Joshua was carving his path from the south. Behind him was the remains of a fortress that was left to ruin. Joshua looked at the skill purchase menu, seeing more details. It seems he's accumulated an extra 1000 points.

Activating Skill Purchase system.

Unlock conditions for specialized familiars have been added.

Coffin Dancer Lovely lady Silver Cross Ashen Snow Alpha and Omega The Dollmaker Silver Gun Yearning White Edelweiss Blade The Puppet Master The One Winged Seraph Golden Beauty Laughing Jack Romance of Dusk The Hateful One Despair Stricken Stalwart Hydrangea's Call. Moonlight Kiss Promisor of Protection Slumbering Ancient(Random Ancient) Fleeting Memory Sonata of Winter Rose Raven Darkness's Love.

Joshua looked at the points, each of this would cost 500 points each. So he had 3 decisions at the ones he has for the moment. Coffin Dancer, Alpha and Omega's unlock conditions were tempting but Joshua would want to see the others. Though he cannot have much with them. Even the SIlver Gun and Silver Cross were present but Joshua did not feel that he had earned it enough. It would be better to unlock them organically as he progressed into their worlds.

The Observers are wondering about your decisions.

What will you choose?

Lazy Warlord seems to be avoiding looking at anything that may bore him.

Death's Governor was not too happy with what he's seeing.

The Goddess of Love is a little concerned.

The Saintess of Hope is hopeful to the current screen.

They wonder what will Joshua choose.

Joshua took the One Winged Seraph, Slumbering Ancient and Promisor of Protection.

One Winged Seraph

The Seraph of darkness, unlike the other Seraphs who are blanketed in wings. This is one of the Seraphs who fought with the humans. He lost his wings for his betrayal against the Seraphs but that did not change the fact that he was their leader.

Unlocking this Seraph will assure that more Seraphs will appear for the Final Judgement's as part of the jury.

The Seraphs will appear but without their names. Similar to Final Judgement, but like the Final Judgement. They cannot be summoned in a Spire.

A trial will appear in your world, where you shall be judged.

Failing the judgement does not cause you to lose anything significant.

You will however waste your points on the other Seraphs if they refuse to serve you.

Ensure that you are prepared to face them.

One Winged Seraph however, will serve as an observer.

You have acquired him, but he will observe you. However, he will be of use when you face an Outsider.

Slumbering Ancient

Generating Ancient details.

Accessing roulette system.

Roulette system beginning...

Ancient Details deciphered.

Ancient of Slaughter.

The one who governs the Rose of Slaughter.

Currently affiliated with the Crimson Reapers.

Due to the Ancient of Slaughter's slumbering state.

His powers grant Crimson Reapers bonuses.

One skill has been granted to the Crimson Reapers

The Red and White Dragon, the famed Iesar.

Known as the Kinslayer for harming a human she had taken care off.

A human child was killed by dragons.

And so, Iesar slaughtered her kin.

Blessings of the Slaughtering Ancient

Slaughtering enemies will increase Dragon's High effects and grants them faster movement. Their weapon sharpness has been increased to Thorn sharpness. Brutalizing enemies stacks the Lord of Thorn's powers.

The Ancient will continue to slumber but her powers have been given to the Crimson Reapers.

Promisor of Protections

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

A woman who was blessed by the Gods who granted protection to protect her people.

Her barriers are known to require a heavy treshhold to destroy enemies.

Her barriers are now given to you.

Her skill tree, the one who protects others is given to Donovan. To increase his prowess as a shield for the Lord of Thorns.

The Lord's Guardian being granted this skill tree will allow him to create shields for others.

Joshua put Thanatos's Blade aside, now carrying the Ashen Phoenix as he continued on his path. Walking through the deserted ruins of a city before him. Where he could not help but feel a bit of remorse to what he found here. He heard faint screams bouncing off the walls, the faint sounds of gunfire and swords swung all around him. The voices of soldiers that held the line, the voices of the people who were now being left to die. He could see the visions of how it all happened. An entire ambush of 20 thousand soldiers, leaving the 50 thousand or so beings that were living in the city. Gunfire enveloped the city from all sides. Seeing the spent shell casings on the ground, the blood stains all over the area.

The Lord of Thorns continued to move about, just walking through the ruins. Finding a few bodies here and there. Where Joshua heard a cry from somewhere. A sign of life, a fleeting sign of life. Buried beneath bodies in a land fill, Joshua clawed his way through the bodies. Looking for the source of the cry. Finding a toddler who was beneath a woman and her two brothers. Clutching a teddy bear in her hands. Joshua pulled the bodies away as the child was left alone.

"It's okay. It's okay. You're going to be okay." Joshua spoke out loud, but he was actually trying to assure himself that he can rescue this child.Whatever it takes.

His heart was racing, using whatever magic he has in his arsenal. Trying to make sure the child wouldn't die. Casting heals, casting and cures. Just trying to keep this child a little longer. Only for Joshua to watch the child smile at him, then her body exploded all over his body.The chat box was moving around, but Joshua was ignoring it. Keeping his gaze at the child he had desperately tried to rescue. The blood was on his body. Another life he could not save, Joshua felt his mask tearing up with blue liquid. It was his mask that chose to bear his sadness.

The Mask of Thorns is taking in the sadness that is felt by the Lord of Thorns.

