Michael Lux is the constantly-underestimated Shonen Jump Champion of Orlando. He’s placed well at Shonen Jump Championships since, but today could be his second chance to make a big impression. Kris Perovic is one of the stars of Team Overdose, and has three SJC Top 8s under his belt. However, unlike Lux, he’s never managed to claim a title.

Both players are highly respected on the North American circuit, but both have something to prove to themselves here today. The first duel began.

Perovic opened with a set monster and ended. “That’s it?” asked Lux. “Don’t go easy on me?”

“I’m not trying too!” said Kris with a grin.

Lux swung with Mystic Swordsman LV2 on the following turn, taking out Perovic’s set Apprentice Magician. He then set Sakuretsu Armor to end his turn.

Perovic played Heavy Storm, summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, and attacked the Mystic Swordsman LV2: a series of what appeared to be desperate plays! “I’ll let you go.” Still nothing in the back row, and Lux punished him for it. Cyber Dragon and Asura Priest came down to wipe Perovic’s field, and Lux set a spell or trap.

A set monster was again Perovic’s only move. Asura Priest came back down, attacked into a second Apprentice Magician, and Perovic pulled Old Vindictive Magician. Asura Priest hit it, Lux’s Cyber Dragon was lost to Vindictive’s effect, and play passed to Perovic. “It is your turn.” Lux both plays and speaks with an oft-disturbing precision.

It was 5600 to 7500 with Lux leading.

Again, all Perovic seemed able to do was to set a monster. “Another face-down monster . . .” mused Lux. He sent Asura Priest after the face down, but hit another Old Vindictive, losing the Asura. Perovic set another monster and passed again!

“I’ll give you the tempo of the game,” said Lux, setting a monster himself. His hand consisted of Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, Breaker, Heavy Storm, and Ring of Destruction when he passed. Perovic kept the tempo going and set a second monster: things were slow. Business picked up, however, as Lux flipped his set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, took a card, and attacked. The attack hit Magician of Faith, Perovic took back his Storm, and Lux ended.

“Cards in hand?” he asked.

“Six,” replied Perovic. He activated Heavy Storm, but Lux chained Scapegoat! Perovic meticulously scoured his own graveyard before setting a card to his spell and trap zone to conclude his turn.

“So much to do,” remarked Lux.

“That’s not good,” noted Perovic in response. Mystical Space Typhoon hit the field from Lux’s hand, destroying Perovic’s set Torrential Tribute. Dekoichi attacked but hit D. D. Warrior Lady, bouncing off. Lux set two back row cards and ended. Kris set a spell or trap and passed back. Lux seemed to be in clear control.

“I’ll Ring,” he announced, flipping Ring of Destruction to destroy D. D. Warrior Lady. Perovic dropped to 4100 LP while Lux sat at 5800. Dekoichi then swung directly and play passed to Perovic.

Paul Levitin hopped into the Duel Dome. “Hi Kris! I won, in case you were wondering about your teammate.” We were only nine minutes into the round. Dang, Dark World must’ve been going well for Levitin.

Kris gave him a nod and returned to contemplating the field. “Do you have a Book of Moon down?” asked Kris.

“Yeah.”

“I wish I didn’t believe you.” He dropped Giant Trunade, and sure enough, one of Lux’s two cards flipped: Book of Moon. It turned his Dekoichi face down on the chain. “Hey, I thought you said this would be a fair game.” Technically, Perovic just hadn’t said anything.

Perovic set one spell or trap and ended.

Lux flipped his set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and took another card, dishing out another 1400 damage. Perovic was down to 1300. Lux set two back-row cards and ended his turn methodically. Everything just seemed academic at this point. Perovic set another card to his back row. “You’re up.”

Lux flipped his seat Heavy Storm. “Do you have a Scapegoat?”

“Yes I do!” Perovic smiled cheerily and flipped it. Lux lost his Mirror Force to his own Storm while Perovic lost his Sakuretsu Armor. Dekoichi hit a Sheep, Lux set a spell or trap, Perovic set a spell or trap, and Dekoichi claimed another token.

