AKAYUKI: Steel Blossoms Red leveling: fights, quests and unlocks

Defeat players or NPC enemies to level up, and follow your Path of the Sword quest objectives for additional XP. Each five-level milestone unlocks another blade upgrade at the forge, with the final upgrade available at level 50.

Keep these targets in view:

• Starting quest: “Finish the dojo tutorial” is step 1 of 48 in Path of the Sword, with a displayed reward of 50 XP and 25 currency.
• Combat results: look for a kill XP notification. One example reads “Killed Sakakibara +105XP”; that amount is an example, not a fixed payout for every opponent.
• 1v1 victory condition: the challenge card reads “First to 3 kills.”
• Forge milestones: levels 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 unlock new blade upgrades.
• Code bonuses: check AKAYUKITHANKYOU and HAPPYWEEKEND2 on the Codes page for maintained XP reward details and availability.

Start with the dojo quest

At spawn, the dojo tutorial begins with “Walk onto the mat.” Use WASD to walk onto the straw mat, then follow the tutorial prompts. The opening card is labeled STEP 1/6.

Although a Skip Tutorial button is available, your first Path of the Sword objective specifically asks you to finish the dojo tutorial. Completing that objective gives you a concrete starting XP target while introducing the controls. Its tracker reads “PATH OF THE SWORD · 1 / 48”, so the tutorial objective is the beginning of a longer quest chain. The displayed 50 XP and 25 currency belong to that first step; they are not a reward schedule for all 48 steps.

The tutorial also recommends using a mouse rather than a trackpad. If you need to adjust mouse speed, its instruction is M → Settings → Mouse Sensitivity.

Earn combat XP while following quest objectives

Both player opponents and NPC enemies are leveling targets. The basic progression loop is to defeat an opponent, gain XP and work toward the next forge milestone.

Quest XP can appear alongside a combat award. For example, one combat result shows these two notifications together:

• “Killed Sakakibara +105XP”
• “Quest done: Wound fighters 30 times +150XP”

That example shows why the current quest objective matters: the same stretch of fighting can contribute to an opponent defeat and a separate quest completion. A wounding objective and a kill award describe different accomplishments, so read the tracker’s wording rather than treating every combat objective as a request for kills. The example does not make 105 XP a universal kill reward or 150 XP a universal quest reward.

For a 1v1 challenge, use the card’s “First to 3 kills” condition as your match target. That defines how to win the challenge; it does not establish a separate XP bonus for winning the entire match.

During arena combat, a “Q lock on” prompt identifies the lock-on control. Your current level appears as LV at the bottom right, beside your Ryō balance. The “Staggered” message appears above the health bar as a combat status; the kill XP toast is the clearer indicator of a combat XP award. For help with the fights themselves, see the combat guide.

Use levels to reach forge upgrades

The main weapon progression milestones arrive every five levels. When you reach one, a new blade upgrade becomes available at the forge. Reaching level 10, for example, means you have reached another upgrade threshold after level 5; it does not mean the blade has automatically been enhanced.

The final blade upgrade becomes available at level 50. This is the stated maximum upgrade milestone, rather than a statement about a character level cap. Use the blade upgrade levels guide when planning around those thresholds.

Family names provide another progression choice. Rarer names give stronger stat boosts, and family-name rolls are available through the Character menu. Treat that as a separate character-building system alongside your leveling and blade upgrades. The family names guide covers that choice.

Accessory level requirements

Levels also matter in the Hair and Outfit customization screen. Its accessory grid displays the following level locks:

These badges identify the level requirement for each accessory. They give you cosmetic milestones between forge upgrades—for example, Straw Hat is marked LV19, just before the level-20 weapon upgrade threshold.

How to treat the listed code XP bonuses

AKAYUKITHANKYOU is an XP-grant code reference, while HAPPYWEEKEND2 is associated with both an XP grant and a temporary XP multiplier. Check the Codes page for their maintained reward details and availability before including either in your leveling plan.

The useful distinction is between an immediate XP grant and a temporary multiplier. A grant supplies XP directly; a multiplier is a time-limited bonus to XP earning. Your ongoing progression still rests on defeating opponents and completing quest objectives.