[His breath catches in his throat at that, just a little, even though he's trying to match her and not give away just how distressed he is. If she can do it, then the least he can do is try too, right? Especially when he isn't the one suffering, dying--

When her hands clench, he watches. When she whispers that to him, his gaze drifts downward to the dirt beneath his knees. Is that sort of strength possible for him? Is it...? Will he ever be able to stand on his own feet? The thought of living pinned under the thumb of the Nagumo until the day he dies is enough to make him feel like vomiting, but he just doesn't know, he doesn't know if he can avoid that fate.

But here Sen is, asking for something like that even though she's suffering so much, herself. If it's for Sen - if it's for something like this, can he do it? Can he make them regret everything they've ever done?]

I— ...I'll do my best. I'll try - very hard. I'll continue to try. I'll do whatever I need to do to keep that promise.

[It's not the steel resolve he'll eventually grow into, but it's a flicker of something similar.]