Rise of the Snake Deity (Alexis Vennominaga TF)

The duel arena crackled with the hum of holograms, venomous fog swirling faintly over the glowing grid. Viper slid a final card into place, his voice thick with satisfaction.

“...and with that, I’ll end my turn.” he drawled, eyes narrowing at his opponent across the field. “Say… Why would you come here all alone, Girl of Obelisk Blue? What possessed you to think you could challenge me directly?”

Alexis stood firm, her Duel Disk angled in front of her, the projection of Etoile Cyber flickering at her side. Sweat dotted her brow, but her gaze was steady.

“Because I had to.”

Viper raised a brow. “Had to?” His tone dripped with mock curiosity.

“You’ve been pulling strings from the shadows, haven’t you? I found proof. I caught you colluding with whatever evil shadow is plaguing this academy. But that’s not the only reason I came.” She paused, her hand tightening over her cards. “Lately… I’ve been on a losing streak. Important duels slip away, no matter how hard I try. And I’m sick of it. I’m not just some filler in the background… I’m a proud Obelisk Blue. I wanted to prove that I deserve that title. For that, I needed a real opponent. Someone worth beating.”

For a moment, there was no sound but the faint hiss of the King of Snakes on Viper’s field. Then he laughed in the most low, harsh, and mocking way possible.

“So that’s it. Pride.” He shook his head, lips curling. “You seek validation, and so you walk willingly into a viper’s nest. Arrogant, reckless, and oh so fitting for a self-proclaimed duelist of honor. Did you think a duel against me would give you some kind of… comeback?”

Alexis lifted her chin. “Exactly that. I’ll prove that I still have what it takes. My pride as Obelisk Blue won’t let me run away from you, Viper.”

His laughter turned into a hiss. “Then come, Alexis Rhodes. Show me this pride. And when it breaks…” His eyes gleamed with cruel anticipation. “…I’ll enjoy watching what’s left of you squirm.”

Alexis drew her next card in a sharp motion. The soft hiss of the card sliding from her deck cut through the tension. Her eyes widened as she looked at it. Time for a big play.

“Then watch closely,” she said, her voice hard as steel. “Because this is where my comeback begins.”

She thrust the card forward. “I activate Polymerization!”

Blue light spiraled upward as Etoile Cyber vanished into the vortex, joined by Blade Skater from Alexis’s hand. Energy surged, the vortex collapsing into a sleek new form. Cyber Blader, blades gleaming, stance firm.

“Cyber Blader, attack Vennominon, the King of Poisonous Snakes!”

Cyber Blader leapt high, blades flashing, and with a single twin slash cut clean through the coiling bulk of Vennominon, the King of Poisonous Snakes. The massive serpent hissed in agony as its body dissolved into fragments of holographic light.

Alexis exhaled, the first genuine relief she’d felt in the entire duel. “Got him.”

But across the field, Viper didn’t flinch. He simply raised one hand, grinning.

“Not quite. I activate my trap card, Rise of the Snake Deity! ”

The trap flipped up in a flare of sickly purple light. Alexis braced herself for a monster to descend, the legendary serpent goddess she’d heard rumors about. But nothing came.

The arena fell eerily silent.

Alexis blinked. “…Huh? Did you misplay, Viper?”

Viper’s grin only widened. “No… it’s working perfectly.”

The ground beneath Alexis trembled. Suddenly, the shadow of Vennominon surged upward again, rising from the very arena floor. With a guttural hiss, the serpent lashed out and sank its fangs into Alexis’s hand.

“Aah—!” Her duel disk clattered as she staggered back, clutching her wrist. This wasn’t holographic pain. She could feel venom burning into her veins.

The snake withdrew, slithering back across the grid as if nothing had happened, reforming at Viper’s side in a swirl of spectral venom. Vennominon’s eyes gleamed as it hissed proudly, 1500 attack points glowing over its form.

Viper spread his arms theatrically. “You’re confused, aren’t you? Allow me to clarify. Vennominon cannot truly die, Alexis. Each time he’s destroyed, I banish a Reptile from my Graveyard, and he returns. Granted a little bit weaker than before, but only until more reptiles fall to the graveyard again.”

