Part 55: Shiina Mayuri recalls a story from Rintarou's past

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know the details, but when the past changed, Kiryuu's actions these past four days changed ever so slightly. As a result, circumstances were reconfigured so that Moeka didn't come to the lab..."

So that's why it looked like she teleported? It looks like the phenomenon with gelbanas, but it's not, I guess. Moeka didn't become a Jellyman after all.

"Is that even possible?"

"I didn't say that. If the fact that the D-mail was sent is erased, then it becomes a paradox of who sent that D-mail... And there's one other thing that happened to Okabe that I don't understand.

"What?"



"By the way, you should quit with that coinage since it's embarrassing."

"Hmph! I didn't ask for your opinion."

I'm finally able to joke with her again. Well, maybe Kurisu wasn't joking, but it's none of her business.

"With your explanation, you weren't the one to receive the D-mail either. How come only you remember what happened before the world line changed?"
"But, isn't this just your delusion?"

"A brain waifu. I understand."

"No you don't. Don't lump me into your pervert gentleman club."

"This Kiryuu doesn't exist in the first place. Or possibly, Kiryuu Whatsherface does exist, but the fact that she sent a D-mail was a delusion--"

"Gwaaaah!"

"...eh?"

I hold down my left eye and crouch on the spot.



"O-Okarin, are you okay...?"

Mayuri peeks anxiously at my face, but I lightly push her aside.

"No, Mayuri, d-don't come close.... Right now, I might end up... hurting you...!"

"But Okarin, you look like you're in pain..."

"...He's trolling, right?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"I-I'm okay... This aching is normal... it'll end soon...! Tch, as long as I have this demon eye... The Organization will keep aiming for me...! It's the power to predict every world and age... but at the same time, it's a double-edged sword...! I... because of this all-world and all-age seeing demon eye... have gone outside the law of cause and effect as a human... But even still, I swear... to protect at least this lab... so, oh demon eye, please calm down...!"

I grind my teeth while on all fours. I take a deep breath, gradually removing my hand from my left eye. Mayuri rubs my back.

"Okarin? Does it hurt?"

"No... I'm okay now."

I stand up, then send Kurisu a sharp glance.



"Cristina. You are wrong. It's already been proven with our experiments up until now... That my Reading Steiner is genuine!"

"Yeah, yeah, pretentious hipster bullshit, whatever."

"Eh?"

"Hm?"

"Ah... Wh-Why are you all staring at me? No looking!"

I wanted to avoid Kurisu's deep questioning. I was like that when Titor called me the Messiah too, though.



In that case, is it something outrageous? An unknown, dormant power. I'm taken aback by its existence.



I try sorting out what happened this afternoon, but it's impossible. The more I think about it, the more complicated it gets.

And so I hear footsteps coming down from the second floor. When I try peeking, I see Mayuri and Kurisu.





"Okabe, do you always stay here overnight?"

"I guess. Since I'm a mad scientist, I must be able to stay overnight at a research institution, immersed in research, or I'm unqualified."

"I think you're putting too much emphasis on appearance, though."

"But you know, this place is really convenient, right? Mayushii wants to stay over here if mom and dad will let her."

"Eh, really?"

"And then I can get to work quickly♪ Hey, Hey, Cris, next time why don't we all stay over?"



"That's impossible."

"Then, Mayuri, how about you come to my hotel?"

"We did make that promise, huh! Ehehe, then allow me to intrude next time, okay♪"

"You can come whenever you like. Well then..."

Kurisu waves her hand, walking in the opposite direction from Akihabara Station.



Instead, she does her usual habit - Stardust Shakehand. Looking up to the night sky, she raises her hand as if to grasp the stars. With good timing, a shooting star crosses through the night sky.

"...Hey, Okarin."

"Yeah, a shooting star. Made your wish?"

Mayuri doesn't answer. She keeps looking up to the sky...

"Okarin, back in elementary school, you got a terrible fever and stayed in bed for a month, right?"

"Why bring this up so suddenly?"



That was about 10 years ago. At the turn of the century, when the world was in an uproar about the year 2000 problem. Near the end of 1999 until New Year’s Day 2000, I had a nearly 40 degree fever for about a month.

(104 Fahrenheit.)

Or so it seems. I don't have memories of it myself. According to my parents, I was unconscious the whole time, having nightmares. The doctors said it was a miracle I didn't die. Because of that fever, I didn't get to experience the once-in-a-thousand-years millennium countdown event.

By the way, the cause of that fever was unknown.

"Back then, Mayushii was so afraid that Okarin might've died... So, Granny and I wished to the sky together. 'Okarin, don't die!'"

"Heheheh, it's impossible for me to die! After all, ten years ago, I was a mad scientist with an IQ of 170, equaling that of Thomas Edison!"

Im not sure if Edison had an IQ of 170, though.

"Heeh, is that so? Okarin's amazing, huh."
"But you know, Mayushii was still itty bitty, so she didn't know, and wished to the sky... but on New Year's eve, right before the calendar change, a shooting star went pewww across the sky. Just like now."
"You know, if you repeat your wish three times before the shooting star disappears, your wish will come true, right? Did you know?"

Of course. That's not even trivia, but the most common of common knowledge.

"Of course, Mayushii repeated her wish three times for dear life."

Then Mayuri finally lowers her hand and turns to me. On her face is a fleeting smile.

"The next day, on New Year’s, Okarin's fever went down, and he woke up. So basically, Mayushii is Okarin's lifesaver! Eheheh."



"Ehh? Really?"

"Really."

"I see..."

Mayuri looks a little disappointed.

"Hey, hey. Okarin, when your fever went down, you said this, remember? 'My vision's all gooey, I can't stand cause I'm all dizzy, and my body's all twitchy'."



"Are you okay? You won't get a fever and collapse again, right?"

Mayuri's asking me with a really anxious face. Looks like she got worried at my unrest over Moeka.

Geez. For my hostage to worry about me. I unintentionally smile wryly.

"No worries. Don't worry about a thing."

I shrug as I give this answer and recall what happened ten years ago. When I woke up from that fever, the first thing that flew into my eyes was Mayuri's crying face. That's right, back then, when I heard about how I had collapsed with a fever, I think I did say something like what Mayuri said. When I recall it, it does seem to match well with the sensation I felt a few hours ago, Reading Steiner.

"I see, so this demon eye of mine already dwelled within my body back then, huh...! Fuhahaha!"

So basically, that's the answer: Steins;Gate's choice! I really was born with this ability! This ability that even convinced John Titor I was the Messiah!

Laughing loudly, I'm convinced of it.