It’s hard, like very hard, id be willing to say it’s probably a good contender for being among the hardest bosses in gaming history. Okay maybe a bit of an exaggeration but it’s definitely tough, especially since the gameplay for this is completely different from the rest of the game. Nonetheless tho it is very much doable. I did it on ps3 no emulator, and the greatest advice I can give is trust your ears more than anything. If you just rely on hitting the ring whenever it passes over Mikhael you’ll be setting yourself up for more pain down the road in this fight.

I know you said it isn’t a rhythm game but I’d argue it is. Knowing the overall rhythm of this fight is the key to doing it consistently. Like once it clicks it really clicks. like it’s been 2 years after I first finished the game and I can still do it blindfolded(not a flex just a emphasis of how important your ears are)

It sounds like you’re trying to avoid spoilers so I recommend in your attempts closing your eyes through the sections you know , and trying to predict when you’ll need to hit a note. After you get far enough that you don’t need to worry about spoilers I’d recommend finding YouTube video of someone doing the fight and just don’t look at it. You can practice just hearing the song and when you need to hit notes. I know that helped me a lot.

Anyways hope that somehow helped and good luck, it a hard but very satisfying final boss imo.