When Jin has completed the three main tasks from Ghost of Tsushima's second act, he can finally begin to prepare to take back his uncle's castle. From the very start of the game, it has felt like Khotun Khan has been one step ahead of him, always making his escape at just the right time. This time, however, things will be different - or so Jin and Lord Shimura think.
"A Reckoning in Blood" is the first part in a trio of quests that close out Act 2. Before Jin and Lord Shimura can head out to reclaim Castle Shimura, Jin must first deal with the traitor Ryuzo. Jin asks that Yuna join him in this quest, but she refuses. At this moment, neither warrior can foresee the tragic consequences her decision brings about, which ultimately results in one of Ghost of Tsushima's darkest moments.
Spoiler Alert! This guide contains major story spoilers that revolve around important narrative events that take place in 'A Reckoning in Blood.'
How to Start 'A Reckoning in Blood' in Ghost of Tsushima
When Jin is ready to begin the quest, simply head to the mission marker located just north of the center of Toyotama. Jin will be meeting Lord Shimura at his staging grounds. Ghost of Tsushima calls it a camp, but in reality, Lord Shimura is located at a fairly large fort structure.
Lord Shimura informs Jin that Ryuzo is in the area, and must be dealt with. He tells Jin that he does not have to handle it himself, but of course Jin insists that he be the one to face Ryuzo.
Where to Find Ryuzo in 'A Reckoning in Blood'
Objectives:
- Find Yuna
Before Jin leaves the camp, he must first find and speak with Yuna. She is located very close to where Jin and his uncle spoke. Look for the mission marker near her and Taka.
- Leave Lord Shimura's war camp
- Travel to Fort Koyasan
Head out to the fort, which sits just north-east of the war camp.
Find the Maple Shade Hot Spring:
If Jin has not already found it, one of Ghost of Tsushima's hot springs (onsen) is found right on the way to the fort. Use it to slightly increase Jin's health, then continue on to find the traitorous Ryuzo.
- Travel to Fort Koyasan
If Jin arrives to the fort during the day, it will automatically shift to night. This is meant to give the feeling that Jin is infiltrating the fort under cover of darkness. Before he can make his way inside the fort, Jin must survey the area from the rocky cliffs that overlook the entire area. Look for the mission marker on the south side of Fort Koyasan.
- Survey Fort Koyasan
Taka Enters the Picture:
As Jin is surveying the fort, Taka approaches out of nowhere, making all kinds of noise, as Taka does. The thoughtful blacksmith refused to let Jin face this mission alone, despite what his sister says.
While Jin would never let Taka take the Mongols on directly, he eventually agrees to let him make a distraction.
- Enter Fort Koyasan
- Make your way to the upper gate
Despite his desire to infiltrate the fort using stealth, Jin is forced to enter through the front gate. Apparently this is the only fort in Tsushima without a broken fence. Once inside, Jin will have the option to continue to use stealth, or perform a standoff.
Given the number of enemies, Jin will likely have to initiate combat, so it may be worth performing a standoff, especially if Jin is wearing the Sakai Clan Armor. Watch out for the large Mongols with the handheld canon weapons. There are several in the second courtyard Jin enters, and can cause serious damage if Jin is hit with a projectile.
If Jin searches the area for supplies, watch out for the sleeping Mongols. There will be at least one in each of the buildings before the upper gate. There is also a single Mongol archer in the first guard tower. Once they are all dealt with, head to the upper gate at the end of the second courtyard.
Ryuzo Springs his Trap in 'A Reckoning in Blood'
When Jin opens the upper gate, he will see Ryzuo waiting for him. Ryuzo tries to convince Jin to meet with Khotun Khan, but that obviously had no chance of happening. Somehow a Straw Hat ronin was able to sneak up behind Jin, and when he refuses to accept Ryuzo's request, Jin is knocked out cold.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Jin wakes up to the sounds of Taka calling his name. Before the blurry images on the screen are distinguishable, we hope that Taka fought through everyone and dragged Jin out with his bare hands. Alas, it was not meant to be. Taka is tied to a post directly across from Jin, a prisoner as well. He managed to get himself caught when he came back to see what was taking Jin so long.
Before the two friends have a chance to escape, Khotun Khan pays them a visit. As players have likely imagined, there is no happy ending to this situation.
How to Escape from Fort Koyasan in 'A Reckoning in Blood'
After Taka tries and fails to rescue Jin, Jin must find a way to escape his bindings. Ghost of Tsushima will prompt the player to repeatedly press the X button.
- Recover gear
- Defeat all the straw hats
Jin's gear will be found in a chest that sits along the fence. It is very close to where he was being held. Just will then need to fight his way out of the courtyard, facing multiple Straw Hats. In this instance, if Jin is given the opportunity to perform a standoff, he should take it. The Straw Hats extremely formidable opponents, especially in large numbers.
If Jin is struggling to overcome the onslaught, make sure to utilize his Ghost Weapon arsenal. The smoke bomb can be incredibly powerful when paired with either version of Chain Assassination. This incredibly powerful technique will allow Jin to take down up to three enemies with a single smoke bomb. The trick is to get them all close together before deploying the bomb. This is hardly the only effective Ghost Weapon strategy, however, with kunai and black powder/sticky bombs working very well against smaller groups.
- Escape from the inner courtyard
When Jin has cleared the area of enemies, he must head towards the same gate he used to enter. When he reaches it, Yuna will be pushing it open, clearly looking for her brother. Jin will explain the details to her, about how brave her brother was in the face of death. Yuna is understandably devastated, however, before she can leave with her brother, more enemies flood into the courtyard. Jin and Yuna must clear them out entirely.
- Defeat all enemies
There will be a very large group of both Mongol and Straw Hat enemies that enter the courtyard. This can be a difficult fight for anyone struggling with Ghost of Tsushima's advanced combat techniques. If Jin has any Ghost Weapon ammunition left over after the first battle, continue with those strategies.
Techniques like Dance of Wrath are very effective against multiple enemies, but be careful not to leave Jin without resolve if he will need Iron Will.
Make sure to utilize the stances as well here. While they do not necessarily help with large groups as a whole, they can help make individual fights much easier.
When the fight is over, Jin and Yuna will take care of Taka's body, burying him on a lovely hill overlooking the island. With this death, Ghost of Tsushima enters a new stage, and the personal nature of this event will drive Jin in a direction that is clearly at odds with his uncle.
Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut is available now on PS5. Ghost of Tsushima is available on PS4 and PS5.