It doesn't come down on my head, thankfully. It clatters against my left arm.

I open my eyes to see the demons own eyes lolling back in its skull, clearly because the right side of its head now has a handle attached.

But it is clearly not the handle of a short sword; but rather, the small loop like handle of what is obviously a kunai, a ninja throwing dagger.

The demon collapses, and falls below towards the...

The fight with the larger demon!

The corpse lands with a thump, distracting it for just a micro-second. It's enough for Kiku to do a crouch slide beneath its sword and plant both of her blades deep into its abdomen. It coughs up blood in a gush, and then she pulls them out and kicks back off its legs, in a high budget execution and roll back attack. It falls inelegantly in a heap, but Aria stabs it in back of the neck for good measure. It's easy to forget how scary combat lolis can be.

Speaking of scary... there is now a ninja girl stood next to me. I didn't see her approach at all, but I don't sense any threat from her either. She is wearing a full hood obscuring her face, a long scarf, and a lime green ninja dress that resembles a cheongsam decorated with spiders. She has real nice legs.

Before I can blink, the ninja leaps backwards to dodge a leaping sweep from a black spear, then spins to the left rapidly to evade a flying short sword.

"Elijah!!" Aria shouts.

Shit, better fix this.

"Aria, Kiku, stop!" I shout.

Fortunately, it’s loud enough over the thunder claps, and they listen, taking up positions to my flanks on the rock outcropping.

The ninja puts her hands to her ears, removes them, puts them up, shakes her head, and points to the now unguarded tower entrance.

I'm not adept in sign language but I'm pretty sure that means "It's too damn loud here, I'm not threatening, let’s talk there."

Aria and Kiku appear to pick up the intent, and are more convinced when she shows her back as she leaps down.

They both look at me and I shrug as I pull myself up to stand.

Aria visibly sighs and Kiku looks thoughtful and frustrated as her eyes dart around the remains of the combat.

Kiku nods at Aria and she sighs again, glaring at me in the process. I feel like I need descriptive subtitles here.

We follow the ninja to the tower, and move inside, collecting our dropped equipment in the process. The tower lobby is as majestic as its exterior, with dramatic lighting from balls of suspended electricity highlighting the dark stone stairs and doors in a creepy ambience. Aria heaves the heavy door closed behind us, and like magic, the thunder noises from outside are drastically reduced in volume. It probably is indeed magic.

The ninja has sat casually on the main stairs, but as Aria enters the main concourse, she goes down on one knee and flips back her hood.

Beneath it, as I should have grown to expect by now, is the face of a juvenile girl with chiselled doll-like features, dark purple hair done up in a bunch, and bright fremen-blue eyes.

"Salutations, princess. I am the one addressed as... Kaede. I am of the Dark Mirror, the Murasaki Kagame, yes." She speaks very formally, and practically monotone.

I'm a bit rusty in my Japanese, but wasn't 'Murasaki' actually purple, and 'Yami' darkness? Then again, I'm sure translation-function-san, whom I've not mentioned in a while, has its reasons for this, right?

"So, you are indeed a Ninja, then?" I ask.

She looks momentarily surprised.

"Only those familiar with our inner workings use that term. Most would simply call us... assassins. But yes." She replies.

Oh... whoops. Yeah, anime and films love ninjas these days, but back in their heyday I imagine them to be a secret.

"You can stand up, by the way. And you can call me just Aria. My being a princess means nothing out here. Though it’s nice to be given respect for a change." Aria says wryly, giving me and Kiku the stink-eye.

Kiku has looked away bashfully, keeping her visor down as if she just realised something catastrophically important.

Kaede stands up.

"I'm forgetting my manners, too. My name is Elijah." I say. "Thank you for saving my life, Miss Kaede. I owe you a debt."

"One does not thank the blade for doing as it must, yes?" She replies, quite coldly.

Kyaaa! How cool! Must control my fluttering maiden heart in front of the Kuudere!

"Um... Nii... I must ask, what exactly were you doing up there, again?" Kiku interrupts.

"I was watching you two fight of course!"

Aria and Kiku both face-palm simultaneously. Kiku clangs her visor in the process and goes 'You wot!?' from shocking herself though...

"Y-you fucking idiot, Nii. We pointed out the outer demon sentinel and his path for you to ambush before we made our strike!" She becomes rowdy in the process.

Oh... oops. That’s what Aria was beckoning at before we made a move?

"I see. I apologise. I thought you were giving me instructions on where I would have been most out the way."

Aria sighs deeply.

"You should expect him to say weird things, too." Aria thumbs at me for Kaede's benefit.

Kiku has gone limp. "H-how can he be so-s-so dense when it comes to battle... fucking hell..."

Kaede actually snorts in mirth, briefly distorting her doll-like face, before apparently catching herself.

"Yes. These people are indeed interesting." She affirms.

Aria looks dissatisfied at this label, and approaches Kaede again.

"So, whilst I appreciate you saving this idiot lolicon pervert from an untimely demise, why are you here, exactly?"

Kaede looks momentarily surprised at Aria’s statement, and looks at me quizzically, before turning back and replying in her standard monotone.

"Yes... of course that is a valid enquiry. My clan was destroyed and left to the crows by the encroaching demons last month. I am alive for reasons I would prefer not to discuss, but all I have left is just my will to see them destroyed."

Cripes. The fact that she just said that is one thing... but for the emotionless delivery... that is truly sad. She then cocks her head.

"Ah... so... I have come to the conclusion that it would be expeditious to offer this blade to this party, whatever its objective. Coming across you slaying the demons I was tracking cannot surely be coincidence, yes?"

Well, Kaede, I've come to never underestimate coincidence in my life... but maybe this time, she's right? We'll see...