Conner managed to break into Peggrin's castle. He's hoping to find Mila and get her out of there. As he made his way through the castle, he saw that no one was getting in his way. He found that very strange.

"What's going on here? Where is Peggrin's security?" Conner said. "I haven't run into one person since I got here. What's he trying to pull?" Conner was being cautious. He knows Peggrin is up to something. He needs to get Mila out of here fast.

...

The Duel

As for Ichika and his friends, they might have found a way out. However, they need to get past Ying and Yang first. Ichika and Houki have partnered together in this duel. If they win, they'll both have all the stars they need, but they're in a real situation. Ichika and Houki had all their life points with a line-up of monsters. They had Twin Swordsman of Belief at 1700atk points, Blue Tears at 1600, and Schwarzer Regen at 2100. Ying and Yang had 3200LP, but they also have Tornado Guard at 2400atk points and their ultimate monster: Planetary Balancer at 3200atk points.

"Are you fearful of our monster?" Ying said.

"It has the power of the sky, land, and sea." Yang said.

"As well as four arms." Rin joked.

"His power is truly a terrifying force." Ying said. "Not only is he comprised of three monsters, and must be attacked a total of three times, but he is truly powerful as well."

"Allow us to show you." Yang said. "Planetary Balancer, attack Blue Tears with Fusion Shock Stream!" Planetary Balancer launched an attack of water, lightning, and heat at Ichika's monster.

"Not so fast! I activate Schwarzer Regen's ability!" Ichika said. "It can prevent my Infinite Stratos monsters from being destroyed." Schwarzer Regen formed a shield and was able to block the attack.

"But you still take damage." Yang said. Ichika and Houki tried to endure as their life points dropped to 2400. "There's more. It's what your partner failed to do. I can use my partner's monster to attack. Tornado Guard, destroy Blue Tears!"

"Not good. Schwarzer Regen can only block an attack once." Ryu said.

"That means Blue Tears is done for." Cecilia said. Tornado Guard unleashed an electrical blast and blasted Blue Tears with it. She ended up destroyed and their life points dropped to 1600.

"I shall place two cards facedown and that ends my turn." Yang said.

"My turn!" Ichika said as he drew his next card.

"Ichika, I'm sorry about before." Houki said.

"We all make mistakes, but this duel isn't over quite yet." Ichika said. "I'll switch Schwarzer Regen and Twin Swordsman of Belief into defense mode." Both of them switched modes as Schwarzer Regen had 1900def points and the swordsman had 1200def points.

"You think that will protect you?" Ying said.

"I do. Watch and see." Ichika said. "I'll start by summoning Infinite Stratos Uchigane!" He summoned out Uchigane with her at 800atk points. "Next, I activate her special ability. I can sacrifice her to summon another Infinite Stratos. Appear, Akatsubaki!" Uchigane was gone and Akatsubaki took it's place at 2500atk points.

"Why does that monster help?" Yang questioned.

"Here's why. Akatsubaki, attack Tornado Guard with Twin Jet Slash!" Ichika said. Akatsubaki flew at Tornado Guard and destroyed it with a pair of swords. That caused Ying's and Yang's life points to drop to 3100. "What's more is that when Akatsubaki deals damage, we gain life points." Ichika's and Houki's life points increased to 1700. "I end my turn."

"All that for a mere 100LP? How desperate." Ying said. "It's my turn now!" Ying drew his card and liked what he saw. "I play the spell known as Rethought Decision. This spell card returns every card in every duelists hand to our decks." All of them did what the card said as they all returned every card they had into their deck.

"How exactly does this help?" Houki said.

"In exchange, we get to draw new cards, one for each monster we have on the field." Ying said. "Since you two have three, you draw three cards."

"But that means you and your brother only draw one card." Ichika said. "Planetary Balancer is the only monster you have."

"Not quite." Ying said.

"I bet I know what you mean." Yang said.

"One of the cards I returned was a monster named Deck Guard. When that monster returns to the deck, I can draw until I'm holding five cards. I get a fresh new hand." Ying said as he draw five cards.

