The 12 Swiss Rounds of the 2025 North America Remote Duel YCS are now finished! Only 8 Duelists remain, and each one of them is just three Match victories away from winning the championship trophy! In this Top 8 Feature, two legendary Duelists are facing off. 7-time YCS Champion and former Yu-Gi-Oh! World Champion from the MASTER DUEL division, Jesse Kotton from Toronto, is facing off against the current Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME World Champion, Julien Kehon, from Sunnyvale, California. Despite the extreme level of Dueling skill and expertise that these two Duelists have in common, they competed this weekend with drastically different strategies. Kotton is using a Branded Dracotail Deck that heavily relies on Fusion Summoning, while Kehon is using a K9 Vanquish Soul Deck that specializes in Link Summoning, Xyz Summoning, and overwhelming opponents with Effect Monsters from the Main Deck that span across various Attributes. One of these Duelists will advance to the top 4, and the other will be eliminated. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Kotton started off the Match by activating Ketu Dracotail to add Dracotail Lukias from his Deck to his hand. He Normal Summoned it and used its effect to add Dracotail Faimena from his Deck to his hand. He activated its effect by discarding it and fused Mulcharmy Fuwalos and Dracotail Lukias from his hand to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion. He activated Arthalion’s effect to return the Lukias and Faimena in his Graveyard to his hand and used the effect of the Lukias to Set Rahu Dracotail from his Deck. He flipped Rahu and fused Faimena from his hand with Dracotail Urgula from his Deck to Summon Dracotail Gulamel. He used the effects of Urgula and Faimena to Set Dracotail Flame and Dracotail Sting from his Deck. Next, he activated the effect of Urgula in his Graveyard, returning it to his Deck to add Faimena from his Graveyard to his hand. He Set a card to his back row and then ended his turn.

Kehon drew a card and then activated the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos in the Draw Phase. He entered his Main Phase and then activated the effect of K9-66a Jokul from his hand by revealing Vanquish Soul Jiaolong. He Special Summoned Jokul and Jiaolong and then used Jokul’s effect to add K9-66b Lantern from his Deck to his hand. He activated Jiaolong’s effect on the field by revealing 2 more copies of Jiaolong from his hand and resolved its effect to add Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue from his Deck to his hand. He combined Jokul with Jiaolong to Xyz Summon K9-17 “Ripper” and then activated Ripper’s effect by detaching Jokul from it. He added K9-17 Izuna from his Deck to his hand and then activated the effect of Hollie Sue in his hand to Special Summon it by revealing Jiaolong. He activated Hollie Sue’s effect on the field by revealing Lantern and Jiaolong, resolving its effect to Special Summon Vanquish Soul Razen to his field in the same column as Gulamel. He activated Razen’s effect to add Vanquish Soul Caesar Valius from his Deck to his hand. Next, he used Razen’s other effect by revealing Jiaolong and Lantern from his hand and destroyed Kotton’s Gulamel. Kehon Special Summoned Caesar Valius from his hand by returning Razen to his hand and activated its effect by revealing Razen, Izuna, and Lantern from his hand. He destroyed Kotton’s face-down Dracotail Horn. Then, Kehon activated the effect of Jiaolong in his hand to Special Summon it. He combined Jiaolong with Hollie Sue to Xyz Summon N.As.H. Knight and activated its effect. He detached both Xyz Materials from it to attach Kotton’s Arthalion to it as an Xyz Material and add Number 101: Silent Honor ARK from his Extra Deck to it as an Xyz Material as well. Kotton used the effect of the Gulamel in his Graveyard to Special Summon it to the field. Next, Kehon sent Caesar Valius to the Graveyard to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher and used the Rock’s effect to return Hollie Sue from his Graveyard to his hand. He upgraded N.As.H. Knight into CXyz N.As.Ch. Knight next and used its effect. He detached an Xyz Material from it to Xyz Summon Number C101: Silent Honor DARK. He used its effect targeting Gulamel and attached Gulamel to the Silent Honor DARK as an Xyz Material. Kehon attacked directly with Silent Honor DARK in his Battle Phase. Then, in Main Phase 2, he used Silent Honor DARK as an Xyz Material to Summon Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder.

