"Damage = effect of the Reptile, search from the card deck for a Reptile Race to appear!"
Professor Kobra then drew from the card deck, quickly playing the selected Monster Card.
"The damage I received is 900, so from the card deck, summon a monster with attack power less than that value.
Special summon the second 'Snake Venom Cobra'!"
Once again, it was that cobra creature with thick white scales, its long body swaying with its tail, hissing as it flicked its tongue, a frightful sight to behold.
[Snake Venom Cobra, Attack Power 100]
"Then at this moment."
Yugen revealed a card in his hand.
"Activate the Speed Attack Magic 'Land of the End' from my hand!
Activate when the opponent successfully special summons a monster, select a Field Spell Card from your own deck and activate it."
The field suddenly changed, the sun obscured by dark clouds cast a dim light from the sky, illuminating the desolate ruins below.
Then, a tsunami-like surge of water flooded the ruins, instantly filling the entire space. The ground under the sea started to tremble, cracking open, with ancient buildings rising amidst bubbling water and dust.
"Activate the Field Spell from the deck 'Legendary City - Atlantis'," Yugen said, "This card increases the attack power and defense of all Water Attribute Monsters by 200, and decreases the level of Water Attribute Monsters in both hand and field by 1 star."
[Abyss Soldiers, Attack Power 1800→Attack Power 2000]
Kobra remained silent, his voice low.
The troublesome soldier's attack power increased to 2000, seemingly a mere 200-point boost, yet it elevated it from a lower-grade attacker to an upper-level Monster, making it even more challenging.
Yugen: "Finally, I cover two cards in the backfield, ending my turn."
Beside him, Ammon observed quietly.
Abyss Soldiers, a monster with a bounce-back ability. This monster's ability also seemed to counter Professor Kobra's Poisonous Snake King type.
Choosing this monster for battle, perhaps the King did this intentionally?
Could it be that he knew Professor Kobra's tactics from the start?
"My turn, draw card..."
Kobra stood up, looking up and speaking in a deep voice.
"You, do you know the characteristics of the Poisonous Snake King and my Snake Venom Card Deck? Otherwise, how could you just happen to...?"
"Well... do I know or not?"
Yugen gave a slightly playful smile.
"What do you guess?"
Kobra gritted his teeth.
Regardless of strength, the Duel King is indeed as infuriating as the legends say...
Of course, he had also heard that provoking anger is part of the King's duel strategy. Once you lose yourself to rage before him, you've completely fallen into his rhythm, and defeat is not far off.
"I activate the Magic Card 'Demon Sanctuary'!" Kobra shouted, "Special summon a 'Metal Demon Derivative' on my field!"
The magic barrier opened on the ground, the image of a small metallic figure emerged within the barrier like a doll.
[Metal Demon Derivative, Attack Power 0]
"Then sacrifice 'Snake Venom Cobra' and 'Metal Demon Derivative', once more make your descent—
—Poisonous Snake King Vinomirion!!!"
The two gathered sacrificial offerings on the field were swallowed and vanished by a dark mire. Following that, a mass of poisonous fog burst from the darkness, which first materialized into countless flying small snakes, the fingers of the Poisonous Snake King. Next came the dangerous eyes, the erect snake body, symbolized by a red cape representing royal status.
[Poisonous Snake King Vinomirion, Attack Power 0]
"Furthermore, as the number of Reptile Races in the graveyard increases, the power of the Poisonous Snake King also rises!"
[Poisonous Snake King Vinomirion, Attack Power 0→Attack Power 3500]
"Additionally, at this moment, the Continuous Magic 'Netherworld's Treasure Scroll' effect also activates!" Kobra said, "Using two monsters as offerings for an upper-level summon, I draw two more cards from the card deck!"
Kobra drew cards vigorously.
Then he looked up coldly at Yugen's field.
"Do you want to use that annoying soldier to bounce away the Poisonous Snake King again next turn? I won't let you have your way! Now, see the true unshakable authority of the Poisonous Snake King!
Go, Poisonous Snake King Vinomirion, tear that Abyss Soldier to pieces for me!"
The Poisonous Snake King let out a sharp cry, seemingly enraged by the Water Tribe Warrior, who had embarrassed him earlier, rushing forward as if for revenge.
Yugen: "Then activate the Continuous Trap 'Super Gravity Net'.
All monsters above Level Four on both sides cannot attack!"
The gravity wave descended with a bang, instantly pinning the aggressive Poisonous Snake King to the ground with an invisible force, leaving it squealing painfully, unable to move.
"I see!" Ammon's eyes brightened, "Super Gravity Net sealed Kobra's attack, and even though Abyss Soldier was originally a Level Four monster, with the Field effect of 'Atlantis', it was reduced to Level Three, hence unaffected by Super Gravity Net..."
So only Kobra was blocked. Meanwhile, the Abyss Soldier can discard a card from the hand every turn to bounce away the cards on the field and use its current two-thousand-point strong output for pressure and control...
This is truly the strategy of the King.
Kobra clenched his fist: "Even the attack is sealed..."
"What's wrong, Professor? Didn't you want me to see the unshakable authority of the Poisonous Snake King?" Yugen teased, "If you don't come at me, the student can't feel anything."
Kobra kept a cold face.
"Don't get too cocky, boy."
He glanced at a card he had just drawn.
Though the attack was neutralized again, the upper-level summon of the Poisonous Snake King and the new cards drawn from the Netherworld's Treasure Scroll provided another route.
"Cover a card, the turn ends."
Kobra said coldly.
"To my turn, draw a card."
Yugen drew a card, pausing momentarily.
"At this moment, activate the effect of 'Assassin Snake' in the graveyard.
While this card exists in the graveyard, during your own preparation phase, return this card from the graveyard to your hand." (Old effect)
A green shadow of the poisonous snake flickered by. Yugen displayed the monster card that exited the graveyard, returning it to his hand.
Kobra's frown deepened.
Assassin Snake is a Water Attribute, usable as COST for the Abyss Soldier. And it can self-retrieve every turn after being discarded...
Abyss Soldiers with the ability to bounce back, one-way sealing trap, and now infinite ammo...
What a hellish power!
This strategy was utilized by Yugen early on in the Academy, but both outsider Kobra and Ammon were witnessing it for the first time, and couldn't help but be amazed... Of course, much more amazed was the onlooker Ammon, compared to the somewhat stifled Professor Kobra.
"Then I discard the 'Assassin Snake' that just returned to my hand as COST and activate the effect of 'Abyss Soldiers' once again."
Yugen discarded the card back into the graveyard.
"Bounce 'Poisonous Snake King Vinomirion' back to the professor's hand once again!"