He gestured to the glowing trap still hovering. “And as for my trap… Ah, the name does not lie. In three turns, the deity will rise. The true goddess of serpents will not be born from my deck, but rather… No, what point is there telling you? You will find out soon enough.”

Alexis’s heart pounded. She could feel it: something foreign coursing through her bloodstream, a crawling, searing poison that wasn’t just physical. It was inside her, pulling at her muscles, whispering in her head.

Her jaw tightened. She slid her last facedown card back into position and forced her voice to stay steady. “…Tch. Fine. I end my turn.”

But as her arm lowered, she shivered. Her veins ached with heat, faint purple patterns prickling across her skin. Alexis knew something had started. Something she couldn’t stop.

“…What’s happening to me?” she whispered under her breath, though Viper’s smirk told her he already knew the answer.

Viper drew his next card with a deliberate slowness, sliding it from his deck like a snake uncoiling from its nest.

“My turn. And first…” He slapped a card onto his Duel Disk. “I summon Venom Snake in attack mode!”

A low hiss echoed as a new serpent slithered onto the field, scales glistening with venomous sheen. Its tongue flicked as it eyed Alexis’s warrior.

“And now, I’ll have my pet spread a little venom. Once per turn, it places a Venom Counter on any monster I choose. And I choose… your Cyber Blader.”

The serpent’s maw opened, and in the blink of an eye, its fangs sank into Alexis Cyber Blader. The proud fusion warrior staggered, armor sizzling as the venom spread through her body. Numbers flickered, her attack dropping by 500 points.

Alexis flinched as the venom took hold. The burning sensation in her veins surged, centering on her right arm where Vennominon had bitten her. She gasped as her skin prickled, purple scales blossoming around the mark like a spreading rash. Her thighs twitched, muscles tightening unnaturally, her legs just a shade longer than before.

“Nngh—what… what’s happening to my body…?”

Viper chuckled, sliding another card into place. “You’ll see soon enough. Next, I activate the field spell, Venom Swamp!”

The arena shuddered. The floor dissolved into a bubbling, green-black mire, foul vapors curling into the air. The swamp swallowed the battlefield, its toxic haze eating at everything that dared to move across it.

“As long as Venom Swamp is active, every monster that isn't a venom bearer itself will gain a Venom Counter during each End Phase. Should their attack fall to zero, then that monster is history. Lets see? That proud Cyber Blader of yours is weakening even further.”

He flicked his wrist, commanding his serpent. “But first, I’ll put Vennominon into defense mode. No need for offense right now.” The serpent king coiled low, hissing but no longer striking.

Viper smirked, sliding his hand back. “That will end my turn.”

The swamp gurgled. A wave of venomous gas rolled across the field, splattering onto Cyber Blader again. The warrior staggered further, ATK points falling to 1100.

And on Alexis’s side of the duel disk, the venom’s toll continued. Her legs trembled, knees locking together as though drawn by an invisible force. The fabric of her Obelisk uniform strained as her thighs pressed, fusing just slightly. She bit her lip, eyes wide.

“…This poison… it’s changing me…”

Across the field, Viper’s laughter hissed like a serpent’s rattle. “Yes… turn by turn, duel by duel. Three turns, Alexis. That’s all it takes for the deity to awaken.”

Alexis drew with a snap, teeth clenched. The venom still burned in her veins, but the familiar feel of a card between her fingers grounded her.

“Draw!”

She glanced at her field. Cyber Blader faltered under the weight of poison, armor glowing faintly with corrosion, but the numbers flickered higher as her effect activated.

Even weakened by the venom, Cyber Blader pulsed with renewed energy. The glow around her blades sharpened as her attack points doubled.

“Even poisoned, when you control exactly two monsters, Cyber Blader’s attack doubles!” Alexis declared, her voice steady. Cyber Blader rose tall, blades humming with power, her ATK climbing to 2200, well above both of Viper’s serpents.

Viper tilted his head, smirking. “Oh? Still capable of calculation despite the venom gnawing at you. I’m impressed.”

Alexis’s eyes flicked between the two monsters across the field, and then she started to think. “I have a choice here… Venom Snake… if I destroy it, that would cut his number of monsters down. But then Vennominon would just get stronger from another Reptile in the graveyard. Worse, the King would get another life on top of that. That’d be a waste.”

