The audience watching this couldn't help but feel excited.
With the IBN-5100 in hand, this meant that with one final message change, they could finally reach the timeline they had been aiming for!
"After all this, are we finally going to succeed?"
Under the eager gazes of the crowd, the progress bar reached its final stretch.
The story on screen was still unfolding.
"I see now."
The assistant sat beside Okabe, setting her drink down:
"If you want to save Mayuri from dying, you need to jump out of this current timeline and return to the one before you sent the first D-mail."
"Only then can we go back."
Okabe spoke, his face visibly more relaxed than before:
"For that, we'll have to delete those data from SERN's database..."
"Your time-travel machine is perfect."
"Eh... is it?"
The girl blushed slightly, then turned her head away, speaking arrogantly:
"Of course it is!"
"The first D-mail?"
The assistant suddenly asked: "It's the one, right? The one where I was killed?"
Okabe, who had just relaxed, turned to her, his face filled with disbelief.
The assistant, seemingly unaware of his shock, laughed and added:
"Then you still wanted to touch my body."
Okabe's expression froze at that moment, the colors of the scene fading to gray.
"Cancel all the D-mails up to this point, and restore the timeline."
"That's a dystopian world where SERN rules. A world that can never exist."
"A world where Mayuri doesn't die."
"And in that timeline... Kurisu..."
"Will die!!"
.................
The scene froze.
The audience, who had long since forgotten the earlier events, was also stunned.
The joy of saving Mayuri vanished in an instant.
What once seemed like a multiple-choice question had now become a single choice.
If they choose to save Mayuri, Kurisu will die!
If they choose to save Kurisu, Mayuri will inevitably die!
As the realization hit, the audience felt something inside them crack.
Oh, that's the sound of their hearts breaking.
At that moment, Akifumi's long-dormant SNS exploded!
"Ahhhhh! Bastard!! I watched 20 episodes, and this is what you give me!?"
"I should've known! I should've known!! How could there not be a knife in that bastard's work!!"
"Before, it was a clean and quick stab, but now when we're about to get a happy ending, you stab us! Are you even human!!"
"Where's the address! Give me the mangaka's home address! I can't take it anymore!!"
"You're not human! Okabe worked so hard, and this is what it all meant?!"
"Without the assistant's help, Okabe probably wouldn't have found a way to save Mayuri before breaking down mentally, and now the person who's so crucial has to be given up?! Are you a devil!!"
"There was no hope in the past! Was there only hell?!"
"You made us think the main heroine was the assistant, and now you're going to kill her off?! I can't do it! I just can't!!"
"I've never been in so much pain!"
"Why did it come so suddenly!? I can't accept it!!"
It's not hard to see how much they're suffering right now.
Akifumi's previous works, compared to the pain, often left audiences feeling an overwhelming sense of bittersweet sadness.
In Madoka Magica, people were heartbroken by the tragic fates of the girls and the final decision made by Madoka.
However, it still carried a sense of hope, with Homura's presence.
In Anohana, people felt sorrowful that Menma, who had already passed, lived in a world far removed from the living.
Yet, the summer they shared was so moving, it still held its own kind of beauty.
In WorldEnd, there was sadness over the doomed world, where William and Chtholly's feelings for each other would never have a happy ending.
But at least there were people who remembered her, and at least her time with William was the most beautiful part of her life.
In Your Lie In April, the sadness of Kaori's tragic fate was palpable, but the mutual salvation between Arima Kousei and Kaori also brought warmth.
But in Steins Gate, the amount of sadness didn't dominate the story as much.
Knowing that everything could be reset, even when beloved characters died, there was still a chance to save them.
With this in mind, the emotional weight was different.
Instead of sadness, pain was the dominant emotion.
The pain of death, the agony of watching important people die over and over in front of you, the pain of knowing the countdown to death is inevitable, and the pain of being powerless to stop it...
The deeper they delved into the story, the clearer the wounds became.
The audience's suffering came naturally from the moral dilemma and the complexity of human nature.
In a world where things could reset again and again, every choice made by Okabe felt like a choice the audience had to make as well.
The consequences of those choices struck a deep chord, tugging at their nerves.
