Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

"You've suddenly started to hate me, Garfield."

He spat out, "Did you really expect me to have a good impression of a crybaby who's so old and still cries like that so easily? I thought you were a tough guy before, what a liar, you bastard."

"Hachiman Hikigaya shook his head. "I've said it before, it's normal for men to cry. Whether I'm a weak crybaby or a bastard liar, you'll have to find out for yourself, Garfield."

"What do you mean?" Garfield grinned, revealing his shark teeth, and laughed angrily. "What do you want by raising your sword against me?"

"No weapons allowed, no beast form. Otto and I will challenge you together. If we win, you'll come with me to leave the Sanctuary and rescue Roswaal's mansion. Assassins will arrive in two days; Frederica is no match for them."

"Hachiman Hikigaya raised his sword and pointed it at Garfield, abruptly proposing a duel with many restrictions. No normal person would agree to such an unfair battle that would restrict their actions."

"But, Garfield will."

"Quinn's Stone can't be climbed by one person," Hachiman Hikigaya murmured softly.

"Do they think I'm the Stone of Quinn? Interesting. I don't know if the assassin story is fabricated, but they think they can defeat me by restricting my beast form and weapons? They really dare to underestimate me. It's infuriating."

"Jiafeier suddenly clenched his fist, then grinned menacingly, unleashing a murderous aura."

""Come on, you cowardly crybaby, I promise - I can give you a fair and fair beating as a liar, this is what I want! ""

-

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265. A gift to your dreams

At the Kousaka residence, Kirino Kousaka tilted her head. "Strange, does Senpai really enjoy fighting that much?"

"Rather than using force to overcome obstacles, Hachiman prefers to use his brain to do so."

Kousaka Kyosuke stroked his sister's hair and explained in detail, "I believe that Hachiman must have already prepared a draft to persuade Garfield. If he hadn't cried, with his eloquence, knowing Garfield's past and inner conflicts, he could have easily persuaded Garfield."

“But he cried, and that made Garfield define him as a coward and a weakling. This image was not enough to convince Garfield, so force had to be used.”

"Whether or not we can defeat Garfield is not important. What is important is to make Garfield realize in the battle that he is not a coward or a weakling. Once that foundation is laid, things will be easier to handle next."

Kirino Kousaka nodded, seemingly understanding, "So, you mean your calculations were very meticulous, and even without inheriting swordsmanship, it was actually possible to solve the problem?"

“That’s right.” Kousaka Kyosuke smiled with a sense of triumph after hardship, “However, having inherited swordsmanship gives us the possibility of defeating Garfield, and if we win, we can further impress Garfield.”

So, what follows is a real manly exchange between three men!

"Splash splash splash!"

"Flying insects and beasts, even tiny insects, Otto, under the protection of the divine, commanded a vast army, his animal friends blinding Garfield's vision and crawling all over Garfield's body."

"The instant that Garfield's roar shook the swarm of insects, what greeted him was the magic stone that Otto had carried with him for self-defense during his years of traveling as a merchant. The magic stone exploded, billowing thick smoke that scorched part of Garfield's fur and once again obscured his vision."

""--Danger!""

"A warrior's instinct compelled Garfield to subconsciously shift his body. In that instant, a dazzling sword light pierced the smoke, and the icy glint made him involuntarily squint. The next moment, Garfield felt a warm liquid flowing through him; a cut had appeared on his shoulder, and blood was dripping."

"If it weren't for his instinct to sense danger, it would have been his chest that was injured, which would have been an attack that greatly influenced the outcome of the battle."

"How is that possible—"

Garfield leaped backward swiftly, creating several meters of distance, and stared at Hachiman Hikigaya in astonishment. This guy was indeed a swordsman, I could tell from the very first day we met, but his strength shouldn't be that great, how could he possess such sharp and skillful swordsmanship.

"Do you know, Garfiel?" Hachiman Hikigaya didn't press his advantage. The longer he talked, the more time he bought Garfiel would bleed, and the more his strength would recover.

