Episode 05: Solitude of the Astigmatism: Entangled Sheep

"Solitude of the Astigmatism: Entangled Sheep" (非点収差のソリチュード, Hitenshūsa no Sorichūdo) is the fifth episode of the anime adaptation of the Steins;Gate 0 visual novel.

Synopsis
Continuing from the previous episode, Kiryu Moeka makes an appearance, and Daru is apparently familiar with her due to third-party interviews in which Daru was asked about Akiba urban legends.

Daru apparently has called her here in order to help aid in the search for Kagari Shiina, and Rintaro thinks multiple times about whether or not it is really a good idea to ask her to help, even considering the possibility that she is still a Rounder in this world line. Despite his misgivings, he agrees to have her help, and curiously, her walking after departing the lab is animated with a sharp dark gradient shadowing her face. Suzuha then asks Rintaro if he knew Kiryu already, since it was obvious from his demeanor, but does not pry further when Okabe remains reticent.

At the Brain Science Institute, Maho is shown to be quite worried about Rintaro after hearing that he has not conversed with Amadeus since she had bluntly reminded him that Kurisu is already dead. She decides to go to Akihabara to visit Rintaro, and is inquired teasingly by the Alexis Leskinen regarding what her intentions are. Maho stubbornly attempts to maintain that she is going there for "a change of pace", and that she might as well go visit Okabe while she's there.

Back at the lab, Moeka has apparently compiled her report, the primary observations of which were that 1) it would not be easy to find Kagari Shiina, and 2) other people had been searching for her for the past few months, some of them foreigners. From this information, Rintaro conjectures that she must still be alive.

In the next scene, Maho is shown to be in front of Akihabara Station, where she begins to compose a message asking if she can visit the lab. However, she is interrupted by a sinking feeling that she is being followed by a certain man in a suit, and immediately begins to walk. After seemingly being unable to shake off the person tailing her, she breaks into a sprint and runs into an alleyway, where a person with a long winter jacket follows her. Seeing that she is visibly being followed, Maho once again begins sprinting, and the pursuing woman quickens her pace. Maho calls Rintaro and tells him that she is near the lab before being cut off with the sound of a shocked whimper. Rintaro, suspecting a possible attack similar to that on Mayuri from the previous world line, proceeds to immediately grab the lightsaber gadget and look for Maho. He comes across Maho's dropped belongings, and subsequently finds Maho in the grip of the woman from before. It is then revealed that the woman is Judy Reyes, a colleague of Maho's and Alexis. Apparently Reyes merely saw Maho run into the alleyway and thought to suprise her, which leads to Maho wondering about if she was imagining the person who followed her.

(about halfway through episode, incomplete)

Characters In Order of Appearance
To be added