Walkthrough

Prelude to the
Dark Abyss		 House of
Sacred Remains		Anti-Soul
Mysteries Lab
Dark Palace
of Waterfalls		Garden Forgotten
By Time		Ghostly
Theatre
Pagoda of the Misty Moon




GARDEN FORGOTTEN BY TIME
Stopping to Smell the Flowers
Once back inside the Castle Entrance, head back toward the platform area, and step onto the platform second from the left to enter the Garden Forgotten By Time.  As you rise to the new entrance hall, a group of Skeletons once again greets you.  By now you know enough to make short work of them before heading through the doorway in the east wall.  Once past the door, follow the hall as it runs east and bends south, then step through into the next room.

In this next large room, you still don't need t o work up a sweat as you are confronted by another, larger group of Skeletons.  Continue through the opposite door where a pair of slightly tough (but still not deadly) Skeleton Swordsmen wait.  Destroy them in turn, and then take the western door into the next small room.

LOCKED INTO PLACE
In this room you see a statue standing within a groove in the floor.  Stand in front of the statue, attack it with your whip, and it slides along the groove bit by bit until it finally rests against the far wall.  Once it is in place you can see one section of another door become unlocked, much like with the switches and doors in the House of Sacred Remains.  Now head back to the hall and continue this time through the southern door at the end.

This next room adds a little variety; you are greeted by a swarm of Bats followed by a group of Ghosts.  The Floating Ghosts are not especially difficult to destroy, but they do have one trick up their ethereal sleeves -- as they die, they throw their lanterns out a short distance in front of them.  If these lanterns strike Leon, they damage him.  When you destroy the Ghosts make certain that you do not run out in front of their dying forms.  Move through the opposite door to continue on your general southward trek.

This time as you step into the next area you find a long T-shaped hall with an extra door branching off he west wall.  First head just past this door, and break the yellow candle to claim the Axe sub-weapon.
Sub-Weapon Choice
From this point on, the Walkthrough advices on the selection of new sub-weapons based on the enemies found within the upcoming areas, but you should consider another fact before deciding to take a new sub-weapon.  The two toughest monsters in the area near the end of the game are both weak against the Axe, and this is the only candle within the Garden Forgotten By Time where you can pick up this sub-weapon.  Because of this you should decide whether you wish to keep switching out the sub-weapon as advised to take on more immediate threats, or make do without the most optimal sub-weapon in lesser fights to avoid having to come back for this particular weapon at a later time.
The Puzzles Begin
Now step back to take the door into a strange mechanized room.  Here various bars are in continual motion along the walls, meaning that to successfully navigate the room you must have even better timing with your jumps and whip attacks than normal.  Before you do anything else, leap down to the bottom level of the room where you find a bag of 400 Gold near the opposite end of the room.  Then head back toward the stairs by the entrance leading back up to the original level.  Before you take these stairs, run behind the bottom step, where you find a HP Max Up hidden out of sight.  Now climb the stairs using a series of jumps until you are back at your original position.

With the items claimed, now begin your journey across to the other side of the room.  Move beside the northern wall where you can see a bar moving steadily up and down.  Double-jump toward the bar just as it is almost at the top of its path, and latch on in order to flip over it and be propelled onto a platform.  Run to the western edge of the platform and jump to the next bar in the same way.  This time, however, you must continue your series of flips over a second bar.  Carefully time your next whip strike for just the point that Leon meets up with the next bar in his descent.  It's tricky, but with practice you can accomplish it.  Move on to the far side of the room where a lever stands on the wall.  Strike out with your whip just as you begin your descent over the second bar.  This triggers the lever, and allows Leon to land safely on the platform next to the west wall.  Jump over to the platform just to the south and move through the western doorway.

You now stand in another hallway where more Skeleton Swordsmen await, accompanied this time by a Skeleton Archer.  Keep an eye on the Archer as you battle the melee fighters, dodging or guarding against his arrows when necessary, then when this friends have been destroyed move to finish him off.  You are then free to move on through the northern doorway.

A SECOND STATUE
here the next sliding statue wait for you to whip it into place, unlocking the second portion of the mystery door.  This accomplished, move back out into the original T-shaped hallway, keeping in mind that this time you can simply leap to the floor of the mechanized room and run across the floor to the stairs.  Once back in the hall, continue south and take the door at the east end of the "T".