"On the surface, it seems like he injured Jiafeier very easily, but it was a premeditated attack that unleashed the full power of his muscles. For a body that has only been training for a little over a month, delivering such an attack in a short period of time was already the limit."

"While my swordsmanship isn't exactly mediocre, there are many outside who are far superior: the Sword Saint of Lugnica, the Sword Demon, the Elite Knight, the Knight Commander, the Kingdom Candidate Priscilla, and the Azure Lightning of the Holy Flaccia Empire—not just in swordsmanship, but in terms of physical strength, each of these people is no less than you."

"Hachiman Hikigaya's words were merciless: 'You call yourself the Shield of the Sanctuary, do you intend to stay cooped up in the Sanctuary your whole life? No wonder you're so arrogant. Sitting in a well in a place like this, never having clashed with any real strong fighters, you're just deceiving yourself by saying 'I'm strong.'"

""Shut up!""

"Snap!!"

Driven by rage, Garfield stomped his feet hard on the ground, creating cracks. "And what do you know about me now?!"

"He swung his fist and shot out like an arrow, with Otto's magic stones flying towards him in an attempt to stop him. Enraged, Garfiel disregarded everything, preferring to be blasted to a crisp by the magic stones rather than let himself be burned by them, so as to deliver a vicious punch to Hachiman Hikigaya."

"Bang!"

"The horizontal blade of the sword served as a buffer, blocking in front of him. Even so, he was still knocked backward by Garfield's heavy punch, rolling uncontrollably several times."

"Watching the enraged Garfiel being blocked by the two earth dragons commanded by Otto, Hachiman Hikigaya wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, stood up on one knee, and continued speaking."

"I understand, of course I understand. You can't face the fact that your mother left the Sanctuary only to be caught in a mudslide. You're terrified of everything outside the Sanctuary. As the so-called Shield of the Sanctuary, you watch helplessly as the demi-human inhabitants here remain in this lifeless, hopeless place, without the courage to lead them out to embrace a better life."

"You look down on me, you call me a coward and a weakling, but what about you? Where is your courage? Is it used against a weakling like me, Garfield!"

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"Losing his composure, Garfiel was led by the nose by Hachiman Hikigaya, sneaking to the vicinity of one pit after another that Otto had made, falling into them again and again, covered in dust and dirt, his strength severely depleted."

"Boom!"

"Don't you really know why Frederica left the Sanctuary? Your sister has that kind of courage, but you, as the Shield of the Sanctuary, don't have it?!"

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!"

"His will was broken, and Garfield's eyes turned bloodshot. His outstretched fist was also chopped off by the blade, and blood gushed out."

"I know what kind of person you are. I know it very well. Even Ryuzu, even Frederica, no one in the whole world understands you better than me... all thanks to Satella."

With a sigh, the blade flipped, and the hilt struck Garfield on the head, making him dizzy and staggering.

"However, precisely because he is the person who understands Garfield the most in the world, he will absolutely not hold back, otherwise it would be the greatest disrespect. Moreover, he was able to gain the upper hand by Otto and his provocation, but in terms of raw strength, Garfield is far superior."

"Puwa—"

"The sword hilt struck his stomach, and Garfield vomited bile. He could turn the tide at any moment. As long as he immediately transforms into his beast form, Hachiman Hikigaya and Otto's little tricks will be nothing in the face of overwhelming power."

"But a promise has already been made. How could a man break it!"

"—How could this be…?"

"So you finally found it?"

"Using the momentum, he kicked away the suddenly awakened Sanctuary Shield. He could feel the pain of his broken left foot. Hachiman Hikigaya panted and smiled."

"It's not that we're looking down on you, quite the opposite, it's precisely because we value you the most—you're the one looking down on us, so now..."

“…” He gritted his teeth, wanting to get up and fight, but only then did he realize that he had suffered various injuries in his rage and could no longer continue.

