The documented Nichirin route is: pass Final Selection, receive Nichirin Ore, open the current world travel menu, go to Ivory Passage, find the Blacksmith and forge the katana. A public-test walkthrough confirmed the result when the Nichirin appeared in the loadout and Flame Breathing forms stopped showing the wooden-blade warning.
Step 1: pass Final Selection
Prepare a reliable defense and follow the live objective. The observed build contained conflicting old and active targets, so the current in-match counter takes priority. After the success screen, check your inventory and objective for Nichirin Ore.
If the ore is missing, do not leave immediately. Wait for data to save, inspect the completion message and record the server result. Rejoin only after confirming the run actually completed.
Step 2: travel to Ivory Passage
Use the Familiar/menu world route shown by the current client. Public coverage names Ivory Passage as the area containing the Blacksmith for this objective. Menu labels and area layout can change, so follow the new “Forge Your Nichirin” objective when available.
Once in the area, use the objective marker and NPC name rather than an undated coordinate. If the marker is absent, confirm the ore and quest state before searching the entire map.
Step 3: forge at the Blacksmith
Interact with the Blacksmith and read the current requirement. The documented core material is Nichirin Ore. Exact Yen cost, additional materials, weapon choice and cosmetic outcome are not verified here. Do not buy an unrelated weapon merely because it uses the same NPC.
After forging, open the loadout and confirm that a Nichirin Katana appears. Equip it before testing a Breathing form. Record any color, effect or selection only if the current interface explicitly identifies it.
Step 4: verify a Breathing form
Use a form that is unlocked by your Breathing Level and ensure the Breathing bar has resource. The public-test route showed Rising Scorching Sun failing with the wooden blade and working after the forge step. If the move still fails, check level, resource, hotbar and weapon equipment separately.
Do not repurchase the move before checking those gates. The error message can point to the missing requirement.
Troubleshooting the forge route
If the Blacksmith does not offer the forge, verify Final Selection completion, ore inventory and active objective. If the katana exists but forms fail, verify it is equipped rather than only owned. If a party clear did not advance one member, compare each player’s success and reward screen.
If Ivory Passage or the NPC layout changes, use the objective route in the current menu and report the new landmark. Avoid publishing a fixed direction until it is reproduced in the current build.
Weapon state and progression
A Nichirin is a progression gate, not proof that every Breathing form is unlocked. Continue raising Breathing Level and completing gourd limit breaks. Style moves may also have their own node or currency requirements.
Keep the wooden blade until the game safely replaces or stores it. Do not assume an old weapon can be discarded without checking inventory rules.
Confirm the save before changing servers
After forging, wait for the objective and inventory to update, then equip the katana and use one unlocked form in a safe area. Reopen the loadout to confirm the equipped state persisted. If you must rejoin, note the ore count, weapon slot and objective before leaving so a delayed save can be distinguished from a failed forge. Do not pay the Blacksmith a second time until the current inventory and quest state prove that no weapon was granted. In a party, every player should complete this confirmation on their own character rather than assuming one member’s forge advances the group.
Common mistakes
- Leaving Final Selection without confirming the ore.
- Searching Ivory Passage before the forge objective is active.
- Owning the Nichirin but forgetting to equip it.
- Testing a locked form with an empty Breathing bar.
- Treating a current cost or color result as permanent without a dated check.
What still needs testing
Current Blacksmith location, NPC name, costs, additional materials, color rules, weapon stats, loss or replacement behavior, and party reward consistency require live verification. The public route supports Final Selection → Ore → Ivory Passage → Blacksmith → equipped Nichirin.
Use Final Selection for the trial and Breathing Level for move unlocks.
Sources and confidence
The route is community reported from a detailed October 19, 2026 public-test walkthrough and aligns with the current progression plan. No unsupported forge price, NPC coordinate or stat has been invented.