Yu - Gi - Oh ! - Duel 023 " American Hero ( Part 2 ) " is the twenty - third chapter of the " Yu - Gi - Oh ! " manga . This chapter was originally printed in the " Weekly Shōnen Jump " magazine in Japanese . Its first English release was in the " Shonen Jump " magazine . It has been reprinted in volume 3 of the and volume 2 of the bunkoban . Summary . Outside school . Hanasaki sees the two delinquents that he fought the previous night , picking on Yugi . Hanasaki quickly stands between them and Yugi , telling them to cut it out . One of them recognizes Hanasaki ' s voice and the other thinks to himself that this is Hanasaki , " the play hero from yesterday " , alright . The two eye Hanasaki , who gulps and tries to assure himself that he is able to flatten these guys as Zombire . The two of them decide to leave , saying that they cannot handle that guy . Yugi is impressed and compliments Hanasaki . Hanasaki asks Yugi to let him know if he ever has problems with bullies , and he will take care of them for Yugi . Elsewhere the first of the delinquents asks the other why they let Hanasaki off . He was under the impression that they were going to pay Hanasaki back back for last night . The other insists that they only needed to know what he looked like and that Hanasaki is their meal ticket , so they should let him play hero for now . As they meet up with the other member of their group , he says that they will put their plan into action tonight . Home . At Yugi ' s house , Yugi assembles a Zombire garage kit , but realizes that he is out of paint . The Kame Game does not stock spray paint and everywhere else is closed , but Yugi is determined to finish the model , having put it together . He checks the time ; 8 o ' clock and decides to go to Hanasaki ' s house to borrow a can of paint . The black - haired thug arrives outside Hanasaki ' s house , while inside the family are eating dinner together . Hanasaki asks his father if he is going back to America tomorrow and when he will be back . His father is not sure , but tells Hanasaki that he heard a rumor about some bad guys in the park beating someone up , who were stopped by a superhero . Hanasaki thinks his father would be surprised if he knew that it was him . Hanasaki decides to keep quite about it . He says goodnight to his parents and heads to his room . He asks that they knock before entering . Once Hanasaki leaves , his mother asks his father if he thinks Hanasaki has been acting more masculine lately . He just laughs and asks if she thinks so , but thinks to himself that his son gained confidence after the previous night . In his room , Hanasaki is wearing the Zombire costume and practicing hitting a dummy . Suddenly a stone , with the note the delinquents had written smashes through the window . The note says that they have Yugi kidnapped and gives the location . Hanasaki believes that it is the same bullies as before and refuses to let them get away with this . Hanasaki leaves his house through the window . One of the delinquents watches him and phones the others to say that things are going as planned . Yard . At a yard overlooking a canal , the other two delinquents hear that Hanasaki is coming . One of them finishes spray painting a skull and crossbones on a wall and announces that it is time for stage two . The other makes a call to Hanasaki ' s father , saying that they are ready to play hero games again , but this time they demand ¥500 , 000 ( About $ 4 , 100 US at the time ) or they will introduce a " shocking new plot element " , where the superhero gets beaten to death by the bad guys . Hanasaki ' s father panics as he is unable to pay that much . Hanasaki arrives at the yard , demanding to know where Yugi is . The delinquent advises Hanasaki ' s father to have the money quickly or his son will be in a hospital bed the next time he sees him , and hangs up . Yugi arrives at Hanasaki ' s house , where he finds Hanasaki ' s father worrying . He shows Yugi the ransom note that he found in Hanasaki ' s room . Back at the yard , Hanasaki is being beaten by the delinquents . He does not understand , since he was able to beat them no problem the previous night . The delinquents tell him that they were only acting last night , having been paid by his father . Hanasaki refuses to believe them and tries to make another attack , but gets sprayed in the face with the spray paint . As he lies on the ground , with his eyes stinging , he gets kicked again , being told that he could never be strong . Dark Yugi arrives , with Hanasaki ' s father and tells the delinquents to stop . He announces that he shall be the one who is going to play with them . One of them laughs and asks Dark Yugi if he thinks he can take on the three of them , as he throws his cigarette on the ground . Dark Yugi looks down at the cigarette and spray paint . He picks up the spray paint , saying that this should be fun . The delinquents take out their knives and go after Dark Yugi , who runs around the yard , leaving a trail of spray paint as he does so . His opponents struggle with trying to catch - up with him and try to corner him . Hanasaki sees Dark Yugi facing the delinquents and his father tries to bring him home , while they are distracted . Hanasaki takes off the mask and says that he is not running away . If he runs away now , he will never be strong , he declares and runs back to help Yugi . The delinquents manage to corner Dark Yugi , but he diverts their attention to the ground , which is covered in a trail of spray paint . The thugs think that he is after graffiti tagging it , but Dark Yugi insists that he was not . The cigarette butt is touching off the paint and acting a fuse . The flame hits the paint , setting the whole trail on fire , which Dark Yugi calls his " Maze of Fire " . The delinquents ' trousers all catch fire and the three of them run for the gate and leap into the canal . Hanasaki arrives and apologizes to Dark Yugi . His father looks at the Zombire mask and realizes that he had been wrong ; the true hero ' s face had been hidden behind the mask ; the face that got bruised defending its friend . Hanasaki says that there is no way he can be a hero , but Yugi assures him otherwise . Appearances . Debuts are in bold .