Kehon activated Ketu Dracotail on his next turn. He added Pan Dracotail from his Deck to his hand and fused it with Dracotail Lukias in his hand. He Fusion Summoned Arthalion and used the effects of Pan, Lukias, and Arthalion in Chain. Kehon Chained the effect of ZEUS by detaching 2 Xyz Materials from it, and Kotton flipped Dracotail Sting targeting Jokul in Kehon’s Graveyard. Kehon Chained Rock of the Vanquisher’s effect and returned Caesar Valius from his Graveyard to his hand. Kotton returned Jokul to Kehon’s Deck and returned Horn from his own Graveyard to his Deck to draw a card with Sting’s effect, and then ZEUS’s effect resolved to send all cards on the field to the Graveyard other than ZEUS! Kotton Set 2 more copies of Rahu Dracotail to the field as the rest of the Chain resolved, and ZEUS was removed from the field. Kotton activated Branded Fusion next! He fused Fallen of Albaz and Dracotail Phryxul from his Deck to Summon Albion the Branded Dragon from his Extra Deck. He activated its effect and banished Fallen of Albaz and an Arthalion from his Graveyard to Special Summon Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon. He Normal Summoned a Lukias next, and activated its effect to add Dracotail Urgula from his Deck to his hand. He activated the effect of Faimena in his hand next by discarding it, and fused Urgula from his hand with Lukias on his field. He Fusion Summoned Secreterion Dragon and then Kehon Special Summoned Izuna from his hand in Defense Position. He activated its effect on the field to send K9-ØØ Lupis from his Deck to his Graveyard and then activated Lupis’s effect to Special Summon Lupis from the Graveyard. He activated Lupis’s effect to try to Xyz Summon with it, and Kotton activated Mirrorjade’s effect by sending Rindbrumm the Striking Dragon from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard. Kehon Chained Hollie Sue’s effect by revealing Jiaolong from his hand and Special Summoned the Hollie Sue. Kotton banished Lupis from the field and Kehon was left with Izuna and Hollie Sue. Kehon activated Hollie Sue’s effect next by revealing Jiaolong and Lantern from his hand. He resolved its effect to Special Summon Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love from his Deck and used Mad Love’s effect to add Vanquish Soul, Start! from his Deck to his hand. Kehon activated Mad Love’s other effect by revealing Lantern and Caesar Valius from his hand, returning Secreterion Dragon to the Extra Deck. Next, Kotton activated his face-down Rahu Dracotail. He fused Nibiru, the Primal Being from his hand with Dracotail Mululu from his Deck and Summoned Arthalion. He activated the effects of Arthalion and Gulamel in his Graveyard to Special Summon them back to the field, and Chained Mululu’s effect. He Set Dracotail Horn from his Deck and negated Mad Love’s effect with Mululu before returning the Gulamel and the Arthalion in his Graveyard back to the field. Next, Kotton activated the effect of the Urgula in his Graveyard. He returned it from his Graveyard to his Deck to return Lukias from his Graveyard to his hand. Kehon activated the effect of Caesar Valius in his hand next to Special Summon it by returning Hollie Sue from his field to his hand. Kotton entered his Battle Phase and then attacked Caesar Valius with Arthalion. Kehon activated Caesar Valius’s effect by revealing Lantern, Jiaolong, and Hollie Sue from his hand, destroying Kotton’s face-down Dracotail Horn. Then, Kehon activated the revealed Jiaolong’s effect to Special Summon it. Kehon activated the effect of Jiaolong on the field to put the attacking Arthalion into Defense Position by revealing a FIRE monster, but attacks from Kotton’s remaining 3 monsters wiped out the 3 monsters on Kehon’s field, leaving him with just the 5 cards in his hand.

