Steins;Gate: The Distant Valhalla

‘I will change the failures of the past and restore the future.’
However, if what happened here right now is reality...
Then the things that John Titor said were neither child’s scribbles nor
bullshit.
This is the result of the universe strictly going towards a pre-destined
future.
The fact that I’m still alive is proof that the world is converging towards
the same result.
Yes. Normally I would have died 2 times today.
Luckily, however, I survived.
Both of the times, the bullets did nothing but scrape my body.
Is that really luck?
Or perhaps-
The fact that I’m alive right now is just a converged event?
If that’s true...
Then isn’t the result of me dying in 2025 also already decided?
Just like Suzuha knew.
Suzuha is the only one who observed the future.
“So... I cannot escape from causality...?
Not only me.
Kurisu’s future is also known.
If it’s like Suzuha said, then until Kurisu completes the time machine in
2034, she cannot escape from SERN no matter what.

“The results of the current experiment are collected. It wouldn’t be wrong
to say that it’s a success. You two – no – three including Mister Hashida.
Thank you for cooperating in the experiment. Allow me to explain why we
chose such an inconvenient way of going around it. We have a
responsibility to do so.”

Hiiragi is still talking. So fluently that it feels like she’s singing, and with
that usual cheerfulness.

“To put it simply, we respect the free will of the 3 of you. If we tried to
bend causality with our own hands, the results of the experiments would
be somewhat doubtful. The sample we needed was a more pure and natural
occurrence of the phenomenon. That is why I found out some of the results
of the future from Mister Hashida. Like the fact that his little lady time
travelled from 25 years in the future. I don’t really doubt that. After all, we
are also doing time travel research.”

I’m imprisoned by the will of the universe.

Whatever I do, I won’t die for the next 14 years.

Whatever I do, I will die after 14 years.

Whatever I do-

For 23 years, Kurisu will be researching time machines for SERN.

Daru will be killed by Rounders, while his time machine is still
incomplete.

Suzuha will time travel to 2010 and fail.

I won’t get back the IBN5100.

I cannot escape the attractor fields.

Mayuri will not be saved.

“By using the girl’s information as a base, we manipulated your actions.
That might be called causality manipulation and add a little doubt to the

experimental results. Anyway, since this isn’t 2034, and we still don’t have
time machines, this kind of inspection of causality bending is kind of
meaningless.”

Nothing will change. Nothing did change.

A year and a half ago, I gave up once.

No matter how much I try, it will all repeat itself.

Everything’s pointless.

“The result was satisfying. World line convergence prevents death itself.”

No matter how much I try.

Just like I couldn’t save Mayuri back then.

Nothing has changed.

“Forgive me...”

“It’s regrettable, but we have to release Mister Hashida. He must go back
to Japan and have a daughter. Until we have our time machine in 23 years,
we don’t want to mess with causality that much.”

While the woman is speaking, the Rounders are standing completely still.
So still that they look like mannequins. Their guns are aimed at me and
their fingers are on the triggers.

I’m in a situation where I could normally die at any moment.

“Sorry for the trouble, but Miss Makise will have to stay with us. The
reason is more than obvious, I believe. It’s because you’re the future’s
Mother of All Time Machines. Well, how about you, Mister Okabe? We
are going to respect your free will.” If world lines converge, then I will not
die no matter what, apparently.

Their weapons might get jammed, steel girders might fall on their heads,
the great and mighty old farts of the Committee of 300 might come down
and say ‘ Don’t kill that man. ’, or the bullets might just ignore the laws of

physics and completely miss me.Anyway, following any of these retarded
joke-like events, my death will not happen, no matter what I think about it.
That fact has just been proven by an experiment.

“We would really like to research your Reading Steiner. If you want to
cooperate with us on that matter, we promise to treat you very kindly. The
Committee of 300 will welcome you with open arms.”

However, will these jokes really happen again? I’d really like to test that
again.

In my current state, I feel so idiotic and powerless.

So powerless that I almost want to ask them to kill me.

“Also, I previously said that we don’t want to bend causality. If we want to
follow that to the smallest detail, we must set you free now. In both Mister
Hashida’s and Miss Makise’s cases, we chose what would have the
smallest effect on causality, but that still doesn’t reduce the possibility of
there being doubting results. We want world line convergence that is as
natural as possible.”

After 23 years, not only will the SERN dystopia be created, but millions of
people will lose their free will.

If I cannot resist a result which has already been decided just by changing
the process, then...

“You are going to pass away in 14 years. We are well aware of you being
a threat, but following the decision theory, we know that there’s no need to
do anything about you. So please, choose.”

... Isn’t this way of living meaningless?

Also, it hurts so much that I can’t stand anymore.

The bleeding won’t stop, and my vision is getting blurry.

I am tired.

Let me rest.

Hey, somebody.

Please kill me.

If you do, then that will prove that the future is not decided.

I don’t think that I can go on living without being able to suffocate myself
to death with this silken hair...

