Chapter 16 (To Live is to Suffer) is the urban-slum combat chapter. Musashi clears a Genma-plagued dockside district without harming civilians. The Ifuu sub-boss climaxes the chapter. Estimated 2–2.5 hours.
1. Chapter Overview
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Chapter | 16 — "To Live is to Suffer" |
| Estimated Time | 2 – 2.5 hours |
| Difficulty | Medium-Hard |
| Setting | Kyoto dockside slums — narrow alleys, plank walkways, canals |
| Story Summary | The mountain temple cult's corruption has reached the common folk. Musashi must clear the dockside slums of Genma-possessed humans without harming the uninfected civilians caught in the crossfire. |
| Key Unlocks | Ifuu Soul Core, Mercy Talisman, Fourth Enma Page, Civilian-Saver trophy |
| Recommended Level | 25 – 27 |
Chapter 16 ("To Live is to Suffer") 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
- Enter the dockside slums via the Chapter 10 tunnel
- Clear the first alley (4 Genma-possessed humans)
- Rescue 6 trapped civilians from the canal huts
- Cross the plank walkways to the second district
- Defeat Ifuu at the lantern-tower
- Recover the Fourth Enma Page from the public shrine
3. Walkthrough
Sections In This Chapter
Section 1 — Enter the Slums
Enter via the Chapter 10 tunnel that connects Hanbei's workshop to the docks. The slums are immediately tense — NPCs are cowering indoors.
Talk to every NPC you can. Two trapped civilians are flagged on the map; the others are unmarked. Listen for the woman-with-baby cry-sound ("waa waa") — it points to an unmarked trapped civilian.
Section 2 — Alley Combat (Possessed Humans)
Genma-possessed humans fight like Genma Brutes but cannot be one-shot. A heavy Mountain Breaker knocks them out without killing.
Heavy attacks knock them out (non-lethal). Light attacks wound them slowly; killing them fails the Civilian-Saver trophy.
Section 3 — Civilian Rescue
Six civilians trapped in canal huts. Each hut has a lock; you need Shield-Breaker or a Hozuki fire-bomb to open.
Saving all 6 grants the Civilian-Saver trophy and unlocks a permanent +5% soul-gain talisman. Missing any civilian locks the trophy forever.
Section 4 — Plank Walkways
The plank walkways between districts are unstable. Three Genma Brutes block the path.
Walk-ways collapse under heavy Issen. Use light attacks to preserve the planks. If you do collapse, you fall to a lower level but the chapter does not lock.
Section 5 — Ifuu Sub-Boss
The lantern-tower is the chapter's climax. Ifuu, a Genma-archer officer, hunkers at the top.
Phase 1: ranged volley. Deflect each arrow back. Phase 2: Ifuu drops down and fights with a Genma-shortsword. Phase 3: Ifuu ascends and casts a five-arrow spread — use Earth-Shakers Soul Core for cover.
Section 6 — Public Shrine
Recover the Fourth Enma Page from the public shrine.
The Enma Page is hidden in a sealed donation-box. A short NPC dialogue unlocks it. The chapter ends with a cutscene showing the slums slowly returning to normal as the Genma-possessed humans awaken.
4. Key Items & Collectibles
| Item | Location | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Ifuu Soul Core | Sub-boss drop | Five-arrow spread gauntlet ability |
| Mercy Talisman | All 6 civilians rescued | +5% permanent soul gain |
| Fourth Enma Page | Public shrine sealed box | Hozuki Pouch upgrade piece (4/7) |
| Hozuki Pouch token #12 | Hidden in canal hut #4 | +1 pouch slot |
| Skill Seal — Crowd Sweep | After alley combat | Heavy attack cleaves multiple possessed humans |
| Civilian-Saver trophy | Chapter completion | Rescue achievement |
5. Missables
- Mercy Talisman + Civilian-Saver trophy — requires saving all 6 civilians. Missing any one locks both rewards.
- Hozuki Pouch token #12 — hidden in canal hut #4. The hut has a Hozuki jar that you can interact with; inside is the token.
- Fourth Enma Page — the donation-box requires the correct NPC dialogue branch. The wrong branch gives you a common Spirit Stone instead.
- Skill Seal — Crowd Sweep — acquired only if you complete the alley combat without using Hozuki fire-bombs (the Chapter 11 reward). The seal is locked out on bomb-heavy runs.
6. Soul Farming Opportunities
| Location | Enemies | Souls / Clear | Respawns? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alley clear (non-lethal) | 4 Possessed Humans | ~360 yellow (reduced) | Yes (NG+) |
| Plank walkway clear | 3 Genma Brutes | ~280 yellow | Yes (NG+) |
| Ifuu sub-boss | 1 Ifuu | ~1300 yellow | Once per save |
7. Chapter Checklist
Track your Chapter 16 run below. Selections are stored locally in your browser and persist between visits.