Steins;Gate (visual novel)



Steins;Gate (シュタインズ・ゲート, Shutainzu Gēto?), not to be confused with the similarly named Steins Gate (no semi-colon) world line, is a Japanese visual novel developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus, and was released on October 15, 2009 for the Xbox 360. This is the two companies' second time collaborating together after  Chaos Head. A port to the Windows  operating system on the PC was released on August 26, 2010 and a port for Sony's PlayStation Portable handheld game console was released on April 26, 2012. The game is described by the development team as a "hypothetical science ADV " (想定科学ADV, Sōtei Kagaku ADV?).[2] The gameplay in Steins;Gate follows a linear plot line which offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of interaction.

The story of Steins;Gate takes place in Akihabara and is about a group of friends who have customized their microwave into a device that can send text messages to the past. As they perform different experiments, an organization named SERN who has been doing their own research on time travel tracks them down and now the characters have to find a way to avoid being captured by them. Steins;Gate has been praised for its intertwining storyline and the voice actors have been commended for their portrayal of the characters.

JAST USA released an official English translation of the visual novel on March 31, 2014. Both a limited edition and a standard were released.

Gameplay
Gameplay requires little interaction from the player as most of the duration of the game is spent on reading the text that appears on the screen which represents either the dialogue between the various characters or the thoughts of the protagonist. Like many other visual novels, there are specific points in Steins;Gate where the user is given a choice to affect the direction of the game.



For these decision points, Steins;Gate presents the user with the "phone trigger" (フォーントリガー, fōn tor'igaa?) system which is similar to the "delusional trigger" system that was introduced in Chaos;Head. When the player receives a phone call from somebody, the player can choose to answer or ignore the call. Incoming text messages will have specific words underlined and highlighted in blue, much like a hyperlink on a browser, where the player can select on to reply to the text message. Most phone calls or text messages do not have to be responded to, though certain messages will drastically alter the story's progress if read/ignored, leading to various different points in the game where the player is required to take action. Depending on the player's choices on how to respond to these phone calls and text messages, the plot will progress in a specific direction.

As Steins;Gate is a story-telling visual novel, there is no "Game Over" or "false ends" like other games. Any and all progress made in the game will lead towards a specific direction, though many elements will vary depending on the player's decisions, and can lead to different character endings or the presence/absence of a character/event.

Setting and themes
Steins;Gate is set in the summer of 2010, approximately one year after the events that took place in Chaos;Head,[5] in Akihabara. Physical locales of Akihabara like the Radio Kaikan building can be spotted in the game.[6] According to Chiyomaru Shikura, who headed the planning of Steins;Gate, Akihabara was chosen because it is an easy place for acquiring hardware parts which makes it the ideal place for people interested in inventing and tinkering with things.[7] The notion of time and time traveling are the main themes of the game.[6] [8] The concept of cause and effect is featured prominently in the game as the protagonist travels back in time numerous times to perform different actions in an attempt to alter what has happened in the future.

Main characters
The player assumes the role of Rintarō Okabe (岡部倫太郎, Okabe Rintarō?, voiced by: Mamoru Miyano), the protagonist of Steins;Gate. Rintarō claims to be a mad scientist and often refers to himself under the alias of Kyōma Hōōin (鳳凰院凶真, Hōōin Kyōma?).[6] This is also the name he uses to introduce himself to other people. The main heroine of the game is Kurisu Makise (牧瀬紅莉栖, Makise Kurisu?, voiced by: Asami Imai). Kurisu is an extremely talented neuroscience researcher, having had her research published in the Science academic journal at the young age of 18.[9] Mayuri Shiina (椎名まゆり, Shiina Mayuri?, voiced by: Kana Hanazawa) is a long time childhood friend of Rintarō and is a bit of an airhead. Mayuri enjoys creating cosplay costumes and has a part-time job at a maid cafe.[10] Hashida Itaru (橋田至, Itaru Hashida?, voiced by: Tomokazu Seki) is an experienced hacker in both software and hardware technologies. He is also well-versed in things pertaining to otaku culture.[6]

Suzuha Amane (阿万音鈴羽, Amane Suzuha?, voiced by: Yukari Tamura) works part-time for the landlord of Rintarō's flat and is on a search for her father in Akihabara. She enjoys riding her bicycle and appears to be at odds with Kurisu for unexplained reasons.[11] Luka Urushibara (漆原るか, Urushibara Ruka?, voiced by: Yū Kobayashi) is a bishōnen who looks strikingly like a girl and even wears the garment of a miko despite being a boy. He is a close friend of Mayuri and is often asked by her to try on her cosplay costumes.[12] Faris Nyannyan (フェイリス ニャンニャン, Feiris Nyannyan?, voiced by: Haruko Momoi) works at the maid cafe "Mayqueen Nyannyan", the same maid cafe that Mayuri works at, and is the most popular waitress there.[13] Moeka Kiryū (桐生萌郁, Kiryū Moeka?, voiced by: Saori Gotō) is a tall girl that Rintarō bumps into in Akihabara and is on a search for the IBN 5100 personal computer. Moeka is extremely protective of her mobile phone and becomes agitated if someone tries to take it from her hands. She is very shy and prefers to talk to someone by sending them a text message instead of speaking.

Story - short summary
The story of Steins;Gate begins on July 28, 2010, in Akihabara, with Rintarō Okabe and Mayuri Shiina heading towards the Radio Kaikan building. Inside the building, Rintarō finds the body of Kurisu Makise with a pool of blood in a room. He leaves the building with Mayuri in a panic and sends a text message to Hashida Itaru about the incident when all the people around him suddenly vanish. They reappear moments later but no one around him seems to have experienced the same phenomena that he did.[16]

Rintarō and Hashida Itaru runs into the same Kurisu from the Radio Kaikan building later.[17] Rintarō explains what he has gone through and Hashida then mentions that he received a text message similar to what Rintarō described one week ago.[18] Upon further investigation, they realize that their customized microwave can be used to send text messages to the past<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-famitsu-preview_5-4">[6] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18">[19] and names these messages "D mail" (Dメール, D mēru?). The characters later discover that SERN, an organization that has been researching time travel for some time, has actually succeeded in sending humans into the past although they seem to have all resulted in the test subjects' deaths. Kurisu later enhances the microwave with the ability to send one's memories back in time, effectively allowing one to travel back in time.

SERN finds out about Rintarō and his friends because of the first D mail he accidentally sent out on July 28 and sends a team to retrieve the device. During this operation, Mayuri is killed by SERN's unit. Rintarō travels back in time numerous times to try to save Mayuri but this proves to be futile as Mayuri ends up dying even in scenarios where they manage to avoid SERN's men. After much effort, Rintarō regains possession of the IBN 5100 PC that they lost earlier and with it Hashida can now crack into SERN's systems and delete the evidence of Rintarō's original D mail. However, Rintarō realizes that doing so would put him on the world line that he originally was on July 28 which is the one where he found Kurisu's body at the Radio Kaikan building. This means that he would have to sacrifice either Mayuri or Kurisu to save the other. Kurisu and Rintarō eventually decide on saving Mayuri<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19">[20] and Rintarō deletes the evidence of his D mail from SERN's database.

