A Hollow Beating in the Heart!

is the sixth episode of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. It features the debut of Brave Beat Quest Gamer Level 3.
This episode broadcast was accompanied by web broadcast of the sixth installment of Kamen Rider Information Program: Poppy Pipopapo's Room.
==Synopsis==
The girlfriend of the student that the Bugsters were after has contracted the Game Disease. Hiiro transforms into Brave and succeeds in separating the Bugster from the girl.
Graphite appears, and Brave, Snipe, and Ex-Aid confront him, but Genm appears only to let the Bugsters escape.
Taiga, who intended to "repay" Graphite for what happened 5 years ago, is cornered by Hiiro, telling him that he (Hiiro) could have saved Saki. Who is this Saki? What happened between Taiga and Hiiro?
==Plot==
After retrieving the Gekitotsu Robots Gashat, Emu attempts to return it to Genm Corp., but Kuroto Dan insists he keep it. Emu then leaves to find the patient the previous Bugster had been separated from. Right after, Graphite and Parado walk in; Graphite reveals that it was Genm who had separated the Gekitotsu Collabos from its victim and is angry that the others are letting Bugsters get defeated. Parado says their lost allies can be easily replaced, and for now more date is needed, but Graphite vows to defeat Ex-Aid.
At the Kiyosora College of Music, Emu and Asuna are looking for the person the Gekitotsu Collabos had targeted, also wondering why Kiriya had lied about knowing the black Ex-Aid's identity. They find the target, Seiichi Kuboyama, having a lover's quarrel with his girlfriend, Yoko Horiuchi, and she says they should stay apart for now. As he leaves, she collapses, Emu diagnosing her with the Bugster infection, but Hiiro arrives and stresses her to bring out a floating Bugster Union with two arms and a tail. Hiiro transforms into Brave Quest Gamer Level 1, coating himself with flames before rapidly ramming the Union, defeating it and catching Yoko before the virus reforms into another Collabos Bugster, Asuna recognizing the DoReMiFa Beat Gashat in its head. Graphite's human form arrives, stating the Bugsters are out to multiply so they can overtake the Earth and that he'd infected Yoko with the viruses from both Gekitotsu Robots and DoReMiFa Beat. Emu becomes Ex-Aid Action Gamer Level 1 as he and Brave attack the DoReMiFa Collabos, but it sends the Sound Trap Attack at them; Asuna explains they have to move and hit the attack's floating notes in time with the music, and while Ex-Aid scores a Perfect, Brave just stands there and fails, getting hit. Graphite takes his Bugster form as Snipe Shooting Gamer Level 2 arrives, Brave taking Quest Gamer Level 2 and Ex-Aid Robot Action Gamer Level 3; a single attack knocks down everyone but Ex-Aid, but Genm Sports Action Gamer Level 3 steps in and lets the Bugsters slip away.
Hiiro confronts Taiga about 5 years ago, Taiga confirming that Graphite was indeed the Bugster who had killed "Saki". As recounted to Emu by Asuna and Director Kagami, Saki Momose had been Hiiro's girlfriend 5 years ago, but she was getting annoyed by him constantly ignoring her. She'd come down with the Bugster infection but hadn't told Hiiro, disappearing in CR after Taiga as Snipe had failed to defeat the Bugster that had been separated from her: Graphite. Hiiro had arrived in time for her to tell him to become the world's best doctor, but hadn't explained why she'd stayed quiet.
However, Emu notes that Yoko doesn't want Seiichi to know of her sickness, as she explains it would distract him from trying to join an orchestra. As the DoReMiFa Collabos attacks Seiichi again, Emu and Hiiro arrive and transform, Ex-Aid Robot Action Gamer Level 3 fighting the Collabos' street dancer-costumed Bugster Viruses and Brave Quest Gamer Level 2 attacking Graphite to avenge Saki. Easily beating Brave down, Graphite taunts him about Saki, but Ex-Aid jumps in to block Brave from an attack that knocks him out of his transformation. Emu explains Yoko's reason for not telling Seiichi about her sickness to Brave, confident that Saki's reasons were the same, that she didn't want to interrupt his studies to become a doctor, and to Hiiro, Saki's final words now make perfect sense. Brave uses the Stage Select to relocate the battle to a forest setting, releasing a pair of Energy Items and grabbing Speeding-Up, dodging around Graphite to hit and defeat the DoReMiFa Collabos with an Ice Mode Taddle Critical Finish, clearing DoReMiFa Beat and grabbing the Gashat. Triggering it, the Beat Gamer uses the Sound Trap Attack to destroy the Bugster Viruses before Brave upgrades to Beat Quest Gamer Level 3. Emu and Asuna worry that Hiiro's inexperience with rhythm will be bad, but Brave begins fighting Graphite with perfectly timed and rhythmed open-palmed hits in sync with the Gashat's music; he explains to a stunned Asuna that he is very skilled in . He ends with a Fire Mode DoReMiFa Critical Finish against Graphite, the Bugster swearing to bring Brave's defeat before retreating.