“Okabe-“

The voice that I’m used to splashes some colour on the world that has gone
monochrome.

“Okabe, listen.”

Within my arms, Kurisu starts making slight movements. Looks like she
got her consciousness back.

From below my vision, Kurisu stares straight into my eyes.

Her hand gently touches my cheek.

“I will stay here.”

“What... huh...?”

Just when I lost my words, Kurisu, totally unharmed, stands up as if
pushing me aside.

“Kurisu...!”

As I lay on my side, I extend my hand. However, not even my fingertips
reach her.

“Thanks. For covering me up then.”

Giving up, I stop putting strength into my arm.

“I am going to stay here.”
As if to emphasize it, Kurisu says that once again and turns her back to
me.
She’s basically implying that she’s accepting the world line convergence.
No, it’s not like it’s her free will. This too, is the choice of the universe.
Our will doesn’t matter.
Trying to stop her here is pointless.
World line convergence is absolute.
It is impossible to resist it.
Kurisu only accepted what a feeble existence she is.
And thus, while living a life equivalent to a one-way rail, she will only
wait for the decided death to come. A programmed existence.
Forgive me, Kurisu. I lied to you.
I gave you false hopes.
There is nothing more cruel than hopes that cannot come true.
That is why, I’m sorry.
I don’t care if you hate me.
After all, I wasn’t able to take you away from here-
“Hey, Okabe.”
With her back towards me.
Kurisu whispers.
She neither looking at me, nor looking down.

She has her head held high.
“What Amane-san observed is just bits and pieces.”
“Huh... what...?”
I cannot understand what she is saying right now.
“It’s true that both of our futures were observed. However, that wasn’t my
whole life. It’s not like Amane-san was a constant spectator of my life.
Right?”
The tone full of cool-headedness, pride and strength-
“Between the present in which I live now, and the future that she observed
is nothing but pure white.”
-is exactly the same as that of the genius assistant that spoke to me back in
Akihabara.
“We can impose on that.”
The result cannot be changed.
The process can.
“I told you back then, right? That I want to believe.”
Until then, Kurisu has been giving up.
In that state, I gave her some feelings – hopes that cannot be fulfilled.
“I completely ignored the theories because I believed in you-“
Right now, Kurisu, who believed those feelings, is...
“I will despair no more-“
Right now as she is turning towards me, her expression is...
“I just want you to groundlessly keep saying that the future can be

changed...”
A nearly crying...
“I will stay here by my own will, so please come pick me up someday.”
Filled with loneliness...
“It’s a promise, Okabe.”
Smile.
We will return to Akihabara.
The promise that we exchanged a few hours ago.
The promise that I believed with foolish honesty.
Belief.
It is the will with which Kurisu stands up against this world.
With it as support, she is walking away from me, and those footsteps are
devoid of hesitation.
On her back, I can feel the resolve to never let her will waver.
As if inspired by that, I hold back a teary breakdown.
This is not a farewell.
As long as the promise lasts...
No matter how far apart we are, we will meet again.
Someday, we will return to Akihabara.
We will definitely create...
That future...
And that ending.

[29, DEC, 2011 14:49PM]

The Sea of Japan that I haven’t seen for a year and a half doesn’t seem
beautiful or anything.

The midwinter evening Sun is shining on the surface, giving it a nice glow,
but it still isn’t something I’d call beautiful.

I have been looking at it for about 4 hours now.

Tokyo, Ariake.

I am surrounded by a hustle and bustle of male otaku carrying loads of

paper bags with anime pictures on them and female otaku wearing sexy
costumes.

The first day of Comima.

An event that happens twice a year.

Even at this time, the usually empty outskirts of the international
exhibition hall are quite prosperous.

Now that I think about it, I never got to go here a year and a half ago.

A sigh escapes my mouth.

I feel gazes piercing my body.

When I raise my head, I clearly see two suited men throwing glances at me
from a distance.

Rounder observation. By being so open about it, they’re wordlessly
warning me by saying Don’t do anything weird.

I gulp down the idea of approaching them.

In SERN, Operation Valhalla ended with Kurisu staying there while me
and Daru were released. Daru was just nicely captured.

The promise.

Ever since we came back from France, Kurisu’s smile of that moment has
been at the back of my mind every day.

The things that Kurisu said at that time...

Did she really believe what I told her then?

Or did she make a lie to help me escape?

I really don’t get it. Never before has Kurisu made a conclusion by
ignoring the theories behind it.

However she said that she’ll believe.

Thus, I too decided to believe her and my own words back then.

I will despair no more. No matter what, I will keep on fighting.

Whether that’s the will of the universe or my own decision doesn’t matter.
I’ll leave that answer for when I die. Right now, I only have to keep
moving forward.

The salty wind makes my wounds hurt. The hundreds of scrapes I got from
the bullet storm in the LHC still haven’t fully healed. Bearing the pain, I
take out an old pocket watch. The see-through plastic part that acts as the
surface is slightly cracked.

However, it still works and is recording time as it always did.