"It just so happens that I had Deck Guard as well." Yang said as he drew five cards. Ichika and Houki could only draw three.

"Now, I will have Planetary Balancer attack Akatsubaki! Attack!" Ying said as his monster unleashed the attack.

"Don't forget that Schwarzer Regen can prevent Akatsubaki from being destroyed!" Ichika said. The attack might have been blocked, but they still took damage as their life points dropped only to 1000.

"You may have survived, but one more attack and you are doomed." Ying said.

"That isn't going to happen." Ichika said.

"I hope not, but it isn't looking good." Laura said.

"We just have to hold faith in them." Charlotte said.

"Houki, it's your turn now." Ichika said.

"Right. I won't make the same mistake." Houki said. "I draw!" She drew her next card and was thinking of what to do carefully. 'I've got Coronix in my hand, but I need to sacrifice two monsters in order to use it.' That means she would have to get rid of one of Ichika's monsters.

"Houki..." Ichika said and got her attention. "Use my monsters as you wish. I trust you." That meant a lot to Houki. She looked at what was in her hand and saw a way they could win. "I'll sacrifice my Twin Swordsman and Ichika's Schwarzer Regen in order to summon Coronix the Sun Phoenix!" She offered both monsters and summoned out her phoenix with it having 2400atk points.

"You really are a fool." Ying said.

"Why would you get rid of your partner's best defense?" Yang asked.

"It's called trusting each other." Houki said. "I activate the spell card known as Crash Landing. By not battling this turn, this spell card deals damage to you two equal to half the attack points of the monster I just summoned. Since my phoenix has 2400atk points, it deals 1200 points of damage." Coronix launched fire at them and blasted both of them as their life points dropped to 1900. "I place two face-downs to end my turn."

"What another waste." Yang said as he drew his next card. "I think it's time I play my two traps, just to be safe. The first I activate is one you already know: Dark Decision."

"That's the same card Ying used earlier." Charlotte said.

"They have the same cards. Interesting." Ichika said.

"I'm sure you remember what this one does. I pick a card my partner has. The one I choose is called Wall Guard!" Yang said as Ying took it to his hand. "The second trap I activate is Mirror Mimicry! If we both happen to have copies of the same card in our hands, we can summon them."

"We summon Wall Guard!" Both of them summoned concrete soldiers with them having 2000def points.

"There's one thing you should know." Ying said. "With Wall Guard in defense mode, you can't attack any other monster."

"With two, that means you can't attack." Yang said. That wasn't good at all. "However, we can. Planetary Balancer, attack the phoenix!" Planetary Balancer launched another attack as it blasted Coronix. "This duel is over!"

"I activate my trap: Healer's Blessing! Half the attack points of the monster you're attacking is added to our life points!" Houki said as their life points increased to 2200, but dropped to 1400. "Coronix's ability now activates. All I do is take a card in my graveyard and remove it from play to bring him back." She removed her swordsman and her phoenix came back.

"All you do is postpone your demise. Make your final move." Yang said.

"Very well." Ichika said as he drew his next card.

"Ichika, let me!" Houki said. "I activate Fusion Stand-in! This trap won't allow us to normal summon this turn, but it does allow us to fusion summon."

"You know how to fusion summon?!" Ichika said as he was surprised to hear about that.

"That's right! I'm fusing our two best monsters together!" Houki said. "I fuse together Infinite Stratos Akatsubaki with Coronix the Sun Phoenix!" Both monsters molecularly broke apart and the two began to fuse together. "I fusion summon Phoenix Warrior Shisara!" Houki summoned a female warrior wearing phoenix-design armor with feathers and a phoenix headpiece. She also carried twin swords with 2800atk points.

"Impressive, but not good enough." Ying said.

"You still can't attack." Yang said.

"Actually, we can." Ichika said. "I activate Barrier Disable! This spell switches one monster into attack mode if the defense points are lower than the attack points of one monster. Wall Guard's ability only works if it's in defense mode." One got shocked and it switched into attack mode with it having 1000atk points. "Shisara, attack Wall Guard with Inferno Twin Strike!" Both swords ignited in fire and Shisara attacked with the one in defense mode.

