sword that was Maximos would be ready to cut again.

He rolled forward, shoulder to head, flipping about, and just preparing to land safely on his feet when Joshua's leg swooped by ending that preparation, nipping it in the proverbial bud. Maximos landed flat on his back, with the sight of a rather potent fighter descending on him rather quickly. Time was a factor.

Could he counter? Not likely, not fully. Could he dodge? Not in nearly enough time to be completely succesful. Could he defend? Possibly, but he would still take the elbow somewhere in hospitable. In times as this he found himself caught between actions with no time to fully consider either and instead his actions ending up being something of an amalgamam of all!

He could not counter, but he could defend, he could attempt to dodge. Forming the counter. Maximos's legs came up as if he was going to move, leg over foot out for the way, only Joshua would be on him entirely to soon. Joshua would find, likely his chest and torso home to a set of feet, lifted and placed as an obstruction, and Maximos' arms braced to accept the residual impact of Joshua's wieght.

The two fighters would be placed at very close proximity, likely long enough to exchange a few stern glances, before Maximos heft with his legs, the same sort of heft that would let the Shadow Warrior leap, would be used to send Joshua, hopefully airborne. Not dozens of feet but likely more than 4.