Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

These words finally struck a chord with her. She slowly turned her head, revealing a crazed, mocking expression, a mixture of sarcasm and madness. "What, if I don't eat it, are you going to knock out all my teeth like you would break my arms and legs?"

"—?!"

Rem's body temperature suddenly plummeted to freezing, causing her to sway and nearly collapse to the ground. Ram, though puzzled, remained calm and caught her in his arms.

Rem felt a chill run through her body, a coldness shooting straight to her head. For the first time in her life, she felt such horror... Regardless of the reason, the two people she loved most in her life had a conflict so great that it could turn them into enemies. This was something Rem simply could not accept, much less dare to accept.

“Calm down, Rem.” Ram reliably remained calm, reassuring his sister. “After watching for so long, don’t you still believe in his character? Or don’t you believe in your own sister? Keep watching—and then, eliminate the causes that could have led to this situation.”

Rem nodded anxiously, her mind in turmoil. Although it was the future, and a timeline less likely to happen than the original future, seeing such a scene made it impossible for her to remain calm.

"Ram?"

In the Sanctuary, Garfield paused for a moment—the key figures behind the divergences in each timeline had all said they had their eyes on Hachiman Hikigaya. If Ram was the point of divergence in this route, then that meant...

"Is this the end of my unrequited love? No way!"

Garfield scratched his head. "Although there wasn't much hope to begin with, since she'd been eyeing that bastard Roswaal for so long, I've liked her for a full ten years! Even though she's an Admiral, if she were an Admiral... ugh! What a hassle! I'm not thinking about it anymore!"

"Don't say such silly things."

"Hachiman Hikigaya forced a smile, trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere. 'You know I mean no harm. As long as you don't try to commit suicide again, I'll get Phyllis to treat you.'"

"Ram scoffed, 'Fine, I won't kill myself again. Go get someone.'"

"Hachiman Hikigaya sighed. "If you're not just talking, but actually willing to sign a contract with me."

"Ram fell silent. Her eyelids drooped slightly, then lifted again, her face expressionless. She stared at Hachiman Hikigaya as if she were looking at a dead man."

"The next second, Ram's face twisted violently, like the most terrifying demon in the world. Her expression of utter hatred vividly proclaimed her cry against Hachiman Hikigaya:"

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll absolutely kill you, Hachiman Hikigaya!!!"

259. Ram Line - Why?

"Struggling, Ram struggled and roared. Even though her hands and feet were broken and she was paralyzed, and her limbs were powerless, she still frantically writhed her body, trying to get out of bed and kill Hachiman Hikigaya."

"The sudden agitation and roar startled Hachiman Hikigaya, but he quickly regained his composure, put down the food in his hands, and rushed to hold down the restless Lum."

Even though every insult and roar from Ram felt like a knife cutting into his heart, Hachiman Hikigaya maintained his forced smile. After Ram sprayed his face with saliva and let her vent for a while, he finally said viciously:

"...Face reality, Ram. Even if you kill me, Roswaal won't come back to life."

"——"

"The ferocious-looking Ram fell silent. She stared wide-eyed at Hachiman Hikigaya, and silently, large tears rolled down her cheeks, leaving two trails of tears."

Like a motherless cub whimpering, Ram choked back sobs as she trembled and questioned, "Why...why did you borrow me from Lord Roswaal to go to the mansion...why didn't you hurry back to the Sanctuary...why didn't you save Lord Roswaal...why did you save me, leaving me to eke out a living in a world without Lord Roswaal...why, Hachiman Hikigaya!!"

"You can ask me as many times as you want, but I will only give you one answer, and that is the truth."

"Hachiman Hikigaya didn't back down at all. His words were piercing, revealing the reality: 'Lending you to me was something Roswaal was happy to do; he also longed to see another possibility.'"

"Roswaal died because he followed the instructions in the Book of Wisdom and lured the Great Rabbit into his trap. He brought it upon himself and was devoured by the rabbit. For this, you can only blame Roswaal himself; you have no right to blame anyone else."

"I saved you because you were the only one I had time to save—if I could have done that, why would I have only saved you!"

"Shut up! Even now you're still slandering Lord Roswaal! There's a limit to shamelessness!"

