It all came down to this! After tearing through two veteran players, the Shonen Jump newcomer from Team Ikura was facing down Emon Ghaneian, who had never made it past the quarterfinal round in a Shonen Jump Championship until today.

The duel began quickly, with both competitors eager to get to it. Emon opened with Sangan and a set spell or trap card. Ibrahim summoned Twin-Headed Behemoth, the card that had caused major problems for both Kris Perovic and Anthony Alvarado, but lost it to Bottomless Trap Hole! He set one back row card, passed, and Emon hit with Sangan before setting a monster.

Ibrahim activated Snatch Steal to take control of Sangan, tributed it for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroyed Magical Merchant with Zaborg’s effect, and Emon took another Merchant with Sangan’s effect. Zaborg attacked directly, scoring a big hit.

Emon removed a Light and Dark, and removed Zaborg from play before Ibrahim activated Bottomless Trap Hole. Emon set a monster, Ibrahim set one too, Emon flipped Merchant, got Scapegoat right off the top of his deck, and played Nobleman of Crossout to remove his opponent’s Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive from play—all six Dekoichis were removed from the game!

Tsukuyomi turned Merchant face down, Confiscation robbed Ibrahim of Heavy Storm, and Emon set a spell or trap card. Ibrahim set a back row card, Tsukuyomi and Merchant looped again to get Emon a Return, Ibrahim set a back row card, Emon set another, flipped Merchant, got Torrential Tribute, and tribute summoned for Cyber Dragon.

Another Bottomless Trap Hole removed it from the game, but Ibrahim’s field was now cleared, and Emon flipped Return from the Different Dimension for game!

The first duel went to Emon in under two and a half minutes!

Both duelists side decked and shuffled at an incredibly pace. Ibrahim opened with an attack position Spirit Reaper and a back row set, giving Emon cause to blink.

“What?”

Emon flipped it down with Tsukuyomi, blasted it with Nobleman of Crossout, and passed. Ibrahim summoned Sangan, pecked for 1000, and passed. Emon turned the Sangan down with Tsukuyomi next, activated another Nobleman of Crossout, and attacked with Tsukuyomi! Ibrahim passed, Emon set a monster, and Ibrahim hit it with yet another Nobleman of Crossout.

Ibrahim removed three Dekoichi, while Emon removed just two, broadcasting a Dekoichi in his hand. That was important info for Ibrahim, given that he knew Emon had Tsukuyomi. Ibrahim set a second spell or trap, passed, Emon set a monster, passed, Ibrahim set a monster, passed, and Emon flipped Dekoichi!

Tsukuyomi turned it face down. “Torrential?” asked Emon. Ibrahim didn’t have one. Tsukuyomi attacked, but hit Ibrahim’s set Tsukuyomi! Confiscation discarded Ibrahim’s Zaborg, and Emon passed. Ibrahim set a third back row card, Emon flipped Dekoichi, and looked at his hand: all monsters, plus a Call of the Haunted. He set Call, set Night Assailant, and ended his turn.

Asura Priest came down on Ibrahim’s side of the field, wiping out Dekoichi before hitting Night Assailant, but the Assailant destroyed it. Ibrahim passed, Emon drew into Return from the Different Dimension, set D. D. Warrior Lady, set Return, and ended his turn. Mystical Space Typhoon destroyed his Call of the Haunted in the end phase, Ibrahim passed, and Emon drew Scapegoat. He set Magician of Faith, set Scapegoat, and Ibrahim played Graceful Charity. Emon shook his head a bit, not liking the situation, while Ibrahim discarded Sakuretsu Armor and Chaos Sorcerer. Ibrahim summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, broke Scapegoat, special summoned Chaos Sorcerer by removing Zaborg and Chaos Sorcerer, and attacked with Breaker, though Breaker bounced off of D. D. Warrior Lady. Chaos Sorcerer then attacked Magician of Faith, and Emon took back Nobleman of Crossout. Ibrahim passed play to Emon.

After great deliberation, Emon tributed D. D. Warrior Lady for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroying Chaos Sorcerer. Ibrahim had no response! Zaborg then attacked Breaker the Magical Warrior, and Ibrahim again had no response! It was 5000 to 5400. Emon set another spell or trap and passed.

