Joshua was looking into over at White Waltz and Black Waltz. Casually strolling into a Spataro lab, seeing the scientists in white who began to plead for their lives. Only for Black Waltz to cut them down. Their screams were annoying, but it was an easy solution. Just silence them with a blade or a gunshot.

"You must be angry." White Waltz said, seeing Black Waltz wiping the blood off his blade with his hands.

"They're nothing more than monsters." Black Waltz spoke as he avoided the bodies like they were the plague. Not even granting them a glance as he made his way into another room. Pistol in hand, pointing at the lady in a lab coat.

"Please don't shoot! I have a famil-" Emptying an entire magazine into the person's head. Bursting the skull wide open, a quick change of the magazine as Black Waltz and White Waltz continued onwards.

"They had a family." The two Waltz said as they stepped into the next room, both of them wielding long swords as they began their onslaught. Striking together as their blades sung a melody. Footsteps becoming their background as their blades took the lead. Just glimpses of them could be seen as they cut through more and more individuals.

Be it combatant and non-combatant alike. Yet, when the kids were turned on them. The children could not move. Perhaps it was a testament to the fact that the two Waltz did not pose a threat to them or rather, they would die where they stood if they chose to fight. For the footsteps were like an invitation to the Grim Reaper's hands. For souls to be reaped, as the screaming from the Spataro's people began to cloud the entire lab in its taint.

Taint of blood with slight touches of fear and ghastly presence of the pair. Two individuals who wish to collect what was to be sown for their actions. No last rites were given, not a word against them all. Only the violence was left, with the harrowing screams that began to fade. When it was done, Joshua watched as the Waltz pair stepped out of the lab. Where the children were greeted by the Seraph of War, who put them at ease.

Joshua opened his eyes as he stood in front of a Spataro base. Fitz was elsewhere with Azure Resound, leaving Joshua alone. It was what he needed, the base before him was fortified to the teeth. Firing their artillery cannons, turrets and defensive placements of light machine guns on to Joshua. Mere glimpses of the Lord of Thorns was all they could see, for their weapons began to fail them. Not because they could not fire, but how do you hit a target that you cannot hit? It was as if the bullets were travelling slower as if reluctant to strike the Lord of Thorns.

Some began to murmur their thoughts. Leaking out the fear that was contained as they heard the screams of one soldier filled the area. The Venerators took their steps, yet all that could be heard was the flesh being cut. A butcher at his finest with his sharpest blades. The screams were a sort of spice that began to cloud their minds and judgements. Some had began to shoot themselves out of fear. Some began to slit their wrists. What all that the Spataro members could agree on?

Their fortified defenses, their castles that they had built to be unbreakable. Were mere castles made out of sand instead of all the fancy mithril that they had used. A weapon of Thorns. Fitting as it left most of them to turn them into living flowers. Which the Lord of Thorns took them albeit with malice as he ate the flowers. Slowly learning the inner workings of what made Spataro what it was.

Not by sheer force alone, but by the cunning plans of their leader. The one known as the Aegis. The perfect shield. Some began to cry out for aid from their so called Perfect Shield, but whatever or whomever this Perfect Shield was. It was all for naught. Prayers go unanswered when one gives it to powerless Gods. Joshua allowed his blade tip to drag on the ground, hearing the heartbeats of the many individuals that were hiding all around. Not going to let any of this go without a fight.

Allowing their fear to take over, the malice that Joshua had been saving for years was slowly coming undone from the stitches that was in his heart. Anger was a shallow emotion. Malice on the other hand? Fitting for Joshua did not have any pity for them, nor did he feel anything for them at all. Step by step, Joshua could hear their heartbeats fading. Either by gunshots or by the amount of blood oozing from beneath the doors. Either way they would have met their end, either by Joshua's hands or by their own decisions.

