Chapter 183: "Steins;Gate" Premieres! (1)
When the cinemas in the Southern region were packed with people, the Imperial Mage Academy was gradually beginning preparations for the second film screening.
Under the personal supervision of Student Council President White, students from the Special Elements Department were setting up a shadow barrier. The atmosphere in the entire main square was steadily transitioning into a movie-watching state.
The students and lecturers of the Imperial Mage Academy gathered, discussing the possible content of the new movie.
"I heard that the new film is related to mages, and unlike 'Fate/Zero' and 'Kara no Kyoukai,' it's genuinely about magic."
"Related to magic? That's exciting! Will we finally see grand maged and archmages unleashing powerful spells and clashing?"
"Haha, that's a bit far-fetched. Filming usable scenes with spells above the fifth or sixth tier would be incredibly difficult due to their destructive power."
"Yeah, I think it's more likely that the protagonist is a high-level mage."
"Where are you getting this information? How do you know 'Steins;Gate' is related to mages?"
"Uh, didn't you know? The casting for 'Steins;Gate' was done right here at our academy. The recruitment notice is still on the bulletin board in front of the student council. Using our mage students as actors suggests it's definitely about mages."
"Exactly, I even auditioned, but got rejected due to my poor acting skills."
"Me too! Although I wasn't successful, seeing Senior Durin in person was a dream come true, he's been my idol for a long time!"
"Really? Wasn't he a problem student at the academy?"
"You didn't know? Before becoming a problem student, he was always first in magic competitions, mastering the deepest secrets of any subject effortlessly. Even the headmaster marveled at his talent. Sadly, he chose the most niche field of Magic Alchemy, shocking the entire Mage's Tower at the time."
"Right, and to everyone's surprise, he succeeded in popularizing Magic Alchemy. He's truly an unprecedented magic genius."
"Oh, I remember now. So the once-in-a-millennium genius and the weirdo from the alchemy department are the same person, no wonder it sounded familiar."
"Well, your information is quite outdated. News about Senior Durin went viral after the first chapter of 'Fate/Zero' was screened."
"Sorry, sorry, I wasn't at the academy back then..."
"Oh, that explains it. By the way, who are you?"
Just as the student said this, he realized that the girl he had been chatting with had disappeared without a trace.
He quickly looked around but couldn't find her, sending a chill down his spine as he feared he might have encountered a ghost.
...
On the high platform surrounding the main square, Durin and Scar found a good spot to stand.
Nearby, many lecturers and professors from various disciplines were also gathered. To maintain their dignity as mentors, they preferred not to compete with students for spots in the square below.
Seeing Durin and Scar arrive, many of the lecturers were surprised, but they didn't actively greet them. Clearly, there were still some lingering resentments about the previously low status of the Magic Alchemy department, and they hadn't fully adjusted.
Durin wasn't too surprised by this. After glancing toward the square, he suddenly called out:
"Hey, Gebrun, and Chris, come join us up here!"
Hearing Durin's enthusiastic invitation, Gebrun and Chris, who were originally heading to the main square, paused for a moment.
Although Chris hesitated a bit, Gebrun, a perennial student in the academy, clearly had no qualms about these familiar lecturers and immediately made his way up.
"Hey, how are you all doing? Long time no see! Have any of you been promoted over these years?"
"Oh, Brenny, we were classmates once, and now you're a lecturer, haha!"
"Man, thanks to you all, I'd have been quite lonely sticking around this old academy doing research by myself."
Gebrun's overly friendly remarks left many of the lecturers looking awkward, and Professor Stitch gave him a pointed look, clearly telling him to tone it down.
Noticing Stitch's gaze, Gebrun did tone it down a bit and, along with the slightly embarrassed Chris, came up to Durin.
"You're looking quite lively," Durin noted wryly.
"Ha, it's necessary," Gebrun chuckled. "I'm constantly battling those dangerous dark organizations. Keeping a good heart rate is essential to maintain double awareness and thinking agility, especially when crises can arise at any moment! After all, I am…"
"Okay, okay, I get it…"
Realizing that Gebrun was indeed an even bigger enthusiast of grandiose fantasies than Helena, Durin quickly waved his hand, indicating he couldn't handle this level of dramatics.
Gebrun took the hint and calmed down when he saw that Durin wasn't in the mood for such antics.
Soon, under the eager eyes of many mages from the academy, images started to gradually appear on the distant movie screen.
Seeing all this, the students from the Magic Alchemy department, Picor and Dylan, who had already secured their spots in the main square, displayed excited expressions.
Ever since watching "Fate/Zero" early in the morning, the two had been debating what the new movie's content would be. Now, they finally had the chance to see it for real.
Simultaneously, on the other side of the empire in the Southern region, major cinemas were finally opening their doors. Countless excited people flooded into the theaters, eager to be among the first to watch the upcoming premiere.
As time passed, all those preparing to watch the movie gradually gathered.
In the Norsrick Cinema, everyone from Edward Studios, Emperor Hubbard, the orc prophet, and their entourages were present.
At the Imperial Mage Academy, all the students and lecturers were ready, joined by numerous archmages who had assembled at the top of the Mage's Tower.
At this moment, under the tense and expectant eyes of all the viewers, the images on the screens finally began to appear.
"Steins;Gate Part 1: The Flutter of Fate's Butterfly" was finally premiering!
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