Hearing the final effect of Vennominaga, the whole arena instantly burst into an uproar.
Nani? Directly declare Yugi wins the duel!?
Isn't that the kind of ability only monsters on the level of the legendary Dark Great Mage "Exodia" have?
This kind of ability clearly goes beyond the scope of normal Duel Monsters, and even in the Spirit World it belongs to those great deities that have already touched the fundamental laws of the world.
This snake god is actually that strong!?
"I set two cards face-down and end my turn." Professor Cobra waved his arm grandly.
Youyu looked at his back row and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Another two Set Cards...
When "Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes" was made into a Physical Card it basically retained most of its effects, with not much difference from the original effect. The only discrepancy is probably in this "rule win" effect.
In the original anime, as long as Vennominaga dealt battle damage, no matter what happened, three turns later the duel would be automatically declared a win. Even if Vennominaga was removed, even if three turns later she was no longer on the field, it was meaningless.
The instant the battle damage was dealt, it was equivalent to the Venom having already been injected into the opponent Duelist's body. That was the Snake God's curse, absolutely incurable.
The only way to stop that effect from resolving is to defeat the opponent within those three turns.
Looking at the current situation, that means Youyu not only has to somehow deal with Vennominaga, who has invincible Resistance and infinite resurrection, he also has to clear out those two ominous face-downs in the opponent's back row, and finally has to burn through Professor Cobra's towering 9500 Life Points.
That's practically impossible.
At least that's what everyone else thinks right now.
With Vennominaga's 7000 attack, even if she really gets knocked down, Professor Cobra can make her revive immediately—and even switch her to Defense Position.
That way, before Youyu manages to exhaust all twelve of her lives, he doesn't even have a way to inflict battle damage.
No matter how strong the Duel King is, he must have a limit, right?
Can a situation like this...really be broken through?
"Hahahaha! That's right, Vennominaga is invincible!" Professor Cobra laughed loudly. "Maybe you underestimated me, Principal Youyu. Maybe if you'd gone all out from the very beginning, the result would've been different.
But now it's already too late! Vennominaga's ability has already activated, and this is a situation no one can solve!
This duel...is mine!"
Quite a few students were getting restless.
"No way, right? Is the Principal really going to lose?"
"With a board like this...there's nothing he can do, right?"
The students' morale dipped a little.
After all, Youyu had no shortage of fans at the academy. A lot of people saw him as a Duelist god-like existence. Their idol, the emblematic figure of their academy, falling here in defeat—it was only natural they'd feel discouraged.
But...
"It is pretty impressive," Youyu said. "Looks like I really should take this a bit more seriously."
"Hm?" Professor Cobra raised an eyebrow.
In this situation, you honestly think you can still turn it around?
He cast a sidelong glance at his own face-downs, unable to help feeling amused.
Principal Youyu doesn't seriously think my Set Cards are just for show, does he?
"My turn. Draw." Youyu said. "Magic Card 'Terraforming'. I add one Field Magic Card from my Deck to my hand.
The card I'm adding...is the Field Magic 'Temple of the Kings'.
Then I activate the Field Magic 'Temple of the Kings'!"
The earth rumbled as a majestic palace slowly rose up, occupying the entire Dueling Arena.
"A field that lets your set Traps activate right away, huh." Professor Cobra shook his head. "Useless. Traps are invalid against 'Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes'."
"I set one card on the field," Youyu ignored him, "then Normal Summon 'Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman's Whelp'."
[Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman's Whelp, ATK 400]
"Buster Blader's Whelp, effect activate. When successfully Summoned, when successfully Summoned, I add one 'Destruction Sword' card from my Deck to my hand.
I add 'Buster Blader' to my hand."
Professor Cobra frowned slightly.
Destruction Sword?
But Destruction Sword is the sword of the legendary dragon-slaying swordsman, only having special effectiveness against Dragon-Type monsters. It shouldn't have any use here.
Drawing the card that popped out of his Deck, Youyu then revealed it together with another card in his hand: "Magic Card 'Fusion'. I fuse the 'Buster Blader' in my hand with the 'Buster Blader's Whelp' on my field!
The Destruction Sword and the dragon totem merge into one, birthing the ultimate dragon-slaying Hero——
——Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman, Fusion Summon!"
Sword Qi surged as white light burst from the whirling vortex of Fusion; a heavily armored Warrior crashed down, his greatsword gouging open the ground!
[Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman, ATK 2800]
"Buster Blader is a top-class Swordsman with absolute suppressive power against Dragon-Type, truly a rare ace." Professor Cobra pondered briefly. "I don't know what you're planning, but to be safe...
...Flip Cover Card! Trap Card 'Floodgate Trap Hole'! The monster you just Summoned is turned face-down into Defense Position!"
The pitiful Destruction Sword had only just taken the field, and before it could even steady its footing it was turned face-down into Card state.
