Onimusha: Way of the Sword Trophy Guide

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Onimusha: Way of the Sword brings back the essence of the legendary series with an action-packed adventure focused on sword combat, counters, Issen attacks, Oni abilities and exploration through a Kyoto overrun by Genma creatures. Earning the Platinum requires considerably more than simply completing the story.

The 100% completion combines almost every system in the game. You must complete the campaign, master different combat techniques, find collectibles, rescue townspeople and Lion Dogs, complete the Mysteries of Kyoto and Chance Encounters, obtain all Oni Armaments and fully upgrade your abilities, equipment, Hozuki Pouches and charms.

There is also one particularly important requirement: True Onimusha requires you to complete the game on Carnage difficulty. This difficulty is not available from the beginning and is unlocked after completing your first playthrough, meaning the Platinum requires at least two complete runs.

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Platinum Information

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The main challenge of the Platinum is not a single difficult collectible or boss, but the sheer number of systems that must be completed. The biggest obstacles are Carnage, Boss Rematch, full upgrades and the larger collectible sets.

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Tips Before You Start

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Play your first run on Action

If you already have some experience with action games, Action is a good difficulty for your first playthrough. The goal is to become comfortable reading enemy attacks, performing parries, executing Issen attacks and taking advantage of counterattack windows without relying too heavily on visual assistance.

Your first playthrough should also be used to learn the combat systems and accumulate resources. You do not need to obsess over every item from the very beginning, but you should explore and rescue townspeople whenever possible.

Do not spend resources recklessly

The Platinum requires a large number of upgrades. You will need Power Stones, Oni Stones, equipment materials, Fine Silk Cloths, Tamahagane and money. Collecting everything you find during the adventure will significantly reduce the amount of grinding required later.

Prioritize exploration abilities

Abilities connected to Oni Vision are particularly useful for locating treasures and materials. Prioritize Oni Vision: Treasures, Oni Vision: Treasures 2 and Oni Vision: Search Range when possible.

Save useful items

Consumables can be considerably more valuable during your Carnage run. If you do not need certain resources during your first adventure, keeping them available can make New Game+ considerably easier.

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Suggested Platinum Route

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The most efficient way to earn the Platinum is to divide the work into several stages. You do not necessarily need to complete absolutely everything during your first run, but it is highly recommended that you use it to collect resources, master combat and prepare your character for New Game+.

Phase 1 – First Playthrough

1. Start the game on Action difficulty.
2. Learn Issen, Reflex Combos, Grab Reversals and Chain Issen.
3. Explore areas before progressing too far.
4. Rescue townspeople whenever Genma encounters appear.
5. Collect Lion Dogs, Mysteries, Genma Notes and other collectibles.
6. Purchase exploration-related abilities progressively.
7. Upgrade weapons, abilities, Hozuki Pouches and charms.
8. Progress through the story until you reach The Clash At Rendaino.
9. Create a manual save before starting that mission.

Phase 2 – Cleanup Before the Finale

This is the ideal time to complete anything you still have outstanding. The world remains available until the final mission and, after completing the story, you can return to your previous state through Continue.

Complete the Mysteries of Kyoto, Chance Encounters, Lion Dogs, Genma Notes, Oni Armaments and as many upgrades as possible.

Phase 3 – Complete the First Playthrough

Finish the final mission and defeat Minamoto no Yoshitsune. You will unlock the story-related trophies and gain access to New Game+ and Carnage difficulty.

Phase 4 – New Game+ on Carnage

Start New Game+ and select Carnage. This is the playthrough required for True Onimusha.

Much of your important progression carries over, including awakened Oni abilities, ability upgrades, Hozuki Pouches and their upgrades, items, charms and their upgrades, Genma Notes and Lion Dogs. Other elements do not carry over, including certain clothing, sword and gauntlet upgrades, Red Souls and Spirit Mirror unlock progression.

Phase 5 – Boss Rematch

After completing the campaign on Carnage, head to the practice area and complete the Boss Rematch challenges. To unlock Glutton for Punishment, you must defeat every available Boss Rematch opponent on all difficulty levels.

Once this final requirement is completed, the Peerless Platinum should unlock automatically once every other trophy has been earned.

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Collectibles and Upgrades Required for 100%

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One of the most important aspects of the Platinum is understanding that completion is closely tied to exploration. Simply defeating enemies and progressing through the story is not enough.

These figures correspond to the collectible and material sets identified by current trophy and collectible roadmaps as relevant to completing the associated 100% categories. Materials can be obtained through exploration, chests, activities and the game’s trading and upgrade systems.