Some time later, Suzuha Amane arrives on a time machine from 2036 and asks Rintarō to go back in time with her to July 28 to save Kurisu from her fate in an attempt to change the future that has been destroyed by World War 3.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20">[21] However, this operation ends in a disaster as Rintarō ends up killing Kurisu by mistake.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-21">[22] This failure is revealed to have been part of the operation in a video D mail from the Rintarō of 2025. As Kurisu was not saved, Rintarō and Hashida spent the rest of their lives working on enhancing the D mail's capabilities as well as a time machine so that they could tell the current Rintarō to go save Kurisu.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-22">[23] If Rintarō had just saved Kurisu, a time paradox would have occurred. The Rintarō of 2025 tells the current Rintarō to go back again and create a scene where it seems as if Kurisu died to fool the original Rintarō of July 28 to send his D mail, which ultimately triggered all the events up to this point.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-23">[24]

Rintarō and Suzuha return a second time but as the props that Rintarō brought for the operation did not seem to be functioning properly, he protects Kurisu by provoking her attacker and Rintarō is stabbed instead. Rintarō uses his stun gun on Kurisu and the attacker escapes in fear. Rintarō lays Kurisu in his pool of blood just as she seemed when he first saw her body on July 28. Suzuha and Rintarō both travel back to Rintarō's current time holding on to the hope that the future has changed. In the final scene of the game, Rintarō and Kurisu reunite by chance in the streets of Akihabara.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24">[25]

Development
Steins;Gate is the second collaborative work between 5pb. and Nitroplus after Chaos;Head.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5pb-teaser-opening_1-1">[2] The game was created with the concept of "99% science (reality) and 1% fantasy" in mind.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-25">[26] The planning for Steins;Gate was headed by Chiyomaru Shikura of 5pb.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-famitsu-review_7-2">[8] The characters were designed by Huke whereas the gadgets were designed by Sh@rp.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-famitsu-review_7-3">[8] Naotaka Hayashi of 5pb. wrote the scenario with assistance from Vio Shimokura of Nitroplus. Tatsuya Matsuhara from 5pb. was the producer and Tosō Pehara from Nitroplus was the art director.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-famitsu-review_7-4">[8] The music was composed by Takeshi Abo of 5pb. and Toshimichi Isoe of Zizz Studio.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-famitsu-review_7-5">[8] Shikura, Hayashi, Matsuhara, Abo, and Isoe had all previously worked on Chaos;Head.

Prior to the game's announcement, a teaser site was featured on 5pb.'s website that simply referred to the game as Project S;G and stating that it was going to be a collaboration between 5pb. and Nitroplus.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-26">[27] This was not the first time that a second collaborative project between 5pb. and Nitroplus was mentioned as Nitroplus's website had hinted at this on its 10th anniversary website.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27">[28] Matsuhara, who was also the producer for Chaos;Head, had previously stated that the game would be centred around Akihabara and that the project with Nitroplus would be the second part in a series around the theme "Science Novels (科学ノベル, Kagaku Noberu?)".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28">[29] On June 12, 2009, the countdown expired and the name Steins;Gate was revealed.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5pb-teaser-opening_1-2">[2]

Matsuhara, who was the one originally thought of the concept of the phone trigger system, stated that they initially wanted to incorporate the player's own mobile phone into the system. However, the idea was abandoned due to concerns of clashing with Japan's privacy laws.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-dengeki-interview-pg3_29-0">[30] When asked if the phone trigger system would be used in a possible sequel to the game, Hayashi stated that he hoped this would not be the case and recalled saying "who thought of this system!" while writing the contents of the text messages.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-dengeki-interview-pg3_29-1">[30] While Shitakura did not directly contribute to the script itself, Hayashi stated that Shitakura helped with the overall plot and provided assistance with the second half of the story. In particular, Shitakura helped a lot on the time traveling aspects of the story.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-dengeki-interview-pg1_30-0">[31] Hayashi stated that while he did not want the script to repeat the same text over and over again, it was ultimately unavoidable due to the player having to travel back in time so he tried to place emphasis on the overall tempo of the plot's development and how the plot unfolded.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-dengeki-interview-pg1_30-1">[31] With regards to the theme of time traveling, Hayashi had felt that it seemed like a topic that was overdone and expressed concern over it when he first heard the idea from Shikura.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-dengeki-interview-pg1_30-2">[31]

Kana Hanazawa stated that she was happy to have been selected to be in Steins;Gate as she felt that it was not common to be able to play a part in a serious game. She also thought that the game gives the player more of a thrilling sensation rather than a frightening one and it entices the player to continue reading.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-31">[32]

Release history
Steins;Gate was first declared gold on September 18, 2009<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-32">[33] with a demo of the game being made available a few weeks later on the Xbox Live Marketplace on October 7, 2009<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-demo-announcement_33-0">[34] for Xbox Live Gold members and then publicly on October 14, 2009.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-34">[35] The demo allows the player to play through the prologue and the game's first chapter.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-demo-announcement_33-1">[34] Steins;Gate was released in both limited and regular editions on October 15, 2009. The limited edition contained the game itself, a toy named "Future Gadget #3 Lie Detector" from the game and a small hardcover artbook that includes various illustrations and background information about the game's universe as well as comments from the staff members.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-xbox.com_0-2">[1] A Windows port of the game was released on August 26, 2010,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35">[36] the port will include additional CGs.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36">[37] A PlayStation Portable port of the game will be released in June, 2011.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-famitsu-psp_37-0">[38] The game will include elements from the downloadable contents of the Xbox 360 version as well as a new opening movie, a new opening theme and a new ending theme. The game was also released for Apple iOS devices on August 25, 2011.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-iOS_2-1">[2]

Music
Steins;Gate has four main theme songs, the opening theme "Sky Clad Observer" (スカイクラッドの観測者, Sukai Kuraddo no Kansokusha?), the first ending theme "Another Heaven", the second ending theme "Unmei no Farfalla" (運命のファルファッラ, Unmei no Farufarra?)", and the insert song "Technovision". The third song is sung by Yui Sakakibara while the other ones are sung by Kanako Itō. Itō's "Technovision" was included in her "Stargate" album which was released on August 26, 2009.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50">[51] "Sky Clad Observer" was composed by Chiyomura Shikura and "Another Heaven" was composed by Yoshihiro Suda.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5pb-opening_51-0">[52] The "Sky Clad Observer" single was released on October 28, 2009.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5pb-opening_51-1">[52] Sakakibara's "Umei no Farufarra" was composed by Tatsuhi Hayashi and the single was be released on November 25, 2009.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-52">[53] A soundtrack of the game was released on February 3, 2010 on two discs in a bundle of three that includes recorders of the Internet radio show.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5pb-ost_43-2">[44] All the background music of the game was included as well as shortened versions of the vocal tracks.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5pb-ost_43-3">[44] The piano score for one of the tracks, "Gate of Steiner", was also included in the soundtrack.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5pb-ost_43-4">[44]

Prologue, Chapter 1 – Time Travel Paranoia
Episode 1, 2, 3

The story starts off with Okarin (Okabe Rintaro), a “chuunibyou” with delusional “mad scientist” ambitions, who goes to attend a presentation about time travel but discovers Kurisu Makise, a young genius, murdered. When he sends a message to his friend Daru about the matter, he suddenly finds himself in the streets of Akiba with everyone gone. Mayuri wakes him up and he finds the presentation cancelled with a large satellite crashed in the very building he was in earlier.

He doesn’t know what’s going on. He goes with Daru to attend a different lecture and to his disbelieve finds Kurisu alive and well. She was the one carrying out the presentation on time travel instead. As before, he tries to prove time travel but Kurisu manages to run through all 11 existing time travel theories to prove him that it was impossible.

Unable to make sense of what happened, he makes his way back to the lab. Along the way he notices a long haired woman taking pictures of him. Worried that she will end up being attacked by the “secret organisation” he feared, he catches up with her to warn her to delete the photos. She doesn’t say much other than she was searching for an old retro PC known as the “IBN5100″. She types so fast that Okarin decides to nickname her “Shining Fingers”.

Back at the lab, he continues experimenting with his Telephone Microwave which, appears to transport objects around but also turn them into “jelly” form. While experimenting further with Mayuri’s favourite bananas, “The Zombie” Kurisu happens to drop by the lab and is fascinated to learn more. She becomes LabMem (Laboratory Member) 004 as a condition to stay and research into the phenomena further.

Chapter 2 - Interpreter Rendezvous
Episode 3, 4, 5

Kurisu returns to her hotel, refusing to believe the Telephone Microwave was a time machine. Meanwhile Okarin follows up with the”John Titor” posts appearing in the @Channel message boards claiming of SERN controlling the future and how he was to track down an old IBN5100 to decipher a key that will change the future for the better.

Okarin decides to ask “Super Hacker” Daru to break into the SERN servers and while he was working away, he goes down to the old Braun’s TV store to pick up the broken TV he had left there to get fixed. Suzuha, the new girl who was working part time there told them it was ready. It seems Mr. Braun the shop owner wasn’t too happy about all the noise they’ve been making during the experiments. For some reason, Suzuha appears to be very interested in the IBN5100 too but Okarin soon learns she’s quite a Titor fan too.

