Part 115: Okabe Rintarou loses his temper

"A Divergence Meter. It can display the numerical value of the world line we're currently on."

The meter displays "0.337187%".

"The numerical value of my original world line in 2036 is set at 0%, so it's just a relative number."

"You made this?"

"No. I brought it from 2036."

"Hmm, these are Nixie tubes, huh? Nice sense. Enough that I'd certify it as Future Gadget No. 9."

"What exactly is the mechanism behind this thing? I didn't think it possible to quantify world lines."

Suzuha shrugs.



"You don't know?!"

"Do you know who made this?"

Why's she asking me if I have no way to know?



"Huh?"

"You made it. Ummm, I'm sure it was... about 11 years from now. You apparently put your special ability to practical use."

"Is that so..."

"If we have this meter, then people other than Okabe can check world line divergence. Is that it?"

"No, that's not it."



"Haah? Then there's no point. Make something useful for once, Okabe."

I ignore Kurisu's complaints and look at the meter again. This is something I made. Fifteen years have passed since I completed it. Eleven years will pass before I complete it. Feels kind of weird.

"The only one who understands the mechanism is the maker himself. So if you want to know, you'll probably have to wait 11 years. If you do that, he should figure it out himself."

"Have you met me in the future?"

She did say I was an infamous terrorist. For some reason, Suzuha's expression momentarily darkens.

"...not once."

"I see... So, what's the point in showing me this meter here and now?"



"1%..."

"Right. If you break 1%... you'll save Shiina Mayuri."

The glowing red numbers don't move at all now. It just needs to be raised a mere 0.6%, so it seems simple enough.

But on the other hand, there are six digits after the decimal point, and when I consider that the meter doesn't have a tens place, I expect raising that number is going to be difficult.

"I'll give it to you. There's no point in me keeping it anyway. Use it well."





Anime shops. Game shops. Otaku shops. Commemoration shops for the Olympics and exhibitions. Local shops.

I tried combing through shops that maniacs frequent, but couldn't find any pin badges with the same design as Suzuha's. Thinking it might be best to go all the way to Ikebukuro or Nakano, I head back to the lab, when a street stand catches my eye. Standing next to his goods on a folding table is a foreigner covered in tattoos who looks like he's free. I guess that bro's the storekeeper.

This is the first time I've seen such a stylish street stand in Akiba. Normally, they just sell suspicious junk. I peek down at the street stand with nothing else to lose. Various accessories are lined up on the folding table, including pin badges. An unexpected coincidence. Don't tell me it's here...?!

I can't find the "OSHM***A 7010" logo among the displayed accessories, but just to make sure, let's ask the storekeeper. Ummm... should I... use English?

Our eyes meet. He has beautiful baby blue eyes, but I look away at once. Gh, don't look down on me. If that's how it's gonna be, then let's just plow on through.

(In English:)

"HEY, MASTER. I AM MAD SCIENTIST. SO COOOL. SONUVABITCH!"

(In Japanese:)



He smiles, and even answers in Japanese. He shows off his front teeth in a friendly manner. It's sad that my provocation was completely ineffective...

"Umm, th-there's just something I want to ask."

I take the photocopy of Suzuha's pin badge out of my pocket.



After Master stares at it for a while, he does an exaggerated gesture typical of westerners, shrugging his shoulders while shaking his head.

"I want to know its source. Can you check it?"

"re... remember, remember? Hmmm, sorry, itsa little diff-cult, eh..."

What is he saying?

"By the way, where didja get this thang?"

"That's what I want to know. I'll compensate you."

"I sorry."

...He apologizes in strange Japanese. So, obviously, there's no information in this stall either, huh... For now, I give him my contact address and ask him to tell me if he finds out anything.

"Okabe Rintarou."





She's holding a drink. My favorite Dr Pepper... no, it's cola.

"Sup. Wanna drink?"

I accept it, loan on the roadside fence and quench my thirst. I had Suzuha go her own way, searching in Kanda, but when did she get here?

"Results?"

"None. More importantly, what's with that English back there? It was kinda dumb. 'So cooool.' Is that standard English in this era?"

"Like hell it is."

"Is that so. So it's an Okabe Rintarou Original, huh. There's no travel abroad in my time, so I didn't quite know."

"There's no travel abroad? You mean it's not that you haven't gone?"

"Correct. Travel wasn't for amusement. Permission for passage is rarely given, so I haven't seen any foreigners until I came to this era."

No wars means isolation...? No, maybe instead, the people and the nations took such measures to avoid confrontation. An invisible prison, so to speak. And the wardens are SERN and the Council of 300.

Japan was also an isolated nation in the olden days, with rare international exchange. The international situation might have regressed several centuries. The absence of conflict is obviously a good thing, but...

...let's stop thinking nostalgically about the future. More importantly, how do we break out of this stalemate?



It's almost like a steam bath. All this heat is annoying me. Just how eager a bastard is the sun? Shining in the center of the sky like he owns the damn place, not giving a fuck...

Dammit. Why can't I find it? Even if we don't find Suzuha's father, though, it's no skin off my back. If Daru can fix the time machine, then that settles everything.

So why do I feel this much regret myself? I don't really know. Maybe I'm irritated at my own powerlessness. No matter how many times I try to save Mayuri, I can't. And now, I've left the time machine to Daru and the Time Leap Machine to Kurisu. I'm haughtily flapping my lips, yet I'm not helpful at all.

Maybe that's why I want to at least settle whatever it is I can.



Next to me, Suzuha stretches wide with a refreshed smile.



She comes to me with such a trivial excuse. And yet, here I am, starting to hate myself because we can't find it...!

"Are you giving up? We still have one more day!"

"Wh-Why are you mad?"

"Everyone's trying their hardest for your sake. Don't you get it?! I want to prioritize Mayuri over everything! But you're still a lab mem, a comrade! If a comrade's in trouble, you'd want to save them. That's what Mayuri felt, and I agree. That's why I'm searching! How can you be the first to give up?!"

"D-Don't yell!"

"Don't get discouraged on me...!"

No good. I burst out in anger. I tell myself to calm down. This isn't the time to be quarreling like this.

"I'm sorry. But you know, don't you think you're talking from too high a perspective?"

The surrounding passersby grin as they watch us. I take a deep breath.

"...I'm sorry if I said too much."



I pretend to be thinking and looking around.

"...Well then, what shall we do now?"





"Where are you now?"

"Umm, in front of the station."

"Let's meet up. Don't move from there."

"Okay. Understood!"