Upon learning a little more about the spirit's past, he also learned that Conner is holding an upcoming tournament. It might Conner's way to prove that he's the best duelist in the country. People from all around the city, maybe even the country will be entering, but it's much more than that to Ichika.
"You really think that person who is after us will really enter the tournament?" Ichika asked as he sat on the roof of his school.
"That is what Tantenashi said, and her artifact allows her to see the future." The spirit said. "We'll have to construct our deck wisely and carefully. This is one tournament we can't afford to lose."
"After what happened with Peggrin, I'm with you on that, Senshi." Ichika said.
"Senshi?" The spirit questioned.
"I've got to be able to call you something." Ichika said. "In your last life, you were a hero that saved the world from the darkness. You were clearly some sort of warrior, and senshi means warrior. So, why not call you Senshi?"
"I guess it is nice to have a name, when I can't remember my own." The spirit said as he accepted the name Senshi.
"Ichika, are you up here?!" Houki called as she stepped out and on the roof and ended Ichika's conversation with the spirit.
"I'm over here, Houki!" Ichika called and got her attention.
"There you are." Houki said as she walked over and had a seat next to her. "Charlotte told me all about what happened at the museum. I know all about how you're going to enter Conner's tournament."
"Yeah. I've got to Houki." Ichika said. "Someone is after the power that is in my charm, and that person is going to be in the tournament."
"But if that person is after you, wouldn't it make more sense for you to keep out of the tournament?" Houki questioned.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Houki." Ichika said. "Entering this tournament is too important. Entering it could help unlock the secrets about my charm. Charlotte probably told you all about what's going to happen. I've got to enter this tournament."
"I had a feeling that would be the case." Houki said. "It looks like you're not leaving me much choice." She claimed, but Ichika didn't understand what she meant. "It looks I'm gonna have to enter the tournament as well and help you out. There's just no way you can do this alone." Houki sounded like she's annoyed with this, but that isn't true at all. She's glad she gets to fight alongside Ichika again, and the tournament sounds like a great opportunity for her to test her skills as a duelist.
"You're really going to enter? You know that Conner doesn't really like you." Ichika said.
"So what? Conner said anyone could enter." Houki said. "I'm not going to let an obnoxious jerk get in my way. Besides, if all this stuff really is true, you're going need me to watch your back. I already went online and registered. No way you're going to talk me out of this."
"If you say so." Ichika said as he just went along with it. "It might actually be fun competing in the tournament together." Houki was rather excited herself to compete with him, but she tried her best to keep her composure.
...
Conner
While Ichika and Houki were getting themselves ready for the tournament, Conner himself was making sure everything was in order. He looked over all of those who were participating and saw what he was looking for. He spotted that Ichika was registered, just how he wanted.
"Excellent. Orimura is registered. I knew he wouldn't be able to resist." Conner said. He continued to look through and saw Houki registered as well. "Oh... It also looks like one of his little girlfriends has entered as well. His little cheerleading squad is going to be there too." He complained. "No matter. Somewhere in this crowd is someone holding Izanami and Izanagi. Once I get a hold of them, I will be the greatest and strongest duelist in the whole country." Conner's made it clear that all he wants is to prove the best, but he has no idea what is going to happen in his own tournament.
...
Ichika and the Girls
After school, Ichika and the girls were on their way out of school. Houki and Ichika were all registered for the Dueling City Tournament. All that's left is for them to wait for it to begin.
"I'm excited to see you compete, Ichika. I'm sure you're going to win just like you did before." Cecilia said.
"Hey! What about me?! I'm not just going to let him win!" Houki said.
"Yes, Houki. I'm sure you're going to do great yourself." Charlotte said to assure Houki. "Anyway, it's getting late. The sun is going down. I think I'm gonna head home."
"Agreed. We'll all be there for when you two compete." Laura said. All of them were getting excited for the tournament, but waited for when it all began. They all went on home until it was Houki and Ichika.