Mystical Space Typhoon dropped from Perovic’s hand, destroying Lux’s set Nobleman of Crossout. Premature Burial brought up D. D. Warrior Lady, and she was tributed for Cyber Dragon. Perovic then attached Megamorph to Cyber Dragon, and activated Limiter Removal! The Cyber Dragon now had 8400 ATK, and the successive attack against Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive hammered home a whopping 7000 damage!

“My opening hand was two Apprentice Magician, Magician of Faith, Old Vindictive Magician, and Megamorph” noted Perovic. Youch.

Kris Perovic pulls out an insane win in a duel that seemed to be all Lux! That’s a textbook example of how good players play out of bad hands.

Both duelists smokescreened while siding, and each finished very quickly with Lux announcing that he was finished first. Perovic took some extra time shuffling. Can’t say anyone blamed him.

By this point, a large audience had amassed in the Dome’s galleries. One of the amassed spectators was Andrew Hayton of Team Superfriendz. He looked at me from across the Dome and announced loudly, “Did you know Kris Perovic came here to California for eleven days, and only brought 38 dollars?” Hayton grinned.

“I think it was 35 dollars,” corrected Emon Ghaneian, hopping into the dome to watch his teammate’s game. Perovic and several other members of Overdose had shacked up for the past week with Emon, since Emon lives here in California.

“It was 38!” yelled Hayton in mock outrage. “What do you think he is, poor?” Everybody laughed, including Kris.

Lux opened the second game with a set card to each zone. Perovic summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, looking for the fast double-hit, but lost it to Bottomless Trap Hole! He special summoned Cyber Dragon to follow up and attacked, hitting Gravekeeper’s Spy. The first Spy went down, but Lux pulled a second in defense position. Perovic ended his turn with a set spell or trap and ended.

Play was to Lux: “how many in hand?”

“Tres,” replied Perovic.

“Tres? Okay.” Lux activated Mystical Space Typhoon and Perovic set to thinking. He eventually passed, losing his set Book of Moon. “I can’t put you below Stein range” noted Lux, “but I am known for blindly over-extending for no reason, so let’s go.” He summoned Sangan, turned Spy to attack, and nailed Perovic for 2200. He set a spell or trap and ended.

Perovic summoned Mystic Tomato and swung on the Spy, but lost the Tomato to Sakuretsu Armor. He set a spell or trap, Lux turned Spy to defense, and Sangan pegged Perovic down to 4800. Lux still had 8000 LP, and set a spell or trap card. Perovic dropped D. D. Warrior Lady and attacked Sangan, but lost his monster again to another Sakuretsu Armor!

Sangan and Spy attacked once more, as Lux continued riding his weenie horde to victory. Perovic was taking a beating, so he flipped Sakuretsu Armor himself to destroy the Spy. Lux set a spell or trap, ended, and next turn Perovic nailed Sangan with Asura Priest. Lux pulled Spirit Reaper with Sangan’s effect and Perovic set another back-row card.

Lux summoned the Reaper and robbed Perovic of his Priest. Perovic summoned Exiled Force, destroyed the Reaper and ended. Next turn, Lux summoned D. D. Warrior Lady and nailed Perovic with it. Perovic set a monster, played Creature Swap, and attacked! He’d given Lux Mystic Tomato, and Lux was forced to respond with Enemy Controller! He tributed the Tomato off his field to take the D. D. Warrior Lady, Perovic ended and took his Lady back.

Lux summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior and attacked into D. D. Warrior Lady, removing both monsters from the field. Lux set a spell or trap, and Perovic spread out his graveyard. He activated Pot of Avarice, and returned two Mystic Tomato cards, D. D. Warrior Lady, Asura Priest, and Cyber Dragon to his deck. He drew two cards and had three in his hand to Lux’s one, but Lux had one card set in his back row from Last Turn.

It was 1600 to 7800. “I’m a long way behind,” noted Perovic. He summoned Mystic Tomato, swung, and hoped. The attack hit, and Lux dropped to 6400 life points! Perovic set a spell or trap card to conclude his turn.

