Data Retrieval

Data Retrieval (検索中, Kensakuchū) is the twenty-fourth episode of the Future Diary anime.

Summary
The episode starts with a series of flashbacks of Yuno's life, since the death of her parents, the promised he made with Yuki and the murder of her 2nd self.

Muru Muru further encourages Yuno to replace her 2nd self and use her Diary as well. Muru Muru decides it is best for her to have her memories temporarily suppressed so as to avoid suspicion from the 2nd universe's Deus, so that she can eventually become god. Yuno does not care about becoming god so as long she can be with Yuki again, but Muru Muru asks what will happen if they end in another double suicide.

Back in the present Yuki confronts Yuno for murdering her 2nd self. Muru Muru realizing that the world is collapsing fast, drags them all with an orb planning to time leap to another universe. Yuki further asks Yuno, but Muru Muru replies that he shouldn't hard on her since she was desperate, as she killed her parents and also lost him. Muru Muru claims that Yuno's biggest mistake was letting Yuki see the third corpse as it prompted the ongoing investigation made by Aru Akise that put her identity in question, and therefore was unable to proceed normally such as using the retina scanner to kill John Balks. Yuki decides to ask Yuno why she wants to kill him, to which she replies with a simple "what" angering Yuki demanding she stops regressing her memories in self-defense. Yuno laughs at this and simply asks back why he suggested a double suicide then, but Yuki claims he couldn't bring himself to kill her. Yuno then says that he should die then, and that it is better if she becomes god so that she can repeat the events once more. Yuki claims that if she repeats the game again then people will die again, but she does not care as people would die anyway, and also claims that Yuki also killed a lot of people for his own goals. Yuki is horrified at the lengths Yuno is ready to go, but Yuno angered claims that what's truly insane is that the two are not allowed to be together.

Muru Muru proceeds to erase half of the levitating structure to have Yuki fall to his death. As he's falling Yuki realizes he has in fact done horrible things for his own sake and that he can't take responsibility for those deaths. Muru Muru urges Yuno to become god again, as she reads the entries on her diary that show her worried for his well-being. Muru Muru tries to give her Deus' core but is cut short by an entry on Yuno's diary. Yuki claims to Yuno that he loves her as he's climbing his way back. Yuno watches him and desperately asks him to stay away, but Yuki responds that even if for her he's just a pawn, that she's important for him, reducing her to tears.

Yuki falls but is rescues by a surprisingly alive Minene Uryu who has superhuman abilities, which she uses to escape the blasts from Muru Muru. As Minene escapes unscathed from her attacks Muru Muru realizes that Deus did something. Seeing little option Muru Muru takes Yuno with her to time leap. Yuki asks Minene her help to time leap as well to stop Yuno, to which she gladly accepts.

Yuki and Minene successfully time leap and crash land on an unknown building's rooftop. Yuki asks how Minene is alive, and she explains that back when she visited Deus to ask about Balks's The Watcher Diary, he impaled her and transferred half of his knowledge and powers to her because at that time Deus had already figured that both Muru Muru and Yuno were from another universe and were thus causing an imbalace on the game with their schemes, and therefore asks Minene to stop them, but has her memories sealed until the right time.

Yuki asks Minene where are they, but Minene has no clue as they only followed Yuno and Muru Muru. Yuki notices that it is exactly July 28th of 2 years ago and Minene speculates that Muru Muru didn't think ahead when she performed a time leap, but nonetheless they are all in the third world. Minene warns Yuki that Yuno will most likely kill her 3rd self to repeat the game and that Yuki is the only one who can stop her. Yuki has a change on his diary and reads entries that state Yuno will kill her 3rd self and kill Yuki in 2 hours, but given that the time leap was performed before any god was crowned the Survival Game continues. Yuki is scared because of the DEAD END, but realizes his priority is Yuno instead of himself, with Minene comforting him that things have gone well so far.

Meanwhile in the Gasai Residence of the third world, Yuno's mother, Saika Gasai tries to desperately contact her husband, but to no avail and is gradually seen more and more unstable as she feels abandoned as she feels the burden of taking care of the third Yuno by herself. Saika goes to her daughter's room where she's inside a cage, and blames it on her that she's all alone and abandoned, claiming that Yuno is a bad girl and is disobeying to make her suffer, but Yuno tries to reach to her with apologies and reassurements, although to no avail as she leaves Yuno be.

Yuki contemplates the third world thinking that everybody is alive, but Minene tells him that this isn't his world and that they should focus on their main goal. The Tsubaki of the third world is seen talking with the third Funatsu seemingly scolding him. Funatsu asks if she has something to say to his father the founder, and she only wants to warn him safety as her "clairvoyance" can read him even if he's not present. Funatsu proceeds to leave laughing at Tsubaki's ability on his own, trying to execute his assassination plan at that time. Balks is seen on his office being visited by his secretary, who asks how his project is going, with Balks responding that it is progressing smoothly thanks to the HOLON's computer, with him contemplating how his Future Diary project is growing fast, as the second and third prototypes are being completed which allows the HOLON for a better processing. Balks looks at a prototype of Keigo Kurusu's diary that is showing criminal acts. Balks presents his project to Deus, which finds it incredibly interesting and is already contemplating who will be the players of the survival game, but Deus sees something is off.

Yuki and Minene both enter the Gasai Residence, seeing nobody inside but Yuki's diary confirms Yuno is on confinement. Minene advices Yuki to not meddle as she does not want more trouble than needed and that she's only interested in seeing him defeat Yuno. Yuki opens the door as he wants to see if she's ok. He notices that Yuno is inside the cage and that she's choking due to tatami straws, and quickly releases her and calls an ambulance for help. Minene disapproves of this but Yuki reassures her that it is fine as even if she's from another world, she's still Yuno. Minene grows impatient but then the ceiling is broken and the first Yuno appears with Muru Muru. Yuki says that she won't let Yuno kill her 3rd self, and Yuno admits Yuki's diary is indeed a threat, but that she has taken countermeasures and has kidnapped Yuki's parents of the 3rd world. This greatly shocks Yuki as Yuno says it is time for a death match. Minene seeing the threat prefers to retreat and takes both Yuki and the third Yuno. Yuki asks Minene to let him go, but Minene says that they aren't his parents as his are already dead. Yuki insists but Minene angered asks Yuki who does he want to save, if his parents, if the first Yuno, or the third Yuno and wants him to choose, as they arrive at Sakurami Tower's Cathedral.

Muru Muru's Section
Muru Muru's section consists of an adult counseling in which she listens to Saika Gasai's feeling abandoned by her husband, with Muru Muru giving her silly advices such as watching TV while waiting for him, or taking a nap, while turning off her call several times, while Saika keeps telling Muru Muru that while their family situation isn't neither brilliant nor bad, if Muru Muru can give her advice, but Muru Muru says she's only able to listen and cuts her off for the last time, ending her program.

Manga & Anime Differences

 * Muru Muru is seen using missiles that she did not use in the manga.
 * Minene and Yuki had a brief talk while exiting the building regarding that Minene is interested in seeing how Yuki will change the future, and is going to stick with him for just that reasons, with Yuki reluctantly allowing her to follow him. It is possible this talk was edited in the anime given its low importance.
 * Diary Holders like Tsubaki and Balks are seen before their supposed time in the ongoing events, with each of time having never seen scenes, such as Tsubaki scolding Funatsu before he executes his plan or Balks working on his Future Diary project and present it to Deus.
 * Yuno asked for a death match in the anime rather than a trade of hostages as it happens in the manga. The trade is in this case Yuki's parents for the 3rd Yuno.