General Paul Buher

"It was all pointless," robotess suddenly said bitterly, breaking the prolonged silence. "We spent weeks, resources, nerves... to find out what was obvious from the very beginning. The Antichrist is not some sinister person, but just a fiction of people justifying their mistakes.

Noah looked back at her, raising his eyebrows.

"But this understanding is also a kind of victory, isn't it?" he noted. "We saw that the real struggle is not with an external enemy, but with ourselves. Realizing this is worth the time spent."

Delia Asia Vieira snorted and shook her head.

"You're just trying to comfort me. But the truth is, I shouldn't have brought us across the ocean. We could have stayed in New York and done something useful."

Noah smiled and lightly touched her hand, but the robotess immediately pulled away as if his touch had burned her.

"It's not just about fighting myths. This trip was..." He hesitated, choosing his words. "It was important to me. Not only because we learned the truth, but because we were together. I learned a lot about myself while I was with you.

Delia Asia Vieira stopped and looked him in the eyes. He seemed serious, almost determined, but at the same time his gaze was filled with some confusion.

"Noah," she said softly, "you know it was just a delusion, right? You never really knew me. You think I'm who I seem, but... I'm not.

He frowned, as if he didn't understand what she was talking about.

"I don't know what you mean," he said slowly. "But I know one thing: I want to be with you. I don't care what was or what will be. We can start all over again... together."

Robotess looked away, her artificial mind feverishly analyzing his words. He didn't know that Delia Asia Vieira was just a robot, a product of the genius mind of her creator Robert. And no matter how hard she tried to imitate people, her heart was a lifeless machine. But Noah didn't see it, and every look he gave her, full of love and hope, seemed like a painful reminder that she could never reciprocate his feelings the way he wanted.

"Noah, you're a good man," she finally said sadly. "But you're wrong about me. I can't give you what you're looking for."

"Why?" He grabbed her hand, his voice full of despair. "Why are you saying that? You're not... You're not some kind of alien, you're..."

But robotess, as if anticipating his words, only smiled sadly and took her hand away.

"Precisely because I am not who you see me, Noah. Believe me, I want your happiness. But what you seek in me, I cannot give you."

For a moment, Noah froze, realizing the meaning of her words. His face was contorted with pain and confusion, as if he had been stabbed straight in the heart. But Delia Asia Vieira could not afford the luxury of a long explanation. She knew that any moment of delay would only strengthen his illusions.

"We need to move on," she said sharply, breaking the awkward silence. "We still have work to complete."

Noah nodded, still processing what he had heard, and without another word, he walked forward. Delia Asia Vieira followed him, her face once again assuming a cold, unperturbed expression. After their meeting with Shinoda Okamura, an eccentric sensei who now lived among the Portuguese and did not care about the traditions of his family, Delia Asia Vieira and Noah decided that it was time to return to New York.

They headed to the airport, determined to return home the usual way. After such strange adventures, they wanted a little normality, and it seemed to them that a good old-fashioned flight was the surest way to end their journey.

But another unexpected surprise stood in their way. Standing in a long line at the check-in counter, they learned that all seats on flights to New York for the next two days were booked. The receptionist just threw up his hands, explaining that the situation with air tickets in recent days had become so complicated that even the most desperate travelers could not find a seat.

Noah looked at the robotess with a confused expression on his face. He wasn't used to such unpredictable situations, and it was extremely unsettling. To say that he was upset was to say nothing. He even considered just taking a ticket on any flight to America and getting to New York sometime later, but that clearly wasn't an option for her.

"So what now?" she asked, studying his reaction. "Are we supposed to live here?"

Noah frowned, his eyes shining with thought, and he suddenly turned to her with a sincere decision.

"Wait, I'll call someone," he said. "Maybe he can help us."

He took out his phone and dialed a number. Delia Asia Vieira stood next to him, quietly watching his actions. She had already gotten used to the fact that his life was full of unusual acquaintances and even stranger situations, but what he said next surprised her again.

"Hi, I'm here in Lisbon, and like you said, we're in trouble. We need to get to New York as soon as possible. Is there an option with a military plane?"

He said a few more words in Portuguese, but robotess couldn't understand what he was talking about. His tone suggested that he was talking about some kind of special conditions, but to her it all boiled down to the fact that they could count on help. When Noah hung up, his face lit up with a satisfied smile.

"Excellent!" he said, with such relief that Delia Asia Vieira could not help but notice his joy. "We're flying on a military plane!"

"A military plane?" she asked, not quite understanding what had happened. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, seriously. He said it wasn't a problem, we'd just have to go through a different gate at the airport." Noah laughed, and his joy was infectious. "It's like it's all done through connections. And it's free! They won't charge us any money!"

Robotess nodded, although she was a little puzzled by how easily Noah could solve such problems. It all seemed... a little strange. How could a man they had met only a few days ago offer such help for free? But in the end, she knew she shouldn't be surprised anymore. She followed Noah, who seemed completely oblivious to the strangeness of what was happening. He was on cloud nine, not even noticing the uncertainty with which it was all happening.