After some probing, Daru finally manages to find some login info to let them get into the server. There they find an odd program that even Daru doesn’t recognise. A thought strikes Okarin and perhaps it’s the IBN5100 needed to decipher it. Sending a sample of the code to Titor, it’s confirmed they need one. However, no one knows where it is but rumours have it that there was one in Akihabara.

Okarin spends most of his day walking around trying to find clues but without any luck. Fortunately, during her shift at the “May Queen Nyan Nyan” maid cafe, Mayuri learns of the computer’s whereabouts. Her friend and colleague Faris knew where it was but wasn’t going to give up the info for free. Okarin is invited to play against her in a match of Rainet. He agrees and loses badly but the deal was simply to play a match, not to beat her.

They soon learn it was at the old shrine where one of their friends Luka stays. Someone had left it there long ago, mysteriously claiming a young man in the future will have need of it. It wasn’t a light computer despite being “portable” at 25kg and the truck was broken. Fortunately, Kurisu had tagged along curious to know more about the computer. Together they barely manage to move it back to the lab.

As they stop briefly by the bottom of the stairs, Suzuha meets Kurisu for the first time and glares at her. Puzzled, they watched her It was a while before she return inside the store without saying a word.

While Daru goes about finding a different ID with higher level privileges, Okarin lets Moeka know they had found it and explains their situation to Kurisu. As they wait for Daru, she decides to look into the Telephone Microwave further. Before long, Daru soon discovers a database that the mysterious program deciphers and find SERN had indeed successfully discovered time travel but have failed to transport humans so far. It is then that Kurisu believes that time machines exist.

Page: Top, Chapters 1-2 - Chapter 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Chapter 3 – Butterfly Effect’s “Divergence”
Episode 5, 6, 7

Delving further into the database, they discovered many cover ups. Every failed subject appeared in odd places and turning into “Jellymen”. Kurisu explains the human body can’t withstand the effects of the Kerr Black Hole and thus matter is completely broken. Furthermore, as the world is constantly spinning and in orbit, time travelling means you must calculate where to move to.

Eventually the members of Mirai Gadgets manage to workout how the D-Mail system works and agree that it can send mobile phone messages to the past. They decide to gather more sample data for research. However, Mr. Braun didn’t want them creating any more noise. The tremor felt like the building was going to collapse and was also ruining his food. They had to find a way to distract him or convince him to let them experiment more. They need to figure out the “lifter” mechanism that will allow objects to retain their form after travelling through time.

Moeka comes round the next morning, eager to see the IBN5100 for herself and try to borrow it but Okarin refuses to let her take it away. She soon meets Daru and overhears about the D-Mail system. Okarin decides to make her LabMem 005 in the hope she will keep it a secret. They continue to hold a meeting about what they should try with the machine.

First a lottery ticket which funnily enough, unlike most movies where people go for the top prize, Okari chooses the third prize so that their enemy SERN won’t notice them. Fortunately, Braun was out but they fail because he from the past ends up getting Luka to buy a ticket. Oddly, no one else remembers discussing the experiment beforehand.

Before trying again, Okarin goes downstairs to check with Suzuha. Braun’s little daughter Nae didn’t seem too fond of Okarin and hides quickly behind Suzuha. They have a little chat and learn that they were so loud, even Suzuha overheard their conversation about the time machine but they never felt and shaking when they sent the lottery message. Before Okarin could probe further, Suzuha suggests he tries to ask Titor about what might have happened. She rushes back inside after seeing Braun returning.

While Okarin contacts Titor to learn what may have happened to him, everyone else returns home apart from Kurisu. After a few messages Titor believes Okarin has the ability to help save the future although Okarin insists he is a “mad scientist” trying to bring chaos to the world.

Page: Top, Chapters 1-2 - Chapter 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Chapter 4 – Theory Homeostasis
Episode 8, 9, 10

Okarin explains to Kurisu and Daru about his “Reading Steiner” ability that allows him to preserve his memory of what’s changed and they decide to try again to see if it happens again. Daru wants to send himself some new tactics to beat Faris for a taste of her home cooking but nothing changes. They continue the experiments the next day with Mayuri trying to change what she brought back with her for lunch but again, nothing happens.

Soon their new lab member “Shining Fingers” Moeka requests to use the D-Mail system too. She sends a message to tell herself not to change her phone. This time, Okarin experienced the same feeling when the lottery ticket experiment took place. However, Moeka appears to have disappeared from the lab. Worried that her existence may have been wiped, Okarin quickly checks his phone and sends her a message. He is relieved when he receives a reply to say she’s busy.

Later that evening, it was time for Kurisu and Mayuri to get back home. As Kurisu heads on back to her hotel, Mayuri looks up at the starry night and remembers 10 years ago when Okarin fell ill with a very bad fever. At that time, Mayuri was so worried that she was looking up at the stars just like now wishing desperately for Okarin to recover and he did. It was a miracle he managed to survive. Now that Okarin thinks back, his Reading Steiner ability feels very much the same as when he had the fever.

Next day, Luka drops by and after making him a LabMem 006, he wants to e-mail his mother so that he is born a girl. Kurisu is shocked to learn Luka was actually male and quickly whips out a mirror to check her own looks. She couldn’t believe male looks so much cuter than herself.

After getting over the shock, Kurisu tells them she read somewhere on the internet that if the mother eats more vegetables, they will have  a baby girl or meat if they want a boy. It was a silly idea but they thought it was worth a try. The problem was before Luka is born, mobile phones weren’t invented so they had to use a pager instead – 831831831 for “yasai” as in vegetables or, 292929 “niku” for meat. They had to keep the message within the 36 character limit and eventually converts the message Lukako wants to send into pager code. The e-mail is sent, Reading Steiner is triggered but Luka remains a boy.

As Okarin tries to make sense of the D-Mail system at Daru’s favourite maid cafe, Faris overhears their conversation about their “time machine”. Using her charm on Daru, she makes them promise to let her use it. As Daru spills more information, Faris begins to wonder what was a time machine. She compares the present to people being on a boat. As it floats down the river, it is heading to the future while people who fall off it, dies. Being a time traveler means they can watch this boat and freely travel to any section of the river.

Returning back to the lab that evening, Okarin catches Kurisu sobbing outside while talking on the phone. She hangs up and disappears as soon as she sees Okarin. She doesn’t admit she was crying but Okarin offers to listen if she ever decides to open up. The next day after Daru and Mayuri returned, Okarin holds the first “Round Table” meeting to dicuss how to expand the machine’s capabilities. Kurisu thought it wasn’t possible when such a large organisation like SERN didn’t manage to achieve anything in the past 10 years or more.

When it was Daru’s turn to report on his progress in analysing the database, everyone returns a puzzled look at Okarin. It is then he finds out time has changed to the point they never managed to obtain the IBN5100. He sends a message to Moeka but seeing no reply, he calls Lukako instead. Lukako doesn’t recall them visiting the shrine to retrieve the PC either. He decides to call Faris next who appears to know nothing about it either. With no clues left to follow, Okarin tries to make use of Faris’ popularity to find it. She agrees but on the condition which she will explain after he goes to her home.

Only Okarin was invited but Daru and Mayuri tags along too. The drop by the shrine along the way only to find the PC had been stolen. It turns out Faris’ real name was “Akiha Rumiko” the daughter of the family responsible for Akihabara’s development. Under pressure from Daru and Mayuri, he makes Faris a member and lets her send a message. A message is sent and again nothing appears changed… Until Okarin leaves the expensive apartment and discovers all the Anime stores, maid cafes and all things Otaku related had disappeared from Akiba. Nakano was now the centre of Otaku merchandise.

As Okarin stares in disbelief at the surroundings, an e-mail arrives warning him that he is being watched.

He returns to the lab to find Mayuri reading a book with Lukako. They seemed to be having fun but suddenly Kurisu praises how cute Lukako was. It appeared she wasn’t aware Lukako was male but Mayuri appeared to feel the same way too. Not believing them, Okarin decides to check himself and finds out that Lukako was indeed female now. Kurisu smacks him for being rude.

