Just when Senshi and Conner had the advantage in this duel, but Ying and Yang changed it. Even though Ying and Yang have only 700LP remaining, they summoned out their new monster: Darkness Balancer. It also had a total of 3300atk points. Conner gained the upper hand with his new White-Eyes Cyber Dragon, but it's not enough anymore.

"You've done rather well to destroy Planetary Balancer, but our new Darkness Balancer will bring us victory." Ying claimed.

"Especially since your White-Eyes Cyber Dragon looses it's power boost." Yang claimed as Conner's dragon had its power drop from 3500 to 2500. "And we played it smart this time."

"We placed Darkness Balancer in a space that your dragon isn't pointing to, so you can't nullify it's abilities." Ying pointed out and he was right. With Darkness Balancer in a space Conner's dragon doesn't point to, it can't stop Darkness Balancer's abilities. That could be a problem.

"Careful, Conner. I've never seen this monster before." Senshi warned.

"I don't need you to tell me to be careful." Conner said.

"You should be! You see, Darkness Balancer can't be destroyed in battle or by card effects." Yang claimed.

"It's indestructible?!" Rin said.

"If it can't be destroyed, how are they going to win against that thing?" Cecilia questioned as they didn't like how this was looking.

"You haven't seen anything! Darkness Balancer, attack White-Eyes Cyber Dragon with Darkness Demolition!" Ying ordered. Darkness Balancer unleashed a terrifying roar. It slashed against Conner's dragon in a dark slash. It was destroyed and Senshi's and Conner's life points dropped all the way to 1200. "This duel is just about over! Darkness Balancer has another ability! When he destroys a monster, you lose 1000LP!"

"We what?!" Conner said as that's going to leave them with only 200LP.

"You heard me! Strike them with Vicious Slash!" Ying ordered. Darkness Balancer unleashed another slash and it was heading straight for Conner with Conner bracing himself.

"Did you forget that I have a trap?!" Senshi said as he activated it. "I play Space Void! When we're about to take damage outside of battle, this trap takes all that damage and converts it into energy to replenish our life points!" The attack was swallowed up into a warp and vanished with Senshi's and Conner's life points rising to 2200.

"It seems you finally did something right in this duel, but that might be the only time." Conner said.

"Doesn't he know how to just say thank you?" Cecilia complained.

"All you did was postpone your demise. For now, I end my turn. Go on and make your final move, Ichika." Ying dared.

"This duel is not over!" Senshi claimed as he drew his next card, but it looks like it might as well be. Senshi doesn't have anything in his hand that could possibly beat that Balancer or eliminate the last of their life points. All he can do is play some defense. "I'll just set a monster and end my turn." He had one monster placed facedown, but that was really all he could do.

"Really, Orimura? With all your talk, I would have assumed you had more than that. Figures that I'm the one who will end this." Conner said as he still seemed so confident.

"You end this?" Yang questioned. "Can you not see that the victory is clearly going to be ours?"

"I beg to differ." Conner said. "You have no idea who you are really up against. Just wait until my turn comes around, and I will end this duel." Conner still seems confident that they'll win in the end, but will he even get the chance to do that?

...

Houki and Charlotte

"Get off us, you big meatheads!" Houki said. She and Charlotte were being held by Meldrick's minions and they weren't letting go. Mila might have been able to escape, but they weren't so lucky

"Just what are you going to do to us?" Charlotte said, but none of them are telling them anything. Neither of them liked where this was going. That was right when Oberin came and entered the room. He removed his hood so they would have a good look at his face. He had dark skin, bald head, but he had a scar over his left eye. "Who are you?" He didn't really answer. Oberin was even wearing a fake Mystic Gauntlet to sell the performance. He held it out to them.

"Keep your hands to yourself!" Houki said. The whole thing was an act to keep their attention on him. The real Meldrick was behind them, and they didn't know it. He used his power on them and the girls both had their minds go blank. Meldrick's plan was in full bloom.

...

The Duel

"It's my turn!" Yang claimed as he drew his next card. "I don't think you boys had enough of Darkness Balancer! Let me give you another demonstration! Darkness Balancer, destroy their only monster!" Darkness Balancer unleashed another attack and revealed Senshi's monster. It was Stratos Warrior, meaning that lacked the power to protect them. Darkness Balancer destroyed it easily.

"That monster was Stratos Warrior, wasn't it? A good monster for defense, but not good enough." Ying taunted.

"Especially when Darkness Balancer can still deal damage!" Yang taunted. Darkness Balancer unleashed another attack with Senshi taking some damage with the combined life points dropping back to 1200. Senshi dropped to a knee, tried to hold strong, but it wasn't easy. "This duel is almost done. Do you still think you can win, Conner? It's over."

"Yeah... I do because you gave me the chance to do that! You wanted to end this with Darkness Balancer, but you blew your one and last chance to end this." Conner warned.

"You lie." Yang claimed.