Mysteries of Kyoto

There are 8 Mysteries of Kyoto. Completing the first unlocks Mystery Solved, while completing all of them awards Demystified. It is recommended to solve them progressively rather than leaving every one until the end.

Chance Encounters

There are 18 Chance Encounters. These small events and situations appear while exploring. The first one unlocks Life-Saver, while completing all of them awards No Job Too Small.

Lion Dogs

There are 36 Lion Dogs. Finding the first one unlocks No Dog Left Behind, while rescuing all of them awards For the Love of Dog.

Oni Armaments

There are 7 Oni Armaments. You must obtain all of them for Oni Armory. Using these weapons regularly will also help you progress toward Wielder of Oni Armaments.

Hozuki Pouches

There are 9 Hozuki Pouches. Fully upgrading one unlocks Health Is Wealth, while fully upgrading all of them awards Medical Marvel.

Charms

There are 15 charms. Fully upgrading one unlocks A Real Charmer, while fully upgrading all of them awards Charmed Life.

Genma Notes

There are 23 Genma Notes. These require deliberate exploration, so it is worth following a dedicated collectible route instead of assuming that you will naturally find them all.

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All Onimusha: Way of the Sword Trophies

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Below is the complete list of the 52 trophies available in the game. Trophy names are kept in English so they match the official PlayStation terminology.

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Detailed Trophy Guide

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🏆 Peerless

Grade: Platinum.

Requirement: Earn all trophies.

This is the Platinum trophy and unlocks automatically after earning the other 51 trophies. There is no additional hidden requirement. The key to earning it is completing Carnage, finishing all upgrades, collecting the required items and completing every Boss Rematch challenge.

Onimusha Showdown

Requirement: Drive off Sasaki Ganryu.

This trophy is earned during the story. Sasaki Ganryu is one of the early important encounters and provides an opportunity to become familiar with parries, stamina management and Issen attacks.

A reliable approach is to provoke his attacks, parry at the correct moment and use the resulting openings to deal damage. Once his condition allows it, perform the appropriate Issen attack.

Get Stuffed

Requirement: Defeat Daidara.

This is a story-related boss trophy. Simply defeat Daidara during the normal progression of the campaign.

Twisted Fates

Requirement: Defeat Rasho-gan.

This trophy is unlocked by defeating Rasho-gan. Use the encounter to practice reading enemy patterns and identifying safe counterattack windows.

Howling Wind

Requirement: Defeat Ifuu.

This story trophy unlocks after defeating Ifuu. There is no additional special condition required during your first playthrough.

Dokyo’s Fixation

Requirement: Defeat the Greater Nue.

This trophy is awarded for defeating the Greater Nue. Patience is particularly important in Onimusha: Way of the Sword: correctly blocking or avoiding attacks and countering afterward is usually safer than constantly attacking.

Benkei: Out, but Not Down

Requirement: Defeat Benkei.

This is one of the campaign’s boss encounters. Use the fight to practice Issen timing and learn which attacks provide the safest opportunities to strike back.

Crashing Lightning

Requirement: Defeat Burai.

A story-related trophy that unlocks when Burai is defeated. No additional condition is required.

Wide Awake

Requirement: Defeat Shuten Doji.

Another boss-related trophy. During your first playthrough, simply focus on winning the battle and learning its mechanics for later challenges.

The Perfect Storm

Requirement: Defeat Ifuu and Burai.

This trophy is awarded after both enemies have been defeated. It is part of the main progression and does not require a particular difficulty during the first playthrough.

We Done Here?

Requirement: Defeat Sasaki Ganryu at Arashiyama.

This is a second encounter with Sasaki Ganryu. Experience from the first battle will help, but the later fight introduces additional situations that require faster reactions.

End This Madness

Requirement: Defeat Dokyo.

This trophy unlocks after defeating Dokyo. There is no secondary condition attached to it.

Baited by Benkei

Requirement: Defeat Benkei at Rendaino.

This encounter takes place during the final portion of the adventure. Make sure you enter with a well-prepared inventory and enough healing resources.

Truly, Thank You

Requirement: Defeat Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

This is the final boss of the adventure. The battle can last for some time and requires you to manage the different phases correctly. Do not enter without enough resources.

Mystery Solved

Requirement: Complete your first Mystery of Kyoto.

Complete any one of the eight Mysteries of Kyoto to unlock this trophy.

Demystified

Requirement: Complete all Mysteries of Kyoto.

You must complete all 8 Mysteries of Kyoto. The safest strategy is to solve them progressively while exploring rather than leaving the entire set for the end.

Life-Saver

Requirement: Complete your first Chance Encounter.

Chance Encounters appear during exploration. Complete one of these optional encounters and the trophy will unlock.