Her fist tightened around her Duel Disk. “No… the better move is to keep the snake alive and keep Vennominon weak. Cut down the King every time he revives. That way his ATK stays low, and I can control the pace of this duel.”

She raised her hand sharply. “Don’t underestimate me, Viper! Cyber Blader! Attack Vennominon, the King of Poisonous Snakes!”

Her fusion warrior lunged, blades slicing into the coiling serpent. Vennominon shrieked, body exploding into shards of green and purple light.

But even as Alexis breathed out, Viper chuckled.

“And once again, the king slithers back. I banish another Reptile from my Graveyard to revive Vennominon!”

Dark light swirled at his feet. The serpent re-emerged, weaker but very much alive, eyes gleaming with malevolence. 1000 Atk left.

Alexis’s lips pressed into a line. “…Fine. Then I’ll end my turn by setting one card facedown.” She slid it into place, the hologram of the facedown snapping up in front of her.

The swamp hissed. Bubbles of venom burst across the arena floor, spewing another toxic wave toward her monster. Cyber Blader buckled again, coughing as her attack fell to 600.

Alexis herself staggered with the impact.

Her legs locked together with a sharp, unnatural pull. She gasped, looking down in horror as her thighs and calves fused seamlessly, smooth skin stretching into a single limb. They lengthened further, her feet warping, toes flattening until they barely resembled human form at all. By the time she caught herself on her Duel Disk, her lower body was grotesquely elongated, almost twice as long as it should have been. No matter how she tried to push them apart, there was no separation left. Just the start of a serpentine coil.

“N-no… this… this can’t be happening…” she whispered.

Viper’s laugh was cold and gleeful. “Oh, but it is. Already your human frame buckles. Soon you’ll see. Your oh so valuable pride, your body, even your soul, reshaped into the serpent’s image.”

Alexis gritted her teeth, her chest rising and falling sharply as she forced herself upright.

“I won’t let you break me… not in this duel!”

But even as she said it, she could feel the venom pulsing in time with her heartbeat, the coil in her lower half tightening with every throb.

Viper drew his next card with a flourish, his smirk never faltering.

“You’ve bought yourself a little time, Alexis, but not enough. I’ll show you how hopeless your struggle really is.”

He jabbed a finger forward. “Venom Snake! Strike again! Another Venom Counter for your Cyber Blader!”

The serpent hissed and bit once again. Cyber Blader staggered, armor corroding further, ATK sinking to a pathetic 100.

Alexis gasped sharply as the poison hit her, her duel disk rattling under her grip. The scales around her bite spread, spilling across her hands in jagged purple patches. Her fingers spasmed, stretching longer, joints cracking as her arms twisted against her will. It felt like invisible ropes coiled around her bones, wringing her flesh into something unhuman.

“Nngh—dammit… I won’t… break!”

Viper chuckled. “Let’s put your warrior out of its misery. Venom Snake, attack!”

The serpent king hissed, surging forward. But Alexis’s eyes blazed.

“Not so fast! I activate my trap, Urgent Ritual Arts!”

Her facedown snapped up, radiating light. “This lets me activate a Ritual Spell right now! I chose Machine Angel Ritual! By tributing Cyber Blader, I can summon Cyber Angel Dakini!”

The weakened warrior dissolved into a halo of energy, replaced by the towering figure of Dakini. Wings unfurled as her ATK gleamed proudly at 2700.

Alexis thrust a finger at Viper. “And when Dakini is summoned, you must send one of your monsters to the Graveyard. Not destroy, send. Meaning if you sacrifice your King now, he’s gone forever.”

For the first time, silence lingered between them. Then Viper threw back his head and laughed, a cruel, slithering sound.

“You truly thought you cornered me? No, Alexis. I’ll gladly offer up Venom Snake instead. My King is far too precious to waste.”

The lesser serpent dissolved, leaving only Vennominon coiled in defense.

Viper waved his hand dismissively. “You’ve entertained me for a moment, I’ll give you that. But it changes nothing.” He slipped two more cards onto his disk, the facedowns appearing on the ground before him. “I’ll set two cards face-down and end my turn.”

