Part 130: A prayer is not answered

But in this world line, Suzuha brought the meter with her to 1975... and it's been in this house for 35 years.

The Nixie tubes' red numbers displayed the numbers "0.0409431%". Divergence has changed, just like Suzuha had said. This proves that my demon eye, Reading Steiner, gives me the ability to sense changes to the world line after all.

But what does 0.409431% mean? Suzuha had said...



So basically, that means I'm still in the α World Line...?

"Do you understand what that number means? 'Cause I don't get it at all. That number hasn't changed a bit these ten years. But... Suzu would always look at that meter from her sickbed."

"Eh...?"

"She would mutter incomprehensibly. 'Could it be before this number changed? After it changed? Did I change it?' She kept saying stuff like that one day. It was pitiful to watch."

I touch the meter.



I turn to the girl who died ten years ago. The girl who will be born seven years from now. The girl who leapt through time. I call out to her in my heart.

Thanks to you, we avoided Mayuri's death. Divergence has changed. But maybe I still haven't guaranteed your dream.

Over 1% Divergence. Once that's achieved, the future you strove for will be realized. So I will carry on your will.

For sure, I...



Manager lightly pats my shoulder to cheer me up.





Coming out of the ticket gate, Mayuri leisurely walks up to me.

"Tutturu♪ I didn't think you'd actually come all the way to the station to pick me up! Mayushii's surprised."

"It would be bad if my hostage got away."

"Yeah, it would be bad, so Mayushii's really happy. Ehehe♪"

I don't quite understand, but... Mayuri gives a carefree smile, walking ahead of me, almost skipping.

"So, what's that bag you're holding?"

"Mister Braun gave it to me. It's an Oopart that can measure the numerical values of world lines."

"Hmm, seems amazing! But what are numerical values of world lines?"

I smile wryly.

"Mayuri, you really are a dummy, huh."



After I left Manager's house, I called Mayuri to ask when she's coming to Akiba, and then came to the station to pick her up. Anxiety still smolders at the bottom of my heart.

Yesterday... the night of Friday the 13th. We somehow managed to survive. While that may be true, that doesn't mean our safety is guaranteed. For example, the possibility that Moeka will attack now, daytime on the 14th, isn't zero. I might just be over-protective, but still. If I let my guard down, the scene of Mayuri's death still flashes back into my mind. I don't ever want to see that scene again.



I make such a proposal, but she didn't answer. Wanting to know what's wrong, I look to the side.

"Wait, where is she?!"

I look around in a rush, and see her wandering off to a newly opened shaved ice store. Tch, that careless girl...







Kurisu, completely settled into the lab, starts talking with a sour look on her face and an iced coffee in her hand.

"How so?"

I was on @channel, gathering information on the IBN 5100, but I let go of the mouse.

I couldn't find the IBN5100. I went to Yanagibayashi Shrine this morning, but contrary to my expectations, the retro PC wasn't there. The thing that Suzuha had promised she would entrust to us. Her present from 1975. Without it, we can't hack into SERN's database, meaning we can't achieve Divergence over 1%.

"You're starting to treat Mayuri like a princess. Today you went to the station to greet her, you poison-tasted her lunch, and you even walked here hand in hand."

"You know, Okarin loves Mayushii, doesn't he? Ehehe..."

So she talked... Mayuri said so carefree, stuffing her cheeks with takoyaki. I'm pretty sure she's not smiling happily because of my love, but because of the takoyaki's deliciousness. Anyway, she's talking like it doesn't involve her. I mean, don't tell Kurisu...

"So, honestly, what is it?"

"What's what?"



"Does it look like it?"

"Eh, that's, umm..."

Just what sort of delusion did this girl have?

"You know, Okarin and Mayushii have been friends since we were little♪"



"Don't talk while eating. It's improper."

"So, you're not going out? W-Well, I don't think anyone would go out with someone like Okabe, so that's obvious."

"Pff, Cristina. I'm disappointed in you!"

"Huh? What's this all of a sudden?"

"I noticed. I have noticed. Your true nature. You're nothing but a mainstream woman who really gets into love talks...!"



It feels nostalgic, but strange for me to be spewing such pretentious hipster bullshit after so long. It feels a little awkward to say lines like these. Guh, can I no longer return to those pure days...?

"Just what are you trying to say, you pretentious, self-proclaimed mad scientist?"

It's been so long since I've had a useless conversation with Kurisu like this. I suddenly feel lonely. When I was driven into a corner, unable to save Mayuri, I sought help from this genius girl. She encouraged me, supported me, all the while using a severe manner of speech. That fact completely disappeared, the same way Suzuha's memories did.

Thank you for encouraging me back then. I express secret gratitude in my heart.







I stare at the Divergence Meter placed on the side shelf.



What that meant...



"Many possible world lines are in superposition, branching out infinitely. When the meter surpasses 1%, you will have reached the β World Line. Outside the range of Attractor Field α - If you reach the β World Line - the converging result will also change. As long as you can break through 1%... you can save Shiina Mayuri."

Then, conversely...



Is the world converging to the same result - that is, Mayuri's death?

That can't be. That shouldn't be. I mean, nothing happened yesterday. Mayuri's alive, here, safe and sound. Nothing will happen. Nothing should happen.

I believed that, but the dark doubt deep within my heart is slowly swelling today. My brain can't seem to think about anything else now.

No matter how much I stare at it, the meter's number won't move a smidgen. So far, the only times Reader Steiner has activated are the times we sent past-changing D-mails. What is it like... in the case of time leaping? The vertigo I feel when I time leap might be an adverse effect of my Reading Steiner ability. Or possibly, it might be caused by my nerves pulsating when my brain is forced to remember future memories. I can't explain everything.

In any case, I'm perfectly prepared for the worst case scenario. I've already set the Time Leap Machine's timer to send my memories to my phone three hours into the past. With Daru's help, I bought a remote for the 42" Braun Tube TV downstairs from a junk shop.



The 42" Braun Tube TV was right underneath the hole. So, if I point the remote to the hole and press the power button, it turns on. If things suddenly go bad, I can time leap immediately. I also have Future Gadget No. 4: Monad Snake on hand.

"Okabe."

Kurisu enters the development room.

"Didn't you say we weren't going to do Time Leap Machine experiments?"

"This is just in case."

"In case what?"



I keep praying that my fears will end unfounded. It's okay. Everything should be okay. They didn't attack yesterday, so nothing should happen today. At the very least, we're past the crisis of Mayuri's life.

But I still can't help but pray.
Please let everything be safe.
Please don't let anything happen.



My prayers







were unanswered.