Eight Duelists remain in the tournament, competing for the title of Central American Champion and a seat at the World Championship!  Jose Felix Maldonado Garrido is the last Burning Abyss player in contention, the last survivor amongst a field of Nekroz and Shaddolls.  His opponent this round is Nekroz Duelist Christian Pavel Padilla Albores.  Could Burning Abyss survive another Round?

Maldonado started with a hand of Torrential Tribute; Mind Crush; Raigeki Break; Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; and Foolish Burial.  He activated Foolish to send Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to his Graveyard and Padilla responded with Maxx “C”, drawing a card as Maldonado Special Summoned Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck.  Maldonado Set Torrential, Crush, and Break.

Padilla discarded Nekroz of Brionac to search his Deck for Nekroz of Unicore, He activated Nekroz Kaleidoscope, Padilla called Unicore with Mind Crush, and Padilla had no other play.  He briefly revealed his hand to prove it, then banished Unicore and Kaleidoscope to search Nekroz Mirror.  Reinforcement of the Army got him Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz and he activated Mirror to Tribute it, Ritual Summoning Nekroz of Trishula!  Maldonado ditched his last in-hand card, the Scarm, by discarding it for Raigeki Break, destroying Trishula and stopping its effect!  Padilla searched Nekroz of Brionac with Shurit’s effect and ended with three cards.  Maldonado resolved his Scarm’s effect to get Tour Guide from the Underworld.

Maldonado drew Phoenix Wing Wind Blast and Summoned Tour Guide, destroying his Cir in the process.  Tour Guide’s effect Special Summoned Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from Maldonado’s Deck, and he overlaid to Xyz Summon Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss.  He detached Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to send Solemn Warning, Scarm, and Cir to his Graveyard.  He Special Summoned another Scarm with Cir, attacked with both monsters, and Padilla dropped to 3900 Life Points.  Maldonado Set his Phoenix Wing Wind Blast and grabbed a Graff off Scarm’s effect to finish his turn, making the Wind Blast live.

Padilla drew to four cards and banished Mirror and Brionac from his Graveyard, searching Nekroz Kaleidoscope from his Deck.  He activated it and sent Shooting Quasar Dragon from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard, Ritual Summoning Nekroz of Unicore and Nekroz of Valkyrus.  He Tributed them both to draw two more cards with Valkyrus, then discarded Nekroz of Clausolas to search his Deck for Nekroz Cycle.  Brionac got him Shurit, and he activated Cycle to Tribute Shurit for another Nekroz of Trishula!  Once again, Maldonado had the discard!  He pitched Graff for Wind Blast, targeting Trishula, and emptied his hand to stop Trishula’s ability.  It was spun to the top of Padilla’s Deck, and he got it back with Shurit’s ability.  Maldonado Special Summoned Scarm with Graff.  Padilla Summoned Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands, searched Valkyrus and ended.

Maldonado drew Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and yarded three cards for Dante’s ability – Breakthrough Skill, Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss, and Mind Crush.  He overlaid for another Dante, this time sending Fiend Griefing, Raigeki, and Mathematician to his Graveyard by detaching Cir.  That let him revive Graff, and he turned Scarm and one of the Dantes to Attack Position.

He ran over Manju and made a direct attack: Padilla was down to 1000 Life Points, and Maldonado Xyz Summoned a third Dante to finish out.  He sent Karma Cut to the Graveyard with Dante, yarding only one card to make a Special Summon with his detach.  That got him Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck, and when he overlaid for Downerd Magician, the Barbar was destroyed by its own effect!  Maldonado dealt 900 damage by banishing three cards with Barbar’s ability.