The swamp gurgled again. Dark gas swirled out, spilling over Dakini. Her attack points dimmed by 500, falling under the weight of the poison.

Alexis nearly dropped her cards as the venom surged through her once more.

Her arms lengthened further, grotesquely stretched. The skin twisted again and again, corkscrewing until her forearms looked like living spirals of muscle and scale. Her hands warped, fingers thinning and pulling together, each twitch less like human digits and more like the opening of snakelike maws.

Her breath came fast. She looked down at herself, her fused, stretched legs now mottled with purple-yellow scales across nearly every inch. The smooth, serpentine surface shimmered in the arena lights.

“No… it’s spreading too fast…! My whole body…”

Viper’s eyes gleamed in satisfaction, his grin sharp. “Yes… one more turn, and the serpent within will devour what little humanity you cling to.”

Alexis’s breath came in ragged gasps. Her elongated arms twitched, twisted almost twice around their own axis, scales glinting in the swamp’s sickly glow. Her warped hands barely clutched the cards, the tips of her fingers already starting to split like fanged mouths.

“…I can’t… hold out much longer. If I don’t draw something now…”

She closed her eyes for a heartbeat, then yanked the top card from her deck. The moment her gaze hit it, her lips parted in disbelief.

“…Yes… this might be it!”

Alexis’s hand trembled, but her eyes were blazing. She thrust her card forward.

“It’s time for the final act! I activate my Spell Card: Showdown on Grandstage! And I declare two names: Cyber Angel Dakini and Vennominon, the King of Poisonous Snakes!”

Viper’s smirk flickered, curiosity cutting through his arrogance. “Hmph. What exactly do you hope to accomplish with that?”

“Oh, you will see!” Alexis shot back. “I bet you won’t like it!”

Dakini spread her arms, her halo glowing as she charged.

“Dakini, strike! It’s time for the final showdown!”

“Sure, go ahead and strike down the king again. Haven't you learned that the king will just revive again and again, no matter how often you do it?”

The angel slashed down, cutting Vennominon cleanly in two. The serpent shattered into fragments of light as Viper’s Life Points dropped.

“What?!” Viper staggered back, eyes widening. “You… you dared—”

Alexis smirked fiercely, the pride of an Obelisk Blue burning in her voice. “Did I forget to mention? Dakini inflicts damage straight through defense. So even if you try to hide behind him, you’ll still take the hit.”

As if on cue, dark mist swirled on Viper’s field. Vennominon slithered back, weaker than before, its ATK now only 1000.

Alexis raised her hand, her voice triumphant. “And thanks to Showdown on Grandstage, the duel doesn’t stop there! As long as the only monsters on this field are Dakini and your King, the battle will restart… over and over again! Which means Dakini will cut him down, again and again, until you and your serpent finally stay down for good!”

Dakini’s halo blazed, her form already charging for the next strike.

But Viper snarled, his grin snapping back into place. “Not so fast! You’re not the only one with foresight. I reveal my facedown, Damage = Reptile!”

The trap card flared, venomous purple energy flooding the field.

“Each time I take damage, I can summon a Reptile from my Deck with an attack less than the damage dealt. You scratched me for 700 points, Alexis…” His hand darted into his deck, sliding out a card. “So I call forth Cobra Jar!”

A jar appeared, glass rattling as a serpent coiled inside, hissing.

Alexis’s eyes widened. “…No! Now there are three monsters on the field…!”

Viper’s laughter hissed across the swamp. “Clever, Alexis. Very clever. But in the end, all you’ve done… is buy me the pleasure of watching you squirm harder before the poison takes hold.”

Her arms trembled. Her warped hands almost dropped her cards entirely. All she could do was set her jaw tight.

“…I end my turn.”

The swamp gurgled once more, venom rising in a choking mist. Dakini staggered as her ATK dropped, poisoned by another counter.

And Alexis… Alexis doubled over with a cry as the venom tore through her body again.

Her entire frame stretched, her torso lengthening to match the unnatural coil below. Scales multiplied, shimmering purple and yellow all across her fused lower body. Her golden hair whipped about wildly as if caught in a storm, but then it tingled, writhing faintly. Alexis gasped, reaching up to clutch at it, her hair moved around what was left of her fingers, each strand twitching like a living thing.