"Well, I better head on home myself." Houki said. "Since this tournament is coming, I need to make sure everything is ready and set for me." She went on ahead home, but Ichika hung back for a moment.
"Hey, Houki." Ichika said and got her attention for a moment. "Let's both do our best in that tournament." Houki certainly agreed on that and was on her way. However, none of them noticed that someone was spying on them and had their sights set on Houki.
...
Houki
Houki just went on home. She wanted to get ready for the tournament and make sure she was ready for it. As she was walking down the street, she looked ahead and noticed something strange. Standing in front of her was someone in the middle of the street with him wearing a black cloak.
'Weird. What's that guy doing just standing there?' Houki wondered, but she didn't want any trouble. She was hoping she could just walk around him and keep going. 'Just keep walking, Houki. Don't even make eye contact with him.' Houki was just trying to get around the guy, but he moved and stood in her way.
"Going somewhere, young lady?"
"Yeah, away from you. Move it." Houki said as she tried to get around him again, but he just stood in the way again. "Hey! What part of move it do you not understand?"
"I'm afraid I can't let you leave so easily."
"You better move or else. Don't try anything because I happen to know a few moves that will leave you hurting." Houki threatened him as she just knew this guy was some sort of creep.
"The only moves I would like to see is the ones in a duel."
"A duel?" Houki questioned as she wasn't expecting that. "You want to duel me?"
"Will you accept my challenge?"
"Why should I? Get lost." Houki said as she kept trying to get around him, but the guy just kept getting in the way and wasn't letting her leave.
"Perhaps I didn't make it clear. I'm not really giving you a choice." This guy really wasn't going to let Houki go. It would seem the only way out for her is in.
"Fine. You want a duel so badly, you got one!" Houki said. The two of them took their positions on the streets. They activated their duel disks and were ready to go for this.
"Let's duel!" They both said as they were starting this off with 4000LP.
"By the way, I didn't catch your name." Houki said.
"You can call me Track since I track others down and take them out. Now, allow me to make the first move." This guy was making the first move and it seemed like he knew what he was doing. "I'm going to start by playing this spell card. It's called Painful Gamble. I select what the top card of my deck is. If I'm right, you take 1000points of damage. I'm wrong and I'm the one that takes the damage."
"That's quite the gamble. You really think you can get it?" Houki said.
"I don't think. I know what it will be. I say it will be a trap card." Track claimed. He drew his card and Houki thought it would be wrong. "It's a trap."
"No way!" Houki said as she wasn't expecting that. Since he got it wrong, she ended up getting shocked from the card and her life points dropped to 3000.
"I guess luck is on my side." Track teased.
"Don't get too cocky. You just had a one out of three chance." Houki said.
"Perhaps, but the fact is that it still worked. I place two cards facedown and end my turn." Track said as he placed the two cards and ended his turn.
"My move!" Houki said as she drew her card. "I'm going to start by summoning Mishen the Silent Wind in attack mode!" She summoned out her samurai-like warrior as he came out with 1500atk points.
"Ha! You fool! You fell right into my trap already! I play Trap Hole!" Track said as he activated one. "Since you summoned a monster with over a 1000atk points, it's instantly destroyed!" A hole opened up under Mishen and he ended up destroyed.
"Not bad. I'll just place my own card facedown and end my turn." Houki said. 'I might have lost my only monster, but Sakuretsu Armor will help if he attacks.' She thought as she had a little precaution.
"My turn!" Track said as he drew his next card. "Look at that! I'm activating another Painful Gamble! That means I declare one card type. If my top card happens to be what I say, you take damage."
"Yeah, but you'll take damage if you're wrong." Houki said.
"I don't think I'll be wrong." Track said as he was confident. "I say it will be a spell card." He drew the card with his answer. Houki thought he would be wrong this time, but that smirk doesn't say that. "It's a spell card."
