Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

"The reserved Hikigaya-kun, when he fully unleashes his emotional intelligence to the outside world, his unparalleled eloquence, which evolves from that emotional intelligence, is his most powerful weapon."

Yuiwa Nariyuki let out a sigh of relief. "If he had that idea, he could easily succeed in forming a religious sect or a pyramid scheme."

"Parker, Parker!"

Emilia was so happy she almost jumped for joy, cradling Parker in her palm, her face beaming with excitement.

Looking at the crowds of people on the streets of the royal capital, discussing, admiring, and marveling at Hachiman Hikigaya, Emilia couldn't resist the urge to jump out and show off:

"This is Hachiman! The most powerful Hachiman! The most powerful, the best, my Hachiman!"

They want to hold their heads high and let the whole world know it, even though everyone already knows it, they still want to show off.

"Can any of you match this eloquence and this audacity? Ha."

In Class D of Advanced Nurturing High School, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji arrogantly surveyed his surroundings. He sneered disdainfully, ignoring the students in the classroom who were being used as stepping stones. He was arrogant and showed off his acknowledged rival.

"You two shouldn't suddenly become so intimate, acting like nobody's around. I feel like an outsider, and it really hurts. Please don't be fickle, Mr. Hachiman!"

Seeing the success of his plan to turn enemies into friends, Otto, who was on the verge of tears, hurriedly separated the two and took out the bandages he had prepared beforehand to bandage them. "The effect can only temporarily stop the bleeding. The injuries are so serious, you should go to Lady Emilia for treatment right away."

"Hachiman Hikigaya nodded. It was because of Emilia's treatment that he was able to subdue Garfiel through sheer force. But before Emilia could treat him, he had to act as a psychologist and dispel all of Emilia's anxieties and fears."

"And as a psychologist, there is an even more urgent prerequisite to address."

"Come out, Ram."

"Hachiman Hikigaya's words startled Otto and Garfiel. The two followed his gaze and saw a patch of green grass rustling, from which a pink girl emerged."

"Ram, who has been spying for a long time, has come with ill intentions."

267. This is the last time, Emilia.

"Compared to persuading Garfiel, Hachiman Hikigaya was surprised to find that he spent less time persuading Lum."

"This is all thanks to the memories from the final timeline of the Second Trial in the tomb, which made him realize that as long as Roswaal's life is not in danger, Ram can actually be won over, and she also has the intention to burn the Book of Wisdom."

The four of them huddled together, discussing their plans to fight Roswaal and save the mansion, assigning roles to each person. As they parted, Ram gave Hachiman a thoughtful look, "How strange, are you afraid of me?"

Hachiman Hikigaya fiercely shook off the image of Rem screaming "I'll kill you!" from his mind. He nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid. I'm afraid your body or mind will suffer serious trauma. If that happens, I won't be worthy to see Rem."

"Rem? ...A so-called little sister I have absolutely no recollection of." Ram paused for a moment. "It seems she really likes Ram; she's a very good child."

"But no matter how hard she tried to remember, she couldn't."

"Hachiman Hikigaya was not disappointed. He had long been used to it, even numb to it. But he would not give in. One day, he would capture the Bishop of Gluttony and make that bastard spit out Rem's existence, Crusch's memories, and all those he had devoured."

"To achieve this goal, he must not fall in the Sanctuary."

"call…"

Ram patted his sister's shoulder, pointed to the sky, and smiled proudly. "Look, Rem, this time I didn't hold him back, and I didn't clash with him. You don't have to worry. I'll treat him like this from now on."

"Yes! Rem knows, your sister is the best!"

Rem nodded emphatically, the gloom surrounding her sister's furious roar to kill Hachiman in a future of total annihilation vanishing completely. Possibilities are just that—possibilities. When conflicting emotions arise, official history is, of course, more credible.

"Speaking of which, Rem-senpai is so gentle and lovely, how come she has such a stubborn and excessive older sister as Ram?"

At the Kousaka residence, Kirino Kousaka scratched her head and muttered to herself, but Kyosuke Kousaka dismissed her opinion: "You're wrong, these two sisters are actually exactly the same."

"Eh?"

Because of his words, Kirino Kousaka looked over in surprise. Kyosuke Kousaka spread his hands and reminded her, "Don't forget, back at Roswaal's mansion, Rem killed Hachiman once because of the witch's scent on him."

