As the Moon Orchid fell, its petals landed in the mud beneath his feet, stained with flecks of filth and dust.
His face remained full of tenderness.
Only the Clown noticed what this meant, and at last, something shifted deep in his eyes, stirring ripples.
"I'm sorry."
The enormous Vertical Pupil that blotted out the sky watched the encirclement gradually close.
"I never intended to put you in a situation like this."
Lynn had made his peace with it too. Smiling, he drew the Monomolecular Sword and the Night Demon Blade, facing the sky-spanning Giant Web alongside him.
"What's the point of saying that now?"
"There's no reason to hide it anymore, though. It's true that I never trusted you. I never cared about this Peace Treaty from the start. My plan was to wait until my Matriarch and the others had all revived, then gather our strongest fighters and kill you together. I always assumed the worst of you, but now it seems I was wrong."
"A turncoat like you turned out to be one of the few who were sincere."
The enormous Vertical Pupil fell silent, but then Lynn sensed the desolate smile in his emotions.
Because as he looked back over his life,
he realized he had left nothing behind. He had even pushed his only family member onto the opposing side.
Perhaps this was his retribution.
"This should be the last time we see each other."
He said.
"Once you leave, please think carefully."
"Think about why they're doing this. Think about where this fate they've woven for you actually leads. But whether the final outcome is good or bad, please, you must resist."
"Because a bird cannot be caged forever. One day, he will break out of that cage and spread his wings, flying by