Now the fights begin to get a bit tougher.  Here you are greeted by a group of Buckbairds and Astral Warriors, the latter of which are monsters much like the Astral Fighters.  Jump into the fray, but try to keep an eye out for both the teleportation of the Astral Warriors and the long-range eye-beam attacks of the Buckbairds, both of which can catch you off-guard when you're not expecting an attack.  Use Axe attacks if you need to, especially the Sharp Edge attack given to you by the combination of the Axe and Blue Orb -- if you can strike the Astral Warriors with this, it mows them down quickly.  With all of these enemies out of the way, move through the door to the south.

You now stand in a short hallway with a doorway just to your south -- this is a Save Room.  Log your early progress in this area, then move back into the hallway, and out through the western door.  Here you are met by more Ghosts, along with a new threat, the Shadow Wolf.  These canines are much like the Wolf Skeletons in behavior, but they can breathe streams of fire from a short distance.  If you see a Shadow Wolf begin to glow with an aura of flames, watch out.  In the southwest corner of this room you find the Map 4, which reveals much of the Garden on your Map Screen.  Now, move through the western door to map out the brief circle that joins up with the previous T-shaped hall.

In this room you face not only Red Skeletons, but also a monster called the Evil Stabber.  This enemy likes to dive down under the ground, circling around like a shark with their red claws just above the surface, ready to damage Leon if he is caught by them unaware.  Attack this zombified creature when it leaps out of the ground, and try to damage it as much as possible with combos before it re-submerges.  The room holds a Potion in the northwestern corner to help you recover if you take too much damage.  Once you've finished here head back to the previous room via the southeastern door, then take the door from that room south into new territory.
Onto Deadlier Ground
As you may have noticed from your new map, the next area is another bending hallway that curves around to the west that ends in a door.  Here the action pauses for a moment as a brief cutscene plays, hinting that you're in for a tougher fight than you're used to.  Stone gargoyles guarding the room come to life and launch themselves though the air, quickly leaving Leon on the defensive.  These monsters like to make swooping attacks.  When these foes use their special attack they breathe out a series of rings that turn Leon to stone, so immediately guard or move out of the way when you see this happen.  If you do get petrified, move the left analog stick around as quickly as possible to cause the effects to wear off.  Try to concentrate your attacks on one Gargoyle to take it down more quickly.  The A Extension combo is an effective method of fighting these foes if you have one or both available.  With the enemies dispatched, continue on your way through the door in the south wall.

Here you come across a second T-shaped intersection.  Continue running south and take the door opposite where you entered, where you then fight against a group of strange Storm Skeletons.  These skeletal foes are lightning-based, and like to break into their component bones, which swirl around in a cloud and evade attack.  When you finish them move on through the southern door and into the hall.  At the end of it you find the Blue Dragon Door.  If you didn't already obtain it from the Dark Palace of Waterfalls, add a marker to your map, so you can remember to come back and open it later.

UNLOCKED AREA:
BLUE DRAGON DOOR		ITEM NEEDED:
BLUE DRAGON KEY
With the Blue Dragon Key, you can gain a very helpful bit help from an item called the Tool Bag.  This bag lies within the small room behind the door, and it allows you to equip three accessories rather than two.  Thus, in one simple stroke it increases your accessory power by one.  You don't need to equip it or use it as a relic -- in fact, once your pick it up it disappears, never to be seen again.  Only its effect remains.  Now head back out of the door and into the hallway to continue your journey.

Return now to the T-shaped hall and take the eastern exit.  As soon as you step through the door, be prepared for a tough fight.  A group of Axe Armors materializes in, leaving you with some strong foes on your hands.  These slow, lumbering enemies have powerful attacks and special moves as well.  Occasionally, they throw their Axes out to attempt to damage Leon from afar.  Keep to the outside of the group and hassle the foes with attacks.  Using the Axe sub-weapon and the Svarog Statue are both great ways of make the fight shorter and less deadly.