No Job Too Small

Requirement: Complete all Chance Encounters.

You must complete all 18 Chance Encounters. Do not ignore them simply because they appear to be small side activities: they are directly tied to the 100% completion requirements.

Serves You Right

Requirement: Defeat the Byakue at Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

This is a specific encounter at Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Defeat the Byakue and the trophy will unlock.

Citizen Savior

Requirement: Rescue 30 townspeople from marauding Genma.

This is one of the trophies you should work on from the beginning. Whenever you encounter townspeople being attacked, eliminate the Genma quickly and make sure the rescue is completed successfully.

You need to rescue 30 townspeople. Do not wait until the final areas before starting to pay attention to these encounters.

Selfish Selflessness

Requirement: Rescue a merchant that’s being attacked by Genma.

This is a specific variation of the rescue encounters. When you find a merchant under attack, defeat the enemies and complete the rescue.

No Dog Left Behind

Requirement: Rescue your first Lion Dog.

Find and rescue your first Lion Dog to unlock this trophy automatically.

For the Love of Dog

Requirement: Rescue all the Lion Dogs.

There are 36 Lion Dogs. This is one of the main exploration objectives and requires careful examination of the different areas of the map.

Genma-ologist

Requirement: Collect all the Genma Notes.

You must collect all 23 Genma Notes. These are easier to miss than some other collectibles, so use the game’s exploration tools and follow a dedicated route if necessary.

True Onimusha

Requirement: Complete the game on difficulty level Carnage.

This is one of the two Gold trophies and one of the biggest obstacles to the Platinum. Carnage is unlocked after completing the main adventure and is accessed through New Game+.

Your first playthrough should be treated as preparation. Learn boss attacks, upgrade your abilities, collect Hozuki Pouches and charms and become comfortable with Issen.

Do not approach Carnage as an improvised run. A properly prepared New Game+ character will make the challenge considerably more manageable.

Second Helping

Requirement: Beat an opponent in a Boss Rematch.

The Boss Rematch system allows you to replay boss encounters. Defeat any available opponent to unlock this trophy.

Glutton for Punishment

Requirement: Beat all Boss Rematch opponents on all difficulty levels.

This is the second Gold trophy and one of the most demanding requirements in the Platinum. The Boss Rematch mode is accessed through the practice area. You must defeat every available boss on the required difficulty levels.

A useful strategy is to learn each fight on lower difficulties before tackling the harder versions. Once you know the patterns, move on to Carnage and focus on avoiding unnecessary damage while taking advantage of Issen opportunities.

The Winding Way of the Sword

Requirement: Learn and upgrade all basic or special skills.

This trophy is tied to the character development system. Skills are acquired and upgraded through the game’s progression systems.

Because a considerable amount of material is required, avoid spending resources without a plan. This trophy is closely connected to Well-Rounded.

Well-Rounded

Requirement: Learn and upgrade all basic and special skills.

This is one of the most demanding upgrade trophies. You must complete the required skill set and upgrade everything to the necessary levels.

Power Stones and Oni Stones are particularly important. Current collectible routes identify 54 of each type.

Looking Sharp

Requirement: Enhance a piece of equipment for the first time.

This should come naturally during the campaign. As soon as you have an available upgrade, apply it to any piece of equipment.

Dressed to Kill

Requirement: Enhance all equipment to the maximum level.

This trophy requires a significant amount of materials. Fine Silk Cloths and Tamahagane are particularly important for the relevant equipment upgrades.

Do not spend materials simply because an upgrade is available. Collect everything you can and plan your upgrades carefully.

Oni Armory

Requirement: Acquire all Oni Armaments.

There are 7 Oni Armaments. You must find and acquire all of them. Using them regularly will also help you progress toward Wielder of Oni Armaments.

Health Is Wealth

Requirement: Enhance a Hozuki Pouch to the maximum level.

Your first Hozuki Pouch-related objective is straightforward: fully upgrade one pouch. Do this once you have enough materials available.

Medical Marvel

Requirement: Enhance all Hozuki Pouches to the maximum level.

You must find all 9 Hozuki Pouches and fully upgrade every one of them. This requires considerably more resources than Health Is Wealth.

A Real Charmer

Requirement: Enhance a charm to the maximum level.

Select one of your charms and fully upgrade it. It is best to do this after you have accumulated enough resources and have decided which charm fits your preferred setup.

Charmed Life

Requirement: Enhance all charms to the maximum level.

There are 15 charms, and all of them must reach their maximum level. This is one of the largest resource requirements in the game.

Burning Blade

Requirement: Defeat 50 foes while in the Blazing State.

