I'm not at all convinced ward is yor. A number of inconsistencies. Wards ghost left him after presumably shin heard the fight (on earth after leaving palomon). Thereafter, wards his ghost escaped yor and delivered TLW and info to shin and likely turned him into a guardian (rather unconventionally, but TLW does refer to him as a hunter) after scanning him. Yor's ghost left him on mars. Thorn 3 is a conversation between yor and his ghost and yor threatens to kill his ghost and leave it on "this red world" aka mars. This is supported by the fact yor killed pahanin and Pahanin's weapon, super good advice, is found on mars. Additionally, the yor's weapon is continually referred to as the rose, never the last word. TLW was wards weapon as shin indicates in multiple cards, but is never referred to as the rose. And rather than replacing his weapon, Yor modified it (presumably with hive arts, as there are links with yor and the hive and the moon; likely xyor the unwed was the one who ultimately corrupted yor and his rose). Two cards indivate as much: one saying he called it rose because of the bloom when it fired (but he now saw it as thorn for its shape absent the bloom), the other where his ghost refers to his weapon as a tainted rose (rather than a new one). But shin clearly indicates that he acquired TLW, not a tainted weapon or a copy.