“I really don’t honestly think I can win this,” announced Tong as the players shuffled up for their match. Funny, because his Dimensional Fissure side will likely present Shane with the most difficult match of any of the Top 16 competitors. “It’s Yu-Gi-Oh! man, you just gotta play,” replied Shane. If Tong won this match, he’d likely have the confidence needed to carry himself through to the semifinals. On the other hand, Day 2 is no stranger to Shane Scurry, and he was feeling confident about this match through and through.

Tong won the opening roll and started things off with a set monster. Shane opened up strong with Reinforcement of the Army for Elemental Hero Stratos, who was quickly summoned. Stratos fetched Disk Commander, and then an attack revealed Tong’s Treeborn Frog! An excellent start for both players, and Shane set a spell or trap before passing. Frog returned to Tong in his standby phase, and Brain Control was quickly played to pilfer Stratos. The Hero turned on his owner for 1800 damage and was tributed for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch in main phase 2. Shane lost Destiny Hero — Fear Monger and 400 life points with him, and Tong passed his turn. The loss of Fear Monger was a bit of a problem for Shane, but he set a monster and passed back over to Tong. Neo-Spacian Grand Mole came down for Tong and bounced Shane’s set monster back to his hand, clearing the way for Thestalos to swing directly! He still didn’t have any cards to set to the spell or trap zone, however, so play went right back to Shane. Shane ended up using Premature Burial to bring back Stratos and fetched out Destiny Hero — Malicious before flipping his set Brain Control to take Treeborn Frog from Tong.

Both monsters were tributed for Dark Magician of Chaos who returned Premature Burial to Shane’s hand. Metamorphosis came down next to trade in the Magician for Cyber Twin Dragon, and one Brain Control and another Premature Burial later, Tong was scooping up his cards! Shane takes game 1, but the real challenge was just beginning as Tong now had access to his side deck. If Shane could nail Dimensional Fissure with Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell, he’d be almost sure to win, but Tong had the option to start, giving him the ability to play his spell unimpeded.

Both players side decked carefully, and Tong was up first. He started off with Confiscation to reveal Elemental Hero Stratos, Destiny Draw, Destiny Hero — Dasher, Ring of Destruction, and Brain Control in Shane’s hand. Stratos was discarded, and Tong followed with a set monster and Dimensional Fissure!

Shane pondered whether he’d still get to draw two if he played Destiny Draw, and eventually decided to pitch Dasher out of play to use his spell. He followed up with a set spell or trap and passed over to Tong who added a set spell or trap to his field and passed. Shane drew into Call of the Haunted, set it, and passed, only to have his traps negated in the end phase by Royal Decree! Shane was locked down and, with no monsters to help out, Tong could go to town on his life points if he could get some attackers on the field. He decided to flip Spirit Reaper and attack directly, forcing Shane to discard his Jinzo to the removed from play zone. In main phase 2, the Reaper was traded for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, and this time Dark Magician of Chaos went out of play. Shane had a Brain Control, and he used it to steal Thestalos and swing before tributing the Monarch for his freshly drawn Cyber Dragon. Shane was back in the game, but Tong fired right back with Cyber Dragon and Brain Control, tributing the stolen Dragon for Mobius the Frost Monarch! Shane took the attacks, drew his next card, and scooped, moving this match to game 3!

Shane hadn’t sided in his Cursed Seals after the first game, and he continued to not do so for this game, opting instead to side out a Threatening Roar for Confiscation to take advantage of the first turn should he draw it. Tong was looking a lot happier than he had at any point previously in the match, and Shane started us off with Reinforcement of the Army to fetch Elemental Hero Stratos, who in turn fetched him Destiny Hero — Disk Commander. He passed with no further plays, and Tong bolted out of the gates with Cyber Dragon and Spirit Reaper, robbing Shane of his Premature Burial. He set a spell or trap and Shane summoned Snipe Hunter activating its effect to destroy Spirit Reaper. Tong chained Bottomless Trap Hole, but the Reaper still had to go. Shane then removed the Malicious he had discarded to fetch out a new one and passed his turn. Raiza the Storm Monarch blew Malicious to the top of the deck next turn and opened Shane up for a huge hit! Tong set a spell or trap before passing and Shane set a card to each zone. He lost his Morphing Jar to Exiled Force in the next turn, and Raiza swung again. Shane was regretting not playing Jinzo when he had the chance, but he had drawn into Snatch Steal giving him another chance! Snatch Steal stole Raiza away, and Tong sighed. Tong took 2400 from his own Monarch, and Shane tributed Raiza to set the Malicious he had redrawn.

Play was back to Tong, and he summoned a new Cyber Dragon before tributing for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. Zaborg swung directly to put Shane at 200 life points, and Tong passed his turn. Shane had a set Pot of Avarice, and he drew into Card Trooper. He could summon his last Malicious and tribute him for Jinzo, but he’d then be at Tong’s mercy as any monster would win. Alternatively, he could summon his freshly drawn Card Trooper and hope to dump some monsters into the graveyard to fuel Pot of Avarice to look for an answer. He opted to summon the new Malicious and tributed him for Jinzo before ramming the Machine into Zaborg. Tong needed a monster, but he didn’t get one! Tong passed, Shane set a card to each zone, and Tong passed again! Shane continued to build his field defensively with another set monster and Tong finally found a monster to set.

Play was back to Scurry, and he eyed his set Crush Card Virus hungrily and rifled through his Fusion deck before setting a card and passing. Tong activated Royal Decree in the end phase, and Shane chained with Crush Card Virus! Tong revealed no monsters in hand and a set D.D. Survivor, who was destroyed. He lost a second D.D. Survivor on the draw and passed his turn. Shane now had the five monsters required to use Pot of Avarice, and he tributed his set Card Trooper for a set monster before activating it to shuffle five monsters back in and draw two. He was being very careful with his life points, and Tong lost his next draw, a Thestalos, to the Virus as well before passing. Shane set a second monster and audibly read off the cards he remembered from Tong’s hand previously. He passed, and Tong finally got to keep a card he drew, Neo-Spacian Grand Mole. Tong set it, and passed his turn. Shane had two Metamorphosis in hand, and he looked at the text of Dark Balter the Terrible and Reaper on the Nightmare before setting a third monster and ending. Crush Card was over, and Tong didn’t have to reveal his card for the turn. He set a monster and passed over to Shane who flipped Destiny Hero — Fear Monger and summoned Stratos to destroy Royal Decree before flipping Cyber Dragon and Card Trooper. Card Trooper was pumped, and Shane audibly wondered what the non-Grand Mole set monster was. Shane set a spell or trap, and he sent Fear Monger into the set Grand Mole. Stratos attacked into the new set, an Exiled Force, and Limiter Removal pumped the Machine monsters all the way up to 8000 to end the game! Shane Scurry pulls out a miraculous win against Tong Thao, 2-1!