Was this the end of line for me? I momentarily thought that I had found a brother, someone who could understand me and all of my stupid jokes and references, but alas… Clint seemed to be my enemy instead - an antithesis to the ancient power living in my head. A dangerous, experienced high-cultivator that had made it his job to hunt down people like me because we were violating the tenants of Lord Boundless. Turns out, it was people... stubborn, old, brainwashed cultivators who were my real enemies, not the archangels of our god.

A second before the long celesteel sword sliced through us, a dark shadow slammed into Clint.

"Barberman! What are you doing?!" Clint spat.

"No! What are you doing, old man?!" Avidius yelled back, his hawk-squid Servitor intersecting his lime-skinned body. "Are you mad?! She is the grand-daughter of the Magistrate! They are just kids! You can't hurt them!"

I knew that he was really protecting Arianna, not me, but regardless of the truth Avidius had attacked Clint just in time to save my butt.

"Infernal idiot! She carries an ancient curse! She must die!" Clint's many ghost-hands grabbed Avidius, lifted him off the ground and chucked him into the lake.

Damn it! This persistent old man was really good at throwing things into the middle of the lake. Why did I even pick this place for a meeting? Right, it was because I didn’t trust anyone and didn’t know any other place that was big enough to fit everyone and also relatively safe as far as the catacombs went.

"Die!" Clint’s ghostly hands shoved Arianna and Celes aside, grabbing at my throat. I tried to resist, but knew that it was useless. Blue sparks danced on my neck-tape. The ghostly shimmering arms didn’t sting me, but they held me in place like a steel vice, cutting off air from my lungs. Celesteel sword flashed once again, Clint's square glasses glinting menacingly.

I had heard the sound of many feet from behind us, but didn't pay them much mind, preoccupied with the deadly isekai-hunter in front of me.

"Leave our savior alone, Guilder!" A deep voice resounded and an enormous fish phantom passed right through me and slammed into the winged spider, dragging him away. Clint’s sword finished its swing and sliced a new hole in my poor pikachu top. I inhaled precious air as the arms were gone from my throat.

"Are you alright, ladies?" A deep, hearty voice inquired from beside me as a pair of feet landed on the rocky ground.

I turned my head to the right. A large, muscular man stood beside us, a wide and confident smile on his face. He was wearing a chef's uniform and hat that bound his blonde hair. He looked something akin to Gordon Ramsey that was fused with Dwayne Johnson.

The people of the Gold city had arrived to back me up! I thanked my lucky stars, rubbing my sore neck.

“Name’s Sylver Kenn!” Gordon-Dwayne bowed. “We have come to stand with you, Lady Sparks.”

“Thank you,” I nodded, watching the enormous silverfish dragging the agitated many-armed Clint away. I noticed that there was a figure atop the fish. Clint angrily swung his sword at it. Sparks flew as a celesteel sushi chef’s knife met the celesteel sword.

“That’s my head chef Retiarium Vitue and his sea-bream servitor!” Sylver laughed. “Looks like we got here just in time.”

"You fools! She is cursed with ancient evil!" Clint howled. "She must die!"

"You did not see what I saw, Guilder!" Sylver boomed. "She cannot possibly be possessed with evil! She was touched by the seraphim of Lord Boundless as she swore to protect our city. I heard of this meeting, but I didn't believe that Lady Sparks was real. I was busy running my restaurant when I saw a miracle with my own eyes - she spoke to a Seraphim and lived!"

"Infernal idiots! All of you!" Clint hissed.

The growing crowd of city citizens from behind me hollered in my support, confirming Sylver’s words.

Ludj finally reached me, looming over me and silently snarling at the leader of the Barbers. He was holding onto his own lantern as well. I was thankful that he was able to swim out of the lake with it - losing him in the deep would be truly catastrophic.

"It doesn't matter what you think I am, Clint!" I shouted at the old Guild-Head. "I am Ash Sparks and I was born here. I will help protect this city from the Deathstorm! Do not get in my way!"

Clint tried to claw his way back to me, but the large fish-shaped Servitor and Chef Vitue held him back. The fish was too big for him to grab a hold of and was seemingly impervious to being thrown.

"Guilders, leaders and reps! Listen to me! I am the Gold city’s chosen!” I spread my hands open. “I am Vox Populi - the voice of the masses! Feel the truth in my words with your Qi! I have no desire for your positions or power or wealth. Like all of you, I simply wish to help protect my home from the coming doomsday! I have summoned you all here not to fight but to cooperate! If we all work together we can repel the Stormweavers! I lost my entire family to the Deathstorm Convergence thirteen years ago and I am willing to sacrifice my own life if it means that others won’t have to suffer the same fate!"

The Guild leaders looked at me and at the growing crowd of ghosts and people behind me. They saw that the scales were inexplicably tipping in my favor.

"You might speak true, child, but you are…" Clint hissed.

