Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin (released in Japan in February 2014) is a spin-off game set at the end of the Edo period of Japanese history (known as the Bakumatsu period), a period when the Tokugawa Shogunate came to an end and imperial rule was restored (Meiji Restoration).
Sakamoto Ryoma is living undercover, with a false identity, as "Saito Hajime" in Kyoto. One year earlier, on the eve of the coup d'état of Tosa, Ryoma's foster father, the man who raised him, was murdered before his eyes. The only lead he had to discover who the killer was is that he used the Tennen Rishin style of fighting. This is a style used by the Shinsengumi, so Ryoma infiltrates their ranks, becoming captain of the 3rd Shinsengumi unit, in attempt to find the killer.
Big thanks to Kevin Debrabandere for creating a PDF for the entire Ishin guide. You can download the PDF version of the guide here. Please be advised that the PDF is outdated now, but still contains information for the whole game.
The chapter starts with Ryoma rushing back to Terada Inn to see Nakaoka. He tells Ryoma that apparently Takechi was ordered to commit seppuku by Yamauchi and that he was the mastermind behind using Okata Izo to assassinate guys from the Shogunate. After Okata was taken to Tosa, he confessed everything - including the fact that his orders to assassinate in Kyoto were from Takechi. Ryoma gets up and Nakaoka asks if he's going back to Tosa - he says he suspects the mastermind behind the assassination of Yoshida Toyo a year ago may be making another move - after all, the actions of Yamauchi happened "too quickly", so it seems there is someone near Yamauchi, encouraging him to take action. Apparently their next target will be Ryoma and they're likely awaiting his return to Tosa, so Nakaoka says Ryoma needs to stay in Kyoto and he'll go to Tosa in his place to find out what happened behind the scenes regarding Takechi's death.
As Ryoma sits in his room, drinking, Oryo enters and tries to console him and tells him that drinking this much isn't going to help him, but Ryoma tells her to leave him alone.
After the cutscene, Ryoma says he just wants to drink today, so he should head over to Fukufukuya.
[1]
Talk to the man at Fukufukuya to trigger the event. Ryoma sits there drinking, then a woman starts talking to him, asking him if he wants to drink at a quieter place. She tells him about a place in Fushimi called "Matsunoi" and says she'll be waiting there for him. Ryoma asks who she is, but she says she'll tell him when he comes to Matsunoi.
[2]
Go here and Ryoma starts drinking, then Katsura shows up. He thanks Ryoma for what he did back at Ikedaya, saying he hadn't properly thanked him yet. Ryoma says he owed him one - for introducing him to the informant, Sai no Furoya. He tells Ryoma that he owns Matsunoi, then the woman introduces herself as "Ikumatsu". He then tells Ryoma he's heard about what happened to Takechi, then mentions that some time ago, right after Ryoma entered the Shinsengumi, Takechi told him to watch out for Ryoma in the event that anything like this happened - Takechi was always concerned for Ryoma's well-being. Katsura asks Ryoma to join up with him, saying he's the best man to succeed Takechi's wish of changing the country. Ryoma thanks them for the drink, then goes to leave, saying he doesn't feel like doing it.
Katsura follows him outside and they see some guys torturing a dog. Then Saigo appears and stops them, saying "I've had a bad day... It's just your bad luck". (this scene look and sound familiar? it's almost exactly the same as the scene from Yakuza 1! Saigo even says the same thing Kiryu did). After he takes out the guys, then takes the dog in, saying he's part of the Satsuma domain now!
Then he notices Katsura, recognising him as someone from Choshu, and wants to fight him (because Satsuma and Choshu hate each other). They begin to fight, but then Ryoma steps in to stop them. He tries to tell them not to fight, but neither of them want to back down, so he tosses away their swords and says they'll settle it with a fist-fight, but with Ryoma joining in as well, because right now he feels like having a fight. You now fight both Saigo and Katsura at the same time. You are forced to use the Hand-to-Hand Fighting Style for this fight.
After the fight, Ryoma says they should all go for a drink.
[1]
Take Saigo and Katsura to this restaurant. When inside, Ryoma orders every drink they have. Saigo asks how much he's planning on drinking and Ryoma says they're going to compete to see who is the strongest drinker. Ryoma wins (again), then they leave the building. They say they're heading off now, but Ryoma says they aren't finished yet - there's one more place he wants to take them!
[1]
Take Saigo and Katsura to this restaurant. When inside, Saigo and Katsura argue and talk about the rivalry between Satsuma and Choshu. Ryoma sulks and talks about Takechi and about Yoshida's dying wish, saying he wasn't able to protect what's more important than anything. Katsura then tells Saigo about Ryoma's true identity, which confuses Saigo since this isn't the Sakamoto Ryoma he was introduced to, but when he tries to ask Ryoma about it, he notices he's asleep!
Ryoma awakens with Oryo beside him, who tells him he drank too much. She asks about Takechi and Ryoma tells her they were "kyodai", ever since they were kids. He then laments the fact they last parted with a fight and asks himself why he did what he did. Ryoma asks Oryo how he got here, saying he can't remember anything after going to the restaurant in Gion. She tells him the guys he was drinking with carried him here.
Oryo wakes up in the morning to find Ryoma is gone. She rushes outside Terada Inn to find him in his Shinsengumi uniform. He tells her he's done waiting around doing nothing - there are still things he needs to do. As Ryoma leaves, Shinsengumi Inspector Yamazaki passes by and hands something over to Oryo.
