"I don't need a lecture from you about my own life lessons. I just told you, it's not about that. This is a test. There's going to be a price to pay if I fail it. I'm doing this for myself, not for you."

So, Setsuna shouldn't feel guilty. This is Nezumi's decision, made to protect his own skin. Or, at the very least, it's the narrative Nezumi creates.

Finally, he walks over to the acid. If Shion can do this, so can he. He's trained himself to handle and work through pain. Still, no matter how it's approached, this is going to be agony.

"Do you mind looking away? I take a lot of pride in how I look, and my hand probably won't look very good until we get outside."

Like hell he's going to show his fear.