Jerome “Muscles” Baisey is a member of Team Hunger Force, hailing from Maryland. Fredella is a repeat Top 8 competitor and a one-time Shonen Jump Champion, and now he’s one match away from taking yet another Day 2 qualification. He shuffled his deck quietly. He’s sporting a rather nasty burn mark on his forehead.

“Gonna be all businesslike and not make any chitchat?” asked Baisey. Fredella had been uncharacteristically quiet after taking his seat.

“Between a garage door falling on my head this week and my hair lighting on fire, I’m just not that talkative.” Fredella offered no explanation for the events he described, won the roll, and began the first duel.

He opened with Confiscation, revealing Baisey’s hand of Breaker the Magical Warrior, Sillva, Warlord of Dark World, Magician of Faith, Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, and Cyber Dragon. He discarded Breaker, Muscles quickly scooped up his hand, and Fredella set a card to each zone.

Muscles brought down Cyber Dragon, attacked with it, and lost it to Ring of Destruction. He briefly thought out his next move (as shown in the picture here) and set a monster. Fredella activated Soul Exchange, tributed his opponent’s set Morphing Jar for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, and forced Baisey to discard Magician of Faith! Fredella ended and Muscles was up.

He set another monster, set a spell or trap, and passed. Fredella summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, broke Dark World Lightning, and flip summoned D. D. Warrior Lady. The Lady attacked Baisey’s set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, leaving Thestalos and Breaker to attack directly.

Pot of Avarice flopped from Baisey’s hand, who shuffled back all five monsters in his graveyard before drawing two cards. He activated Dark World Lightning, hit Enemy Controller, and discarded Sillva to special summon him. Sillva ran over Breaker. Baisey set a second monster and ended.

Sillva was crushed by Thestalos next turn, and D. D. Warrior Lady attacked into Magician of Faith. Muscles took back his Dark World Lightning and Fredella passed without setting anything. It was a smart move that kept his opponent from activating Dark World Lightning.

Baisey drew a card for his next turn, but shook his head and conceded. It just wasn’t happening this time.

Both duelists began side decking, and Fredella, now far more talkative than before, started in on his tale of comedic woe: “Okay, this is what happened.”

Paul Lyn swooped in from behind to cut him off. “Don’t even try lying. You’re going to try to lie to make things sound better. Speak the truth.”

Fredella gave a brief pause of annoyance and then began. “So, I had a 103 degree fever last week, but I called my boss and he wouldn’t let me off work. So I get ready to go, and I go out to my garage. I have this stupid garage door opener, where you have to hit the button in the garage a ways away from the door itself and then run out and duck under the door as it’s closing. When you’re sick, your motor skills aren’t too good, and I’m sure you can figure out the rest.”

And the “hair on fire?”

“Well, it was cold in my house later that day after I got back from work, so I went to throw a log in the fire. When I bent over there was a candle by the fireplace, and I started seeing this white smoke. It was my hair — on fire.” He flipped up his bangs to display a rather harsh looking burn mark on his forehead. That didn’t make it any less hysterical. Both players finished side decking as the story drew to a close.

Baisey opened with one set card to his back row, and Fredella set one to each zone — a rather defensive play against a Dark World deck. Muscles set two more cards to his back row, set a fourth after that, and then set a monster. He activated Card Destruction, discarded Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World and Sillva, Warlord of Dark World and special summoned them both! Sillva attacked Fredella’s set monster, Gravekeeper’s Spy, and Goldd cleared out the second Spy that was special summoned by the first. In main phase 2, Muscles flipped his set Graceful Charity and discarded another Goldd and another Sillva! He brought them both out in defense position and ended. Four Dark World monsters in one turn — nice.

A third set card hit Baisey’s back row and he ended with eight cards on the field and one remaining in his hand. Fredella special summoned Cyber Dragon, attacked the defense position Sillva to destroy it, and set a monster. He was clearly on the defensive.

Smashing Ground flipped from Baisey’s field to destroy Cyber Dragon. Heavy Storm then flipped: Fredella chained Scapegoat and Muscles chained Jar of Greed to draw a card. He set two back row cards, turned Goldd to attack position, and . . . Baisey didn’t attack at all.

Fredella drew, entered his main phase and Baisey used Deck Devastation Virus! It destroyed Fredella’s Sheep tokens and Treeborn Frog, and forced him to lose Twin-Headed Behemoth from his hand. He summoned Breaker, broke Jar of Greed (which Baisey chained), and attacked into Old Vindictive Magician which destroyed it in turn.

Baisey summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, and attacked with both Goldds and Breaker. Ring of Destruction finished the game on the next turn, and Baisey sealed his victory!

Fredella opened game 3 with a set back row card. Baisey set a card to each zone and passed back. Fredella summoned Twin-Headed Behemoth, attacked, and hit Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. “Go ahead.” 

Baisey activated Dark World Lightning and targeted Fredella’s back row card, but the Nexus duelist activated it in a chain: Scapegoat! He special summoned his Sheep tokens and Baisey passed.

“Attack for 1500,” declared Fredella, pressing with his Twin-Headed. He set nothing and passed. Baisey set a card to each zone and ended. Fredella blasted him immediately with Heavy Storm, destroying Baisey’s Bottomless Trap Hole and Heavy! He then tributed Twin-Headed for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroyed Baisey’s set Don Zaloog with Zaborg’s effect and attacked for 2400!

Baisey used Smashing Ground to destroy the Zaborg, and then set a card to each zone. Fredella was in clear control, but didn’t keep up the onslaught for the time being — he just set a card to each zone. Baisey actiated Card Destruction, dropping Goldd and Injection Fairy Lily to special summon Goldd. Goldd attacked a Sheep token and Baisey set another back row card and ended.  

Fredella drew, and Baisey activated Trap Dustshoot to reveal Fredella’s hand:  Treeborn Frog, Mobius the Frost Monarch, Sakuretsu Armor, Bottomless Trap Hole, and Soul Exchange. Baisey shuffled back Treeborn. He then tributed away his Goldd for Deck Devastation Virus and Fredella lost his set Sangan and his Sheep. He pulled D. D. Warrior Lady with Sangan, activated Soul Exchange and tributed his opponent’s set Night Assailant for Mobius the Frost Monarch. He set two back row cards and ended.

Pot of Avarice hit Baisey’s field, shuffling back Lily, Dekoichi, Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World, Night Assailant, and Don Zaloog into his deck. He drew two cards, set a monster and ended.

Fredella attacked with D. D. Warrior Lady on the next turn, bumping into Baisey’s set Don Zaloog and removing it from play. Mobius hit directly and knocked Baisey down to 1700 life points. He was still at 8000.

Baisey set a card to each zone, Fredella drew and lost his topdecked Spirit Reaper to Deck Devastation Virus, and then attacked with Mobius — Baisey’s set Giant Orc was destroyed. He set another monster, Fredella summoned Hydrogeddon, pressed, and Baisey offered him the handshake.