Ninja Gaiden II/Chapter 11: A Tempered Gravestone

"Ryu returns to Hayabusa Village, resting in the shadow of sacred Mount Fuji. It is his final stop before heading to unholy ground, to the source of the supernatural forces threatening the world. Dragon Sword in hand, Ryu's body courses with unfathomable power. Atop the mountain from which this evil pours forth, Genshin awaits, intent on claiming the life of the last of the Dragon Lineage. The inevitable confrontation between Ryu and Genshin approaches."

Part 1: The True Dragon Sword
Time to take your new sword for a spin. This is basically the same map as the previous Hayabusa Village chapter, and largely linear and featureless. Head down the stairs. You will be attacked by a few waves of Explosives Ninjas, Grey Ninjas and Archers. Take them out and continue down the stairs, killing pockets of enemies until you reach a Dragon Statue. Save/heal and continue down the stairs until you reach the courtyard where you received the Rod of Trials. Here, you will face a large number of Ninjas of the varieties you have been facing thus far, as well as a few powered up versions of the Purple Ninja from previous levels. When they are dispatched, enter the room that held the Falcon's Talons for a quick fight with some Explosives Ninjas. Head back out and left down the walkway. Take out the Archers here and drop into the courtyard to take out several more Grey Ninjas and Explosives Ninjas. Use the Dragon Statue here to save/heal. Search the corpse here for some arrows. Continue down the stairs and open the gate.

On the bridge, take out several Explosives Ninjas and then open the opposite gate. On the other side are several Zombie Dogs and some Archers. Kill them off. To the right of the bridge are some targets painted on wooden planks. Shoot them with arrows to obtain yellow, red and blue essences. Head up the stairs here. Grab the Jizo Statue Head on the stairs and continue up. Examine Kureha's grave to obtain Kureha's Room Key. Backtrack over the bridge and back to the Antiquities Room/Kureha's Room in the courtyard where you obtained the Rod of Trials. Inside are chests containing a Spirit of the Devils, the Windmill Shuriken, and a load of Yellow Essence. Backtrack across the bridge to the town square.

Once you are back over the bridge, you will be ambushed by several Spider Fiends and Explosives Ninjas. This is a tough battle. Use ninpo when you are cornered and use your Eclipse Scythe or Vigoorian Flails to keep the enemy at bay. When you have killed everyone off, enter the door on the building to the left. Inside, there is a chest containing an Herb of Spiritual Life and a Muramasa Statue. Shop if you need to and then climb the ladder here. Examine the corpse for a scroll on the History of the Castle of the Dragon. Jump out the window here.

When you land, kill off the Explosives Ninjas and Grey Ninjas. Look to the left for an alcove of rock with a chest containing Red Essences. Head right. Kill off another group of Explosives Ninjas and head to the end of the row of houses. Turn right and examine the corpse here for an Herb of Spiritual Life. In the corner just past him and to the right, behind a board and a wagon wheel is a Crystal Skull (#28). Head back. Beside the archway ahead, there is a row of statues. Examine the headless one to use the Jizo Statue Head. A chest will appear in the hut to your left. Examine it to receive a Grains of Spiritual Life. Head through the archway. Take out the Explosives Ninjas here and use the Dragon Statue to save/heal.

Cross the bridge here and take out two waves of Explosives Ninjas as well as some Mage Ninjas. Jump into the pool here and swim through a short tunnel. On the other side, in the weedy area, kill off several Grey Ninjas. Smash the door on the hut on the right to obtain a Crystal Skull (#29) and continue up the path to be attacked by some Archers. When you reach the area where the Archers were, you will be attacked by several Grey Ninjas and Explosives Ninjas. Continue along the path, killing off a few more waves of Grey Ninjas and Mage Ninjas.

At the top of the path, enter a small cave. When you emerge on the other side, you will be attacked by Explosives Ninjas and Archers. Take them out, use the Dragon Statue to save/heal and enter the cave ahead. Just inside is a chest containing Red Ki Essences. Farther inside is the Ninth Test of Valor. Enter the portal to begin.

Test of Valor Nine
This test is of medium difficulty. I recommend the Vigoorian Flail, as you will be taking out Zombie Dogs and Explosives Ninjas. Use ninpo or Obliterations to cancel damage from their Incendiary Shuriken. When the battle is over, there will be three chests containing Ghost Fish in two and a Lives of the Thousand Gods in the last one. The order appears to be random. As before, don't use the Live of the Thousand Gods right away. It comes in handy for boss fights. Enter the portal to complete this Test.

Part 2: Summit
Head up out of the cave to where the Dragon Statue lie. Jump up the platforms beside it and head up to the walkway above. Climb the walkway, head up some stairs and kill the Explosives Ninjas that attack you. Enter the door. Search the corpse beside the hole for Hachijuro's Notebook. Drop down. In this room, take out the Grey Ninjas and proceed through the door. Kill the group of Explosives Ninjas here. Search the corpse beside the door for a Devil Way Mushroom and enter the door. The next room contains several Explosives Ninjas. The room after that holds Grey Ninjas and a corpse holding a Grains of Spiritual Life. Continue out the door and down the stairs. Search the corpse here for some arrows and attack the Grey Ninjas here. Drop into the well on the left.

When you hit the ground, you will be attacked again. Search the corpse here for a Life of the Gods and head to the end of the room. Drop down again and take out the Explosives Ninjas here. Head out onto the ledges and left, down to the bottom. Look in a small cave on the ground level to find the final Crystal Skull (#30). Head back up to where you entered the well. Use the rope across the gap to reach the cliff on the other side. Use the Dragon Statue here to save/heal.

Head down the grassy path, taking out waves of Grey Ninjas and Archers. When you reach an open area, you will be ambushed by respawning Grey Ninjas and Explosives Ninjas. Just keep killing them until you are interrupted by a cutscene.

After the cutscene, use the Dragon Statue here to save/heal and head up the path. Kill off several waves of Grey Ninjas and Explosives Ninjas. At the top, jump down and take out another group of Grey Ninjas and use the Muramasa Statue here. Take the right path and collect the Grains of Spiritual Life from a corpse here. Head back and take the left path. In the large, open area, take out several Zombie Dogs and Grey Ninjas. Beware! The Dogs keep respawing here as long as you don't reach the northern part of that wide area. So don't waste time and energy on fighting them in the south, as they will keep coming. Head forward and search the corpse here for a scroll containing Koshimaru's Notebook (2). Head forward along the path. As you climb, you will be attacked by a few groups of Explosives Ninjas and Grey Ninjas. At the top of the path is a large area with swords stuck in the ground where you will be attacked by a large swarm of Grey Ninjas and Explosives Ninjas. Kill them off. To the right of where you entered is a chest containing an Herb of Spiritual Life. The three corpses in this area contain one Life of the Gods and two Devil Way Mushrooms. Continue to the path ahead until you see a cutscene. Time for another encounter with an old friend.

Boss: Genshin
Genshin again. Same old moves. Avoid his attacks by dodging and drill him with combos using your newly-powered-up True Dragon Sword. He won't know what hit him. Watch the cutscene to end the level.