Cameron Neal from Texas is facing off against Carl Gabriel from Maryland. Both Duelists have VIP status, so they both started with a 2-round bye. While Neal secured his VIP status by winning the Summer Ultimate Duelist Series tournament in Kansas City in 2018, and Gabriel won his local VIP Qualifier, which gives every Duelist a shot at being a VIP at the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series.

Neal is piloting Unchained, while Gabriel’s on Bystial Dragon Link. These competitors are fresh and ready to go, so it’s time to Duel!

Neal was up, and started the Duel by Setting 1 card face-down, then activating Unchained Soul of Sharvara to destroy Escape of the Unchained and Special Summon his monster. When he used Escape’s effect to Summon a monster from his Deck, Gabriel hit him wish Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He pressed on with Dark Contract with the Gate, adding D/D/D Vice King Requiem to his hand from the Deck. He activated his Requiem in the Pendulum Zone, then used Requiem to destroy Dark Contract and Summon itself. He used Requiem as Material to Summon D/D/D Diviser King Deus Machinex, before using both of his monsters and Link Summoning Unchained Soul Lord of Yama and activating both Yama and Sharvara’s effects. Sharvara Set Abominable Chamber of the Unchained, and Yama added Unchained Twins – Aruha to Neal’s hand.

Unchained Twins – Aruha destroyed the Set Abominable Chamber of the Unchained. Neal Summoned it with its effect, and used Chamber to Summon Unchained Soul of Shyama from his Deck. He continued, using Shyama to destroy Aruha, and then Summoning Unchained Twins – Sarama with Aruha. He considered his plays, then Link Summoned Unchained Soul of Rage using Yama and Shyama. After a moment’s pause, Neal activated Sarama’s effect to Set Escape of the Unchained from the Graveyard and destroy his Unchained Soul of Rage. He added Sharvara to hand from the Graveyard thanks to Rage’s effect, then activated Shyama in the Graveyard to destroy his Sarama and Summon it back. Sarama’s effect triggered, and Neal Special Summoned Sharvara.

…But Gabriel responded with a huge Nibiru, the Primal Being! On the Resolution of Nibiru’s effect, Gabriel activated Bystial Magnamhut to banish Neal’s Unchained Soul Lord of Yama, and used Magnamhut to search a Dragon in Neal’s End Phase. Neal Set a card, and Gabriel added The Bystial Lubellion to his hand before drawing for turn.

Gabriel had Infinite Impermanence, The Bystial Lubellion, Black Metal Dragon and Starliege Seyfert. He discarded Lubellion to get Bystial Druiswurm from his Deck, then Tributed Bystial Magnamhut to Summon his Lubellion from his Graveyard, and when he activated its effect Neal used his Set Infinite Impermance. Gabriel Normal Summoned Black Metal Dragon and used it to Link Summon Striker Dragon, adding both Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon and Boot Sector Launch to his hand with the Dragons’ effects. He used Striker Dragon and Lubellion to Link Summon Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy, and Gabriel took Neal’s Unchained Soul of Rage with Dharc’s effect.

He Linked Nibiru, the Primal Being and Unchained Soul of Rage to Link Summon S:P Little Knight, which targeted Neal’s face-down card. Neal used his in-hand Unchained Soul of Sharvara to target his Set card, and Neal activated Escape of the Unchained, Special Summoning Unchained Twins – Rakea from his Deck in Defense Position. Gabriel activated Bystial Druiswurm to banish Neal’s Unchained Soul of Rage from his Graveyard, then attacked with Dharc over Rakea, which Summoned Abominable Unchained Soul. He used Soul to destroy Gabriel’s S:P Little Knight, discarding Sharvara, which let him Set Abominable Chamber of the Unchained from his Deck.

Bystial Druiswurm attacked Unchained Soul of Sharvara and then in Main Phase 2, Gabriel Linked Druiswurm and Dharc to Link Summon Triple Burst Dragon and used Druiswurm to send Abominable Unchained Soul to the Graveyard. Then he Banished Triple Burst to Summon Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon and used it to Summon his Bystial Magnamhut from the Graveyard. He activated Magnamhut’s effect to search in the End Phase. Gabriel then used his Dragons to Link Summon Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres, Set a face-down card, and in the End Phase he added Bystial Drusiwurm from the Graveyard to his hand with Magnamhut’s ability.