"Later, she fell in love with Hachiman and became completely obedient, prioritizing Hachiman's safety and happiness above all else. If you put yourself in her shoes, isn't Ram's way of protecting Roswaal exactly the same as Rem's way of protecting Hachiman?"

"The person loved by these two sisters is undoubtedly the happiest person in the world, but once they stand on the opposite side of their lover, the overwhelming and suffocating pressure and the unreasonable and excessive nature of that pressure are just as immense."

"It's just that Hachiman has always been reasonable, so Rem is reasonable too. If Hachiman were as wicked and twisted as Roswaal, Rem would also become wicked in order to side with Hachiman."

Seeing his speechless sister, Kyosuke Kousaka continued to explain, "Moreover, Ram won't kill someone just because of a witch's scent, but Rem will. In a sense, Ram is actually gentler than Rem."

"Of course, no matter how gentle Ram is, if she takes the wrong stance, she should be condemned."

Finally, he patiently guided his sister onto the right path, thus educating her.

...Even so, Kyosuke Kosaka still sighed.

He's so jealous.

It's true that Rem will unreasonably favor her crush, and this kind of favoritism can be very uncomfortable from an objective point of view. But if you were the one being favored by her, just thinking about it would make you incredibly happy.

He longed to meet a girl like Rem who liked him, but it was just a dream. Such a real person couldn't possibly be found everywhere. Even in another world, there were only a handful.

Kirino Kousaka nodded, somewhat bewildered. She hadn't understood everything... Compared to her brother's nagging, her attention was more focused on the video, which she watched with longing.

Next up should be the highlight of her favorite sister Emilia.

"Come on, don't be afraid, go and pass the trial, Emilia, you can do it!"

"Humph…"

At the Hexin Merchant Guild, Anastasia pouted, resting her chin on her hands, looking dejected. "If we break the contract with Parker, given Emilia's mental state, she'll definitely cry and make a scene. It'll definitely waste a lot of my Prime Minister's energy and effort."

Are you unhappy? I don't want to see my prime minister flirting with other girls!

However, the Prime Minister who deals with Emilia's crying and tantrums will definitely be very handsome, even more handsome than when he dealt with Garfield. It's a sight that can't be missed.

"Speaking of which, why is it so important that Lady Emilia passes the trial so quickly? Phili-chan doesn't see the importance of this, meow. Even if Lady Emilia passes the trial in two days, it won't be enough time to evacuate all the demi-human residents from the Sanctuary before the Rabbits attack, meow."

At the Carlsten mansion, in response to Phyllis's question, Crusch shook her head. "Of course, the time for passing the trial can be postponed, but Phyllis, have you considered that if we miss this opportunity, given Lord Hachiman's gentleness, would he still force Emilia to take on the trial?"

"Without the pressure of death, how could Lord Hachiman bear to force Emilia to risk crying or even a breakdown in order to force her to pass the trial?"

"Without Lord Hachiman's stern coercion, would Emilia have been willing to break her contract with Puck, and would she have been able to face the trials with a spirit beyond her usual capacity?"

"Therefore, we must resolve this together now. Otherwise, if Lord Hachiman deals with Roswaal, the mansion, and the rabbits but fails to take the opportunity to deal with the trial, it might become an insurmountable obstacle for Emilia."

Crusch looked up at the future, and after explaining, she looked at the longing Hachiman-sama with extremely complicated eyes.

Using his sword as a crutch, he limped alone to Emilia's bedroom. During this time, Hachiman Hikigaya thought a lot, but all his plans were overturned as soon as they were finished, unlike when he dealt with Garfiel, where he could prepare a draft of his persuasion beforehand.

"Compared to Garfield, his feelings for Emilia are far more complicated. They've supported each other all the way, and what he really thinks of this first girl he's ever had feelings for in this other world is a question that can't be answered."

"But we must persuade them and face the issue no matter what."

"...I hope this is the last time, Emilia!"

268. The Princess and the Knight, a Shattered Bond

"In the dark bedroom, with the curtains drawn, a solitary figure was hidden by the bed. Emilia lowered her eyes and kept stroking the shattered crystal with her hand. There, Parker was no longer there."

"Sitting here for hours, she repeatedly realized this fact, which caused her body temperature to drop and made her tremble. By the time she came to her senses, tears had already fallen in abundance, soaking her cheeks, until she was completely exhausted."

