This video will end with our ascension of Ashina Castle

But our story begins many years before that

It begins before wolf was assigned to be the Divine Prince's shinobi
Before he was plucked from the battlefield by his father
We have to go back
Even before Isshin of Ashina founded this nation
All the way back to a people who loved the ancient land
they lived upon
Isshin: Before this land was a place where we
The Ashina people lived
Where the waters flowed straight from the source
We were a people who loved our country dearly
But we were heretics
And we were weak
Naturally we were overrun
Trampled!
Into submission
For many long excruciating years
We couldn't even pray at the water from the springs
The way we were then
Sekiro: But then the world fell into chaos
Could you... tell me about the rebellion?
Isshin: We just took back what was stolen from us.
Amidst the chaos that was Japan
The endless casualties
The flames of war
We found the perfect opportunity to take back our land
General Tamuraaaa!!
IS
NO
MORE!!!!!
Isshin, the Sword Saint of the Ashina
Turned the tide in the rebellion
A devil with the sword
His technique was eagerly polished in the blood of his enemies
And.. his single-minded search for strength
And did with him securing Ashina's independence once more
Pivotal in Isshin's coup were his Seven Spears
Of whom, very few remain in game
And of course, his generals
Everyone one of them accomplished, in the now famous
Ashina Sword Style
And in the aftermath of the rebellion
An owl pluck a starving wolf from the battlefield
Owl: Well would you look at that
Fascinating
Will you join me, starving wolf?
A hunger may beget a fine shinobi
Making us a worthy right hand
And someone utterly loyal to our foster father
And to this end
We are eventually assigned a prestigious role
Shinobi to Kuro
A young child
Who is an heir to a Divine Bloodline
Owl: As your father, my will is absolute
Your master's is a close second
It's possible that this scene
Where we're tasked with the Divine Heir's protection
Takes place in the Hirata Estate
This is an abundant track of land
That was likely owned by Kuro's uncle
Who would likely have taken him in
After the death of his mother
and father
and uncle
We never meet
For everyone around the Divine Heir
seems to die
I tried my best to be his guardian but...
*sigh*
Look at me now
Three years before the start of the game
The Hirata are raided by a swarm of bandits
They all attacked with perfect timing
When all of the young soldiers are out fighting
Likely on behalf of the Ashina in their war
So only the older warriors remain here
To protect the Divine Heir
HEAR ME!
MY
NAME
IS
NOGAMI GENSAI!!!
I STOOD WITH THE ASHINA
WHEN THEY CLAIMED THIS LAND
The Hirata are a cadet branch of the Ashina
They share a really long history with the clan
And here, three years before the events of the main game
That long history ends
And you
were not by your Prince's side
You...
You're the young master's shinobi!
What good are you?
You were no where to be seen when things went south!
Protecting Kuro is your second rule
But your first loyalty is to your Father
So it follows that your father
Must have sent you away from Hirata
In order for the attack to succeed
*inhales*
After all, this bandit attack was his idea
Taking the Hirata Estate was surprisingly easy
Owl's info was right on the money, you know?
The man Juzou is talking to is Masanari
A lone shadow
of the Interior Ministry
And you can think of the Interior Ministry
As a sort of Central Government force in Japan
It's a force that appears to have come out on top
Of Japan's Sengoku era conflict; and
Now they have the Ashina clan on their hitlist
The bandits are simply a means to an end
They're a way for the Interior Ministry to
strike a blow against the Ashina
And mask the Interior Ministry's involvement
He's a villain
A down run out villain, Masanari
Well
He's useful right now
So adore him
For all this scheming
He's a nameless rogue shinobi
His efforts won't amount him much
Sekiro: Father??
Uughhh
It's you
I'm afraid I...
made a bit of a
blunder
Perhaps the years have finally caught up with me
AaarRrrgggh
Wolf...
Protect your master
With
your life...
