Kyoto (Level 5)

General Yoshiteru Ashikaga leads his troops against the Demons in Kyoto. Mitsuhide Akechi, fresh from Mino, rushes to the General’s aid.

## Level Introduction

The city of Kyoto lies in ruins, its once-glorious shrines, temples and pagodas now a distant memory. In this land ravaged by war, General Yoshiteru Ashikaga is attempting to rebuild the influence of the weakened Shogunate. He attempts to stave off the Demons laying waste to the city, with a man from Mino who knows their gruesome power all too well at his side…

## Walkthrough

**First task:** Reach Yoshiteru fighting in front of the palace!

First, destroy the Demons directly in front of you and then the second group slightly to the north. With the path clear, run to the opposite end of the map to intercept the swarm of Demons attacking Yoshiteru and his men.

**Second task:** Wipe out the demons attacking the palace!

Two large groups of Demons will appear to the north and south. Defeat both groups as quickly as possible, it's preferable not to let them reach your troops.

**Third task:** Destroy all the blood crystals!

If you are aiming to complete all tasks on this level, or trying to get the Evil Smasher weapon, the order you destroy the 12 blood crystals is very important. Otherwise, it doesn't matter which order you destroy them. To get all available tasks, start by getting your troops to destroy the giant blood crystal north of your starting position when the task begins (this blood crystal is the furthest west on the map). The sixth task will now start, but do not worry about this for the time being.

Running to the south side of your troops, fight your way to the giant blood crystal in the south-west. It is in a courtyard surrounded by buildings (This blood crystal is slightly north of a smaller blood crystal in the same south west area). Destroying this crystal will start the fourth task. This task should be completed before proceeding further so make your way to the north-west corner of the map and do so while dispatching any Demons flanking your soldiers.

After completing the fourth task, you'll need to lead your army to the giant blood crystal on the far east of the map, taking care not to destroy other blood crystals along the way. To do this, take a route that avoids taking your troops in direct contact with other blood crystals and fight off any demons that might distract your troops along the way. Destroying this giant blood crystal will start the fifth task. Destroy the two Giant Demons that appear to complete it. If you complete the fifth task after the fourth you will be rewarded with the Evil Smasher.

Once the fifth task is completed, lead Mitsuhide (his character on the map is named Akechi) to the green arrow at the central south of the map. This completes the sixth task and Mitsuhide will disappear from your forces.

After this, you are in position to destroy the nearby blood crystal at the centre-south of the map.

From here on, it is entirely your choice as to which order to destroy the remaining blood crystals. Just make sure to choose an order that avoids your troops being flanked by demons from neighbouring blood crystals. Once all 12 are destroyed, this task will be complete.

**Fourth task:** Wipe out the Spider Demons attacking the Palace!

Three Witch Spiders will appear in the north-west corner of the map. Defeat them to complete this task.

**Fifth task:** Defeat the giant Demon!

Two Giant Demons will appear in the north-east corner, and the middle far west of the map. Defeat them both to complete this task. (If you complete this task after the fourth task you will be rewarded with the Evil Smasher weapon)

**Sixth task:** Open a path to aid Mitsuhide's reinforcements!

Lead Mitsuhide to the green arrow at the central south area of the map. His individual character will need to be directly at the green arrow for this task to be completed.

**Seventh task:** Defeat all the Demons inside the city!

Clean-up time. Kill all the Demons remaining on the map.

## Plot

Walking through the ruined streets of Kyoto, Mitsuhide Akechi is attacked by a demon, which he fells in one swing of his blade. Looking around, he encounters Aoi and Inugami before him.
Recognising General Yoshiteru Ashikaga and his men, Aoi, Inugami and Mitsuhide cut a path through the Demon ranks and defeat the Demons surrounding Yoshiteru. The General initially mistakes Inugami for a Demon but is corrected by Mitsuhide and Aoi. He orders Aoi to defend the palace in the city as part of her duty.
The Demons attempt to flank the group on both sides, but are quickly dispatched by Inugami. Yoshiteru thanks Mitsuhide, Aoi and Inugami for their help, but Aoi warns that the areas aura of evil has yet to fade. Twelve blood crystals emerge from the ground, positioned all over the city and bringing with them an endless spawn of Demons. Yoshiteru orders the blood crystals destroyed.
A gruelling battle ensures during which Inugami leads Yoshiteru’s troops to each of the blood crystals in order to destroy them, while diminishing the Demon army. When the final blood crystal is shattered, Inugami hunts down and destroys the remaining Demons that remain in Kyoto.
After the battle, and alone among the ruins of the city, Mitsuhide considers that rebuilding the Shogunate is just a dream. He concludes that only one man is fit to rule amongst such chaos. Preparing to leave, he decides the future path he must take.

## True History

Yoshiteru Ashikaga was actually the 13th Shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, essentially making him the ruler of Japan, technically second in rank only to the Emperor (in actual fact it was the Shogun who often dictated orders to the Emperor).
Unlike in previous shogunates, the Ashikaga shogunate had very little personal territories, and therefore relied heavily on the loyalty of the Daimyō (lords who owned large territories in feudal Japan) for military power. An initial dispute between two of Yoshiteru’s Kanrei (deputies of the Shogun) resulted in open war in Kyoto. This eventually led to a series of conflicts among the Daimyō of Japan, resulting in the Shogunate becoming a puppet government under the control of the most powerful Clans. This was known as the Ōnin War (1467-1477). Due to the civil wars and Daimyō disputes, Kyoto fell into heavy decline, with half of the city being burnt to the ground during the Ōnin War. The city never recovered in the following years due to the constant feuds fought between Daimyō or Kanrei, and never truly recovered until the mid-16th century (the setting for Demon Chaos).
In 1564, when the level is set, Nagayoshi Miyoshi, a Daimyō who had effective control of Yoshiteru (and therefore the shogunate) died of illness. Yoshiteru saw this as an opportunity to fully reclaim the shogun's authority. This is likely the inspiration for the “Kyoto” level of the game.