“N-no… even my hair…”

Her voice broke, tears stinging her eyes. “I can feel it… like it’s on the verge of coming alive…”

Viper drew, the card sliding between his fingers like a serpent tasting the air. His eyes gleamed.

“The end slithers near, Alexis. This turn… the poison claims everything. So let’s make it a poisoning worthy of a goddess!”

He jabbed a finger forward. “Battle! Cobra Jar, attack Dakini!”

The tiny serpent-in-a-jar bounced forward clumsily. Alexis blinked, incredulous.

“…What? Why would you—”

Viper’s final facedown flipped open, bathing the arena in sickly green light.

“Because of this! Continuous Trap, Venom Splatter Drain! Each time a battle is declared on my turn, your monster gains a Venom Counter, and I gain one thousand Life Points for every counter placed this way. Time to drown in poison!”

The swamp hissed. Dakini convulsed as venom counters clung to her, ATK dropping sharply.

Alexis screamed, clutching her head as the venom surged into her body. Her eyes seared, pupils narrowing into thin, reptilian slits. Her arms writhed grotesquely, bones twisting into a natural spiral. Her hands split apart at the seams, digits stretching and fusing until they blossomed into snapping serpent maws.

“Nngh—no! My… my arms—!”

Dakini lashed back, her blade cutting down Cobra Jar. The jar shattered, and Viper winced as his Life Points dipped, even if just a little bit.

“Ah, would you look at that. 600 damage, which means…,” he chuckled darkly, “My other trap, Damage = Reptile activates! Since I took damage, I can summon a Reptile from my Deck with ATK equal to or less than what I lost. And so…” He slid a card out, slapping it onto his Duel Disk. “…another Cobra Jar takes the field!”

The second jar rattled into place.

“Again!” Viper commanded, voice gleeful. “Cobra Jar, attack Dakini!”

The swamp hissed. Another Venom Counter clung to Dakini, dragging her ATK lower. The goddess struck back, shattering the jar once more.

Alexis reeled, her golden hair splitting into writhing strands. The tips thickened, forked tongues slipping out, each lock now a tiny viper, hissing in unison. Her coils swelled beneath her, lifting her higher.

“I can’t… Not like this…!”

Viper’s Life Points dropped again, but he only smirked. “Hmph. Unfortunate. I don’t keep any Reptiles as weak as one hundred attack in my Deck. I’ll just have to make do… with my King.”

Vennominon slithered forward, eyes blazing.

“Attack Dakini!”

The serpent collided with the weakened ritual monster. Dakini staggered under the flood of another venom counter, ATK dropping again, now barely 100.

Alexis shrieked as her body convulsed. Her tail exploded outward, purple scales cascading over it in a brilliant sheen. Her torso stretched higher, her frame easily four meters tall as she towered above the field. Her uniform around her lower body tore away entirely, shredded under the monstrous girth of her coils.

Then Dakini collapsed in a burst of shattered light.

Alexis froze, eyes wide in horror as her body locked into place, snake-arms hissing, hair serpents writhing, tail coiled beneath her massive form. The transformation was complete.

Viper’s laughter echoed over the battlefield. “Magnificent! A goddess reborn! Just look at you, Alexis. No longer a duelist, no longer human. But you’re not quite complete…”

He waved his hand. “I end my turn. And with that, the effect of Rise of the Snake Deity finally resolves.”

The trap card rose from the ground again, sickly purple light flooding the arena. 

“You have triggered this trap 3 turns ago and now it is finally time. Watch as I call forth the ultimate serpent. I summon Vennominaga, the Deity of Poisonous Snakes!”

Alexis gasped, clutching at her chest, but her body no longer obeyed her will. Against her frantic thoughts, her massive tail slithered forward of its own accord. Her snake-arms hissed in unison, her hair-snakes writhed, and her entire body moved as if compelled by an unseen command.

“N-no… stop… my body… it’s moving on its own—!”

The arena shook. Where once Alexis had stood, now her colossal, monstrous form rose as Vennominaga itself, summoned not from a card… but from her own flesh.

