Quick answer
The mask puzzle is in Underground Laboratory, Underground Level 3, during What Lurks in the Shadows. Stand in front of the locked cage and shoot the four hanging masks above it from left to right in this order:
3 → 4 → 1 → 2
The number is the mask’s position on the wall, not the order in which you identify the pictures. When the cage opens, take the Unsettling Mask from the altar. Return to the earlier Spirit Mirror area and use the mask at the matching face-shaped door.
Where the puzzle appears
You reach the puzzle while following What Lurks in the Shadows. The mission’s objective sequence first sends you through Nijo-jo Castle, the Genma investigation, the Nue encounter, and the Underground Laboratory. Inside the laboratory, the mask puzzle appears after the laboratory mechanism objectives and before the later escape and blade-mechanism steps.
That sequence matters because the puzzle is not a free-roam activity that can be solved from any Spirit Mirror. If the cage or the four hanging masks are not in front of you, you are probably in the wrong room or have not reached the relevant mission objective yet. Follow the current objective until the laboratory room with the locked cage is active.
The correct solution
Face the locked cage and treat the four hanging masks above it as positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 from left to right. Shoot them in the following order:
| Shot | Target position from your viewpoint | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Shoot the third hanging mask from the left. |
| 2 | 4 | Shoot the fourth hanging mask from the left. |
| 3 | 1 | Shoot the far-left hanging mask. |
| 4 | 2 | Shoot the second hanging mask from the left. |
The compact version is 3-4-1-2. Keep the position number and shot number separate. “Mask 3” means the target hanging in the third position; it does not mean “the third mask you should shoot.” That distinction is the main reason a correct-looking sequence can fail when the player counts the shots instead of the wall positions.
Step-by-step route
1. Face the locked cage
Use the cage as your orientation anchor. The four targets you need are hanging above it in a row. Count them while facing the cage, from the far left to the far right. Do not begin by counting the masks shown on the paper screens across the room.
2. Read the opposite-wall clue
The opposite wall shows the same set of mask designs with light passing through them. Those paper-screen images are the visual clue for the order. They help you identify the sequence, but they are not the interactive targets. Return your aim to the four solid hanging masks above the cage before firing.
3. Shoot 3, 4, 1, then 2
Use the bow on the third hanging target, then the fourth, then the first, and finally the second. The sequence is positional, so keep your viewpoint fixed while counting. If you move around the cage and begin counting from another side, the left-to-right reference becomes unreliable.
4. Take the Unsettling Mask
When the sequence is accepted, the cage opens. Walk to the revealed altar and collect the Unsettling Mask. Picking up the item is a separate step from solving the shooting sequence; the mission is not finished merely because the cage has opened.
5. Return to the earlier matching door
Take the mask back through the route to the earlier Spirit Mirror area. Use it at the face-shaped door that matches the item. The later laboratory contraption is a separate obstacle, so do not treat every face-shaped mechanism in the area as the same interaction.
If the cage stays closed
Check these points in order:
- Confirm that you are in Underground Laboratory, Underground Level 3, not another laboratory corridor or a previous Spirit Mirror room.
- Face the locked cage before counting. The reference direction is left to right from the player’s viewpoint while looking at the cage.
- Make sure you are shooting the four hanging masks above the cage, not the paper-screen clue on the opposite wall.
- Use the exact order 3-4-1-2. The first shot is the third target from the left, not the mask that looks like “number one” in the clue.
- After the cage opens, collect the Unsettling Mask before leaving the room.
If the puzzle does not respond, recount from the player’s left, confirm that you are shooting the four hanging targets rather than the paper-screen masks, and retry 3-4-1-2 without changing your viewpoint. You do not need to wait for a hidden timer or perform a special reset.
What this puzzle changes in the route
The immediate reward is the Unsettling Mask, but its practical purpose is to open the earlier matching door near the Spirit Mirror. That means the puzzle is a route gate rather than an optional decoration. If you continue searching the room after collecting the mask, you may simply be looking for the wrong interaction. Backtrack to the door that uses the same face-shaped design, then resume the mission’s next laboratory objective.
The mission also contains combat and traversal steps around this puzzle. You do not need to solve the entire Underground Laboratory before using this page: use the current objective to reach the cage, apply the 3-4-1-2 sequence, collect the mask, and then return to the route. For the wider mission order, use Missions. For the complete story handoff, use the Walkthrough. If the return route turns into a combat problem, use the Combat guide for the defensive systems rather than treating the puzzle solution as a boss strategy.
FAQ
Is the order 3-4-1-2 counted from the left?
Yes. Count the four hanging targets from left to right while facing the locked cage, then shoot the third, fourth, first, and second positions.
Do I shoot the paper masks or the hanging masks?
Shoot the hanging masks above the cage. The paper-screen masks on the opposite wall provide the clue and are not the four targets for the sequence.
Where is the Unsettling Mask used?
Return to the earlier Spirit Mirror area and use the Unsettling Mask at the matching face-shaped door.
Can I solve the puzzle before What Lurks in the Shadows?
The puzzle is inside Underground Laboratory during The Stage is Set at Kiyomizu, so reach that mission objective and laboratory room first.
Does this page cover the whole Underground Laboratory?
No. It covers the four-mask sequence, the Unsettling Mask pickup, and the matching-door handoff. Use the Walkthrough and Missions pages for the larger route.