There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 420

Chapter 420: Chapter 413. Upper Sanctuary

Being called Zein’s ’special esper’ made Bassena generous enough to let Elena occupy one of Zein’s hands as they climbed the stairs to the Upper Sanctuary.

As for the white rabbit...well; it wasn’t like he could fight a Goddes’s pet.

The little girl bounced happily while holding Zein’s hand. "Grandma told me you’ll come here again, but I don’t know it’s today!"

"Who’s ’Grandma’?" Bassena asked in a whisper.

"The Saintess."

"Oh," Bassena glanced at the little girl. "I see...so she’s the Saintess candidate."

Elena looked at the esper with a grin. "That’s right! I’m the same with Zein!"

Bassena wanted to scoff, telling her Zein wouldn’t be a Saint, but he reckoned that would be too childish, and Zein already scolded him once about acting bratty in front of Senia, so he held it in.

And she said he was Zein’s special esper.

Bassena hazily recalled, during his moment of distress while waiting for Zein in this Temple before, a small figure that kept on watching him from afar. Perhaps it was this girl. Zein did say she was the one who told the guide about him being here, so...

Well, alright; she could have her moment with Zein.

"Where are you taking us, Elena?" Zein asked when they passed the Lower Sanctuary.

"Grandma and Big Sis are having teatime right now," the girl said while shaking Zein’s arm. "Let’s join them."

"Are we allowed to do that?" Zein glanced at the Templars, who were their actual guide.

The Templar he was familiar with glanced at Bassena briefly before nodding. "We are meant to bring you to meet the Saintess and the Medium right away, Sir."

"Well, that’s good," Zein looked up, at the underside of the Middle Sanctuary where Bassena was stopped before. That was where the higher-rank espers getting treated, and no esper had gone up except for Bassena--due to the special circumstances at that time.

And it seemed like this time too, it was considered to be a special circumstance. Perhaps because they considered Bassena as Zein’s partner--almost like an imprinted esper. Naturally, when Bassena was seen entering the staircase leading to the Upper Sanctuary, people in the waiting room were looking at the group weirdly.

"Feeling special?" Zein chuckled when he saw Bassena’s little smirk.

The esper coughed a little bit, feeling flustered about being caught acting childish. "No?" he defended himself. "I’m going to disappear in a few hours anyway."

"Right," Zein laughed softly, feeling a tingle in his fingers when he realized he couldn’t use his hand to pat the esper’s cheek because they were all occupied.

Hearing the soft, melodious ring, Elena looked up at the softened curl of the brilliant blue. "Zein, you don’t wear your mask anymore."

It was said with an awed realization, as if she had just remembered that Zein used to wear one, even though they had walked together for quite some time.

"Yeah, I don’t need it anymore," Zein replied with a smile. "Except when I’m in dungeons."

"Hmm..." Elena kept observing the guide’s face even while they were climbing up the stairs. Fascinatingly, she had never tripped even once. "Is it...because you’re no longer afraid?"

Zein--and Bassena too--looked at the little girl in surprise. Elena, feeling that she should explain further, added while moving her head side to side, recalling her own experience in the orphanage.

"You see, I had this friend who always brought her blanket around because she said it was what kept her from the nightmare, and...and, there this one boy who always wore a helmet and never took it off, even while eating!"

"Helmet?"

"Yeah!" she laughed fondly at the memory, using both her hands to imitate a helmet on her head. "He said he does it so no one will be able to hit his head anymore--oh, he said he was in the orphanage because his father used to hit him in the head all the time."

"Ah..."

Zein rubbed his mouth; his lower face, which used to be hidden under the mask. Hid from the world that seemed always so eager to destroy beautiful things. It was just a girl’s innocent remark, but it was accurate.

He looked down, at the girl who was waiting for an answer, and he smiled. "You’re right; I’m no longer afraid."

Elena grinned and skipped joyfully, taking Zein’s hand again. "I see! I’m glad, Zein!" she glanced behind, at the only esper among them, and pulled Zein down to whisper. "Is it because of him?"

Zein wanted to laugh at this nosy little Saintess, but he replied genuinely. "Well, there’s a lot of reasons, but...yes, most of it because of him."