Kehon drew a card and then Normal Summoned Razen in the same column as Gulamel. He activated its effect to add Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger from his Deck to his hand and then activated Vanquish Soul, Start!. He activated its effect by targeting Razen and added a Hollie Sue from his Deck to his hand. He sent Razen to the Graveyard to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher and then used the Rock’s effect to return Vanquish Soul Jiaolong from his Graveyard to his hand. He activated “A Case for K9” next, using its effect to add Jokul from his Deck to his hand. He activated the effect of Lantern in his hand to Special Summon the Lantern along with an Izuna in his Graveyard. He used Lantern’s on-field effect to add K9-X Forced Release from his Deck to his hand. Next, he Special Summoned Hollie Sue from his hand by revealing another Hollie Sue and then combined Lantern and Izuna to Xyz Summon K9-66X “Jacks”. He activated Forced Release to upgrade Jacks into K9-X “Werewolf” and then activated the effect of Jokul in his hand to Special Summon it along with a Jiaolong in his hand. He returned Jiaolong to his hand to Special Summon Heavy Borger then attacked Albion with Heavy Borger and used Heavy Borger’s effect to inflict 1500 points of damage to Kotton’s Life Points. He used the effect of Vanquish Soul, Start! to protect Borger from being destroyed in battle by revealing a Vanquish Soul monster from his hand. He then used Hollie Sue’s effect by revealing Dimension Shifter and Hollie Sue from his hand and took control of Gulamel. Werewolf attacked and destroyed Kotton’s Mirrorjade next, and then 2 more attacks from Werewolf wiped out all of Kotton’s remaining Life Points!

Julien takes the first victory of the Match in a close back-and-forth Duel!

Duel Two

Kotton started off Duel 2 and got hit by the effect of Kehon’s Dimension Shifter in the Draw Phase! Kotton passed without making any play, unable to use his Graveyard!

Kehon entered his Main Phase and then activated “A Case for K9” to add Jokul from his Deck to his hand. He activated its effect to Special Summon Jokul and K9-04 Noroi to his field and then used Jokul’s on-field effect to add K9-17 Izuna from his Deck to his hand. He Normal Summoned Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love next and activated its effect to add Vanquish Soul, Start! from his Deck to his hand. He activated it and used its effect targeting Mad Love, then resolved its effect to add Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue from his Deck to his hand. He combined Noroi with Jokul to Xyz Summon Ripper and then activated Hollie Sue’s effect to Special Summon it from his hand by revealing Mad Love. Next, Kotton activated the effect of Nibiru, the Primal Being. Kehon Chained Ripper’s effect to negate it, and when Kotton Chained Infinite Impermanence targeting Ripper to negate its effect, Kehon Chained Mad Love’s effect to return Ripper to the Extra Deck by revealing a DARK and EARTH monster from his hand so that Ripper could dodge the effect of Infinite Impermanence! Next, Kehon activated Hollie Sue’s effect by revealing a FIRE and DARK monster from his hand, and Kotton Chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring’s effect to negate it. Kehon used Hollie Sue as a Link Material to Summon Rock of the Vanquisher and then used Izuna’s effect to Special Summon it from his hand. He then used Rock of the Vanquisher’s effect to Special Summon Razen from his hand, and used Razen’s on-field effect to add Jiaolong from his Deck to his hand. He attacked with Izuna, Razen, and Mad Love, then activated Razen’s effect by revealing Jiaolong. He then activated the effect of Jiaolong in his hand to Special Summon it in Attack Position, and a direct attack from Jiaolong wiped out all of Kotton’s remaining Life Points!

Julien Kehon takes a quick victory in Duel 2 after activating Dimension Shifter and advances to the Top 4 with his K9 Vanquish Soul Deck!