Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

So far, Hachiman Hikigaya has only wailed twice: once when he couldn't save Rem, and once now. His despair and his pain made Emilia feel incredibly sorrowful in his cries.

"..."

Stunned and at a loss, Crusch bit her lower lip and tentatively reached out a stiff hand to stroke Hachiman Hikigaya's hair and back, gently comforting him in a soft voice: "It's okay, it's okay, it's not your fault... Please don't take all the blame on yourself. My amnesia is the sin of the Archbishop of Sins. Um... you once said that's what I used to call you, Lord Hachiman?"

"Amnesia is indeed terrifying, but I have so many people who care about me—we can get to know each other again, our friendship will be restored, Lord Hachiman."

"The same address, but no longer that dashing tone, but a very gentle one, which made Hachiman Hikigaya feel even more sorrowful."

"He cried until he was almost exhausted, and finally fainted in Crusch's arms. Even so, he was still whispering apologies like 'I'm sorry' in his sleep."

"Since losing her memory, Crusch has always felt that everything around her is unfamiliar and unreal, and she feels out of place. At this moment, her sense of disconnection reaches its peak."

"Trust me, trust my character, trust my feelings for him, and be willing to show me your weakest and ugliest side... But what Hachiman trusts is the me before he lost his memory."

"Pondering this fact, Crusch shook her head slightly, looking at Hachiman Hikigaya in her arms."

"What would I have done if it were me in the past...?"

"Right now, all she feels is maternal tenderness, but is that what Lord Hachiman, who confided in her, wanted?"

Standing there, Crusch remained silent for a long time.

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261. Ram's Route: Crusch's Tenderness

"They settled in the Carlsten House."

Ignoring the rumors circulating outside after the complete annihilation of Emilia's faction, Hachiman Hikigaya was in agony like a walking corpse. If Ram also died, he would give up thinking altogether and sink into numbness and despair.

"If Ram dies too, then all the evidence of Emilia, Garfield... and so many others' existence will disappear, won't it? And you'll definitely be unhappy, Rem?"

"Stroking a charred corpse wrapped like a mummy, Hachiman Hikigaya smiled wistfully, his face full of affection."

"But Hachiman Hikigaya always manages to force a smile, and his mental state is normal... Living in the Carlsten family, if he were to look dejected all day long, it would damage Crusch's reputation and also spoil Phyllis and Wilhelm's mood. He doesn't want that to happen."

"Thanks to Phyllis's treatment, and Crusch and Wilhelm's daily comfort and encouragement, Hachiman Hikigaya was able to stay normal, and he was sincerely grateful."

"But his normal self couldn't give Ram any hope of survival."

"Watching Ram starve to death without eating or drinking, growing thinner and thinner, Hachiman Hikigaya made a difficult decision... He put on clown makeup, donned a custom-made outfit that Roswaal often wore, and opened Ram's bedroom door in his distinctive tone."

"At that moment, Ram was stunned, and then suddenly burst into tears, wailing until she was hoarse."

"From then on, her eyes shone with a new light, and she never attempted suicide again. After being treated by Phyllis, she still had a strong will to live, obediently following Hachiman Hikigaya's orders, and even wanted to stick to him all the time... But whenever Hachiman Hikigaya shed these pretenses, she would instantly revert to her cold and expressionless face, not even glancing at Hachiman Hikigaya."

"You've really worked hard."

"Sitting in the pavilion in the courtyard, Crusch, who was admiring the flowers, glanced at Hachiman Hikigaya, who was dressed normally, and felt a little indignant on his behalf."

"I've heard about how you and Lamu have been interacting lately. Is this really a good thing?"

"To be honest, it's terrible." Hachiman Hikigaya lowered his head bitterly. "But there's no other way... However, I won't do that all day long, and I won't tarnish the Karlsten family's reputation, please rest assured, Crusch."

"I didn't mean that."

Crusch opened her mouth, but seeing Hachiman's knowing look, she could only purse her lips, pour him a cup of tea, and then asked, "Before I lost my memory, what kind of image did I have in Lord Hachiman's eyes? What kind of behavior did I exhibit? Can you tell me?"

