Yu-Gi-Oh! (manga)/Recap/Original/Duel 3 Hard Beat

Yugi yawns as he waits for the bus to school. As he gets on, he thinks "I hope something fun happens today". He spots a classmate, Hanasaki, and says hello, but is ignored. Yugi thinks Hanasaki is almost as invisible in class as he is. When the bus makes a short stop, Yugi falls into an empty section in the back of the crowded bus, where a loud thumping noise resounds. It's the beat of music being listened to by a student named Sozoji. Yugi tries to get away but is stopped by Sozoji and freezes in his tracks. Sozoji calls Yugi over to his seat and says it's time for another all night solo live show from him- narration explains that it's a monthly night-long karaoke session with some rather debilitating effects on its listeners. Sozoji wants Yugi to sell ten tickets to the show for 2000 yen each. Yugi stares at them with foreboding. Sozoji cracks his knuckles as he threatens Yugi. As Yugi reaches school, he thinks "I hope something fun happens someday..."

In class, Yugi is greeted by Jonouchi, who asks Yugi what's going on but isn't given an answer. He says that he determined that there was no star at the school, but says he's going to be the first. Yugi looks down, and Jonouchi says he's here for him. Yugi looks a bit better but still denies that there's anything wrong. He doesn't want to tell his friends about the tickets because he doesn't want them to suffer for him. Before leaving school he comes across Hanasaki in the locker room, and almost brings out the tickets, but decides that he shouldn't sell them, even though Hanasaki isn't a close friend. He just says goodbye, but Hanasaki asks Yugi to buy a ticket he has. Yugi gets nervous, but he doesn't have any money. He suggests just taking the tickets from Hanasaki so he won't have to go to the concert. Yugi leaves with 15 tickets in his pocket- then, Sozoji looms over Hanasaki's head and says he can't take the easy way out. Loud sounds come from the school before we cut to the karaoke box on the day of the show.

Sozoji is outraged that Yugi is the only one there and that he couldn't sell any tickets. He says he'll give Yugi a "live show of blood", giving him headphones and turning the volume to the max, and giving a screeching performance. After the song, Sozoji pulls aside a curtain to reveal a beaten Hanasaki. The two exchange apologies, and then the Millennium Puzzle flashes- the other Yugi pulls off his headphones dramatically and says he'll never forgive Sozoji, challenging him to prove he's not a coward through a game- the Silence Game.

Yugi finds two sound-sensitive clown dolls called "Sound Pierrot" and sets them up in front of each of them- the first person to make a noise, causing the clown to dance, loses. Yugi bets his life on the game, but promises a Penalty Game for Sozoji if he loses. The game begins, Sozoji thinking that the karaoke room shouldn't be this silent. He then realizes that Yugi's headphone jack stuck on the rim of a drink glass, and that eventually it'll fall over and make a noise. Sozoji's heart pounds as he waits for the jack to fall, until eventually the clown begins dancing- but the jack hasn't fallen, it's actually Sozoji's heardbeats over the speaker, picked up by the microphone and played at maximum volume. Holding onto the microphone lost him the game. For his penalty game, Yugi forces him to hear the sound of his heart growing louder and louder until it becomes a deafening roar. Yugi says some stuff about rock music's beats coming from heartbeats and then takes Hanasaki away.