Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

215. Crusch Route: The Desperate Monarch

"Rather than a shout, Crusch's words were more like a subtle plea. A rare expression of grievance appeared on her handsome face. Although it was very subtle, that grievance and the subtle plea were still clearly received by Hachiman Hikigaya."

"Now that things have come to this, do you still only feel a sense of obligation towards me, towards my camp, towards me, and towards Lord Phyllis Wilhelm and all others?!"

"This extremely aggrieved accusation left Hachiman Hikigaya speechless, his thoughts drifting back to three years ago, recalling every little detail of the past three years."

"Or is it that I have some flaw, some shortcoming that you find unbearable? If you feel I still have shortcomings, you should stay and witness the day my faults disappear. Why rush to leave?"

"If there is anything you are dissatisfied with, I will definitely correct it if I can."

"Kursh, with her earnest and compassionate nature, is a demeanor that outsiders cannot imagine."

"You are a perfect person, Crusch."

"Without stepping onto the steps she had built," Hachiman Hikigaya gently shook his head. "When Emilia announced her withdrawal from the royal selection and returned to her hometown, she hadn't left that frozen forest even once in the past three years. It was you who dispatched troops to the vicinity to prevent other archbishops of the Great Sin from attacking and being unable to rescue her in time. She and Rem's living supplies were also provided to them by you without expecting anything in return."

"To me, you are almost a perfect, flawless angel."

Crusch stared sharply at Hachiman Hikigaya, wishing he would take back all those praises: "Three years haven't won your heart. Your compliments only add to my shame."

"That's not your fault, it's my fault."

The air was thick with a sense of oppression. Hachiman Hikigaya's eyelids drooped. "It's not that you have a flaw, it's that I have a flaw, it's my inadequacy... I'm grateful to you, Crusch. But I have to go back."

Beneath Crusch's cold face, her voice, laced with anger, was devoid of warmth: "Go back? After entering the Great Forest of Eliol, will you ever come out again?"

"Hachiman Hikigaya trembled slightly, unable to answer... No, he would never come out again, he would never leave Emilia again. Having already betrayed her once, he dared not even think about what kind of wild thoughts Emilia would be plunged into if he left that forest again."

"Let alone leaving that forest, even if Crusch goes there in person or asks Phyllis to go, he will probably avoid seeing her... In every letter Rem has given him over the past three years, he has described in detail Emilia's fear and rejection of Crusch. It's so severe that she sometimes trembles in fear and screams Crusch's name in her sleep at night."

"Cursch is the most terrifying nightmare in the world to Emilia now."

"Going back... how easily you say that, Lord Hachiman. If you turn and leave now, it might be our last farewell."

After three years of living and working together day and night, Crusch had long since figured out his strategist's personality. He let out a bitter laugh of anger, gritting his teeth: "How could you be so heartless? Do you really have not a single feeling or concern for me, for my camp, for my country?"

"After three years together, am I still not the monarch you are willing to serve?"

"Three years together, three years! From the time you met to the time you parted from the time you met, it wasn't even a year. Even so, do I still hold so little weight in your heart?"

Her chest heaved violently as she stared at the speechless Hachiman Hikigaya, her anger escalating even further, adding fuel to the fire: "Even if I'm not as good as Emilia, what about Phyllis? What about Lord Wilhelm? Those who have made you their lifelong friend, considered you their best colleague, and treated you with utmost devotion—can't all of that combined change your cold, hard heart?!"

"This is the first time in Hachiman Hikigaya's history that he has been reprimanded by Crusch. Until now, she has only ever given her Hachiman-sama praise, rewards, and smiles. Those beautiful and harmonious days have been intertwined, but what has been woven into this is now a livid and scathing rebuke."

""…sorry.""

Faced with her one and only reprimand, Hachiman Hikigaya, with his eyelids lowered and a gloomy expression, uttered only three words.

"These three words drained all the strength from Crusch's body. She swayed, and a bitter smile, more painful than crying, stretched across her incredulous face."

"So that's how it is, so that's how it is... I, who prided myself on understanding you so well, have ultimately underestimated your ruthlessness?"

