The story in the manga continued. After Okabe's initial failure to save Kurisu, he reappeared, provoking Dr. Nakabachi and getting wounded in the process. After the attack, Dr. Nakabachi fled with Kurisu's thesis. In the confusion, Kurisu called for an ambulance but was knocked out by Okabe. Okabe and Suzuha then staged the scene to make it look like Kurisu had been fatally wounded. This setup was designed to fool the Okabe from that day into believing she was dead. Additionally, the stolen thesis was destroyed, finally leading the world into what Okabe had long sought—the Steins;Gate world line.
As Daniel read this part, he could finally see how all the earlier clues and hints fit together.
The Porter had masterfully woven each plot detail so intricately that it all made sense now, captivating Daniel even more and deepening his admiration for the author.
Time travel stories were hardly new—countless books, films, and shows had tackled the concept over the years. Time travel, with all its mysteries and theories, had long been a subject of fascination.
Yet, Steins;Gate stood out with its distinctive style.
Many similar works leaned into complexity, making them hard to follow. Some would dive so deep into convoluted theories that even the creators struggled to explain their stories by the end.
But not Steins;Gate.
Its plot was brilliantly constructed, surpassing its peers with a rigorously logical narrative that tied together cause and effect seamlessly.
Each early plot point, seemingly irrelevant, turned out to be a key piece that drove the story forward to its grand conclusion.
And in the end, Daniel couldn't help but feel satisfied. Mayuri was saved, and so was Kurisu.
But...
Could it really end there for Okabe and Kurisu?
Would Kurisu, who had been saved, never regain her memories of the time she spent with Okabe? Daniel couldn't help but recall Madoka Magica's ending, where only Homura remembered her experiences with Madoka. Or the way Your Name concluded, with the protagonists unable to recall each other until their fateful encounter years later.
The manga wasn't over yet, so Daniel clung to hope. He wished for a happy ending, like in Your Name, where Okabe and Kurisu would find their way back to each other.
With bated breath, Daniel kept reading.
Okabe wandered the streets, hands in his pockets, aimlessly walking while reminiscing about his moments with Kurisu.
No one around him knew that this man had once saved the world from SERN's control and prevented a third world war.
Daniel couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness for Okabe. But then, something happened that made his eyes widen.
On that street, Kurisu and Okabe crossed paths!
"It's happening!" Daniel thought, his heartbeat quickening.
The scene felt eerily reminiscent of the climactic moment in Your Name, and every reader found themselves silently hoping that the Porter would allow Okabe and Kurisu to reunite.
When the two passed by each other, readers held their breath, nervously turning the page with anticipation.
"Finally... I found you!"
"I've been looking for you."
"I wanted to thank you for saving my life."
Kurisu's voice called out to Okabe from behind.
Hearing her familiar voice, Okabe got flustered and lapsed back into his old habits, picking up his phone and delivering his trademark lines.
"We meet again, my assistant, Christina!"
"I've told you before, I'm not Christina, and I'm not your assistant..." Kurisu reflexively responded, before pausing mid-sentence.
In the final frame of Chapter 24, the manga closed on a scene where Okabe handed Kurisu a small pin.
Although the ending seemed simple, it was also deeply touching, capturing the essence of pure love and heartfelt emotion.
"The future holds limitless possibilities. This is all the choice of Steins;Gate, after all," Okabe mused.
There was technically a special 25th chapter titled Egoistic Poriomania, but Ren decided not to illustrate it. He felt that freezing the final moment of Chapter 24, where Okabe and Kurisu met again in a crowd, was the perfect ending.
After the manga ended, readers across the internet expressed their emotions:
"It's over, let's celebrate!"
"Wow, I really thought it was going to end tragically!"
"Thank goodness. If it had ended badly, I was seriously planning to camp outside Picca Comics and wait for the Porter!"
"That final scene reminded me so much of Your Name. It really brought me back to my youth!"
"This is the best coming-of-age love story I've ever read—hands down! What? You're saying it's not a love story? But it felt like one to me!"
"+1!"
"+10086!"
"The only downside is that the manga is over now. It was such a masterpiece with so many twists—it's definitely one of my favorite mangas in recent years!"
Many readers echoed similar sentiments.
Despite its slow start, Steins;Gate's high quality and stunning artwork earned it a loyal fanbase.
But with the story's conclusion came a sense of loss, leaving readers longing for more.
"Honestly, at the beginning, I almost dropped it because of Okabe's cringey, over-the-top behavior."
"Same here. But as the story progressed, I grew to love Okabe. Sure, his words were dramatic, but he was gentle at heart and had a will of steel. If a friend was in trouble, he'd risk everything to help."
"Exactly! Besides the cringe, Okabe was a true gentleman. When Kurisu had problems with her father, he was there to mediate. When Suzuha was leaving, he organized a farewell party. And when Mayuri kept dying, he put his life on the line to save her. I wish I had a husband like him!"
"Wait, you're a guy and you want a husband?"
As people talked and shared their thoughts, the word of mouth spread quickly. Over the next few days, sales of Steins;Gate saw a small spike as even more readers were drawn to the story.
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