The finals saw the two members of Team Comic Odyssey in the Top 8 meeting each other on the battlefield. At this point it didn’t matter who won the match, because either way, Team Comic Odyssey was going to get Cyber-Stein number seven. The mood was much lighter than in previous matches, with plenty of joking around from the players and the spectators. The teammates decided to split everything but the computer, so the match began with a spiffy laptop and the title on the line.

Game 1

Ryan won the opening die roll and started with a defense monster and a face-down card. Theeresak started with Graceful Charity, yet again discarding Scapegoat and Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer. He set two cards and a monster and ended. Ryan summoned D. D Warrior Lady and flipped D.D. Assailant, then attacked with the D. D. Warrior Lady into Theeresak’s D. D. Warrior Lady. They were both removed, and D.D. Assailant attacked into Theeresak’s Scapegoat. At the end of the turn, Theeresak destroyed Ryan’s face-down Scapegoat with a Dust Tornado. Ryan wanted to chain but couldn’t because he had already summoned this turn. Theeresak fetched Don Zaloog with Reinforcement of the Army, then used Premature Burial to add a Kycoo to his field. The Kycoo hit D.D. Assailant and both were removed, and then Don Zaloog swung in, discarding Lightning Vortex from Ryan’s hand. Ryan surveyed his options and decided to summon another D.D. Assailant and attack Don. Theeresak used Ring of Destruction on the Assailant, and Ryan set two cards before passing. Theeresak attacked and ran into Scapegoat before passing. Ryan pulled out a Berserk Gorilla and finally took out the Don Zaloog. It seemed that Don had done his duty, however, as Ryan was still in a tight spot.

Fortunately for Ryan, Theeresak had to pass his next turn, and Ryan slowly tried to rebuild his hand. With one sheep token left, Theeresak used his inside knowledge of Ryan’s deck to determine that the face-down card was not another Scapegoat, as both had already been used. Theeresak then played Snatch Steal on the Gorilla and switched it to defense mode to kill it. Ryan cautiously summoned a Breaker the Magical Warrior and destroyed Theeresak’s Call of the Haunted before attacking the final sheep token. Ryan had built up an impressive field, but Theeresak pulled out Breaker and broke Ryan’s Torrential Tribute before ramming the Breakers into each other. Theeresak followed it up with Delinquent Duo, hitting Ryan’s Mirror Force. Ryan discarded Jinzo and then on his turn played Graceful Charity. He was looking for some way to get the Jinzo back on to the field, and he discarded Smashing Ground and Kycoo to Graceful Charity. He summoned Spirit Reaper and attacked, discarding Theeresak’s Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning. “There’s my Light,” quipped Theeresak. Theeresak drew and set his card. Ryan destroyed it during the end phase, revealing a Smashing Ground. On his next turn, Ryan summoned Sangan and swung for 1000, bringing Theeresak to 2600 life points. Theeresak simply passed, and Ryan topdecked Heavy Storm. Theeresak chained his Ceasefire for 1000 damage, and Ryan pressed the attack to bring Theeresak down to 1300. Theeresak topdecked Airknight Parshath and game 1 went to Ryan.

Ryan-1 Theeresak-0

Game 2

Both players chose to side deck. They chose their cards very quickly, no doubt aided by the fact that they knew each others’ decks inside and out. Theeresak elected to go first in this game and started with a defense monster and a face-down card. Ryan had some serious firepower in his hand and he began with Delinquent Duo. Theeresak lost Torrential Tribute and Don Zaloog, and Ryan summoned Blade Knight and attacked. D.D. Assailant was revealed and nothing happened. Theeresak summoned a Spirit Reaper and attacked with the D.D. Assailant and Reaper. Ryan lost D.D. Assailant from his hand. Ryan used Snatch Steal to rid the field of Reaper, and then summoned Kycoo and attacked the D.D. Assailant. Both were removed, and Ryan set a card. Theeresak summoned Kycoo and attacked into Scapegoat, and Ryan simply passed his turn. Theeresak then tributed for Airknight Parshath and trampled over a goat, drawing into Delinquent Duo and ridding Ryan of his Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning. Ryan set a monster, but Theeresak pulled a Nobleman of Crossout, and Magician of Faith hit the dirt yet again. “I think I may have lost this one,” said Ryan. Theeresak simply continued his assault, while Ryan set a card in his spell and trap zone without even looking at it. Whatever it was, it didn’t stop Airknight, it didn’t stop Pot of Greed, and it didn’t stop the Ceasefire that ended the game one turn later.

Ryan-1 Theeresak-1

Game 3

Theeresak looked long and hard at an Electric Snake, seriously considering side decking it in. “It’s tech,” he said.

“What is it?” asked Ryan.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got surprises.” Electric Snake in the final game of the SJC . . . who would’ve guessed? Ryan chose to end the match as he began it—going first. Ryan started with Graceful Charity, discarding Airknight Parshath and Ring of Destruction. He set a monster and a face-down card and ended. Theeresak summoned a Kycoo and attacked, hitting a Magician of Faith. During the end phase, Ryan destroyed Theeresak’s Dust Tornado with his set Mystical Space Typhoon. Ryan played Graceful Charity once again, this time discarding Sinister Serpent and Kinetic Soldier. He set another monster and a face-down card and passed. Theeresak attacked again, but this time he ran into Mirror Force. Theeresak ended his turn with a face-down card and a monster. Ryan asked him if it was Scapegoat, but Theeresak declined to respond. Ryan flipped over his D.D. Assailant and it fell into a Bottomless Trap Hole. He then summoned Blade Knight and destroyed Theeresak’s face-down Don Zaloog. One face-down card later the turn passed back to Theeresak, who simply set a card and ended. Ryan attacked with Blade Knight, and Theeresak let it through for 1600. He then set a monster and passed. Theeresak studied Ryan’s graveyard before using Smashing Ground to rid the field of the Blade Knight. He set a monster and ended. Ryan set a face-down card and a monster and passed. Theeresak checked Ryan’s graveyard yet again before setting another card and ending. Ryan just set another monster a passed. With no face-up cards on the field, Theeresak passed his turn. Ryan drew Pot of Greed and then flipped Heavy Storm, destroying Theeresak’s Ring of Destruction and Creature Swap. He flipped another Magician of Faith for his third Graceful Charity, discarding Sinister Serpent and Snatch Steal. He flipped everything and summoned a Tribe-Infecting Virus and attacked. Theeresak was reduced to 4800 life points and lost an Airknight Parshath from his hand due to Spirit Reaper. Once again, Theeresak checked through Ryan’s graveyard, trying to determine what cards were left in Ryan’s deck. Theeresak removed Light and Dark to summon his Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning and passed priority. Ryan didn’t have the Bottomless Trap Hole, so Theeresak attacked Tribe-Infecting Virus, only to be blocked by an Enemy Controller. Ryan tributed Sangan to steal the Soldier and used Sangan’s ability to take a D. D. Warrior Lady. Backed against a wall, Theeresak set a card and monster before passing. Ryan drew and got a Nobleman of Crossout. He removed Light and Dark for Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, Crossed Out the face-down, played Lightning Vortex, and swung for a lot to end the game.

Ryan Hayakawa wins Shonen Jump Championship Houston!