"—Clang!"

Crusch twisted her wrist, and the sharp blade spun in the air, the hilt pointing upwards and the tip towards the floor.

"Come and give it a try, Lord Hachiman."

Her pupils were bloodshot as she stared intently at Hachiman Hikigaya, enunciating each word clearly: "If you truly possess that belief, that obsession, that you'd stop at nothing to return, and if in your heart everyone else is insignificant compared to Emilia, then come and try... Take my sword and strike me down, Hachiman-sama."

"Cursch, you—"

"As if startled by a thunderbolt, Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes widened and he instinctively took a step back. He stared at Crusch in astonishment, his mouth agape, his whole body cold."

"It's completely unnecessary for someone like me—"

"Take the sword and swing it!"

"Kursh's angry shout interrupted his voice. The beautiful woman in military uniform took a step forward and was making a desperate gamble in the most terrifying way, forcing her Hachiman-kun to stay."

"Take the sword, swing it down. If you can't do that, I'll make sure your legs can never reach that frozen forest again!!"

"The most extreme way, the most extreme choice, is either to draw your sword against her and completely sever the three-year bond between ruler and subject, or to stay under her command and never mention the topic of parting again."

""I--""

"Take the sword, swing it down. You only have this one chance, Lord Hachiman!"

""I don't--""

"Hachiman Hikigaya gritted his teeth, his thoughts in turmoil, struggling to breathe. As he watched Crusch closing in on him, his hands trembled."

"If you miss this opportunity, I won't let you leave again!"

"I can't—but I!!"

"A trembling hand took the sword, the merciless blade trembling as it sliced ​​through flesh, tearing the crisp military uniform and drawing blood."

"On her right shoulder, there was a tiny wound that Crusch didn't cover up; she couldn't feel any pain there."

"The dazed Crusch only knew that a pain called despair suddenly swept over her body, so painful that she could not stand up."

"...That's how it feels, Lord Hachiman."

"Desperate Crusch closed her eyes in despair."

216. Crusch Route: Crusch Abandoning Morality (Part 1)

At this moment, the entire Karlsten residence was silent.

Not only those inside the mansion, but everyone passing by outside also remained completely still, tiptoeing and trying to minimize any noise.

They looked up at Crusch, the most tragic of all the future candidates, the one whom Hachiman Hikigaya longed for but could not obtain, and who even suffered harm from Hachiman Hikigaya because of it.

Anyone with even a little empathy could more or less understand Crusch's grievances and pitifulness, and could guess how angry she must be right now.

Wilhelm rushed back from the courtyard, fearing that his lord might do something rash, only to find Crusch frowning and silent. Even Phyllis, standing beside her, had no idea what Crusch was thinking or what her mood was like.

At this moment, the Carlsten House was eerily silent.

"Huh? Huh? No way?!"

At the same time, on a main street in the capital city, quite a distance from the Karlsten mansion, Emilia paused for a moment, then looked anxious and dejected, her head drooping. "Miss Crusch is so pitiful. Hey, Puck, let's go—"

Before she could finish speaking, her embarrassed voice was drowned out by Parker's loud laughter. Parker, who was fiercely punching and kicking the air, exhaled a breath of relief, feeling incredibly good, with a triumphant look on his face.

"What are you saying, Lia? That's an enemy who covets Hachiman! What, do you really want Hachiman to agree to her request? To stay in the capital and then abandon you? If that happens, you'll be the one who suffers, don't you understand?!"

Feeling empathized with by Puck, and imagining herself all alone after being taken away, Emilia shook her head in fear and stammered, "Um... it's not that... I'm very happy that Hachiman chose me. But, does it really warrant attacking Crusch-san?"

"There's nothing we can do about it. Try to relax, Leah. We're barely able to take care of ourselves right now."

Parker patted his daughter on the shoulder, knowing he couldn't let her be so overly kind any longer: "Look, there are so many soldiers around. Maybe some of them are sent by Crusch to steal Hachiman. We don't have time to sympathize with these rivals right now."

"...Even so..."

