"Dragons incoming!" The dragons began to swarm from the hole in the sky. Leon readied rifle, loading it with armor piercing bullets. Smoking a cigar as the dragons made their descent to the humans.

Pulling the trigger, taking a shot at a Dragon's head, blowing it off cleanly as the body tumbled down from above.

"Those dragons... We can't beat them! There's too many!"

"Snap out of it, soldiers! It's do or die." Leon's words blanketed the other Venerators, getting them back to their senses. Most of them have never faced such beings and the dragon's had their own pre-existing passive. The 'Dragon's Roar' which would be instilling fear in less experienced fighters. It was a deterrent, but to Leon it was nothing but a damn tactical disadvantage.

The heavy artillery sounds from the cannons of the Blue Python and the other Gladiators from HDF were a godsend. Sending those explosive rounds to break through the dragons swarming above, their formation had shattered. Where as Nightwing and the other Valiants took to the skies, fighting onward without hesitation.

This was a battle of attrition, the people watched as Chairwoman Maya Lee was in her full gear. Swinging her conjoined long swords at the dragons. Leaping to reach them, she was cutting their heads off without much thought. Roaring at them with her voice as the dragons begin to dive to intercept her.

Ice darts flew passed the Maya as they pierced deep into the dragons. Explosions that brought chains to pull the dragons together, Maya kicked the chained up dragons to the ground, where they were greeted by Venerators that struck at their enemies. No hesitation and no fear. Lugasa and Guren howled as they began intercepting the enemies in the air.

Fitz was firing his gunblades, then creating ice pillars for the other Venerators to get close. The Suicide Division's firing lines were not to be triffled with, they were unleashing volatile rain of explosives at the dragons. A dragon ate a Venerator's head off, then throwing the corpse aside. Only to be impaled by another Venerator's blade.

An all out war had begun.

Joshua could see the chaos that was blooming from where he stood, but he too had his own battle to fight. One that he must face on his own. The dragons went after him and Joshua drew Ashen Phoenix to fight back. The ashen flames became his refuge and his only tool. For every other weapon he had used was useless, even Ashen Sirius was pointless against them. The ashen flames cut through the scales of the dragons, leaving them to turn to dust. The dragons swarmed him, overwhelming him with size and numbers. Throwing Joshua around like a doll. His Coat of Crimson negated most of the damage but it was not going to last for long. His ripped off a dragon's head with one hand and started roaring back at them.

Malice was driving him, anger was fueling his veins. Every emotion he had was going to strike him at all times as Joshua wanted to end everything. He was close to the end, and he just wants to make sure that this bastard was going to pay for it. That Aegis is going to pay for everything. A bite on his shoulder, Joshua punched the eye of the dragon. Then pulling it out, Joshua was thrown to the wall. A dragon charged at him, a quick roll to the side. Where its head pierced through the wall, giving Joshua a chance to cut its head off.

He was bleeding since the Coat of Crimson was already damaged and its already torn to bits. He threw his Coat of Crimson aside, his mask had been shattered, all he had was the blade in his hands. Joshua was swinging through with the sword techniques he had learned from Seijuro, cutting through as many of the dragons as he could. Carving his path in blood and carcasses to reach the staircase. The mist that had blanketed the area began to clear. Revealing a spiral of stairs with floors of varying heights.

A battle of attrition. This was a Malevolent God. Of course they would never want to fight a fair fight. Joshua ascended to the next floor, cold weather. A roar as Joshua could see dragons of the ice, white scales and their breath was enough to cause a thick fog to envelop him in it. The cold was causing Joshua to feel sluggish, it was enough to kill a human. Joshua placed his hand to his chest.

The ancient of winters, Bayran's blessing nullified the cold. The ashen flames intensified as Joshua charged right at them, burning through their breath with his blade. He was going to turn these dragons into nothing but ash. Their ice breath was pointless against one who has been blessed by the cold.

'Cold Cage's Passive : The Center of Ice has been granted. Ice attacks do zero damage and converted to mana and health.' Now that was a blessing, Joshua continued to swing the tachi. A mix set of piercing strikes and slashes, carving through them all. The blood splashing over his face. A cold that was relentless but it felt like Joshua had more strength than before. He was not going to waste this, as a dragon charged at him head on. Injecting mana to his hands to reach the blade, sheathing the blade as he took his position.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

'Second Movement, Rising Tide.' A fast draw as the blade tore through everything. Leaving this winter wonderland into a land of ash. Only ash that remained, the remains were now being blown away by the wind. Every staircase that Joshua took, it brought him elsewhere. A different, a foreign world that he could not understand.

It did not stop him, though he could see his stamina dropping. So he put Ashen Phoenix away, this time drawing out Brilliant Ash and shifting it to Ashen Sirius, he was going to need to eat. Turning some of the dragons into plants, gave Joshua a chance to get it. Eating the flowers. A bountiful harvest, but Joshua wasn't going to stay stagnant. He was going to keep at it. Floor after floor, it was clear that Joshua was not going to be given any rest.