Joshua walking through here made him realize that mercy was something that can be said to be luxury in such a place. However, granting mercy here would allow the Spataro to believe he was soft hearted. Be kind to your allies and be ruthless to your enemies, for that saying had been said by Kael which Joshua took to heart.

Mercy would be wasted on them, one cannot simply say anything. Victims or not, for the greatest victims are the children who were left in a broken state of mind. Their thoughts have been clouded, Joshua proceeded onwards. As some of the children attacked him. He broke their weapons, but not their bodies.

"I am a Lord of Thorns. I don't need pray. I don't beg. I just do." Joshua whispered the words to himself, as the elements swirled in his hands. Readying the Azure Grief as thee elements went inside. Joshua fired off his pistol, the entire room had been turned into ice. The humans inside were pinned to the wall by the ice spears from the pistol shot itself.

Joshua continued moving in, where he found the children. Some as young as 7 years old that were all wielding daggers, seeing a man running away from him.

"Get him! Get him!" The children leaped at Joshua, their blades made contact with his coat. Forcing them back with a barrier as Joshua raised his left hand to the man. An open palm that changed into a fist, as vines broke through to constrain the man to the wall. The thorns piercing through the skin, ripping the man's flesh from his body.

Joshua walked past him as he was swallowed by the vine of thorns completely. The children froze in place, Joshua continued moving through as more Venerators made their appearance. Casting all of their spells and attacks.

"Did we get him?" Joshua's eyes glowed through the smoke. Flickering flames made their appearance, striking the Venerators. Burning them from the inside out, Joshua continued onwards. The Aegis of Spataro? Joshua was hoping for the Aegis to stay true to its name, a shield. Because there's a lot that he wants to do.

Yet, he could not find the Aegis at all. No clear memories of who the Aegis was or the face that bears the name. Joshua continued walking through the hallways. Finding a room that was said to be the meeting room of Spataro executives. Only those who were at the top could be here. Seeing 5 figures inside. A woman that sat by the throne, with her four guards.

"You... You're that Rayland G-" The four guards were dead, as the woman watched their heads roll to her feet. Joshua took off his mask.

"How dare you! Don't you know that the Aegis of Spataro will never forgive you! You ingrateful b-" Joshua vanished, reappearing from the front. Wrapping his hands over her neck.

"Let go! Let go of me! Yo-" She began to cough violently, gasping for air as Joshua strangled the woman. An empty look in his eyes and empty expressions. He was just watching this woman's life being sucked away as he denied her the oxygen her lungs craved. Clawing his face, Joshua didn't stop there. He loosened his grip as magic began to flow into her body. Slowly blowing up her organs from within. In a few seconds her head exploded, leaving Joshua in a mess.

Even breathing the same air as the Spataro felt disgusting. The vines took over her body, turning her into a flower. Where Joshua took a bite from the blooming flower, finding out the face of the Aegis of Spataro.

The many faces that he had, but one thing was consistent. A scar over his right eye and a tattooed lip. One that was hidden by magic, but Joshua used his Familiars to do the search. Final Judgement was the one to relay all the details to the others, but also using his ability to track the one with the features.

"Lord. He's in Aloris. Currently hiding with a few other people inside the Aloris Venerator Union. I will teleport you to them."

"That's too easy, Final Judgement. Something must be off. If we go and attack a God without any preparation it'll be dangerous for the Venerators that are present. We need more details. It's like a trap." Joshua said as he looked around the executive room. Eating another flower as it made him see a memory.

"Aegis. Is it a shield or is it a skin of a beast?" That was the words that echoed in Joshua's mind. A riddle. A sentence that may have more than its words. Joshua took a moment to ponder.

"The answer is that it is the beast that pretends to be a shield." Joshua heard the words from the figure itself.

It was time for the meet, Joshua arrived at the Venerator Union, now standing before the man who was enjoying a cup of coffee.

"The Aegis of Spataro. A beast that pretends to be a shield."

