Sheabi Kheireddine is not only the only Duelist from North America to claim a World Championship title, but is the current World Champion. So with that said, it’s pretty obvious that Roberto Gomez isn’t going to have the easiest time winning this match. Both Duelists are playing Burning Abyss, and sitting at 7-1 they are already a lock for Day Two, but the loser will have to win both matches tomorrow to make Top 32.

Gomez won the roll but told Sehabi to go first.

Duel One:

Kheireddine opened a hand consisting of two copies of Upstart Goblin, Mystical Space Typhoon, Raigeki, and Vanity’s Emptiness. He used both Upstarts drawing Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Foolish Burial in succession. He then used Foolish to yard Graff from his Deck, which then Special Summoned Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck. He Special Summoned Graff from his hand and then overlayed both for Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss, milling Compulsory Evacuation Device, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, and Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss  for its effect. He Set both Vanity’s Emptiness and Mystical Space Typhoon before ending and searching Tour Guide from the Underworld from Scarm.

Gomez drew, Special Summoned Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and then tributed it away for Vanity’s Fiend. He Set three to his back row before ending.

Kheireddine drew Allure of Darkness for turn and then activated his Raigeki to get rid of the opposing Vanity’s Fiend, then detached his Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to use the effect of Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss sending another Graff, Solemn Warning, and Phoenix Wing Wind Blast to the yard. He Special Summoned a Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck off of a Graff, then used Allure to draw another Cir and Mathematician, banishing Tour Guide from the Underworld from his hand. He Normal Summoned Cir and declared attacks with both Cirs and the pumped Dante, putting Gomez down to 4300 Life Points. He overlayed both Cirs in Main Phase 2 for another Dante, then activated the Dante milling Bottomless Trap Hole, Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss. The Cir triggered and Special Summoned Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from the Graveyard, then Kheireddine overlayed both Dantes for Downerd Magicians causing the Scarm to destroy itself. He searched a Tour Guide from the Underworld during the End Phase.

Gomez simply drew a card and passed with a heavy sigh.

Kheireddine drew and Normal Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld, but Gomez stopped it with Solemn Warning. The Downerd Magicians were enough to finish Gomez off though, and the Duelists began siding for the next game.

An unimpressive hand for Gomez led to a fairly one sided game for Kheireddine. Will Kheireddine have such fortune next game or will Gomez be able to fight through? Gomez opted to go first this time around.

Duel Two:

Gomez tried to Special Summon a Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to start things off but Kheireddine responded with Maxx “C”, Gomez was forced to simply Set two to his back row and end.

Kheireddine had a hand of Mathematician, Maxx “C”, Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss , Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, and Vanity’s Emptiness. He Normal Summoned Mathematician and used its effect to send Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to his Graveyard, then during the End Phase he added Tour Guide from the Underworld to his hand. After it resolved, Gomez used a Karma Cut during the End Phase to banish the Mathematician and discard his Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, which triggered and got him a Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.

Gomez drew and then immediately overlayed his two Malebranches for Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss, but Kheireddine responded with Phoenix Wing Wind Blast discarding Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to revive his Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. Gomez moved to End Phase right after, adding Tour Guide from the Underworld to his hand via the Scarm that was one of Dante’s materials.

Kheireddine drew Raigeki and then Normal Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld, destroying his Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Special Summoning a Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck. He overlayed both for Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss, and then detached the Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to send Karma Cut, Vanity’s Emptiness, and Scarm from his Deck to the Graveyard. Graff got a Cir from his Deck, and when he went to make attacks Gomez tried to respond with Ojama Trio! Kheireddine had Vanity’s Emptiness to stop it and put Gomez down to 3900 before ending and grabbing Tour Guide from the Underworld off of Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.

Gomez drew for turn and activated Puppet Plant to take Kheireddine’s Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss. He used its effect to send Majesty’s Fiend, Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Puppet Plant, and then ran over Kheireddine’s Cir with it which also destroyed the Vanity’s Emptiness. He Normal Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld next which Kheireddine responded to with Maxx “C”, drawin Mathematician. Gomez overlayed Downerd Magician over the Dante giving Kheireddine another draw which was Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, then Set a back row before ending.

Kheireddine drew another Tour Guide from the Underworld for turn, but when he Summoned it and used its effect to Special Summon a Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Gomez had Phoenix Wing Wind Blast to spin away the Graff and revive a Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss which destroyed itself. Kheireddine used Raigeki to clear the board and attacked for 1000 with Tour Guide from the Underworld putting Gomez down to 2900 Life Points. When he ended, Gomez added Tour Guide from the Underworld to his hand off of Scarm’s effect.

Gomez drew and used the freshly draw Mystical Space Typhoon to get rid of Kheireddine’s Set Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss. He Normal Summoned the Tour Guide from the Underworld and Special Summoned Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck, then overlayed both for Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss and used its effect to send Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss , Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to his Graveyard. The Graff got him a Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck, and the Cir got back a Graff. He overlayed the two Malebranches of a second Dante and used its effect milling Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, Vanity’s Fiend, and Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. After an attack over Tour Guide from the Underworld and then a direct attack, Kheireddine was left at 3100 to Gomez’s 2900. Gomez added a Tour Guide from the Underworld during his End Phase from Scarm.

Kheireddine drew for turn and knew it was game immediately, he Special Summoned two different Malebranches from his hand and overlayed them both for Number 47: Nightmare Shark, and then Normal Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld which would allow him to get a Malebranche from his Deck to make Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction! He used Nigthmare Shark to target this Acid Golem and allow it to attack directly, and with only 2900 Life Points Gomez couldn’t survive.

Raigeki ends up being huge for Kheireddine in both game one and game two, and even though Gomez had a bunch of cool tech for the Side Decked games, it wasn’t enough to stop our current reigning World Champions! Kheireddine moves on with an 8-1 record!