The competition is heating up as we go into Round 12. Both of our Duelists have 9 wins right now and need to keep winning to try to secure a spot in the Top 8 cut later today. Jose Carlo Carrillo, from Guadalajara City, Mexico, is using a Mitsurugi L&D Ritual Deck. His opponent is Chance Larson, from Jacksonville, North Carolina, who is using a Branded Deck this weekend.

Duel One

Carrillo won the dice roll and chose to start the Duel. His hand consisted of Diabellstar the Black Witch, Deception of the Sinful Spoils, WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils, Mitsurugi, Prayer, Mulcharmy Fuwalos. 

Carrillo started his turn by activating Deception of the Sinful Spoils; he Tributed Fuwalos to add The Hallowed Azamina from his Deck to his hand. Carrillo then Special Summoned Diabellstar the Black Witch by sending Deception to the Graveyard. He activated its effect and Set Wanted from his Deck. In a new Chain, Larson activated Mulcharmy Fuwalos!

Carrillo paused for a moment and then banished Diabellstar to Special Summon Dark Magician of Destruction and activated its effect, but Larson had Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! He followed it up by activating The Hallowed Azamina and then Chained WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils. He added Diabellstar from his Deck to his hand and then Special Summoned Azamina Ilia Silvia.

Carrillo activated Mitsurugi Prayers and added Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi from his Deck to his hand. He activated Habakiri’s effect to Special Summon and Tribute Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji from his Deck. Then Carrillo activated Saji’s effect and added Mitsurugi Ritual from his Deck to his hand. He activated Ritual and Special Summoned Habakiri from his hand by using the Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi in his Deck as a Tribute. Carrillo then activated Murakumo’s effect and added Mitsurugi Mirror from his Deck to his hand. He activated Mirror and Tributed Habakiri for Murakumo, then used Habakiri’s effect to add Prayers from his Deck to his hand and Special Summon Habakiri. 

Carrillo activated the effect of Wanted in the Graveyard; he drew Pre-Preparation of Rites. He used it to add Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos and Light and Darkness Ritual from his Deck to his hand. Carrillo activated Light and Darkness Ritual and banished Saji and Fuwalos to Ritual Summon Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos! He activated Dark Chaos’ effect and added back Mitsurugi Prayers from his Graveyard. He then Link Summoned I:P Masquerena, Set a card, and ended his turn.

Larson activated Branded in High Spirits in his Draw Phase. He sent Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous, and Granguignol the Dusk Dragon to add Guiding Quem, the Virtuous from his Deck to his hand. Larson then moved to his Main Phase and Normal Summoned Quem and activated its effect; he sent Tri-Brigade Sprigans Kitt from the Deck to the Graveyard and used its effect to Special Summon Cartesia from the Graveyard. Larson activated the effect of Cartesia, but Carrillo negated it with Ilia Silvia. He then Special Summoned Fallen of the White Dragon by sending Ecclesia and the Dark Dragon to the Graveyard. Larson activated Fallen’s effect, and Carrillo Chained Mitsurugi Prayers by Tributing his Murakumo! Larson activated The Fallen & The Virtuous from his hand and Special Summoned Murakumo to his own field! Carrillo added Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Aramasa from his Deck to his hand and then Special Summoned Habakiri with Prayers. Larson Special Summoned Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous from his Deck. 

In a new Chain, Larson activated Murakumo’s effect; Carrillo Chained the effect of Masquerena, and Larson activated Murakumo’s other effect. Carrillo sent Diabellstar from his hand to the Graveyard so he could Link Summon Charmer Quartet in Bloom. In a new Chain, Carrillo activated the Diabellstar in his Graveyard and Chained Wanted from his field. He added a Diabellstar from his Deck to his hand, and then sent it to the Graveyard to Special Summon the other Diabellstar. Carrillo activated Diabellstar’s effect, and Larson Chained the effect of Incredible Ecclesia. He Special Summoned Fallen of Albaz from the Deck, and Carrillo Set Deception from the Deck. 

In a new Chain, Larson activated Albaz’s effect and discarded a White Dragon; Carrillo Chained Quartet’s effect and Special Summoned Habakiri and Dark Chaos from his Graveyard. Larson Fusion Summoned Lubellion the Searing Dragon with Albaz and Diabellstar. Then, he activated Lubellion’s effect and discarded Nadir Servant; Carrillo activated Dark Chaos’ effect and added back Mitsurugi Mirror. Larson Fusion Summoned Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon using Lubellion and the White Dragon from the Graveyard. He activated Ecclesia and the Dark Dragon’s effect and shuffled Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos back into the Deck. He Synchro Summoned The Three Champions of Swordsoul and used its effect to add Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous from his Deck to his hand.

Larson activated The Three Champions’ effect and destroyed the Habakiri. Then, he moved into his Battle Phase and cleared Carrillo’s field with Mirrojade before attacking directly with everything!

Duel Two

Carrillo chose to start the second Duel. He started with Dominus Impulse, Pre-Preparation of Rites, Magician’s Rod, WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils, and Mitsurugi Prayers.

Carrillo activated Mitsurugi Prayers in his Draw Phase and added Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi from his Deck to his hand. He then Normal Summoned Magician’s Rod and activated its effect, but Larson negated it with Effect Veiler! Carrillo activated Pre-Preparation of Rites and added Light and Darkness Ritual and Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos from his Deck to his hand. Larson activated Droll & Lock Bird! Carrillo had no choice but to Chain WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils to add Diabellstar the Black Witch from his Deck to his hand. 

