The Wing of Madoola/Stage 2

Avoid the waterfalls
Compared to the first stage, this stage's difficulty increases dramatically. The two most difficult locations are the boss room, and the Nyuru dens below the waterfalls. By avoiding falling down the waterfalls, you will avoid a major Nyuru ambush. Nyurus are the most frustrating enemy in the game, and they make their debut here. There are two waterfalls, and Nyurus will appear in great numbers below both of them.

Nyuru behavior

 * 1) Nyurus attempt to gather around Lucia at the height of her head.  They will pass through any obstacle in the way.
 * 2) If Lucia squats down, Nyurus are unable to harm her, unless they approach from the bottom.
 * 3) The number of Nyuru that can ever appear is predetermined.
 * 4) At full speed, the Nyuru can travel just as fast as Lucia.  They will never catch her, but she can never escape them.

Nyuru strategies

 * 1) Squat down to the ground and kill them with overhead strikes.
 * 2) Run away to a door or warp zone.
 * 3) Use the magic weapon Flash (which is not available until later in the game).

Even if you destroy on Nyuru, another one will replace it shortly afterwards, so it's difficult to remove them completely. Once you squat down, it may become difficult to stand back up and move again. With only two Swords collected at this time, you will need to hit them twice. After a while, you may decide that it's worth taking a little damage in order to escape. If you're going to attempt this, it is actually better to wait until all of the Nyurus occupy one single location. Then run and escape, and you should only get hit once. Remember to hold the direction pad diagonally so that you don't get thrown backwards and your feet remain on the ground. If you move far enough away to a location where Nyurus no longer appear, you may be able to squat down and resume attacking them until they are cleared.

Recommended route
Generally, you will proceed through this stage by running straight to the right. When you reach the two waterfalls, avoid falling into them by jumping over them. The first waterfall is the worst of the two. It leads to a Nyuru den, and the warp door at the end leads all the way back to the beginning of the stage. The second waterfall is longer, but it at least offers an opportunity to collect an Apple (the Scroll is worthless since you have no magic items), and the warp door deposits you near the end of the stage. In general, you may lose more health than you stand to gain.

Before attempting to jump over the waterfalls, be sure to clear the space around you of enemies, including any Nyurus. Before you reach the waterfalls, you may even see a Hop Egg. It is not the boss of this stage, but it's just as dangerous as before. You can opt to jump over them, but it's just as easy to attack them before they hop.

Boss: Mantle Skull
The Mantle Skull is a much more powerful boss than the Hop Egg. It advances straight at Lucia, and it tosses fireballs ahead of itself. Because Lucia's sword is incredibly short, it is important to strike the Mantle Skull at just the right moment. Hitting it successfully will cause the Mantle Skull to freeze in place. Once that happens, continuously swing your sword until it is defeated. With two Swords, you can defeat it with nine hits. If you have to choose between getting hit by a fireball or the Mantle Skull itself, the fireball causes much less damage. Hitting the Mantle Skull directly should be avoided at all costs.

There is one safe location that is difficult to utilize correctly. If you stand on the opposite side of the raised platform from where the Mantle Skull approaches, it will jump up to the platform, and then jump off the edge and over Lucia's head. At that point, you can attack the Mantle Skull from behind. Using this method, it is easy to avoid the fireball, and it is easy to strike successfully with the sword.