Other Rika Cards: none

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Card Explanations Needed: By the looks of it, this card can only be used on a Digimon in the process of being attacked.

My Card Comments: An extra 400 Defense points can come in rather handy at times, and you're allowed 3 of this card in a deck too.

Hints, Tips, & Strategies: None yet.

Additional Name/Effect Info: none

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Chris McFeely Says:
(Adventure & 02)


(Tamers)

RIKA

Rika Nonaka is Renamon’s Tamer, and is also known as the “Digimon Queen,” a title earned through winning the Digimon card tournament shortly before the Tamers’ adventures began. Rika’s mother, Rumiko, gave birth to her when she was still only a teenager, and as such is still a young mother who is more interested in being Rika’s friend than a parental figure – but the tough, tomboyish Rika dislikes her mother’s distinctly feminine profession and feels distanced from her. With the absence of her father following her parent's divorce, Rika and her mother live with Seiko Hata, Rumiko’s mother and Rika’s grandmother.

Rika was deliberately conceived as the strongest character of the Tamers group so that she would appeal to the target demographic of young males who watch the show (so that hence, they would buy merchandise relating to her). Chiaki Konaka notes that the character is cast in the mould of Carrie-Anne Moss’s character, Trinity, from the 1999 film, “The Matrix.”

A year before the Tamers’ adventures, Rika was defeated by Ryo Akiyama in the D-1 Tamer Digimon card tournament, but, a year later, she was able to claim victory thanks to his disappearance. However, the victory proved a hollow one – but she had little time to dwell on it, as she found herself approached by many Digimon, who all wanted her to tame them. She claimed to just want one strong Digimon, and a Blue Card appeared, which transformed her card reader into a D-Power Digivice and brought that one strong Digimon, Renamon, to Earth as her partner.

Rika and Renamon proved a powerful fighting team, defeating many Bio-Emerged Digimon, but Rika did not believe in the idea of partnership, thinking that Digimon only existed to fight. Their battle with a Lynxmon was seen by Takato in his dreams, and two nights later, they fought with a Goblinmon which Digivolved into a Fugamon. The next day, Rika and Renamon attacked Takato and Guilmon in the park, but the battle was broken up by Henry, only to be resumed the day after in an underground parking garage. When Renamon inadvertently blew up a car, Terriermon Digivolved into Gargomon and turned on her, threatening to shoot her before Renamon and Guilmon subdued him. That night, Rika wondered how Gargomon had been able to Digivolve, when Renamon had so far failed to.

Rika and Renamon appeared to take down the Vilemon that had Bio-Emerged at Takato’s school, but rebuffed thanks, and affection from Calumon.

After Rika’s mother had to run out on a talk at school to attend a photo shoot, Rika spied a Digital Field as he walked home. After quickly changing, she and Renamon faced off against the newly Bio-Emerged Digimon, an Allomon, but even with a Frozen Wind Modify Card, couldn’t stand up to him. Angered by the arrival of the other Tamers and their Digimon, seeing it as interference, Renamon was able to freeze Allomon and destroy him, absorbing his data. In the evening, Rika reflected on the events that had led to her becoming a Digimon Tamer, and was then alerted by her D-Power to the presence of Impmon, who was conversing with Renamon. That conversation, however, was interrupted by the Bio-Emergence of a Dokugumon, which Renamon engaged before Rika arrived. During the course of the battle, Rika was caught in the spider’s web, but was freed by Renamon, who then took the full brunt of a Venom Blast to protect her, then collapsed. Rika told Renamon she did not want her to leave her, and cried out her name – prompting her Digivolution into Kyubimon for the first time. Kyubimon destroyed Dokugumon and absorbed her data, then explained to Rika that she had Digivolved because Rika had finally shown that she cared for her.

The following day, Rika reflected on this, still not convinced that Digimon were anything more than data. During the day, Takato and Guilmon visited Rika’s home, seeking advice on Guilmon’s recent near-disappearance. She didn’t have a lot to offer, as she thought that the disappearance of data was no great loss. When Guilmon then fully disappeared into an energy field in the tunnel beneath the park, Takato and Henry called on Rika to help them search for him. Venturing into the field, they located Guilmon, and managed to free him and get to safety before Hypnos’s Yuggoth program deleted the area.