The grief that the Lord of Thorns bears is now being absorbed.

Taking a moment to just let everything that happened here sink into his mind. It was a horrible thing to see but, Joshua cannot be said to be spared from all of this. Rumbling of tanks and machinery were getting close. In this moment, Joshua thought about the rage that was swelling. The grief that he had to abandon because of the fact that the enemy was on its way here. Joshua stepped out of the ruins, seeing tanks and even the iron golems he had faced earlier during his time in Mulligan.

Back then, he didn't have the power that he had right now. Joshua thought about running, but deep down. He knew that he was already ready to fight. Running away is not an option.

"Attack!" The Drusken Empire's soldiers fired their guns and weapons at the ruins. Attempting to cave Joshua in, as he stood by it. Watching the entire ruined city crumbling down. Falling all around him as Joshua did not do anything, keeping his gaze fixed on the soldiers. A warning of sorts?

"Zephyr." Zephyr appeared from below, biting Joshua's collar, throwing him up into the air as Joshua got back on the saddle. Where the dust and smoke blanketed the area. This time, Joshua was going to go on the offensive. Where he drew Ashen Phoenix. Slashing through the soldiers in the smoke.

"He's still alive!" They began to fire at the sounds of the hooves as the smoke began to dissipate. The sound of hooves faded away as the soldiers looked around. Another strike as the sound of hooves was heard again. They can barely see the Lord of Thorns, feeling the violet sparks from the sounds of the hooves.

"Set to energy readings! We can find them! He's on a horse so aim for the horse!" They were searching only to watch as bodies were launched into the air, where Joshua was seen standing in front of the formation.Their tanks and golems went after him.

"Sheathe your blade. One foot forward.Bend your knees, tight grip. A single draw will be enough." Joshua heard Seijuro's voice.

"Fuse your mana into the blade, when you draw it. Be sure to finish the entire draw and that it hits all of the targets. Spin until you reach your starting point." Joshua followed the advice as he waited for the time. A single draw.

"The First Movement, Devil's Maw." Joshua sheathed the blade as he felt time slow down. Whispering the words of the techniques out loud as he watched Seijuro appear before him.

"The Edge of the Gods... Was that a technique you used?"

"Before I was the Wandering Mercenary known as Ronin. I was Seijuro Sudou. A swordsman who served as a retainer for a righteous master. However, I was executed as a traitor. I did not stop them from killing, me only that if I return. I will lay out my retribution to them." Seijuro spoke as the winds blew to their path. His kimono was a sight to behold. A kimono in white with black cherry blossom patterns. His three blades were by his hip, where he turned to Joshua.

"Reborn as a Summon. It seems that seeing how you behave has reminded me of myself. So young, earnest to fight to protect others. Now you have acquired two of the Seraphs. To beat a Seraph, I will test your mettle Lord. For I am one who has matched against the Seraph of Blades." Seijuro placed his hand to his Wakizashi against Joshua's Ashen Phoenix Tachi.

"Begin." Joshua drew the first strike. Slashing at Seijuro. Blocking it with just an inch of his blade.

"You have strength but you lack finesse." Seijuro said, pushing Joshua back without much effort.

"Lord. I will be your swordmaster. You will inherit the Edge of the Gods from me. You will be my First Disciple. As you have gotten the Final Judgement and another Seraph that await you later on. You may undergo the trial when you have received a few more Seraphs into your ranks." Seijuro spoke as he went after Joshua. Vanishing from his senses, Joshua felt a blade coming from his left. Only to be struck in the neck from the right.

Joshua could feel the pain from this attack, it was unlike the ones he had before. Seijuro pulled the wakizashi out of Joshua's neck, where more tanks have appeared to their location along with more golems. The falcon and the wolf went after them instead of the pair, leaving them both to their fight.

"Focus on me. Not the rabble." Seijuro said as he vanished again.

"Where will I strike next?" Seijuro's voice was bouncing over this area, it was a ploy to hinder Joshua.

Joshua found himself in a state of confusion, his whole senses were going haywire. It was like Seijuro was everywhere around him. Joshua closed his eyes, feeling not only mana but also killing intent. Seijuro was literally the entire environment, it was like his killing intent would be able to sweep him away at a moment's notice. Joshua raised his blade and turned his blade upwards. Stopping Seijuro's wakizashi, where it began to cause sparks.. Where the ground began to crack and rumble at the contact of their blades. The shockwave produced was enough to send the tanks and golems flying into the air. Where Seijuro threw his wakizashi to his wolf, that caught it by the mouth and began its own assault. The falcon was piercing through dozens of golems with just its beak.

"Good. You've honed in on your killing intent. No matter the being, they have killing intent. Albeit you are slow. Though it is safe to say that Asim was not able to teach you this because you did not have much training to begin with. We will continue our duel when enemies are present. So that I can train you and for you to sharpen your senses in chaotic environments." Seijuro said as he landed on his feet.

"Won't it be tedious?"

"Tedious for you but not for me!" Seijuro howled at Joshua with full force of a tachi to match with Ashen Phoenix. Causing the ground to rumble again.

Lazy Warlord is enjoying the fight. Awaiting its victor.

The Swordsmen of East and West are now watching this battle carefully.

Joshua could see it but he was too busy focusing on the fight with Seijuro.