Next a pair of Evil Stabbers appears, which means that you need to watch your feet.  When the last of these monsters finally falls, limp through the door to the east to enter the next T-shaped hallway.  As you make your way to the intersection of the hall pick up a Knife from the meeting of the two halls.  Continue on to the southern room, where you then face a group of Shadow Wolves with a Gargoyle.  If you can take to the air with the A Extension attacks do so to defeat the Gargoyle,so that you can then concentrate on the canine foes without the fear of being turned to stone.  Run over to take the eastern door, stopping along he way to pick up a bag of 400 Gold.

This next section of hallway holds a Buckbaird, not nearly as much trouble alone as it is with a group.  Destroy it, and continue on into the next room, where a pair of Skeleton Archers and a nasty Thunder Demon meets you.  Destroy the Archers, but keep an eye out for the Demon's lightning spells.  If it lets loose a blast use a Guard Stance to protect yourself.  This attack lasts for a while and continues to loop around the room, homing in on Leon multiple times.  Quickly finish off the Skeleton Archers when you are not guarding, then step in to attack the Demon with A Extensions, or send in your sub-weapon to damage it.  With this fight out of the way, head through the door to the north and into another hall.  Here you can rest and recover in the Save Room found to the north and east past the corner of the "T".

With your HP replenished and your progress safely tucked away in a Memory Card, you are free to head along the north branch of the hall to finish exploring the rooms to the north and west.  Return to the branching of the hallway, and head north and through the door.  Here you find a Gargoyle alongside Skeleton Archers.  As with a previous fight, try to stay out of harm's way by taking the fight to the air.  Head west through the door when you finish.

You now find yourself in a hallway containing multiple Ghosts.  Finish them off one by one, then continue through the opposite door into the final room in this particular circle.  An Evil Stabber quickly leaps from the ground as a group of Skeleton Soldiers moves in for the attack.  Strike at the Evil Stabber whenever you can, then when it burrows into the ground avoid it's claws as you move to attack the Skeleton Soldiers.  When you get a chance to explore the room, another bag of 400 Gold can be found in the southeast corner.  Now you are free to move back to the Save Room and continue on your way.
Garden Secrets
Head past the Save Room to the east and enter the next room where you strange new sights await.  A huge Man-Eating Plant is moving slowly about the room.  As large and scary-looking as it is, ignore it for now -- it very rarely attacks by sending out large easily-seen rocks from around its body.  Instead keep your eyes open for a much harder-to-see foe also lurking in the room, the Mist.  This strange creature looks like a human face, but made out of a smoky substance.  Its favored form of attack is to breathe a poisonous gas through its mouth, preceded by a strange hissing noise that acts as a warning.  It also sometimes begins to glow red, after which it makes a short dash to slam itself into Leon.  Avoid both of these different attacks and retaliate as much as possible until the foe vanishes, leaving Leon alone with the Plant.

While a Man-Eating Plant can be killed by causing it to open its blossom and then attacking the stamen inside, for now you want to leave it very much alive.  When one of these large plants appears you can be certain that a hidden secret lies nearby, this time a balcony along the northern wall.  Get behind the Plant and drive it toward the balcony with continual whip strikes -- if it opens its petals, back off and let it close up after a moment's rest.  Once it is below the balcony stop attacking and let it open up, at which point you can jump onto its outstretched petals.  Use them as a platform to double-jump up to the balcony.  Be careful of the poisonous pollen that the plant can emit from its stamen while it is open.  Once on the balcony, grab the bag of 400 Gold, then enter the door that is now accessible.  Inside the room grab the Jewel Crush near the wall.

A NEW DOOR
The Jewel Crush isn't he only thing to be found in this room -- you also find another of the sliding statues which act as switches.  Push the statue into place into its alcove, as you did before.  This does not unlock the previous door -- rather, it opens one-third of a new door found somewhere within the Garden.

Now that you have finished with the hidden room, head back out and feel free to destroy the Man-Eating Plant by causing it to open its petals, then attacking the stamen in the center.  You can finally continue across the room to the eastern door and head through.

