After finding a lead on the Oni of the Yotei Six, Atsu heads to the Ishikari Plain to exact her revenge on one of her family’s killers.
Table of contents
Find Ishikari Plain in the Golden Foothills
After finding a lead on the locations of the Yotei Six, you had your choice of tracking down the Oni, Kitsune, or the Dragon and Spider. If you’ve selected the Oni, you’ll be heading to the northwest of Yotei’s Shadow Inn.
You’ll run into a gate that’s surrounded by Clan Matsumae samurai. Talk to the samurai in front of the gate and they’ll tell you that you require a permit to pass.
To get a permit, talk to the nearby beggar and give him 10 mon. He’ll give you a permit which you can use to pass the gate. This will start the mission, The Road to Ishikari Plain.
Defeat the Oni Raiders
After a cutscene where Atsu meets the samurai Lord Kitamori, a group of Oni Raiders appear. Defeat them, focusing on the archers with fire arrows first.
Find the Missing Samurai
After the raiders are defeated, follow Kitamori where you’ll find the remains of horses. Inspect the gray horse, then examine the footsteps going uphill.
Climb up the cliff face and follow the path to find some Oni Raiders who are about to immolate the missing samurai. Help Kitamori defeat the Oni Raiders and a cutscene will start.
Find Food and setting up Camp
As Kitamori prepares to bury the samurai, Atsu must look for some food at the raider’s camp. There’s a path to the right of the bodies, follow it to find the raider camp.
There’s a purple chest that’ll contain Oni Raider Mask Pieces, these can be used to upgrade your gear. Pick up supplies in the area and examine the salmon in a basket.
After picking up the salmon, build a campfire within the campsite and cook the fish to start a cutscene. Kitamori will join Atsu to eat and the two will share each other’s history.
On the next day, head towards the execution site where you’ll find Kitamori next to the graves of the samurai. Follow him and you’ll reach the site of an Oni Raider Attack.
Defeat the Oni Raider Ambusher
The Oni Raider Ambusher can be a tricky fight, but keep in mind that many of his opening attacks on combos have a delay to them. They are then followed up by multiple, swift attacks.
The Ambusher can ignite his kama (sickles), potentially lighting you on fire if they hit you. If you catch on fire, you can Roll to douse the flames if you’ve previously unlocked that ability at an Altar of Reflection.
Remember, many of this opening combos start with a delayed attack. Don’t parry the moment you see a blue glint at first, wait for him to close in and parry his first attack. Then block or parry all his successive swift attacks.
The Ambusher often attacks in two or four hit combos. Be wary of the attacks that start without a blue glint, he will attack five times in a row when doing this.
When he gets low, the Ambusher will switch to his katana. Use your single katana at this point if you haven’t already to more easily break his guard with heavy attacks.
When the Ambusher is defeated, the remaining raiders will attack. Defeat them so Atsu and Kitamori can reach the Matsumae Camp.
Clan Matsumae Camp
Follow Kitamori into the camp and he’ll take off to take care of some business. Look for the samurai at the bamboo chopping stand. Talk to the samurai with the plumed helmet.
He demands that anyone staying at the camp be able to pull their weight. You must chop through bamboo to prove your worth and if you succeed, you keep his hlemet.
Follow the sequence of buttons then take his helmet to move the plot forward. The Clan Matsumae Helmet can be donned in the Gear menu and provides no benefits, it’s purely decorative.
After obtaining your helmet, speak to Kitamori and Commander Wada. Unfortunately the commander will not allow an outlaw to remain at the camp. Fortunately, he’ll honor the payment and give you 2,000 mon.
Mount your horse at the game where Kitamori will tell you to start at the market outside the Oni’s castle. You have now entered the Ishikari Plain!
Survey the Area
Before you can proceed further, you’ll need to open your spyglass and survey the island, market, and castle as pointed out below:
Thus begins your journey into the Ishikari Plain where you can investigate the Market and seek the Yari Master’s help.
