Zeus: "Father... to think you were still alive?"

Owl: "That was by design. That night back at the estate, I thought you were dead too."

Zeus: "The power of the Divine Heir brought me back. And thus, I have served him faithfully. To protect him from all who would abuse his power no matter what."

Owl: "I see. You should now understand why a power like that... belongs to me."

Zeus gave him a cold gaze, not daring to take his eye off his master. A master that had saved him from the battlefield during the ongoing conflict surrounding the unification of Feudal Japan. Still, he widened his stance, being on guard. Owl raised a bushy eyebrow, immediately noticing suspicion.

Zeus: "Father... that power belongs to no one but where it came from. I shouldn't be alive, but now I live to ensure such power never falls into mortal hands. Including yours."

Owl: "Remember the first rule of the code. That said, I ORDER you to forsake your master. From this moment, he is your master no more."

Zeus: "Forsake... the divine heir...?"

Owl: "Listen to me, Zeus. Obey your Father's command. For that is the code you have sworn to. I will not say this again."

A grave silence filled the air. The wind picked up to sweep across the dojo's wooden floor. Zeus gripped his fists, tightening then, looking over the side of his eye to see the worried look of a poor colt cursed with this power. After what felt like ages, the shinobi finally spoke.

Zeus: "I cannot do what you ask."

Owl: "...what? A shinobi like you showing the likes of compassion? Unthinkable. Such a... miserable display."

He would get down on one knee, clasping his face, trembling a bit as he processed all of this emotion at once. Here stood his son. His pupil. His one person he could trust the most in a time of great war and peril across Japan.

Zeus continued to stand firm, unwavering in his gaze. His heart was made up. He knew better than to blindly obey authority. From this moment on, he would be a rogue and disgraced shinobi.

Owl: "Why boy... why can't you understand my will? Have you forgotton the Shinobi code?"

Zeus: "A code must be decided by the individual. This is what I've decided. Just as my master did."

With nothing more to say, and to avoid bearing the sight of his grieven father, Zeus turned around to walk away and escort the Divine Heir far away from this fortress.

A grave mistake, as Owl wasn't one to allow such sloppy behavior from one he trained personally. Quietly, he drew his katana, before lunging forward for a thrust. Zeus flared his wings immediately, drawing his sword and parrying the cowardly attack.

Zeus's gaze grew from solumn to outright determination. Sparks flew, and he held his father in check from the attempt to assassinate him.

Owl: "Not bad... seems like you've grown a little. Fine. Have it your way, young pegasus."

And so, the showdown of the ages was afoot. Master and student. Father and son. The fate of Japan, no... the WORLD hung into the balance. There would only be one warrior leaving this dojo by the time the sun sets. Just who will prevail? The lustful power hunger of an old master or the young pupil with the fresh perspective on the brutal Shinobi life style?

---

GOODNESS! This game was amazing as advertised. I loved the setting of this game. Feudal Japan has such an allure for it that I want to dive more into. And Sekiro tested me as hard as a Soulsborne game could. I had to learn to play by its rules. And it was so worth it. This is a super replayable experience that rewards pouring in the hours to learn each enemy attack pattern. Plus, I love how much stealth played a factor too. I highly recommend this experience to anyone remotely interested in the Fromsoft library!

Game Stats + Credits

Clear Time: 47 hours, 18 minutes (Clear conditions - All bosses completed, all prosthetic tools at max power that do not require Lazuli gems, all healing gourds, all side bosses and prayer beads found)
Top 3 Prostethic Tools Used: Shinobi Firecrackers, Lazulite Shuriken, Sabimaru
Easiest Bosses: Mist Noble (The joke boss of the game!) , Genichiro Asashina (A wall for many, not for me. Gets easier in Phase 2), Folding Screen Monkeys (Puzzle boss, but a damn cool one with many approaches to the solution)
Coolest Bosses: Owl - Father (Flashback version of boss. Piviotal moment of the game. An absolute true test of skill), Divine Dragon (Music, scale, the 7 branch sword, it's such an amazing end to the divine realm part of the game)
Hardest Boss: Demon of Hatred (Forcing Dark Souls mechanics in a game that heavily punishes them. This was such a cruel beginning, along with near requiring the use of fire umbrella to survive many attacks. Plus THREE long health bars!)
Most Annoying Boss: Isshin: The Sword Saint (Non final boss version)

Setting: Sekiro - Shadows Die Twice

Artist:  omny87