Secret Mission 05: Sky Scraper

Location: Chapter 7, Lapis River

You have to ascend to the top of the passage here, utilizing the Grim Grips and the bouncers to reach the Blue Orb Fragment at the end.

The first two jumps involve using two grim grips quickly in succession to reach the next bouncer; the second jump involves a trickier Grim Grip jump, so if you have Air Hike, be prepared to use it here to save yourself from an error. From the third bouncer, underneath the fourth bouncer, which is surrounded by a gate; you can pass through it from below and hit it that way. At the fifth bouncer, use the Grim Grip to pull yourself onto the platform nearby, then line yourself up and use the Grip again to hit the bouncer and bounce up to the Fragment.

Having Snatch 3 can help you grab the Grips if you fall down from above, but it shouldn't be necessary if you do things right. Practice makes perfect here.

Secret Mission 06: Vermifuge

Location: Chapter 10/12, Security Corridor

At first this mission seems impossible, but it can certainly be done. Your goal is to keep the Scarecrow here alive until all of the Chimera are dead. You lose if the Scarecrow dies first or if any of the Chimeras manage to take over the Scarecrow.

You need to use Nero here. After beating Credo, you should have the Hold power available to you. This lets you perform a Buster action, but if you keep holding down the button, you will hold onto the enemy and not let them go. What you need to do here is Hold the Scarecrow as soon as it appears and start Air Hiking your way down the valley nearby to the southwest. The Chimera will be jumping at your feet, and if one of them hits you when you land, you'll probably lose the match, but if you try often enough, you will eventually make it past the Gyro Blade and up onto the platform there.

The Chimera can't make it up to the upper level of the platform, so walk the Scarecrow down the valley a bit (but don't walk to the next screen), then set him down with a Buster. You will have some time before he makes his way back to the Chimera, so quickly run back to them and start Bustering them to death. If you have a full Devil Trigger gauge, you can also use that on them to finish them off.

It'll take a few tries, but this is the best method for getting the Blue Orb Fragment in this level that we've tried.

Secret Mission 07: Free Running

Location: Chapter 10/12, Meeting Room

Another very difficult one. It's pretty much identical to the disappearing-platforms section in the Lost Forest, but you'll have to deal with more Mephistos and a much more confusing pattern of platforms, including a section where you're confined to a single tile for a while. Towards the end of it, the platforms will be appearing and disappearing very rapidly, so this is more of a game of memorization than it is anything else.

If you attempt to use the traditional method of approach here, stick with the Royal Guard style with Dante and simply block all incoming attacks. It'll hurt, but it'll usually prevent you from getting knocked around. You'll still have a hard time getting over there, though.

An easier method for nabbing the Blue Orb Fragment here is simple: cheat. Enter the level with a full Disaster Gauge from attacking enemies (you can start mission 12 and simply wail on the Scarecrows there), and use Gunslinger style to flip over to the Argument missile battery. Since it can fly, you can simply coast over to the Fragment without too many problems.

Secret Mission 08: Royal Blocker

Location: Chapter 7/14, Forest Entrance

A difficult mission. You're faced off against two Mephistos here, and must attempt to throw up five successful Royal Guards in a row. If you miss a Royal Guard and get hit, your counter will decrease, so, yes, you need to block five attacks in a row for the prize.

There isn't really a huge amount to say about this mission. You'll obviously need Dante to attempt it, since Nero can't use Royal Block. You'll have to be patient here and watch the enemy attacks and learn precisely when to hit the Royal Block button. This is purely a matter of skill and reflexes, which we can't really impart in a game guide. If you practice long enough, you'll eventually be able to nab your reward, but it may take longer than it winds up being worth.

A few readers have sent in the following tips: you should kill one of the Mephistos outright to make it easier to Royal Block the attacks of the remaining enemy. Apparently you can also just repeatedly mash the special attack button to constantly flip up the Royal Guard, which will often let you get credit for an RG despite not having the timing worked out perfectly.