You now find yourself in yet another T-shaped hallway, where you can run south and claim a vial of Holy Water from the yellow candle stand for an edge in the next fight.  Continue through the door to meet a group of Poison Lizards (strange lizard-shaped men who can inflict Leon with the Poison status), and a second Thunder Demon.  Both of these fall very easily to the Holy Water sub-weapon, despite the Lizard's lack of weakness to it.  Otherwise, try to guard against the Demon's spells while attacking the Lizards from their flanks.  Whatever method you use, once you achieve victory head through the door found to the southwest of the room.

Beyond the room is another short hallway, again thankfully empty of foes.  Through the door at the end you find the Marker Stone 5 against the wall, and yet another statue to push into its alcove.

UNLOCKED!
This statue finally completes the unlocking of the first door, which happens to be found just off the entrance to the Garden Forgotten By Time.  This is a good time to head back to Rinaldo's shop using a Magical Ticket to replenish supplies before returning to the start of the area.

Don't Save?
If you avoid using a Save Room after using the Magical Ticket, when you have finished with the newly unlocked area you can then teleport almost back to where you left off using a Memorial Ticket, rather than fighting all the way back.
Backtracking
Once back to the starting room of the area, quickly fight off the Skeletons, and head through the southern door.  Here you find a group of the lantern-throwing Ghosts, which you should also be able to fight off quite readily.  Step through the next, now unsealed door, beyond which is a pedestal holding the Ring of Fire.  As its name suggests, this accessory makes you more resistant to flame attacks.  Grab it, then head back to the last Save Room where you left off -- via Memorial Ticket or just the power of your legs.

Now back in the Save Room you should stop and recover, then head back east through the room with the Man-Eating Plant and Mist, ending up back in the T-shaped hallway.  This time head north and through this next doorway, where you run into a group of Shadow Wolves and a second Mist.  Face off with the faster canines first to get them out of the way, but be careful not to let the near-transparent Mist sneak up on you.  Now continue north, into an adjoining room much like this one.

This time, the room hold a pair of Buckbairds, which you can destroy fairly rapidly, as well as another Man-Eating Plant that heralds another secret area.  The hidden ledge is along the eastern wall, in the northernmost corner.  As before, the Plant serves as the key to a hidden location, but pass by it for the moment so that you can grab a helpful item first.  Head through the door to the north, and kill the Ghosts and Armor Knight that inhabit the hallway.  You should also pick up the Crystal from the stand halfway down the hall for use in the future.

Continue on to the north, where you face a Gargoyle and the new Skeleton Flower enemy.  Destroy the Gargoyle fist, keeping back near the entrance of the room since the Skeleton Flower can only reach as far as its stem allows.  Once the Gargoyle is dead, run in to face the Flower.  Watch out for the Poison mist that it can release, and also be careful of its drill-like attack.  Using the Crystal from a distance can be a good way of finishing of the foe with minimal risk, as can stepping into to attack the "drill" while it is whirring into the ground.  After both foes are dead, continue on through the next doorway to the north.

Here you face three Buckbaird monsters along with another Skeletal Flower.  Again, try to keep out of the reach of the Flower while attacking the others.  Don't relax just yet -- once the first wave of foes are dead, a second Skeletal Flower sprouts and a wave of Poison Lizards joins it.  The Lizards are dangerous even without their added ability to poison Leon, use all the tools at your disposal.  Once these enemies have been finished off you can finally move though the door to the east, and leave the northern door alone for the time being.

Here again you face a Poison Lizard and Skeleton Flowers, with two of the Flowers being visible from the start and a third lurking underground near the entrance.  Watch your step, it bursts out underfoot if you wander too close.  You can see where the Flower waits underfoot by the cluster of roots, which are visible on the ground.  As you finish off the foes you may notice a door toe the west -- this is the second door that you have begun unlocking, still with two of its statues left to find.  As you cannot yet enter the door, head into the final room to the south.

Here you find and take the Ring of Thunder just inside the entrance.  Like the Ring of Fire, it protects you from its given element.  As no enemies lurk in th room to attack, you should now recover in the Save Room to the east.

With this accomplished, head back out and go into the room to the north, then west (the room with the Buckbairds and Man-Eating Plant) to complete the secret area.  Conserve your HP because there is an extremely tough fight to get through in the near future.  You may wish to make a side trip to pick up a Knife or Axe sub-weapon if you don't currently have one handy.

