Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan!: story walkthrough, Chapters 5–8
STORY SPOILERS: This covers the original PS3 game's investigation, Yoshioka initiation, Tsuruya fire and Hozoin tournament. It also identifies the Chapter 7 weapon pickup and Chapter 8 boss Heat Action that completion players must prepare for.
CHAPTER 5: GETTING ACCESS TO KAWARA STREET
Your first destination is Ito behind Tsuruya. The front-door marker can be misleading: take the passage beside the nearby Jizo save statue to reach the rear courtyard. This back entrance is used repeatedly during the investigation, so learn the route now.
After speaking to Ito, return to the House of the Dragon for Haruka's visit. The following morning, speak to Ito again. He points you toward Koetsu, an informant on Kawara Street.
On leaving Tsuruya's rear area, meet Shichigoro and complete the introduction to revelations. His pictures help unlock new techniques. He remains associated with Gion Inari Shrine afterward, so check him as new pictures become available rather than assuming the first lesson is the entire system.
To leave Gion armed, return home and use the secret passage to Rakugai. Go to the checkpoint in Rakugai's northwestern corner. The official refuses entry without a permit. Walk back east and speak to the man who approaches; ask specifically about permits.
Follow the lead to the shopping district and defeat the yakuza. Take the request-for-work document to the counterfeiter inside Narikin. Offer that document, receive the permit and leave. Another fight waits outside, this time with a swordmaster bodyguard.
Keep track of the bodyguard's sheathed stance. His drawing attacks can interrupt you while you are occupied with weaker enemies, so do not simply turn your back on him and clear the crowd. Block or evade the draw, then attack during the recovery. With the group beaten, show your permit at the checkpoint and proceed to Kawara Street.
Speak to the attendant outside Koetsu's mansion. Koetsu wants his stolen treasure recovered from Shishido Baiken before he supplies the information you need.
THE GREATSWORD AND BAIKEN'S CAVE
Head toward the southeastern exit of Rakugai. The blacksmith stops you and offers an oversized weapon to test. Accept it and equip the Iron Greatsword in the appropriate weapon slot. Complete the gunfire tutorial outside: the greatsword can block bullets, but its slow movement makes advancing between shots important. Close the distance while the gunmen reload.
Afterward, crafting becomes available and the smith gives you the Treasured Sword Book. Leave and speak to him again for the Ancient Manuscript if you are collecting the crafting documents.
Travel through the southeastern exit to Forest Road and enter Baiken's cave when prepared. This is a long combat section. Carry recovery supplies, equip the weapons you intend to use and save before entering rather than relying on a convenient shop inside.
In the first area, clear the enemies and cut the chain controlling the gate. The greatsword is useful both against groups and for destroying the chains and obstacles that block the route.
In the next section, take the northern route if you want the Tessaimaru and Cast Metal Club near the wagon. Not every enemy must die to advance, but attacking a barricade while archers and gunmen fire into your back is a poor trade. Remove nearby threats before breaking it.
The spiral climb introduces rolling fireballs. These cannot be destroyed. Watch their path and move into the open lane, without stepping so far toward the exposed edge that you fall back down. Break the chain partway up to stop the trap, then continue to the boss.
Baiken's sickle and chain give him reach and let him attack from awkward angles. Two swords provide useful all-direction guarding against his fast repositioning. Block a completed sequence, then retaliate instead of trying to chase every dodge.
Standing near pillars can trigger his cave-collapse QTE. His low-health sickle-and-chain sequence also requires attention to the prompts. This Chapter 5 encounter does not provide Escape Strike, the unique Heat Action attached to his later Chapter 10 fight. You have not missed that action by finishing the cave normally.
After recovering the treasure, the palanquin service becomes available. Return to Koetsu's mansion to finish the chapter. Fast travel begins with a limited set of destinations and expands as you visit more areas.
CHAPTER 6: PAYING FOR THE DOJO INTRODUCTION
You need 2 Ryo, or 20,000 Mon, to obtain Toji's help. If short on money, available substories are a direct way to earn it; Request 29 pays the required 2 Ryo. Gambling is not necessary for this story gate.
Before taking the money to Ito behind Tsuruya, finish any currently available night-only jobs you intend to do. The meeting changes the time to day. Pay the bribe and prepare for the Yoshioka initiation through two required training stops.
First, visit Shibusawa at Zanki Dojo and learn Boulder Slice. Follow the training prompts until the lesson clears. Then visit Koetsu, who asks for mugwort dango before allowing you to train downstairs.
The correct seller is the Riverside Tea House, reached through the southwestern Rakugai exit and River Road. The tea house beside Yoshioka Dojo does not sell this requested item. Buy the mugwort dango for 15 Mon. Having reached the riverside destination, you can use its palanquin for the return journey.
Give Koetsu the dango and clear the introductory scarecrow exercise. Use a single quick strike on each ordinary target rather than a longer combination. Watch the floor for emerging spear tips; getting hit wastes time. Learning the sequence is more useful than attacking wildly.
With the required training complete, speak to Toji outside Yoshioka Dojo. Ueda is your first opponent. His guard is solid, so bait an attack, evade toward his flank and take a few hits from the side or back. Be ready to complete the button-mashing sword clash if one occurs.
Seijuro follows. He is more evasive than Ueda and likes to turn your head-on attacks into counterattacks. His distinctive one-handed defensive stance is especially important: normal sword attacks are parried, while a kick can get through. If he knocks you off balance, recover promptly using the displayed input instead of leaving yourself exposed.