Owl fakes his death
Now able to operate fully in the shadows
While you build a stronger connection with the Divine Heir
By rescuing him from this nightmare
My Lord
It's been a long time
Son of Owl
This is Phantom Butterfly
A Master of Illusions
Who trained you
in the Shinobi Arts at Owl's request
Owl's real name is
[Ukonzaemon] Usui
And Lady Butterfly herself
Trained in Usui's forest
A place far to the north
Filled with mist and mystifications
She trained you since you were a cub
And with her dying breath
She finally acknowledges your growth
Sekiro: Lady Butterfly...
Forgive me...
You've...
gotten stronger...
Wolf...
Owl's ultimate goal
is Immortality
The power of the Dragon's Heritage
It's a power held by Kuro that can be transferred to another
Kuro has lost his mother
He has lost father
his uncle
his clan
And now...
He has lost his shinobi
as well
Who just so happens to be
Owl's loyal cub
Kuro: you've fought bravely...!
on my behalf...
I cannot throw away such loyalty!
Loyal Wolf
Take my blood
And live
Again
It's my theory that
Owl clear out the Hirata Estates
And might have even killed Kuro's mother and father
In order to increase Kuro's reliance on us
By extension, Owl as well
An indeterminable amount of time passes
You're awaken in a well
Deep within Ashina lands
Wounded
With little memory of recent events
A single sakura petal falls
Representing a rebirth that we must have experienced here
This is the power of the Dragon's Heritage
The power that Owl, Lady Butterfly, and
now, Lord Genichiro
crave for their own ends
Imprisoning a mere child
I feel sorry for the boy
Agreed
But I'm sure Lord Genichiro has his reasons
Lord Genichiro now leads the Ashina clan
In his grandfather's stead
For Isshin is old
Ailing
Apparently he's not too keen to keep a child locked up
Kuro: There's a secret passage beneath the moat bridge
that will take us out of the castle
Lord Isshin told me about it once
So with our sword, Kusabimaru, an heirloom of the Hirata family
And Kuro, one of their last living members by our side
We attempt to flee Ashina
And abandon all allegiance to this country
But it was not to be
Genichiro: The Divine Heir
Last we stood together was your uncle's funeral
As mentioned earlier,
Kuro's uncle was of the Hirata
A man who took him in after the death of his parents
By mentioning their shared presence at the funeral
Genichiro is reminding Kuro of his blood ties to the Ashina
And shaming him for
the fealty to country and kin
that he is shirking
To Genichiro
That fealty is everything
For Genichiro was actually born a peasant
Taken in by the Ashina
After his mother's death
There's an astounding amount of parent-child complexes in Sekiro
And it wouldn't surprise if Genichiro thought of this country
As a substitute for his own mother in a way
He owes everything to this country
He constantly says how
he goes to any ends to protect her
Once more, you're defeated through treachery
except this time
You awaken in a Dilapidated temple
A Buddhist sculptor dragged you here from the field
And he nurse you back to health
He feigns this disinterest in you
But he portrays a sincere knowledge and empathy of your situation
Sculptor: he's being held prisoner in Ashina castle
they will soon make use of his bloodline
Looking at you
I'm sure you appreciate the value it has
Here too, is the woman with the red umbrella
That bid us to rise from the well
My name is Emma, I am a doctor serving a certain master
Sekiro: what master?
Emma: forgive me but
for his safety
I cannot reveal his identity
The master she serves is Lord Isshin
Who is, again, the now old man who once brought the Ashina to glory
And while it's true that Isshin is allied with his grandson Genichiro
He still directs his healer to assist you
in retrieving the prince
Making no effort to cut you down
Even in moments where he clearly could
The truth is
Isshin cares about the Ashina
Insofar as his own skills can allow him to save it
He cares about a good fight above all else
He will not abandon his own self
His own soul
In pursuit of power
For using such a power as the Dragon's Heritage
comes at a great cost
Dragonrot
An epidemic that spreads to those you've been in contact with stagnating their life
force
So that your life force can thrive
And this is a story that has played out once before long ago
Emma: There was a Dragonrot epidemic in Ashina once before
Back then... a cure was not achieved
Every single person who caught it died
And the time since you defeat Genichiro
Your Divine Heir has been
Wrestling with this burden of his power
Genichiro: We managed to drive them back once
But
the Interior Ministry's army's power is far too powerful
Kuro: and that is why you wish to use the power of my blood
it doesn't matter how much power you obtain
You'll keep on fighting until you're a monster
Incapable of feeling pain or fear
I do not wish to corrupt the lives of men
Genichiro: look at this mountain of bodies
Ashina cannot be defended by normal means
Not anymore...