"You're about to see. It's my turn!" Conner said as he drew his next card. "First, I'm summoning Twin Chaos Beast!" Conner summoned out his twin-headed werewolf to the field with it having 1400atk points. "Next, I activate by beast's special ability. By sacrificing it, I can summon a level seven or higher light or dark attribute monster to the field, and I think you know who that might be." They did and they didn't like this. "Watch as your monster's darkness is chased away by this light. White-Eyes Silver Dragon!" Conner released his beast and summoned out his ace monster as it flew out on the field and unleashed a powerful roar with it's 3000atk points.

"That's your ace monster." Ying said.

"But it won't do you any good." Yang claimed.

"Keep telling yourselves that." Conner taunted as he wasn't worried. "You said your master wanted me to be part in this duel because I wanted to challenge his power. Well, he's right, but I think it's because he fears me. That's he should feel. I play Waltz Synchronicity! This spell card allows me to summon an exact copy of the monster I just summoned, but it will be removed from play at the end of the turn, not that we'll get to that point. I bring out my second White-Eyes Silver Dragon!" He summoned out his second dragon as it emerged with the same power.

"But neither of those dragons are strong enough to take on our Darkness Balancer." Ying claimed.

"I'm not quite done yet. I have other tricks besides my link summoning." Conner claimed. Neither of them like the sound of that. "I overlay both my level eight White-Eyes Silver Dragons!" When he called that, an X appeared on the field, fired lasers at his dragons and absorbed both of them. "I bring upon a dragon with pure power and destruction! I xyz summon White-Eyes Chaos Dragon!" A new dragon emerged that had a silver and dark black scales, but still glistened. It also had 3000atk points.

"Another White-Eyes?!" Senshi said as he almost couldn't believe it, as did the others.

"That is rather impressive, but it still doesn't make any difference. Our monster is still stronger." Yang claimed.

"No, it doesn't matter because of my dragon's ability." Conner claimed. "By using one overlay unit, my dragon can blast you a thousand points of damage!" Hearing him say that astounded Ying and Yang, and there's nothing they can do to stop him. "White-Eyes Chaos Dragon, unleash your rage!" He ordered with his dragon swallowing one of its overlay units and was building power. "Flash of Chaos!" His dragon unleashed a powerful blast of white and black with both Ying and Yang getting hit by it and their life points dropped all the way to zero with this duel finally ending.

"I hate to say it, but that was incredible." Rin said.

"Indeed. Conner's deck is a lot more powerful, and he's found a way to make his famous dragons stronger." Cecilia said.

"See that, Orimura? That's the power of what a real duelist, and what you'll get when we duel." Conner told Senshi. He didn't say it out loud, but Senshi certainly was astounded by what Conner did. Then, he heard some sort of beeping from his duel disk and saw his points reached 4000. "Look at that, we both got all the points we needed for the finals." Conner claimed as he had all the necessary points as well.

"We can talk about that another time. Right now, we have more pressing matters." Senshi said as he went towards Ying and Yang, but it looks like Conner's last attack threw them for a loop. "Wake up." He said as he shook Ying around, but he wasn't responding. "Tell us what you've done with the girls! Where are they?!" He wanted to get answers, but nothing. That was right when they heard a helicopter coming their way with it landing down. When it did, Mila came jumping out.

"Hey!" Mila called.

"Mila! You managed to escape!" Conner said as he was glad to see she was safe.

"Yeah. I managed to escape, but Houki and Charlotte are still held captive." Mila said.

"Houki and Charlotte?! No..." Senshi said as he hated this. This would have given Meldrick plenty of time for him to put them under his control.

"Mila, what about Laura?" Cecilia asked.

"Laura? Houki and Charlotte told me she left just before they got grabbed." Mila said.

"Laura is still out there? Well, she's certainly tough. I don't think we have to worry much about her." Rin said.

"I managed to escape and called for some help. That's how I got the helicopter and tracked you here." Mila said. "I also know where they're being held. They're near the harbor."

"That's where we're going. Meldrick, the one behind all of this, could be there as well." Senshi said.

"Is he? That must mean he has Izanami." Conner said. "This works for me. I might be able to get both cards, or at least see what this Meldrick is like. Start the chopper. We're heading for the harbor."

"Is he seriously coming for himself?" Rin said as she was getting annoyed with him.

"If Conner can get us to Houki and Charlotte, I'll take any help we can get." Senshi said as he put that aside. They all hopped inside the helicopter with it taking off. 'Hang on, Houki and Charlotte. We're on our way.' He hopes he can save them in time before anything really bad happens.

...

The Warehouse

Meldrick's plan has worked. Houki and Charlotte were now his mindless servants. That means he can use them against Ichika and take his power.

"This is perfect." Meldrick claimed. "With Houki and Charlotte under my control, Ichika doesn't stand a chance. I will reclaim Izanagi, the power Ichika holds will be mine, and I shall soon become all-powerful. Oberin, where is Valatin?"

"Getting the last of the pieces you need for your plans." Oberin reported. "Everything will go as you planned. As for the one that slipped away, your other servants will bring her to you so that you have more leverage over him."

"Excellent. These girls, these close friends of Ichika Orimura, will be his demise!" Meldrick said. His most sinister plan, putting friends against friends, will soon be in motion. If Ichika and Senshi can't figure out a way to save them, they're going to end up loosing everything.