Win both fights to enter the dojo. The practical lesson is that two opponents who both resist frontal attacks may require different answers: Ueda gives you openings after his own attacks, while Seijuro also demands recognition of his special stance.
CHAPTER 7: ITO, INFILTRATION AND THE FIRE
Ito starts the chapter with a duel. He gets up twice after his health is depleted, first restoring 1,000 health and then 500. His defence and aggression improve, so keep your supplies and attention for the later stages rather than treating the first empty bar as victory.
Wait for his attacks to finish before answering. On his final revival, two swords avoid the single-sword-specific Killing Blow sequence. After the fight, rescue the overturned turtle by the river before speaking to Ito. This is the fourth one-time turtle rescue location in the story.
Walk back with Ito to Gion's gate. Palanquins and substories are unavailable while escorting him. Once you separate, enter through your usual passage and check on Haruka at Tsuruya's rear entrance.
The next day, meet Ito and Koetsu at the mansion. Arrange a room at Tsuruya by speaking to the employee at the main entrance, then going around the back for the conversation with the mistress. Return home when ready and tell Ito you are prepared.
Keep a separate save before this commitment. The upcoming sequence includes stealth, a long burning-building escape and a weapon you cannot return for afterward.
During infiltration, being spotted by an official sends you back home. Wait until the first guard looks away, pass him and take the left-side route rather than running down the centre of the main street. Watch the patrols and continue to Tsuruya's rear entrance.
Inside the building, descend from the fourth floor. The initial enemies can be bypassed, but later rooms close until their occupants are defeated. Two swords work well in the confined rooms. Martial-arts enemies can grab or counter you, so avoid letting them hold you while the rest of the group attacks.
Some distant archers can be hit with thrown plates. If you cannot line up the throw, continuing through the route is better than spending a long time trying to clear unreachable targets. Break debris to free trapped people and collect their recovery-item rewards as you go.
The important timed section begins when the building deteriorates after the banquet-room fighting. You have 15 minutes to finish the chapter. Use the greatsword on debris to conserve time.
Before descending, collect the Ancient Seven-Branched Sword. On the third-floor map, it is in the lower of the two rooms protruding from the right-hand corridor. From the starting side, take the upper corridor around to the right, then work down to that room and break the obstructions. KHHsubs' Chapter 7-14 map marks the sword as item 4: https://www.khhsubs.com/kenzan/graphics/story/7-14.png
This is its only pickup during the main story. The alternative in Kyoto Tour is a separate mode and does not repair a missed story-run weapon record. Confirm that you collected the weapon before leaving the floor.
Continue toward the great banquet hall, watching for falling-debris QTEs. Failing one costs both health and time because the debris then blocks your route.
The Mysterious Warrior wears armour. Ordinary hits initially damage that armour rather than his health; greatsword attacks are useful for breaking it, and Heat Actions can damage him through it. His club is slow enough to evade and punish. Avoid fighting beside intact pillars if possible, since those enable his pillar attack.
The final ninja fight is still part of the escape. Remove the two supporting ninja before concentrating on the leader. Two swords help track their quick movements. Avoid caltrops, and move away immediately after a smoke-bomb attack because an explosive follows. Win to finish the escape and chapter.
CHAPTER 8: THE TOURNAMENT AND DRY LEAF SMASH
Visit the Kamenoya employee to check on Haruka, then go to Koetsu's mansion. Return to Yoshino outside Kamenoya for the next conversation, and finally return home to hear how to reach Hozoin.
Prepare before travelling. The chapter's important fights force single-sword combat, and entering Hozoin commits you until the chapter ends. Improving your sword and completing available Zanki training are more useful preparation than building a plan around greatsword armour damage or unarmed grabs.
Travel south from Riverside Tea House to Hozoin. The gatekeeper demands a recommendation. Speak to the nearby old man, accompany him and defeat Hozoin Inei in the test. His spear has reach, but his short combinations provide clear recovery windows. Guard while facing him and attack after he finishes.
Return to the gatekeeper with the recommendation. Inside, complete En no Ozuma's Wild Boar melon-cutting training and learn Mysteries of the Sword: Dry Leaf Smash. Retry until you learn it. Save at the point beside tournament reception before entering.
The tournament allows no recovery-item use. You start with restored health, then recover only one-third of maximum health between rounds. Treat avoidable damage in the first fights as a cost you carry into Inshun.
Tachibana Benimaru uses a limited set of attacks. Defend and punish rather than wasting health on trades. Yamatobo Gonzen is faster and uses a spear. Face him correctly when guarding and attack after his thrust or completed three-hit combination.
Inshun is the main test. His spear combinations and movement are quicker, and he can step around you during an attack. Turn or dodge when he gets behind you; a single-sword guard cannot save you from the wrong direction. His completed thrusts and combinations provide your openings.
For Dry Leaf Smash, lower Inshun below 10% health without finishing him. Stay close enough to allow his Spear Deathblow sequence to trigger, complete its QTE and follow the Heat Action prompt. If the game offers a Heat-building input, use it, then activate the finisher.
Learning the move is not enough. You must actually perform it here for Heat Action completion. This is its only story opportunity. If you miss it, reload the pre-tournament save instead of carrying the mistake into Chapter 9.
Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan!: story walkthrough, Chapters 5–8
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