Joshua was on his knees, breathing heavily. Now at another battlefield. A military base of the Drusken Empire, where he watched Seijuro stand before him, resting his left arm over the three blades to his hip. His whole stamina and HP were depleted severely. He was literally hanging on to life by a thread. Taking out potions to restore it all. The entire military base? It was safe to say that this was more than just a simple brawl. This base? Originally had tanks, warwolves and golems. Yet, because the brawl of Seijuro and Joshua. This place was now reduced to mere rabble.

Never feeling this drained out from when he had fought the many others as a Lord of Thorns. Most enemies don't phase him, but with Seijuro? It was akin to a beast that was toying with its prey. Joshua fought the Avatar of Destruction, yet even then. There was more to it. It was something like Kael of sorts.

"Yo." Speak of the devil, as Kael appeared with Ice Reaper in hand. Seijuro knelt towards him.

"My former Summoner. It is good to see you."

"Ah. So you're teaching him the Edge of the Gods. Can't say much but you did rough him up more than me. When I met you it was during my 42nd life. So it makes sense to why you're feeling a bit downed here." Kael said, patting Joshua's shoulders.

"You know each other? Wait, Kael. If you're here what about the Northern Lines?!"

"It's already gone. Besides, they have no idea what hit them." Normally it would be easier to just not believe it, but this was Kael. The Avatar of Destruction.

"What of the Outsider?"

"If you train with him. You can handle it. Anyway, just came to say hi. Just remember. He's never going to go easy on you. Anyway, have fun." Kael said as he vanished, leaving nothing behind of his presence.

"Tell me Summoner. Why do you fight?"

"Just to survive." A simple answer where Seijuro nodded. Taking his stance as Joshua got back on his feet. Another long duel, but he needed the training. Seijuro's swordsmanship was a marvel to behold and equally powerful to match its grandeur. Elegant swordsmanship with a few swings but just the clash between the two tachis was enough to push Joshua back to the brink. He could hear his own bones cracking, just trying to withstand the blows itself was already grueling over his body.

His bones were breaking in sequence. His legs gave in, losing his balance. Then his knees where he fell. Then his ribs, where he coughed blood through his Mask of Thorns. A sharp sting to the chest, as his ribs were crushing his heart. His shoulders broke as he lost the strength to keep his tachi steady.

For once, Joshua understood again what it means to be powerless. This time, against one of his own Summon.

"Do you not want revenge Summoner?" A peculiar question.

"Revenge for what? I don't even know what I'm doing anymore." Joshua snapped, perhaps his strong outer shell was already crumbling bit by bit. Just grunting from the pain of the shattered bones within his body. He had to force his body to roll aside

"You still have something that you've not resolved from the first part of your awakening. One that concerned your brother. Do you not remember that the people who had used you to threaten your brother is out there?" Joshua remembered that they tried to make his death look like a suicide. So they were trying to get Rayland to stop an investigation. Clenching his teeth at the thought.

Seijuro walked over to his summoner, helping him find the potions. Placing it in front of Joshua, that much was all that he would do for Joshua. The Wandering Mercenary walked on ahead to face the oncoming enemies, leaving Joshua in a state of ponder. The sounds of the battlefield had left his senses.

"Think about it,My master. I will continue the advance." Seijuro's words were that of a gentle whisper, despite the sight of a golem trying to pick Joshua up. Slashed in half as Seijuro placed Joshua over to his shoulders.

"You are interrupting my lesson. Begone!" That was what Joshua heard as he closed his eyes.

Opening his eyes to see himself back in Mulligan. Standing in front of his home. Where he could see Sheena, Todd... His family. The people of Mulligan standing in front of him. Joshua looked at his hands, he was back to where he was 3 years ago. Beaming radiant smiles over to him.

"What's wrong Joshua?"

"Come on, Josh! You don't want to spend time with us?" Their voices spoke of invitation, the words they used were similar to what he'd hear from them when they were alive.Their voices were swaying him, as Joshua took a step forward. Perhaps he could rest. looking at the line that divided him and them. Taking a step near the line, Joshua felt a hand stop him. Where he turned to see the other Lords of Thorns and the Gardens of Thorns.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

It was that moment when they pulled Joshua back, where Joshua watched his teenage self stand with the others by the side of Mulligan.

"Is it okay if I stay here?" The voice of his younger self posed the question. Joshua stared at his hand, the Mask of Thorns. Putting it over his face.

"Yeah. It's okay. You need to rest right?" His younger self nodded, as he dropped his glasses. The 13th Lord of Thorns picked it up, wiping the fingerprints away from the lens. Then giving it to the young Joshua Gates. His younger self beamed a smile, walking over to the family. Who stood beside him, Cass hugged him from behind. They just looked at the 13th Lord of Thorns.

