Chapter 10 (An Immortal Talent) is the investigation chapter between Kennin-ji and the Oni Shrine. Musashi meets the elderly swordsmith ally, repairs Onimaru, and clears a Genma smuggling ring from the workshop basement. The new enemy is the Byakue ("white-blade" officer class). Estimated 2–2.5 hours.
1. Chapter Overview
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Chapter | 10 — "An Immortal Talent" |
| Estimated Time | 2 – 2.5 hours |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Setting | Kyoto back-alley swordsmith workshop + basement smuggling tunnels |
| Story Summary | After sealing Kennin-ji, Musashi visits the swordsmith Hozuki Hanbei to repair the Onimaru. The visit reveals a Genma smuggling operation beneath the workshop. Hanbei joins the ally roster; Musashi clears the basement. |
| Key Unlocks | Onimaru repair token, Byakue enemy codex entry, Hanbei as upgrade ally, Back-Alley Sake recipe |
| Recommended Level | 19 – 21 |
Chapter 10 ("An Immortal Talent") is a 2 – 2.5 hours segment of the 22-mission main story of Onimusha: Way of the Sword. The structure, enemy compositions, and item placements below are based on the verified first-week launch state. Use the walkthrough checklist to track every encounter, item, and missable. Recommended for players clearing the chapter for the first time on Difficulty Mode II — the chapter scales to whatever level you enter.
2. Main Objectives
- Travel to the back-alley swordsmith workshop in western Kyoto
- Speak with Hozuki Hanbei about Onimaru repairs
- Investigate the basement sounds (optional stealth)
- Clear the Genma smuggling ring (6 Byakue + 12 Brutes)
- Retrieve the stolen Demonsteel Ingot
- Return to Hanbei for the Onimaru repair reward
3. Walkthrough
Sections In This Chapter
Section 1 — Approach the Workshop
Fast-travel to the Wareshi-ro Waypoint and head west along the canal. Three lantern-lit NPCs hint at the workshop via a red awning. No combat on approach — the chapter opens with atmosphere rather than fighting.
Take the small detour past the canal fishmonger to grab the Back-Alley Sake recipe (optional, but it stacks +5% Hozuki pouch capacity for the rest of the run).
Section 2 — Hanbei's Workshop Cutscene
Hanbei identifies the Onimaru's chipped edge as Demonsteel erosion — a sign the blade recently absorbed Genma essence. To repair it, he needs a Demonsteel Ingot from the basement smugglers' stockpile.
This unlocks Hanbei as a permanent upgrade ally: from Chapter 11 onward, every workshop visit can upgrade a weapon by one tier for 600 yellow souls (a 25% discount from the Onmyoji shop).
Section 3 — Basement Investigation
The basement is a stealth-investigative segment before it explodes into combat. Sneak past four Genma patrols via the wall-hugging dark zones.
Use B to crouch, A to distract-throw a shuriken (the only ranged tool you have in early game). Sneak-takedowns from behind restore 1 lantern charge.
Section 4 — Smuggling Ring Combat
The basement opens into a large storage hall. Wave 1 (4 Genma Brutes), Wave 2 (3 Byakue officers + 4 Brutes), Wave 3 (3 Byakue + Smuggler Foreman mini-boss).
Byakue are tier-3 officers. They have a 3-hit combo that ends in a thrust you can deflect for a wall-bounce Issen. They block from the front — circle to their flank for backstabs.
Section 5 — Smuggler Foreman
The Foreman dual-wields a machete and a Genma talisman. He is fast but punish-heavy.
Phase 1: Machete combos. Phase 2: he pulls a second talisman and casts lantern-drain AoE. Phase 3 (HP 25%): he chugs a Demonsteel potion and becomes briefly invincible — dodge, then punish when he staggers.
4. Key Items & Collectibles
| Item | Location | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Demonsteel Ingot | Basement stockpile | Onimaru repair material |
| Back-Alley Sake (recipe) | Canal fishmonger detour | +5% Hozuki pouch capacity |
| Byakue Officer Soul | Foreman drop | Crafting material |
| Hozuki Pouch token #6 | Hidden behind the smuggler's ledger | +1 pouch slot |
| Skill Seal — Silent Takedown | Hanbei reward | Sneak-takedowns refund lantern |
| Talisman — Steel Tongue | Foreman cache | +8% deflect damage |
5. Missables
- Back-Alley Sake recipe — canal fishmonger detour is easy to miss; the recipe does not respawn on NG+.
- Hozuki Pouch token #6 — hidden behind smuggler's ledger on the upper crate stack. If you leave the basement via the main exit the token is gone.
- Hanbei's first-visit dialogue — he has four extended dialogue branches about Onimaru's history. Skipping the dialogue locks out two later upgrade recipes.
- Smuggler ledger — after the Foreman fight, inspect the ledger to mark the Byakue officer as a codex entry. Otherwise it stays locked until Chapter 16.
6. Soul Farming Opportunities
| Location | Enemies | Souls / Clear | Respawns? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basement sneak route | 4 Genma patrol | ~180 yellow | Yes (NG+) |
| Storage hall clear | 6 Byakue + 12 Brutes | ~1200 yellow | Yes (NG+) |
| Foreman mini-boss | 1 Smuggler Foreman | ~480 yellow | Once per save |
7. Chapter Checklist
Track your Chapter 10 run below. Selections are stored locally in your browser and persist between visits.