Back in the Plant's room, destroy the Buckbairds and drive the Plant over to the northeastern corner of the room to the balcony hidden there. As the Plant moves into position allow its petals to open, then use it as a springboard to higher ground just like before.  Move through the doorway that you find here.

Within this first secret hallway you find a group of Spirits along with some Thunder Swords, a particularly nasty lightning version of the Evil Sword that can inflict Paralysis with an attack.  Don't be stingy with sub-weapon attacks, because you have the chance to recharge your hearts to full again soon.  Remember your Ring of Thunder, which can help protect Leon against electric foes.

Through the door at the end of the hall you find a room with a pair of large statues.  Behind each statue you find a switch.  Jump up and latch on with your whip to pull a switch, then race over to the other side of the room to pull the second.

As soon as you pull one switch, a group of Spirits appears.  Ignore them and run past without being hit.  If you can manage to pull the second switch before the first resets, a balcony comes out of the southern wall.  Bypass the Spirits once more, run for the balcony, leap up on it, and run through the door before the switch resets.  If you don't make it in time, try it all again until you succeed in making it through the doorway.

Past the statues, you come across a large room with a broken bridge down the center.  Leap down from the first section, then fight of the Ghosts and Skeleton Soldiers that race to the attack.  Once they are gone, run to eastern side of the room to get a Heart Max Up inside the alcove.  This item not only increases your Heart Max by 10, but all restores your hearts to full in the process.

Now run back over and leap onto the one section of bridge that you can reach.  From here you can double-jump toward the southern half of ht bridge and latch your whip onto a bent-over light pole, which flips you up onto the next section of bridge.  Now, run straight ahead along the bridge and double-jump across to th small piece of bridge left before the southern doorway.  You should just barely be able to make it.  This doorway is the only other exit from the room that you can take for the time being because the doorway in the eastern wall requires a special item.

UNLOCKED AREA:
SECOND BRIDGE		ITEM NEEDED:
WOLF'S FOOT
Once you have the Wolf's Foot in your possession, you have the extra running power that it takes to cross to the eastern side of the room.  Jump up from the fallen section of the bridge to the raised section in the center, then activate the Wolf's Foot.  Quickly race across the end of the bridge toward the east, and make a double-jump across onto a small section of bridge in front of the side door.

The small room inside the door is protected by a Thunder Demon and an Evil Stabber, two fairly strong opponents.  Concentrate on fighting the Demon in the air first, watching out for the Stabber's claws in the earth whenever you land.  When the Demon falls, turn your attention to the Evil Stabber when it rises from the ground.  AS it dies the doors unbar, and you can now move through the doorway to the south.

If the previous fight wasn't bad enough, you now face a hallway containing three more Thunder Swords.  Still, with no Spirits entering into the mix, it's an easier fight than the one in a recent hallway, so finish them off quickly as you can and continue on through the next door to your south.  Her you find the Saisei Incense, a relic that allows you to heal your HP gradually through burning MP.  Move back through the hall, with the relic in hand, to the previous room to continue your journey.

You now stand within a large circular staircase that leads up to the small section of the Garden on the second floor.  Lightning flashes from time to time, giving you a hint of the immediate future.  Ghosts and Poison Lizards periodically appear on this staircase, but ignore them and run up the stairs.  It's a long climb, but you should reach the top unharmed.
The Thunder Tower
As you reach the top the the stairs, enter the doorway to find yet another sliding statue.  Move it into place, opening the second part of the second door (that you passed earlier while picking up the Ring of Thunder).  Once the statue is in its alcove, step across to the eastern side of the room and through the second doorway.

Now past the sliding statue, fight the Axe Armor in the next hallway.  Once it is dead, pause for a moment, and before you enter the sinister green skull door at the other end of the hall., take the time to equip your best items.  These should definitely include the Ring of Thunder and a Sacrificial Doll.  The Bloody Cape is also a good item to equip.  As you can probably guess by now, you are about to face another one of the optional bosses.

