Nue Malefact is a recurring malefact in Beast of Reincarnation, and you fight it far more than once. It first appears during a Chapter 1 flashback, flees at half health, and then returns three separate times across Chapter 3. The final Chapter 3 clash pairs it with the Male Purifier, the human who has been commanding the beast, so you face two health bars at once.
Quick answer: Equip poison across your kit (Skill Amber: Poison Fang on Koo, the Hunter’s Sword on Emma, plus Dokuzeri Blade Arts and Bloom Arts), parry Nue’s Hand Swipe combo and the Male Purifier’s melee to refill FP, and stop the Male Purifier’s Lifesteal at half HP by focusing him with knockdown skills.
Loadout: Poison is the fastest way to win
Both Nue Malefact and the Male Purifier are weak to Poison, which makes your preparation simple. Lean into Dokuzeri attacks for Koo and Emma, and stack any poison-inflicting gear you have available.
- Slot Skill Amber: Poison Fang onto Koo.
- Give Emma the Hunter’s Sword and use her Dokuzeri Blade Arts and Bloom Arts.
- Carry Poison Arrows for your Crossbow or Zangetsu Bow.
Both foes deal Flame and Shock damage, so anything that raises resistance to those ailments helps. A Mod on Koo that cleanses status effects is worth considering if you keep getting caught by lingering damage.
Do not ignore your ranged options. When Nue backs off, fire Poison Arrows from the Crossbow or Zangetsu Bow. The bow and arrow deal more damage than you would expect, and they let you keep the pressure on while staying safe.
How the fight is split up
Like the earlier Rangifer and Lacerta battles, this encounter plays out in separate parts. The difference is that Nue shows up more than twice. The Chapter 1 flashback ends when it drops to half HP. In Chapter 3 you meet it three more times, and each of those encounters asks you to remove about a third of its health.
The final Chapter 3 fight is the payoff. You take on Nue Malefact alongside the Male Purifier, and each has its own health bar. The trade-off in your favor is that Nue does not gain a second health bar here, unlike Rangifer and Lacerta in their rematches. Its moveset also barely changes between fights. It only adds a single new attack in the third encounter, and the Male Purifier joins for the very last one.
Nue Malefact moveset and counters
Nue’s Hand Swipe combo is the key attack to learn. It can be parried and is your best source of quick FP, but the number of hits shifts between two, three, and four swings as it alternates hands. Watch for the raised arms and prepare to parry the whole string.
| Attack | Tell and counter |
|---|---|
| Tail Swipe | After sliding side to side, Nue turns and sweeps its tail, usually twice. Parry both. |
| Hand Swipe | Repeated claw combo that alternates hands two to four times. Parry the full string to build FP. |
| Lunge | Nue raises its head and its mouth glows red. Parry where possible (you can also dodge into it) to feed Bloom or Blade Arts. |
| Tail Root | Nue turns its tail toward you and summons a root that damages on contact. Dodge when it faces away. |
| Projectile Seeds | Seed bombs fired at you. Dodge or, better, parry them to restore FP. |
| Lightning Bolts (third encounter only) | Nue conjures bolts around the arena. Run and dodge until the attack ends. |
The Tail Root is easy to read once you notice Nue turning so its tail points at you. Give it space and dodge the moment the root springs up.
The lightning bolts only appear in the third Chapter 3 encounter. They are not something you parry. Keep moving and dodging until Nue finishes the cast, then resume your poison pressure.
Male Purifier moveset and counters
The Male Purifier fights like the Golems you have battled so far, but with some of Emma’s own tricks. He is quick, and he is the more dangerous half of the pair, so tie him down whenever you can. He is also weak to poison, which keeps your loadout the same.
| Attack | Tell and counter |
|---|---|
| Fiery Whip | His arm becomes a fiery whip that slashes from either side, usually twice. Parry, then hit back with Dokuzeri Bloom Arts. |
| Helm Splitter | He raises a branch from the ground and dives, landing a small AoE. Run or dodge the moment the branch appears. |
| Lifesteal | At half HP he extends a branch to Nue and drains its health to heal himself. Use the opening to heal or plink both bosses with your bow, or rush him and knock him down. |
Facing two bosses sounds overwhelming, but they take turns. The camera automatically tracks whichever boss is targeting you, while the other backs off temporarily. You rarely have to manage both at the same moment, so focus fully on the one locked on to you and switch when the game switches for you.
When the Male Purifier begins Lifesteal, do not let it run. Close the gap and stun him with knockdown skills so he cannot recover Nue’s health, then punish him while he is down.
Every drop from the Chapter 3 encounters
Each Chapter 3 encounter rewards you, with the final Lv. 20 fight against Nue and the Male Purifier closing out the whole arc. You will know the arc is finished once both health bars are gone and the Chimeric Flow reward is granted.
| Encounter | Drop | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Lv. 16 Nue (first Chapter 3) | Ursine Memories | Nushi Skill: Rampaging Asagao, Asagoa: Boa Bloom Art, Blade Art: Asagao |
| Lv. 16 Nue (second Chapter 3) | Erymathian Memories | Nushi Skill: Creeping Kiku, Kiku: Bloom Strike Bloom Art, Blade Art: Kiku |
| Lv. 20 Nue and Male Purifier (final) | Nushi Skill: Chimeric Flow | — |
Kiku: Bloom Strike, unlocked from the Erymathian Memories, is especially useful in the final fight. It hits hard and tends to knock the Male Purifier to the ground, so save it for him and follow up while he is stunned.
Stick with poison, parry the readable combos to keep FP flowing, and let the camera decide which boss you focus. Once the Male Purifier falls and Nue’s single bar is emptied, the long back-and-forth with this malefact is finally over, and Taurus is the next Nushi waiting in Chapter 4.
