Does stabbing at it with the angelic sword work better or worse than the magnesium did?

Better! Bringing the light closer to it cuts down on the shadows it can make use of all on its own, and it does not like being stabbed. With most of its body phased into solid objects the angle is a bit awkward to actually hit it without having to break through bricks to do it, but she can manage it with a little patience.

She's not going to blunt her beautiful magic sword on bricks but she's fast enough and dextrous enough that she doesn't need to. Stab stab stab.

On the fourth jab, the demon shrivels up and vanishes; the glitterdust still on it falls through to the bricks below.

The combat's over? Nenio will start going through the stuff in the basement, then, and pulling stuff out of boxes or off of shelves.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking an inventory! This is the first cultist dwelling I've gotten to examine in detail. Ooh, does that trap trigger a summoning? I wonder what kind of demon they have it linked to, maybe it'll be another shadow demon!"

"We should probably just dismantle it rather than waste time and spells fighting a summon, but it would be pretty handy to know how to tell what a trap will do before trying to take it down . . ." She peers at the trap without touching it, both with her eyes and with Detect Magic, trying to deduce what it does from the way the parts are rigged to snap together.

Ordinarily Nenio might say something about that being more boring than triggering it, but in fact she’s immediately distracted by explaining how to she would go about identifying them. Her explanations leave a bit to be desired in terms of not skipping over whole sections for being too obvious to be worth mentioning or jumping around, but since Brenda is currently smarter than she is that shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

After a bit, it transpires to Nenio’s disappointment that the trap is only strong enough to call up a few Dretch and is easily dismantled, allowing access to the locked chest behind it.

Brenda prods the chest to make sure it isn't a mimic, then goes through the dead cultists' pockets for the key. She refuses to get in the Dungeons and Dragons habit of stealing everything that isn't nailed down, but she should make sure there isn't a disaster waiting to happen in there.

There's a key in the pocket of the most important-looking one, and it proves able to open the (entirely non-mimic) chest without difficulty. The chest seems to be a catchall for anything whoever owned the place didn't want others to see or get their hands on, because there are several pages of writing in a language that's not Hallit or Taldane about demonic rituals and a book titled 'One Thousand Voices in My Flesh' alongside of some gold and a jet-black longbow that detects as noticeably magical.

"Seelah, what's the normal and socially accepted thing to do with creepy books and cool weapons you find in a basement full of dead cultists? Leave them alone, take them to someone who'll know who their next of kin are, finders keepers, some other thing?"

"Uh, I think the inquisition seizes the goods of any cultists they nab as part of their funding, but I haven't heard of like, adventurers stopping by to deliver their loot? If you kill a demon you usually get to keep their stuff, so probably that, but if any of it is stolen goods whoever had it before might want it returned. Demonic books you can deliver to the church, but most of them will just get burned I think."

Alright, fine, when in Rome. "If anyone makes a vaguely credible claim for any of it I'll give it back. Is there a collection of things that have been reported stolen, so I'm not just waiting for someone to see me and say 'Hey, that's mine?' And I'll probably read the books while bearing in mind that they're likely to be full of lies; I need to know more about what kinds of demon there are and that seems like the sort of thing they're least likely to lie about."

"Mostly people go the the eagle's watch when things get stolen from them, but I don't know how they handle that. And, uh, that sounds like the kind of things that ends up not being a good idea but I don't think demon books just mind control you or anything."

"Ooh, a book that mind controls everyone who reads it sounds like an interesting thing to design. Maybe something based off of symbol of persuasion, but charm effects aren't that strong as mind control goes and I bet there's a more efficient way to make it work if you're getting them to read a whole book instead of just glancing at a symbol. I think I would remember if any demon holy books did that, though, and you'd have to hide the magic somehow since it doesn't look enchanted."

"None of these are showing up to detect magic so the worst they're likely to do is be full of lies about something tactically relevant."

It's very relatable how Nenio just says things. Brenda used to be like that but 1) a bunch of people told her to stop, 2) Friends In Places is confirming that she shouldn't start again, at least not in front of Seelah, and 3) the more powerful she gets the more likely she is to actually scare people so she had really better not. 

Seelah doesn't look entirely reassured by that, but she doesn't have anything further to say on the subject.

Wenduag has a different priority than demonic texts.

"If you aren't returning it, may I use the bow mistress?"

Akdsfjdsfjhsashj why this (this does not show on her face).

"Sure! And please call me Brenda." She was looking forward to having something ranged, but Wenduag can make better use of it and Brenda should focus on learning magic. Actually, if Brenda wants a longbow she should commission one with an inhumanly high draw weight first, not learn the wrong muscle memory and then switch. She needs to start thinking of money as one of her available tools.

"Thank you, mi- Brenda."

Wenduag stumbles over her words, but manages to catch herself before finishing.

Appreciative smile for Wenduag! "It's magic, by the way; I look forward to seeing what it does!"

More looking for trouble?

Most of the demons that haven't been taken down by Kenabres' defenders by now are well hidden, which would ordinarily prove quite the roadblock but avails them naught against the eyes of an Aeon. In short order she will be able to track down several dretches and two lone schirs before she finally meets a roadblock in the form of what seems to be two members of the city guard at the entrance to a large townhouse with a demonic signature within.

"I'm afraid I can't let you in here, the lady of the house is not to be disturbed."

"I have the ability to detect demons at range and there's one in the house. If that's news to you, I'd prefer that you trust us enough to let us in, but please at least go and make sure she's safe and not being controlled or impersonated. If she's gotten one to surrender then good for her and we'll go away." She points at the correct part of the house. 

One of them glances at the other, questioningly, and gets a headshake back.

”She said she was not to be disturbed.”