Byakue Summary
Byakue is an axe-wielding Genma that only appears during the Special Challenge event in Onimusha: Way of the Sword demo. It is an aggressive foe with a high HP pool, so approach the fight with caution and apply everything you've learned to bring it down!
| Quest |
|---|
| Special Challenge |
| The Curse of Kiyomizu-zaka Slope |
How to Unlock Byakue Special Challenge
Byakue is a secret boss that can only be unlocked by performing 10 Issen during the demo. A counter on the bottom left side of the screen tracks successful Issen executions. Reach 10 and complete the demo to unlock the Special Challenge in the main menu.
Issen is a perfectly timed counterattack that allows Musashi to strike an opponent just before their attack lands. This is a high-risk, high-reward technique that deals lethal damage when executed correctly.
Byakue Attack Patterns
The following table lists each attack Byakue uses in its different forms.
| Attack | Description |
|---|---|
| Charge |  It charges straight toward the player. Parrying or deflecting the attack drains little to no stamina, so evade instead to build up the Reflex Gauge. |
| Leaping Axe Strike |  Byakue flips forward and plunges its axe into its target. This has an obvious tell and can be countered by an Issen. |
| Overhead Strike |  The creature spins its weapon before hacking downward with immense force. |
| Triple Axe Combo |  A triple axe swing is dished out by the boss. The first can be difficult to read due to its tight timing, while the succeeding swings have clearer visible cues. |
| Spinning Sweep |  It spins 360 degrees before sweeping its axe forward. |
| Hop & Bash |  The Oni hops and forcefully bashes the target with its shoulder. Parrying or deflecting both attacks drains no stamina, so evade these instead for a Reflex Combo counter. |
| Upswing Charge |  Byakue rushes toward the player before swinging its axe upward. |
| Hair Grab |  It whirls it glowing hair before attempting to snatch the player. This can be simply avoided by walking away from the beast. |
| 5-Hit Wild Swing |  Byakue goes on a rampage and unleashes five swings in a row, demolishing anything caught in its path. |
How to Beat Byakue
[1] Parry Byakue's attacks for longer vulnerability windows.
Some of its attacks have unique parry animations that leave it open longer for counters. Learning to parry is the most rewarding approach for this fight, compared to solely relying on deflections or reflex dodges.
[2] Dodge backward after it charges.
Byakue tends to follow up its charge with a quick axe swing or another attack, which can easily catch the player off guard and cost a significant chunk of health. After parrying or deflecting the charge, quickly back away to create some distance. This allows for more time to react to whatever attack comes next.
[3] Perform an Issen during its Leaping Axe Strike.
It is difficult to land an Issen against this boss due to its aggressive nature and unpredictable attacks. However, its Leaping Axe Strike has a clear visual cue and much more predictable timing, making it one of the easier attacks to counter with an Issen. Attack just before it lands to deal both heavy HP and stamina damage.
[4] Use the invisibility frames of The Two Celestials.
Aside from using The Two Celestials to gain souls for healing, utilize the weapon animation I-frames to extend combos or avoid incoming attacks. Just make sure to draw and absorb enough Blue Souls during combat to keep the weapon available.
[5] Use the Oni Bow to prevent it from regaining stamina.
While recovering HP or just creating distance, use the Oni Bow to poke the boss and slow down its stamina recovery. This is especially useful for maintaining a Deflection-Break Issen strategy.
Byakue Rewards
Byakue does not drop any rewards after defeat during the Special Challenge event. However, it does drop the following items in the game's full version:
- Red Soul x 1,000
- Byakue's Talisman x 2
Related Guides
List of Bosses
| Bosses | |
|---|---|
| DEMO | |
 Sasaki Ganryu |  Daidara - Slavering Glutton |
 Byakue -Hundred Defilements | |
| FULL GAME | |
 Rasho-gan - Wish Warper |  Ifuu |
 Greater Nue |  Benkei |
 Burai |  Shuten Doji |
 Ifuu and Burai |  Sasaki Ganryu at Arashiyama |
 Dokyo |  Benkei at Rendaino |
 Minamoto no Yoshitsune |  Byakue at Kiyomizu-dera Temple |