You need 50 kills while in the Blazing State. The progress is cumulative, so you do not need to achieve all 50 in a single session.

Groups of weaker enemies are ideal because they allow you to obtain multiple kills before the state expires.

Stop Motion

Requirement: Perform 50 Reflex Combos.

Reflex Combos are one of the techniques worth practicing from the beginning. Use them naturally throughout the campaign and you should make substantial progress without dedicated grinding.

Wielder of Oni Armaments

Requirement: Defeat 100 enemies with Oni Armaments.

This trophy is cumulative. Once you obtain one of these weapons, use it regularly so that the counter advances naturally while exploring and completing optional content.

Oni’s Oni

Requirement: Defeat 50 enemies in the Oni Awakened state.

You need to obtain kills while in the Oni Awakened state. Do not save the transformation exclusively for bosses: using it against groups of normal enemies is an effective way to increase the counter.

Brutalist

Requirement: Land 50 Issen attacks.

Issen is one of the defining mechanics of the combat system. You need to successfully perform 50. The key is learning the precise timing rather than attacking too early.

Enemies with predictable attacks are ideal targets for practicing this technique.

Flow State

Requirement: Defeat 50 enemies with Chain Issen attacks.

This trophy requires you to use Chain Issen correctly to link kills together. Groups of enemies provide the best opportunities, particularly when multiple opponents are vulnerable at the same time.

Silent Violence

Requirement: Assassinate 20 enemies.

Look for opportunities to approach enemies without alerting them and perform assassinations. You do not need special enemies for this requirement.

Pinch Hitter

Requirement: Deflect 50 projectiles.

When ranged enemies attack, learn to deflect their projectiles rather than simply avoiding them.

Areas containing enemies that repeatedly use ranged attacks are particularly useful for progressing toward this trophy.

Deadeye

Requirement: Score 100 headshots with your bow.

The requirement is cumulative. Whenever you have an isolated enemy and enough time to aim safely, target the head.

Single enemies are preferable to groups because they allow you to aim without worrying about multiple attacks.

Winning Is What Matters

Requirement: Carry out 50 attacks with environmental objects.

Pay attention to interactive elements in the environment. Not every encounter needs to be solved exclusively with your sword: use environmental objects whenever the opportunity appears.

Untouchable

Requirement: Perform 50 Grab Reversals.

Learn to recognize enemy grab attacks and react with the appropriate technique. Enemies that use grabs frequently are excellent targets for farming this counter.

Coming Through!

Requirement: Break an enemy’s guard 50 times.

Look for defensive enemies and use appropriate attacks to break their guard. The counter is cumulative, so there is no need to farm all 50 in one area.

Helm Splitter

Requirement: Break 100 shields or pieces of enemy armor.

Enemies protected by shields or armor should become priority targets when working toward this trophy. Take advantage of areas where several armored enemies appear.

Get This Thing Off Me

Requirement: Absorb 30 or more souls at once.

You need to gather a large number of souls before absorbing them. Look for encounters with several enemies, defeat them and wait until enough souls are available before performing the absorption.

Berserker

Requirement: Defeat 3 enemies with continuous Break Issen attacks.

Prepare a group of weakened enemies and perform consecutive Break Issen attacks. Avoid attempting this against enemies that are too durable.

Genma Griller

Requirement: Set three enemies ablaze at once.

This trophy is easiest when three enemies are grouped closely together. Use an appropriate fire-based technique that can affect multiple targets.

All three enemies must be burning simultaneously; simply defeating three enemies with fire is not enough.

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Combat Trophy Guide

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One of the best decisions you can make for the Platinum is to work on the combat trophies from the earliest stages of the game. Many of them are cumulative and will progress naturally throughout the campaign.

Do not leave every combat counter until the end

It is possible, but it creates unnecessary grinding. The campaign contains enough combat encounters to make natural progress toward most of these objectives.

The best approach is simple: whenever you have a safe opportunity to perform a technique required for a trophy, use it. If an enemy carries a shield, break it. If several enemies are grouped together, use your Oni Armaments. If an enemy fires a projectile, try to deflect it. If you see an opportunity for Issen, take it.

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Carnage: How to Prepare for New Game+

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True Onimusha is the main reason you need a second playthrough. Carnage is unlocked after completing the adventure and is accessed through New Game+.

The difficulty dramatically changes how you approach combat. Mistakes become much more costly and reaction windows become increasingly important. For that reason, playing through Action first is an excellent form of preparation.

What carries over into New Game+

• Awakened Oni abilities.
• Basic and special skill upgrades.
• Hozuki Pouches.
• Hozuki Pouch upgrades.
• Items.
• Charms.
• Charm upgrades.
• Genma Notes.
• Lion Dogs.

