Kouji Ibuki, once a champion cardfighter, saw his confidence shattered by a devastating loss to Ryuzu Myoujin. This defeat extinguished his passion for Vanguard, driving him from competitive play. He later reemerged as the leader of the clandestine Dragons' Gate organization. Convinced psychic abilities were the ultimate evolution of cardfighting, Kouji recruited disillusioned fighters into Dragons' Gate, offering them psychic powers to dominate opponents.

Personally wielding psychic abilities through his Dragonic Vanquisher deck’s "Psychic" skill, Kouji manipulated opponents' minds and senses during matches. He created illusions and forced misplays, bypassing skill to guarantee victories. His endgame involved harnessing collective psychic energy at a national tournament to trigger the "Psychic War"—a cataclysmic phenomenon designed to merge reality with the psychic plane and forcibly evolve humanity.

Clashes with Chrono Shindou challenged Kouji’s philosophy, as Chrono championed honest cardfighting without psychic interference. A pivotal rematch against Ryuzu Myoujin—fought without psychic powers—ended in Kouji’s defeat but reignited his authentic love for Vanguard competition. This awakening led him to disband Dragons' Gate and abandon psychic dominance. Kouji returned to the cardfighting scene with renewed focus on pure competition. He later tested his legitimate skills at events like the Vanguard Festival, facing rivals such as Kazuma Ishida to forge his strength within the game’s rules.