When Guilmon battled Devidramon, Rika watched the battle, as Renamon would not get involved, deeming it Guilmon’s fight. Guilmon won the fight by Digivolving into Growlmon, but he found himself unable to De-Digivolve. As Takato and Henry tried out several schemes to hide him, Rika arrived to chastise their attempts at camouflage in the park. When rain washed off the paint they had used to hide Growlmon, Rika and Renamon left them to deal with it.

Later, as Rika reflected on Digivolution, she felt as though she was being followed, only to find that it was just Calumon. She then bumped into her mother, who thought that the “toy” was adorable, but after she got away, told Calumon to scram, sending him running off in tears... then felt the strange presence again. Returning home, Rika ignored her mother’s attempts at dressing her more femininely, and then once again felt the presence following her again. Renamon could find nothing, but promised, as her partner, to protect her – but Rika threw it back in her face, telling her she didn’t believe in partnership. When taking the subway, Rika found herself captured by the being which had been stalking her – IceDevimon, a frozen fiend who found Rika to be as cold-hearted as he was, and wanted her to be his Tamer. She refused, saying she already had a partner, and IceDevimon forced a confrontation between himself and Renamon, to prove that he was more powerful. Takato and Henry arrived with their Digimon, but IceDevimon held them back, and Renamon then arrived. Rika was unwilling to make her Digivolve, fearing that she could turn into a monster like IceDevimon, but when she showed her care for her once again, Renamon became Kyubimon – but even that was not enough, as IceDevimon defeated her. Guilmon was finally able to destroy the villain, and absorbed his data, but as his Digital Field faded away, Rika renounced Digimon, declaring that she hated them, and she and Kyubimon went their separate ways.

Rika threw away her D-Power and Modify Cards, but later, during the night, she was visited by Calumon, who tried to cheer her up. Rika put on a brave face, but found herself missing Renamon, searching for her every so often to see if she had returned. When Renamon battled some Flybeemon in the park, Rika watched, but left before the battled ended, believing Renamon had only ever used her to gain data. In the evening, Rika refused to talk to her grandmother, who tried to explain that no-one can make it in the world on their own. As Renamon then battled a Harpymon, Rika’s D-Power alerted her to the fight, and Calumon convinced her to pay attention to it. Arriving at the battlefield, Rika watched as Renamon paused to deliberate Harpymon’s – and indeed, her own – fate, only to have Harpymon blindside her and try to claw her. Rika came to her air, stabbing Harpymon in the back with a sharp stick, and, as she then turned on Rika, Renamon became Kyubimon and destroyed Harpymon – but did not absorb her data, explaining to Rika that she did not need data because she had Rika. The two made their peace, and were reunited as equals and partners.

Shortly before the Juggernaut was activated. Rika and Renamon talked about partnership, and how it had changed them. When the Juggernaut was then brought online, it allowed the first Deva, Mihiramon to enter the real world. Renamon was the first to fight him, Digivolving into Kyubimon to do so, but she was quickly defeated. Gargomon then also fell, and Growlmon became WarGrowlmon to destroy him.

When Rika and her grandmother went to see a play, the performance reminded Rika of her relationship with Renamon, and she wondered how she could ever have thought Digimon were just data. On the way home, in the subway, Sandiramon appeared, and Rika summoned Renamon to her side to battle him. She became Kyubimon, and the two of them then pursued the snake down the tunnels, running into Henry and Terriermon, who then joined in the battle against the Deva. Takato and Growlmon then arrived, and the team’s combined power destroyed the villain. Rika and Kyubimon were then introduced to Takato’s friends.

While Takato and Henry headed off on their school camping trip, Rika gave Renamon her first gift – an energy drink. Some time later, Henry came into possession of a strange card, which turned out to be a Blue Card, setting the Tamers off on a search for it’s origins, which led them to Akihabara, where Vajramon and Pajiramon Bio-Emerged. Rika and Renamon took on Vajramon, and were fairly evenly matched, while Terriermon Digivolved into Rapidmon to destroy Pajiramon. Vajramon was also caught in his attack, and was apparently destroyed, but was able to reconstitute his data, and then confronted Rika and Renamon, demanding that Renamon come with him. Renamon agreed, leaving Rika to worry about her fate

