The Ruckus at Rendaino

The main route starts at the temple courtyard's Defeat the Genma objective and ends at Story Complete — The Ruckus at Rendaino. Inputs below use the PlayStation layout shown in the checked footage: Square (□), Triangle (△), Circle (○), and Cross (×). For remapped controls, use your displayed bindings. This guide covers story progression and basic tutorials, rather than every collectible, difficulty variant, or a complete boss move list.

If you are still in the opening tutorials, start with the preparation section. If you have reached the temple, continue at Courtyard fight: Defeat the Genma.

Preparation: opening combat tutorials

These lessons take place before the temple mission. Check the current action on the right side of the screen: each lesson has its own requirement.

Duel with Seijuro

During the fight, use Square attacks to put pressure on Seijuro. Triangle attacks can break through an enemy's guard. Watch for his retaliation instead of pressing attack continuously; use L1 to guard when you need to receive an incoming strike.

Break Issen depends on the enemy's stamina. Attacks and deflections deplete it. When Seijuro becomes exhausted, move close and press Square or Triangle for a Break Issen. This differs from the later Issen lesson, which requires striking just before an incoming attack hits. Defeating Seijuro leads into the pursuit scenes and then the indoor combat lessons.

The three indoor responses

If an action does not advance the lesson, check whether its counter increased. In particular, distinguish holding a normal guard from timing L1 for a Parry. Ordinary attacks do not replace the requested defensive response.

Street fight: switch targets, use the board and cart

After the indoor sequence and ensuing scenes, Musashi faces a group of pursuers in the street.

1. For Switch Lock-On Target, lock on with R3, then tilt the right stick left or right to change targets. Complete the 3-count requirement.
2. When Defeat Yoshioka followers appears, defeat 2 pursuers to reach the environmental-object lesson. Focus on your locked target and use the defensive responses you just learned when other enemies close in.
3. For Use the objects around you, find the long board on the ground. Approach it and press Cross to stand it upright, then Square to kick it toward the enemies.
4. Move to the handles of the loaded cart. Press Cross to use it and push it toward the enemies ahead. Using the board and then the cart provides a route through this lesson.
5. The object-use requirement is 2. Once the objective changes to Defeat all Yoshioka followers, finish the remaining pursuers. The end of the fight leads into the subsequent character encounter and gauntlet scenes.

Select the image for a larger view.

Stand the board before kicking it. Use Cross for the cart, and check the counter and following combat objective to confirm progress.

The gauntlet: Issen and soul absorption

For the Issen lesson, press Square or Triangle just before a Genma attack hits. Complete 2 successful counterattacks. This is a timing condition; it does not require the exhausted state used for Break Issen.

When Absorb Souls appears, hold L2 to draw nearby souls into the gauntlet. Yellow souls restore health. After the absorption lesson, the objective advances to Defeat all Genma. Clear the remaining enemies to continue through the story scenes and temple meeting.

Courtyard fight: Defeat the Genma

After meeting Takamura and Okuni, Musashi is left to deal with the courtyard Genma. Use R3 to lock onto an enemy and Square to attack. Against an incoming slash, guard with L1, or time the input just before impact for a Parry, then look for an opening to attack. If an enemy runs out of stamina and becomes exhausted, approach and press Square or Triangle for a Break Issen.

If you are hurt and yellow souls are nearby, hold L2 to absorb them and restore health. Normal Issen requires a precisely timed attack; while learning that timing, use the guard and attack actions you have already practiced.

Keep fighting when the objective changes to Seal the Rift. Enemies can still be present at this point. Finish the remaining Genma before approaching the red rift above the courtyard.

Seal the Rift

Move near the red rift until Absorb Rift appears, then hold L2 until absorption finishes. A tap, or releasing the input as soon as the animation begins, does not complete the instruction.

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1. Red rift2. Hold L2 to absorb

Select a numbered landmark for a closer view, or select the image to see the full frame.

Clear the enemies, approach, and hold L2. After the rift disappears, check for Speak with Takamura in the upper-left objective display.

Success checkpoint: the rift disappears and the objective becomes Speak with Takamura.

If it has not advanced, check the conditions given by the tutorial: all nearby Genma defeated, Musashi close to the rift, and the absorption input held until completion.

Veranda conversation: Speak with Takamura

Turn toward the wooden veranda along the edge of the courtyard. Takamura is sitting there, with Okuni nearby and an objective marker above him. Walk up to him and complete the conversation.

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1. Takamura on the veranda

Select a numbered landmark for a closer view, or select the image to see the full frame.

Return to this veranda after sealing the rift and speak with Takamura.

Success checkpoint: Takamura gets up to lead the way, and Follow Takamura appears.

Garden well: Follow Takamura

Follow him into the room behind the veranda and through the door on the other side to the back garden. Look for stone lanterns, small statues wearing red cloth, and a bamboo fence. Stay with Takamura until he reaches the stone well with a grid cover.

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1. Grid-covered garden well2. Follow Takamura

Select a numbered landmark for a closer view, or select the image to see the full frame.

The grid-covered well is the garden landmark. Approach Takamura here to continue into the well-side scene.

The scene takes the pair to a huge gate. The objective again reads Speak with Takamura. Continue the conversation with him in front of you until the gate explanation ends and Musashi returns to the temple.

Return to the temple and follow Takamura again

After returning, take the path between the bamboo fences back into the garden. Follow the Follow Takamura marker to the veranda, where Takamura and Okuni meet you. Finish the conversation about where to go next.

Progress checkpoint: Speak with Okuni appears. She is now the person to find at the Spirit Mirror.

Mirror handoff: Speak with Okuni

Pass through the temple building to the main courtyard where you fought the Genma. Follow the objective marker to the glowing Spirit Mirror under the eaves. Okuni is standing beside it. Approach her and finish the mirror introduction and Hozuki Pouch handoff.

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1. Speak with Okuni2. Spirit Mirror

Select a numbered landmark for a closer view, or select the image to see the full frame.

Find Okuni beside the mirror and finish her handoff before moving on to the next story's travel objective.

Receiving Hozuki Pouch ×1 and seeing Story Complete — The Ruckus at Rendaino marks the end of this mission.

Next: The Stage is Set at Kiyomizu

The next mission begins at the Spirit Mirror. Approach it and use Cross — Examine to open the menu. After the first-use tutorial, choose Travel → Kiyomizu-dera Temple → The Approach, then confirm with Cross — Travel.

On arrival, leave the mirror's sheltered entrance for the forest path. This journey belongs to the next mission; this guide's completion checkpoint remains the Story Complete banner after Okuni's handoff.