Okarin leaves the lab so that he can think things over and let the girls calm down. He meets Suzuha who invites him for a cycle to relief the stress. Soon Okarin learns Suzuha was trying to find her father. Okarin laughs menacingly, suggesting if she doesn’t manage to meet him, she can take part in the D-Mail experiment like everyone else and makes her LabMem 008.

He was planning to tail her to find out whether she is successful or not but, the girls convince him otherwise. Instead they decide to find Daru because he hadn’t turned up for their Round Table meeting. They find him at the local mall but before he had a chance to explain what he was doing there, Okarin lures him back to the lab claiming Faris was there cooking. It wasn’t until they were back at the lab did Okarin find out Daru was going to attend another presentation about time travel. A missed opportunity surely. Meanwhile the girls continue working on their cooking but it did not look good.

Suddenly, a mail arrives from Suzuha with only the word – “Farewell”. She didn’t find her father after all. Wishing he could help Suzuha, Okarin rushes out the lab to look for her and catches sight of her at the station but she disappears. He returns to the lab to tell the others and was going to use D-Mail but it was late and there was a storm. The next day, reports that the satellite had disappeared was over the headlines. Okarin pays no attention to it and sends a D-Mail back to himself to tail Suzuha and ignore the girls. Walking downstairs, he finds Suzuha happy they had thrown a party to cheer her up the night before. Okarin was glad she looked better and takes the chance to ask more about her father. She replies he goes by the code name “Barrell Titor” and was supposed to be at the time machine presentation.

Page: Top, Chapters 1-2 - Chapter 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Chapter 5 – Dogma in Event Horizon
Episode 11, 12, 13

The next day, Faris phones to say she couldn’t find any information about the IBN5100 but Daru manages to find something interesting… Their network connection was linked directly to SERN. Perhaps they really are being spied on.

Some time passes by and Kurisu has discovered the secret to the D-Mail system. In order for a time machine to work, a mini black hole must be created but a particle accelerator similar to the SERN’s LHC is needed. As Kurisu goes about figuring out what they could use, she reveals to Okarin that her interest in science began when her father kept talking to her about science. Eventually one of the theories her father found lead him to shame and embarassment from the media. Her mother thought this would affect Kurisu and sent her overseas. She returned to Japan hoping to see her father again but he didn’t seem pleased on the phone that other day. Okarin promises he will go with her to Aomori so she doesn’t have to worry.

The next day, Okarin heads out with Mayuri to help find the components they need to begin upgrading the D-Mail system to a time leap system. They meet Moeka who appears unusually interested in how work is progressing. Not long later that evening, Okarin receives yet another threat e-mail. This time with the severed head of a mannequin’s head with red paint over it.

Quickly he runs back to the lab and locks the door. He hears someone in the showers. Worried for the girl’s safety he bursts inside…

The next day, Kurisu was ready to adjust the Telephone Microwave so that it works with her contraption that allows them to store human memory as data, ready for sending. But first, Okarin will have to distract Mr Braun who might kick them out of the lab if they perform any more building shaking experiments. He goes down to the shop and finds Suzuha there. Suzuha learns of what he was planning but again warns him to get rid of Kurisu, claiming she will do anything to carry out her experiments. Suddenly, the building begins to shake and Braun tries to protect the 42″ CRT TV. It was then Okarin realises the giant 42″ old TV in Mr Braun’s shop downstairs was the key component “lifter” that was making the D-Mail system possible. It was responsible for speeding up the radio waves emitted by Okarin’s phone into the Telephone Microwave. This was why it only worked at certain times when the shop was open.

To confirm Okarin’s findings, they decide to try again. Earlier, Braun had just raised the rent to punish them. They’re going to need some more serious distraction this time so that they can make sure the TV is on. Fortunately Suzuha decides to help out. She takes her top off and wraps it tightly around Braun’s head. Surprised, Okarin quickly hits the power switch and as if on cue, the building shakes again.

Figuring out the mystery still wasn’t going to allow humans to travel back in time but, Kurisu explains she can use the theory she had published in the Science magazine – She can capture the entire human memory into 3.24TB (3,2400,000GB, approximately 6.48 million of today’s biggest 2TB hard discs). She could then use the mini black hole generated by the Telephone Microwave to compress the data into the limited 36 bytes and then using a phone in the past, “restore” this memory into someone else’s mind. In this case, it would allow them to call themselves in the past and transfer their memory through the phone producing a “time leap” effect.

After gathering all the components Kurisu needed to finally complete the new time leap machine, Okarin holds another “Round Table” meeting to discuss what they should do with such a machine and the possibility of stopping SERN. Suzuha joins them too and yet another fierce exchange of glares break out until the innocent Mayuri breaks up the tension. Suddenly, a special news bulletin reports there was an explosion in Akiba bringing the rail systems to a halt. Suzuha’s expression looked tense. After she confirmed they had completed the time leap machine she leaves the lab hastily.

Suddenly their lab is raided by a group of armed men and leading them was Moeka. She was working for SERN as part of a group known as the “Rounders” and had been keeping an eye on them. Now that Okarin had discovered how to create a time machine, they can’t let them roam around freely. She was to capture Okarin, Kurisu and Daru to help speed up the development of SERN’s own time machine.

However, Mayuri was expendable. Okarin tries to save her but ends up being knocked down by one of the men. Mayuri walks over to look at him but Moeka fires. Mayuri gets shot in the head. Suzuha appears, disarming the men with her agile movements. She utters a few words to Okarin, hinting she had made all the preparations they needed to time leap. He rushes into the back of the room and uses one of the gadgets to create a smoke screen. He starts the machine, desperate to change the past and save Mayuri.

Page: Top, Chapters 1-2 - Chapter 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Chapter 6 – Metaphysics Necrosis
Episode 14, 15, 16

The machine is run and Okarin found himself dreaming of the time when Mayuri’s aunt passed away. The time when he made her his “hostage” so that he could protect her and give a place of belonging. He wakes up from the dream and finds himself standing in the lab with a very bad headache. Kurisu is calling out to him wondering why he was spacing out in front of the Telephone Microwave. They still had some work to do before they could time leap. Everything seemed normal. Perhaps it was just a nightmare Okarin had but everything had a uncomfortable “deja vu” feeling. He knew exactly what everyone was going to do or say next.

By the time he realised he had successfully time leaped, it was too late. Moeka and the rest of the SERN team had broken into the lab and Mayuri was shot again. Okarin rushes to the machine to time leap again.

Despite his best efforts to change his childhood friend’s fate, Okarin could not stop Mayuri from dying. No matter how many times he time leaped, Mayuri died one way or another whether it was a car accident or being killed by a member of SERN. It was as if some things were destined to happen.

Eventually, during another time leap, Suzuha overhears his conversation with Kurisu that Mayuri was going to die. Thinking she had herself to blame, Suzuha runs off and Okarin finds her trying to launch the crashed satellite. Unfortunately, it had been damaged during the storm and was filled with water. Suzuha reveals she was the “John Titor” from the discussion boards and feels it’s time to explain everything.

The satellite was a time machine and as she wrote on @Channel, she was travelling back in time to retrieve the IBN5100 and was making a stop. However, she mixed in some false bits of information to throw CERN off the scent. She goes onto explain how time was like interwined threads and time travelling meant to shift between the different timelines – parallel worlds. To move to a completely different timeline where history is completely different from the others, they must move out of a certain range known as the “Attractor Field”. Kurisu was the one who helped CERN complete the time machine but as she goes over the details about how Okarin formed a resistance and what was going to happen soon, she decided that Kurisu must have been forced to help them under threat. The misunderstanding between them is cleared up.

Unfortunately, the IBN5100 was no longer in their possession after shifting the world timeline so many times with the D-Mails they sent. The only way to get it back now was to let Suzuha travel back in the satellite shaped time machine and retrieve it for them. The problem was it has been damaged during the rainy night. They sneak in together and Daru takes a look. He should be able to fix the damaged parts. What’s more, the time machine only had enough fuel left for one more trip and it was incomplete, only allowing her to travel back in time.

