“I like tacos,” said Navarro, looking at me purposefully. “Put it in there. You didn’t put it in last time, Jason.” He was referring to his feature match a few weeks ago at Shonen Jump Championship Los Angeles.

I blinked at Navarro. “Okay, so, just to be sure I’m not mishearing you and making a hideous racial slur . . . you want me to put into the match coverage that you like tacos?” I asked.

“Yes.” Navarro nodded once, sharply, and I obliged. “I’m playing for Shuffle and Cut and Shooting Star Comics, make sure you get that in there, too.”

“I’m playing for Team Enigma,” announced Leonhardt.

“ . . . and Team John,” added Navarro, tagging on an addendum to his initial statement.

“ . . . who likes tacos,” Leonhardt added, helpfully.

Navarro won the roll and opened with Sangan and a set spell or trap. Leonhardt activated Heavy Storm, blew away Sakuretsu Armor, set a monster, set two spells or traps, and passed. Navarro busted out Reinforcement of the Army, took Mystic Swordsman LV2, and summoned it. The swordsman attacked, Leonhardt used Book of Moon to stop the attack, and Navarro ended his battle phase. He set one spell or trap, turned Sangan to defense, and passed.

Leonhardt flip summoned Magician of Faith, took back Heavy Storm, and eyed his set card, which was Dust Tornado. He tributed Magician of Faith to destroy Navarro’s set card, revealing Dust Tornado. It was chained and blew away Leonhardt’s Dust Tornado. Mobius smashed the Mystic Swordsman, Confiscation robbed Navarro of Dark Hole, and Leonhardt set one spell or trap card.

D. D. Assailant was summoned by Navarro, and it ran into Mobius. Sangan attacked directly and that was the turn. Leonhardt passed without doing anything Sangan, hit for 1000, Navarro set a monster, and Leonhardt was up to bat again.

He special summoned Cyber Dragon, ran it into the face down monster, and one Gravekeeper’s Spy ate dirt to bring up another. Leonhardt used Smashing Ground to destroy the Spy, passed to Navarro, and Navarro drew. He seemed to like his draw, giving a hearty “Yeeees,” but he changed Sangan to defense position, set a spell or trap and ended. Rather anticlimactic.

Leonhardt flipped his set Heavy Storm once again, and blew away Navarro’s fresh draw to reveal Torrential Tribute. Cyber Dragon smacked Sangan silly, it ran off to Navarro’s deck to fetch Exiled Force, Leonhardt set another spell or trap, and ended. Navarro used Exiled to get rid of the Dragon, set two spells or traps, and passed. Leonhardt passed, Navarro flipped Call of the Haunted, brought up Sangan, and tried to poke for 1000, but Leonhardt revealed Scapegoat. Sangan ate a Sheep token and Leonhardt set a monster. The life point totals were 5000 to 7300 in Navarro’s favor.

Sangan poked a second token and Leonhardt flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. Dekoichi attacked Sangan, Sakuretsu Armor destroyed it, and Leonhardt thought a moment before setting a second spell or trap card and ending his turn.

Sangan ate a third token. Leonhardt checked his two set cards—Sakuretsu Armor and Dark Hole—and again took some time. Leonhardt comes from a chess background, and his strong suit was situations like this. He activated Smashing Ground to wipe away Sangan, Navarro pulled Spirit Reaper, and Leonhardt summoned and attacked with a Reaper of his own. Navarro lost his Reaper to Leonhardt’s Reaper’s effect!

However, Navarro came back next turn, gaining card advantage with Heavy Storm, and the Dark Hole and Sakuretsu Armor were destroyed. He then summoned Mystic Tomato, attacked the last Sheep token, used Smashing Ground to destroy the Reaper, and set one spell or trap card. Leonhardt set one spell or trap, passed, and in his end phase Navarro flipped Mystical Space Typhoon. It destroyed Leonhardt’s Sakuretsu Armor. Navarro attacked again with Mystic Tomato, set another spell or trap, and passed. The life point totals were 2200 to 7000.

Leonhardt set a monster, Navarro summoned D. D. Assailant, and it attacked Leonhardt’s face down to reveal Sangan. Leonhardt got a Spirit Reaper, and was then attacked for 1400 directly with the Tomato to bring his opponent down to 800. Navarro set Bottomless Trap Hole, Leonhardt’s set Mystical Space Typhoon destroyed it in his end phase, and Leonhardt drew.

