Two of three powerful artifacts allow Rugal Bernstein, a man of evil intent, to enter and control an alternate dimension where gamers have been entering into martial arts combat for fun. From there, he awaits adversaries, killing them rather than defeating them so that he alone will remain as The King of Fighters. As Rugal possesses lesbian lovers Vice and Mature to aid him, undercover CIA agent Mai Shiranui teams up with Iori Yagami and Kyo Kusanagi to stop him before he can unleash a dread spirit named Orochi upon Mankind.