Neal started his turn by activating Chamber of the Unchained, Summoning Unchained Twins – Sarama. He considered his options for a moment before activating Sarama, and Gabriel shut it down with an Infinite Impermanence. He switched his Primal Being Token to Attack Position and attacked Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres. Gabriel Tributed his Hieratic Seal to return the Primal Being Token, and Hieratic Seal’s effect Summoned Absorouter Dragon from his Deck. Neal attacked over the Absorouter, allowing Gabriel to add Rokket Tracer to his hand from his Deck. During Neal’s End Phase, Gabriel banished Abominable Unchained Soul to Summon his Bystial Druiswurm.

Gabriel drew Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring for turn, Normal Summoned his Starliege Seyfert, and Neal conceded.

Neal started Duel 2 by Setting Abominable Chamber of the Unchained, then destroyed it with Unchained Soul of Sharvara. He activated Chamber’s effect to Summon Unchained Soul of Shyama from his Deck, then used his 2 monsters to Link Summon Unchained Soul Lord of Yama. He activated Yama and Sharvara’s effects, but Gabriel had Infinite Impermanence to negate Neal’s Yama. Neal Set Escape, then activated Abomination’s Prison to add Unchained Twins – Aruha to his hand, activating it to target his Set Escape, destroying it and Summoning his monster in the process.

Escape let him Summon Unchained Twins – Sarama from his Deck, and he used Yama and Aruha as material to Link Summon Unchained Soul of Rage. He activated Sarama to Set Escape of the Unchained and destroy Soul of Rage, which added Sharvara from his Graveyard to his hand, then used his Unchained Soul of Shyvara to destroy Sarama and Special Summon his monster from the Grave. Then Sarama Summoned Sharvara from Deck, and Neal Xyz Summoned D/D/D Wave High King Caesar. He activated Pot of Prosperity, banishing 3 cards and revealing Tour Guide from the Underworld, Droll & Lock Bird, and Unchained Twins – Aruha. He added Droll to his hand and ended his turn.

Gabriel’s hand was Starliege Seyfert, Quick Launch, Infinite Impermanence, Chaos Space, and Bystial Baldrake. He started by activating Baldrake to target Neal’s Unchained Soul Lord of Yama, but Neal Chained D/D/D Wave High King Caesar and Gabriel fired back with Impermanence. After some thought, Neal Chained Unchained Soul of Sharvara to destroy his Caesar to stop Infinite Impermanence from negating its effect. Gabriel’s Baldrake was destroyed.

In a new Chain, Caesar got Neal Dark Contract of the Gate from his Deck and Sharvara Set Abominable Chamber of the Unchained from his Deck. Gabriel continued his turn by Normal Summoning his Seyfert, and Neal activated his Set Escape to destroy his Sharvara and Gabriel’s Seyfert. Neal used Yama’s effect to Summon Unchained Soul of Rage from his Graveyard, and Gabriel activated Quick Launch to Summon Rokket Tracer, then Link Summoned Striker Dragon, which got him Boot Sector Launch.

“I’m ready!” Gabriel said with a good-natured laugh, knowing he was going to see Neal’s Droll & lock Bird, which Neal activated with a smile.

Gabriel activated his Striker Dragon’s effect to destroy itself and took Rokket Tracer to his hand from the Graveyard, then activated Boot Sector Launch and Special Summoned Tracer in Defense Position. He activated the Tracer to destroy his Boot Sector Launch and Special Summoned Rokket Recharger from his Deck. He used his 2 monsters to Link Summon Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy and when he tried to end his Main Phase, Neal used Unchained Soul of Rage to Link with the Dharc and Summon S:P Little Knight. Neal used S:P Little Knight to banish Seyfert, ending Gabriel’s Turn.

On his turn, Neal activated Dark Contract With The Gate to add D/D/D Vice King Requiem to his hand from his Deck. He activated it and used it to destroy his Dark Contract. Neal Xyz Summoned D/D/D Diviser King Machinex using his King Requiem, Destroyed Gabriel’s Set card with its effect, and when he Normal Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld Gabriel conceded.

Despite opening with a ton of powerful cards, Gabriel can’t quite put it away and Neal is victorious. We’re onto Duel 3, and Match point!