"Monsters that are turned face-down by this effect can't voluntarily change their battle position," Professor Cobra said. "That way it's no longer a threat."
"...Then I activate the effect of the Trap 'Destruction Sword Memories' in the Graveyard," Youyu said. "I banish this card from the Graveyard, and banish 'Buster Blader' and 'Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman' from the Graveyard to fuse again!
The totems of blade and dragon fuse for the second time, descending once more——
——Dragon Destroyer Swordsman · Buster Blader!"
With another Fusion, the white greatsword slammed into the ground, and the swordsman in heavy armor crashed down!
"You want to Summon that Monster that badly?" Professor Cobra still didn't believe his Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes could be defeated, but something instinctively felt wrong. "Then I flip my Set Card! Trap Card 'Torrential Tribute'!
When a Monster is Summoned, Special Summoned, or Flip Summoned, destroy all Monsters on the field!"
The torrent exploded, swallowing everything on the field in one gulp. Magician of Dark Illusion, Dragon Destroyer Swordsman and that face-down Destruction Sword on Youyu's field were all turned to dust in the raging surge.
When the water flow dispersed, only his "Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes" still stood firm on the field.
"Now whatever you're trying to do is useless," Professor Cobra said.
Youyu's expression didn't change; his gaze simply swept past the professor's back row.
And now, Professor Cobra's back row was empty as well.
"Then I activate the Magic Card 'Magicalized Fusion' from my hand," Youyu said. "I banish Monsters from the Graveyard and perform a Fusion Summon using Spellcaster-Type Monsters."
Professor Cobra's eyelids twitched.
This time it's a Spellcaster-Type Fusion Monster?
Youyu drew out two cards that popped out from the Graveyard.
"I banish 'Dark Magician' and 'Buster Blader' from the Graveyard to Fusion Summon!
The Destruction Sword is clad in the incantations of Black Magic, becoming the magical swordsman that cleaves ten thousand dragons——
——Dark Paladin, Summon!!!"
Dark Magician and Destruction Sword fuse; the swordsman dons a black mage's robe, his Longsword whipping up a storm of Black Magic!
[Dark Paladin, ATK 2900]
Professor Cobra frowned. "To be interrupted twice in a row and still Summon such a powerful ace...you do impress me, Principal Youyu.
But just that Monster alone can't possibly..."
"Flip Cover Card!" Youyu said. "Thanks to 'Temple of the Kings', the cards I Set can be activated this turn! And this card is——
——Continuous Trap 'Unfair Judgment'! Once per turn, I declare a Monster-Type; all Monsters in both Graveyards become the declared Type."
Professor Cobra: "!?"
Damn, the Monster-Types in the Graveyard...
"Amazing!" Mitsuzawa practically sprang out of his seat. "Even though 'Vennominaga' herself looks totally invincible, her ATK is determined by the number of Reptile-Type Monsters in the Graveyard!
If their Type is changed..."
"Of course, the Type I declare is Dragon-Type," Youyu said calmly. "All Monsters in both our Graveyards become Dragon-Type. That way, you don't have a single Reptile-Type Monster left in your Graveyard.
You know what that means, right?"
[Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes, ATK 7000 → ATK 0]
Vennominaga's ATK plummeted; her entire form seemed to wither, the value of over seven thousand crashing all the way down until it finally stopped at a big fat zero.
"He actually...found a blind spot on the invincible 'Vennominaga'..." Professor Cobra's eyes widened as he muttered.
"And furthermore," Youyu continued, "'Dark Paladin's ATK increases by 500 points for every Dragon-Type Monster on both the field and in both Graveyards!
And right now, every Monster in both our Graveyards is Dragon-Type!"
Professor Cobra: "!?"
At this moment Youyu had nine Monsters in his Graveyard, and Professor Cobra had fourteen Reptile Monsters plus one Double Coston.
A total of twenty-four cards!
"Dark Paladin's ATK increases by 12,000 points!"
[Dark Paladin, ATK 2900 → ATK 14900]
"ATK...14,900!?" Professor Cobra's expression warped in an instant.
"By the way, even if you somehow manage to survive this attack, your destroyed Vennominaga won't be able to revive herself with her own effect.
Because Vennominaga has to banish a Reptile-Type Monster from your Graveyard to revive, and right now the number of Reptile-Type Monsters in your Graveyard...is 0."
Professor Cobra was stunned for a moment, but his expression quickly calmed. He closed his eyes lightly, as if accepting the reality.
"So this is...the Duel of the Duel King?"
Utter submission.
"Battle," Youyu said. "Dark Paladin, attack 'Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes'!
Super Magical Wave Splitting Slash!!!"
The magical blade sliced open space, crescent-shaped waves of light roaring forth like ripples across the surface of water. Vennominaga's massive body was cleaved apart; she shrieked shrilly as the snake heads on her crown and both arms were severed one by one.
[Professor Cobra, LP 9500 → LP 0]