This game is so good, but I feel like you shouldn't be thrown into the samurai boss straight after the knight, as 10 clay points is not enough. It could be for some people, but even some elden ring bosses are more forgiving that boss.
I feel an easy way to help is maybe make the bosses an area that you go into to fight them and maybe there's a third non boss area with some simple enemies, that maybe 1 on every few give a clay point, and/or some money maybe to buy a better sword or smth like that?