"What?!" Houki said as he couldn't believe he got it right again. Houki got shocked again with her life points dropping to 2000. "There's more! I activate my trap: Loan Claiming! With this trap, I select what the top card of my deck is again! If I get it right, all your spell and trap cards are destroyed and you lose 500LP for each card!"
"But there's no way you'll get it right a second time!" Houki said.
"I beg to differ young lady. Lady Luck seems to like me." Track claimed. "I say my next card will be a trap card." He drew his next card with Houki hoping he's wrong, but it didn't look that way. "Another trap!" Since he was right, Houki's trap was destroyed and her life points dropped to 1500.
"What is going on?! How is getting it all right?!" Houki said.
"I guess I'm just that good." Track taunted. "I place two more cards facedown and end my turn."
'Lucky me. It looks like he didn't have a monster.' Houki said. 'Still, I can't believe this guy got the best of me like this. My life points are dropping and dropping. I better do something before he tries something else again.' "It's my turn!" She drew her next card and tried to come up with a way she can still pull out a win. She looked at her card and saw it was her phoenix, her ace card. 'Yes, I got Coronix the Sun Phoenix. This will really help me, but I need to get it on the field.' She looked at her hand to see how she can get her ace out there, and soon saw a way.
"Are you going to make a move or not?" Track taunted.
"Keep your shirt on. I'm summoning Hito of the Blazing Flame in attack mode!" Houki said as she summoned another samurai with a fire-pattern kimono and had 1700atk points. "Of course, he won't be sticking around for long. I activate Spiritual Transition! Thanks to this spell card, I can release one monster from my field and summon a monster that's a different type, but it has to be the same attribute as my monster! So, I'm releasing my warrior, Hito, and summoning out my wing-beast! I'm summoning Coronix the Sun Phoenix!" She summoned out her all-mighty phoenix as it flew out with 2400atk points. "Coronix, attack him directly!" Coronix went on the attack and dived straight at Track.
"I play Negate Attack to end your battle phase!" Track said as he activated his trap that released an energy wave that stopped Houki's attack.
"Darn it! I can't get an attack in!" Houki complained.
"And I'm afraid this duel is over once I play Card Gambling!" Track said as he played his other trap. "Now, I return all the cards in my hand, all three." He said as he sent all three cards back to his deck. "After giving my deck a shuffle, I draw three new cards. Here's the real kicker. I guess what each type the cards I draw are. For each one I get right, you lose 500LP."
"There's just no way you can get them all right." Houki said.
"You've been wrong up until now." Track claimed with Houki getting anxious. Track returned all the cards in his hand and shuffled his deck. Houki wasn't liking this. "The first card will be a monster." He said as he drew his first card...and he was right. "Next will be a spell." He drew his next card...and it was a spell. "My last card will be a spell." Houki was getting nervous. If he's right, she'll lose this duel. He drew the card and... "A spell!"
"No!" Houki said. Since he was right all three times, the trap unleashed a powerful blast that hit Houki and sent her flying back with all of her life points dropping to zero. She actually lost this duel.
"That went better than I thought. Wouldn't you say so, Valatin?" Track said as he lowered his hood to show his wicked grin and white messy hair.
"Indeed, Track. You did well." Another man in a cloak came out of hiding and walked right over to Houki as she tried to get up. "Take it easy, young lady. The worst is over."
"Who are you guys?" Houki questioned.
"Humble servants to a truly powerful man. We targeted you because we want you to give a message to your friend: Ichika Orimura." Valatin said.
"Ichika?!" Houki said.
"Tell him to surrender to our master. If he doesn't, he won't be as lucky as you were." Valatin said. That was all he said before he turned around and left Houki there in shame. Those guys just merely used her as an example for what's in store for Ichika. Charlotte warned the others that someone was after her, and Houki just got a sample of who they are. Now that she knows what she's getting into, she has to get stronger if she wants to help Ichika.