Robert Morgan is from Michigan, and this is his first Shonen Jump Championship. “I’m mostly an online player,” he explained, while cinching his lucky purple shirt a bit tighter around his shoulders. An interesting fact: the shirt Morgan wore was an old team shirt, which had now been replaced with newer threads. Smith, on the other hand, was wearing the exact same sweatshirt he had worn in last year’s Shonen Jump Columbus.

Yes, readers, these are the kinds of facts you learn when the feature match table receives the round’s random deck check.

Morgan opened the match with Confiscation, robbing Smith of Reinforcement of the Army before setting a card to each zone. Smith summoned Cyber Dragon, attacked Morgan’s face down Mystic Tomato, watched it get traded for Spirit Reaper, and then set a card to each zone as well. Morgan hit him with Nobleman of Crossout, removing his Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive from play, then used Snatch Steal to take control of Cyber Dragon. Spirit Reaper hit, discarding another Dekoichi, and Cyber Dragon swung for more direct damage! Morgan was at a distinct advantage in the duel.

“I can see who won this game already,” remarked Smith with a smile, looking at his all-monster hand. He set a monster, which Morgan attacked with Cyber Dragon (it was Magical Merchant, which got him Confiscation), and Spirit Reaper attacked directly again, discarding Sangan. Morgan set a third monster and ended his turn.

Patrick set the rest of the cards in his hand, now completely deprived of monsters. Morgan flipped Royal Decree, attacked directly with Cyber Dragon and Mystic Tomato, and passed. Smith drew, set his topdecked monster, and Morgan played Gracefulk Charity! He tributed Spirit Reaper for Airknight Parshath, played Nobleman of Crossout, and swept the field!

Robert Morgan takes a commanding first-duel win!

Smith opened the second duel with a set card to each zone, but quickly lost his set Heavy Storm to Mystical Space Typhoon. He then lost his set Spirit Reaper to Mystic Swordsman LV2. Smith fought back though, special summoning Cyber Dragon and hitting the Mystic Swordsman LV2 with it, then setting a spell or trap card. Exiled Force destroyed the Cyber Dragon on the next turn, Morgan set a card, and he passed. Breaker the Magical Warrior broke the set card next turn, Royal Decree, and Smith attacked directly before setting a second back row card. D. D. Assailant took down Breaker the Magical Warrior next turn, but Smith upped the Ante next turn with Chaos Sorcerer! Sorcerer removed the Assailant from play and Smith set a monster.

That monster was quickly removed from play by Nobleman of Crossout, and when it was revealed to be Magician of Faith, both duelists had to remove cards from their deck. A turn later, Morgan was topdecking while Smith wailed on him with Chaos Sorcerer and Don Zaloog. Morgan struggled to come back with Premature Burial, using Exiled Force again to blow away Chaos Sorcerer, but he was left with an open field and Smith pressed on the following turn. A pair of attacks from D. D. Assailant and Don Zaloog brought Morgan below 0 life points, and brought the match to one-all!

Whew. The duel couldn’t have taken more than 2 minutes, and had moved at a lightning-fast pace. Both duelists shuffled their decks thoroughly before beginning game 3.

Morgan opened the third and final duel, setting a monster and then a spell or trap card. Smith attacked with Zombyra the Dark, hitting Magician of Faith, and then set a spell or trap card - Mystical Space Typhoon hit it, revealing it to be Scapegoat. Morgan set a card to each zone, Zombyra attacked again to hit and flip Spirit Reaper, and Smith set a second monster before passing.

Zaborg the Thunder Monarch came down on Morgan’s side of the field, destroying Smith’s face down monster! Last Will was activated to special summon Spirit Reaper, Zaborg ran over Zombra, and Reaper hit directly to discard Snatch Steal! Hurrah for new tech!

“Aww, this is gonna be over quick!” said the former Columbus champ. Morgan set a spell or trap card, Smith drew for his turn, and played Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Morgan’s set Enemy Controller. D. D. Assailant then took out Zaborg, leaving Smith with an open field.

Morgan took advantage on the turn that followed, hitting Smith with Spirit Reaper and Mystic Tomato, robbing him of another card, which was Don Zaloog. Smith didn’t have anything he could do on the following turn either, and a turn later he was being hit with Mystic Tomato, Spirit Reaper, and D. D. Assailant. Drawing into another card that wouldn’t help him, he conceded.

Robert Morgan moves on with a 7-1 record, well on his way to a Day Two qualification!