Suzuha takes out a meter with a row of numbers on it. It was made by Okarin in the future, a “divergence meter”. To change the future and save Mayuri from her fate, they must shift the timeline until the meter is over 1%. Without letting Mayuri know what will happen to her, they conclude that a certain event must be the root of Mayuri’s fate. Okarin remembers how Moeka claimed their completion of the time machine was a threat. They must have been monitored all this time. Suzuha mentions SERN has been capturing everything that was sent over the communication networks and is stored inside the database that only the IBN5100 can decipher. They must have managed to capture the initial D-Mail Okarin had sent about Kurisu’ death! They’ll have to wipe the entry from the logs.

Meanwhile, Okarin and the others try to help Suzuha find her father using the pin badge he had made for the resistance as a clue. It’s sad that it will be a one way trip back to the past for her.

Soon the machine is fixed and everyone is gathered by the satellite but they had no luck finding who Suzuha’s father is. To everyone’s surprise, Mayuri claims she had figured out who Suzuha’s father was. She points to the initials on the badge, pointing out each of the initials stood for one of the lab members. The time machine was named in a way similar to how Daru names his work and daru can sound like “Barell” The only person who knew the lab member names and was computer literate was… Daru! It was quite a shock of course.

After a happy but bitter reunion, Suzuha leaves and everyone waits in the lab for some kind of change. To their surprise, Mr. Braun appears with a letter that was addressed to them. It was a letter from a lady. They open it up and find out it was from Suzuha. She had written it while inside a mental hospital. It turns out the time machine hadn’t been fixed. Although she managed to travel back to the correct time, she lost her memory and it wasn’t until 20 years had passed did she remember her purpose. By then it was too late to retrieve the IBN5100.

On the very last paragraph, Suzuha writes to Okarin he should never have stopped her going back in time that certain day when she had overheard about Mayuri’s death during one of Okarin’s time leaps. If he didn’t, the storm wouldn’t have damaged her time machine and she wouldn’t have wasted her life in a hospital.

Okarin quickly runs downstairs to catch up with Braun, wanting to know where Suzuha was now and how they came to know each other. It turns out Braun had came from overseas with nowhere to stay. Eventually Suzuha had taken him under her wing… Before she hung herself.

The hour when SERN attacks arrives. Remembering Mayuri’s fate, Okarin decides to change the future again using the D-Mail to order himself not to stop Suzuha, claiming it was a trap from SERN.

Suzuha Ending

Okarin decides not to send the D-Mail so that Suzuha doesn’t have to be all alone in the past and erasing her memories of their time together at the lab. He time leaps to continue trying to save Mayuri but fails as before. Despair soon descended and Okarin let himself time leap to the same period again and again, when everyone was just happily together, cycling. Nothing sad was going to happen. Maybe it was over a hundred times he time leaped… He became so fed up of seeing the same happy scenes repeatedly, sinister thoughts started to appear. He can just “reset” everything as if nothing happened after all by time leaping.

Eventually, after another time leap, Suzuha noticed the change in Okarin’s expression. His eyes looked as if he was brain washed like the people from the future she came from. She invites Okarin to travel back to the past to find the IBN5100 together with her and Okarin agrees.

Page: Top, Chapters 1-2 - Chapter 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Chapter 7 – Made in Complex
Episode 17

Okarin finds himself sitting in the lab. However, the IBN5100 did not re-appear in the lab. He waits for the fated hour but for some reason SERN didn’t attack. Letting Suzuha go back in time must have something to do with it. The next day as expected, Suzuha was nowhere to be found at Braun’s store. Okarin was also glad to learn she had died a peaceful death this timeline and asks if he could visit the place where she lived.

As he made his way to Suzuha’s home, he saw the satellite was gone leaving only a gap where it had crashed. Soon he arrives at the house to retrieve the divergence meter she left behind. As he looked at the digits that were at 0.4% now, Braun said Suzuha would stare at the everyday but never explained why.

The next day, Okarin spent time thinking why the meter had not reached 1% yet. Before he knew it, it was evening. Suddenly, SERN attacks. It appears their attack was only delayed. Okarin time leaps back and after explaining everything to Kurisu again, they try to figure out what was missing.

It was going to be a long battle but they conclude Okarin is going to have to undo all the D-Mails that have been sent out to return to the timeline when he managed to obtain the IBN5100. He time leaps back.

First off, it was to find out what Faris had written. Okarin visits her at the apartment to find her feeling down. She lost the Rai Net Grand Championship to the Viral Attackers. After learning Okarin had access to a time machine, she uses her charms claiming she remembers what she wrote but only after she can win the battle. It was very important that she wins because she had promised her father. Unfortunately, 4C (Cid) at the finals had cheated, shining some lasers into her eye so she pulled the wrong cards. She tells Okarin to bring some sunglasses to her after time leaping.

Okarin has a hard time getting into the Net Battle finals because he didn’t have a ticket and the Faris from the past didn’t believe she would lose. Not to mention wearing the sunglasses made her look unpleasant in front of her fans. This didn’t put Okarin down. He was desperate to save Mayuri. He grabs hold of Faris who screams and attracts the attention of her rival 4C. Okarin manages to drive him off because he found his weakness earlier and Faris believes him, taking the accessories and helping him into the building. During the match, Okarin manages to stop the Black Prince’s accomplices. Faris wins and is happy Okarin helped her.

However, when Okarin asks her what she wrote in her D-Mail, she has no clue what he was talking about. If what Okarin said was true then that version of her at the time must have just lied to get what she wanted. Okarin falls down with dismay. They bump into 4C who was very angry at losing to the cosplaying maid. The Viral Attackers were spreading bad rumours about Faris cheating and that she only won because she was from the Akiha family. They run away from the angry guys and hide where the maid cafe originally was.

Inside the warehouse Faris suddenly remembers using the D-Mail system for some reason as well as how she had a maid cafe. Before she could explain further, the Viral Attackers discover their location. Okarin bursts open one of the sacks of flour and runs out.

The Viral Attackers catch up. Okarin is beaten trying to protect Faris. Her father arrives just in time to drive them away. As Okarin lay in bed injured, Faris explains that she had said something terrible to her father before he left for an overseas trip, telling him to die. He had promised to spend day with her during her birthday. As if what she said was granted, the plane crash landed and her father really did die. She sent an D-Mail back to pretend she was kidnapped to prevent her father flying so the accident never happens. As a result, she never took part in the development conferences to transform Akihabara into an Otaku paradise which is why all the stores had disappeared.

However, now that she has spent some time with her father and saw him trying to rescue her, she decides it’s time tol send a D-Mail to stop herself changing the past. Even though she really wanted her father to be by her side, she didn’t want Okarin to be sad and wanted to save her friend Mayuri.

Faris Ending

Okarin decides not to send the D-Mail because he did not want to sacrifice anyone else’s happiness after Suzuha. He tries to think of an alternative way to retrieve the IBN5100 and learns that Faris’ father had sold the retro PC for enough money to start his own business. Perhaps Faris can send a D-Mail to convince her father to sell the rest of his PC collection instead of the IBN5100.

The D-Mail is sent, Akiba is back to a place filled with Otaku stores. He goes to Suzuha’s home to find the Divergence Meter and discovers the value had decreased. Not only that, the Mirai Gadgets Lab had ceased to exist. He goes to visit the May Queen maid cafe and finds both Mayuri and Daru there but neither of them knew Okarin. Faris was now his girlfriend. In this timeline, they met in a small Rainet shop where they had a fierce battle together. They decided to join forces for the grand championship and Faris fell in love with him.

Mirai Gadgets’ existence is erased, Mayuri is saved. Only Faris knows who Okarin is and they continue to be lovers.

Page: Top, Chapters 1-2 - Chapter 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Chapter 8 – Fractal Androgynous
Episode 18

After spending one last moment with her father, Okarin sends the D-Mail and Akiba is back to normal. He grabs a surprised Faris, holding her tight. Later, he heads to the shrine to see if the IBN5100 was back in place but as he expected, it has still gone missing. He confirms the timeline hadn’t shifted enough yet by going to Suzuha’s home to collect the Divergence Meter again.

The next D-Mail to undo was to stop Luka being born as a girl. He had a hard time breaking the truth to her at the shrine. She cried upset that the Okarin she was so fond of saw her as a boy. Mayuri was very angry – for the first time. Asking for Kurisu’ help didn’t work either. Kurisu suggested Luka goes through a brain scan to prove she was really a boy. Eventually, just like Faris, Luka reveals she too has memories of what the world was like before the D-Mail too. She was willing to undo the D-Mail if Okarin would promise her one thing… A few days of dating. She confesses her feelings for him.