"You look so lonely, Emilia."

"With the creak of the door opening, Hachiman Hikigaya stepped in and saw the desolate princess. He felt a great weight lifted from his heart and was particularly at ease."

Instead of helping Amelia up, he sat down on the floor himself, leaning against the bed, close to the girl.

“Parker has already terminated your contract,” he said.

Emilia froze. The warmth and dependence she felt at the knight's arrival suddenly made her feel lost. The special meaning she heard in those words made her gasp for breath.

"But then, her cold fingers still held firmly to the hem of her knight's robe, as if she hadn't heard a thing."

"Hmm..." She wanted to lean on Hachiman Hikigaya's shoulder, but a deep-seated fear held her back. She could only plead, her voice trembling, as she whispered, "I'm sorry, I don't think I can go to the trial today... Hachiman, today... stay by my side, stay here with me, okay?"

"If he agrees, if he's willing, then we can definitely pretend we know nothing and haven't discovered anything, then there won't be any problem."

"...Please."

"The girl who was burying her head in the sand felt a thick, strong hand gently stroking her silver hair. Her heart pounded, and this discovery made her feel relieved. But the next second, her heart, which had not yet been able to relax, and her whole body felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar and froze completely."

Hachiman Hikigaya gently shook his head. His gaze towards Emilia was so tender, but his words were chillingly ruthless: "Only today, I will not grant you any of your requests, Emilia."

"——"

Emilia stared wide-eyed at Hachiman Hikigaya, who seemed so close yet so far away, her astonishment written all over her face.

"Or, let me put it another way."

"Hachiman Hikigaya's calm expression only highlighted his malice. 'The culprit who persuaded Puck to break your contract, are you willing to spend the whole day with this person, confide in him, seek his warmth, and show him your vulnerability, Emilia?'"

""don't want…""

Emilia bit her lower lip tightly. "Don't joke like that!"

"This is no joke."

"She tried to escape, tried to replace the truth with lies, but all her efforts were rejected by Hachiman Hikigaya. Emilia frantically tried to make amends and imagine another possibility."

"That must be it. Hachiman must have a way to make me sign a new contract with Puck, right? Because Puck can't leave the Sanctuary, he needs to sign a new contract, so he's using this method—"

"Stop deceiving yourself, Emilia." Hachiman Hikigaya's voice was incredibly firm and clear, so clear that Emilia couldn't possibly mishear it. "There's no such way. I'm simply asking you to break your contract with Puck."

"Then why—"

"I will pass your trial, Emilia."

Seeing the girl's bewildered expression, Hachiman Hikigaya revealed everything, "Puck's contract has overwritten your past memories. Only by breaking the contract and restoring your memories can you quickly pass the trial."

Emilia, her face filled with disbelief and utter disbelief, stammered, "...Just...just for that reason?"

"Yes, that's the only reason."

"The moment the words fell, a crisp sound rang out in the bedroom. Hachiman Hikigaya received a heavy slap to the face, his cheek turning red and a burning pain immediately spreading."

"—Are you kidding me!"

"Incredibly, the anger of being betrayed made Emilia shout at her knight for the first time. She grabbed Hachiman Hikigaya by the collar and yelled at him, her purplish eyes filled with tears."

"Just because of this, just because of this, you're going to take Parker... take Parker away from me? Are you kidding me?!"

"What is this trial? How can it be so difficult? I'm so scared—but I've given it my all, I haven't slacked off at all! Even if I fail, even if I'm terrified, I'll try again. To conclude that I have to break the contract and leave Parker to succeed just because of one failure, how can that be? That's too much! All along—"

"You've always seen me this way. You've never believed in me, never thought I could succeed, never believed I could accomplish anything, never thought I could be of any help, and never had any expectations of me!"

"All those compliments and kind words before, were they all just to fool and deceive me? Did you not believe me at all? Did you have even the slightest bit of trust and expectation in me? —Don't joke about things like this!!"

"The condemnations, mixed with anger and fear, came one after another. The next second, the shouts turned into sobs, and Emilia collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face."

"I will do it. If it's Hachiman's request, I will definitely try my best... If I fail once, I'll try three times, five times, ten times. If Hachiman says I need to pass the trial, I will try as many times as I want, so there will definitely be a time when I succeed..."