Chapter 185: Steins;Gate Premieres! (Part 3)
At the very summit of the Mage Tower…
Even the Arch Mages, masters who had long stood at the pinnacle of their fields, were stirred into a rare discussion by the film unfolding before them.
"Time, huh… Even in the Forbidden Archives of the Mage Tower, there's barely any meaningful research on the subject. For over a thousand years, human mages have made next to no progress in understanding it," mused Administrator Hohenheim gravely.
To this, Arch Mage Pollock, Arch Mage of the Special Element Branch, promptly added:
"That's not entirely accurate. The founder who created teleportation magic once wrote in his final journal that 'Time and space are similar—yet fundamentally different. Perhaps only by walking the path of space to its ultimate end can one glimpse the truth of time.'"
"Walking the path of space to its end…? You mean like reaching the furthest possible distance with teleportation magic?"
"That's unclear," Pollock admitted. "Even I have only managed space magic within the bounds of the Empire. Crossing the entire continent in one jump… That would probably require a mage of the seventh rank or higher."
"In that case, the secrets of time are likely still far beyond our reach."
"Perhaps… But none of us have ever truly grasped what 'time' even is. For all we know, there might exist beings in this world who manipulate time as casually as we drink water."
"Heh. If such creatures exist, they'd pretty much have to be gods, wouldn't they?"
Their exchange drifted through the lofty halls like a ripple in still water.
Yes—even among these legendary figures, whose knowledge carved the foundations of magical civilization—time magic remained a mystery wrapped in mist.
Although the creator of teleportation magic had formally classified Time as a special elemental type, few dared study it. Those who did almost always returned empty-handed.
The concept of a time machine had been tossed around before—purely as theory. But in the end, it was discarded as impossible, no different from the long-debunked fantasy of perpetual motion machines.
Although this world had no formal concept of things like the grandfather paradox, mages still instinctively understood the logical fallacies behind time travel.
"If you went back in time and killed your grandfather before your father was born… your father would never exist. And if your father doesn't exist, then you would never be born either. But then… who killed your grandfather?"
This simple yet devastating contradiction was enough for most mages to dismiss time manipulation outright—even as a theoretical concept.
So now, when Edward boldly introduced the time machine idea into his latest film, even the Arch Mages—who usually remained composed—found themselves unable to take the notion seriously.
. . . . . . . .
Back in the film…
The protagonist of Steins;Gate had just been dragged into a hallway by a red-haired girl who seemed both eccentric and out of place, her jacket draped oddly over her shoulders.
Startled, he asked:
"Who… exactly are you?"
The girl shot back without hesitation:
"That's my line!"
"Huh?!"
"You were just about to say something to me, weren't you?"
"Just now…?"
"About fifteen minutes ago."
"What are you even talking about…?"
The boy's confusion only deepened—until something clicked in his mind. He suddenly gasped:
"Wait… are you… Makise Kurisu? The one who published a paper in that top-tier science journal?!"
Kurisu looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.
"Surprised you know that. Which lab are you from?"
But the protagonist flinched and immediately adopted a dramatic tone:
"You—don't tell me you're an agent sent by The Organization?!"
"Huh?!"
"It's me! They've found me! Ahh… it's her—it's Makise Kurisu! That's the one!"
Kurisu blinked in bewilderment as the boy pulled out his phone and began dramatically "reporting" to no one in particular.
"Yes, yes… captured by an Organization agent… No, don't worry, I'll endure this trial! Victory will be ours!"
"Who are you even talking to? Are you actually calling someone right now?"
"Mm-hmm! No big deal. Just a spy… I'll overcome this!"
He struck a ridiculous pose as if rehearsing for some tragic heroic end.
Back in the cinema, several watching mages began murmuring again—but this time, they didn't seem dismissive. If anything, they were… intrigued.
Facing the protagonist's agitated expression, the girl swiftly snatched the phone from his hand—only to discover, to her surprise, that it wasn't even turned on.
"Wait… What's this?"
Seeing Makise Kurisu's confusion, the protagonist froze for a second—before suddenly bursting into maniacal laughter and declaring triumphantly:
"Le–Let me tell you a secret! This is a specially modified phone that automatically shuts down if anyone besides me touches it! Fuhaha! Fuhahahahaha!"