Kuro: I could never be as strong as you Lord Genichiro
I do not yet know what it is that I should do
As you follow Kuro's remnants
leading towards Ashina castle
You realize just how beaten and bruised the Ashina are
As the Interior Ministry steadily wears them down
As Isshin falls to his illnesss
And with Kuro refusing to grant the Ashina the power of his blood
Something had to be done instead
A taro troop of physically enhanced but vacant brutes are forced into battle
Not to mention a bull fitted with a blazing totem
Troops and generals patrol the landscape endlessly and
You cut them all down in Kuro's name
In those small way, you single-handedly make it very easy for the Ashina to be
invaded
As it stands, the wave of Interior Ministry troops are breaking upon one-
MY!!!
NAAAAAAAAMMMEEE
IS
GYOUBU
MASATAKA
ONIWAAAAAAAAA!!!!
AS I BREATH
YOU
WILL
NOT
PASS
THE CASTLE GATE
Gyoubu the Demon
A retainer to Lord Genichiro
But he was not always allied with the Ashina
In fact he was once an infamous bandit chief within these lands
But then Isshin defeated him
And he was impressed by his strength
That he awarded him the spear of General Tamura
Who you saw before
And convinced Gyoubu to fight for the Ashina instead
With his death, you destroyed the last real defense leading to Ashina Castle
That is, except for an old man within the adjacent watchtower
A man with a talent for killing rats and he is one who knows much about Ashina
Sword Arts
Tengu: care to hunt some rats with me?
Sekiro: what?
Tengu: rats
Have snuck into Ashina
Scurrying about like they own the place
and they must be cut down!
EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM
War is on the horizon
a dreadful one at that it will give birth to a demon
I'm certain of it!
The dead will rise as mountains and the hate will flow like an inferno
But it is all to get your prince back
And despite the endless entreaties of Genichiro
And the suffering of the Ashina at every turn, Kuro never once lost faith that you
would return
Kuro: he will risk his life to take me home
For he...
is my shinobi
Sekiro: my lord, I have come for you
This...
...will only take a moment.
Genichiro: I see
For as long as you are alive
The Dragon's blood can never be mine
Genichiro is best kind of villain
He's the sort that commits evil in pursuit of a single-minded purpose
Not unlike you, really
You.. who spread Dragonrot to keep your prince safe
You.. who murder hundred Ashina soldiers simply fighting for their land
Genichiro truly believe that Ashina cannot be saved through normal means
And he risk everything by antagonizing you
Clinging to this faint hope of being granted Kuro's power
Genichiro: impressive! Shinobi of the Divine Heir
But you deserved better
Would you not answer to a different lord,
Heresy
Heresy you say?
If it's for the sake of preserving Ashina
I will cease any manner of heretical strength
I will endure any burden
Behold the lightning of Tomoe
Lady Tomoe was Genichiro's mentor
She was a master of the sword who descended to Ashina bearing many heretical arts
And often Genichiro could be spotted in the courtyard behind the castle practicing
his swordplay
All the while glaring at the lightning roiling in the clouds
Tomoe is an immensely important character who I actually fully expect to have her
on DLC
But we'll touch on her and what we'll know about her on the next video
Ashi... na...
>w<
Emma: Lord Genichiro!
Is this the Rejuvenating Waters?
Genichiro: Ashina... this land is everything to me
For her sake
I will shed humanity itself
Resurrection?
Yes
Indeed
So long
Note that both Isshin and Genichiro never say they fight for Ashina's people. No.