THUNDER ELEMENTAL
HPTOLERANCEWEAKNESS
1500LIGHTNINGKNIFE, AXE
As you may have already noticed, this is the fight where the Knife or Axe can come in handy.  Without one of these (or even with them) the coming battle is tough indeed.  AS you enter the room a glowing light appears over a magical sigil, and the Thunder Elemental comes into view.  Be ready as soon as the HP bar appears -- the Elemental is fairly quick and relentless in its attacks.

The best bet to damage it is to launch your sub-weapon attacks as much as possible.  The Knife and Axe attacks do the most damage to this tough Elemental.  Watch the enemy carefully -- he varies between physical and the magical attacks, but you can tell when an attack is coming.  The trick is to make certain you're not launching too many attacks at once.  This leaves you unable to block or dodge in time.

The Thunder Elemental's first magic attack is preceded by him twirling his weapon above his head.  This is followed by a series of electrical explosions that rise up from the ground in a chain.  You can avoid these by running to stay ahead of them.  Once you learn how long this attack lasts, you can run back to the boss just as it is about to end, and launch your own attack while it is still standing idle.

The second magical attack is heralded by the Elemental thrusting his weapon into the ground.  One of these consists of another series of magical bursts, this time rising in rings around the Elemental.  With this attack you can remain relatively close to the Boss, just outside the range of it, and use your sub-weapon, rushing in physically at the end and land a few precious blows.

The third magical attack is the nasties, and consists of a large electric symbol radiating outward from the Elemental, encompassing most of the floor.  You can block this attack, but only if you block it at the start.  It radiates outward quickly, catches you unaware, and deals a hefty amount of damage.

Along with th magical attacks the Thunder Elemental also has damaging physical attacks, which are preceded by different telltale signs.  It begins to glow violet, marking a special attack, then performs a single rushing attack.  This is a good attack for Leon to block, although it usually throws him across the room and out of his guard.

The monster may also decide to attack physically three times in a quick succession.  The too is preceded by a weapon flourish.  The best way to avoid this series of blows is with a series of Quick Steps.  A guard is broken after the first strike, and leaves Leon completely vulnerable to the two follow-up blows.

Because the Elemental attacks so harshly, and so often, the key to the fight is to focus on defense against all of these attacks.  Take the chance to attack physically whenever the Elemental is close by, and take a short break between your attacks.  Constantly pound him with relentless sub-weapon attacks as much as possible.  The Bloody Cape can help to keep your Hearts replenished, and don't forget about the Heart Repair item that you should have (especially if you picked up extras from the Flea Men back in he House of Sacred Remains).  After a careful balancing act of defense and offense, even this tough foe should fall before your onslaught, leaving you as the victor to claim the spoils.

As the Thunder Elemental fades to nothingness, the Whip of Lightning appears in his place.  This weapon is the Whip of Alchemy with the Lightning element added to it -- a very handy item to have.  Unfortunately, most of the monsters in the Garden are resistant to it.  For instance, the Axe Armor that you fought just after leaving the room is especially vulnerable to Lightning, while the Thunder Swords further on take no damage from it at all.

For now, return to the room with the Buckbairds and Skeleton Flower that are joined by a second wave of Poison Lizards.  As you received full HP after defeated the Elemental, you should have enough health to last for a while.  If things start to look to hairy, use a Magical Ticket -- there's no use going through the trouble of winning the Whip of Lightning if you're going to lose it by dying.

Once back in the room with the Flowers, Buckbairds and Lizards, you should take the door to the north, leading to a hall.  IN this hallway you can use the Whip of Lightning to good effect, as the two Armor Knights that you find here are weak against it.  Use combo attacks and back away, or guard whenever necessary to take the pair down, then continue through the northern door at the end of the hall.

THE SECOND SEAL
Within this room you find the statue to unseal the second locked door.  Push it into place, then breathe a sigh of satisfaction as the lights on the door glow green, unlocking the second of the important doors within the area.

With the door unlocked, return to where it waits just a few rooms to the south and east, and enter.  Here you collect the Red Phoenix Key, an item that comes in handy in the future.  For now, head south to save your game, then return to the room where you pushed in the final statue.  Switch your whip back to the normal Whip of Alchemy if it isn't equipped already, and head east.
Statues and Their Maker
In this last stretch of hallway two Gargoyles shake free of the stone and rise to attack.  Again, watch out for their stoning attacks, especially in this confined space.  The Crystal sub-weapon can take them out quickly (if you have it) to save time and effort and conserve health.  With the Gargoyles defeated, continue north through the door and enter a room filled with real sphinx statues.  find the third statue to Leon's left as he enters, and destroy it with continual attacks to reveal a secret door hidden behind it.  Step through into the unknown.