Emilia hesitated and shook her head slightly, looking at Parker who was radiating murderous intent towards the nearby soldiers, and finally swallowed the rest of her words.

In the Classic Literature Club, Chitanda Eru, a young lady with an overly kind tendency like Emilia, opened her sparkling purple eyes and said with pity, "Miss Crusch is so pitiful."

"Yes, no matter how much fortune changes, she really didn't deserve this."

Ibara Mayaka, hands on her hips, looked like she had a stomachache. "Clearly, the five candidates are the most capable, their interpersonal skills are almost perfect, and it's obvious that they trust and respect Hikigaya-kun a lot."

"And ultimately, how come Crusch's charm isn't as good as Emilia's, or Anastasia's? Isn't she a unique woman who's even more handsome than a man?"

“It has little to do with whether Crusch is charming or not,” Oreki Houtarou sighed. “She came too late, and that’s her only mistake.”

Chitanda Eru seemed to understand something, and she tentatively asked, "Because Hachiman is too devoted, right?"

Houtarou Oreki nodded slightly, filled with emotion. "If Crusch's timeline divergence point were just a day or two earlier, it would be fine, as long as it happens before Hachiman first learns of the Sloth attack."

Hachiman Hikigaya was truly captured by Emilia and Rem during the two cycles of his battle with Petritchus.

Rem, who confessed her love to him directly, and Emilia, who risked her own safety to save him.

These two genuine items, through these two forms of expression, truly and thoroughly captivated the bewildered and helpless Hachiman Hikigaya during that period.

After that, no matter how outstanding the women who entered Hachiman Hikigaya's heart were, they could hardly compare to these two.

"Gurgle..."

Anastasia hugged Mimi tightly, still shaken. She couldn't laugh now. Crusch's tragic end made her involuntarily imagine what would happen if her own timeline diverged here.

The answer seems self-evident.

Anastasia shook her head, quickly banishing those fantasies from her mind, and straightened her back, saying, "Hmph... Anyway, I've already succeeded once, that's a fact."

Emilia's knight, the hero who protects Rem, the strategist of Crusch, the contractor praised by Echidna... Hachiman Hikigaya can have many identities.

However, having already seen such a bright future and such happy success, Anastasia would never back down.

"None of those titles are necessary. All you need to do is be our Prime Minister!"

"whispering sound."

While traveling, Ram, who could also look up at the future, clicked her tongue and said, "It seems that Crusch hasn't realized the essence of the matter yet. That guy is willing to live in the Frozen Forest for the rest of his life. It's obvious that Rem's existence has played a big role, no, the biggest role."

"If she could understand this, and promised to let Rem come out of the forest, marry that guy, and live together in the capital, how could that guy still be so unwavering?"

Ram was disappointed in him. Rather than Hachiman Hikigaya living with Rem and Emilia in the Frozen Forest, she would rather it be Rem and Crusch, since Crusch was far less of a threat than Emilia.

Rem blinked, offering no rebuttal. She believed her sister was the smartest and most capable, so of course she wouldn't be wrong.

However, a thought still popped into Rem's mind... What if Lady Crusch wasn't unaware of this, but rather unwilling to know?

In her heart, the reason why Hachiman stayed to assist her through such means was not because of her or her faction, but because of Emilia's side. This was a shameless and false success that was more unacceptable than failure, so she abandoned this shortcut from the very beginning.

Given Crusch's character and impeccable virtues, this possibility is not out of the question.

"But in Lady Anastasia's timeline, Crusch has already failed once because of her perfect virtue. Does she have to fail again because of this?"

Even though she was a rival in love, Rem felt sorry for her.

"These virtues of Lady Crusch are what Hachiman admires most about her, but if she wants to keep Hachiman, she can only give up these very qualities that Hachiman admires."

A difficult choice is truly terrifying.

217. Crusch Route: Crusch Abandoning Morality (Part 2)

"Curly failed to keep her promise."

"She called out to Wilhelm in a hoarse voice, accusing Phyllis of premeditated murder and imprisoning Hachiman Hikigaya. She refused Phyllis's treatment for the scar on her shoulder, letting the blood flow freely, etching this shame into her heart and soul."