So when the story seemed on the verge of success after addressing all the prior conflicts, and suddenly, it hit them with a cruel choice between two outcomes, the pain was unbearable.
What was once a story that could be easily digested suddenly turned heavy, layering even more emotional weight on top of what was already there.
Normally, even when a character is written off, fans would complain briefly, expressing their sadness.
But now, the angry reactions were unlike anything seen before.
And when Akifumi saw those comments the next morning, he couldn't help but exclaim, "That's so scary!"
He said it lightly, but there was a hint of regret in his expression.
The regret wasn't about the game, or that a particular path couldn't reach its ultimate conclusion.
If it didn't reach the end, it meant that no one would really die in the end.
After briefly enjoying the fans' over-the-top anger, Akifumi didn't give it much thought.
As for explanations? He didn't need to give any.
These fans were, after all, true masochists.
Even knowing that the final outcome would bring pain, they would still complain, but their bodies would be honest and continue watching.
Besides, the final story would still be a happy ending.
It would be a waste to not use this rare opportunity to make them feel some anguish.
Why spoil it for them with the truth when they're just about to enjoy it?
What about the feelings they had when they first started watching this drama?
People's sorrows and joys are never truly in sync, and their happiness is never truly shared.
But Akifumi's happiness, on the other hand, was built on the foundation of his fans' sadness and frustration.
Lost in these thoughts, the phone suddenly rang.
"Akifumi-sensei." He picked up the phone and heard Mihari's voice on the other end.
"The preparations for Akame ga Kill are complete. After discussions, we've decided to release it on May 19th. I'm calling today just to inform you."
"May 19th? That's next Sunday, isn't it?" Akifumi nodded. "Got it."
Mihari hesitated before speaking again.
"By the way, the latest episode of Steins;Gate caused quite an uproar. Should we maybe... prepare for some backlash?"
Before Mihari could finish, Akifumi interrupted.
"Don't worry about it. It's fine."
He understood her concerns.
She was worried that the reactions to Steins;Gate would affect the sales of the new release.
After all, it wasn't being serialized; it would be released directly as a single volume.
Such a release method was already risky, and adding more instability could make things even harder.
"Let's not forget, Steins;Gate has a happy ending. Even if it's a bad ending, it won't stop people from watching my other works. They might curse a little, but that's all."
Mihari chuckled and nodded. "If you're confident, then I won't say any more about it."
After the call ended, Akifumi tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Come to think of it, I haven't posted an update in a while."
His last update was after Your Lie In April finished airing.
"Also, another work is nearing its completion. Since I'm already promoting my new project, why not promote the other one too?"
With that thought, he quickly typed out a post to announce it!
Akifumi quickly typed out the update, checking it over for any errors before hitting send:
"Hey everyone, how's your Golden Week going?"
"Have you been out and about or just staying home studying? Or maybe reading novels, manga, or watching anime?"
"It's been a while since Your Lie In April finished, and I haven't been able to chat with you all for some time. I really missed it!"
"And guess what? Steins;Gate is already coming to an end!"
"Can you believe it? Did you all watch yesterday's episode on time? I think it was pretty good, but I'm not sure if it met your expectations."
"I saw a lot of suggestions, but no spoilers, okay? You'll just have to wait a bit longer."
"The story is so close to wrapping up, and if I spoil it now, you won't get the same thrill or surprises, right?"
"Ahem, let's stop the chit-chat here. Now, onto the exciting news!"
"On May 19th, my new work Akame ga Kill! Volume 1 will be released! I hope you'll keep an eye out and support it!"
"What, you haven't heard anything about it?"
"Well, that's because I'm releasing it directly as a single volume, and it won't be serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, so it hasn't been publicized much."
"It's totally fine if you didn't know, right?"
"This work is a brand-new attempt for me, and honestly, I'm a little nervous about whether or not you'll like it."
"Oh, and one more thing! At the end of this month, on May 31st, I'll be releasing another new work!"
"I can't give away too much just yet, but keep an eye on my post that evening at 8 PM. I promise you'll be satisfied with the reveal!"
"So, how do you feel about today's teaser? Don't let my casual tone fool youI've been working really hard on these!"
