【SILENT HILL f】Hermitage of Crimson Water: Exploration and Puzzle “Crimson Water” Guide

This is the walkthrough chart for the Hermitage of Crimson Water found in the shrine during your second playthrough.

We explain the solution to the Puzzle [Crimson Water], how to obtain Agura no Hotei-sama, and key points related to Ending branches in detail,

so use this guide to assist you throughout your playthrough.

Related Guide → Main Hall Walkthrough

How to Reach the Hermitage of Crimson Water

Everything you do in this area is directly tied to Ending branches and Achievement unlocks. What a place.

Unlocked Starting From Your Second Playthrough

Begin your NG+ save and progress until you reach the shrine.

Use Focus to remove the wall, then proceed through the door marked with the Inari-sama crest. The area beyond it is the Hermitage of Crimson Water.

What to Do in the Hermitage of Crimson Water

You can attempt the Puzzle [Crimson Water] here, and obtain both the Ema and Agura no Hotei-sama within the shrine.

What happens when you clear Crimson Water?

The Chōzuya at the old Inari shrine in Iwashimizu, Ebisugaoka becomes stained red, allowing you to purify the Sacred Sword of its grudge.

If you choose to purify it, you will satisfy the Ending requirements for Fox’s Wedding and Ebisugaoka in Silence.

Note that the purification itself does not take place inside the Hermitage of Crimson Water, so you can solve the puzzle without purifying the Sacred Sword.

If you clear the puzzle during your second playthrough and finish the game, the puzzle will remain cleared in subsequent runs, allowing you to purify the Sacred Sword directly at the old Inari shrine.

Therefore, aside from obtaining Agura no Hotei-sama, there is no further need to revisit this place.

What Happens When You Obtain Agura no Hotei-sama?

It is placed casually on a desk inside the shrine, and acquiring it instantly unlocks an Achievement.

Obtaining it fulfills one of the requirements for the Fox’s Wedding Ending. However, if you do not meet the remaining conditions, you will end up with the same Normal Ending as in your first playthrough.

Once you pick it up, your Ending route effectively shifts toward Fox’s Wedding, meaning you must also solve the Puzzle [Crimson Water] to purify the Sacred Sword if you want that route. (If you have already cleared the puzzle in a previous run, you are free to proceed without revisiting it.)

Related Endings

In other words, your actions here affect two different Ending branches. You will need to adjust what you do in the Hermitage of Crimson Water depending on which Ending you intend to obtain.

Related Guide → Ending Branch Requirements

Puzzle [Crimson Water]

The hints vary depending on the difficulty, but the solution itself remains the same.

Each of the four Wind Chimes has a unique illustration. Match the illustration to the keyword provided in the hint, then ring the correct Wind Chimes in order.

The Shishi-odoshi is the bamboo mechanism that makes a distinctive “clack” sound. As long as you can ring one Wind Chime during a single Shishi-odoshi cycle, you’re good.

Look for Wind Chimes with illustrations such as a mountain for Rock, ripples for Water Dragon, or a large tree for Great Tree. (Consider this your hint.)

Solution Steps

First, examine the rock located at the blue circle to check the hint.

Ring ① → ② → ③ in time with the Shishi-odoshi’s rhythm. ① and ② feel far apart, but you’ll still make it in time.

If done correctly, the water will turn red.

Related Guides

Here are my other SILENT HILL f guides. Feel free to check out anything that catches your eye.