Chapter 189: Steins;Gate Premieres! (Part 7)
The film Steins;Gate continued to unfold on the big screen.
After successfully sending a D-Mail into the past once, Rintaro Okabe and his companions failed to reproduce the experiment. From that point on, no matter how they tried, it always ended in failure.
Worse yet, Makise Kurisu seemed to harbor some kind of psychological trauma regarding the concept of time travel. She left the lab that very same day and never returned.
Even so, Okabe didn't stop. While attempting to uncover the secrets of the time machine, he kept in contact with his friends, sharing thoughts and ideas as he pressed forward.
One day, while searching the internet for more information on time machines, he stumbled across a name by pure chance—John Titor.
A mysterious figure said to have appeared on the internet in the year 2000… and then vanished without a trace.
Without hesitation, Okabe reached out online and sent a message:
"John Titor… I have to ask. Ten years ago, in 2000—did you really appear back then?"
"You say some interesting things. But I'm afraid I've never been to the year 2000, nor do I have any plans to go there."
"How can that be…?"
"Since you've managed to find me, this is perfect. There's something I need to tell you. You're aware that I'm a time traveler, correct? In my era, the time machine has already been seized by an organization called SERN. For the sake of their own twisted ambitions, they control everything. The world has plunged into despair. I've come to the past to change that doomed future."
"You came to change the future? How exactly?"
"A simple example would be the grandfather paradox. If you interfere with the past, your future self would cease to exist. This act causes a phenomenon called world line divergence."
"World line…?"
"Let me explain. Time isn't a single, straight line flowing from the past to the future. It's more like a river—branching off into countless paths. These infinite branches form what we call world lines."
"..."
"Say you were meant to be attacked and die yesterday. But due to some unknown interference, you survived. At that point, the world splits into two lines—one where you died, and one where you didn't. That's the essence of the world line theory."
"Is something like that really possible? Can it even be controlled with such precision?"
"You're still shackled by a linear understanding of time. For example, if I traveled to the past and killed someone—let's call them 'Person A'—then the divergence rate would shift. The world line would begin moving toward a version of reality where Person A never existed. When that happens, everyone's memories get reconstructed. The world in which A existed disappears, and the memories of a world without A are overwritten in its place."
"So SERN used that to take control of the world…?"
"Exactly. Even now, SERN is using their collider to create miniature black holes. In my time—2036—SERN has monopolized all cutting-edge science and technology. No organization, no country, can oppose them. Under their rule, the world has descended into a realm of despair."
"How can the future be changed?"
"First, you'll need to find an ancient device called the IBN 5100."
"The IBN 5100?"
"That's right. It may be an old machine, but it possesses capabilities that modern computers can't even begin to replicate. With it, SERN's nightmare can be unraveled at the source."
"Now that you mention it… I think the John Titor from 2000 said something similar."
"2000? I'm sorry, but I still have no recollection of ever visiting that time. Perhaps the one you encountered was… me, from a different world line. If we ever get the chance, I'd love to meet in person. Oh, and here's my email address. Keep it safe. If you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out. I'll answer whatever I can."
"..."
Their conversation with John Titor came to an end there. But neither Rintaro Okabe, nor a single soul in the audience, could shake the feeling that something monumental had just been revealed.
Like a cold splash of water on the mind—a sudden jolt of clarity.
. . . . . . . . . . .
In countless theaters across the southern territory, the audiences were left wide-eyed and breathless after witnessing this sequence.
"World lines…? A secret organization like SERN ruling the future? A time traveler from a dystopia trying to change history?"
"Dude, what the hell? This is insane—in the best way possible!"
"Wait, this is what the story's really about? That's nuts!"
The atmosphere was electric. Enthralled.
They had expected a fun sci-fi flick—but what they got instead… was the beginning of something truly legendary.
"Oh man, now I'm really looking forward to what happens next!"
"Is the protagonist about to begin his fight against the dark organization?"
"I'm way too hyped right now!"
"..."
Excited chatter erupted throughout the theater, a chorus of awe and exhilaration.
No one had expected Steins;Gate to take such a dramatic, mind-blowing turn.
The plot twist was so intense, it felt like the movie had leapt from KonoSuba's comedy into the dark brutality of Goblin Slayer. The tonal shift was that drastic—it practically turned the entire genre on its head.
At first, everyone had assumed the film was a blend of mystery, suspense, maybe even horror. But now it was clear—this was a classic battle-for-the-fate-of-the-world type story. A full-throttle, high-concept, high-stakes sci-fi epic.
And yet, Steins;Gate was no ordinary "hot-blooded hero saves the world" tale.
The intricacies of the time machine, the rigor of world line theory—everything was shockingly hardcore. It wasn't just cool, it was intellectually exhilarating. The more they thought about it, the more amazed they became.
. . . . . . . . . . .
At that same moment, in the royal viewing box, Emperor Hubbard looked visibly stunned as the scene played out. The revelation of a shadowy organization manipulating the world through time travel had clearly caught him off guard.
"To use a time machine to control the world… If such a thing truly existed, it might really be possible."
He leaned forward slightly, voice laced with awe and a hint of calculation.
"Imagine going back and eliminating the founding figures of our empire at the moment of their rise. Destroy the very foundation from which our nation was born. Such a method could obliterate any threat without ever drawing a blade."
General Wilhelm, standing nearby, frowned at the notion.
"I disagree. That kind of interference would be impossible to control. History isn't shaped by just one or two people. To truly rewrite it, you'd need to travel to a specific moment in time and eliminate every single key figure tied to that turning point. Otherwise, too many unpredictable variables remain. There's no telling how it would actually unfold."