As you enter you find a Save Room just to the east.  Save your game now, then return to the hall.  The Axe sub-weapon is very handy, so if you have a Magical Ticket left return to Rinaldo's to re-supply.  Travel up to the Axe's candle from the platform, before returning to this Save Room via Memorial Ticket (assuming you haven't kept the Axe from before).  When you are ready, step through the north to the final room, marked with a skull.  You are now about to face the Boss of this area, the deadly Medusa.

MEDUSA
HPTOLERANCEWEAKNESS
2000NONEAXE
This fight is preceded by a cut scene, but don't sit back to relax as you view it.  The action starts soon enough, and you don't want to be taken by surprise.  As the now-familiar blue HP bar appears, unleash a sub-weapon attack immediately.  Concentrate on reacting to Medusa's own attacks and dealing your own damage whenever possible.

During this first phase of the fight Medusa has two main attacks that she switches between at random.  One of these attacks is, unsurprising, the ability to turn a hapless adventurer into stone.  Luckily this deadly attack is preceded by the cry "Turn to stone!" After she says this she sends dual beams of light from her eyes streaking toward Leon.  These have some tracking ability and follow Leon around the floor to an extent, but if you keep running away from them they do not catch.  If the attack does connect and you do not guard, Leon receives damage and turns to stone.  Jiggle the analog stick to break free.  Medusa follows up a successful petrify with a special rolling attack, so be prepared to guard as soon as you break out.

The second main attack that Medusa uses at this time is a physical attack with the serpents in her hair.  You receive a small bit of warning as the snakes on the side draw back as a group, then dart forward in an attempt to strike Leon.  This breaks Leon's Guard Stance and is followed by a second strike from the other side of her head.  Dodging these striking using the Quick Step is the best option.

During this first phase you can use some sub-weapon attacks from a distance, and the pause between many of Medusa's attacks gives you a good opportunity to attack with weapon combos.  Be sure to watch carefully for Medusa's attack preparations so that you can block, dodge, or run out of the way.  As Medusa's first blue HP bar disappears completely and leaves the yellow HP bar exposed the fight changes in nature, so be prepared to change tactics mid-combat.

Once the first half of her HP are gone, Medusa still may use her physical attack when Leon is close enough, but her stone attack stops, and is replaced by two new attacks.  The first of these is a stoning attack of another sort -- as she cries "Damn you!" large chunks of rock rise up from the floor and begin to circle around her.  You can take a moment at this point to launch a sub-weapon attack at her, then begin to run around her in a circle.  After a moment she begins to launch the rocks one by one, but by continuing to run in the circle without a pause, the rocks should fall short of their mark.  As she runs out of stones she pauses for a moment before her next attack, so you can either attack again with a sub-weapon, or run in to launch a whip combo to deal more intimate damage.

The second new attack is preceded by her cry of "Serpents," which gives you a clue as to what comes next.  She rises into the air with her face toward the ground and hovers there, as a stream of snakes pours forth onto the ground.  Use the same tactic, run in a wide arc around Medusa, and the waves of serpents should not catch up.  As you see the serpents cease to pour out,run in toward Medusa -- there is a good pause between the time the snakes stop coming out and the time she returns to her normal face-forward position to resume attacking.  Try to make the most of this time to attack her with your strongest abilities.

In some ways this second wave of attacks is easier to beat than the first wave, and Medusa quickly drops in HP to the point of death.  Watch the brief cut scene as she dies, and Leon gets the first hint of another secret yet to be learned.

When Medusa is dead and her final cut-scene has finished, a new orb appears.  Time time you can run to the center of the room and jump to claim the Purple Orb, expanding your sub-weapon repertoire once more.  A circle of light appears, allowing you to teleport to Rinaldo's cabin.  Enter and hear what he has to say, then replenish your supplies before heading on to tackle the next area.
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