Ibrahim played Heavy Storm, trading four of his cards for Emon’s two! He chained Return from the Different Dimension though, targeting Zaborg, three Dekoichi, and Sangan. But Emon chained his Return too! He special summoned his two Dekoichi in defense position.

Two of Ibrahim’s Dekoichis took out Emon’s two blockers. Zaborgs clashed, and Emon took damage from one Zaborg and Sangan. Ibrahim set a monster and passed.

Emon specioal summoned Chaos Sorcerer, and attacked into Magician of Faith: Ibrahim took Heavy Storm! Emon needed to make a choice: his in-hand cards were Jinzo, Magician of Faith, and Tsukuyomi. He wound up summoning Tsukuyomi to turn Sorcerer down.

Ibrahim set a spell or trap card. Emon flip summoned Chaos Sorcerer, and wondered out loud whether or not the set was a Heavy. He normal summoned Magician of Faith, lost both his monsters to Torrential Tribute, and passed. Ibrahim set a back row card. Emon set a card to each zone, and Ibrahim special summoned Cyber Dragon.

He then activated Premature Burial, brought back Chaos Sorcerer, and attacked with Cyber Dragon into Tsukuyomi. Emon turned the Sorcerer face down, and survived for the turn.

Emon took the Dragon with Snatch Steal, attacked the Sorcerer, and then set Magician of Faith. It was 2700 to 300. Ibrahim played Snatch Steal too, taking back his Cyber Dragon! He normal summoned Magician of Faith, and that was the game! Cyber Dragon destroyed Emon’s Magician of Faith, and Ibrahim’s Magician of Faith attacked to end the duel!

Emon opened the third duel with Confiscation, choosing between Nobleman of Crossout, Enemy Controller, Night Assailant, Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, and Twin-Headed Behemoth. “You’re probably gonna summon the Behemoth and attack . . . so my best bet is the Nobleman” He discarded Nobleman of Crossout, set a card to each zone, and passed. Ibrahim summoned Sangan, rammed into Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, and set a back row card. Emon flipped Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive to attack, hit Sangan, and Ibrahim pulled D. D. Warrior Lady with its effect. Emon then passed without playing another monster.

Ibrahim summoned Twin-Headed Behemoth, but was again stymied by Bottomless Trap Hole! He passed. Dekoichi swung directly for 1400, Emon set a back row card, and Ibrahim summoned D. D. Warrior Lady. It attacked, and Emon lost Dekoichi. Ibrahim set a second back row card and passed.

Emon special summoned Cyber Dragon, and stole D. D. Warrior Lady with Snatch Steal. Emon attacked with Cyber Dragon, and the attack went through! D. D. Warrior Lady then attacked, and that one hit directly too! Emon set another monster in main phase 2, and it was 2600 to 6900 in Emon’s favor.

Ibrahim drew, gained his 1000 life points, and set a third back row card, then a monster. Emon flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, played Nobleman of Crossout to remove Ibrahim’s Night Assailant from play, and Ibrahim was visually unhappy. Emon stripped his from his deck and started evaluating his options for the turn. D. D. Warrior Lady went to defense, and Dekoichi attacked into Mirror Force. Emon chained Book of Moon on Dekoichi so that only Cyber Dragon was destroyed, set a monster in main phase 2, set a back row card, and passed. Ibrahim set a card to each zone and ended.

Emon turned D. D. Warrior Lady to attack position, and then played Premature Burial to bring up Cyber Dragon. Enemy Controller turned D. D. Warrior Lady to defense, Sakuretsu Armor destroyed Dekoichi, and Book of Moon turned Cyber Dragon face down. But Emon activated Call of the Haunted, brought back Dekoichi, and attacked Ibrahim’s last monster, another Dekoichi! Emon set a monster and passed.

Ibrahim set a monster, Emon flipped Dekoichi, and drew a card. D. D. Warrior Lady went to attack position, and that was all Ibrahim needed to see! Looking at a field packed with monsters, there was nothing Ibrahim could do but concede the tournament.

Emon Ghaneian makes good on his promise of an aggressive play style, and claims his first Shonen Jump Championship title! Congratulations to Emon Ghaneian, winner of Shonen Jump Columbus!