Dating someone who he knew was originally male wasn’t easy for Okarin of course but remembering Luka was truly a girl, she looked kind of cute. Still, he reluctantly agrees and knows he mustn’t grow too attached or it will become very hard to undo the D-Mail after the dates are over. Before the dates, Okarin sits down together with Kurisu at the maid cafes reading a “How to Date” book.

Over the following days, he does his best to follow the instructions as he and Luka dine out and walk around together. It was really awkward and although Luka said she was really happy, Okarin felt she was lying. What’s more, she remembers the time when she had surrounded by Otaku cosplay photographers. It was odd that she remembers herself being harassed when she was trying to explain she was really a male.

Eventually, Okarin realises perhaps treating her the same way as when she was a boy was best. He time leaps back to before the dates and brings the Katana to the shrine, putting on his Hyouma ego on again and making her practice. Indeed, it was really the best way Luka could be happy. Suddenly she recalls storing away the IBN5100 into a public locker several months ago so that she could clean out the shed. It was so heavy she broke it while transporting it there. They go check the locker but it was no longer there. Reversing what her D-Mail changed was the only way to prevent any more unpredictable changes from happening.

Just before she writes the D-Mail to send back, she holds Okarin tightly, crying in tears.

Okarin reluctantly sends the D-Mail, angry at himself that he must destroy the happiness of yet another person. Soon, he finds himself still standing at the shrine but it appeared Luka was back to a male again.

Lukako Ending

Okarin decides it was too much sacrificing the happiness of others. He doesn’t send the D-Mail and decides to spend the remaining time with Mayuri at ComiMa. When the fated hour came, Mayuri suddenly couldn’t breathe and died from suffocation. Only he, Kurisu and Lukako knows what really happened. Kurisu did not blame Okarin for giving up meddling with time but she did think he should take responsibility with that certain person he had shifted the timeline for.

Lukako was very sad that Mayuri died but she knew that if she wanted to be with Okarin, she can’t send the D-Mail. Instead, she decides to time leap herself and fulfil Mayuri’s wish to see Lukako cosplay at ComiMa. Sharing the guilty conscience that they could have saved Mayuri, Lukako and Okarin is married and have a child.

Page: Top, Chapters 1-2 - Chapter 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Chapter 9 – Endless Apoptosis
Episode 19, 20

Okarin sends the D-Mail and he finds Lukako has no memory of their date. He asks Luka to go check for the IBN5100 and finds it was stolen. The lock had been broken. It appears he had to undo all the D-Mails after all.

The next D-Mail was the hardest because Okarin had to find someone he never wanted to see again – Moeka, the very person who he had witnessed shooting Mayuri dead many times during his time leaps back. Okarin yet again, explains eveything to Kurisu again about his time leaps and asks if she could go with Mayuri to the ComiMa to confirm whether Mayuri’s fate has changed or not. He’s witnessed Mayuri die too many times now. Kurisu agrees and goes with her the next day.

Okarin goes wandering around Akiba hoping to find Moeka but then remembers she mentioned she worked at “Arc Rewrite”. He decides to go there but finds out there was no one by the name of Moeka. The staff there does mention a woman had resigned not long ago and passed on the address.

However, Okarin arrives at the given address shocked to find a woman had committed suicide there yesterday. Could it really be Moeka? Why would she commit suicide? Unable to get any more information from the police, he returns to the lab to time leap and arrives just in time to find someone else using the time machine. He rushes up the stairs but the timeline had shifted and the person was gone before he could find out who it was. Who could it have been?

He decides to wait a while longer until the fated hour just to see if Mayuri’s fate had changed but as he feared, Kurisu calls to report Mayuri died from sudden suffocation. He proceeds to time leap back to the night before the suicide. The apartment was lit. He goes up and opens the unlocked door. There he saw Moeka kneeling down, rapidly tapping away desperately at the phone, asking herself why “FB” hadn’t contacted her for so long. She was ignoring Okarin and wouldn’t talk to him.

Kurisu calls to check where he was and she agrees he will have to take extreme measures in these circumstances if they’re really going to find out what she wrote in her D-Mail. It won’t mean anything after the timeline’s shifted and he time leaps again anyway. Okarin hangs up and tries to grab the phone from Moeka. As before, she holds it desperately. It was the only way she can keep in touch with “FB”, her leader.

Okarin knew he had to do what he must. He grabs her by the neck and they struggle. He grabs her phone and runs out the apartment, holding the door tightly shut. Moeka desperately tries turns the door handle, trying to force it open as Okarin tries to send an e-mail from her phone, letting Moeka in the past know not to change phones. However, despite trying many times, the Reading Steiner effect didn’t trigger. He tries sending a few more messages but they don’t work either. Glancing at the phone, he realised it was exactly the same as before Moeka sent the D-Mail. Kurisu suggests going through the sent mail history but Okarin had no time for that. He’ll just have to go back inside and find out directly from Moeka herself.

A rough struggle breaks out again until Okarin manages to pin Moeka to the ground. The noise makes the next door neighbour knock on the door, asking Moeka to keep the noise down. Moeka screams for help. Okarin’s hands were too busy keeping her pinned down so he does the only thing he could think of to keep her quiet. He kisses her and the neighbour goes away, muttering how inconsiderate young people were these days.

Moeka bites Okarin’s lips and he pulls back but wasn’t going to give up until she cooperates. Moeka lay in silence for some time before she finally asks what she had to do to get her phone back. Okarin questions who was FB and why was she so loyal to him or her that she wasn’t say what she wrote in the D-Mail. Moeka replies she doesn’t know. FB was her leader but they have never met. One day she received an e-mail from FB recruiting “helpers” and she signed up. FB was very kind and caring which comforted her very much but after her last mission to find the IBN5100 and putting it away in a locker, FB suddenly cut off contact.

Now that Moeka had given up her struggle, Okarin picks up her phone to send a D-Mail telling her not to retrieve the computer from the shrine but nothing happens. She must be too cautious to trust just any messages she receives. They’ll have to undo the D-Mail some other way and obtaining FB’s phone is probably the best way.

After confirming with Daru that the locker Moeka mentioned was in use, Okarin returns the phone to Moeka and invites her along to for a chance to find out who FB really is. She hesitates and doesn’t follow.

The next day, Okarin goes alone to the locker and he spends the whole day keeping watch but no one arrives to open the locker. Okarin decides to try and break the locker open. The police is alerted and he time leaps back. The next day, Moeka joins him bringing some food with her and the next day someone finally appears. He didn’t seem to be FB. They follow him onto the train but lose track of the man he passes the case to. After another time leap they finally manage to get back on track. Surprisingly, Braun from the old TV shop was arrives to give them a lift. Okarin time leaps again and goes to rent a car ready to trail Braun and the Rounders. Moeka was a “paper driver” which meant she hasn’t driven for a very long time but she manages to somehow… They end up arriving at Suzuha’s home where the IBN5100 is moved inside.

They watch the house waiting for any more movement. There was none. Night soon descended and the men who attacked the lab arrives. They take the IBN5100 and learn they were heading to France with it where SERN’s HQ was. Okarin calls Kurisu to tell her to keep watch from outside. She was to call for help if neither he or Moeka comes back out. They enter the house and Braun greets them. He collects the Divergence Meter yet again but sits down. The displayed value had increased which confirms undoing the D-Mails was working.

Moeka stays silent until Okarin reveals they knew he was working for SERN. Braun takes out a gun, his smile faded. He admits to be “FB” and was only using Moeka to find the IBN5100. She was no use any more. Okarin was angry. Angry that the very person that Suzuha had gone back in time and ended up looking after was the person to steal the IBN5100 she retrieved. As if in answer, Braun smiled and pointed the gun to himself. He’s sorry for Suzuha and pulls the trigger. After picking up “FB” Braun’s phone, Okarin tried looking for Nae but was glad she wasn’t there to witness the whole event.