The fight for Ashina's land
One small part of Ashina is exceedingly old after all and the ancient soil, rocks
and water
Are said to have attracted the attention of the gods
Add to this, the fact that the Dragon's Heritage was set free from its homeland
and drifted here to Japan
And we realized that there is certainly an ancient origin story here somewhere that
we are missing
It's something that Genichiro and Isshin likely know
For they are unwilling to accept anything other than total ownership
both of the land and the water that runs through it
Emma: to think that Lord Genichiro would go as far as to drink the Rejuvenating
Sediment.
Sekiro: Rejuvenating Sediment?
That's what we call a particularly concentrated part of the Rejuvenating Waters
I'm sure you saw it for yourself
The Rejuvenating Waters
They flow from the Divine Realm all the way through Ashina's lands
But it seems like they weren't meant for this land
Drink them and you may inherit an echo of Kuro's immortality
At the risk of your own humanity
Emma: the Rejuvenating Sediment grants great resilience in one's flesh
One becomes able to withstand blows that would be fatal to anyone else
My mentor Dogen, devoted much research to its uses but all of his works, document,
medicines, everything
Were burned and destroyed
I'm not sure who
But I heard one of the senior apprentices was able to salvage some of it, probably
Doujun
And deep below Ashina castle, in a long abandoned dungeon, full of undying men
One of Emma's fellow disciples, Doujun, researches the waters
For the glory of Ashina
They led us in on many discoveries
But one is that red-eyes commonly manifest in those who are unable to achieve their
desires and considering
there are Hirata soldiers guarding both ends of the cave and that the results of
these experiments fight for the Ashina
It's pretty clear that Genichiro was invested in this research
Furthermore, according to the Ministry Dousing Powder, we learn that the Interior
Ministry feared Ashina
Her eyes, bloodshot with the Waters of Rejuvenation
Kuro: Lady Emma, tell me...
What has caused the state of this man?
Emma: the Rejuvenating Waters, that is what it is called.
Are you telling me that this is Ashina's secret weapon?
I am
Those who drink it cannot fully die. No. They become unable to die at all.
The Rejuvenating Water, it also-
It springs from the Dragon's blood
Does it not?
Yes
Lady Emma...
I do not believe the Dragon's blood is sacred
Not at all
It's no surprise then, that when we next meet with Kuro, he no longer wishes to
abandon Ashina
Instead, he's grown. He's taken on the immense responsibility of his power and now
he aims to sever
immortality
No matter the cost
In those small ways, it was probably the desperation of Genichiro that led him to
this conclusion
And you can tell that he even harbors some regrets about resurrecting you
Sekiro: I have come for you, my lord
Kuro: Yes
You did well to come here
Let us go
We must leave Ashina
Wolf, my blood, the blood of the Dragon causes men to become undying
The same goes for you
Yes, my lord
I wish to save you!
I'm sure that I would do the same thing given another chance
However
Undying begets stagnation
The Immortal Oath
The Rejuvenating Waters
The Dragonrot
They all corrupt men
to the point where they no longer live as men
I wish to severe the chains of stagnation bred by the Dragon's Heritage
Wolf
Will you help me achieve this aim
The only way to absolve that guilt of resurrecting you is to use you to relinquish
his power all-together
The quest for that goal is long and it's complicated but it's super rewarding to
understand
And it's a story for the next video
Honestly it's a story we're gonna be telling for months! :D
As Sekiro is definitely more complicated that many people are giving credit for
And after that we'll dive into the endings
What circumstances lead to those endings?
Where can story go after those endings?
Finally, in every FromSoftware game there is lore that can only really be pieced
together through context
And the relationships between different parts of the story, this is the hidden lore
the stories that have yet to be told and probably will be told in the DLC to come
And then, it will be time for Shadows Cry Twice
Head deep dives into some of the best characters that FromSoftware have ever
written
So subscribe and consider checking out the Patreon if you're interested into
becoming a deeper
member of this community
There's so much to cover in the months to come
So let's figure it all out
Together
And we'll see you next time