Chapter 10: The Aquaduct

We'll excuse Tecmo's blatant typo in the name of this mission (it should be aqueduct), because this is one of the more interesting and challenging chapters in the game. After the train crashes in the Dworku area, you'll regain control of Ryu. Open the chest to your left and get the Life of the Gods. You can also fill up on some explosive arrows at the box.

Exit the door and head to your left, toward the manhole cover. The scripting in this part of the game seems a little screwy, so you may have to re-enter and exit the door a couple of times for the short cutscene to trigger. Eventually, when you approach the manhole cover, a bunch of pink fiends with glowing blue heads will pop out of the manhole. These guys are tough, quick, and have some pretty nasty combo strikes and throws, so don't take them lightly. Kill them, then jump down the manhole. Dispatch the bats, and save at the nearby station.

Aquaduct B1

Go through the metal door here, and you'll end up in a wide duct with a bunch of those pink fiends. Kill them, and make your way down the duct to the next door. You're now in a narrow stairwell with more fiends. Take them out, and continue down the stairs.

Aquaduct B2

Get the map from this poor guy.

Hang a right at the bottom of the stairs and get the map of the aquaduct from the dead ninja. If you continue in that direction, you'll end up at a door you can't open yet. Go back in the other direction, past a doorway on the right and all the way to a metal door at the end of this hall. Open it and you'll end up in another hallway more pink fiends. The fiends in this room will always respawn, so you can skip the fight if you like. On left end of this hall (as you enter it) is a double door with insect symbols on it that you can't open yet. On the other side is another metal door. Go in that door.

Up the stairs and to the left you'll find a shop kiosk. If you're low on elixirs, now's a good time to fill up, and get other shopping done. Grab the chest to the left of the shop kiosk for a Great Spirit Elixir. Go to the right, past the shop kiosk and into the Blue Water Reservoir. Look into the bottom of a pool, and dive in for a golden scarab. There's not much else to do here for now, so go back out to the hall with the respawning fiends, and then over to the hall with the dead ninja who had the map. Make your way back up this hall, then duck into the little side hall, where you can drop down to the B3 level

Aquaduct B3

Walk down the stairs and into the shallow water, where you'll face off with just a few fiends. If you walk straight ahead from the stairs, and slightly to the left you'll find a save station. Save your game, then open the nearby chest for a Great Spirit Elixir. Go back toward the stairs by which you entered this floor, and around to the left, where you'll see a narrow elevator.

Vanquish these bugs twice and you'll get some nice rewards.

Go down it, and grab the chest with the Jewel of the Demon Sealinside. This will lock you in the room with a bunch of bug-like creatures. By themselves, these bugs are not much of a threat, but they'll attack you eight or more at a time, and you'll have to kill seemingly dozens before you're allowed to leave. Remember to block, and always stay in motion. Constant lunge attacks work well, and if you're feeling overwhelmed, you can let loose an inferno ninpo to clear the room out. If one of them latches on to you, mash the buttons to throw it off. Don't be afraid to use a few elixirs. You're earning a good deal of essence in here, and you can always buy back what you use up. When you've cleared the room, the elevator will return and you can leave.

If you feel up to the task, you can re-enter the room and the bugs will be back. If you manage to clear the room a second time, another treasure chest will appear next to the first one, giving you a valuable Talisman of Rebirth. You've got some tough boss fights ahead, and having this item will be rather helpful.

When you're done exterminating pests, save your game at the save station again, then go through the double stone doors right next to the save station to enter the Hall of Balance.

Hall of Balance

From the entryway, go to the left side of the room and step on the stone platform that's just above the surface of the water. You can run up that wall and grasp onto a ledge. Mantle over to the right and pull yourself up. Open the chest for the Insect Key. Jump down and go back out the same door you entered.

Aquaduct B3

Do a continuous wall run from the left wall to the front wall to get back up the Aquaduct B2.

Save your game again, as you're heading toward a boss fight. Go back up the stairs to the pit where you dropped from level B2 to B3. Hmm...no stairs, how do you get back up? You're a ninja, so face directly away from the stairs, then wall run along the left, jump to the wall in front, and then you should be able to hop up on the high platform to get back to Aquaduct B2.

Aquaduct B2

Remember the double stone door with the insects on it, in the hallway with the respawning fiends? Your Insect Key will open that door, so go there now. If you need to restock on elixirs, go to Muramasa's. You may want to consider buying explosive arrows as well, as they work wonders in the upcoming boss fight.