Carrillo activated Habakiri and Special Summoned Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi, and Tributed Magician’s Rod. He activated Kusanagi’s effect and added back the Prayers from his Graveyard to his hand. Carrillo sent Habakiri to the Graveyard to Special Summon Diabellstar; he used its effect to Set another Wanted to the field. 

Carrillo then activated Light and Darkness Ritual; he banished Habakiri from the Graveyard to Ritual Summon Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos. Carrillo activated Dark Chaos’ effect and added back Pre-Preparation of Rites. He Link Summoned I:P Masquerena and then activated the effect of Light and Darkness Ritual in the Graveyard to add back Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos.

Carrillo Set one card and tried to end his Main Phase, but Larson activated Nibiru, the Primal Being! Carrillo continued his Main Phase by activating Light and Darkness Ritual again and Tributed his Token to summon Dark Chaos. He activated its effect and banished the Nibiru face-down. Carrillo Set one more card and ended his turn.

Larson started his turn and Normal Summoned Aluber the Jester of Despia; he activated Aluber’s effect and added Branded in High Spirits. Larson activated High Spirits and pitched Fuwalos and Rindbrumm the Striking Dragon to add Fallen of the White Dragon from his Deck to his hand. He attempted to Special Summon White Dragon by sending The Dragon that Devours the Dogma to the Graveyard, but Carrillo flipped Dominus Impulse!

Larson went into his End Phase and activated The Dragon that Devours the Dogma to add The Fallen & The Virtuous from his Deck to his hand; he activated it and sent Albion the Branded Dragon to destroy his own Aluber. Larson then activated Albion’s effect and grabbed another The Fallen & The Virtuous to the field. 

Still in the End Phase, Carrillo activated Prayers to Special Summon his Kusanagi. He activated its effect and Chained Magician’s Rod in the Graveyard. He added back both Rod and Habakiri, then flipped his Wanted to add another Diabellstar.

Carrillo drew Mitsurugi Ritual at the start of his turn. He added back Light and Darkness Ritual and Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos, then Normal Summoned Magician’s Rod. Carrillo activated the effect of Magician’s Rod and Larson Chained his The Fallen & The Virtuous to destroy Kusanagi. Carrillo added Dark Magical Curtain with Rod. He then activated Pre-Preparation of Rites to add Mitsurugi Mirror and Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi.

Knowing what was going to happen, Larson conceded the second Duel to save time. 

Duel Three

Larson chose to start the final Duel. He started the Duel by Normal Summoning Fallen of Albaz! Larson then activated and Special Summoned Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous. He activated Cartesia’s effect and Fusion Summoned Granguignol the Dusk Dragon using his Albaz and Cartesia. Larson activated Granguignol and sent Albion the Branded Dragon to the Graveyard. He then activated Nadir Servant and sent Titaniklad the Ash Dragon to add Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous, from his Deck to his hand. Larson Special Summoned Ecclesia and added The Fallen & The Virtuous from his Deck to his hand. 

Larson Set a card and went into his End Phase. He activated Albion’s effect to Set Branded Retribution. Larson then activated Titaniklad’s effect and Special Summoned Guiding Quem, the Virtuous. He activated Quem’s effect and sent Tri-Brigade Springans Kitt from the Deck to the Graveyard and activated its effect to Special Summon Blazing Cartesia. Still in the End Phase, Larson activated Mistaken Arrest!

Still in his End Phase, Larson activated Mistaken Arrest!

Carrillo’s hand was Dark Magical Curtain, Diabellstar the Black Witch, Mitsurugi Prayers, Mitsurugi Ritual, and WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils. Carrillo drew The Hallowed Azamina at the start of his turn.

Carrillo started his turn by activating The Hallowed Azamina, but Larson negated it with Branded Retribution. He then Special Summoned Diabellstar the Black Witch by sending Wanted to the Graveyard. Carrillo activated Diabellstar’s effect and Set another Wanted from his Deck to the field. 

Carrillo went into his Battle Phase and tried to send Diabellstar into Cartesia, but Larson activated The Fallen & The Virtuous and sent Albion the Branded Dragon to destroy Diabellstar. In a new Chain, Larson activated Quem’s effect and brought back Fallen of Albaz. Still in the Battle Phase, Carrillo activated Dark Magical Curtain and Special Summoned another Diabellstar from his Deck! He attacked Cartesia, Set a card, and moved to his End Phase. During the End Phase, Larson activated Albion’s effect and Set Branded Fusion from the Deck, then added Cartesia back to his hand.

Larson started his turn and activated Branded Retribution from the Graveyard to add back The Fallen & The Virtuous. He Special Summoned Blazing Cartesia from his hand and activated its effect to Fusion Summon Albion the Branded Dragon with Granguignol and Albaz. Larson activated Albion, Chained Quem targeting his Albaz. He Special Summoned Albaz, then Special Summoned Hyperinvoked Aeon! In a new Chain, Larson then activated Albaz and used Carrillo’s Diabellstar to make Secreterion Dragon! 

He switched his monsters to Attack Position and attacked with everything to wipe out Carrillo’s Life Points!

Chance Larson continues on with a 10-2 record with his Branded Deck!