After treating everyone to a meal, Zaboru returned to his office at the ZAGE Tower in Japan later that night. As soon as he settled in, he logged onto the ZAGE forums out of curiosity. There, to his pleasant surprise, he noticed several players had posted discoveries about secret bosses in Tenchu. A satisfied grin spread across his face.
"Hehehe... it seems they've become quite capable now," he chuckled to himself, genuinely impressed. With growing interest, Zaboru clicked into the forum thread to read more.
Meanwhile, the forum thread titled "Tenchu SECRET BOSS!" exploded in popularity, quickly drawing attention from players across the platform. The original post was bursting with excitement:
"Guys! I found secret stages in Tenchu! If you beat Onikage—the final boss—without using your main weapons, and instead only use tools like Kunai, Shuriken, and Grenades, it actually triggers new boss fight!"
The discovery left the community stunned. Who in their right mind would even attempt that? Kunai, Shuriken, and Grenades were extremely limited in quantity and usually only useful for distracting enemies or dealing light damage. Weapons, on the other hand, did massive damage and were essential for surviving boss battles. No one expected that avoiding them completely would unlock new content.
But the post wasn't a joke. The thread's creator, a user named Shinobi_King, explained his unique approach:
"That's just how I play. Instead of spending money on weapons, I always load up on tools—buy as many as I can. I try to avoid regular enemies and go straight to the bosses. I've been doing it for a while, and I guess I stumbled into the secret method by accident."
To cap it off, he posted a meme of Mario doing his evil laugh, making it clear he was reveling in the surprise.
The thread took off like wildfire. Dozens of players jumped into the comments, some amazed, others skeptical, but all intrigued. Soon, the forum was buzzing with theories, retellings, and fresh attempts to recreate the steps. A simple change in playstyle had revealed a whole new layer of Tenchu—and now, everyone wanted in.
The thread continued with even more excitement. "Unfortunately, I can't show you the video or any pictures of what the boss looks like—it's better if you see it for yourself! Trust me, it's going to absolutely blow your mind! But if you're too curious to wait and want to know right now, then proceed to read below!"
After that line, the post transitioned into a spoiler-protected section, triggering even more hype in the comments. When opened, the spoiler revealed a jaw-dropping twist: "The secret boss is none other than the ancestor of Ryu Hayabusa—Ren Hayabusa! Straight from the past!"
The forums erupted with disbelief. The idea that the secret boss was directly tied to the legendary Hayabusa bloodline added a whole new layer of depth to the Tenchu universe. Players immediately began theorizing: Was this a crossover? A timeline bridge? A lore expansion hinting at deeper connections between game worlds? Whatever it was, one thing was clear—this wasn't just a random bonus boss. It was a deliberate piece of storytelling that opened up a floodgate of speculation and excitement throughout the entire fanbase.
Meanwhile, Endo—known in the esports world by his nickname "Hayabusa"—read the forum post with piqued interest. "Interesting... so there's something like this hidden in the game," he murmured. Intrigued and competitive as ever, he immediately fired up his ZEPS 3 console and launched Tenchu again. Though he'd already completed the game, this time he began a fresh playthrough with a new restriction: no main weapons, only tools.
For a player of Endo's skill level, it wasn't a difficult challenge, but rather an exciting twist. With precise timing, smart resource management, and deep knowledge of enemy patterns, he sailed through stages using only Kunai, Shuriken, and grenades. Each encounter demanded more strategy, but Endo thrived under pressure. Eventually, he reached the final showdown with Onikage—armed with nothing but tools.
The battle was intense but manageable. Endo whittled Onikage's health down through perfect execution. And then, something strange happened.
Instead of the usual end sequence, Onikage stumbled back, wounded and panicked. A purple portal ripped open behind him, glowing ominously. "No... this isn't how it's supposed to end," Onikage muttered, attempting to flee. But before he could enter the portal, a figure stepped through from the other side.
It was a ninja clad in black armor, his entire body surrounded by a thick, dark purple aura. His eyes sparked with red lightning. The air grew heavy as he stepped forward and calmly spoke:
"A demon, fleeing from a mortal? Pathetic."
The ninja seized Onikage by the neck with a crushing grip, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. Onikage's voice trembled with desperation as he pleaded, "No! Please, no! I beg you!"
Without hesitation, the dark figure drew a sleek black katana in one smooth, practiced motion and decapitated Onikage in a single clean strike. The head dropped to the floor with a dull thud, silence falling over the scene. The figure then turned his glowing eyes toward Endo's character, his presence radiating menace and authority.
"Rejoice, mortal. I will grant you the honor of knowing my name. I am the Embodiment of Cruelty. This body... once belonged to a ninja of unparalleled skill. I coveted his strength and claimed it for myself. His name was Ren Hayabusa. He lived more than a century ago. Now, his body belongs to me."
