Worried about Ichika and wanting to see the duel; Charlotte, Laura, and Mila went up to the tower to see the duel unfold.
"There they are! It looks like they just got started." Laura said. The duel only begun, but it was a strong start. Senshi managed to summon his Stratos Sniper at 2600atk points with Senshi having all his life points. Conner only had one face-down with his life points at 4900.
"It might have just started, but it looks like my brother is doing better than Ichika." Mila said as she was glad to see her brother was winning. "Sorry, girls. My brother is the one who is going to win." That's something Charlotte and Laura didn't want to see.
"You might have destroyed my Shimmering Dragon, but you forgot about his other ability." Conner claimed. "Since he was destroyed, it allows to bring the White-Eyes Silver Dragon from my graveyard!" He summoned out his dragon as it emerged with 3000atk points. Senshi might have destroyed a powerful monster, but this duel was only the beginning.
"I place one card facedown and end my turn." Senshi said. 'I know Conner's face-down is Birthright. That trap card could bring back one of his White-Eyes Silver Dragons in his graveyard. What is he up to with that trap?'
"It's my turn!" Conner said as he drew his next card. "First, I'll activate Waltz Synchronicity! This spell card allows me to summon out another copy of my White-Eyes silver Dragon, but it's attack points drop all the way to zero. Rise, my second White-Eyes!" He summoned out his second White-Eyes to the field, but it's power dropped all the way to zero.
"He now has two of his dragons..." Senshi mumbled. Then, he realized what that means. "You now have two level eight dragons on the field!"
"I can see you know what's coming next. You might have done well against my Shimmering Dragon, but let's see how you do against this one. With these two monsters, I build the overlay network!" Conner called as he started another summoning process. An X appeared on the field and fired two beams at both of his dragons with both of them being absorbed inside and power erupted. "I bring upon a dragon of pure power and destruction! I xyz summon White-Eyes Chaos Dragon!" His second powerful dragon emerged with it having 3000atk points. "My dragons will eat you for lunch, Orimura. You can't stop this one."
"Take your best shot, Conner." Senshi dared.
"I will! First, I activate White-Eyes Chaos Dragon's ability!" Conner said. "By using one overlay unit, I can deal an instant 1000 points of damage!" His dragon ate one of the units and fired a blast right at Senshi. Senshi got hit by the attack with his life points dropping to 3000. "Now, attack his Stratos Sniper with Flash of Chaos!" His dragon unleashed more of his power as it blasted Senshi's monster with a blast of pure chaos. Not only did he lose his monster, but Senshi's life points dropped to 2600. "I end my turn."
"What?" Senshi questioned as he thought that was strange. 'Why didn't he activate his Birthright trap? If he had done that after using his dragon's ability, he could have brought back one of his White-Eyes Silver Dragons and ended the duel now?'
'I'm not really sure. Do you think he's being cautious of our face-down?' Ichika questioned.
'Maybe, but I have a feeling there's something more.' Senshi thought. "What gives, Conner? I've seen your trap card. You could have ended this now with that. Why didn't you activate it?"
"I have my reasons, Orimura." Conner claimed. He was clearly planning something. It looks like Conner doesn't just want to win. He's got something much bigger planned for Senshi.
"What do you think, Laura?" Charlotte questioned.
"If what Ichika says is true, Conner clearly has something in mind." Laura said. "In times of war, theatrics and personal desires could lead to trouble. Conner could end up regretting his decision. Even so, it might be too soon to tell how this duel goes."
"You made your choice, Conner. Your pride will end up being the defeat of you. It's my turn!" Senshi said as he drew his next card. When he did, he saw it was Akatsubaki.
'Akatsubaki... This card makes me think of Houki.' Ichika thought and it made him feel sad over what has recently happened to her.
'Don't get discouraged now, Ichika. We must stay focus.' Senshi thought as they had to keep their bond in sync. "I'll begin my turn by summoning Infinite Stratos Uchigane to the field!" He summoned Uchigane with her rising and having 400atk points. "Next, by sending her to the graveyard, I can summon Akatsubaki to the field!" He released his monster and summoned out the more powerful Akatsubaki as she flew out with 2400atk points. "Next, I'm activating my trap card! It's called Duplicate! I have to pay 1000LP to use this trap, but this trap turns into a monster with the same name and level of the monster I summoned if that monster happens to be level five or higher!" His life points dropped to 1600, but that was just fine as a copy of Akatsubaki appeared on the field, but it had no attack points.
"I see what your planning. Traps that are used as monsters can also be used for an xyz summon." Conner said.
"You're right, so you can guess what I'm about to do next!" Senshi said as he started the process. "I build the overlay network!" The process started again as both of his monsters were absorbed inside. "Power collides to create an explosion through the galaxy! I xyz summon Stratos Buster!" His own Stratos Buster appeared on the field with it having 3000atk points just like his dragon.
'I saw him used that when he faced Izanagi.' Conner thought. 'That card allows him to destroy every card on my field.' He's aware of the ability, but Conner doesn't really seem all that worried about it.
