Looking up in the direction of the gravel, Okabe Rintaro saw... an unidentified object embedded in the hall.
Then, in the next instant, the screen suddenly jumped.
"Even with billions of heartbeats (Even if the number of heartbeats reaches billions)"
As the music began, all the audience realized.
— It finally started inserting the OP (opening theme).
[Eh eh eh, inserting the OP at this time???]
[So urgent, so urgent, the anticipation is building!]
[Don't rush, everyone, don't rush, the OP seems to have a lot of information, look closely at the screen.]
Seemingly disordered yet ordered lines formed an incredibly cold screen, with several characters flashing by, hinting at the main subject of the story.
Countless Okabe Rintaros walked in a deserted land, and black and white gears turned with a rumbling sound.
Mayuri and Rintaro stood back-to-back, the gears still turning.
After familiar and unfamiliar figures flashed by in similar ways, overlapping and repeating clocks moved their hands.
In this predominantly black and white scene, orange-red numbers rapidly flickered.
Makise Kurisu leaned back, and with countless versions of herself, formed a screen like an afterimage.
An hourglass flashed by, an unidentified object flashed by, a gashapon machine flashed by, the rooftop of the hall flashed by.
Various scenes that were still incomprehensible flashed by in sequence, and fluttering butterflies flapped their wings.
One after another, figures appeared beside Okabe Rintaro, forming a scene resembling a group photo.
'STEINS;GATE'
Finally, the title slowly emerged, and the music neared its end.
[Wow, although I already felt it was a bit stream-of-consciousness, this OP screen is too hard to understand.]
[Those who play with time are like this.]
[The hourglass and butterflies, it's already confirmed that it's playing with a Time Machine, right?]
[Calling big shots, calling big shots, hurry up and tell me what important information is in this OP, I don't want to use my brain anymore!]
[Don't call, the big shot is dragging the progress bar to watch the replay, and the first episode hasn't even finished airing, who's going to analyze it for you.]
"...Although technology has advanced so much now, such a song is indeed a bit beyond my imagination." Uncle Big Nose said slowly after a moment of silence, looking at the screen: "The completeness is unimaginably high, it's hard to imagine that this song was made in such a short time after knowing the topic."
"It should be confirmed by now, right? This contestant is doing content that he has already done before, and the topic just happens to cover the field of work he created." Cowboy Hao nodded and said.
Dong Xuelian showed surprise: "Eh, is that so? Then isn't he cheating?"
"No." Host Fang Yuan softly denied: "The theme of the competition was set on the spot, there is no inside information space, since his work has not been released before, it is in compliance with the rules to use it in this competition."
"Although luck is a part of it, the competition ultimately depends on strength, so don't worry too much, just keep watching."
The brief evaluation came to an end. After the OP screen, the story still hadn't ended and was proceeding in an orderly manner.
"Hey! You over there! Can you see us!"
Okabe Rintaro's big face abruptly appeared in a screen with obvious lines.
"Why don't you answer?"
"I'm talking about you, with a blank look on your face, on the other side of the screen!"
"Forget it."
"This is the Future Gadget Laboratory."
Saying this, Okabe Rintaro finally backed away, allowing the camera to capture the scene behind him.
"First, let's introduce the members!"
"First is Laboratory Member No.001, the founder of the Laboratory and a mad scientist!" Saying this, he slightly placed his hand on his chest, mimicking the etiquette he remembered, making a not-so-standard gesture: "That's me, Hououin Kyouma."
At this moment, Shiina Mayuri, who had appeared beside the camera earlier and had been knitting, suddenly spoke:
"Okabe is cuter."
"Shut up!" Rintaro showed a small expression of dissatisfaction, "Okabe Rintaro is just a pseudonym to mislead others."
After that, he continued to introduce the remaining members.
"Then, Laboratory Member No.002, whose hobby is making CosPlay props, the one and only, Shiina Mayuri!"
"tuturu, I'm Mayushii."
"Then, Laboratory Member No.003, the super hekker! Hashida Itaru!"
Following his instruct, a man who wore a yellow hat even indoors, completely giving off the stereotypical impression of a fat otaku, turned his head from the computer and retorted:
"It's not 'hekker', it's 'hacker', commonly tested."
"That's all three." Ignoring Hashida's retort, Okabe Rintaro declared.
After briefly stating the seemingly unremarkable address, Okabe Rintaro maintained a serious expression.
"The purpose of the Future Gadget Laboratory is to create inventions that will plunge the world into chaos through the transformation of the world's domination structure," he said.
"Understood?"
The screen shifted from Okabe Rintaro to a... very speechless-looking 'alpaca'.
"If you understand, then quickly tell me your secret!"
Clearly, most of Okabe Rintaro's words were directed at it.
[Hey, were we just scolded?]
[Oh no, we've been discovered!]
[Chuunibyou Okabe is cute.]
[My goodness, tuturu can even make cosplay outfits, I love it, I love it, now our life will be more interesting after we get married.]
[Uh uh, the wife-party upstairs, tone it down.]
[I'll tell, I'll tell, I'll tell everything, don't press me, my bank card password is 00XX77XX88XX, my Genshin Impact account password is 1145XOXX, please let me go.]
[...What abstract thing is the person upstairs playing?]
"From Mr. Alpaca's perspective, do we look like an anime?" Mayuri said casually while knitting.
Hashida quickly retorted: "That guy doesn't even have the concept of whether this is reality or anime, does he?"
"Then, are the 2D girls you like, Hashida, like that too?" Suddenly, Mayuri said.
"That's another matter." Hashida's tone rose slightly: "Because those girls are my wives."
[Laughed so hard, the boomerang came so quickly.]
[Where are the wife-party members? The wife-party members went into the screen to be Hashida.]
[Hey, hey, hey, I'm going to accuse you of discrimination, Hashida seems to be an important supporting character, maybe there will be very important plot later, don't just rely on appearances.]
[I don't care, they are my wives!]
"Tonz's wife's business doesn't matter at all." Okabe Rintaro said without hesitation.