Rika found herself roped into a photo shoot arranged by her mother, but when Coco the photographer told her she’d be just like her mother, she lashed out, pushing him over and running from the scene. Returning home late at night, she refused to discuss it with her mother, but then received a phone call from Henry when Terriermon detected Vajramon’s return. They all converged on the Bio-Emergence site, where Renamon was busy gleaning information on the Digimon Sovereign from Vajramon. When she had all the information she wanted, she and the other Digimon then attacked him. Rika reached for a Modify Card, only to discover a Blue Card, which transformed Kyubimon into Taomon for the first time. Taomon easily bested Vajramon and destroyed him with her Talisman of Light. In the wake of the battle, Rika commended Renamon for her Digivolution and victory – but was most proud of how Renamon look standing in the moonlight.

At some point between this and the Bio-Emergence of Vikaralamon, Rika stayed at home when Takato and Henry went on vacation of Okinawa, but she and Renamon sound found themselves in battle with a Pteramon. Renamon was able to destroy it, but knew from absorbing it's data that there was something different about it. Rika's mother was in Paris on the fashion shoot at the time, and though Rika had the date for her return marked on her calender, she attempted to pretend that she didn't care about it, much to Renamon's amusement. The following day, Rika and Renamon were attacked by a BlueMeramon, which Renamon was able to defeat after she Digivolved into Kyubimon. Then, the two partners were teleported away by Omnimon, the guardian of both the real and digital worlds, sent to the island base of VP Labs in Okinawa, where Takato was facing the evil Mephistomon, who was in the process of wreaking havoc on Earth's electronics network using V-Pets. Mephistomon transported the Tamers and their Digimon to an underwater illusionary world he had crafted in the image of mankind's future destruction, where the Champion Digimon were apparently able to defeat him, only to have him reappear in his Mega form of Gulfmon. The Champions Digivolved to Ultimate, and combined their energy into the Trinity Burst attack, which destroyed Gulfmon.

When Impmon first encountered Indramon, Rika and Renamon arrived on the scene, and Indramon departed, leaving Impmon annoyed at their butting in. Later in the day, when Indramon reappeared, Rika and Renamon were first on the scene, along with Impmon – but Renamon would not fight, as Impmon was determined to defeat him. But he was no match for the horse Deva, being resoundingly defeated. The Tamers’ Digimon Digivolved to Champion to fight him, but he departed when the Juggernaut was briefly reactivated. The following day, Rika and Henry went searching for Impmon, but were unable to find him, and Rika worried for his safety, much to Henry’s surprise. Rika and Renamon then participated in the second battle with Indramon.

After the Tamers discussed the Devas and the Sovereign, a Leomon Bio-Emerged in Shinjuku Park and was believed by Jeri to be her partner, prompting Takato to call on Rika to help. She and Renamon arrived in the middle of a battle between Kumbhiramon and Leomon and Gargomon, but rather than play spectator, they pursued the mysterious boy who had been watching the fight, only to lose him.

Prior to the Bio-Emergence of Vikaralamon, Rika was shopping with her grandmother, then went to the park with Henry, where she began to teach Jeri how to play the Digimon card game. When the mysterious boy reappeared, the kids gave chase but the pursuit was derailed when Vikaralamon materialised, and began to rampage through the city. The Tamers’ Digimon Digivolved to Champion, but couldn’t even scratch the pig, until the kids realised how to summon Blue Cards, allowing their Digimon to Digivolve to Ultimate. Then, the Juggernaut system was reactivated, threatening to delete all the Digimon, until an explosion instigated by the mysterious boy – in truth, Makuramon, the monkey Deva - crashed the system, and, following Takato’s lead, Rika and Henry gave their strength to their Digimon via a little primal scream therapy, enabling them to stop Vikaralamon’s attacks and destroy him. But Calumon was kidnapped by the Makuramon, and taken to the Digital World, and the Tamers knew they had no choice but to follow.

After a failed search for a portal into the Digital World, Renamon told Rika that she did not want her to come, considering it too dangerous. During the conversation, Rika’s grandmother walked in, but reacted calmly to Renamon’s presence, having always thought that Rika had a guardian angel taking care of her. Guilmon then successfully located a portal beneath his hideaway, and the whole team ventured into the Digital World.

