The Bankruptcy Arc is the seventeenth arc in the series and the sixth arc in the Yami/YOMI Saga.
Plot
A Long-Awaited Rematch
The arc begins in Ryōzanpaku dojo as Kenichi is training by Kensei Ma correcting his movements. Apachai congratulated Kenichi for beating Radin, but Akisame, Kensei, and Sakaki told Kenichi that he just got lucky with the snow conditions. Suddenly, Honoka would ask the Ryōzanpaku masters who is the strongest. Kenichi thought they would have a brutal battle, but they only decided by silly games or contests. The master soon comes in and takes Kenichi and Honoka outside. At school, Miu Fūrinji calmed Kenichi down by saying the masters swore that they wouldn’t do any internal fighting. Miu then told Kenichi that even a strong person can be defeated by a weaker person if he/she lets their guard down. On their way back to the dojo, Kenichi and Miu ran into Tsuji and his two men and wanted to challenge Kenichi to a fight. Kenichi thought it was pointless until Tsuji knows about strength ever since he got back from the mountains. Kenichi accepts Tsuji’s challenge and goes to Ryōzanpaku dojo to do it. Back at the dojo, everyone there was cheering on for the battle to begin. Tsuji starts off by using flash steps to move very fast. Akisame recognized Tsuji’s movement as the Koppou Fighting Style. Kenichi blocked and dodged a few of Tsuji’s attacks and connected with a punch, but it was shallow. Kenichi wanted to end the match, but Tsuji said to Kenichi that his clumsy attacks will never defeat him. Kenichi was distracted a few times when Shigure Kōsaka agreed with Tsuji and Miu saying dinner was almost ready. Kenichi asked Akisame to stop the fight, but Akisame let the match continue then Tsuji knocked out Kenichi when he got distracted with a Tooshi attack. Kenichi soon woke up with Tsuji telling the Ryouzanpaku masters about his master. Tsuji thought that he is now the strongest and ran off without wanting to fight Kenichi ever again.
Teaching Children
One day, Sakaki came back to the dojo after losing at slot machines. Suddenly he saw some children when he opened the gate. Kenichi explained to Sakaki that yesterday he thought Miu was still sad about what happened to her mother and offered to her out her troubles, but discovers she was sullen because Ryouzanpaku was bankrupt. Haruo Niijima came and decided to let some children experience the dojo for profit. Akisame also reveals that a new hospital was built near his bone setting clinic and Kensei Ma's acupuncture clinic, taking their customers and leaving both businesses in the red. Kensei left to do his acupuncture in the Chinese District and the elder was away, leaving Shigure to pass on his message that fighting Yami, or training Yomi is easy for them, but getting money is their weak point, something the masters shamefully admit. Miu "encourages" the masters to fulfil their duties for the week the children will be coming, except for Shigure who is forbidden from training them due to her use of weapons. Kenichi worries that Apachai accidentally will hurt the children, but discovers he is doing great as a teacher since he holds back against children. He also discovers Akisame is initially having trouble with his own group of rowdy students, but quickly manages to gain authority over them to the point they match his face's expression. Sakaki has trouble getting along with the students, so with “help” from Miu, Sakaki managed to teach the kids. At the end of the first day, Miu sees the children returning home with their parents and it triggers a memory that causes her to discreetly cry. The next day, Miu was making a meal when suddenly she starts to daydream about her mother before she died from a battle. Sakaki still has trouble teaching unlike Akisame and Apachai until Miu inspires a girl to fight to protect her mother by showing off a punch. A week later, Ryouzanpaku said goodbye to the tiny students. Miu suddenly remembered why she was shaky while she was at the mountains and had to get over them herself. A few days later, the weeklong job ends without incident and Miu confesses to Kenichi she remembers the trauma that caused her to get sick in the mountains, though she hides that the trauma was apparently seeing her father murder her mother. She tells Kenichi that she has to get over the trauma by herself, but Kenichi comforts her and reminds her she has him and everyone at Ryōzanpaku for support while the Elder secretly watches them. Ryōzanpaku gets letters from the children's parents, and everyone fears they are complaints, but the letters are actually thanks you and reveal the children are all happier and healthier because of the training. Miu is happy Ryōzanpaku would be good for the month... until she has to give Nijima his share.