Kurisu blinked.
"…So in other words, you were just talking to yourself."
"…"
"Anyway, let's keep it short. What were you trying to tell me earlier? About fifteen minutes ago, you had this really serious expression…"
"…"
The boy fell silent, unable to make sense of her words.
He was certain—absolutely certain—that he had never seen this girl before in his life. Yet she was acting like they'd already spoken.
As he racked his brain, a thought struck him.
'Could it be?'
'Another one like me—a fellow soul wandering the spiritual realm… A true chuuni?!'
His eyes lit up with joy.
"Hah! I've seen through it all! So that's how it is, huh? Genius girl, you're my enemy, aren't you?! Until we meet again!"
And with that declaration, he turned tail and ran away, ignoring Kurisu's stunned shout behind him.
Once he'd put some distance between them, the boy reflexively pulled out his actual phone.
There was… a message.
But the contents were distorted—blurry, unreadable. No matter how he squinted or adjusted the screen, he couldn't make out what it said.
Confused, he frowned. The situation was spiraling beyond comprehension. Just then, Mayuri found him, snapping him out of his thoughts.
But before he could gather his bearings, a sudden scream rang out from upstairs.
The protagonist immediately rushed to the source of the noise—only to find Makise Kurisu, collapsed in a pool of blood, unmoving.
A corpse.
"Sh—She's dead…?"
The shock of the horrific scene hit him like a freezing gust of wind. His limbs turned cold. His thoughts unraveled.
Panicking, mind reeling, he sprinted through the building, trying to escape the vision that now haunted his thoughts. Bursting out into the crowded street, he quickly took out his phone and sent a message to his lab partner.
"Makise Kurisu has been stabbed to death!"
But the moment the message was sent—something happened.
The space around him twisted.
A strange digital wave shimmered through the air, freezing his gaze in place.
And then—
When he raised his head again…
The street was empty.
The once-bustling cityscape had gone silent. Everyone—every single person—was gone.
"Wh—What just happened…?"
Only the boy stood there now, surrounded by silence. As if he were the only soul left in the world.
Like a ghost.
. . . . . . . . . . .
The sudden shift in the story stunned the audience into silence. Even those who had previously dismissed the film as nonsense now sat up straight, their eyes glued to the screen.
After all, nothing excited a magical audience more than a twist that defied all expectations.
And Steins;Gate had just delivered one hell of a twist.
"What the hell?! She just died like that? Who's the killer?"
"Why did the whole street suddenly go empty? Is this a horror film?!"
"I'm completely lost here… That girl, Makise Kurisu, said she saw the guy fifteen minutes earlier, but he doesn't remember her. Was that a scam?"
"A scam?! Who scams themselves into being murdered?!"
"My brain's fried. I don't get it at all."
"…"
As the confusion rippled through the hall, the audience's attention also shifted toward something more… technical.
The protagonist's phone.
A device that could send messages across distances—wireless, without any magical circle, no spellcasting involved.
Sure, Kiritsugu Emiya had once used something similar in Fate/Zero, but back then, everyone had been too focused on the flashy hero spirits to care about mundane tech.
But now—now, in this world without apparent supernatural powers—this strange little artifact felt downright magical.
A product of Magitech Alchemy, perhaps?
Whispers rose among the magical scholars. Curiosity burned in their eyes.
What kind of world is this film set in?
No spells. No aura. Just machines… and a mystery that runs deeper than time itself.
And the movie had only just begun.
"What is that thing? It looks like you can talk to someone far away with it—even hold a proper conversation!"
"What a fascinating artifact! Is this… a real thing?"
"When did the world advance this far? Movies, television, and now this thing called a 'cellphone'? I feel like I've fallen behind the times."
"Well, it might not be that dramatic. I heard from a friend at the Imperial Mage Academy that this too is one of Director Durin's inventions. They say even the Empire's top Arch Mages have been thoroughly impressed by his recent accomplishments."
