There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 653: Side Story 2. Dance of Flame and Shadow - 12

Chapter 653: Side Story 2. Dance of Flame and Shadow - 12

Ron’s eyes flickered as he found himself trapped like a rat...or a squirrel. With his back touching the railing, he couldn’t help but face the berserker.

After avoiding the man for weeks, it was a big ordeal doing it when he wasn’t angry or annoyed. Why was he so flustered anyway? Was it because this uncle had seen him cry last time? It was indeed embarrassing to show his weakness like that.

But...if he had to be objective--which his teacher always told him to do--he started getting flustered easily after knowing that this uncle took over his father’s ’punishment’ in his place. Wasn’t that why he decided to get away from this uncle’s presence? And now this man was shoving his face in front of him.

Damn it!

Ron lowered his gaze; those intense dark eyes with sparking fire inside were not helping his case. He pressed his lips tight and shrunk himself inside his coat to hide whatever bodily reaction he might have.

This uncle wouldn’t hear his nervous gulping...right?

Thankfully, perhaps thinking he was being too harsh, Agni pulled back slightly, giving Ron a way to inhale deeply without the berserker’s smoke-and-leather scent invading his system.

Agni sighed softly. "I might not understand still, but just try."

Honestly, it wasn’t about whether or not Agni would understand. Ron was just...ashamed of his own reason. He had shown enough of his pathetic side to this Uncle, and he didn’t want to give the older man more ammunition.

But...that exhausted tone was rather unfair.

"I...don’t understand my father," Ron bit his lips.

It felt like a confession, and the quiet, dark environment seemed to support the atmosphere. Surprisingly, after the first sentence, he found it easier to proceed.

"Mother always told me that he’s a great person, and I did think he was cool...somewhat," Ron recalled the day he saw his father’s squad in the recording.

...right, this uncle was there too. Around...eight years ago, wasn’t it? No wonder Ron didn’t notice him--without the beard and darker hair, the berserker looked like a different person.

Ugh--not the time for reminiscence.

"But even so, I don’t understand," Ron continued. "Why did he seem to choose others rather than his family--or even himself?"

He lowered his head again as he felt both anger and shame mixing inside into confusion.

"Why did he constantly make a choice that would benefit others but not himself? I don’t understand!" he clutched his thighs so he wouldn’t scratch his arms again. "I don’t understand why we would chase a crazy person inside the Deathzone; I don’t understand why he didn’t think about us before making any decision, I don’t..."

He stopped and took a deep breath, shaking his head to stop the tears almost dripping from his eyes again. No, let’s not go there--this uncle already thought he was nothing more than a kid.

"I just want to know," Ron leaned back against the railing and threw his head back, staring at the dark ceiling. "That sense of duty that he has...is it worth it?"

Agni flinched slightly. It was like...having his inner thoughts being laid out. He felt strangely embarrassed, even though Ron was the one who confessed. He cleared his throat to hide his flusters. "And...you think you can understand that by going inside the Deathzone?"

"...I don’t know," Ron shrugged, rolling his head against the railing. "I just want to trace his step. There’s no way I can go to the military even if I get crazy, but...I can try working in the Borderland and going inside the Deathzone...like him..."

The scout stopped and straightened his back, staring at Agni again as he felt his annoyance back. "But you won’t let me," he pursed his lips, jutting out his lower lip and crossing his arms before looking away.

Agni raised his brows. Did this squirrel just sulk on him?

"Pfft--"

He didn’t plan to, but he couldn’t help the chuckle coming out, which gradually turned into a full-blown laugh.

"What the hell?" Ron smacked the berserker’s arm. Now that he felt annoyed, he could easily glare at the man. Weird.

"Yeah, what the hell," Agni chuckled and smiled wryly, looking at the dark jungle beyond the marsh. "We’re at the edge of hell, you know."

"Hmm..."

Ron turned around then, looking in the direction of the marsh. He propped his chin and stared at the Deathzone with clear, sharp eyes. Agni glanced at the notebook on the floor beneath the chair, which had fallen from the scout’s lap when they were arguing in agitation before.