"He could only stare wide-eyed as Hachiman Hikigaya limped forward. This man, with a broken left leg and a problem in his chest, was nonchalant, as if he had long been accustomed to the pain. It was a kind of courage that even the toughest man could not match, a contempt for pain."

"We won."

"The blade rests on his neck, this brave man," Hachiman Hikigaya announced.

"...I...lost."

"Jiafeier, looking shocked, clenched his fist in frustration."

"The battle has come to an end."

-

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266. A Dream for You (Part 2)

"When I was your age, I was a stupid and clumsy teenager who foolishly confessed my first love. How lame of me!"

"The Shield of the Sanctuary... it really makes me feel ashamed... Wait, could it be that Julius also completely crushed me when he was fourteen? No way? I'm so weak! How embarrassing! Hmm... although he's definitely still completely crushing me now."

"Watching the man who had defeated him mutter to himself as he moved the blade away, Garfield frowned in bewilderment and struggled to stand up."

"What are you babbling on about that I can't understand? Are you getting revenge, trying to humiliate me? Don't go too far, you bastard!"

"Hachiman Hikigaya threw his sword far away, bent down, stared at Garfiel's ashen face, and reached out to gently wipe the dust off Garfiel's face."

"Garfield's heart trembled. He wanted to dodge, but the look of understanding, appreciation, and pity in Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes made him unable to move. He could only hold his breath and enjoy this indescribable treatment."

"You are a strong man, you are powerful, but you can become even stronger. You shouldn't stop here—you've lost now, but you can keep winning. Come with me, Garfield."

Fragments of memories flashed through Hachiman Hikigaya's mind. Ignoring the pain of their injuries, he embraced Garfiel tightly, his voice carrying an unparalleled allure: "Leave the Sanctuary, become stronger, break free from the shackles of the Sanctuary's shield, start from scratch, and step into the world's strongest shield, the strongest warrior."

"Set forth this dream, ignite your passion, lend me a hand, come with me, Jiafeier, let's crush your nightmares and face the future."

"Be with me, the man of men, Garfield!"

"His resounding speech, every word, every sentence, came from the heart of Hachiman Hikigaya, and was filled with his most sincere emotions."

"I understand you. I know what you're pursuing. I agree with all your desires, so—"

"Holding this fourteen-year-old boy tightly in his arms, Hachiman Hikigaya said firmly, 'If you're willing, hug me. Hug me tightly around the waist, my back, and my shoulders.'"

"..."

"Garfield stood there, stunned. He trembled slightly involuntarily, his mouth agape. At this moment, he felt as if he were burning with passion, more alive than ever before, as if he had lived for this very moment."

"According to the bet, I was supposed to go out with you anyway."

"As if trying to hide something, he uttered these arrogant words with a trembling voice. But then, he shook his head, took a deep breath, raised his injured arms, and hugged the man holding him tightly."

"Jiafei's eyes shone brightly, fierce and sharp."

“This old man… no,” he grinned, revealing his shark teeth, and laughed with relief.

"I really can't escape your trap, huh... but I don't want to escape anymore. I want to become strong, stronger than anyone else, strong enough to protect everyone. I don't want to lose in such a humiliating way again."

"Let me make it clear beforehand, I have no complaints about losing to a respectable man. You didn't lie, you didn't boast, I misunderstood you, so—"

"I have truly accepted the dream you gave me, General!"

"Well done! That's more like me! I knew the general would have a plan!"

In the Sanctuary, Garfiel, filled with fervor, roared to the sky, his excitement overflowing. All the demi-human residents, as well as Ryuzu Shima, all wore knowing smiles.

The heartfelt cry of "General!" brought tears to the eyes of countless people.

"It's not easy, it's really not easy."

Miyuki Shirogane was filled with emotion. "Although Otto is also reliable, his strength lies in his intelligence and personality. But in terms of intelligence and caution alone, Hachiman is stronger than Otto. What he lacked was usable hard power, which he finally has now."

"and…"

Not to mention Garfield himself, even he was stirred up by Hachiman Hikigaya's words!