Welcome to the Top 16! California’s Malvin Dionisio is Dueling against Chicago’s Matt Kolenda in a Burning Abyss mirror-match that will determine the fate of each of these Duelists in the tournament. One of these Duelists will advance to the Top 8, and the other will be eliminated. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Dionisio opened up Duel 1 with Skill Drain, Raigeki Break, Maxx “C”, Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Absolute King Back Jack. He Set Raigeki Break and Skill Drain before passing his turn.

Kolenda Special Summoned Cir from his hand and then Normal Summoned Graff. Dionisio flipped Raigeki Break, discarding Absolute King Back Jack to destroy Cir, allowing Dionisio to rearrange the top 3 cards of his Deck with Back Jack’s effect. Kolenda activated Foolish Burial next, sending Graff from his Deck to his Graveyard. He activated its effect, and Dionisio Chained Maxx “C”. Kolenda Special Summoned Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck, and Dionisio drew 1 card with the effect of Maxx “C”. Graff and Scarm attacked directly. Kolenda combined Graff with Scarm in Main Phase 2, Xyz Summoning Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss in Defense Position and allowing Dionisio to draw 1 more card with the effect of Maxx “C”. Kolenda detached Scarm to activate Dante’s effect and send Ring of Destruction from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. Dionisio used Back Jack’s effect to banish it and send Scarm from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. Kolenda Set 3 cards to his back row and added Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck to his hand in the End Phase with Scarm’s effect. Dionisio added Tour Guide From the Underworld from his Deck to his hand in his End Phase with the effect of his own Scarm.

Dionisio Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld and activated its effect; but he lost out to Kolenda’s Breakthrough Skill.

Kolenda activated his Dante’s effect by detaching Graff and sent 3 cards from his Deck to his Graveyard. He Special Summoned Scarm from his Deck with Graff’s effect. Next, he Normal Summoned Cir and combined Cir with Scarm to Xyz Summon Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss in Attack Position. He detached Scarm and sent Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and a third card from his Deck to his Graveyard with Dante’s effect. Kolenda banished 3 Burning Abyss cards from his Graveyard to deal 900 points of damage to Dionisio with Barbar, and then Special Summoned Graff from his Graveyard with Cir’s effect. Kolenda attacked directly with both Dantes and with Graff to drop Dionisio down to 300 Life Points. Kolenda Set a card to his back row and then added Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck to his hand with Scarm’s effect in the End Phase.

Dionisio drew The Traveler and the Burning Abyss on his next turn and conceded, knowing that Kolenda would wipe out the rest of his Life Points next turn.

Duel Two

Kolenda started off Duel 2 by activating Foolish Burial and sending Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck to his Graveyard. He activated Graff’s effect, and Dionisio Chained Maxx “C”. Kolenda activated Graff’s effect to Special Summon Cir in Attack Position, allowing Dionisio to draw a card. Kolenda Set 3 cards to his back row before passing his turn.

Dionisio had Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Karma Cut, The Traveler and the Burning Abyss, Foolish Burial, Tour Guide From the Underworld, and Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss in his hand. He activated Foolish Burial to send Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck to his Graveyard and then used Graff’s effect to Special Summon Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck. Next, he Special Summoned Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his hand in Defense Position. He combined Barbar with Scarm to Xyz Summon Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss in Attack Position and then detached Scarm to activate its effect and send Graff, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Maxx “C” from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. Dante attacked Kolenda’s Cir, and Kolenda flipped Fiend Griefing! He sent Scarm from Dionisio’s Graveyard to his Deck, and then sent Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his own Deck to his Graveyard. He used Farfa’s effect to banish Dante from the Duel. Dionisio Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld in Main Phase 2 and activated its effect to Special Summon Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss in Defense Position. He combined Tour Guide with Cir to Xyz Summon Dante in Defense Position and then detached Tour Guide to send Back Jack and 2 Trap Cards from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. Kolenda flipped Fiend Griefing to shuffle the Back Jack back into Dionisio’s Deck and send Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his own Deck to his Graveyard. He activated Graff’s effect to Special Summon Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck in Defense Position. Dionisio Set Karma Cut and The Traveler and the Burning Abyss before ending his turn, and Kolenda flipped Mystical Space Typhoon in his End Phase to destroy The Traveler and the Burning Abyss.

