It all came down to this! Jerry Wang has made it to the finals of a Shonen Jump Championship time and time again, but has only managed to win it all once. Now, he’s up against Robert Ackerman, one of the most consistent duelists of recent months. Last week at this time, Ackerman was dueling for the World Championship against Japan’s Kazuki Mutsuoka in Berlin. Ackerman wound up taking second place, but today, he’d settle for nothing but a Championship win.

Jerry won the roll and opened with Gladiator Beast Laquari, setting a spell or trap to back it up. “Go ahead.” Ackerman had Mind Crush, Gladiator Beast Laquari, Premature Burial, Spirit Reaper, Sangan, and Cold Wave: he set a card to each zone. “Go ahead.”

Cold Wave fell from Jerry’s hand! Ackerman had to think long and hard about his set Mind Crush: he flipped it and called Gladiator Beast Bestiari. Jerry chained Trap Dustshoot, and Ackerman revealed Premature Burial, Spirit Reaper, Laquari, and Cold Wave. Jerry sent Laquari back to his deck and then lost his Bestiari, a huge success for Ackerman!

Laquari then attacked into Ackerman’s Sangan, and he searched his deck for Test Tiger. Jerry tagged Laquari out for Gladiator Beast Darius, special summoned the Bestiari Ackerman had forced him to discard, and contact Fused for Gladiator Beast Gyzarus. “End my turn.”

Ackerman drew another Test Tiger, no real help for his predicament. He needed a Gladiator Beast. He set Spirit Reaper and ended, unable to set anything else due to Cold Wave. Gyzarus attacked Reaper next turn, and Jerry tagged it out for Gladiator Beast Murmillo and Gladiator Beast Laquari. Murmillo destroyed Spirit Reaper and a set Gladiator Beast let Jerry contact Fuse for Heraklinos. He set a spell or trap to finish, ending his turn with two cards in hand.

Ackerman drew Gladiator Beast Darius! He had Cold Wave, Premature Burial, and two Test Tiger cards to match it, and just needed to lock down the possibility of Bottomless Trap Hole. He activated Cold Wave to try and accomplish that, and Wang discarded Heavy Storm to negate it. He then summoned Darius and sure enough, Jerry had the Bottomless!

Darius was ripped out of play and Ackerman was left with two dead Tigers and Premature Burial. He activated the Burial, targeting Sangan, and Jerry discarded Bestiari to negate it. Ackerman would have to draw another Gladiator next turn to pull this one out.

Jerry attacked with Heraklinos next turn, dropping Ackerman to 4200 life points. He ended without playing his one in-hand card, and Ackerman topdecked another Cold Wave. He set one Tiger as his only move.

Jerry set a spell or trap and attacked, knocking out the Tiger. Ackerman drew—this time getting Elemental Hero Stratos—and activated Cold Wave. Jerry discarded Morphing Jar to negate it and Ackerman had no choice but to try and summon Stratos.

Ackerman searched his deck for Elemental Hero Prisma and passed. Jerry attacked with Heraklinos to destroy Stratos, then activated Monster Reborn to take Ackerman’s Stratos from his graveyard! He used its effect to search out his own Stratos, summoned it, and grabbed Elemental Hero Prisma. Did Ackerman even have any outs to this?

He summoned Elemental Hero Prisma and used its effect to send Bestiari to the graveyard. He special summoned Test Tiger next and Jerry took a deep breath. He looked through Ackerman’s graveyard, but then flipped Solemn Judgment!

“You win,” stated Ackerman. Both duelists went straight for their side decks.

Jerry Wang takes control of the first duel with Gladiator Beast Heraklinos, and simply refuses to give up his stranglehold over the game! He is now one win away from his second Shonen Jump Championship title!

Ackerman opened Game 2 with E - Emergency Call, Gladiator Beast Bestiari, Gladiator Beast Laquari, Pole Position, Brain Control, and Royal Oppression. He summoned Laquari and set two cards to his back row, and then Jerry blasted him with Heavy Storm. Jerry instantly went for simplification, summoning his own Laquari and attacking Ackerman’s, ending his turn with a set spell or trap.