Nodding, Hachiman Hikigaya reminisced as he spoke... At times like these, he would unconsciously reveal a genuine smile, immersing himself in the beautiful past and briefly escaping reality.

"Powerful, dashing, handsome, and dashing—a million times more reliable than a hundred of me. He's the best friend, the best ruler, and the best partner."

After recounting the specifics, he gave her high praise. Then he saw Crusch's face darken, biting her lower lip with resentment and disappointment, and a hint of fear. She was afraid that she couldn't meet the expectations of others after losing her memory.

"But, in my eyes, you are no different now than you were before you lost your memory."

"Huh?"

"You're very strong, Crusch. It's just that your strength now has a different focus than before. The fact that you have the patience to comfort a useless person like me shows you're much gentler than before."

Crusch paused for a moment, then asked, "If it were me in the past, how would I have comforted you?"

"'Is this what a man does? Stand up, walk away, wipe your tears. Is crying what you value, what Emilia and the others want to see? Do you want to become a coward?' That's probably it."

"That..." Crusch looked surprised, finding it hard to believe, "can that be considered comforting?"

"Yes, it is," Hachiman Hikigaya nodded emphatically. "If it came from your mouth, it would definitely be comforting. But for a useless piece of trash like me, what I can accept more right now is your comfort... You saved me, Crusch."

"He longed for her, Hachiman Hikigaya longed for Crusch."

"Saying something like that is a bit too much..."

Crusch hesitated for a moment, wanting to reject his calling her a useless person, yet also wanting to reject his exaggeration of his achievements. "If it weren't for Lord Hachiman's own strong will, how could my words of comfort have been of any use! To be able to face something like that with such strength, I'm not as strong as you, Lord Hachiman."

"She longed for him; Crusch longed for Hachiman Hikigaya."

"Hachiman Hikigaya wanted to shake his head with a smile, but as he reminisced about what was already over and lived in reality, it was impossible for him to smile."

"Cursch, I—"

After a pause, looking at Crusch who was tilting her head in confusion, Hachiman Hikigaya finally spoke with a bitter expression: "Could you grant me a shameless request, Crusch?"

"He stretched out his trembling hand, opened his palm, and in his palm was an ornament. After returning to the desolate and deserted sanctuary, he discarded the butterfly ornament that Emilia had worn on her head, which he had found in the snow, his only keepsake."

"Could you... wear it, Crusch?"

"Is this really okay?" she said.

"Hachiman Hikigaya, his dejection tinged with anticipation, did not answer."

"Curly, with her long hair cascading down her shoulders, said nothing, but quietly reached out and gently pinned the beautiful ornament in her hair."

"In just a moment, tears welled up in Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes again. He looked at Crusch, at that hair ornament, and tears streamed down his face as he covered his face, unable to hold back his emotions."

"Emilia, ah, wooaah—Emilia, Emilia! Crusch, ah…"

"As she stood up, Crusch hugged Hachiman Hikigaya once again. Her face was full of tenderness, like a mother nurturing her child, becoming a haven for this man who was most vulnerable at this moment."

“It’s okay to cry. Men are normal too. It’s okay to linger on the past. It’s natural to feel pain. It’s something Emilia and the others don’t want to see. But you are just you, so it’s okay…”

"Me too, you too...we all are. So, it's okay."

"Lord Hachiman."

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262. Ram's Route: The End of the Vigilance

Inside the Hexin Chamber of Commerce, Anastasia's eyelashes trembled slightly. The development of this timeline had filled her with extreme dissatisfaction in every aspect, and her heartache was beyond words.

Under the sunlight, Priscilla wore an extremely displeased expression—after the punishment, as a reward, she would make Echidna disappear completely.

"Has Crusch's suffering finally come to an end?"

The Shirogane family, including Miyuki Shirogane, a supporter of Crusch, were not happy. "It's not that Crusch is taking advantage of the situation, but that Hachiman himself is about to collapse. In order to take good care of Ram, he needs to persevere... He chose Crusch as a new pillar, and the gentle Crusch did not resist."

"But to push Hachiman to this point, the extent of the pain he endured is truly chilling."