Kolenda drew a card and then Dionisio flipped Karma Cut! He discarded Graff to banish Kolenda’s Cir, and then Dionisio Special Summoned Scarm from his Deck in Defense Position with Graff’s effect. Kolenda Normal Summoned Scarm next, and then Tuned Scarm with Rubic to Synchro Summon Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss! He Set a card to his back row and then entered his End Phase, using Scarm’s effect to add Tour Guide From the Underworld from his Deck to his hand.

Dionisio used his Dante’s effect by detaching Cir, sending 3 cards from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. He Special Summoned Graff from his Graveyard in Defense Position with Cir’s effect. Next, he combined Graff with Scarm to Xyz Summon Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss in Attack Position. He detached Graff to activate Dante’s effect and send 2 Trap Cards and a Scarm from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. Dante attacked and destroyed Virgil, destroying itself in the process, and Kolenda drew a card with Virgil’s effect. Dionisio returned The Traveler and the Burning Abyss from his Graveyard to his hand with Dante’s effect. Dionisio’s second Dante attacked directly and then switched into Defense Position. Dionisio Set 2 cards to his back before passing his turn.

Kolenda flipped his face-down Galaxy Cyclone to target Dionisio’s face-down Fiend Griefing, and Dionisio Chained the Griefing to shuffle Rubic back into Kolenda’s Deck and send Back Jack from his Deck to his Graveyard. Dionisio rearranged the top 3 cards of his Deck with Back Jack’s effect. Kolenda Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld next, and activated its effect to Special Summon Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck. He combined Cir with Tour Guide to Xyz Summon his own Dante in Attack Position, and then detached Cir to activate Dante’s effect and send Galaxy Cyclone, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Mathematician from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. He activated Cir’s effect to Special Summon Virgil from his Graveyard and then attacked Dionisio’s Defense Position Dante with his own Dante so that he could switch his own Dante into Defense Position with its effect. He ended his turn.

Dionisio activated Dante’s effect, detaching Scarm to send 3 cards from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard, including a Scarm. Next, he activated The Traveler and the Burning Abyss to Special Summon both Scarms from the Graveyard, and Kolenda Special Summoned Flying “C” to Dionisio’s field, causing the Scarms to destroy themselves! Dionisio added Farfa from his Deck to his hand with Scarm’s effect in the End Phase.

Kolenda detached an Xyz Material from Dante to send the top 3 cards of his Deck – including a Scarm – to the Graveyard. He Set a card to his back row, switched his Virgil into Defense Position, and then added Graff to his hand with Scarm’s effect in his End Phase.

Dionisio drew Mystical Space Typhoon. He Set it face-down and then passed his turn.

Kolenda discarded Graff to activate Virgil’s effect and send Dante back to Dionisio’s Extra Deck. Next, he activated Graff’s effect to Special Summon Cir from his Deck in Attack Position. He Normal Summoned Rubic next, and combined Rubic with Cir to Special Summon Ghostrick Alucard in Defense Position! He detached Rubic to activate Alucard’s effect and target Dionisio’s Mystical Space Typhoon. Dionisio Chained the Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Kolenda’s face-down Solemn Warning.

Dionisio Set a card to each zone and passed.

Kolenda detached Cir from Alucard to destroy Dionisio’s face-down Book of Moon and then activated his Cir’s effect to Special Summon Farfa from his Graveyard. Farfa destroyed itself and banished Flying “C” from the Duel until the End Phase. Virgil attacked and destroyed Dionisio’s face-down Cir, and Dionisio Special Summoned Dante to his field in Defense Position from his Graveyard. Kolenda upgraded his Dante and Alucard into Downerd Magicians in Main Phase 2, and Flying “C” returned to Dionisio’s field in the End Phase.

Dionisio drew a card and conceded on his next turn, completely devastated by Flying “C”.

Matt Kolenda is moving on to the Top 8 with his Burning Abyss Deck!