Back at CR, Yoko and Seiichi reconnect to Emu and Asuna's satisfaction, but Hiiro repeats his mantra of withholding concern for patients. He then proceeds to cut a cream puff into perfect quarters with a knife and fork. As Emu and Asuna are stumped with how that was possible, Hiiro looks at his photo of him with Saki.
==Cast==
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*Narration: 
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===Guest Cast===
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===Suit Actors===
*Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level 1, Kamen Rider Snipe Level 1 (Proto), Kamen Rider Genm Level 1: 
*Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level 2, Level 3: 
*Kamen Rider Brave Level 1: 
*Kamen Rider Brave Level 2, Level 3: 
*Kamen Rider Snipe Level 2: 
*Kamen Rider Genm Level 3: 
*Graphite Bugster: 
*Collabos Bugster: 
==Rider Gashat==
*Gashat Used:
**Ex-Aid
***Mighty Action X, Gekitotsu Robots
**Brave
***Taddle Quest, DoReMiFa Beat
**Snipe
***Bang Bang Shooting, Proto Bang Bang Shooting (flashback)
**Genm
***Proto Mighty Action X, Shakariki Sports
*Level Used:
**Ex-Aid
***Action Gamer Level 1, Robot Action Gamer Level 3
**Brave
***Quest Gamer Level 1, Quest Gamer Level 2, Beat Quest Gamer Level 3
**Snipe
***Shooting Gamer Level 2, Shooting Gamer Level 1 (Proto) (flashback)
**Genm
***Action Gamer Level 1, Sports Action Gamer Level 3
==Energy Items==
*Energy Items Used:
**Brave
***Speeding-Up
**Unused
***Iron-Body
==Errors==
*When Ex-Aid transforms from Action Gamer Level 1 to Robot Action Gamer Level 3 the first time, no part of Mighty Action X's announcement is heard, only Gekitotsu Robots'. When he does so for the second battle, only the Gashats' names are heard, not their phrases. Both of these were likely truncated for time reasons.
**Also for the second battle, the Level 1 announcements for both Ex-Aid and Brave are skipped entirely.
*As Brave untransforms and his surroundings revert to normal, a poster is seen with the word AUTUM on it, which should be Autumn.
==Notes==
*As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside episode 37, .
**Coincidentally, both episodes' Monsters-of-the-week are dancer-themed.
*Viewership: 2.9%
*Closing Screen:
**Text Color: Pale yellow
*Count at episode end
**Gashats in Ex-Aid's possession: Mighty Action X, Gekitotsu Robots
**Gashats in Brave's possession: Taddle Quest, DoReMiFa Beat
**Gashats in Snipe's possession: Bang Bang Shooting
**Gashats in Lazer's possession: Bakusou Bike
**Gashats in Genm's possession: Proto Mighty Action X, Shakariki Sports
**Games Cleared: Mighty Action X, Taddle Quest, Bang Bang Shooting, Bakusou Bike, Gekitotsu Robots, DoReMiFa Beat
*Video Game References in this episode:
**The attack pattern of Beat Collabos is similar to Rhythm game such as /Danz Base.
The_Ex-Aid_stats.png|Ex-Aid Robot Gamer Level 3's stats.
Kuroto raise up.png|Kuroto Dan raises up Gashat just like others.
Genm opening reveal.png|Now next to the television, Kuroto Dan transforms into Genm and walk away.
*On Kuroto's Laptop is the battle data of Kamen Ex-Aid Robot Action Gamer Level 3. On the screen are stats of: Strength, Dexterity, Defense, Critical and Agility plus a diagram of how it compares to Ex-Aid's previous Levels. The stats are a reference to RPG stats in certain games while the diagram chart is similar to ones in strategy guides for said RPG games, where it shows how the stats max out for specific characters.
*The opening sequence was changed in this episode to reflect the reveal of Genm's identity, specifically:
**Kuroto Dan raises up his Proto Mighty Action X Gashat.
**While Taiga transforms into Snipe on a television, Kuroto instantly transforms into Genm while turning away.
*This is the first episode where Ex-Aid doesn't wield the Gashacon Breaker.
*This is the only time a fully animated scene of a direct transformation from Level 1 to Level 3 is shown.
*This is the first time Brave uses the Stage Select function.
*The BGM used by Beat Collabos and Brave Beat Quest Gamer Level 3 is actually an 8-bit instrumental version of the opening theme.
*It features a glimpse of Kuroto Dan's transformation into Kamen Rider Genm.
*It also features the final appearance of Graphite's default Bugster form.
==DVD/Blu-ray releases==
*Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Volume 2 features episodes 5-8: Everyone Gathers for a Clashing Crash!, A Hollow Beating in the Heart!, The Reason for Some Lies! and Men, Fly High!.
*Blu-ray Collection 1 comes with 12 episodes.
Ex-Aid Vol 2.jpg|Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Volume 2, DVD
91zGeAfZ8UL SL1474 .jpg|Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Collection 1, Blu-ray
==External links==
*TV Asahi's official episode guide for 鼓動を刻め in the heart!
*Toei TV's official episode guide for 鼓動を刻め in the heart!
==References==
ru:Биение пустого сердца!
Category:Kamen Rider Ex-Aid episodes
Category:New Form Episode