Well...at least he knew that this kid truly didn’t have any suicidal thoughts. Perhaps because the so-called ’understanding’ was easily understandable for Agni, who shared the same thoughts, he could accept it better now.

"Fine," he said, pushing his chair back.

"What?"

"If you want to go, we’ll go."

Ron turned his head so fast. In fact, he stood up and turned his whole body. "Really?!"

"But you’ll only go with me, and never stray away from my side. This time, you really have to do as I say."

"Okay!"

Agni blinked. "That’s...fast."

"When?" Ron stepped forward, looking up with sparkling eyes that felt blinding for the berserker. "When are we going?"

"You know that people aren’t normally eager to go inside, don’t you?" Agni pulled his face back, grimacing.

Was this kid actually a psychopath? He shook his head from entertaining the thought that Nolan’s son was one.

"...soon, I think," he said carefully after calculating for a few seconds, and adding quickly while giving the kid a stern look. "Just remember our deal."

"Mm!"

Staring at the kid who nodded quickly, Agni couldn’t help but sigh. "Haa...wouldn’t it be good if you stay obedient like this?"

"What did you say?" the sparkling eyes glared at him again.

"Pfft--" Agni chuckled and ruffled the brown hair before turning away to leave the outpost. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see how the scout’s cheeks gradually turned red because of that. "Come back inside once the other two returned."

"Mm..."

"Ah," Agni stopped at the door and turned back, prompting Ron to pull his collar high to hide his lower face. "Does this mean I can check up on you again?"

"D-don’t act as if we’re familiar!" Ron grumbled and turned around harshly, giving the berserker his back only.

"Huh?" Agni tilted his head in confusion. "What is wrong with this kid?"

He thought they were good now? Hmm...maybe he just couldn’t understand young adults.

* * *

Fortunately for Ron, the berserker kept his word. A group of researchers was going inside the Deathzone to collect samples for their research. Apparently, it was an annual activity to keep the Federation updated on the last condition of the Deathzone.

They wouldn’t go too far since they were bringing civilians, but that was a perfect condition to bring Ron along. It was relatively safer than other missions since the group also brought their own espers as guards.

"We’ll act as a guide and guard the outer perimeter," Agni explained to Ron since the other personnel had already known about it. "You stick with me."

The others would have their own section to guard, but Ron was there as an observer. It was rather annoying for his young heart--literally, because his heart was acting out if he was around the berserker--but it was between that and stayed behind, so...

"Fine," he grumbled a little bit. Weird. He always wanted to act like a brat in front of this uncle.

And so, Ron’s first proper Deathzone excursion started. It was also his first time seeing Agni at work, because he had been following Esther more while in the Deathzone. And it was...rather weird.

It was weird seeing Agni, who usually looked like an exhausted old man, turned sharp in serious mode. His blazing eyes were almost as observant as a scout, and Ron was reminded once again of the young berserker in the video he saw eight years ago, who was sweeping a group of beasts while carrying two children in his arm and back.

But the man was even better after eight years. He still swept the beasts with his claymore, and although he didn’t do it while carrying people, he swung his two-handed weapon with one hand and not much change on his face.

"This deep is still manageable on a normal day," he explained to the curious scout. "We’re not as deep as you did last time, so miasmic creatures rarely come out."

"I see," Ron nodded, lowering his daggers again. The berserker did not let him do anything, saying he was supposed to only ’observe’.

Even while they were stopping so the researchers could take samples, he told the young scout to learn blind tracing instead of guarding. Well...he was a scout, after all.

But that uncle giving a reasonable order to help me was annoying--Ron grumbled inwardly. He glanced secretly at the berserker, who was standing tall with his sword impaled to the ground in front of him, hands resting on the end of the hilt. Fuck--even acting cool.

Perhaps sensing his gaze, the older man glanced back at him, arching his brow when catching Ron’s gaze. The young scout’s instinctual reaction was to glare and throw his face away, causing Agni to tilt his head in more confusion.

Really...what is wrong with this kid?

Only after Agni turned his head to watch the surroundings again did Ron let his breath flow and the heat creep into his cheeks. Fixing his eyes on the dark ground, Ron sighed as his concentration waned.

Haa...he couldn’t even hide it well anymore, huh? At least, not to himself.

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