Lux was now on the defensive and set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. Perovic took a moment to look through his opponent’s graveyard, attacked with the Tomato and set a monster, continuing to develop his field. Lux flipped Heavy Storm to destroy Perovic’s set Mirror Force, set a monster, and passed.

“That’s not a Treeborn Frog,” joked Perovic.

“It’s not,” said Lux, straightfaced.

“I believe you.” It was indeed Treeborn Frog, and Lux was bluffing.

Perovic drew and flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive for another draw. “Now I really don’t want to believe it’s a Frog. I believe it is though.”

“Good read,” said Lux. Perovic summoned another Tomato, and hit for a total of 2800 after destroying the Treeborn. “If you have no Last Will, I’m fine.”

“I don’t have it, but I’m gonna try to get it,” retorted Lux. He brought back his Frog in defense position and activated Graceful Charity! He tributed the Frog for Enemy Controller, took one of Perovic’s Mystic Tomato cards with its effect, summoned Banisher of the Radiance, and crashed his Tomato into the other, clearing both while preventing Perovic from claiming the effect of either! Banisher then attacked the Dekoichi, to great applause form the crowd!

Asura Priest attacked Banisher next turn, but Perovic had no way of defending himself, and next turn Lux tributed his Frog for Mobius the Frost Monarch! It was all over, and the match moved to a third game.

A brilliant play results in another stolen win, as this time victory goes to Michael Lux!

Less than seven minutes remained in the round as play began for the third and final duel.

Perovic opened up with a set card to each zone. Lux set a monster and ended. “Do you got the Stein?”

“I have one draw to get it!” Kris flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. “Nope, but I did topdeck.” He activated Nobleman of Crossout, removing Lux’s set Treeborn Frog from the game! Dekoichi hit for 1400 and Perovic passed, still with just one monster on the field.

Lux set a card to each zone and ended. “You’re not going to sack for Zaborg, are you?” Perovic summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior and fired off its token, straight into Waboku. “Aww!” Perovic was disappointed. “Am I running into a Gravekeeper’s Spy? Well, it’s worth the 400.”

“It’s definitely worth 400,” he said as he flipped his set Spy and pulled another to the field. “You’ve got me read like a book.” Perovic ended.

Lux played Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Perovic’s set Sakuretsu Armor. “Don’t tell me, Asura Priest?” Lux turned his Spies to attack, summoned D. D. Warrior Lady, used Smashing Ground to destroy Breaker, and then attacked over Dekoichi with D. D. Warrior Lady. The Spies each hit directly and play was to Perovic.

He special summoned Cyber Dragon and contemplated summoning another monster. “I have to hurry this up.” He activated Premature Burial to bring back Breaker and hit the two Spies. It was 5300 to 4300, with Perovic trailing. He set a second spell or trap and passed.

“I think you got this one,” said Lux, setting a card to each zone. Breaker attacked into Lux’s set Dekoichi—destroying it—and Cyber Dragon was lost to Sakuretsu Armor. Perovic set another monster, and Lux brought down Cyber Dragon, but lost it to Sakuretsu Armor when he attacked Breaker! Lux set his last two cards to the field, one to each zone.

Breaker hit another Dekoichi and play was to Lux. Lux set two spell or trap cards and Perovic activated Heavy Storm, destroying his own Premature and Breaker, but also destroying Lux’s set Sakuretsu Armor and Enemy Controller. Sangan and Mystic attack.

“You got this.”

“Keep telling me that and I’ll believe you.”

Lux summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior and ran over Sangan, and Perovic pulled D. D. Warrior Lady. He summoned it next turn, used Smashing Ground to take down Breaker, and attacked with Tomato and D. D. Warrior Lady. The Lady was blocked by Kuriboh!

It was a flashy move, but both duelists knew the truth. “There is no card he can draw to win this game,” said Perovic. Sure enough, Lux topped into Mobius the Frost Monarch, revealed it, and gave Perovic the handshake!

Kris Perovic wins an incredibly tight highlight reel match against Shonen Jump Champion Michael Lux to move on undefeated.