To Live is to Suffer

To Live is to Suffer begins outside Kennin-ji after A Tempest at the Temple. The route leads to Yasaka Pagoda and another encounter with Sasaki Ganryu, now fighting alongside Gioh. The most important new mechanic is breaking his countering stance with Oni Strength.

This guide covers the approach, practical fight tactics and the actual story-completion point. Inputs use the displayed PlayStation bindings: Cross (×) to interact, Circle (○) to evade, Square (□) to attack, L1 to guard, L2 to absorb and R1 for the equipped Oni Armament.

Follow the lane to Yasaka Pagoda

With Head for Yasaka Pagoda active, continue past the buildings outside Kennin-ji. Round the wooden building into the narrow passage with the long plaster wall on your right and bamboo fencing on your left. Defeat the enemy blocking this lane, then continue past the tree and handcart.

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When the passage opens onto the street, follow it toward the visible multi-tiered pagoda. Continue past the houses to the pagoda's high enclosing wall and large wooden gate. A Spirit Mirror stands beside the stone steps at the entrance.

Use the mirror to replenish before entering. If you plan to use Earth-Shakers, have the paired hammers equipped. They help reduce stamina during openings, but the stance-breaking mechanic below uses a different input.

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Climb the steps and pass through the gate. The encounter scene introduces the new form of the fight, followed by Overcoming a Countering Stance. Close the tutorial with Cross to begin Defeat Sasaki Ganryu.

Break Ganryu's countering stance with Oni Strength

When Ganryu stops to hold his swords in a guarded posture, with a blue-white glint along a forward blade, stop your normal attack string. Approach while facing him and press Triangle + Circle (△ + ○) together to use Oni Strength.

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The tutorial warns that attacks into this stance are countered and that even two-handed attacks will not break it. Use the dedicated Oni Strength input when the stance appears. A successful response pulls you into a close-range grapple and breaks the pose, letting you follow with sword attacks.

Ganryu can adopt the stance again later. Watch his posture each time he resets instead of continuing to swing through it. Earth-Shakers are useful for stamina damage during other openings; they do not replace the Triangle + Circle response to this stance.

Survive the sword sequences and take short openings

Gioh's extra arms give this version of Ganryu several blades and long-reaching follow-ups. Keep enough room to see the whole upper body. When the swords are already moving, hold L1 to guard or use Circle to evade out of their path, then wait for the sequence to finish before closing in.

Take a short Square counter after a completed swing or successful stance break, and stop when he begins another wind-up. His reach makes it risky to remain directly in front of him while healing or charging an attack. Reposition toward open ground if the fight pushes you against the courtyard wall.

Use Earth-Shakers during recovery

With enough Oni Power and a clear opening, press R1 for the equipped Earth-Shakers. Their paired hammer strikes can quickly reduce his stamina. Absorb nearby blue souls with L2 when he gives you space, then return to defense rather than waiting beside him with an empty gauge.

You can mix the hammers with short sword counters. Reserve the longer openings for the armament; attempting it as his blades are already coming down can leave you exposed.

Take the Square weak-point attack

After enough stamina damage, Ganryu becomes vulnerable and Square prompts appear over his exposed weak points. Approach, face a prompted point and press Square to take the attack.

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He can recover his stamina and continue fighting afterward. Repeat the pattern: defend against the moving blades, use Oni Strength against the countering stance, punish recovery and take the weak-point opportunities until his health is depleted.

Finish the scenes after the fight

After Ganryu's health bar empties, the encounter continues into a scene. Musashi is hurt during this story sequence; do not deliberately lose the playable fight to trigger it. Let the scene continue through Okuni's arrival and the return to Rokudo-chinnoji Temple.

The conversations inside and outside the temple are still part of this story's ending. There is no additional travel step between these scenes in this route. When control returns outside the temple, wait for Story Complete — To Live is to Suffer.

The next task is Okuni's Kabuki Dance, beginning with Speak with Okuni. That new objective confirms that this encounter is finished.