"I activate Stratos Buster's special ability! I use one overlay unit to destroy every card on your field!" Senshi said as Stratos Buster took one of its overlay units in its weapon. Once that happened, he began to twirl it around and smashed it against the field with a large explosion going off and destroyed Conner's dragon. Senshi thought Conner's field was destroyed, but he saw something strange. A bug made out of metal was on Conner's trap. "What is that?"
"That happens to be my Barricade Bug." Conner said. "When one of my spell or trap cards is about to be destroyed by an effect, I can activate it's ability from my hand. All I have to do is sent it to the graveyard and that card can't be destroyed."
"But your dragon is still gone. That means you're wide open for a direct attack!" Senshi said. "Attack with Meteor Collision!" Senshi had his monster attack and expected Conner to use his trap to block the attack, but Conner let the attack come and took a big hit with Conner's life points dropping all the way to 1900. They were all shocked Conner would allow that.
"Why would Conner allow an attack like that come?" Charlotte said.
"He didn't even try to defend himself!" Laura said. This was a strange strategy that no one could figure out.
"I activate Stratos Replenishment!" Senshi said as he continued with his turn. "Since I have five or less Infinite Stratos monsters in my graveyard, I can draw one card for each one. Since there are three, I can draw three cards." He drew three cards and had a new hand. "I end my turn."
"My turn!" Conner said as he drew his next card. "First, I play my Pot of Greed! This allows me to draw two cards!" He drew two more cards, a spell and a monster. "I summon Stock Stacker!" He summoned out a robot that looked like a computer server with little arms and 200atk points. "With that, I will now build my circuit!" He said as the circuit opened up. "The summoning conditions is just one level two or lower monster!" He placed his only monster in the circuit as it went into the arrow pointing to the lower left. "I link summon Link One Drago Glider!" He summoned out a draco lizard that glided around on the field and had 1000atk points. "When Stock Stacker is used for a link summon, it revives and I can draw one card." Stock Stacker came back with Conner drawing a card. "Next, I activate my Drago Glider's special ability to summon a level four or lower monster in defense mode next to it's link, and draw a card! I summon Fear Dragon!" Fear Dragon emerged on the field with it having 1200def points. HE also drew another card and it was his third White-Eyes.
"Is he going to summon another dragon?" Charlotte said.
"Just you wait!" Mila said as she was getting excited.
"I now build my circuit again!" Conner said as it opened up again. "The summoning conditions require at least two dragons! I set Fear Dragon, Stock Stacker, and Drago Glider in the link arrows!" He set all three of his monsters in the arrows and it opened up. "I link summon Link Three White-Eyes Cyber Dragon!" His third evolved dragon emerged on the field as it flew out with 2500atk points. "Sure, it might be weaker than my other dragons, but that's just fine. I activate Fear Dragon's special ability! By banishing it, your monster loses 500atk points and mine gains 1000!" He removed Fear Dragon and their monster's powers changed to 3500 and 2500. "With your monster weaker, my dragon is free to attack! Blast it with Cyber Lightning!" His dragon unleashed its power and completely destroyed Senshi's Stratos Buster as his life points dropped even more to a mere 600LP.
"He only has 600LP left!" Charlotte said as it wasn't looking good for him at all.
"It's still too early to call it." Laura said. "They were able to counter each other's attacks move for move. Conner might have more life points now, but that could easily change."
"Come on, Orimura. Don't tell me you had enough already." Conner taunted.
"Not even close, Conner. I told you earlier that I can't afford to lose this duel." Senshi said as giving up isn't an option.
'You'll wish you have when I get done with you.' Conner thought as he looked down at his hand. 'I'm only one card away from bringing out my ultimate beast! I don't want to just beat you, Orimura. I want to show you once and for all that I'm the better duelist. Once you see the beast that I plan to summon, you'll realize how powerless you are against me.'
"My turn!" Senshi said as he drew his next card.
"Since my turn ended, Fear Dragon's effect is over and my Cyber Dragon's power returns to normal." Conner said as his dragon had only 2500atk points left.
"I'll start by summoning Stratos Warrior!" Senshi said as his warrior with 1400atk points. "Next, I activate Salvaged Parts! By banishing two Infinite Stratos from my graveyard, I can summon a third!" He removed Akatsubaki and Uchigane from his graveyard. "I summon Rafaele-Revive! He summoned out another Infinite Stratos to the field with her having 1800atk points. "Next, I activate her special ability to bring back Shenglong!" Shenglong flew back on the field with 1500atk points. "Now, I have everything I need to build my circuit!" Senshi matched Conner's move again as the gateway appeared once more. "The summoning conditions are three Stratos monsters, so I set Rafaele, Shenglong, and my Stratos Warrior in the link arrows!" All three of his monsters went on inside the arrows to bring out his monster. "I link summon Link Three Stratos Archer!" He matched Conner's move again with his archer flying out and held 2600atk points.
"I must say that you've done a job well done, Orimura. You matched my moves well." Conner said as he was glad to see hsi rival really stepping up his game. "You synchro, xyz, and now linked summon just like I have."
"And I'm far from done, Conner." Senshi claimed. "This duel is far from over!" Conner and Senshi have matched each other well. They are real rivals. Right now, they're both standing on equal grounds. However, things have to tilt in the favor of one eventually. Who will be the one that walks out of the winner in this struggle?