"I do not aim to awaken the machines of old, Clint! I do not wish to, nor do I have the power to bring back the technology of lost humanity! I just want to understand, to learn as much as I can. I want to improve the lives of everyone in the Gold city! Just give me a chance!" I declared, my geisha's serenity fueling the fire in my heart.

Avidius was back too. He flew on ghostly wings, having emerged from the lake and landed beside Arianna, wet cloak flapping. The green-eyed scion of the house of Mannings regained her bravery and lifted her emerald ring into the air. It flared back to life with a new brilliance - a green star of hope and power.

“By the divinely-ordained right and will of the Magistrate, I, Arianna Manning, the seventh scion of the most-noble highborn house of Mannings, pledged my aid to Ash Sparks, the voice of the people!” Arianna announced in her noble voice. “We will protect this city and nothing will stand in our way!”

The crowd behind us roared in approval.

“I am Celes Rada, geisha of the Serenity temple of Lord Boundless Chorus! I pledge my divine-song of Serenity to Ash Sparks, my Vox Populi, to empower her cause!” Celes raised her hand in the air besides me. She sang a long note in the back of her throat with her last word and a deep, far-reaching serenity-ripple swept across the gathered crowd.

One by one, the people raised their own hands in the air, copying Arianna’s gesture. The Guild heads looked at each other and at the people of the Gold city that were their customers and employees.

“The Adventurers Guild pledges its aid to Ash Sparks, the voice of the people!” The Guild Secretary declared, raising her hand. “Our brave adventurers will fight the Stormweavers as we always have!”

The tide had fully turned.

“The Merchants Guild pledges its aid to Ash Sparks,” Jovius Macaria smiled, seeing the opportunity for more sales. “We shall offer loans of tools and materials to all who wish to aid our city in this perilous time of need!”

One by one, the heads and reps of various Guilds pledged their aid to me.

Clint looked at them in bewilderment, utter fury painted on his face. It seemed that for the first time in centuries he had finally met his match, an ancient soul he couldn't outright execute with his sword - a young girl who befriended, beheld the people of the Gold city with mere words.

Lady Lillian looked utterly stupefied, her mouth hanging open. Her moth had changed her gray coat overnight to that of an angel. In her eyes, a completely unknown, weak, disreputable and contumelious little thief turned into a brilliant symbol of hope for a better future of her Guild.

“The Thieves and Concubines Guild pledges all of aid to its... esteemed member... Ash Sparks,” her voice had finally joined the multitudes, turning from demanding hatred to sly, fake praise.

I offered the only person that refused to join me my hand. “We don’t need to fight, Clint. Let's protect the Gold city… together. Let's build a brighter future for everyone, without making the mistakes of old.”

“No, no…” Clint shook his head, refusing to acknowledge my words. “None of you know what arcane evil you pledge yourselves to… she will bring doom to all of you.”

He let go of the large ghost-fish and turned away, retreating. Disappointed, confused and angry eyes followed his departure. Just like me he was stubborn, unbending. Maybe he had a rational reason not to declare his support for me openly. From what he had already told me I now knew that there were others like him, high-cultivator executioners who sought to keep the past contained, silenced.

I sighed inwardly. This was definitely going to be a problem for me in the future. I didn’t like having mortal enemies who possessed the same knowledge as I did, but were far older and stronger.

“I renounce my position at the Barbers Guild,” Avidius spat at Clint’s retreating back. “I refuse to follow a senile fool who wants to murder a child!”

The fish-rider turned his servitor around, directing his sea-creature to lower itself towards where I stood. “Lady Sparks, I am head Chef Vitue of the Whale’s Song Restaurant on Market Central. I was there when you spoke to the seraphim. I pledge my services to your goal. Would you like to come to our restaurant for a hearty meal, free of charge?”

“Indeed! A damp cave is no place for a meeting of the Guild Heads, friends!” Sylver laughed. “As the owner of the Whale’s Song I pledge my dining hall and high-lord meeting room to Lady Sparks! Let us drink and eat and discuss future plans to defend our city!”

I looked back at Sylver Kenn. He looked approximately twenty five and was full of energetic vigor. Standing tall, an entire head above the rest of the crowd his voice carried far and wide. He had cleverly used this moment to fill his restaurant with clientele for the entire week. Could I trust him? I felt that I could. His men had protected me from Clint’s ferocious attack.

I needed to get my gun back just in case. I felt at least 20% safer with a gun, it didn’t even matter if I couldn't use it to kill an Immortal.

“Celes?” I whispered to my friend. “Can you see if Knipz can retrieve my gun?”

Celes nodded and her servitor ferret flashed into the dark depths of the Bell lake.

“What do you say, my lady?” Sylver bent down to me and waved a muscular arm towards the large mount atop the fish. “We can ride back in style, straight through the sinkhole opening overhead. No need to get wet!”

“Sounds good, Chef Sylver.” I curtsied. “I could definitely go for some lunch now.”