"Will you be okay?" His younger self asked where Joshua turned to his back. Seeing the Lords and Gardens of Thorns vanish. Showing his familiars that were present behind him. Their gaze was sharp, Joshua thought that he must have looked pathetic to them. That his past self was that of a teenager who had watched everything fall apart before him. Now?

His Familiars marched over to his side. Where they stood by his side, not a word as they held their heads up high and opened their chests before them.

"Hey, Josh. It's okay. To let us go." Cass spoke, as she ruffled the teenager's head. Looking at the Lord of Thorns. Where the Gates family walked on over to him. Joshua pushed the mask upwards, where he looked at them for one last time. It was... it was real, not a dream. They were his real family.

"You've grown up so much, my baby boy." Natalie held Joshua's cheeks, tears falling from her eyes.

"Yeah.. Yeah I did mom." He said where she shook her head. Followed by Bruce scruffing Joshua's long hair, then kissing his son's forehead.

"It's okay, Josh. You have to do what you can for everyone else. So they don't go through this."

"Thanks dad." Barton, Cass and Rayland gave him a hug.

"No words of encouragement?" Barton shook his head.

"You're fine as you are. So go do what you have to do Josh. Don't worry about us." Barton said.

Do you wish to release them?

Rayland's Unforgiven.

Cass's Regret

Barton's Burden

Natalie's Prayers

Bruce's Courage

Yes/No?

"Have a good rest." Joshua said where the Gates family went over to hug the teenage Joshua and posed for The 13th Lord of Thorns who took a photo with his camera. Seeing them turn into sculptures of ice, slowly cracking and melting away. The camera Joshua had, he put it to his pocket.

New skill created.

Exclusive to the 13th Lord of Thorns.

The 13th's Grief

Grief is absorbed by the Lord of Thorns, he had put his family to rest. Losing the weapons that had been made with the essences of their souls.

As a result, the 13th Lord of Thorns has received the Grief Weapon set. One that is given by the One Winged Seraph and the Final Judgement as a replacement.

The Grief weapon set? Joshua popped up the menu to look at it, seeing the variety of rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, lever action rifles, revolvers and pistols that were available for him to use. So now he finally understood, his weapons were his family. they were there with him the entire time.

Letting this go, Joshua felt a big burden lift over his shoulders but he turned away from the beautiful Mulligan that was once his home. Now looking at the devastated Mulligan where centaurs and many other creatures roamed freely in it. This is home for him, when he needed to leave from the real world.

"I see. So you've made your choice." Joshua looked at Seijuro's silhouette that was towering behind Joshua.

"Was it a bad idea?"

"You did not give into the temptation of going back to your family's arms."

"It was tempting. Real tempting but.. If it wasn't for the fact that I was fighting for Iacus's home, I would have gone with them."

"Wake up, then my summoner." Joshua gasped for air as he woke up in the middle of a desert. His whole body felt better than before. There were bodies everywhere, bottles of potions to his right. Joshua touched his head, feeling it being wet from all the potions that had been doused over him. The smell of fruits, grapes and jellies reached his nose.

Joshua did feel hungry, seeing some of the Drusken Empire's military rations to his left. Trying to shake the headache that was annoying him. Where Joshua looked up, seeing the head of a Drusken Empire's C.O being impaled by his own blade.

Where Seijuro was seen to be feeding his wolf and falcon with the corpses, where he sat on a tank. Taking out a cotton ball to polish his blade.

"Have you given some thought to my original question?" Seijuro's voice was haunting Joshua's ears as he was making something out of the military rations that he had received.

"Yes. I have. I want to go after the people that Rayland was investigating." Seijuro paused to look at Joshua's eyes, their gazes met but unlike before Joshua did not falter nor did he feel any fear against Seijuro. The aura that Seijuro was unleashing did not stop Joshua this time, rather it was being stalled.

They may be locking eyes with one another, but Joshua was trying to keep himself from being attacked. Seijuro's training was 24 hours. Even now, they were projecting their thoughts to one another where Joshua was constantly on the defensive. Seijuro's swings against him were getting slightly better to manage but the innate difference them was far too great. At the very least, Ashen Phoenix was able to match Seijuro's tachi, without breaking or chipping where as Joshua's Brilliant Ash katana had been cracking because of the force that Seijuro had.

Physically, he was eating but mentally? He was fighting off Seijuro in a little place that Seijuro brings when there's no fighting around them. Just to sharpen Joshua's senses. Narrow dodges, narrow misses were all that Joshua could do. Each time he dodged, Seijuro's tachi would get closer. He needed to fix that, a parry was good.

However, Seijuro's the type to feint attacks to make Joshua waste the parry. A kick that sent Joshua to the wall.

"We will be doing this until you understand it. I don't teach by words, I teach by my own blade. Understand it and you will be fine, my summoner." Seijuro said as Joshua got back up, scratching his head because of the sheer impact of it. He felt like he had a concussion, pulling out a potion to just cure his dazed status and headed back into the fight.