"Or rather... the fact that he actively seeks out other women to act as his support proves that he is now more vulnerable than ever before!"

Miyuki Shirogane believed that if Kaguya Shinomiya died or left him, he would certainly be very sad, but he would never feel the same way as Hachiman Hikigaya.

"That's why I want to learn from you properly, and as my half-teacher, Hachiman, I also hope you're happy... Damn Echidna, damn future!"

Clenching their fists, the anger and hatred they felt towards Echidna, dormant for so long, were intensely rekindled. This wasn't just true for Miyuki Shirogane; it was true for everyone.

"—Pfft, cough cough cough!"

In the Sanctuary, Echidna, who was drinking tea, suddenly coughed, looking quite disheveled. How could such a ridiculous thing happen to a soul, especially in her own dream city?

"The sun's blessing?... That's a real headache."

Echidna rubbed her long hair, her head aching. If even someone like Priscilla harbored murderous intent towards her, she could already imagine how the outside world was now eager to get rid of her.

"Oh."

Elsa chuckled softly, "Because of me? My existence has caused so much sorrow. It seems I am truly wicked."

Despite saying this, I didn't see any sympathy or regret from her, which was to be expected, after all, she was Elsa the Bowel Hunter.

Perhaps her childhood experiences contributed to her current twisted personality, but over the years, Elsa has come to genuinely love killing and guts. From any perspective, there is nothing about her that deserves mercy or pity.

Rather, the greatest respect one can show a powerful enemy is to ruthlessly destroy her.

"It's amazing that you can stay so calm."

In the convenience store, Yukinoshita bumped into Hachiman Hikigaya, feeling somewhat depressed. Seeing this future broke her heart, while Hachiman Hikigaya seemed perfectly fine.

Hachiman Hikigaya's gaze drifted away from Crusch, who was wearing Emilia's accessories in the video, and he said softly, "Because I will never let that kind of future happen again."

Hachiman Hikigaya spoke calmly, without any forceful tone or loud voice, but this was his promise—a promise he would definitely keep.

At the same time, while standing on the road to the capital, Ram breathed a sigh of relief.

When she saw her appear, she was actually terrified, afraid that she would fall in love with Hachiman Hikigaya like everyone else. If that happened, she really wanted to commit suicide; it wouldn't just be about betraying Rem.

She didn't dislike Hachiman Hikigaya, but she had already considered him her brother-in-law from the beginning, so she couldn't possibly have any romantic feelings for him. Therefore, normally she wouldn't be worried—but who could predict what an unstable person might do?

"Although I hate you and I will definitely take care of you for Rem's sake... Crusch, I'm indebted to you, thank you."

Without Crusch as a buffer, Ram really doesn't dare to say how the two people who survived in this timeline would have gotten along in despair.

Inside the Karlsten mansion, Phyllis stole a glance at her mistress, Crusch, thinking, "Lady Crusch's long-cherished wish has actually been fulfilled under these circumstances..."

He knew that the upright and virtuous Lady Crusch would not appreciate taking advantage of a weakness, much less see her Lord Hachiman suffer.

In fact, Crusch's expression was indeed very somber.

Even more somber than her was Puck, who had seen Hachiman Hikigaya give his daughter's jewelry to Crusch. Conversely, Emilia was quite grateful to Crusch for her gesture, seeing her knight's spirits lift thanks to Crusch's comfort.

On the rooftop of the territory, Roswaal stared blankly up at the sky, touching his chest, feeling his beating heart. Even though he knew it was because he had transferred Rem's feelings onto him, Roswaal had to admit that he was actually moved by Ram.

This made him realize even more how unforgivable and despicable he was.

"Forcing himself to play Roswaal, and confiding in Crusch to vent his frustrations—these two actions became Hachiman Hikigaya's daily routine as he gritted his teeth and kept living."

"Crouch gradually stopped valuing the royal selection. Wilhelm, who had already fulfilled his long-cherished wish, and Phyllis, who only wanted Lady Crusch to be safe, did not object to her idea. Instead, they did their best to help Crusch appease her troops and subjects."