Yugi’s grandpa is the owner of the Kame Game store. He collects and sells various games and toys from around the world. He often introduces Yugi and his friends to the latest games that are taking the world by storm, and today is no exception.

Grandpa Muto introduces Yugi and Jonouchi to a game called Monster Fighter (not to be confused with Monster Hunter). The game is played with monster figurines that are placed on a pedestal with a gun-like trigger beneath it, called fighting guns. Using the trigger and buttons, the players control their monsters and engage in 1v1 boxing matches. The game looks similar to Rock’em Sock’em Robots. (I have to admit, this monster fighter game looks more like toys than Duel Monsters does.)

Yugi and Jonouchi test run the game in the store, and of course, Yugi wins. The next day, they bring their monster fighters to school. All of the other students are mesmerized, and within one week it became so popular that Grandpa’s game shop sold out of all monster fighters and fighting guns. They were still in high demand, but difficult to obtain.

One day, a student named Koji Nagumo approaches Yugi and asks him to come to the roof.

“If this is about Monster Fighter, our store is still sold out,” explains Yugi.

“I know that,” responds Nagumo, “I called you up here because I knew you would have a monster fighter. Let’s have a battle right here.”

“Okay, let’s do it!” agrees Yugi.

The two gamers place their monsters on their fighting guns. Yugi chooses a monster called Alti, which Nagumo calls ‘a scapegoat for a weakling’. The challenger chooses a monster called Wild Spider and warns that he is undefeated.

The battle begins.

“By the way, I forgot to mention,” continues Nagumo, “There’s this house rule I always play with: the winner gets the loser’s fighting gun, and of course, the loser’s monster too.”

“What? No way!” cries Yugi, “I don’t want to.”

“Look out dude, you’re wide open!”

“Huh?”

While Yugi is distracted looking at his monster, Nagumo clobbers him in the face, causing him to let go of his fighting gun.

“Well, I got a lot of other appointments, so I’ve gotta run,” says Nagumo, and runs off with Yugi’s monster fighter.

Yugi returns to the classroom and asks Jonouchi if he can borrow his monster fighter and fighting gun.

Yugi transforms into his alter-ego and finds Nagumo hiding in a shed, reselling his stolen monster fighters. He challenges Nagumo to a rematch.

“The game is three sets. The first to take two wins!” announces Yami-Yugi, “Just so you know, this monster fighter battle is a shadow game!”

The game begins.

Nagumo moves in for the first punch, but Yugi guards. Yugi responds with a middle kick, but Nagumo protects. The two monsters keep punching and blocking. While Yugi is focused on the battle, Nagumo decides to bust out his signature move – an IRL punch. Nagumo closes his fist on Yugi’s face, but in doing so, drops his monster’s guard.

“When you break your concentration, your monster is wide open!” cries Yugi, He successfully deals an uppercut to Nagumo’s spider monster.

Suddenly, Nagumo cries out in pain. He looks at his face and notices a large crack in his right cheek.

“In this game, the monsters won’t be damaged,” explains Yugi, “We are the scapegoats for the monsters!”

Yugi has won the first set. The second will now begin.

Nagumo starts with a high kick. Yugi blocks. Nagumo follows with a right straight. Yugi guards. Low kick. Guard. Nagumo goes for a left hook. Yugi guards, but soon realizes it was a feint. Nagumo switches to an instant right straight. Yugi won’t be able to block it in time, but seeing as he is the King of Games, he’ll find a way to win.

Nagumo’s monster moves in with his instant right, but suddenly, Yugi’s monster flops and goes completely lifeless. Nagumo’s attack missed!

“What?” cries Nagumo after he realized what happened, “He flipped off the power and went out of balance to dodge the punch!”

(Is that even legal?)

Yugi flips the power back on and deals two punches, then Yugi moves in for a middle kick. Nagumo guards, but it was a feint. Yugi’s attack switches to a high kick, and he hits the spider’s head right in the weak spot. As per the design of the game, Nagumo’s monster now freezes for two seconds.

Crap, if Yugi pulls the trigger right now, I’ll lose! thinks Nagumo, I can’t lose to that little brat.

With his monster frozen, Nagumo has nothing to lose, so he unleashes his other signature attack – an IRL kick.

Nagumo’s spider unfreezes and unleashes his own finishing move: Spider Death Trap. Yugi’s monster receives three blows to the chest, and as a consequence of the shadow game, Yugi now has three punch wounds in his own chest.

Nagumo wins the second set, but now the third and final will begin.

Yugi throws off his jacket and announces that the Shadow Mode has now been raised from Level 1 to Level 3.

(So, is this Yugi’s Final Form?)

Nagumo begins the third set with a right straight. Yugi guards. Left Hook. Body. Upper-cut. Guard.

Nagumo starts to get annoyed by Yugi’s consecutive blocks.

Yugi starts counter attacking with a left straight. Nagumo blocks. Yugi moves in with a right hook. Nagumo’s monster takes a hit. Yugi follows with a middle kick. Nagumo guards. Yugi then deals three punches followed by a left low kick. Nagumo’s monster has lost its balance. Yugi throws a right straight directly to the weak point. Nagumo’s monster is now frozen for two seconds.

No way, if he pulls the trigger now, I’ll lose, thinks Nagumo.

“You asked for it, sucker,” cries Nagumo, “I’ll kick you in the stomach again! I win.”

Nagumo moves in for another IRL kick, but suddenly he realizes he can’t move his leg. Nagumo looks down, and to his horror, all of the monster fighters he stole have come to life and are grabbing his leg. (Very reminiscent of Sid from Toy Story.)

Nagumo also notices that his own Wild Spider is grabbing his leg.

“What does that mean?” asks Nagumo.

“Apparently, your monster won’t sell its soul to evil,” explains Yugi, “Isolated and Friendless! It doesn’t look like any of the monsters are on your side!”

“Impossible, then what is this monster on my field?”

“You even betrayed the trust of your monster. The only monster on your side in this game is the monster called your soul.”

To his horror, Nagumo sees his own face appear on his monster’s head.

“Now, I’ll crush your ‘monster’,” cries Yugi, as he deals the finishing blow and annihilates Nagumo’s soul.

“A person can change their soul into any kind of monster,” says Yugi, “but in the end, the shadows always eat them alive.”

(Sheesh, kind of a dark ending for a guy who just stole stuff.)

Images were obtained from https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/yu-gi-oh