He had Snatch Steal, Call of the Haunted, and Spirit Reaper in his hand. He took the Assailant with Snatch Steal and sent the Assailant into the Tomato. Navarro flipped Widespread Ruin, Leonhardt set a card to each zone, and play moved to Navarro.

Reinforcement of the Army got him D. D. Warrior Lady. He sent the Tomato to attack the set monster, revealing Spirit Reaper, then destroyed it with Brain Control. He set his last card, D. D. Warrior Lady, and Leonhardt was up. He set his draw and passed, after looking at his graveyard.

Navarro attacked with Tomato, Leonhardt flipped Call of the Haunted, brought back Cyber Dragon, and Tomato was rebuked! Navarro passed.

Leonhardt again drew, again set the spell or trap he took, and passed. D. D. Warrior Lady was flip summoned, Bottomless Trap Hole removed it from play, Navarro set another monster, and Mystic Tomato went to defense position. Leonhardt set another monster, Navarro tribute summoned Cyber Dragon, and Navarro had to decide whether or not he want to press. He decided to, but didn’t go for too much aggression: Cyber Dragon attacked and took out Leonhardt’s set Exarion Universe.

Leonhardt’s Dragon attacked back next turn, hitting Mystic Tomato: Navarro replaced it with another. He then tribute summoned the Dragon for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroying Navarro’s Cyber Dragon!

Navarro tributed his Mystic Tomato for Mobius, destroyed Leonhardt’s set Premature Burial, and suicidally attacked his Monarch into Leonhardt’s.

Leonhardt set D. D. Warrior Lady, but Navarro took it out with Nobleman of Crossout. He then summoned his last card, Spirit Reaper, and swung directly for 300. It looked grim for Leonhardt.

However, Pot of Avarice gave him a new lease on the duel! He activated it, shuffled back five monters, Navarro cut, and he drew two cards: Chaos Sorcerer and Torrential Tribute! He special summoned the Chaos Sorcerer by removing Cyber Dragon and Dekoichi, then pondered attacking or removing the Reaper from play. He attacked, bringing Navarro down to 4200! He set Torrential Tribute and passed.

Navarro summoned Mobius, which forced the Torrential Tribute! Neither player had any cards. Leonhardt drew, set a spell or trap, and Navarro used Premature Burial to bring up Sangan. It attacked, and Leonhardt flipped Widespread Ruin! It was 3400 to 500, and Navarro grabbed Don Zaloog. He set Don Zaloog, and Leonhardt drew and used Nobleman of Crossout!

Navarro topdecked D. D. Survivor! He flopped it to the table, Leonhardt offered him the handshake for the first duel, and Navarro looked to the crowd. “That was for all my taco fans!”

Navarro wins the first amazing duel, and both players move to their side decks!

Leonhardt opted to go first, and opened with a set Gravekeeper’s Spy and two spells or traps. “Time to over-play,” he said wryly. Navarro did too, setting two spells or traps and passing. Dust Tornado destroyed one in his end phase to reveal Bottomless Trap Hole. He didn’t have a monster.

The Spy flipped, brought out another Spy, and Leonhardt tribute summoned one of them for Mobius. The Monarch’s effect destroyed Sakuretsu Armor, the Spy and Mobius attacked directly, and this game was suddenly very different from the first!

Navarro set three cards to his spell and trap zone and passed with still no monster. Leonhardt attacked with the Spy, Navarro took it, and Mobius swung right into Book of Moon. Navarro used Dust Tornado in Leonhardt’s end phase, hit Leonhardt’s set Bottomless Trap Hole, and play moved to him.

Brain Control grabbed the Spy, and Navarro tributed it for Mobius the Frost Monarch. His Mobius attacked and destroyed Leonhardt’s, and Leonhardt fired back with a set to each zone.

D. D. Warrior Lady was summoned by Navarro. It attacked into Leonhardt’s set Spirit Reaper, removed it from play, and Mobius attacked directly. The life point totals were 5600 to 2400.

Leonhardt brought back his Mobius with Premature Burial, but Bottomless Trap Hole removed it from the game. Leonhardt set a monster, played Swords of Revealing Light, and passed the turn.