Sure he could fill his stamina, but his mind would be having trouble with all of this. The mental fatigue was stacking between the floors. Joshua could feel his body tense up. His mind was having some head aches but such things were normal in this kind of situation. It must be due to being in the realm of dragons. The amount of damage his combat gear had taken had rendered most of them in bad shape. To put it bluntly, Joshua can be said to be naked at this point. Naked as in defenseless. Joshua was taking chunks of damage with every attack. Some of them had damaged his health until only one tenth of it remained. He was struggling with the dragons. What would happen if he faced Aegis?

She would be able to do worse, but what will he do? Joshua sat down thinking to himself about everything. The price of using the Grieving Thorn. Joshua must be sure about it. A weapon with a price, would Joshua be ready to abandon all of it? Everything about him will be erased.

"Raizel." The tome appeared by Joshua's side.

"Yes, Lord?"

"The Grieving Thorn. If I draw this blade I will forget everything that makes me who I am. Did the other Lords go through this?"

"No. None of them faced Gods aside from the First Lord. You are the second to face a threat of such grandeur. Most have failed, but you seemed to be fighting through it all by the grit that you possess."

"Will you forget me too?"

"No Lord. Your Familiars and Sovereigns will not forget you. But when all this is done, what will you wish for? Surely there must be a reward for you at the end of this?"

"I wouldn't know what to do next. I'll cross that bridge when this is over." Joshua said as he got up where Raizel vanished. He continued on his path, another floor of dragons. Another chunk of his health taken away, another set of flowers to bloom. Just eating them constantly. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

It just kept on going. The floors were endless, but Joshua took a moment to look at the Familiars. Where he could see the Servant of Thorns creating vines for what they needed as well. They were still fighting, tired and mentally fatigued. Yet they continue to fight. Perhaps to the Gods it was pointless suffering. Ants trying to topple a giant, perhaps that is what made things far more difficult for them.

"Ace!" Ace's helmet had shattered, Joshua could see Ace grit his teeth. Readying his weapon as he leaped at the dragons. The Ancient of Slaughter was a dragon herself, yet the Crimson Reapers were unaffected and kept on fighting. Iacus was throwing his daggers. The battle seemed to tire them out, only for portals to open. A storm of bullets appeared, where more Suicide Division members made their appearance. Specifically the ones who had left. A downed Void Dagger looked at the Rogue who offered her hand to him. Pulling him up.

"We were given a choice to serve. The Lord's not here, and the Final Judgement deemed it necessary to call us here."

"Thanks."

"HDF! HDF!" More Gladiators made their appearance with the Vanguard Units taking on the dragons. Dragons from Lunaria made their appearance. Where Maximilian cut a dragon down in front of a Venerator then looking at Iacus who was on his knees.

"Master." Helping Iacus on his feet.

"We're fighting this war with you." Aurelia said then looking at the Drakes.

"Drakes! Show these dragons the pride of our Kingdom! Charge!" The Drakes took to the skies with their dragon partners, attacking the hostile dragons together. Lugasa saw his grand daughter on the frontlines. The Bahamut Empire joined the fight as well, Joshua could see Klaudia with her Companions.There was no reason for him to worry. Ascending this damned place was his first priority.

Joshua soon arrived at the top. Now standing at the top of the damned tower, the edge of the spiral. The glass floor with water below had shown everything. The world in its state of chaos. The fighting Venerators against the hordes of dragons. Walking in to see Aegis in her armor wielding a spear.

"This will be fun. To think that you'd make it here. I would have thought that you'd give up by now." Aegis spoke, even her voice was enough to cause Joshua's ears to ring.

"You do know that you cannot win this fight don't you? The entire world of yours will be destroyed. No matter what you do. It will all be for naught." The voice spoke as Joshua could see Klaudia who had her chest impaled by a blade. Leon who had been eaten, leaving his torso there. Lady who had been burnt to a skeleton. The Venerators that Joshua knew were all dying like flies. His Familiars were falling, and they could no longer fight.

"So why not join me? I can reshape this world to how you wish."

"Ashen Phoenix. Can you turn the tide for them?"

"Yes but I will have to leave you alone to do so."

"Then go." Joshua said as the tachi vanished.

"To think you'd send the Godslaying weapon away. Are you a fool?" Joshua did not answer as he held the Grieving Thorn. He untied the string that held the sheathe and the blade together. Where it revealed its true form being pure white and drawing the blade itself. The Lord of Thorns merely glanced over at Aegis. Unveiling the darker than black blade. A blade that was the abyss personified to a weapon.

"What have you done?!" Aegis shouted, it seemed that the sight of this blade was enough to make her lose that arrogance. Then this blade must be worth its price.

"Joshua. Joshua!" A voice called out to the Lord of Thorns but who was Joshua? Joshua Gates? Jo... A name.

It was a name, but whatever that was tied to it? The 13th Lord of Thorns did not seem to care as he readied himself for the fight against Aegis.