...For example, the legendary M78.
"Field Magic - Malefic World's effect: Neos Fusion Monsters on the field gain 500 attack power. And because two more cards are on the field, Magma Neos gains another 800 attack power, a total increase of 1300 attack points!!"
[Elemental Hero Magma Neos, ATK 5000 → ATK 6300]
"Next is the effect of 'Favorite Hero'!" Judai continued to shout, "The equipped monster's attack power increases by its own defense value, which is 2500 points!"
[Elemental Hero Magma Neos, ATK 6300 → ATK 8800]
Even Kaiba couldn't help but change his expression: "Attack power... 8800!?"
Yusei also couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Is this the power of Senior Judai? So strong..."
"By the way, when Favorite Hero is equipped, the equipped monster cannot be targeted by card effects." Judai smiled slightly and waved, "Battle! Magma Neos, attack Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon!"
The hero's entire body burst into flames!
He raised his right hand high, all the energy in his body converging toward his palm. The visible light rapidly concentrated into his palm like a stream of air, brewing into a massive burning energy sphere containing light capable of incinerating all!
Super Heat Meteor!!!
The overwhelming light was thrown from Neos's hand, a momentum that seemed to engulf Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon. Even a powerful monster like Chaos White Dragon could not resist under such supreme divine brilliance and could only let out a helpless wail...
Boom!!!
The sky-reaching explosion seemed to destroy the newly reborn space itself, with scorching heat waves and blinding light stinging the retinas to the point it was impossible to look directly at it.
"...Senior Judai, won?"
Yusei lowered the arm shielding his face, squinting against the intense light.
...No, that didn't seem to have happened.
After the desperate blow from Neos, a massive dragon unfolded its wings and dispersed the smoke in the space. The indicator lights on its armor glowed with a blue fluorescence, and Chaos White Dragon raised its head, letting out a high-pitched dragon's roar!
[Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon, ATK 8800]
Judai was surprised, "Chaos Dragon's attack power... also reached 8800?"
"Hahahahaha!!!"
Kaiba laughed heartily with his arms crossed.
"You're strong, truly strong." He waved his large hand, "But you're facing the most powerful duelist on the surface!
Just now, at that moment, both of my Trap Cards were activated!
Trap Card - Enhanced Counter! Turns one instance of battle damage to zero, and during this Battle Phase only, you can choose to increase the attack power of one monster on the field by the amount of damage nullified! (Anime Card)
And Trap Card - Time Machine! Special Summons the Monster destroyed by battle back to the field in the same manner!"
As mentioned before, the current world's Duel Monsters game does not resolve the "Battle Step" in phases like it will later. The destruction of monsters and the calculation of battle damage occur simultaneously. Therefore, Kaiba can first use "Time Machine" to revive the destroyed Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon back onto the field, then use "Enhanced Counter" to nullify the damage inflicted on himself and simultaneously boost Chaos Dragon's attack power.
"As expected of President Haima." Yusei quickly noticed the turn of events, "Though the attack power is only raised for this turn, Senior Judai's attack for this turn is over.
In the next turn, Magma Neos's attack and defense will both become zero due to Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon's effect. If he takes that hit, Senior Judai will lose..."
Moreover, because Kaiba used his two Set Cards in the back row, there are now two fewer cards on the field, causing Magma Neos's attack power to decrease as well.
[Elemental Hero Magma Neos, ATK 8800 → ATK 8000]
Clearly, even if he could attack again here, he would not be a match for Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon.
"Hmph, making it this far is already something you can be proud of." Kaiba tilted his head upward, "But I'm stronger now than ever before! To defeat me with your strength alone is far from sufficient!"
"...That might not be the case, Kaiba." Judai smiled.
"What?" Kaiba's eyelid twitched.
Practically by instinct, hearing those words made the President instantly sense something ill-favored...
"My attack is not over yet."
Judai waved his hand and pulled the Equip Magic from the Duel Disc and sent it to the graveyard.
"Equip Magic - Favorite Hero's effect! When destroying an opponent's monster in battle, send this card to the graveyard, and Magma Neos can attack again!"
As the Equip Card disappeared, Neos gained the right to attack again in this Battle Phase. However, correspondingly, he must decrease his attack power by his defense value, which is 2500 attack points. And because there is one less card on the field, it must decrease by another 400.
A total decrease of 2900 attack points!
[Magma Neos, ATK 8000 → ATK 5100]
Kaiba was startled, "Even with attack power dropped to this point, you're still going to attack!?"
Although he realized something was amiss, he had no other means available and could only grit his teeth and shout, "Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon, counterattack! Chaos Burst Stream!!!"
Without needing his command, the Blue-Eyes had already opened its mouth. At this point, the balance of power had reversed, with the Chaos Burst Stream in the dragon's mouth carrying over eight thousand attack power, enough to decide the battle in one hit!
However, at that very moment, Judai revealed his last card, also the card that would decide the outcome!
"Quick-Play Magic - Battle Fusion!" Judai shouted, "When a Fusion Monster battles an opponent, its attack power increases by the attack power of the opposing monster!"
"Nani!!??" The President was shocked.
Battle... Fusion!?
He couldn't help but recall the last duel against Youyu, where he faced the same Elemental Hero and the fierce exchange of attack and defense on both sides, with the curtain ultimately drawn by both simultaneously drawing Battle Fusion.
This time, at the hands of Youyu's apprentice, was he to repeat the same defeat as last time!?
In a daze, the President felt that the image of this guy in front of him, in a blur, seemed to overlap with Youyu...
It felt just like having another fierce duel with Youyu!
[Elemental Hero Magma Neos, ATK 5100 → ATK 13900]
Kaiba was dumbfounded to see Neos's entire body blooming with golden radiance. The dazzling golden light enveloped the Hero entirely, and the molten beam emanating from his palm easily shredded Chaos's burst stream, penetrating the armor and shattering the Dragon of Light.
[Kaiba, LP 1200 → LP 0]
Kaiba staggered back a step, as the black smoke projected by the hologram slowly dissipated.
He couldn't recover for a moment.
...Lost.
And this time, he didn't even lose to Youyu himself, but to his apprentice.
...
...Youyu, just how strong have you become now!?
Of course, Kaiba had long passed the stage during his first duel with Yugi, where losing one match would make him despondent.
Or rather, it was precisely because he learned to accept his defeats that he was able to overcome that hurdle and reach the heights he is at today.
If he couldn't even accept a mere defeat, he wouldn't have been able to keep moving forward.
...This isn't the first time anyway.
Losing to Yugi, losing to Youyu, and then losing to Yugi again...
By losing repeatedly, one gets accustomed to it.
When he looked up, he found the player in the unicorn headpiece had come to stand before him...
"Victory!" Judai cheerfully pointed a finger, "What an enjoyable duel, Mr. President."
Kaiba: "..."