Navarro tributed one Mobius for another, blew away the Swords, and attacked the set to reveal Spirit Reaper! Leonhardt activated Smashing Ground, turned Reaper to attack position, summoned Kinetie Soldier, and attacked with both! Navarro lost his last card in hand, Spirit Reaper, and went down to 750. He topdecked Heavy Storm, showed it to Leonhardt, and conceded. “You got this one.”

The match stood at one to one, and there were ten minutes remaining. Whoever won this match would clinch a progression to Day 2, so it was a tense situation.

Navarro opened with a set to each zone. Leonhardt wiped his brow, played Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Sakuretsu Armor, used Dark Hole to destroy Mystic Tomato, and then swung directly with Spirit Reaper. Navarro had dropped his hand before he even saw the monster. Reaper hit, Navarro lost Mobius, and next turn he swung with Sangan. Navarro set two spells or traps and Leonhardt was up.

He set one spell or trap, Bottomless Trap Hole, set a monster, and turned Reaper to defense. Navarro used Dust Tornado in his end phase, took out the Trap Hole, turned Sangan to defense position, set one spell or trap, and passed.

Leonhardt mirrored him, also setting one spell or trap and passing. Navarro used Reinforcement of the Army, brought out Mystic Swordsman LV2, attacked with it, and saw it countered with Book of Moon. “I don’t want Level 2 to do its thing,” stated Leonhardt. He drew for his turn, flip summoned Magician of Faith, took back Dark Hole, and after some thought set another monster. He set one spell or trap and passed, with Magician of Faith still in attack position.

Sangan lashed out at the Magician, and Leonhardt checked his set to see that it was Brain Control. Mystic Swordsman LV2 then hit the face down monster and revealed Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. Navarro passed.

Leonhardt set Scapegoat and passed. Navarro attacked the Reaper with Mystic Swordsman LV2, and chained Book of Moon. Sangan attacked directly, but Leonhardt flipped Scapegoat and Sangan ate a Sheep token. Navarro set a second spell or trap and ended his turn.

Leonhardt summoned a Sangan of his own, sent it to attack the Swordsman LV2, and was beat back by Sakuretsu Armor: Navarro was clearly desperate to maintain the footing he had gained. Leonhardt took Gravekeeper’s Spy with Sangan’s effect. He eyed his hand and ended his turn.

“Two goats,” announced Navarro, pressing with both monsters. Leonhardt had one Sheep token left, and Dark Hole was burning a hole in his pocket. “Dark Hole?” asked Navarro, predicting the move. Leonhardt dropped it, destroyed Sangan and Mystic Swordsman LV2, and Navarro took the one card he could take with Sangan to beat a set Spy: Exiled Force. Leonhardt reluctantly set one monster and a spell or trap and ended his turn.

Navarro summoned the Exiled Force, used priority to destroy the face down, and discovered that it was D. D. Warrior Lady! He used Premature Burial as time was called, brought up Sangan, and ran it straight into Widespread Ruin. Sangan fetched Navarro a copy of Spirit Reaper. He set one monster and Leonhardt had two turns left to beat him. The life point totals were 6600 to 6900 in Navarro’s favor.

Leonhardt set a monster and another spell or trap—his last cards. Navarro set one more monster and passed. If Leonhardt couldn’t win this turn, the match would go to Navarro.

“This is the last turn?” asked Leonhardt. A judge confirmed it for him. He flip summoned Gravekeeper’s Spy and brought out a second in attack position. He tributed one for Mobius the Frost Monarch, Navarro showed him a set Bottomless Trap Hole, and Leonhardt conceded.

However, at this point a play error was discovered as Leonhardt’s son, Lance Leonhardt, stepped up to say something. Navarro had made a normal summon and a set on the turn when he used Premature Burial. Leonhardt showed that he might very well be the classiest person to ever make the Top 8 at a Shonen Jump Championship. “It was my job to catch it, and I didn’t. I needed to find my Emergency Provisions and couldn’t find it. You obviously didn’t mean to make the error.” Wow. Kirk Leonhardt refused to dispute the misplay.

Jonathan Navarro clinches his seat in the Top 8, and Kirk Leonhardt moves on to fight in the last round for his final shot at Day 2!