++EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW++

Almost 10 years since winning his 5th title and several weeks before his last KABUKI FIRE participation and the fatal event in which he lost his life, legendary KOA gave and interview for KABUKI FIRE FANS.

KFF: Hello KOA, how are you doing?

KOA: I'm doing splendid! I had intensive work-outs high up in the mountains of Black Island and I feel energized. I can't wait to show my dear fans the new fighting techniques I added to my arsenal. You will be surprised, I can tell you that!

KFF: That sounds amazing! KOA, tell us a little bit how it all started for you. How did you get in contact with the KABUKI FIRE tournament?

KOA: Thank you for the question! Well, I always had a thing for adventure and danger. I was in the first line of defence when the outbreak happened years ago. I can't recall how many zombies have crossed my path, but they were plentiful and all of them ended with a nice shiny KOA-bullet in the forehead. However, in the end we lost the battle and people fled the island. I was the only one that stayed. You know, I was born on that island and I will die here!

KFF: Fair enough but wasn't it hard to survive and didn't you feel lonely?

KOA: It was hard, I can tell you that. But you know, the island is my home and I know every rock and every tree and once I found a way to repel the zombie mosquitoes, surviving became much easier,

KFF: Please tell us more about the repellent!

KOA: It's a paste made from various venomous plants. I learned the recipe from my grandmother. We used it to protect our skin from all kinds of insect bites without harming the creature. You must know that I'm a protector of nature and I kill a nature's living beings only if unavoidable, no matter how small the bug is. Grandma's homemade paste showed effective against zombie mosquitoes and protected me from getting infected! However, it is strictly forbidden to wear any kind of repellent in the arena!

KFF: How did it happen that you enter the tournament for the first time?

KOA: When the smugglers arrived on the island, I stood away from them. They looked quite a ruthless bunch and they smelled like trouble! A few years later, they already had started the challenge, I saved a couple of them from getting ripped apart by a group of undead. Funny, they were hunting zombies but eventually became the hunted. Anyway, I offered them to hunt and deliver zombies at a reasonable price. I made some good money for a few seasons, I can tell you! But it all ended when they dumped the zombies and switched to the Kabuki Dragons. I was offered a spot in the tournament, though. They had nice prize money back in the day, so I took the chance! Today the money comes from sponsoring and it's all about showing off your skills and who is the best in the world.

KFF: What would be your advice to novice contestants? What are the strategies that kept you alive in the arena?

KOA: You know, the youngsters always go for the same mistake. They want to reach the highest possible score at any cost, going in offensively and get bloody crushed in the last third of the time. I always try to stay central of the arena and I attack in diagonal movements, never frontal, always defensive in the final phase. I enjoy waiting for creatures to start an attack and step aside in the last moment, so the projectile hits the creatures on the opposite side. That's such fun! You can use frozen creatures as a cover instead of shooting them! The big hammers can be used defensive too, they are great to repel massive attacks! but the most important advice would be, save your hammers and strategic bonuses for the last third of the time, when the action goes mental and build up your arsenal during the warm-up phase!

KFF: Thank you for the interview, KOA, and good luck for the next KABUKI FIRE!