“Okarin is only Okarin when he wears a lab coat.”

Hugging lots of paper bags, Daru walks up to me while sweating.

It’s amazing that he can be like that in this cold winter day. Sighing, I put
the pocket watch back.

“Looking at your current state, I’m guessing that you got what you aimed
for.”

“I did, bro! The next part of ‘ Chu☆ Chu with Erin’! It took me 3 hours of
line standing, but I have no regrets! This was a challenge against this very
era!”

“You damn lolicon.”

“Don’t praise me, bro.”

A useless and pointless conversation of 2 bastards.

However-

A burst of air escapes my nose.

These feelings that I tried to hold back overflow so suddenly.

When I realize it, I am breaking down in tears, completely ignoring
everyone’s looks. “You, you’re a d-damn pervert, D-Daru...”

“Not only m-me, bro. J-Japanese have b-been perverts, si-since the dawn
of t-time…”When I look at him, I notice that Daru’s face is covered in
tears, as well.

This must be a pathetic sight. Outside Comima’s grounds, two grown men
are standing and crying with no control over their voices. However, we
can’t hold back.

The things that we lost to get here are just too great.

Only a year and a half ago...

These conversations were an everyday thing.

Now, however, it feels as though it is something irreplaceable.

“H-hey, Daru... I-it looks like our f-future, is to create a r-resistance
against the R-Rounders...”

“I am... hic, I-I am ready...”

Daru says that while sobbing convulsively, totally surprising me.

“Wait... Are you serious?”

“That is why this is my last Comima. Now, I don’t have any regrets...”

I see. So Daru was also thinking about it... in his own ways.

“We might never come back... hic... Are you really fine with that?”

“I will become your right hand man and all that, right...? That’s why we’ll
bro it out until the end...”

“As expected of the Super Haka.”

“It’s Hacker.”

Looking at each other’s faces covered in tears, we exchange a friendly
grin.

The Rounders are still observing us. We have to lose them somehow. Is it
possible for unskilled guys like us?

“Uhmm...”

At that moment, a female cosplayer wearing maid-like clothing asks for
our attention.

Looking at our faces in worry, she’s holding out a handkerchief towards
us.

“Would you like to use this?”

“WOAH!!? T-This cosplay is... from Real Dream Club! Hhnnnnngh!”

Breathing heavily through the nose, Daru greedily took the handkerchief.

And, right in front of the girl, he sniffs it with all the strength he can
muster.

Now that’s just catastrophic...
“For my whole life I’ll go MoeMoe☆ Kyun over you! Please marry
meee!”

“Ahahah... Th-that’s a little...”

“You’re a famous cosplayer, right? Yuki-chan, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then, can I ask you something.”

“I won’t marry you.”

“Can you get your fellow consplayers to band up around here? And then-“

Daru suddenly lowers his voice.
“See those two guys wearing suits? I want to show them that Comima is a
wonderful event.”
Daru... Are you...?
“Who are they?”
“Secret agents of the government. The instigators of the people who want
to destroy otakuism and Comima.”
“So they’re a danger to otaku culture.”
“So, can you help us out?”
“Leave it to me.”
The cosplayer named Yuki nods with a bright smile on her face.
“I’ll get some of my friends.”
“Okie dokie. Do your best!”
“Okie dokie? What does that mean?”
“A joyful way of saying OK.”
“He~h. I think I’ll use that. Okie dokie ♪”
And so, Yuki runs off towards the conference area.
“So, Okarin...”
Pretending to be wiping his tears with the handkerchief, Daru looks at me.
“Get ready to run. We’re gonna lose those two.”
“Is that girl in any danger?”
“There are no idiots who would shoot down a civilian in a place like this,

bro.

Also, I only asked her to show them the wonders of Comima.”

So basically, it won’t end in violence.

“Okie dokie.”

I also wipe my tears. It would’ve been nice to use the girl’s handkerchief
with the pleasant floral scent, but I gave that privilege to Daru.

“So what’s the operation name?”

I lose my words again. I didn’t think about it yet, so it feels so sudden.

“Right, the operation name is...”

Cosplayers and brats with cameras are starting to gather around the suited
men. With Yuki as the heart of that, they first begin to sing an anime song
as a chorus.The Rounders are overwhelmed.

“... Valkyrie.”

We nod at each other and start dashing at the same time.

Our battle starts right now.

The battle for the sake of escaping world line convergence, gaining true
free will and regaining our lost comrades.

A battle that I will be fighting for the next 14 years.

“It’s like the final chapter of a manga, bro!”

“Just please spare me all the ‘Thank you for reading my work all this
time.’

bullshit!”

Sprinting through the otaku people leaving Comima, I speak the final
password of goodbyes with no special meaning towards the international

exhibition area. “El Psy Congroo... This is the choice of Steins;Gate.”

[Valkyrie]

The general term used to describe the divine women that have the role of
taking those who have died in battle, prepare them for Ragnarok and take
them to Valhalla.