But Ackerman played Emergency Call next turn to get Stratos, then summoned it and used its effect to dig out Elemental Hero Prisma. He attacked for 1800 damage and ended. Jerry contemplated setting a second spell or trap card, then did so, following it up with a set monster. “Go ahead.”

Ackerman had two copies of Prisma, Bestiari, Mind Control, and Brain Control. He activated Mind Control to take Jerry’s face-down Gladiator Beast Murmillo, set his own Bestiari, and contact Fused for Gyzarus! That destroyed Jerry’s Mirror Force and My Body as a Shield, and Stratos and Gyzarus attacked for 4200 damage!

“I’ll take both,” remarked Jerry. “That Mind Control hurt a lot.” He was down to just 2000 life points and had only two cards left. Meanwhile, Ackerman tagged out Gyzarus for Gladiator Beast Darius and Gladiator Beast Laquari, bringing back his other Laquari with the Darius. At the World Championships, a refusal to contact Fuse for Heraklinos lost Ackerman the World Championship. Here, he’d make no such mistake.

Heraklinos hit the field alongside Elemental Hero Stratos, and Ackerman had three cards to Jerry’s two! Jerry drew another card, then normal summoned Gladiator Beast Darius. He special summoned Test Tiger, tributed it to tag out Darius for Gladiator Beast Laquari, and attacked over Stratos for 300 damage. Laquari then tagged out for Murmillo—destroying Heraklinos—and Jerry set his last card to his back row!

Ackerman summoned Prisma. He activated its effect to send Bestiari to the graveyard, then went for it: he activated Brain Control to try and take Gladiator Beast Murmillo, setting up another contact Fusion!

Jerry moved to flip his set card, then passed over the Murmillo. Ackerman didn’t go for the contact Fusion. Instead he attacked with Murmillo, then with Prisma, losing his second attack to Jerry’s Enemy Controller: Prisma went to defense position. Ackerman sent Murmillo back to Jerry’s deck and special summoned his own Gladiator Beast Darius.

Darius got him Gladiator Beast Heraklinos! Ackerman contact Fused it with Prisma for Gladiator Beast Gyzarus. “There’s only one out in my deck,” commented Jerry. Ackerman destroyed his own Darius. Jerry set a monster, but next turn Ackerman revealed another Prisma, which would lead into another Gyzarus, and Jerry conceded.

Rob Ackerman fights back, finding himself in Game 3 of a Championship finals for the second time in a single week! Both duelists tweaked their side decks for their respective positions in the last duel. Jerry would open the last game.

“I’ll go first,” announced Ackerman.

Jerry grinned. “I think I’ll go first. But good try! And good luck.”

He opened the duel with Elemental Hero Stratos, searching out Elemental Hero Prisma. He set one card to his back row and Ackerman was up. He set Gladiator Beast Bestiari, then set all five cards that remained in his hand!

Jerry activated Mind Control and Ackerman forked over his Bestiari. Jerry attacked with Stratos, Ackerman responded with Mirror Force, and Jerry set a monster: it was Darius, and he sent his Darius and Ackerman’s Bestiari back to their respective decks for a contact Fusion. Ackerman shut it down with Royal Oppression, and Jerry set two cards to his back row to end.

Ackerman normal summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari and attacked, then Jerry flipped Book of Moon. Laquari went face down and Ackerman ended his turn. Jerry summoned Neo-Spacian Dark Panther, Ackerman flipped Solemn Judgment, and Jerry had to pass.

Ackerman flip summoned Laquari. He normal summoned Elemental Hero Stratos, searched his deck for Elemental Hero Prisma, and attacked with both monsters! Jerry was reduced to 4400 life points, while Ackerman had 3600.

Jerry’s only move next turn was to set a monster. Ackerman summoned Elemental Hero Prisma on the turn that followed, then flipped his face-down Mind Control! He took Jerry’s face-down Prisma, flipped it just in case Jerry had Mirror Force, and attacked with Stratos. Stratos struck for 1800 damage, Laquari attacked into Book of Moon, and Ackerman responded with Solemn Judgment! Jerry Wang scooped immediately.

Robert Ackerman is your newest Shonen Jump Champion!