What the combined guide covers
Shidou and Nue receive separate Monster Index pages because the archive tracks distinct enemies, but their strategy belongs together. The campaign first introduces Nue Malefact as the major threat at the end of the Great Wall Terraces, then brings Shidou and Nue into connected encounters at Mount Hiei. The practical problem is therefore not just learning one health bar. You need a plan that works against Nue's mobile pressure, Shidou's human-sized attacks, and moments when attention is divided.
Poison is the best-supported weakness for both records. Bring a dependable Poison application method and enough ammunition to maintain buildup while repositioning. Favor short skills over long cinematic commitments. Any command that binds or interrupts a target is especially valuable in a mixed encounter, because it turns a two-direction camera problem into a brief one-on-one exchange. Upgrade defense before Mount Hiei; the later encounters are a significant step above the Great Wall fight.
Nue Malefact fundamentals
Keep Nue fully inside the frame and move around the arena edge rather than allowing it to circle behind Emma. Apply Poison from range when it is mobile, then close only after a lunge or other committed sequence has ended. Attacking as Nue is beginning a new movement is the most common way to be clipped mid-combo. One short string followed by a defensive reset is safer than trying to empty the entire stamina or action window.
Koo can help hold Nue in place, but wait until the Malefact has committed or finished moving. A binding command placed where it used to be will miss. Once held, approach from the side, use a compact high-damage skill, and leave before the control expires. If a later encounter pairs Nue with another threat, do not tunnel on the health bar. Reposition until both silhouettes are visible, then resume Poison buildup.
Shidou and target priority
Shidou's human scale makes his attacks easier to lose behind effects and Nue's body. Keep him marked or visually centered whenever both opponents are active. There is no universal target order that overrides arena position: focus the opponent who is isolated and safely punishable, not the one whose health bar happens to be lower. If Shidou advances while Nue is outside the camera, retreat and rebuild a shared field of view instead of trading.
Poison rewards patience because buildup continues to matter while Emma is defending. Apply it, force one opponent to approach through open ground, and use Koo to restrain the other when possible. Against Shidou alone, read the end of his full weapon string before countering. Human-sized enemies often recover quickly enough to catch an overlong response. Use Helm Splitter only after a clear stagger, completed heavy action, or successful control effect.
Recovering a bad attempt
If the two enemies split across opposite sides of the screen, stop dealing damage. Sprint or dodge toward the arena perimeter so both must approach from roughly the same direction. Do not heal in the center while one target is unaccounted for. A safe heal follows a completed attack, a control effect, or a long separation that you can actually see. Preserve at least one partner action for this kind of reset rather than spending every command on damage.
For the higher-level Mount Hiei version, the same rules become stricter: Poison early, keep both targets visible, and never extend a punish simply because a status effect is ticking. New Game Plus numerical changes remain part of the same records. If a specific drop or exact phase detail is absent from the Monster Index, it is intentionally marked Not yet verified rather than filled with a guess.