With 100 Life Points left, Padilla banished Nekroz of Valkyrus and Nekroz Cycle to search his Deck for Nekroz Mirror.  He banished Kaleidoscope next, getting another Cycle.  Mirror let him banish Shurit to Ritual Summon Valkyrus, and he Tributed Trishula and Nekroz of Gungnir from his hand to draw two cards.  Padilla attacked Dante with Valkyrus to destroy it, and Maldonado got back a Cir with Dante’s effect.  In Main Phase 2 Padilla Normal Summoned Senju of the Thousand Hands to search out Nekroz of Unicore, then Ritual Summoned Nekroz of Trishula with Nekroz Cycle – Maldonado flipped Torrential Tribute!

He cleared the field and lost his Cir from his hand, his Barbar from his Graveyard, and his Torrential from the field, banished by Trishula.  Padilla had two cards left and nabbed a Clausolas with Shurit’s ability, which had been Tributed for the Trishula Summon.  But knowing that Maldonado would claim two Dante effects plus a Scarm search in the End Phase, Padilla conceded the Duel!  Those 100 Life Points weren’t going to last him through Maldonado’s next turn.

Jose Felix Maldonado Garrido outplays Trishula after Trishula after Trishula, to eventually out-card and overpower Christian Pavel Padilla Albores’s Nekroz!  Could he pull that off twice?  One more win would take him to the Top 4.

Maldonado started the second Duel with Breakthrough Skill; Vanity’s Emptiness; Peropero Cerperus; Artifact Lancea; and Phoenix Wing Wind Blast.  He Set all three trap cards plus Peropero.

Padilla Normal Summoned Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands and Maldonado negated its effect with Breakthrough.  Padilla destroyed Maldonado’s Wind Blast with Mystical Space Typhoon, then searched his Deck for Nekroz of Brionac with Preparation of Rites.  He discarded it to search Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz, and when he activated Nekroz Mirror, Maldonado Chained Vanity’s Emptiness to stop it!  Padilla attacked Peropero Cerperus with Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands, failing to destroy it.

Maldonado Tribute Summoned Vanity’s Fiend!  He attacked over Manju and ended, holding Artifact Lancea and losing his Vanity’s Emptiness.

Padilla checked his Graveyard and banished Brionac and Nekroz Mirror to search Nekroz Kaleidoscope.  He did nothing else.

Maldonado drew Mind Crush and made a direct attack with Vanity’s Fiend.  He Set the Crush.

Padilla was down to 4200 Life Points and Normal Summoned a Manju to search another Brionac.  He pitched it for Nekroz of Unicore, then discarded it to get back Brionac.  He had six cards in hand but no moves!

Maldonado drew Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and attacked with Vanity’s Fiend, drawing out Padilla’s Nekroz of Valkyrus to stop the attack.  He Set Rubic.

Padilla Set a monster turned Manju to defense mode, then searched another Unicore with Brionac.  He pitched it again to get back Brionac.  He was trying to thin his Deck to get to something that could answer Vanity’s Fiend.

Maldonado drew Cir and attacked, destroying Padilla’s Set Djinn Releaser of Rituals.

Padilla Set a monster.

Maldonado drew Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and attacked to destroy Padilla’s Set Shurit.

Padilla discarded Brionac to get Nekroz of Valkyrus, then Set a card to his back row.

Maldonado drew Torrential Tribute and attacked to destroy Manju.  He Set Torrential, but lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase.

Padilla activated another Space Typhoon to target Maldonado’s Mind Crush, and Maldonado Chained it to discard Padilla’s Valkyrus.  Padilla fanned out his Graveyard to observe his options, then activated Raigeki to destroy Rubic and Vanity’s Fiend!  That was it for the turn.

Maldonado drew another Cir.  He Special Summoned Graff, Padilla activated Maxx “C”, and Maldonado Special Summoned Cir.  Padilla had 4200 Life Points, and Maldonado overlaid for Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss to give Padilla another draw.  He detached Graff, hitting Graff, Raigeki, and Breakthrough Skill with Dante’s effect, then Special Summoned Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss with Graff’s effect.  That was 2500 ATK and 1700 ATK, a combined total of 4200 ATK total.  He attacked with both monsters for game!

Jose Felix Maldonado Garrido moves on to the Top 4!