Together they leave the scene quickly back to Moeka’s apartment, ready to send the D-Mail they need. However, just as Kurisu mentions she saw a little girl running out the back of the house after the gunshot, Braun’s little daughter Nae appears in the room and greets them hello. She suddenly takes out a gun and shoots Moeka, laughing eerily. She tells Okarin to wait in fear because he will be next in the future and runs out the apartment. Both Kurisu and Okarin were shocked. That did not sound like a little girl talking.

With the D-Mail on standby, Moeka apologises for what she’s done and passes out. Kurisu remains calm, urging Okarin to send the D-Mail but he doesn’t. He wanted to know the truth and who Nae really was. He time leaps back to before they arrive at Suzuha’s house and waits outside together with Kurisu while Moeka goes in alone this time. He instructs Kurisu to go in and pick up FB’s phone after hearing a gunshot while he goes after Nae.

Unprepared, little Nae brandishes a knife and lunges at Okarin’s shoulder. She reveals she was Brauns daughter who had time leaped over 2700 times to return 15 years from the future for revenge. But she couldn’t kill Okarin yet because otherwise she would never be able to travel back in time to kill Moeka like she just did. Either way, she joins Rounders and is the one that ends up capturing Okarin in the future, torturing him about his resistance group and letting him die a slow death. With that she runs off just as Kurisu catches up. Okarin takes the phone from Kurisu and sends the D-Mail.

After the timeline shift, Okarin finds himself standing in the streets and immediately heads to Moeka’s apartment to see if the D-Mail worked. She confirms she was no longer looking for the IBN5100. As he made his way back to the lab, he grimaced remembering what happened in the other timeline – Nae bent on revenge and Braun committing suicide to stop Moeka working for the Rounders.

Finally the IBN5100 was back in the Mirai Gadgets Lab. Okarin cries out happily, ready to have Daru erase traces of their D-Mail from SERN’s surveillance logs and shift the timeline for good so that Mayuri is finally saved. Unfortunately, Daru was away at the ComiMa so Okarin time leaps to the moment Daru is still around.

Daru sets up all the commands ready and gives Okarin the privilege to hit the enter key. However, just as he was about to execute the commands, he realises he had forgotten something important… If he stops himself sending that D-Mail about Kurisu’ death, they will end up in a timeline where she will be murdered.

Page: Top, Chapters 1-2 - Chapter 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Chapter 10 – Paradox Meltdown
Episode 21

After everything they’ve been through, he couldn’t do it. He heads to the roof of the place where Suzuha landed, unsure of what to do. He decides to wait until the fated day to see if Mayuri’s fate changed and they spend the time at ComiMa. He mentioned nothing about her fate, lying that he was just spending time with her on a whim. That night, a white van runs into them. Mayuri pushes Okarin out the way and gets run over.

Okarin time leaps back to when he first went up to the roof and began thinking through everything that has happened. Kurisu appears, knowing something was wrong when he decided to stop hacking CERN’s servers. Okarin tries not to say anything but Kurisu manages to persuade him otherwise. He tells her everything that’s happened once again and that Kurisu will die if he wants to save Mayuri.

For a moment, Kurisu stays silent and gazes into the distance. Then she begins to talk about time travel theory. Okarin was troubled because he didn’t want to see anyone die. Kurisu smiles, saying he isn’t a god and wasn’t the one controlling everything that happens. Even if what he has explained is real, he can continue to believe that Kurisu is simply living in another timeline. She assures him there is nothing to trouble over.

Just then, Mayuri calls. She was worried about Okarin too. Kurisu urges him to go see her at the ComiMa but he doesn’t find her there. He goes to her aunt’s grave and there she was talking. Okarin overhears her saying she dreamt of herself dying in many different ways and every time, she would see Okarin trying to save her. She didn’t know why and was trying to call out to Okarin in her dreams, apologising that he had to go through so much hardship. She changes subject, telling her aunt there are lots more lab members now and how fun it’s become. Okarin was a lot livelier and happier compared to the days when it was just him and Mayuri at the lab.

Eventually, Okarin calls out to her, reassuring her everything will be fine and stay the way they are. He walks her back then returns to the roof where Kurisu still was. Kurisu sees Okarin but wants to be left alone. Just as Okarin was about to leave, it starts raining heavily. Both of them are soaked by the time they run back inside the dimly lit building. After teasing Kurisu a bit, Okarin sits next to her. He finds his sleeve was torn while running back inside. Kurisu takes out a sewing pack and helps fix it. It was too dark to see which colour the thread was but it’ll be something to look forward to once they get out.

There was a moment of silence. Kurisu starts talking again, asking if he had made up his mind yet whether to continue hacking the system. Perhaps it was just her imagination but she too seems to remember how many times he tried to save Mayuri and how she tried her best to help. She was scared of being left behind when the timeline shifts but that doesn’t mean she wants to see Mayuri get killed either. She insists Okarin saves Mayuri. Okarin grits his teeth and suddenly pulls Kurisu towards her and holds her tightly. He didn’t want to lose anyone…

Mayuri Ending

Okarin finally apologises quitely into Kurisu’s ear, sorry that he can’t save her. He already made up his mind that he must save Mayuri no matter what. Kurisu quietly says she understands and gets up. She commands Okarin to stay there while she returns to the lab first.

2 hours later, Okarin returns to the lab, he finds Kurisu wasn’t there. He finds an e-mail from her with a quote saying, “Stop trying to predict what will happen in the future. It is best you accept time as a gift.” She had decided to return to the hotel. Okarin continues to wonder if it was right to not try and save Kurisu. After taking a shower, Mayuri arrives. She didn’t go to the ComiMa because she was worried about Okarin looking troubled.

Okarin looks at Mayuri, asking what would she do if he was hiding something from her. She smiles like she usually does, replying that she would wait until he’s ready to tell her. She didn’t want to be a burden for him. But she soon learns that Okarin looked so troubled because he was trying to keep everything secret from her so she asks him to tell her everything… even if it means hurting her. Okarin puts on his “mad scientist” ego and begins to tell her everything starting from the day SERN attacked the lab, Mayuri’s death, how he time leaped countless times trying to save her and… how he was about to sacrifice Kurisu to save her.

Mayuri was shocked at the truth and felt like an idiot about being oblivious and just sitting around making her costumes. She asks Okarin to take her to see Kurisu. It was late night. They soon meet up. After Okarin gives Mayuri a gentle push, Mayuri hugs Kurisu tightly. She didn’t want her to be sacrificed either. Kurisu gives Mayuri a hug, insisting she will be alive and well in America. It was something she had decided herself so there is no one to blame. She tells Okarin to never let Mayuri go again then leaves.

Okarin held Mayuri as she cried on his chest. They promise never to separate again as the sun rised. Together, they return to the lab where Daru was waiting. He makes a speech as his “mad scientist” self and holding Mayuri’s hand tightly, he hits the enter key.

The Reading Steiner trigger takes effect and Okarin finds himself still in the lab. Daru and Mayuri were standing there but, there were no signs of Kurisu left. Not even that little piece of thread she used to fix his lab coat’s sleeve with. The Telephone Cooker hasn’t been developed further and the others don’t remember Kurisu at all. Okarin cries, holding onto Mayuri, begging her never to leave his side.

Three days after the fated hour, Mayuri was still alive and well. There was no follow up news on the the murder case of Makise Kurisu. Okarin leaves to find Mayuri handing out flyers for the May Queen cafe and together they head back to the lab to get away from the summer heat. Suddenly, Mayuri disappears. Fearing she was in trouble again, Okarin calls out Mayuri’s name. She appears behind him with some shredded ice drinks. As they walk by the Rajio building hand in hand, Mayuri pauses to look up. She feels as if she’s forgotten about someone. Someone important. She claims to hear a voice wishing her happiness. Okarin knew she was talking about Kurisu but tells her instead, “It must be god.”

Mayuri thanks “god” and together with Okarin, they continue walking.

Makise Kurisu Ending

Kurisu gently pushes away from him. Seeing Okarin couldn’t make a decision, she raises her voice saying she will not help him this time and will be heading back to America. She leaves the building first.

Okarin returns to the lab and stares at the Telephone Cooker, unwilling to use it. He suddenly hears Kurisu’s voice behind him. She had come back because she couldn’t stand to see Okarin suffering so much. However, she still insists he makes the final change. As Okarin thinks back to the days and everything they’ve been through together, he realises Kurisu wasn’t just a friend to him anymore… He had fallen in love with her. He had to say something.

