Chapter 2: Ten Years Gone – The 10 Billion Yen Crisis and Kiryu’s Return to Kamurocho
Chapter 2 of Yakuza Kiwami, “Ten Years Gone,” links the 1995 prologue to the main story in 2005. After serving ten years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, is released on parole and returns to a very different Kamurocho. The main conflict begins when 10 billion yen goes missing from the Tojo Clan, sparking a power struggle among the yakuza.
The story shows big changes in the Tojo Clan’s leadership. At a key meeting, Akira Nishikiyama becomes a main rival and openly questions Chairman Masaru Sera about the missing money. Shintaro Kazama, who is Kiryu’s mentor, notices that Nishikiyama has changed from a loyal friend into someone cold and ambitious. The tension grows, especially after Chairman Sera is killed at the end of the chapter.
When Kiryu comes back to Kamurocho, the game introduces the “Majima Everywhere” system. Goro Majima confronts Kiryu and tells him he has lost his fighting skills after ten years in prison. This meeting serves as both a tutorial and a story reason for Kiryu’s growth, since Majima promises to help him get his strength back through surprise fights.
Kiryu’s investigation takes him to the host club Stardust, where he faces a boss fight against the bodyguard Yuya before being welcomed by the owner, Kazuki. Shinji Tanaka, Kiryu’s former subordinate, gives him important information and is revealed to be a double agent in the Nishikiyama Family. The chapter ends with Kiryu deciding to go to Chairman Sera’s funeral, a risky choice that will bring him face-to-face with Shintaro Kazama and the unstable Tojo Clan leadership.