All or Nothing Bet at the Underground Arena
One morning, Akisame has Kenichi do his running exercise in a much harder way. Suddenly, they are approached from behind by James Shiba riding on a running Ikki Takeda. The masters' rivalry prompts them to have their disciples run faster like it was a race. Kenichi pulls ahead until Shiba flicks a pebble at Kenichi’s feet to trips. Shiba shows off the money and gold he got from Takeda’s fights in the Underground Duel Arena and brags that Takeda's wins are 15-0 while being carried out of sight. At Ryōzanpaku, the dojo is still in the red with the clinic having little business and Sakaki not getting any jobs for a while. That night, Kenichi reluctantly asks Sakaki about going to the Duel Arena he heard from Shiba to win some money for Ryōzanpaku, though he loses his nerve and Sakaki ends up trying him up and driving him on his motorcycle to the Underground Arena without telling the others knowing they would object, with Apachai following from behind. At the Underground Duel Arena, Sakaki explains that anything can happen since there are barely any rules, though a lot of many can be made with wise bets. Upon seeing the intimidating fighters, Kenichi tries to run away and asks why Sakaki and Apachi won't fight instead. His question is quickly answered when everyone is terrified when they recognize the two masters. Sakaki explains even the underground fighters won't fight a master and that he used to fight in (and apparently bankrupted) the arena before moving to Ryōzanpaku. The arena manager begs Sakaki not to fight again and ruin his business, and Sakaki explains that Kenichi will be the only one of them fighting inside a cage; an idea everyone assumes it a joke. They are interrupted when they hear the crowd cheering for a masked female fighter winning a match.
The girl basks in the attention of the crowd, even knocking out a bouncer when he tries to stop someone from taking pictures of her. Suddenly, a berserker attacks her with a cheap shot using a surprise attack. The berserker pins down the female masked fighter, but she easily breaks free, kicks him on the side, and attacks from the pole with a Pro-Wrestling move. Sakaki recognized the fighting style she used was Lucha Libre, a Mexican fighting style known for normally impractical flash moves, before taking Kenichi to another ring, believing it is best if he doesn't face the masked girl. Kenichi is pitted against Muscle Richard III in a match without any rules (for more money) with the odds for Kenichi winning 600 to 1. Sakaki got rid of the rules since he believes Kenichi will do more damage without gloves. Kenichi, because he was intimidated by Richard's size, dodges and runs for most of the fight until Sakaki encourages him to use Mubyōshi for a one-hit knockout. Back at the mystery girl’s ring, the masked girl was surprised when she looked at the ring Kenichi’s in. She was then jealous that Kenichi was getting more attention than her and left the ring after her 14th win to watch him, angered that someone is taking the attention from her.
Back at Kenichi’s ring, Sakaki put Kenichi in another match against Azumaya, a fighter that uses drum sticks to beat his opponent. The bets for Kenichi winning were changed to 300 to 1. Azumaya proves to be a different type of opponent that Richard, leading Kenichi to defeat the drummer by changing styles and attacking with three consecutive punches. Despite being afraid Kenichi fights and wins several more rounds until Sakaki notices master fighters are taking interest. The female masked fighter jumps in the ring to fight Kenichi only to see him taken away by his masters. The female fighter tries to stoke the crowd to have them pressure Kenichi to fight her, but Sakaki used his ki to knock almost everyone out. When she still tries to fight, her brother stops her and shows her Kenichi’s picture telling her that he is Ryōzanpaku’s Strongest Disciple. She described Kenichi as a beautiful, but fragile ceramic ware and her brother and herself (the Stanley Siblings) as diamonds that will crush him. Outside, Kenichi, Sakaki, and Apachai were glad Kenichi won them all that money and have him keep it a secret from Akisame. Sakaki tells Kenichi that he has yet to realize the true meaning of victory and defeat, which is the real reason he brought him to the arena. He tells Kenichi he needs to improve further as he can only bring out his full potential in critical situations and that he's only managed through luck so far. If Kenichi is to survive when he comes against an opponent capable of killing him instantly, he will need to experience a world of victory and defeat. The three celebrate by eating by a restaurant, but Sasaki becomes a little worried the money they won will be waste feeding the ravenous Apachai.
Major Fights
Kenichi vs Tsuji round 4 -Tsuji wins
Kenichi vs Richard -Kenichi wins
Kenichi vs Azumaya- Kenichi wins
Story Notes
- Miu remembers her past trauma; her mother being killed apparently at the hands of her father.
- Two members of YOMI revealed themselves as the Stanley Siblings.
References
| Snow Summit Arc | Bankruptcy Arc | DofD Tournament Arc |
| ← | Chapters | → |
| 190 | 191 | 192 | 193 | 194 | 195 | ||