He removed his mask, revealing a shockingly handsome face framed by long black hair. His eyes burned with red lightning, and his aura radiated with sinister dark power. His very presence felt like a force pressing down on the soul—commanding, otherworldly, and impossible to ignore.
"Let me test your skills, mortal."
Endo smirked, tightening his grip on the controller.
"So there are other demons besides the Embodiment of Pain from Ninja Gaiden? Interesting. Could they be connected...?"
Then Endo began the intense battle against the Embodiment of Cruelty—also known as EOC. The fight was nothing short of overwhelming from the start. EOC's sword extended unnaturally, allowing him to strike from impossible distances, forcing Endo to focus entirely on dodging and positioning. Every swing came with a dark shockwave, and the arena was soon littered with burning scars and cracked terrain. Whenever Rikimaru tried to attack, EOC would simply blink—teleporting a few feet away—completely avoiding damage. It didn't take long for Endo to realize what was happening.
"I see... for now, he's invincible," Endo muttered under his breath, fingers locked on the controller. The battle was a test of survival, not aggression.
Just as predicted, a sudden cutscene interrupted the fight. EOC abruptly stopped moving. His glowing red eyes dimmed and faded into a normal human gaze. He gripped his chest, wincing in pain, and with a grunt, hurled a glowing orb toward Rikimaru. As it struck, EOC bellowed: "Kill him... with Dragon Flame!"
Instantly, Rikimaru's body was engulfed in crimson fire, his aura burning like a phoenix reborn. A transformation had occurred—he now carried the essence and fury of Ren Hayabusa himself and Rikimaru sword also change it has flame engraving now which golden red aura.
But the moment passed quickly. EOC's eyes reignited with searing rage. His voice thundered across the arena: "DAMN YOU, REN HAYABUSA! YOU'VE BEEN DORMANT ALL THIS TIME, HIDING INSIDE ME!"
It was the last remnant of Ren Hayabusa's soul, buried deep within the demon's vessel, making one final act of rebellion. And with that, everything—his power, his will, his legacy—was entrusted to the player. Rikimaru was now the last hope to end the Embodiment of Cruelty once and for all.
At last, the true final battle began. Now, Rikimaru's attacks could finally connect with the Embodiment of Cruelty. The damage was real, and the tension skyrocketed. EOC didn't hold back—he unleashed savage combos with terrifying abilities like Shadow Slash, Blink Strike, and Phantom Barrage, each more brutal and unpredictable than the last. The arena seemed to warp with every move, shadows tearing across the screen and energy pulses shaking the ground.
But Endo, with his sharp instincts and honed reflexes, adapted quickly. He studied the patterns, anticipated the tricks, and countered perfectly. With precise tool use, evasive movement, and patience, he wore the boss down. After a grueling exchange of blows and perfectly timed parries and dodges, EOC was finally defeated.
A cinematic ending unfolded. As Rikimaru stood over the crumbling form of EOC, his body surged with Dragon Flame energy. Without warning, that energy erupted outward, enveloping both Rikimaru and the demon in a blinding light. The voice of EOC echoed through the flames in a final, furious roar: "DAMN YOU ALL!"
The screen faded to black, and when it returned, Rikimaru stood alone. But he was changed. His body now contained both the remnants of demonic essence and Ren Hayabusa's divine flame, locked in eternal conflict. The opposing forces balanced within him, neither fully dominant, but always threatening to tip. His aura had turned deep violet, pulsing with restrained chaos, and his once short white hair had grown long, flowing with mystical energy.
He stared into the distance, solemn and resolute, and muttered to himself, "I can't let this power be unleashed upon the world. Nor can I allow myself to be corrupted. With this power comes knowledge... and I know now that even greater threats exist out there."
Turning away from the viewer, he whispered one final farewell: "I'm sorry, Ayame... Gohda-sama... but I must seal myself away."
As he spoke, Rikimaru vanished into shadow, blinking from sight in a final flicker of light.
The screen faded to black, and the game ended in silence.
Endo chuckled. "Cliffhanger ending, huh?" he muttered as he set down the controller. Despite the abrupt conclusion, it was obvious he had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Tenchu's secrets had finally come to light, and he was still reeling from the surprise.
"Still... I can't help but wonder about these Embodiment demons. Are there more of them out there? How many? And if I compare the Embodiment of Pain from Ninja Gaiden to this Embodiment of Cruelty, who's actually stronger?" he mused aloud, scratching the back of his head.
"I really hope they explain more of this in the future," he added with another quiet chuckle, stretching with satisfaction.
To be continue
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