"Hmm. I suppose you're right."
At that moment, the Beastkin Oracle—silent until now—spoke up with a deep crease in his brow:
"If the changes to history go too far… there's a chance even the fact that the time machine exists would be erased. In that case, wouldn't the entire plan collapse on itself?"
"Well, in the end, it's all just fiction," the Emperor said with a shrug. "It's a story. We don't need to get too hung up on it. Just judge it based on the rules it sets for itself."
His words earned a round of nods from the knights around him.
But the Oracle didn't nod. His expression remained dark, his gaze far away.
To him, no story was ever just a story. Every film had meaning behind its creation—a reflection of something real.
And now, his thoughts spiraled toward a far more unsettling question:
If the Human Empire truly possessed a weapon like this… what kind of devastation could it bring to the Beastkin Kingdom?
. . . . . . . . . . .
Meanwhile, across the capital, the halls of the Imperial Mage Academy were in a frenzy.
The mages, having just witnessed the core concept of world line theory, were practically boiling over with excitement.
None of them had expected this to be the underlying logic behind time travel.
"World line theory… yes, it makes perfect sense. If the world isn't singular but filled with countless parallel versions of itself, then time interference becomes plausible. A shift in events triggers a transition to a new world line, a different parallel reality. That way, no matter what changes occur to the past or future, the theory still holds water."
"But here's the thing—if the time traveler interferes with the past and erases their own future self… who, exactly, made the interference?"
"Maybe the moment they interfere, the act itself is recorded by the fabric of the world. Even if they themselves are erased, the change they triggered continues to exist."
"What really puzzles me is this: why is it that Rintaro Okabe, the protagonist, can still retain his memories after shifting world lines? Why is it that everyone else forgets what happened in the previous timelines, yet he remembers it all?"
"Could it be some kind of special power…? Or maybe a unique trait only he possesses?"
The room buzzed with debate, theories flying in every direction.
"Anyway, if this time traveler John Titor is telling the truth, then the future is seriously messed up. Everyone ends up under the control of that dark organization, SERN. Even though they don't dare travel back in time for fear of altering the fact that they invented time travel, the period between the time machine's creation and the year 2036 is theirs to manipulate at will."
"But that also means… if you can stop SERN from inventing the time machine in the first place, then none of that dystopian future ever happens. That makes saving the world sound kind of simple, doesn't it?"
"If only it really were that simple. If it were easy, the world line would've already shifted into a better one. But clearly, from what we've seen, John Titor hasn't been able to change the future ruled by SERN. Because if SERN's actions were erased, then he would cease to exist too."
"Exactly. The fact that John Titor still exists means that a future ruled by SERN still exists in some form."
"..."
The mages analyzed the situation swiftly and sharply. In just a few minutes, they'd grasped the implications of the world line theory and offered their own takes on how to stop the bleak future shaped by SERN.
But no matter how logically they debated, the film had only revealed so much so far—they still lacked the information needed to devise a truly feasible solution.
During this, on the viewing platform, Ska suddenly turned to Dulin with a question:
"What's that device Okabe used to look up information?"
"Oh, you mean a computer? It's basically a big, powerful version of a magical phones. Not only can you look up all kinds of info online, but you can also connect with tons of people—chat, exchange messages, share data."
"A computer?"
Ska's eyes lit up at the term. But his expression quickly darkened as he realized the implications.
"That… sounds amazing. But it must be incredibly hard to make, right?"
"Yeah, very hard. The real issue is the processor. I haven't found a suitable material to act as the core yet. If we rely only on Magic Stones and Imaging Crystals, the amount of data it can process is too tiny to be useful. So for now, it'll probably remain a fantasy—just part of the movie's setting."
"I see…"
Ska nodded silently. He understood all too well: even basic technologies like televisions and magical phones were still in development. Their Magitech Alchemy Branch hadn't even graduated its first class. Many things had to be set aside for now, to be explored again in the future.
Still, he firmly believed that no matter how impossible these "fantastical" devices seemed now, one day, perhaps even soon, Magitech Alchemy would make them real.
He believed that future would come.
And he was ready to chase it.
. . . . . . . . . . .
"World line theory, huh…"
At the peak of the Mage Tower, the Arch Mages were left speechless, overwhelmed by the film's astonishing premise.
The moment Steins;Gate introduced the world line concept, the entire film leapt to a new tier—no longer a simple mystery, but a truly hardcore, metaphysical magical narrative.
Even these wise, older mages had never imagined such a concept.
But that didn't mean they lacked wisdom—only that they were bound by the assumptions of their era.
The second the idea appeared in the story, they immediately grasped it.
"If world line theory is real… then perhaps that explains why time magic has always remained an unattainable dream," muttered Administrator Hohenheim.
Arch Mage Pollock nodded thoughtfully.
"Indeed. We've long classified time as one of the special elements, but we've treated it like any other. Now it seems… time might be more than an element. It could be a fundamental pillar of the world's structure. Interfering with it might disrupt the very laws that hold reality together."
"Still… here's a troubling question. If world lines exist, then that implies there are countless parallel worlds. How do these worlds exist? Does it mean that right now, somewhere, there's another world with a version of us—us Arch Mages—living completely different lives?"
"…"
That idea sent a collective shiver down their spines.
Even at the summit of human knowledge, the mysteries of the cosmos remained daunting.
For all their wisdom, not even the Arch Mages could grasp the true shape of existence.
And so, after a brief silence, they left the metaphysics behind and returned to the movie.
<+>
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