Viper spread his arms wide, triumphant. “Behold! The true deity has risen! The duel is mine, Alexis, but more importantly, so are you! Ahahaha!”

Viper’s laughter still echoed as the swamp bubbled and hissed. He raised his hand, his last card flaring to life.

“And now… the finishing touch. I activate my final trap, Subjugating Mind Venom!”

The card’s aura pulsed, a deep, sickly violet light that crawled across the arena like a living fog, thickening around Alexis head, making her instantly feel lightheaded.

“Its effect is simple,” Viper explained, savoring each word. “If a monster infected by Venom Counters is destroyed this turn, you will give control of one monster on your side of the field… to me. Permanently. And something tells me you don’t have much of a choice.”

The venomous light spread over Alexis, seeping into her scales, her tail, her twisted arms. She gasped, clutching at her head as the pressure invaded her mind.

It was thick. Thick as honey, and just as sweet. Every thought she tried to form was drowned in its syrupy flood. Her pride, her determination, all softened into a haze of warmth.

“Nngh… no! You… you won’t take me, Viper!” she snarled, fangs flashing in her new serpentine mouth.

The honey sank deeper, clouding her words. Her head tilted back, eyes glowing faintly.

“I’ll… I’ll never lose to you… never…”

Her hiss carried less venom than before. The sweetness spread, dripping through her thoughts like nectar, dissolving her will.

“It’s… impossible… for me to lose…”

Her tone softened, as if repeating a truth she had always known. Her snake-hair writhed, but no longer in resistance, now in reverence.

The honey finally coated everything, warm, intoxicating, irresistible. She lowered her head, a smile curling on her lips, bliss lighting her reptilian eyes.

“…Because I always win. I always win… alongside my master. Yesss… I have the greatest master of all time.”

Her snake-arms hissed in unison, bowing toward Viper. Her massive tail curled protectively around him, a goddess embracing her creator.

Viper’s eyes gleamed with triumph. “Yes… that’s it. Accept it. Accept me.”

And Alexis hissed her devotion, her voice thick with bliss. “Yes… my master…”

The field went quiet, the rest of the cards from the duel fizzling away into static mist. Only the swamp remained, bubbling faintly as Alexis towered in the center of the arena.

Her serpentine coils glistened in the venomous light, her snake-arms swaying like banners of conquest. The golden vipers in her hair hissed in chorus as her slitted eyes narrowed, brimming with triumphant pride.

She let out a high and confident laugh, almost musical. “Hah! It’s over. I can’t even recall who we were fighting, Master… whoever they were, they must have been so pitiful, so insignificant, to fall so quickly before us.”

Her massive tail slammed against the ground, cracking the arena floor. She leaned forward, her serpents snapping the air, her voice dripping with cruel satisfaction.

“We’re unstoppable. I am unstoppable! My venom destroys everything. There’s nothing that can resist me. Nothing that can resist us!”

She laughed again, the sound ringing with arrogance, the certainty of a queen addressing her subjects. “Don’t you see? I didn’t lose. I won! I’ve become greater than anyone else, greater than this academy, greater than duelists, greater than even Obelisk himself! With you guiding me, Master, I am the apex of serpents. The divinity of venom!”

Viper said nothing at first, only grinning up at her, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Finally, he gave a small, approving nod.

“Good job, Alexis.” His tone was calm, but the cruelty in it was sharp as a fang. He held out a card, and with a flick of his wrist, the goddess’s colossal form shimmered.

She smiled, serene in her arrogance as her body dissolved into light, her essence sealed neatly back into cardboard.

The card snapped into Viper’s hand, its image shimmering with divine malice. Vennominaga, the Deity of Poisonous Snakes.

He looked down at it, smirking. He didn’t need to hear her thoughts to know she was eager. Within that card, Alexis Rhodes was more than willing to coil around the mind of the next fool to face him, to drown them in venom and pride until nothing remained.

Viper turned away, cloak trailing behind him. His voice lingered like a curse over the silent arena:

“After all… no one survives a taste of snake for longer than three turns.”

—

When the snake deity is scheduled to rise, no one survives longer than 3 turns against Viper. Pollstory for September