Strawberry Bread

The full moon appeared enormous as viewed from the edge of the beach.

The Envoy had fallen, destroyed in an uneven battle. The special fleet from Zone F012, eagerly awaited, had yet to arrive. On the shoreline, Japanese soldiers began to move in, securing the area.

However, they kept their distance from where Delion stood. None dared to approach. They only observed from afar, both intrigued and fearful of the mysterious figure floating around Delion as if defying gravity.

"I'm Rafael," the young man said with a childlike smile, a smile that didn't match the terrifying power he possessed.

Beyond his power, Delion couldn't deny her admiration for the young man. With shoulder-length platinum hair like silk threads, alabaster skin that sparkled, and eyes as clear as amethyst, he was a being too beautiful for words.

Strange indeed.

If he were given a pair of wings, perhaps this young man would resemble the angels depicted in children's fairy tales.

The young man suddenly stopped floating. He lightly touched down in front of Delion, moving as gently as a breeze. He gazed at Delion with curiosity as intense as a puppy just given a new toy. "What's your name?"

Delion blinked, suddenly at a loss for words due to their proximity.

When no answer came, Rafael leaned in closer, bending down to read Delion's name tag. "De… Li… On… Wal… Ter… Delion Walter!" He then chuckled to himself.

A sense of unease crept over Delion. Rafael's familiarity was too quick, too unnatural. "Thank you for helping me, Esper Rafael," she said coldly, taking two steps back, clearly maintaining distance.

The young man nodded, but his eyes showed that he was waiting for something. "You're welcome, Delion Walter. So, where's my gift?" he asked, his voice now slightly shy.

Delion frowned, puzzled by the request. "A gift?"

The situation became even more bizarre as Rafael, who had been cheerful earlier, began to look irritated. He pouted, and his bare feet kicked the sand in frustration.

"I've been good. Where's my gift?" he mumbled in a gradually quieter voice. Occasionally, he glanced at Delion, hoping she would understand, but Delion remained silent, too confused to respond.

On the horizon, a helicopter bearing the NSA-SeAs emblem approached, followed by several others. Help from Zone F012 had finally arrived.

"Rafael!"

Hearing his name called, the young man looked up. "Professor Noah!" he exclaimed happily, jumping and floating lightly toward the helicopter that had just landed.

Delion also looked toward the helicopter, then glanced at Rafael, who was now spinning around like a child greeting a parent.

"I did good, Professor. The Envoy is defeated," he reported proudly.

A man in a white coat stepped out of the helicopter. His face was framed by thick glasses, giving the impression of a wise but eccentric scientist. He patted Rafael's head affectionately. "Good job, son," he praised.

Rafael chuckled, but he wasn't entirely satisfied. "But Delion Walter didn't give me any gift. She's stingy. Not like you, Professor," he complained, pouting at Delion, making her feel even more awkward.

Professor Noah patted Rafael's head again, then walked over to Delion, shaking her hand warmly. "Hello, Colonel Walter. I'm Professor Noah. My wife, Dr. Gwen, has told me a lot about you."

Delion blinked. Dr. Gwen was the person in charge of handling all her affairs at Zone F012. Oh, how small the world was.

"Where's my gift, Professor?" Rafael interrupted again, starting to whine.

Professor Noah glanced at the metallic collar around Rafael's neck, then nodded. "What do you want, Rafael?" he asked.

And it was only then that Delion noticed the collar, which had originally been green, was now turning a yellowish-green. It seemed the collar wasn't just an ordinary piece of jewelry.

"Bread!"

"Strawberry?"

"Yes!"

"You'll get it after this."

"Thank you, Professor!" Rafael cheered, floating around like a bee.

"Professor," someone called from a distance. A group of people dressed in white approached, their faces serious, their steps firm.

Professor Noah sighed, understanding what he had to do next, even though his heart was heavy. He looked at Rafael, who was still floating with joy on his face. "Rafael," his voice sounded heavy, weighed down by the responsibility he had to fulfill.

Rafael, with a small innocent smile, seemed unaware of the tension around him. Or perhaps he was too used to this situation. "It's okay," he said as if what was about to happen to him was just a small game. "But can I bring the bread into the lab later?"

"Of course, kid. You can eat as much as you want," Professor Noah replied.

With practiced movements, Rafael extended his hands without hesitation, ready to be bound. Not just his hands, but his feet, body, and neck were also wrapped in thick, heavy chains that restricted his movement.

One by one, the chains encircled his body, adding a weight that seemed impossible for an ordinary human to bear. But Rafael remained silent, no complaint escaped his lips. He even bowed his head willingly when one of them had to cover his eyes.

"Goodbye, Professor Noah. Goodbye, Delion Walter." Rafael still managed to greet them and flashed a friendly smile before his body was placed inside a large metal casket.

The sound of chains clanking against metal filled the air, breaking the silence that felt strangely suffocating to Delion.

The casket, which resembled a walking prison, was soon sealed with a loud clang, echoing in everyone's ears.

Delion watched everything with mixed emotions. Her heart was disturbed, pierced by the sight she had just witnessed. She had never imagined that in Zone F012, an Esper would be treated so harshly.

Chains, blindfolds, and metal caskets—this was inhumane. Espers might be dangerous, but in the end, they were still human.

"Colonel Walter." Professor Noah's voice broke Delion's reverie. "You can come to Zone F012 with us. I just received a report that the ship that was supposed to bring you has been destroyed by the Envoy."

"What about the crew?" Delion finally remembered the fate of her crew.

"Rest assured. They're safe."

Delion sighed in relief. "Thank you for your help, Dr. Noah. I'm sorry for the trouble, and thank you so much."

Professor Noah shook his head. He then smiled slightly. "You don't need to thank me, Colonel. Thank Rafael next time. He loves strawberry bread, so buy that for him."

Delion pondered those words for a moment. "Alright...," she replied stiffly.

If Delion met that young man again, she promised to give him a gift. She owed him that.

But only strawberry bread.

The young man's sacrifice was only rewarded with strawberry bread.

Only strawberry bread.

That phrase echoed in Delion's mind and made her feel angry.