We make it to the tree line. It’s not much a forest, as it turns out, rather a city park. A copse in the midst of scenic views, which looks freshly constructed, with a large central tree. There is a certain mystical quality to these trees. Small green fireflies buzz around the corpse.

I get tapped on the shoulder, and I turn around. Seria is trying to meet my gaze.

//Boy...//as you notice//there are many wood spirits here//

'Un... there are! They're very strange! Very chipper! Hehehe... wood chipper...

I roll my eyes at Aeris. So that explains the mystical quality. Those fireflies are probably spirits after all.

//Yes//Aeris says so too//

I reply.

//Strange//

She says. But we have to break contact as Aria and Kiku beckon us further forwards.

With barely a moment to spare, we take cover in an alleyway, as a whole squad of demon soldiers marches on past, several of them carrying water buckets. I'm not sure if that will do them much good considering the nature of that explosive.

Kaede suddenly reappears, looking frustrated.

"It will be difficult to go un-noticed from here, yes?" She whispers.

I see what she means. As good as a distraction as that was, it was very localised.

And now we are literally in the jaws of the beast. The destination, that imposing grey and green citadel, is clear. But... there are several inner walls between us.

'Un? Walls aren't a problem!' Aeris suddenly says.

What?

'Weeeell... unless the Earth spirits in them are veeerrrry stubborn. These ones could be. Old and cranky ones don't move for anyyybody...'

Of course, I was dazed for a moment and forgetting magic.

"Let’s avoid the main streets and get away from the destruction as soon as possible. Head to the nearest city wall." I whisper.

Kaede cocks her head, but then nods in understanding, turning invisible again.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

We wait until the troop marches by, then move in stops and starts. I trust Kiku and Kaede's veteran judgement to move us there with the least risk.

It feels slow and agonising, though I doubt it takes us more than fifteen minutes.

On the way, I pass two dead demons, their throats slit, laid against the walls as if sleeping drunkards, courtesy of a polite ninja.

We also narrowly avoid one incident with a soldier pair we have to follow behind whom are more alert than others and look behind in suspicion. The right one gets a thrown sword straight into the forehead, and the left gets a spear to the throat before he can shout out.

It’s a good job I've had time to acclimatise to the violence by now...

In any case, we make it. I go up the wall, and tap Aeris's hilt against it.

‘Hello!’ I hear her cry in my head. But after that seems mostly like static. I assume this is her talking, but I have no idea what is being said. I watch warily around, and so do the girls.

There are indeed now eyes watching us from all around. We're in the demons’ equivalent of the slums, I'm pretty sure. Shacks are evident around here, a far cry from the relatively high class (albeit, rather fiery) market square we appeared on.

A distant part of me is suddenly startled in the delayed realisation that the demon’s city is not all that different. I guess urban sprawl is pretty standard. Not sure what I expected. Caverns? Dungeons? Heh...

Fortunately, these eyes are just watching. I don't sense any danger or malice.

'Un... we can go through.' Aeris says. 'Uh... it said it would let one through... but you can trick it by all joining together, hehe!'

Aeris is quite the deceiver. Heh...

I hold my hand out backwards. Apparently, Seria must have heard Aeris talking, because she swoops in to grab it. A grumpy looking Rishya grabs onto her, and a chain is formed.

I look at the still solid wall, and hope this isn't going to be like one of those CCTV jokes when someone walks into a glass panel thinking it’s an automatic door.

But no, it works! That weird moment when you pass through a dividing curtain... it’s like that.

Ah, the Passwall spell, bane of GM's designing dungeons everywhere.

We are through, and so are the girls. Through chance, I seemed to have picked a place inside a building's basement on the other side. It is dusty and full of barrels. The smell of pungent alcohol hangs in the air.

A brewery? I should be careful with the bombs here...

"I don't believe this will offer us much shelter, Elijah." Aria says, with a grimace.

"I know. Even I noticed all the demon civilians watching us before." I nod.

"Um, we knew the risks here..." Kiku acknowledges. Then, suddenly, her expression changes, and she throws a sword out past my shoulder in nary a second as I simultaneously feel a flash of danger.

Instinctively, I dive forwards, unlike the first time it happened. Perhaps I'm gradually getting used to assassination attempts.

I'm fairly sure the close-by whoosh indicates I just narrowly dodged something.

As I roll and leap upwards, Aria dashes past me and stabs at something, as Rishya cries out.

I spin my vision to the right, drawing out Aeris. There, some distance away at the far end of the brewery, stood with a curved sabre out, is a tall and voluptuous woman with milk white skin, magenta hair, and scary golden eyes with rings inside ring...

"Don't look into her eyes!" I shout.

I immediately look away. I've seen enough anime to know those are special. Is this also a demon? Are demonic eyes a thing here?

"Uhfufufu... interesting..." she giggles, though it is polite, passion-less giggle. "Nice to meet you at last, fellow etranger."

What?