"Ram glared at him. "Lord Roswaal is indeed imprisoned by that book, he has his obsessions, but precisely because he has those obsessions, he would never do something as foolish as suicide! Tell me the truth, tell me the real truth, Hachiman Hikigaya!!"

Hachiman Hikigaya stared coldly at Lum without saying a word.

"Even if—" Ram's lips moved, her heart ashen, "even if we follow your logic, then why… why… at least let me die protecting Lord Roswaal."

Her eyes, filled with hatred and despair, were fixed on Hachiman Hikigaya, her hoarse voice dripping with sarcasm, "You think you saved me, Hachiman Hikigaya?"

"...If Rem were here, she would want you alive; she would beg me to save your life."

"Don't talk to me about a sister I have absolutely no recollection of! Besides, all you showed me was a charred corpse, how could I possibly know if that was Rem or not!"

"——"

"Hachiman Hikigaya's breathing quickened suddenly. Ram laughed mockingly, "You also have someone you care about so much, so shouldn't you understand my desire to follow Lord Roswaal to my death? Respect me, Hachiman Hikigaya, respect my wish, and then you will be free yourself."

"She was very sincere, earnestly pleading for a chance to commit suicide."

"Hachiman Hikigaya clenched his fist, then let it fall limply. He could no longer maintain that fake smile, and his face was full of bitterness."

“I…” he trembled, “I…can’t agree.”

"His fleeing figure was too exhausted to think about how hateful and cowardly he had become in Ram's eyes."

"I escaped the oppressive room and ran a long way in one breath."

"He fled until he was breathless, until he stumbled and fell to the ground, until he leaned against a tree. Hachiman Hikigaya gasped for breath, his face filled with terror. He slowly squatted down, covered his head with his hands, covered his ears, closed his eyes, and fled from reality."

"Why...why didn't I persuade Puck to break the contract...why did I hesitate for so long that Emilia couldn't resolve her inner conflict and pass the trial...why didn't I stop all of this...why did everyone die...why did I tell Garfiel to hold back and capture the Bowel Hunter alive, which led to his death...why was I teleported away by Beatrice...why didn't I commit suicide in time, clinging to the hope that I was safe...why was the return from death delayed...why didn't I save anything...why did it turn out like this...why didn't I grab onto Echidna as my lifeline...why, why, why, ah, ahhhhh—"

"Rem, Emilia, Otto, Beatrice, Garfiel, ah, ahhh... save me, why are you all dead? Someone, save me, save me... ah, waaaaaaah..."

"Everything, everything is my fault, my incompetence, it's all dead, all dead, ahh—"

"Heart-wrenching, overwhelming regret washed over him, and Hikigaya Hachiman, tears streaming down his face, clutched his head and knelt on the ground."

""...Hachiman-sama? ""

"The call was full of concern, and Hachiman Hikigaya raised his head blankly."

Dressed in soft clothing that accentuated her feminine charm, with long hair flowing over her shoulders, she no longer possessed a handsome and dashing appearance, but rather a delicate and gentle air. Crusch said awkwardly, "I didn't mean to spy on you, I just happened to be passing by. I'm truly sorry... I know all about what happened to Lord Hachiman, it's truly regrettable... Um, although these are probably useless words, please accept my condolences and live well. Miss Ram needs you too, doesn't she?"

"It's fine with you two staying at the Carlsten's house for as long as you want. Phyllis told me that before I lost my memory, I was probably quite fond of you... Ah, sorry, that's not what I meant. I now also think you're a very amazing person, so please cheer up."

"...Cursch?"

"The woman who came into view was so different from the one in my memory that it immediately reminded Hachiman Hikigaya of Rem's slumber that he couldn't save and Crusch's amnesia. Grief, regret, guilt, and despair filled my heart like black ink."

"Cursch, I... ah—ah ah—"

"Unable to speak, the distraught Hachiman Hikigaya embraced the stiff Crusch, wailing pitifully. His tears soaked Crusch's clothes and disheveled her hair."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Crusch, I really—ooh, ahh…"

260. Ram Lines: The Intersecting Crusch

"Complete...total annihilation?"

At the Kousaka residence, Kousaka Kyosuke was utterly astonished, a chill running down his spine from the shock.

"When he was assimilated by the Witch of Envy, Hachiman did gain some of Elsa's memories and learned that her childhood was very tragic, both hateful and pitiful. Given Hachiman's kindness, it's entirely possible that he wanted to capture Elsa alive and find a way to reform her, which would also add a strong ally to Emilia's camp."

