Houki got herself into a real situation. She was kidnapped and forced into a duel. It seemed like she had the advantage, but Bane was playing everything. He set it up for when Ghoul synchro summoned Royal Zombie and got an increase in power. Now, Ghoul has 2700LP with Royal Zombie at 2500. Houki has all her life points as well as Hito of the Blazing Fire at 2100atk points thanks to Tradition Sword. She could be in trouble.

'I get it now. That guy told his little friend to play those other cards before playing this zombie in order to make it stronger.' Houki thought as she was starting to get anxious. 'For each zombie in the graveyard, Royal Zombie will get stronger and stronger.'

"I'm afraid you might be in more trouble than you think." Ghoul said. "When Virus Zombie is sent to the graveyard for a synchro summon, your Hito will lose 500atk points." A dark cloud came around Hito and his attack points dropped to 1600.

"It's going to get worse." Bane said. "Since Grand Zombie left the field outside of a battle, you've got to send one monster in your deck to the graveyard." Houki got annoyed, but she went with it as she sent another warrior to the graveyard.

"Time to fight back! Royal Zombie, attack with Evil Rotting!" Ghoul ordered. His zombie unleashed a cloud in it's breath. It hit Hito with Hito turning to rust. Royal Zombie struck him with his spear and destroyed him with Houki's life points dropping to 3100. "I think that's enough for this turn."

"Well, you might have surprised me with that synchro summoning, but it's only a matter of time until I figure out how to bring that thing down." Houki said.

"Good luck with that." Bane said. "Add a few more zombies in the graveyard and Royal Zombie will just get stronger from here."

"Yeah. A few more zombies to get stronger." Ben said.

"Shut up!" Bane shouted.

"It's my turn!" Houki said as she went on with the duel. "I'll start by activating my spell: Kendo Beginner! This spell allows me to summon a Kendo Beginner token for every open monster space on the field." Her entire field was filled with child-sized kendo fighters and each one had 0def points. "Furthermore, since I activated a spell when Mishen is in my graveyard, I can add him back to my deck." Her card came back and she added it in her deck with it getting shuffled.

"What good are those little toddlers going to do?" Ghoul said.

"You're about to find out." Houki said. "I sacrifice one of them to summon Sinita the Sakura Blossom!" One of them left with Sinita appearing on the field with 1900atk points. "I'm also going to activate Blacksmith Heart! By sacrificing all my other monsters, one warrior gains 200atk points for each one." The other tokens all gathered around Sinita as they were transferred to her sword and her attack points increased to 2700. "Thanks to her, you'll also be taking an extra 500 points of damage, as well as a second attack. Attack with Petal Blades!" Sinita generated petals and was going to attack. It slashed against Royal Zombie with Ghoul's life points dropping to 2500, but Royal Zombie wasn't destroyed. "What gives? Why isn't it falling to pieces?"

"That happens to be Knight Zombie's ability." Bane said.

"That's right. It's ability can only work once when it's in the graveyard, but it means my Royal Zombie can't be destroyed this turn."

"And Sinita's ability only works when she destroys a monster." Houki said with annoyance. "I've got not choice but to end my turn. Since it's the end of my turn, Sinita's attack points return to normal." Sinita's attack points dropped back down to 1900, meaning Houki is in trouble.

"My turn!" Ghoul said as he drew his next card. "Perfect. I activate Séance Calling. This continuous spell transforms every monster in both of our graveyards into zombies."

"Wait. You mean even mine?" Houki said.

"That's right. Royal Zombie's ability isn't tied to just my graveyard. It's tied to yours as well." Ghoul said as Royal Zombie's attack points increased to 2700. "He's about to get even stronger! Royal Zombie, attack with Evil Rotting!" His zombie attacked with it's rotten breath again as Sinita turned to rust. He destroyed her with Houki's life points dropping down to 2300.

"Nice work, Ghoul." Bane said.

"Yeah. Give her a good scare." Ben said.

"How about it? Feeling scared and fearful yet?" Ghoul asked.

"No. I'm just getting annoyed." Houki said. 'I've got to do something about that Royal Zombie soon or I'm done for.'

...

Ichika's Group

Ichika and the girls got worried about Houki when they couldn't find her. Laura was able to find a trail and led them to the cave.

"You sure Houki is in there?" Ichika asked.

"I'm sure she is." Laura said.

"I do hope she's not in any danger." Cecilia said.

"Someone dragged her here. She's got to be in some sort of trouble." Rin said. "We've got to do something to help her."

"Rin's right. We need to do something." Charlotte said.

"Well, let's go. All of you stay close." Ichika said. All of them went inside the cave and were careful with where they went. As they walked through the cave, Cecilia spotted a rat run by and screamed. She cling to Ichika's back with the other girls getting annoyed. "Calm down. It's okay."

"It's best we all stay together. Try not to get separated. There's no telling what's down here." Ryu said.

"Ichika, we'll be okay as well, right?" Cecilia asked.

"Of course. Here." Ichika said as he grabbed her hand and guided her. Cecilia was blushing with the other girls hating what they're seeing.

...

The Duel

"Make your next move. It might be your final turn." Ghoul said.

"We'll see about that." Houki said as she drew her next card. "I'll start things off by activating my Pot of Greed. This allows me to draw two more cards." She drew two other cards and was coming up with a plan for an attack. She needed to get past that Royal Zombie, but it will be difficult since it's constantly going to get stronger. 'That thing might be a synchro monster, but it's still a monster.' She thought. 'There's got to be a way to bring that thing down.'