"Edward Durin… Once a brilliant prodigy of the southern territories, with the highest hopes of becoming an Arch Mage. When news spread that he was expelled from the Mage Tower, many thought that would be the end of his tale. But look at him now—he's reshaping the entire world."
"I have to admit… there really are geniuses in this world."
"I just want to know—can you buy one of those things? That 'cellphone'? If it works, how far can you actually talk? I haven't seen my parents back home in years…"
"Same here! My partner and I live far apart due to work. If there's a way to talk like that, it would be amazing…"
"…"
The cinema buzzed with chatter. The audience—particularly the common folk—had become utterly captivated by the concept of the cellphone. Their eagerness far surpassed what Edward himself had expected.
Then again, it wasn't too surprising.
While the world's political and social systems remained archaic, the existence of magic had caused rapid leaps in both technological development and public receptiveness. The people, accustomed to the arcane and the extraordinary, had long since shed hesitation toward new concepts.
Even when confronted with strange, never-before-seen ideas, most simply accepted them with awe and curiosity.
In such an environment, the only real resistance to something like cellphone technology would likely come from entrenched interests—those who feared losing control over long-distance communication.
Of course, cellphones were still just in the development phase. There was no need to worry about distribution yet.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Compared to the curiosity of the general public, Emperor Hubbard and General Wilhelm were far more alert—almost alarmingly so—at the implications of this real-time communication device.
The two men exchanged a glance.
In that fleeting moment, a deep sense of shock flickered in both their eyes.
"To think… that casual suggestion I made to Baron Durin—about adapting new technologies for real-time communication—he's actually gone and made it reality?"
The Emperor's murmured realization was met with silent affirmation from General Wilhelm.
The general didn't speak, but in his mind, countless possibilities flashed by.
As a commander, he knew—the moment real-time, long-distance communication became possible, the Empire's military capabilities wouldn't just increase—they'd skyrocket. No, multiply.
Tactics and strategies would evolve from day-long operations to minute-by-minute lightning strikes. Communication would become instant. Commands could be given mid-battle. Entire armies could be re-coordinated on the fly.
A force with such capabilities could unleash destruction on a scale that was previously unimaginable.
Of course, at the moment, cellphones only existed within the fictional setting of a movie. Wilhelm managed to remain calm—for now. But if someone were to place one of those devices in front of him, he might very well have dropped to his knees, eyes sparkling like a child receiving his first sword.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
While the leaders of the human empire quietly burned with ambition, the Beastkin Oracle watched the film with a blank expression.
He showed no reaction to the cellphone at all.
Perhaps it was due to the Beastkin naturally lower intelligence. Or perhaps it was cultural—after all, the Beastkin Kingdom had never held much regard for "strategy" or "tactics" to begin with.
In their world, wars were won with one method: charge.
If you could crush your opponent in one strike, you won. If not, you lost. There was no third option.
It might seem brutish, but with the Beastkin' sheer physical might, they rarely needed more than brute strength. Before the widespread emergence of human mages, wars had often ended in swift, one-sided massacres in the Beastkin' favor.
Even now, some Beastkins were born with bizarre mutations that made them living siege weapons. Only human Arch Mages stood a chance of stopping such monsters.
And so, whether by coincidence or fate, while the Beastkin Oracle pondered the film's deeper implications… he completely overlooked the cellphone.
That seemingly mundane device—capable of revolutionizing the entire concept of warfare—slipped right past him.
Whether that oversight would have consequences in the future… was a mystery only time could unravel.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Meanwhile, in the southern territories, while much of the audience was still marveling over the cellphone, the mages in the crowd were noticeably less impressed.
After all, most trained mages could already communicate over short distances through mental links.
Not to mention that, just recently, Ska had published his new invention at the Mage Tower—an Instantaneous Communication Magic Circle. With it, most mages could now carry out real-time conversations across mid-range distances.
Thus, their attention wasn't caught by the technological details.
What gripped their minds instead was the empty street, the sudden disappearance of everyone, and the bizarre death of that strange girl—Makise Kurisu.
A mystery far beyond just machines.
A phenomenon that hinted at the manipulation of space, or perhaps even time.
And for mages… that was the real hook.
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