At Old Snake's attack command, Venom Serpent shot forward like an arrow. Its twin green heads sank into Lycoris's waist and thigh, injecting venom that rapidly spread. Lycoris screamed and shattered.
Morgan's LP dropped by 400, but Old Snake held back Vennominon from attacking. With only two Reptiles left in his Graveyard, it had just 1000 ATK, while Morgan's remaining Lycoris each had 1100 with only one Venom Counter.
He wasn't worried. Venom Swamp would finish them off during the End Phase.
"End Phase: Venom Swamp places another Venom Counter. ATK -500!"
Old Snake cackled. Both Lycoris turned splotched black and purple.
"End of turn!"
Viviana couldn't relax. She knew Old Snake had more planned. With no cards in hand, his face-downs were the only threat.
She held Mena tight, watching anxiously. Did Morgan see it too?
Morgan glanced at the set cards but didn't flinch. Trickstars lacked backrow removal, so there was no point worrying.
She would just burn him out.
"My turn. Draw!"
Old Snake, not wanting to risk it, flipped his Trap card immediately.
"I activate Offering to the Snake Deity!"
"Destroy 1 face-up Reptile to destroy 2 of your cards!"
"I destroy Vennominon to destroy both your Lycoris!"
Viviana gasped. Why sacrifice his boss monster when he still had Venom Serpent?
Both Lycoris were destroyed. Old Snake grinned.
Now the other Trap could be activated.
"I activate my other Trap: Rise of the Snake Deity!"
"When Vennominon is destroyed: Special Summon Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes from hand or Deck!"
His real ace. The win condition monster.
Old Snake had no cards in hand, so he summoned from the Deck.
His Duel Disk ejected the card.
"I Special Summon Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes!"
Winds howled across the swamp as a towering figure emerged—a Medusa-like serpent goddess with snakes for hair and massive serpent heads for hands.
[Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes] Level 10│0 ATK / 0 DEF
'Zero stats again?'
Viviana trembled. Now she understood. Monsters like these always had ridiculous effects.
"Vennominaga inherits Vennominon's effect. It gains 500 ATK for each Reptile in the Graveyard."
"And as a god, it can't be targeted or affected by any other effects."
"What?!"
Viviana's heart sank. Unaffected? She could only destroy it in battle… and it probably revives too.
Morgan simply stared.
A monster immune to effects? So what? Her effects didn't target monsters anyway—they burned players.
Vennominaga had 1500 ATK from three Reptiles in the Graveyard. Pathetic.
She sighed. Time to end this.
"I activate the Spell: Trickstar Magical Laurel!"
"Target 1 Trickstar in your Graveyard: Special Summon it and equip this card."
She revived Holly Angel, now wearing a cute floral crown.
Old Snake frowned. The duel wasn't over yet, but he could afford some LP loss this turn.
However, Morgan wasn't going to give him that turn.
"I Normal Summon Trickstar Candina!"
"Her effect: Add 1 Trickstar card to hand. I add Trickstar Live Stage."
Since Candina was summoned to Holly Angel's zone: 200 damage.
Old Snake ignored it—until Morgan flipped her Set Trap.
"I activate Dark Room of Nightmare!"
"Each time you inflict effect damage: deal 300 more!"
200 from Candina + 300 from Dark Room = 500 damage.
That escalated fast.
And she wasn't done.
"I activate the Field Spell: Trickstar Live Stage!"
"When activated: add 1 Trickstar from GY to hand. I return Trickstar Lycoris."
The swamp dried, replaced by a dazzling pop stage. Balloons rose, lights flashed, cheers echoed.
Even without Light Stage, the performance drowned out the shadows.
"Live Stage's second effect: If I control a Trickstar Link Monster, Special Summon 1 Trickstar Token."
A balloon-like Token landed in Holly Angel's zone. Burn: 200 + 300 = 500.
Holly Angel gained 400 ATK for the 400 damage she'd dealt this turn, rising to 2400.
More was coming.
"I use the Token and Candina to Link Summon: Trickstar Divaridis!"
"On Special Summon: deal 200 damage."
Combined with Holly Angel and Dark Room: 1000 damage.
Old Snake winced.
Despite summoning his invincible ace, he was the one getting torn apart.
Viviana watched, amazed. Morgan ignored the boss monster, targeting the Duelist instead.
Vennominaga was just a spectator.
Morgan continued.
"I activate Lycoris in hand: return Divaridis to Extra Deck, Special Summon Lycoris!"
Same zone, same effects: 500 more damage.
"I use Lycoris for a Link Summon: Trickstar Bloom!"
A tiny girl with braided brown hair and a massive pendulum hammer appeared.
"Trickstar Bloom effect: your opponent draws 1 card."
"Then takes Holly Angel and Dark Room damage."
Old Snake gritted his teeth and drew. It was Snake Rain—useless now.
He watched his LP drop again, drained like blood.
He was prey now.
Morgan activated the Equip Spell again.
"Trickstar Magical Laurel effect: When the equipped monster deals damage: Special Summon 1 Trickstar from hand."
"Come back, Candina!"
500 more damage.
With so many instances of burn, Holly Angel's ATK soared past Vennominaga.
Time for the finale.
"Battle! Trickstar Holly Angel attacks Vennominaga!"
She lashed out with her ribbon whip, smashing the goddess to pieces.
Vennominaga could no longer revive.
Old Snake's LP hit 0.
The duel was over. Morgan had won.
"No... impossible! I lost?!"
Black mist surged. It turned on Old Snake, devouring him.
Shadow Duelists who lose are punished. And Old Snake knew that pain all too well—He had no time to scream as in the next moment, he vanished.
The darkness around the villa cleared. The world returned to normal.
Morgan exhaled. She was about to check her Duel Points when she was suddenly pulled into a soft embrace.
Viviana hugged her tightly, overwhelmed with relief.
Feeling the softness different from Jade's, Morgan closed her eyes.
Though not obvious outwardly, Viviana was surprisingly well-endowed. And she was wearing a sleeveless top.
[Congratulations on your Shadow Duel Victory.]
[Duel Points: 6000]
[Duel EXP: 6000]
[Duel Talents: Calm Mind LV6, Dragon Signer LV2]
'6000 Duel Points!'
Morgan's eyes gleamed. Enough to get a whole new Deck.
'System, I want a highly aggressive Deck. Something brutal. I want to feel every punch.'
[Scanning... Match found.]
[Deck granted: Dinomorphia]
'Dino girl archetype?'
Morgan felt her deck box grow heavier.
Her expression twisted.
Sure, it was aggressive. Sure, every punch landed. But with how fast it dropped your own LP...
Still another Underworld type Deck!!
…
TL: It seems there's a difference in ruling in this world in case of Extra Deck Monsters since Holly Angel summoned by the Magical Laurel from GY couldn't be summoned to the Extra Monster Zone (according to official rules) if summoned not from anywhere but the Extra Deck, which would make it so it doesn't point to any Monsters.
But in this world, it sounds like ED monsters can be summoned to your ED Zone anyway, no matter where they're summoned from. (though it's not mentioned explicitly, so we'll know.)
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going!
[Patreon.com/RedZTL]