This is one of the best chances in the game to get some good equipment early on. So whatever you do, don't kill any enemies, just incapacitate them... Incapacitation involves using Stop, Frog, Sleep, Don't Move and Paralyze. Put the assassin girls to sleep as soon as possible. They are much nicer that way. I don't think that Threaten or Foxbird will be of much use, if my memory serves. It is essential to bring thieves into this battle, two or three characters with 'steal' would be appropriate. That's to take all the cool, rare items that Lede, Cede, and Elmdor are carrying. The girls can be incapacitated easily enough AFTER you take the Barette and Cachusha off their heads with your thieves. Elmdor is tougher because he resists all status effects (i think maybe he can be blinded and silenced, that's it) Steal his Samurai Sword and he will not be able to inflict much damage. Have a good healer or two in the party in case he does get out of hand. Rafa's problem is she is too weak to play any part in this battle... paralyze her and she will run away to a nice safe place, usually behind your other characters. Keep healing her and keep her under the don't act spell and she'll be ok. Characters (wizards) with "math skill" are best at incapacitating enemies and keeping them out of the battle, although using Mustadio's "snipe" with a rifle in his hand is also brilliant. Check out the abilities of the Barette and Cachusha that the girls are wearing to find out what status effects would be useless against each one (you bring up the chacter screen for the enemy by placing the cursor over his figure and pressing a button. When on char. screen, press 'select' and scroll down to the item you'd like to look at. Barette and Cachusha stop different effects, so you have to be selective about the incapacitating spells at first, after your thieves steal their helmets, they're putty in your hands.
And don't forget to use Move find Item to get some ordinary equipment from inside each chimney and down the opposite side of the building from where you start. Happy hunting! --Despotus