"Finally, as always, thank you so much for your continued support. I truly appreciate it! Stay tuned, everyone!"
[179] Damn it! Are you trying to make the knife faster, hoping it will finally kill someone?!
As soon as the post went live, the comments exploded!
"Finally, a post from sensei! I thought we were never going to get one!!"
"Yes!! He posted!!"
"I'm so excited! What new project will it be this time? Front row for the group photo!"
"Wait, what's this Steins;Gate thing? I've never heard of this manga or novel before!"
"Is the person above really a fan of Sensei? How have they never heard of Steins;Gate??"
"Steins;Gate is the first work where Sensei is the scriptwriter! I declare it's the best work of the year!"
"I also declare it's the best of the year!!"
"It's already had 20 episodes! You can't miss it! Go watch it right now!!"
"I won't allow anyone to not watch Steins;Gate!!"
"How could anyone not have seen Steins;Gate yesterday?! What the hell happened?! Damn!!"
"Sensei, do you not want me to send you some local specialties? "
"I suggest you think carefully before finishing the ending. "
"Choosing between Mayuri or the assistant? I want them both saved!!"
"Good news: Sensei has a new work coming!"
"Bad news: Sensei's old work is going through more heartbreak!!"
"I'm about to run out of tears! Please give us a good ending, Sensei!!"
"If you don't give a good ending this time, I'm not watching the new work!!"
"Agreed! Let's boycott the bastard's new work!!"
"Wait... the new work is called Akame ga Kill, right? Sounds like a typical shonen piece?"
"Wondering what kind of surprise this new work will bring. Can't wait~"
"Shonen works are tough to handle, but I support Sensei's bold attempt!!"
"Of course! With Sensei's storytelling and exquisite art, what could go wrong?"
"Damn, just thinking about it gets me so excited!!"
"The real question is, why didn't it get serialized in magazines? The decision to release it directly is so brave of Shueisha!!"
"Who cares if it's brave or not? If Sensei releases it, I'll buy it!"
"Damn you! You traitor!!"
"Brothers! It's just a regular shonen work, we have to resist! We can't let the bastard continue this style!!"
"Agreed! We need to stay united!!"
"Wait... is there a possibility that this work could fail, and then the bastard won't be able to release works so recklessly in the future?"
"WTF!?"
"Now that I think about it, this might actually happen?"
"Wake up! No one's really going to stop buying because of the boycott, right? Think about Your Lie In April."
"You idiot, don't say that out loud!"
"Wouldn't it be better to have one less competitor?"
"!!"
"Good grief! I almost fell for your lies!!"
"I almost believed it, damn it!"
"Just a few more days until the new work releases, I can't wait!"
"Damn it! Why does it have to be a few more days?! I don't want to wait a second longer!!"
"By the way... besides the new manga, there's also news of another new work at the end of May. Sensei's work efficiency is unreal!"
"Sensei's efficiency has always been this crazy, it's not a new thing. I'm keeping my cool. "
"But why not just announce it in this post? Why wait until the end of the month?"
"Well, Sensei probably has his reasons."
"Anyway, I'm looking forward to it!!"
From these fan comments, it's clear that even though the pain of the "knife" (the emotional pain of the plot) hurt them, it couldn't dampen their excitement for the new work!
Although the new project isn't out yet and hasn't even been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, these fans are already on the edge of their seats!
Little do they know, they're walking straight into a "hell" ahead.
Monday. School.
"Is it really that easy to draw manga, Akifumi?"
Hearing Kato's confused tone, Akifumi responded, equally puzzled:
"Why do you say that?"
"Because your works are released so quickly," Kato replied, holding up her fingers.
"The first two volumes of Your Lie In April came out in January, and the next nine were released in February, March, and April."
"Now, one month later, your new work is coming outdoesn't that make it seem like drawing manga is easy?"
Akifumi smiled wryly, saying, "Well, Your Lie In April was finished in advance, remember?"
"So, strictly speaking, I haven't actually drawn as much as you think recently."
Kato nodded expressionlessly, but Akifumi knew she wasn't buying it.
"Tch," Akifumi muttered.
Talking to smart people is always tricky.
But it didn't matter that Kato discovered the truthit didn't change much.