"What good did that move do?" Ying said.

"You're about to see. Shisara gains 500atk points whenever it attacks a monster." Ichika said as Shisara's attack points rose to 3300.

"There's more. Shisara can attack everyone of your monsters." Houki said.

"What?!" Both of them said.

"Planetary Balancer must be attacked three times." Ying said.

"But that monster grows stronger with each attack." Yang said as they could both see defeat for them

"Shisara, attack!" Houki ordered. Shisara attacked multiple times as all their monsters were destroyed and the brothers lost all of their life points. Houki and Ichika won this duel.

...

Mila

Mila was kept in a prison cell. All she could do was wait until someone came to rescue her.

"Mila!" Mila looked up and she saw her brother, her hero.

"Conner! I knew you would come for me!" Mila said as Conner got to work on the lock.

"I'll get you out of here soon." Conner said. Conner tried picking the lock, but he stopped when he heard an applause. He looked to the side and saw Peggrin.

"Very nicely done, Conner. I knew it would save time if I just let you in." Peggrin said.

"I knew something wasn't right. Why would you want me to get near my sister when you're holding her prisoner?" Peggrin asked.

"Because I wanted you here to see this." Peggrin said as he used the power of his eyepatch. It emitted a bright light that blinded Conner. When the light faded away, Conner saw Mila was on the ground.

"Mila? Mila!" Conner shouted, but she wasn't moving. "What did you just do to her?"

"She's right here." Peggrin said as he held up a card and it had an image of Mila on it. "Your little sister's soul is trapped right here. The only way out is for you to defeat me."

"Please. I'm not falling for your parlor tricks." Conner said. "However, I was planning on taking you down. You're not taking my company and my sister."

"Wait just a moment. I have a proposition that would benefit both of us." Peggrin said, but Conner doesn't like the sound of this.

...

The Chamber

Now that the duel is over, Ichika and Houki both have all ten stars. However, there is one more task that must be done.

"You may have defeated us, but it will all be for naught." Ying said.

"You still have to choose." Yang said. "There are two doors. One leads out, the other leads to a labyrinth that you'll be left trapped. You must choose."

"So it's a fifty-fifty shot." Rin said.

"I don't want to be stuck somewhere forever." Cecilia said.

"Do you two have any idea as to which door might be the exit?" Charlotte asked.

"Not me." Houki said.

"I believe Ryu might." Ichika said as he turned to him.

"Me?" Ryu asked with confusion, as everyone else was confused as well.

"Your pendent lured us here. Try using it's power to show the exit." Ichika said. Ryu understood what Ichika was saying. He just hope it works. Ryu tried tapping into the power of his pendent, it pointed over to a different wall.

"That way?" Ryu said as he walked over to it. He felt the wall and found a secret switch that opened a door that went directly outside.

"Just as I thought. Neither door was the way out." Ichika said. "Both of you used the same cards. That would mean that the doors went the same direction."

"You tried to trick us!" Houki said with the two of them upset that they failed.

"We've seen through your tricks. Now it's on to the castle." Ichika said. All of them stepped outside and they could see they arrived at the castle. They have all ten stars. That means they can enter the castle and face Peggrin.

...

Conner

"You have a proposition for me?" Conner questioned. "What could I have that you didn't already tried to take? Why can't we just duel right now?"

"Patience." Peggrin said. "I just need you to do something that you might like." Peggrin took five stars and tossed them at Conner. "You should really have ten stars to enter my castle. Get those other five stars and I'll duel you. I even know who you should duel: Ichika Orimura."

"Orimura?!" Conner said.

"Yes. I need defeated to seal my deal anyway with your company." Peggrin said. "It works out for both of us. You get to duel him again and redeem yourself. You get the rematch you always deserve. Duel him and win, I'll duel you myself to settle this matter once and for all. You get your company and your precious little sister again. What do you say?" Peggrin is trying to strike an alliance with Conner to get his way. What is Conner going to do from here?