Vennominon, descend!
"So that's Professor Viper's ace, huh? Impressive, impressive."
Kira offered ungrudging praise.
"It does seem to be a monster of extraordinary power."
Viper snorted.
"You'll soon understand Vennominon's might. Battle!
Vennominon, attack 'Don Zaloog'!"
Vennominon cackled, five fingers snapping out like springs—on closer look, they weren't fingers at all but five bent little snakes, each wearing the same sinister grin as the king, tiny tongues flicking.
Kira's face was blank. "Zaloog, intercept."
Zaloog looked at him with a crying face.
Huh? Me, fight the Venom King? For real?
Orders are orders.
Forced into overtime, Zaloog had no choice. He gritted his teeth, drew his revolver, and fired. Of course, the result was obvious. The opponent didn't bother to guard or dodge; the bullets pinged harmlessly off Vennominon's scales.
The little snakes immediately wrapped Zaloog up, biting again and again into his dark muscles. He howled—venom quickly flooded the wounds, turning his skin purplish black before he exploded.
"But at this moment I activate the Trap 'Defense Draw'." Kira said. "I take 0 battle damage, and draw 1 card."
A defensive barrier blocked the impact. Kira drew.
Zaloog, back in ghostly form, slunk off, only to be immediately supported by his Dark Scorpion comrades.
"Boss? You okay?"
"Tch, I'm fine. I just let my guard down." Zaloog ground his teeth. "Otherwise that damn snake was done for."
His goons squinted at him. Boss's strength ain't much, but his mouth sure is.
"I activate the Continuous Spell 'Damage Off Zone'," Viper said. "While this card is face-up, all battle damage both players take is halved." (Anime card)
He then fanned out two cards.
"I set two cards. Turn end."
Vennominon folded its arms, tongue hissing, its cold grin looking downright mocking and provocative.
Spectator Adrian frowned slightly.
"Vennominon must have some hidden trick. It looks like a monster with a terrifying latent power," he murmured, then glanced at Kira. "Faced with an unknown threat, how will the Duel King respond?"
To Kira, however, it wasn't unknown. He knew Vennominon's ability well.
Viper smirked inwardly.
If a 3000-ATK beater could stump him, Duel King would be a joke. He had no doubt the opponent could beat Vennominon.
But Viper didn't mind—in fact, he welcomed it.
Vennominon's hidden ability: when this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the GY, by banishing Reptiles from your GY, it can revive itself infinitely. In other words, it has as many lives as you have Reptiles.
But that's not the point.
The reason Vennominon is my pride is that it's the medium for something far more terrifying. When Vennominon is destroyed, the Trap Card "Rise of the Snake Deity" can summon the truly invincible demon god, "Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes."
That's the real trump card—once it hits the field, the duel is more than half won: a godlike, unbeatable monster!
Viper narrowed his eyes.
"Come on, destroy my Vennominon. Smash it with a big monster, pop it with an effect—I don't care how. The moment you take it down will be the moment of your defeat!"
Of course, that was all inside voice. The professor's nerves were iron; his face stayed stone-still.
"My turn. Draw."
Kira drew, then immediately revealed the card.
"I equip the Spell 'Wonder Wand' to my 'Witch of the Black Forest.'
This card can only be equipped to a Spellcaster. The equipped monster gains 500 ATK."
[Witch of the Black Forest, ATK 1100 → 1600]
"Then I use Wonder Wand's second effect. Send both the equipped monster and this card to the GY to draw 2 cards."
The witch and wand vanished from the field; Kira drew two.
"Now, Witch of the Black Forest's effect. When this card is sent to the GY, add 1 monster with 1500 or less DEF from your Deck to your hand."
Viper clicked his tongue.
Last turn, he'd specifically attacked Don Zaloog first to avoid triggering the witch's search. He didn't want to give the opponent a free tutor.
In hindsight, not only did the opponent still get the search, he also drew two extra. Maybe it would've been better to pop the witch first after all.
"From my Deck, the monster with 1500 or less DEF is…"
Kira smiled mysteriously and plucked out the card the deck auto-ejected.
"I add 'Abyss Soldier' to my hand."
He revealed the card, the deck auto-shuffled, then immediately slapped that monster onto the Duel Disk.
"I Normal Summon 'Abyss Soldier'!"
Clear water burst forth, taking the shape of an aquatic warrior. He looked like a deep-sea creature standing upright, golden trident in hand. With each sweep of the trident, the water obeyed, swirling at his command.
[Abyss Soldier, ATK 1800]
"Abyss Soldier's effect—by discarding a WATER monster from my hand, I can choose any card on the field and return it to its owner's hand."
Kira showed a monster from his hand.
"I discard the WATER monster 'Sinister Serpent' to the GY and bounce your ace, 'Vennominon the King of Poisonous Snakes,' back to your hand!"
Viper: "!"
The professor's pupils tightened; he grit his teeth.
Not battle. Not effect destruction. A bounce…
You've got to be kidding.
"Rise of the Snake Deity" only triggers when Vennominon is destroyed, and Vennominon's own zombie-revive only matters if it gets beaten down. But a send-back to hand…
Abyss Soldier swept his trident; the water surged like a dragon, swallowing Vennominon in an instant, as if washing even the venom away.
Vennominon roared, but turned into light and flew back to its master's hand.
"Battle." Kira raised his hand. "'Abyss Soldier,' attack Professor Viper directly."
Abyss Soldier strode forward, feet stepping upon flowing water. Energy spiraled around the trident like an enchantment, then thrust straight at Viper's chest.
"Ugh…"
Viper staggered back half a step.
"'Damage Off Zone' halves my battle damage!"
[Viper, LP 3800 → LP 2900]
"Then I activate my set Continuous Trap 'Damage = Reptile'!"
Even taking a heavy blow, Viper operated immediately.
"Once per turn, when battle involving your Reptile monster causes you to take battle damage, you can Special Summon from your Deck 1 Reptile with ATK less than or equal to that damage!"
...
2 Bonus chapters at 500 PS