After their arrival, they encountered a Meramon, who was then crushed in a Jagamon stampede. In the morning, when Kazu and Kenta uprooted one of the Jagamon, Rika turned on him, only to have Takato take over the interrogation and get some clues as to Makuramon’s location. However, as they walked through the desert, the Tamers were split up when a Data Stream swept up Rika, Renamon, Kazu and Kenta and deposited them in a valley where winds blew them through the front door of Jijimon and Babamon, who welcomed them in as a distraction from their usual fighting. After a meal, Babamon told Rika and Renamon how nice it was to have visitors. The next day, while Kazu and Kenta played partner with the two Digimon, Rika and Renamon constructed a glider to lift them out of the valley, but Renamon had to tussle briefly with Jijimon and Babamon to get Kazu and Kenta away. Using the glider, they returned to the desert plain, and waited at the Tamers flag to see if Takato and the other would return there, but to no avail. Rika and Renamon went searching, but Kazu and Kenta wound up following them, and they were yet again swallowed up by a Data Stream and landed in the clockwork-and-clouds area of the Digital World. There, Rika gave vent to her frustrations, pitching a brief fit over being stuck with Kazu and Kenta, before then accidentally freeing Megadramon by loosening up a jammed clock, despite warnings from Clockmon and Hagurumon. Kyubimon was quickly defeated by Megadramon, but then the ferocious Cyberdramon suddenly appeared with his Tamer, Ryo Akiyama, and beat the beast back. Rika recognised Ryo from their meeting at the card tournament a year before, still bearing a grudge against him for being so “perfect,” and also indignant that he didn’t remember her until she forcibly reminded him. At night, Rika, angered by the praise Kazu and Kenta were heaping upon Ryo, upped and left with Kyubimon to go her own way.

Rika and Renamon wound up in an forest area of the Digital World, where Rika found herself surrounded by DigiGnomes, that led her to water, only to have her swept up by a wave, and pulled out by Calumon. Another wave swept them both, and Renamon, back to the physical layer, where they met up with Takato and the others, but were then confronted by Beelzemon. The ensuing battle was interrupted by the reactivation of the unstable Juggernaut, causing a storm which saw Takato, Henry and Terriermon caught up in a data stream and spirited away.

Rika and the others were left wandering the desert again, during which Rika lost her patience a little with Jeri, telling her to toughen up. Right after that, the group fell through a warp into another area of the Digital World where they became caught up in a clash between Orochimon and Andromon, which led them to a Gekomon village, the inhabitants of which had been enslaved to mix drinks for Orochimon. Jeri was captured by Orochimon, and Guardromon – the De-Digivolved Andromon – formulated a plan to rescue her, by having everyone hide inside the drinks barrels as they were delivered to the island. The team’s attacks had little effect, as Orochimon regenerated his heads, but was then destroyed by Leomon, using a LadyDevimon Modify Card.

The group returned to wandering the desert, until they heard Takato’s voice emanating from a Data Stream, and rode it to the site of Rapidmon’s battle with Beelzemon. During the following fight, Beelzemon killed Leomon, sending Takato into a rage that caused WarGrowlmon to become the monstrous Megidramon, whose mere existence was enough to threaten the Digital World with destruction. As Beelzemon battled him, Rika and Henry had to use the Alias Modify Card to prevent Taomon and Rapidmon from being destroyed. When Megidramon reverted to Guilmon, he and Takato Biomerged into his true Mega form of Gallantmon, and engaged Beelzemon in a ferocious battle, in which he eventually emerged the victor, but was stopped from destroying Beelzemon by Jeri.

