Hinokawa

Hinokawa (火河の戦い, romaji: Hinokawa no Tatakai) is a stage exclusive to the Warriors Orochi series and first appears in Warriors Orochi 2. It was the first battleground between the mystics and Orochi. Hinokawa itself isn't a real place, but it is mentioned in a parable by Shan-Tao called "Two Rivers and The White Path" (二河白道).

Role in Games
The stage has two opposing shores, each containing the main camp for both sides. The majority of the stage is littered with stationary boats connected together with bridges, similar to the common setup for Chi Bi. Characters have to use the boats to travel on the battlefield. Through the use of magic and trickery, the ships can be pivoted for quick crossing between the shores. Troops on the rotated boat are isolated from the main force and often ambushed.

In his showdown with the mystics, Orochi's army faces several magical ploys on the battlefield with the Orochi army in the lower left and the Mystics stationed in the upper right. Zhang Jiao casts phantom soldiers to terrorize the serpent king's army, Zuo Ci creates doubles of himself, and one of the mystics muddles the army by momentarily turning themselves against one another. When the boat rotates, Fu Xi creates replicas of Orochi and Da Ji to further add to the confusion. Once Orochi stumps their ploys, the mystics' main camp opens and Fu Xi, Nu Wa, and Taigong Wang await them. The goddess summons lightning storms to hover above her foes while her brother calls forth his "ancient beasts". Despite their resistance, the mystics are defeated and forced to rethink their strategy.

This stage is also used for Musashi Miyamoto, Zhang Fei, and Tadakatsu Honda's dream mode. These masters of their weapons band together to save Ieyasu from Hideyoshi.

The player first must prevent enemies from reaching the main camp by defeating enemy officers. if any soldier enters the main camp, the allied morale will fall. After successfully defended the main camp, the player must take down the guards guarding the ships to turn the ship around. After defeating the second guard, Keiji will ambush the player and the player must defeat him. After the ships are turned, Ieyasu, along with Xing Cai will head towards the main camp. Lu Bu and the others will then pursue them, therefore defeating them is necessary for Ieyasu's survival. On the way back, Kotarō will ambush them and the player must defeat Kotarō to let Ieyasu continue towards the main camp. After Ieyasu arrives, he orders a counterattack, and Guan Yu, Hanzō, and Kojirō arrives to support Ieyasu. At the same time, Nene, Toshiie, and Motochika will appear and support Hideyoshi. Defeating Hideyoshi will win the battle, while Ieyasu's defeat will lose the battle. Ina must be protected as well, as she is the one guarding the main camp.

As a Warriors Orochi 3 stage, it plays no role in the main story, but has three DLC scenarios. Gyūki and Dodomeki turn against Kiyomori and join with Ling Tong to gain the trust of humans. Gracia tours the wonders of the dimensional world here. And a battle between veterans and the young is fought at this location.

In Ultimate, players must defeat Hanbei and his allies while ensuring Da Ji's survival. Liu Shan will retreat back to the enemy ranks upon hearing Jiang Wei's warning. The battle will end in failure if Hanbei reaches the escape route, thus riding on horseback while avoiding unnecessary encounters is the key to winning.

Buddhist Legend
The story was made to encourage Buddhist practitioners to stay true to their faith. He explains that there are two rivers that create the path of the afterlife. Both are only one hundred paces wide but are infinitely long and deep. One was a river of fire heading southward (Hinokawa) and the other was a river of water heading north (Mizunokawa). These rivers ceaselessly clash with one another, canceling one another out. At the place where they meet, there lies a narrow white path to the eastern bank. A traveler, stuck between the two rivers and facing danger from the western shore, braves himself to reach the white path for safety. Though goaded by the rivers to stop his pursuit, he crosses to the eastern shore and finds true serenity.

Shan-Tao stated that the rivers represent everyday lust and greed; he described the white path being similar to perseverance for once's faith. If the practitioner never loses himself to humanly desires, their souls will be rewarded with passage to the pure land of happiness. The tale is a popular concept for those who follow True Buddhism and was widely accepted in Japan in Kyoto and Nara. Various paintings dedicated to the tale sometimes add Amida and Gautama Buddha on the western and eastern banks.