What you should not assume carries over

• Mysteries of Kyoto.
• Chance Encounters.
• Clothing.
• Sword upgrades.
• Gauntlet upgrades.
• Red Souls.
• Spirit Mirror unlock progression.

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Boss Rematch and Glutton for Punishment

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The Boss Rematch system is the final major obstacle before the Platinum. You can access the practice grounds and replay the game’s boss encounters.

For Second Helping, you only need to win one Boss Rematch.

For Glutton for Punishment, you must defeat every available Boss Rematch opponent on all required difficulty levels.

How to prepare

Do not immediately jump into the highest difficulty without knowing the patterns. Use lower difficulties first to refresh your memory of each boss’s attacks.

Once you understand their moves, move up to Carnage. At this point, the objective is not simply to deal damage: you must learn to avoid dangerous situations and capitalize on every opportunity for Issen.

Boss battles are also an excellent way to refine your combat techniques. If you have reached this point with solid knowledge of parries, Issen and Grab Reversals, the challenges will be considerably more manageable.

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Platinum Difficulty Comparison

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Mistakes That Can Make the Platinum Harder

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Starting the final mission too early

The biggest mistake is starting The Clash At Rendaino before completing the cleanup you wanted to do. Although current trophy roadmaps indicate that you can return to the previous state through Continue after completing the story, creating a manual save beforehand removes unnecessary risk.

Spending every material

Upgrades consume large quantities of materials. Avoid spending resources simply because an upgrade is available. The final goal is to maximize several systems simultaneously.

Ignoring technical combat mechanics

If you complete the campaign by relying almost entirely on conventional attacks, you may have to practice Issen, Grab Reversals, Reflex Combos and Chain Issen at the end. Incorporate these techniques into your normal combat style from the beginning.

Failing to prepare for Carnage

The highest difficulty should not be where you learn how to parry. Your first playthrough should function as training for the second.

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Final Platinum Checklist

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Frequently Asked Questions

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How many trophies does Onimusha: Way of the Sword have?

The PlayStation 5 version contains 52 trophies: 1 Platinum, 2 Gold, 9 Silver and 40 Bronze.

How many playthroughs are required for the Platinum?

The recommended route requires two playthroughs, because Carnage is unlocked after completing the first adventure and must be completed through New Game+ for True Onimusha.

Are there any missable trophies?

Current trophy roadmaps indicate that there are no permanently missable trophies. The game allows you to perform cleanup before the final mission and return to that point through Continue after completing the story.

Is Carnage mandatory?

Yes. True Onimusha requires you to complete the game on Carnage difficulty.

Is Carnage available from the beginning?

No. You must first complete the adventure and then access New Game+ to play on Carnage.

Is the Platinum difficult?

It is a medium-to-high difficulty Platinum. The story itself is not the biggest problem. The main challenges are Carnage, Boss Rematch, full upgrades and some of the collectible requirements.

Which trophies are the hardest?

The two Gold trophies, True Onimusha and Glutton for Punishment, are the main challenges. Both require strong combat skills and good preparation.

Are there any online trophies?

No. The trophy set is entirely focused on single-player content.

Which collectibles are required for 100%?

The main collectible sets include 8 Mysteries of Kyoto, 18 Chance Encounters, 36 Lion Dogs, 7 Oni Armaments, 9 Hozuki Pouches, 15 Charms and 23 Genma Notes, together with the materials required for the various upgrades.

When is the best time to clean up the remaining trophies?

Immediately before starting The Clash At Rendaino. This is the safest and most convenient point for completing collectibles, upgrades and optional activities.

Should I save materials for New Game+?

It is recommended that you avoid wasting consumables during the first playthrough. Some progression and resources carry over and can make the Carnage run considerably easier.

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In Summary

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Earning the Onimusha: Way of the Sword Platinum requires a combination of skill, exploration and planning. Completing the campaign alone is not enough: 100% completion requires a substantial amount of optional content and mastery of almost every major gameplay system.

The best strategy is to use the first playthrough to learn the combat system, gather resources, locate collectibles and complete as many upgrades as possible. Before entering The Clash At Rendaino, perform a thorough cleanup and create a manual save.

The second major stage is then New Game+ on Carnage. At this point, you no longer need to discover the game; you need to prove that you have mastered its mechanics. Issen, parries, dodges, Grab Reversals and careful resource management will be your most important tools.

Finally, the Boss Rematch system puts everything you have learned to the test. Defeating all available bosses across the required difficulties is the final major obstacle before Peerless.

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