"More importantly, Hachiman had confidence in Garfiel's strength, which is why he issued such an order... But in this timeline, it led to a collapse, causing Garfiel to lose his life, and then Elsa went on a killing spree. That means that besides her known strength, Elsa has other trump cards—"

"If the mansion plan fails, Emilia will not pass the trial in the Sanctuary, and no one will be able to get out without being rescued. Of course, they will all be devoured by the giant rabbit."

"At the end of the mansion, Hachiman was teleported away by Beatrice... I don't believe that Hachiman, who had attempted suicide once before, would be cowardly enough to fail at such a crucial moment and not dare to commit suicide."

"Considering that he saved Ram, he must have been holding Ram's hand when he was teleported away. So there are two possibilities."

"Either Ram stopped him when he tried to return by death, or he was unconscious for a period of time after the teleportation and missed the node when he woke up."

"In the end, exhausted and utterly desperate, Hachiman took Ram to Crusch and stayed temporarily at the Karlsten family's house."

Muttering to himself, Kyosuke Kosaka deduced the entire process and details, and he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. "What is this...?"

Of all possibilities, this is the most vicious, the most tragic, and the most terrifying future!

Although Emilia died in the timelines of the other candidates, at least Hachiman Hikigaya hadn't developed such deep feelings for her, and he was still able to live his life after his grief.

However, he failed in the Sanctuary, and it was his own kindness that caused the failure.

Kyosuke Kosaka could assert without hesitation that if such a thing happened, even Hachiman Hikigaya would fall into an abyss and spend his entire life in sorrow and confusion.

"Although he is a rational monster, he is also the most emotional being!"

Moreover, since the culprit Roswaal is also dead, Hachiman has no target for revenge, and all his emotions have no enemy to release, so he can only keep them bottled up inside.

Kousaka Kirino, who was standing to the side, was already shedding tears. She looked distressed and hid behind her brother, "I... I can't watch anymore, Kyosuke."

Actually, I also…

Kyosuke Kosaka smiled bitterly. If he hadn't wanted to miss even the slightest detail about Hachiman Hikigaya, he wouldn't have bothered reading it. This timeline was just too tragic and hard to accept.

"—"

Hayama in the karaoke bar, Reinhard in the mansion, and Julius from the Hoshin Trading Company—all three felt breathless at the same time, overwhelmed by a heavy sorrow, a grief that mirrored Hachiman Hikigaya's own sadness.

They were the men who had the most contact with Hachiman Hikigaya, and also the men who could best understand Hachiman Hikigaya's feelings.

At this moment, they understood better than anyone else... how much sorrow was flowing against the current in Hachiman Hikigaya's heart.

"Echidna..."

At the Carlsten mansion, Crusch gritted her teeth. This kind of future couldn't be said to be impossible, but given Lord Hachiman's caution, the probability was extremely low. Even if he lost once out of sympathy for Elsa, he shouldn't have missed the opportunity for a return from death.

However, the wicked Echidna still brought this future to life.

"I could kill you a thousand times over, Echidna!!"

Even though it seems that her amnesiac self in this timeline is about to take advantage of the situation and become, like Ram, the driving force that keeps Hachiman alive, Crusch feels no joy whatsoever.

She was filled with rage and wanted to make Echidna pay a heavy price later.

"elder sister…"

“Rem…”

Rem and Ram looked at each other, the younger sister's face filled with sorrow, while the older sister's face was filled with guilt.

"Although it's because Rem was eaten by Gluttony, and all my feelings for Rem have transferred to Roswaal, saying those kinds of things again and again..."

Ram sighed deeply; this was the part she cared about most. But she knew that what Rem cared about was that her older sister hated Hachiman Hikigaya.

"What have I been doing all this time?"

Everyone else had moments of positive impact, but this useless older sister was the only one who kept dragging her brother-in-law down and causing her younger sister sadness and distress.

Even if you've sworn you won't become like that, what's already happened can't be erased.

Ram sighed silently, embracing Rem; the two sisters grieved in silence.

"Ugh, ah..."

On the main street of the capital, Emilia was sobbing uncontrollably. She was curled up on the ground, sobbing intermittently, heartbroken for her knight.