The One and Absolute Promise

"Senpai...?"

Mashu squeezed those words from her pale lips.

"Are you awake, Mashu?"

Luo Zhen continued holding Mashu's hand. As he injected magical energy into the runes inscribed on her arm to give her strength, he unconsciously softened his voice.

"How do you feel?"

Luo Zhen gave Mashu a gentle smile, causing her expression to relax even further.

"What... happened to me?"

Mashu asked blankly, as if she did not quite understand her current condition.

"You collapsed."

Luo Zhen answered directly, without hiding anything.

That single sentence was enough for Mashu to roughly understand her situation.

"I see..."

Mashu lowered her eyes and fell silent.

Seeing this, Luo Zhen sighed and spoke with a hint of reproach.

"You already knew about your physical condition, but you kept hiding it instead of saying anything, didn't you?"

Luo Zhen questioned her with absolute certainty.

Her body had probably already begun showing abnormalities back in the Singularity. She had simply kept them hidden, which was why she had collapsed immediately after returning to Chaldea and finally relaxing both body and mind.

"Your body was already showing signs of trouble, yet you forced yourself to fight. Did you really think I wouldn't get angry?"

Luo Zhen looked at Mashu and sighed repeatedly.

Like a child who had done something wrong, Mashu lowered her head and spoke.

"I'm sorry, Senpai."

Mashu apologized just like that.

But...

"Hey, Senpai." Mashu asked softly, "Will I be able to hold on until we finish saving the Human Order together?"

Mashu actually asked him that.

Mashu naturally understood her own physical condition better than anyone.

Yet the girl showed neither fear nor pain. Instead, she asked Luo Zhen as if she were looking forward to it.

Luo Zhen's heart ached, and he closed his eyes.

Without a doubt, Mashu