Gabriel started the third Duel with a hand of Starliege Seyfert, Bystial Baldrake, Noctovision Dragon, Nibiru, the Primal Being, and Bystial Druiswurm. Gabriel Normal Summoned Seyfert, and Link Summoned Striker Dragon. Using both Striker Dragon and Noctovision Dragon’s effects in Chain, giving him Boot Sector Launch and an additional Dragon to use. He used his Dragon’s to Link Summon Dragunity Knight – Romulus, adding Dragon Ravine to hand and drawing Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Gabriel activated Dragon Ravine, and discarded Boot Sector launch to send The Bystial Lubellion to the Graveyard from his Deck, then banished his Seyfert to add Lubellion to his hand.

He discarded Lubellion immediately to search Bystial Magnamhut, then activated it to banish his Striker Dragon, Summoning Magnamhut and using its effect to get a Dragon to his hand in the End Phase. Gabriel Tributed Magnamhut for Lubellion and activated its effect, but Neal responded with Effect Veiler to stop it. Gabriel used his Dragons to Summon Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres and in his End Phase he took Black Metal Dragon to his hand with Magnamhut’s effect.

Neal started his turn with Pot of Prosperity banishing 6 cards, but Gabriel dropped Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to keep Neal from searching anything. He continued by Normal Summoning his Tour Guide from the Underworld, which let him Special Summon Fiendish Rhino Warrior from his Deck. On Rhino Warrior’s Summon, Gabriel Activated his Seal, forcing Neal to Chain his Unchained Soul of Sharvara to destroy his own Fiendish Rhino Warrior. Gabriel’s Seal returned Sharvara to hand. Gabriel’s Seal activated in a new Chain to Special Summon a Dragon from his Deck, but Neal Chained his Fiendish Rhino Warrior’s effect from the Graveyard, and activated Abominable Unchained Soul from his hand as well.

Neal sent Sharvara from his Deck to his Graveyard with Fiendish Rhino, and Gabriel Special Summoned Absorouter Dragon. In yet another Chain, Neal activated Unchained Soul of Sharvara to Set Abominable Chamber of the Unchained from the Deck, and Abominable Unchained Soul to destroy Gabriel’s Ravine by discarding Shyyama. He combined Abominable Unchained Soul and Tour Guide from the Underworld to Link Summon Unchained Soul Lord of Yama, which got him Unchained Twins – Aruha to his hand, and after some thought he activated Shyama to destroy his Set Abominable Chamber of the Unchained and Special Summon it from the Graveyard. The Chamber Summoned another Unchained Soul of Sharvara from Neal’s Deck, and Gabriel responded to the Summon with Nibiru, the Primal Being.

Gabriel lost his field, but the Absorouter Dragon that was Tributed away got him a Rokket Tracer from his Deck. Neal targeted his Primal Being Token with Aruha, destroying it and Summoning his monster, triggering his in-Graveyard Yama, Special Summoning his Unchained Soul of Sharvara from his Graveyard and destroying his Aruha. He used the Aruha’s effect to Special Summon Unchained Twins – Sarama from his Deck. Gabriel activated Bystial Baldrake on the Summon of Sarama, banishing Neal’s. Neal used his Sharvara to Xyz Summon Super Starslayer TY-PHON – Sky Crisis, only to have it banished by Gabriel’s Baldrake. He Set his Abominable Chamber by destroying his Sarama and ended.

Gabriel drew Nibiru, the Primal Being for the turn, then Normal Summoned Rokket Tracer. He Synchro Summoned Baronne de Fleur with his Bystial Baldrake and Tracer. Neal activated Unchained Soul of Sharvara from his hand to target his facedown Chamber, then Chained the Chamber to Summon Unchained Twins – Sarama from Graveyard. Gabriel banished Neal’s Tour Guide from the Underworld with his Bystial Druiswurm, then Tributed his monster for The Bystial Lubellion, which sent Unchained Soul of Sharvara to Graveyard, and activated his Lubellion to place Branded Regained on the field from Deck. He attacked Unchained Twins – Sarama with Lubellion, then attacked directly with Baronne, and time was called during Neal’s Standby Phase.

After a fantastic match, Carl Gabriel moves on undefeated.