"Well? Are you going to make a move or not?" Ghoul said.

"I bet she's scared." Ben said.

"Yeah. You probably have her on the ropes. She probably has nothing left to fight with." Bane said. Houki was getting annoyed with them, but she did see a card that just might help: Fortune Swordsman.

"I sure hope this works." Houki said. "I summon Fortune Swordsman to the field." She summoned out her swordsman with it coming out having 1000atk points.

"Fortune Swordsman? She's taking quite a gamble with that." Bane said. "Maybe she does have some guts."

"Here goes. It all comes down to what I draw." Houki said. "Here goes!" She drew her card and was hoping it would be something that could turn the tide, but it ended up being a trap card. "Darn. A trap."

"Ha. Looks like she's out of luck." Bane said. "Since she drew a trap, Fortune Swordsman is destroyed." Fortune Swordsman ended up getting swallowed by a light and was gone.

"That monster is considered a zombie. That means Royal Zombie gains more power." Ghoul said as the attack points rose to 2800.

"My Fortune Swordsman might be gone, but I'm not beaten yet. I place two cards facedown to end my turn." Houki said.

"My turn!" Ghoul said as he drew another card. "Time to put an end to this. I'll have you terrified thanks to this card. I summon Shadow Wonderer!" Ghoul summoned a dark wooden man with antlers and it had 1200atk points.

"He is creepy. I'll give you that much." Houki said.

"It's about to get worse." Ghoul said. "I activate Shadow Wonderer's ability. I can actually equip him on to another zombie." Shadow Wonderer became an actual shadow and merged with Royal Zombie. "Thanks to this, he is immune to being destroyed by your card effects. I know you must be planning to use your two face-downs to do something to stop me, but it won't work."

"Really? Well, let's find out." Houki said.

"Sure! Royal Zombie, attack!" Ghoul shouted as his monster was ready to attack.

"Not so fast!" Houki said. " I activate my Bodyguard trap! This trap allows me to take any monster in my deck and add it to my hand. The monster I choose is Tachikawa the Shifting Tide. With him in my hand, I can send him to the graveyard to cut the damage I take in half."

"But by doing that will also increase Royal Zombie's power." Ghoul said as Royal Zombie's power increased to 2900 when Houki discarded her card. Royal Zombie unleashed some of it's breath with Houki getting hit by the attack. Her life points dropped to 850.

"Oh man. I thought he had her." Ben said.

"She might have survived, but there's no way she'll be able to pull off a win now." Bane said. Houki is in real trouble.

"Houki!" Houki looked behind her and saw her friends were able to find her.

"You're here!" Houki said as she was glad to see her friends.

"What's going on?" Ichika asked.

"It looks like she's dueling." Ryu said.

"Not all that well." Rin said.

"It's fine. I'm just about to win this." Houki said.

"You're delusional if you think you're going to win." Ghoul said.

"Am I? Let's find out. I draw!" Houki said as she drew her next card. "I'll start by activating my trap! I activate Grand Offering! First, I must pay half of my life points to use this trap! It allows me to summon any monster from my deck. There's only one monster I need, and that's Coronix the Sun Phoenix!" She summoned out her phoenix as it rose with 2400atk points. "Of course, at the end of my turn, it's removed from the field."

"Why summon it?" Ghoul said.

"She's up to something." Bane said as she didn't like where this was going.

"Next, I activate another spell known as Breaking Streak! This spell adds a hundred more points of damage when my monster does deal damage." Houki said.

"What damage? Your monster is weaker?" Ghoul said.

"Is it?" Houki said. "I have one more monster with a powerful ability. From my graveyard, I activate the ability of Shinoka the Dark Twilight. It's the monster I discarded when you forced me to do it." The image of another female samurai wearing a black kimono with purple stars appear and it was releasing some power. "By banishing this monster, I can switch the attack and defense points of one monster on the field. The one I choose is Royal Zombie."

"No! It has no defense points!" Bane said. Royal Zombie got weaker as its attack points dropped to zero.

"This duel is over! Coronix, attack with Phoenix Inferno!" Houki said. Coronix went on the attack as it flew at Royal Zombie and destroyed it with all of Ghoul's life points dropped to zero.

"No! How could I lose with my powerful synchro monster?" Ghoul complained as he dropped to his knees.

"It might be a synchro monster, but it's still just a monster." Houki said. "Can you guys give me a hand? I'm chained to the ground. Get the key and my two stars."

"Sure." Ichika said as they walked over to help her out. Once they got her out of there, they were all on their way out of the cave.

"It's great that you got two stars. That means you only need two more to get in the castle." Charlotte said.

"We're just glad you're okay." Ichika said.

"Thanks, guys. They caught me by surprise, but those creeps got what they deserved." Houki said.

"Splendid. Now let's get out of here." Ryu said.

"Agreed. I don't like this place." Cecilia said.

"There's the exit!" Rin said as they could see daylight. They were all glad to be out, but that changed when they saw something blocking the entrance. All of them hurried out, but it was too late as the entrance was blocked. Bane and the other two found a way out and sealed the exit.

"That will teach them." Bane said.

"Sorry, I lost." Ghoul said.

"Yeah, but we'll do better next time." Ben said.

"Actually..." Bane said as he had other ideas. He attacked both of them and took all their stars. "What do I need you losers for? I need winners?" Bane took all their stars and he now has more than enough to get in the castle. As for Ichika and the others, they're all trapped inside the cave. If they don't find another way out, they might never get out of the cave.