"So you figured it out. Ah is this perhaps from your memory collection from all the flowers you've eaten. So Etana dispatched her own Avatar to fight. The Avatar of Seasons? So you wish to kill m-" Joshua struck the blade deep into the man's throat. Cutting the man down, watching as the flesh of the man fell apart.

Revealing a woman hiding underneath, clad in armor.

"You dare!?" She swung the spear, only to be stopped by Joshua's hands. Cutting through his gloves, a headbutt that pushed Aegis back.

"I'll be sure to destroy you and this wretched human world!" Aegis cursed as she readied a magic in her hands. Firing away at Joshua, Donovan reappeared by Joshua's side. Holding his shield to take the blow. The other humans had been scattered from the heavy blow itself.

"You know that you cannot kill a God like me! I will be sure to rain down the apocalypse for humanity! Yo-" Joshua sliced off Aegis's head.

"You can't kill her in this form. It's just a clone." Kael spoke, only to watch Joshua strike Aegis repeatedly, slashing the arms and legs off.

"I don't need to kill her. She's got her own place to hide, but in the meantime she can feel all the pain."

"Smart. Here." Kael passed Joshua a key.

"That's the key to this particular God's domain. It's her hiding place, and inside are monsters greater than what this world has. Aegis is the Goddess of Dragons. The one who commands dragons to destroy everything in her wake. You want to take the fight to her?" Joshua nodded.

"Servant of Thorns." Chairwoman Maya Lee fell to her knees, slowly going through it. Along with a few others. She had her class from Berserker changed to the Nemean Lion. The origin of all Berserkers, the others became Servants of Thorns. Leon and Lady were standing in front of Joshua.

"I'll be heading this one alone. Kael, might need to ask your help in this. Soujirou, stay here too. Seraphs, stay here."

"You wish to face this alone?"

"Yeah. That's the key's condition. No doubt Aegis will try and wither me down." Joshua said as he vanished, leaving the others behind.

He was back in Mulligan, seeing another door appear before him. Joshua watched as Mulligan returned to its old self. Seeing his younger self stand before him.

"Are you sure you want to go in there?"

"Yeah."

"But you know you will die right? That if you lose. Everyone dies. Why didn't you bring anyone else with you?"

"They need to stay and protect our world. Mine is to stop Aegis."

"You can't win! You know you can't! Why not just go back fight at home instead of going through the door!?" The rattled voice of his younger self, Joshua could not help but miss it. The naivety, the insecurity that was him. The lost look on the teenager's face. It didn't fit who he was at this moment.

"I know I can't win. I know that I'm going to die, but maybe that's okay. It's quite tiring to live like this alone." Joshua said as he let out a sigh. Seeing his family again, holding the younger Joshua's shoulders.

"I'm a Lord of Thorns. I don't pray. I don't beg. I just do." Joshua said where the teenager smiled, then turning into a glass. Shattering into piece along with his family. The shattered crystal had a weapon inside.

The Grieving Thorn.

A katana that holds the memories of the human known as Joshua Gates. The 13th Lord of Thorns.

Now, the Lord of Thorns stands alone.

By taking this blade.

You agree to let go of your memories and your home will be contained in the blade.

The World known as Mulligan will cease to exist. It will only exist within the Grieving Thorn itself.

Your world will be called the 'Midnight Wind' and it will take a different shape.

By drawing this blade, your memories known as Joshua Gates will cease to exist and the name of Joshua Gates will be lost forever.

Your identity and your very existence will be not known to the world.

You will be an anomaly to the world and only be known as the Lord of Thorns.

Everything about you.

All the memories will be gone.

Are you sure?

Joshua picked the blade up, and he watched as the buildings of Mulligan turned to glass, breaking apart. Leaving Joshua standing in an empty field. The katana, Grieving Thorn was his weapon. A weapon that outmatched Brilliant Ash and Ashen Sirius altogether. It was on par with Ashen Phoenix the first time Joshua received it.

Joshua put the keys into the door that was the dragon's realm. Then he headed inside.