The Tamers continued on to the castle of Zhuqiaomon, the Digimon Sovereign, and Takato, Rika, Henry and their Digimon went in with Lopmon. While riding the bubble to the castle, Rika chastised Takato for putting a heart on the mail he had sent to her family in her name when he had been separated from the others. Once in the castle, the Digimon all Digivolved to their Ultimate forms to battle Zhuqiaomon, but could not stand up to his mighty powers. Terriermon and Henry Biomerged into MegaGargomon and temporarily held back the Sovereign, but it did not last, as he emerged from the rubble of his castle, and attacked the Tamers again, who were protected only by Taomon’s shield. Azulongmon arrived to break up the fighting, and after explaining the true nature of the situation, and about the Sovereign’s true enemy, the deadly D-Reaper, took the kids to the pit in which Calumon was being kept. There, they were reunited with Ryo, who had followed the D-Reaper from Baihumon’s kingdom, much to Rika’s chagrin. She and Renamon headed down into the pit ahead of everyone else, as Rika asked Renamon if it was possible to change your destiny. Renamon told her that it was so, but could not do so when Rika asked if the same was possible for Leomon. After finding Calumon in the pit, Rika gave him to Ryo, then she and Renamon took a literal leap of faith, jumping from the pit walls to the D-Reaper’s mass below – and Biomerged into Sakuyamon for the first time to temporarily restrain the chaos. After everyone got to safety, Sakuyamon split back into Rika and Renamon, and Jeri hugged Rika, having thought she’d lost another friend.

After Calumon released the power of the Shining Digivolution, Rika and the others returned to the physical layer to await the arrival of the Monster Makers’ ark, which would bring them back to the real world. However, once there, Renamon sensed Impmon’s presence, her affinity and care for life enhanced by her time as Sakuyamon, and she and Rika set out to look for him, racing against the clock to return in time for the ark’s departure. They successfully located him and convinced him to return with them, but the ark had already arrived, and Ryo and Cyberdramon went after them and brought them back. The ark returned to Earth, and Rika was reunited with her family – but the adventure was not over, as the D-Reaper pursued the kids back to Earth, and immediately began to spread throughout the Shinjuku district, forcing Rika and her family to withdraw to a hotel in Yokohama. But Rika and Renamon could not sit idly by, and prepared to join the fight against the creature – but before they left, Rika’s mother gave them her blessing, telling Rika that she should be allowed to make her own decisions, and giving her a new shirt with a full heart to replace Rika’s old one. Rika and Renamon met up with Takato, Henry and their Digimon outside of the tunnel running under the park, and then entered the city via it – during the walk, Rika was embarrassed by Takato’s comments about her new shirt.

The Tamers spent the night in the school, then baked bread for their breakfast in Takato’s family’s bakery the following morning. Their Digimon Digivolved to Ultimate for the first battle with the D-Reaper’s Agents, but they found themselves locked in a stalemate with a Pendulum Feet until Beelzemon, now having fully evolved to his Blast Mode, arrived to turn the tide and help them claim victory.

Upon finding a note that told them to go to Rika’s house, the Tamers found that her family, Takato’s parents and Henry’s mother had cooked them a meal – Rika was considerably surprised to discover that her mother knew how to cook. After the feast, the Tamer’s D-Power alerted them to a developing situation – a girl named Alice and a Digimon, Dobermon, were being pursued by more Agents. After the Tamers and their Digimon saved her, Dobermon transformed himself into energy, giving them the power to Biomerge in the real world. Rika reflected on how much she had changed, and how she didn’t even want to fight at all anymore, but knew that this battle was not about fighting, but having the strength to do what needed to be done. She and Renamon became Sakuyamon, and engaged the D-Reaper’s Agents, then, after the arrival of Kazu, Guardromon and Justimon, ventured inside the chaos mass with MegaGargomon when Gallantmon was captured and pulled in. Kenta and MarineAngemon saw off the Jeri Type Agent, and healed Sakuyamon’s wounds.

Rika and her family stayed with the other Tamers and families in the temporary Hypnos base, where Rika reflected on her family life, and realised how easy she had it compared to Jeri. Rika and Renamon were among those who went to the aid of Jeri’s father as he tried to confront the D-Reaper, Biomerging into Sakuyamon to save him from a Paratice Head. When it was deduced that the real Jeri was being held within the D-Reaper’s Kernel Sphere, Rika and Renamon became Sakuyamon again to battle Agents while Gallantmon and Beelzemon tried to rescue her. The attempt failed, and the D-Reaper evolved into the Mother D-Reaper, forcing the team to retreat out of Shinjuku, and withdraw to Tsukuba. In Tsukuba, Rika, her family and Renamon ate a meal in a restaurant, despite how uncomfortable both Rika and Renamon felt about it. After the meal, Rika received a signal from Henry, and Biomerged to fly and reunite with the other Tamers in the sky above Shinjuku. The Red Card was slashed, and they Biomerged again, entering the D-Reaper’s chaos to wage the final battle. While Gallantmon attacked the Mother D-Reaper to save Jeri, Sakuyamon, MegaGargomon and Justimon struggled with the Cable Reaper. After Ryo’s urgings, Rika complied with his wishes and had Sakuyamon transfer her power to his Voltage Blade, which he used to hack the Cable Reaper in two – but it was a vain effort, as it immediately regenerated. After the Digimon Sovereign removed the Cable Reaper from the fight, MegaGargomon was able to initiate Operation: Doodlebug by activating the Juggernaut in the vortex between worlds, sucking the D-Reaper in and devolving it. However, as this happened, the protective effects of the Red Card wore off, and Sakuyamon and Justimon were the first to separate back into their component parts. Everyone was saved by the arrival of Kazu, Kenta, Guardromon, Lopmon and MarineAngemon, who carried them all to safety in one of MarineAngemon’s bubbles.

