Curséd Cave of Broken Loves

Noroi no Haren-do (呪いの破恋洞) is the 287th chapter of the manga and the first chapter of the Curséd Cave of Broken Loves Arc.

Synopsis
After another day of exhausting work, Ukyo decides that she needs a vacation. As she looks through some travel brochures she discovers one for an odd locale, the Curséd Cave of Broken Loves. Legend has it that anyone who enters the cave together will break-up before they reach the other side. Ukyo decides to take Ranma and Akane along in hopes of ending their engagement.

Plot Overview
After another busy day working at Okonomiyaki Ucchan's, Ukyo decides she needs to take some time off work to relax. A little later while in her room, Ukyo begins looking through some travel brochures trying to find somewhere quiet and out of the way for her and Ranma. Suddenly she comes across something in a "Summer Tours" brochure and sees it as the perfect place to go.

The next day, Ukyo takes Ranma and Akane with her to the place Ukyo choose from the brochure. Ukyo explains to the pair that they're heading to a tunnel which tests a person's courage she then tells them they'll try it out after having a mountain hike. Once they arrive at the entrance to the cave, an old man sits outside and welcomes people into the cave, at the cost of ¥100 per couple. As several other couples wander into the cave, the group quickly realise they have a problem... that there's three of them.

Ukyo quickly decides that Ranma and Akane should go in together whilst she waits outside for them. The old man then tells the pair that it's extremely scary inside the cave and it's likely that Ranma's "girlfriend" will hold onto him for dear life. This information causes Ranma to decide that he doesn't want to be held by Akane, whilst Akane rhetorically asks Ranma who wants to hug him anyway.

Akane continues by suggesting that Ranma just go in with Ukyo, an idea which Ranma happily agrees with. At that moment, a sound from beneath some rocks can be heard and Ryoga suddenly erupts from beneath them. Before Ryoga has chance to even figure out where he is, Ukyo grabs his arm and quickly whisks him into the cave. Seeing Ukyo go in, Ranma and Akane decide to go in as well.

As Ranma and Akane walk through the cave, Ryoga demands that Ukyo explain why she dragged him into the cave all of a sudden. Ukyo hands Ryoga the brochure she learned about the Cave from and is shocked when he reads about people's testimonies regarding the Cave's abilities to make couples split up. Just then the pair observe this ability in action as a couple are attacked by a group of ghosts who demand the man leave his girlfriend with them. And sure enough the man is so terrified that he leaves his girlfriend behind and flees.

Ryoga, however, notes that those pitiful souls will be no match for Ranma. This prompts Ukyo to further explain that the most terrifying part of the Cave is it's exit, where the countless spirits of couples who have broken up haunt and curse any couple who they see. Overjoyed, Ryoga and Ukyo declare that if Ranma and Akane pass through the exit together they will surely break up!

Meanwhile, Akane and Ranma begin to wonder if the Cave is haunted at all as they can't see anything scary at all. However, no sooner does Akane say this that she's subjected to a series of ghosts grabbing and communicating with her. The sight of these ghosts terrify Akane, who begins to scream and grab onto Ranma, but whenever Ranma looks at this supposed ghosts he sees nothing at all out of the ordinary.

Believing Akane to be lying about the ghosts, Ranma begins mocking Akane, but soon suffers for it when Akane hits him into a wall. Akane then begins to head back to entrance and angrily tells Ranma to go on by himself. Ryoga and Ukyo watch this scene from a distance and Ryoga decides to use his Bakusai Tenketsu in order to create a pile of rubble and block the path to the entrance. As Ryoga and Ukyo run towards the entrance, Akane asks for them to wait for her as she doesn't want to walk with Ranma anymore, however the pair are determined to shake her off.

While Ryoga runs away from Akane, he begins to cry and begs Akane to forgive him as this is necessary for the sake of their future happiness together. Suddenly Akane shouts to Ryoga that she's begging him to stop, which completely catches Ryoga off guard and he stops out of shock. Akane, desperately catching her breath, manages to then catch up to the pair whilst noting that she thought they were going to leave her behind. Just then Ranma catches up also and looks on as Akane looks up at Ryoga helplessly and asks him to walk with her.

Whilst Ranma is surprised by Akane's suddenly change of attitude, Ukyo tries to return Ryoga to his normal self by hitting him with her giant Spatula, but he just turns around and exclaims that if he died now he'd be a very happy man. Ranma gives in and attempts to partner up with Ukyo, but Ukyo tells Ranma to wait a minute before hitting him with her Spatula and dragging Ryoga out of ear-shot of the others.

Ukyo continues by asking Ryoga if he really wants to walk through the exit of the Cave with Akane like this, causing Ryoga to remember about the inevitable breakup they'll suffer if they go through the exit together. Nonetheless, Ryoga remains partnered with Akane while Ukyo stays with Ranma. As they continue through the Cave, Ukyo continually thinks how she must make Ranma make up with Akane. Meanwhile, Akane clings onto Ryoga's arm in fright whilst Ryoga wonders if there's anyway to prolong this happiness.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Ukyo Kuonji
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Ryoga Hibiki (human)

Quotes
To be added

Trivia
To be added