Okarin confesses his love and asks how Kurisu felt about him. She blushes, grabs him by his lab coat and orders him to close his eyes. Their lips lock. Okarin looks at Kurisu surprised. She stutters, telling him not to forget her. Okarin replies in his usual voice filled with pride that it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t his first kiss so he’ll need another one to remember her. They kiss again but longer this time. Time seemed to flash by for that brief moment.

The next day Okarin sees Kurisu off. She didn’t want anyone else to come. Okarin gives her one of Mirai Gadget’s inventions – a camera to take with her back to America as a memento. As Kurisu walks off into the distance, Okarin shouts out that he’ll never forget her.

Returning back to the lab, he makes a speech as his “mad scientist” self and with tears in his eyes, his hand moves down to hit the enter key to erase the very first D-Mail he sent from the SERN servers. Suddenly, Kurisu bursts in through the door just in time to say she will never forget Okarin too.

The Reading Steiner trigger takes effect and Okarin finds himself still in the lab. Daru and Mayuri were standing there but, there were no signs of Kurisu left. Not even that little piece of thread she used to fix his lab coat’s sleeve with. The Telephone Cooker hasn’t been developed further and the others don’t remember Kurisu at all. Okarin tries to put on another victory speech again but Mayuri could tell he wanted to cry. In his heart secretly he asked why was he made to choose. Why did Kurisu have to see him off with a smile. The tears came bursting out as Mayuri gently comforted him.

Three days after the fated hour, Mayuri was still alive and well. Okarin decided it was safe to dismantle the Telephone Cooker and the IBN5100. Daru thought it was a shame they couldn’t sell the computer for a huge sum of money and to Mayuri, a microwave was essential but, Okarin insists it was for the best and they can find a new microwave. He gazes at the trashed devices and remembers Kurisu’s words that even though she may have made mistakes, she didn’t regret them. It was all a part of accepting herself and learning who she was. Okarin agrees and finally concludes humankind can not rely on time machines. It was beyond their control and things were best as they are.

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Chapter 11 – Open The Steins Gate
Episode 22, 23, 24

True Ending (Continues from Makise Kurisu Ending)

One day Daru receives a call from a “mysterious woman” in the lab. He passes it onto Okarin and finds it was Suzuha from the future.

Confused, Okarin goes to the Rajio building that was still sealed off due to an unsolved murder investigation. On the roof he finds Suzuha who seemed older – probably in her 40s and the satellite-shaped time machine hadn’t crashed this time. She claims the Third World War takes place in the future where she comes from. Okarin grabs her, wondering if Kurisu’ death and everything he has been through was for nothing. Suzuha calms him down to say that to change this new bleak future, they have to save Kurisu. They must reach the “Steins Gate” timeline.

This time they were they going to use Suzuha’s completed time machine to travel back in the time to the day of the lecture. Unlike the previous timeline, this new model allows them to travel back and forward in time. Suzuha breaks the emergency exit open with her gun. Okarin runs down and hides himself near where Kurisu is found murdered. Moments later Kurisu appears happily holding a manila envelope. She appeared to be waiting for someone. Dr. Nakabachi appears and it turns out he was her father. Kurisu really wanted to help restore her father’s reputation about time travel but he thought she wanted to steal his glory. He takes out a knife, saying it was her fault he was made a fool. He’s going to take credit for her work instead.

Okarin leaps out trying to stop him and manages to take the knife away. Nakabachi stares in horror as the angered Okarin gets ready to strike, doing whatever it takes to save Kurisu. A splash of blood covers his lab coat but it wasn’t Nakabachi’s… the blood came from Kurisu. She had dived in to protect her father. Kurisu didn’t know who he was but apologises that he had to get caught up in this mess. Her voice started to trail away quietly, barely uttering that she didn’t want to die and wanted help. Suzuha rushes to help the shocked Okarin back to the time machine, now knowing that the cry he heard in the building was his own.

Okarin was ready to give up trying to save Kurisu believing that the conservation of time meant he couldn’t do it just like when he tried to save Mayuri but, Mayuri slaps him and tries to encourage him to try again. Just then, his phone rings and he receives an anonymous e-mail telling him to watch TV. Okarin recognised the date… It was from the future and that means it must be a D-Mail! They turn on the TV channel on his phone and find the cargo hold in the plane that Nakabachi was on, had caught fire while he was being exiled to Russia. The time travel documents he stole would have been burned too but, thanks to the rare metal “Uber” being detected during the security scans, he ended up carrying the documents with him. Somehow, Nakabachi had picked it up when Mayuri lost it. As a result, the Third World War breaks out between the countries in a race to obtain time travel.

Suzuha knew all along that all this was going to happen – including Okarin failing to save Kurisu. She apologises that she didn’t explain everything to him but, she was instructed by Okarin from the future to let him fail once. She points to his phone indicating there is another D-Mail that contains an attachment with a video clip in it.

Okarin opens the video and sees a silhouette of himself. He hears his own voice. It turns out he had to let Kurisu be killed once or he would never have had the will to upgrade the D-Mail system so that he can send a recording back in time too. The Future Okarin explains he’s suffered the guilt for 15 years and has concluded that time travel will not save Kurisu. What they had to do was to stop the time machine from ever being invented and feign Kurisu’ death to fool the world and himself. Otherwise he would never be able to send a message long enough to himself. Kurisu will also be saved because her father will think she died in Japan. The metal Uber must also be replaced so that the documents end up being left in the cargo hold and burned.

Okarin remembers one of his gadgets can create fake looking blood and gets Mayuri to go fetch it. It was the last trip before the time machine runs out of fuel. He had to save Kurisu this time.

After arriving back in the past, Okarin hurries down so that he is the first to use the Gatchapon machines and retrieves the only limited edition Metal Uber inside. Just in case, Future Okarin hides to confirm Mayuri only gets a plastic one. An announcement that the time travel presentation was about to start. Mayuri rushes off and drops the Uber. Okarin waits and finds Kurisu picking it up. She looks around to see who could have dropped it but since there was no one around, she ends up putting it inside the envelope with the time travel theory documents.

Okarin makes his way to the same spot where Kurisu meets her father and was going to use the gadget to create fake blood to scare them but, it was clogged up. He had to think of another plan. Okarin intervenes at the same time again but this time with his confident Hyouma “mad scientist” ego back again. He provokes Nakabachi to stab him and succeeds. Okarin is stabbed and he takes the knife. He then takes out a stun gun, threatening that he will kill both Kurisu and Nakabachi. Kurisu tries to help Okarin but ends up being stunned and passes out onto the floor. Scared, Nakabachi flees the scene.

Suzuha arrives just in time as Okarin opens up his wound to create a pool of blood on the floor. He was betting on the conservation of time events mean he won’t die. After letting Suzuha move Kurisu onto the pool of blood, they slowly make their way back to the time machine. Ready to travel back to the future, Okarin closes his eyes just as Suzuha says farewell, hoping it really is the “Steins Gate” timeline that awaited them.

It’s been a month since Okarin was hospitalised but he had recovered now. It was another beautiful summer day and he had in his pocket a replica of the pin badge that Suzuha had brought back with her to the past. He had asked Daru to make 8 of them when he visited at the hospital. He goes about visiting every person he had made a lab member even though they had no memories of being one in this timeline – Luka, Faris and Moeka (who was no working part time at Braun’s). Daru and Mayuri got one too back at the lab. There was no satellite now but a badge will be kept for Suzuha in the future.

Dr. Nakabachi remains exiled in Russia and was detained for questioning about the assault at the Raji building but nothing was known about Kurisu’s whereabouts. As Okarin took a walk through the streets of Akiba, he familiar figure passes by. He stops and turns round. There standing before him was Kurisu. She had been looking for him, wanting to thank him for saving her that day even though they had never met. For old times sake, Okarin takes out his phone pretending to be talking to the secret organisation he was working for and then welcomes back “Christina”. For some reason, she reacts the same way she would have from the timeline when she was a lab member.

Okarin takes out the last unclaimed pin badge and welcomes Kurisu back. Everything was according to “Steins Gate”.

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