But the victory was a pyrrhic one – the effects of the Juggernaut were felt on the Digimon, who reverted to their In-Training forms, and had to return to the Digital World. Renamon De-Digivolved into Viximon, and told Rika she knew they would see each other again, as she floated through the portal and Rika told her she loved her. Thankfully, however, Takato later discovered a portal to the Digital World, which allowed Rika and the other Tamers to be reunited with their partners.

Some months later, when Rika's birthday came around, the other Tamers were planning to throw a party for her. When Rika discovered this, she was quite opposed to the idea, irritated even further by the fact her own family knew about it before she did. While she and her mother were waiting for a train, she bawled Takato out over the phone, but then, quite abruptly, the train Digimon, Locomon, appeared in Tokyo, and hurtled off towards an opening rift between Earth and the Digital World at Ichigaya station. Rika and Renamon managed to board Locomon by jumping off of a railway bridge onto him, and discovered that Takato had also managed to get on board. Rika slashed a Hydro Pressue Modify Card of Takato's, for Renamon to use on Locomon's furnace, but the water jet was evaporated by the intense heat. A brief argument about the birthday party enused as they tried to think of another way to stop Locomon, but that was interrupted by the arrival of Beelzemon, who was unable to stop Locomon, and sent spiralling away by his Wheel Grinder. Subsequently, Yamaki called Rika's cell phone to instruct them to get off Locomon, as he attempted to change the train routes to alter Locomon's path, but Rika didn't like the idea, and decided to try to destroy Locomon's furnace herself. As she was about to smash it with a wrench, tentacles suddenly emerged from it - she had fallen prey to the true villain of the piece, Parasimon, who was now in control of her mind, as he was with Locomon. Using memories of her father and a song she used to sing with him to manipulate her, Parasimon had Rika attacked Renamon and Takato with the wrench. Renamon evidently didn't defend herself, and was smashed through a window out of Locomon, while Takato escaped to the roof of the carriage. Rika followed him, and Parasimon revealed himself, but thanks to Gulmon's Rock Breaker, Rika was freed from his influence. Temporarily unsconscious, she nearly rolled off the roof, until Takato grabbed her, and she was pulled inside Locomon by Renamon. As Locomon, now Digivolved into GrandLocomon, detached his carriages, Rika ran to try and stop from being left behind, only to be grabbed by Parasimon's tentacles again. Guilmon and Takato Biomerged into Gallantmon and severed his tentacles, freeing her, and then destroyed Parasimon, but not before he sent a signal into the rift, summoning a massive swarm of his kind to Earth. Rika and Renamon Biomerged into Sakuyamon, and engaged the Parasimon in battle along with all the other Tamers and Digimon - destroying them individually was no trouble, but sheer numbers began to overwhelm the team; not even the appearance of Beelzemon and Justimon could turn the tide (and Rika was less than appreciative of Ryo's involvement!). The battle was finally won when Gallantmon assumed his Crimson Mode and used his Final Justice attack to oblierate all the Parasimon. Afterwards, Sakuyamon split back into Rika and Renamon, and despite her earlier protestations, Rika's birthday party was thrown, and she even casually blew out her cake's candles. She drew the line at karaoke, however, silently getting up and living the room. Takato found her watching the sunset, but Renamon stopped him from disturbing her, leaving her alone with her memories.

Rika first appears in “Guilmon Comes Alive.” Her voice is supplied by Melissa Fahn.

(Frontier)


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