As it is a NG+ run, I breezed through all of the other Bosses until I met Emma the gentle blade.
At first I thought she was b*llshit. She felt different from every other enemy in the game. Her mix of slow moments and fast gap closers made it difficult to read at first. And she punishes Sekiro healing so fast that I thought she was input reading.
But as I came back time and again and learned her patterns, I flew through her while using just 1/2 healings and 1 resurrection.
Then I met Isshin Ashina phase 01. Same feeling of it being b*llishit and having insane punishes. But Isshin felt easier to read. Tens of tries in, I got better at both Emma and Isshin Ashina 1st phase so much that I deathblowed them both using only 1 healing.
Same story, Isshin Ashina phase 02. What the f*ck are those attacks? It felt like I had no place to stand during those. 3/4 tries in while flying through previous phases. I could only properly read one fire based attack. Other two I just started jumping sideways or backwards. If I don't die, I healed.
5/6th try - I had 9 healings and resurrections available for the last phase, I desperately jumped around, deflected, punished that one fire attack and grabs and few attacks. I died once and resurrected. I kept chipping away at his health and posture. I ran out of pellets & healings. I was at half health. His posture bar is almost full and then it happened. He tried that fire attack which I could read and respond to. I promptly ran behind his back and punished. Posture broken, double deathblows and then he was dead. Cut scene. Roll credits.
It felt so good.
Even though that last phase might be a fluke, it was an exhilarating experience defeating the Isshin Asina.
I previously had this with Owl Father. But I kinda mastered that by the time I killed him.
Why the long past? I just wanted to share.