Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

"But, but, you're so anxious, so disdainful of me, wanting to steal Parker away, wanting me to pass the trial so quickly, just for that reason you're going to do all this on your own... Then why, if you have so little faith in me, why become my knight in the first place!"

"I would do anything for Hachiman, but why did you have to make Puck disappear? Why? If it were anything else, I would forgive you for everything, but why Puck? He was the first person I ever knew, the person I relied on the most, my father..."

"What kind of person am I in your eyes, Hachiman?!"

269. Emilia Takes the Initiative to Kiss (Part 1)

"Emilia..."

"Hachiman Hikigaya reached out and placed his hand on the girl's slumped shoulders. 'Lift your head and look at me, Emilia.'"

"His steady voice was a little hoarse and trembling... He had anticipated that having Parker break the contract would provoke resentment, but he never imagined that, now, in this girl's heart, his trust, his expectations, and his approval had reached such a heavy weight."

"So heavy that it has become a part of Emilia, so heavy that it can be compared to Parker, so heavy that it will tear this girl's heart apart."

"so--"

"Listen to me carefully, Emilia."

"I don't want to hear it, I don't want to see it, but even if it's just complaining, even if it's painful, even if it's disheartening, when I hear him make this request, I can't help but do it seriously, to keep a close eye on Hachiman Hikigaya, to keep a close eye on my knight."

With tears of despair and self-loathing welling up in her eyes, Emilia sadly raised her head.

"I've always believed in you, always had high expectations of you, always respected you, and every word I said praising you was sincere."

"Without a prepared speech, his mouth moves faster than his brain; his words are not rational, but entirely composed of emotion." Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes shone brightly as he sincerely said, "Look closely at me, Emilia. I will not lie to you, I will not deceive you. I am your knight."

"If it doesn't work the first time, try three times; if it doesn't work the third time, try five times, ten times, a hundred times. Even if your memory is blocked, even if you're trembling with fear, if it's you, you can definitely persevere. Sooner or later, you'll succeed one day. I firmly believe that."

"Then why—"

"But have you considered my feelings, Emilia?"

"Interrupted from her questioning, Emilia stared in astonishment. 'I didn't...consider your feelings?'"

“Yes,” Hachiman Hikigaya frowned, placed his left hand on his chest, and took a deep breath.

"Every time, every single time, every single time he returned from the dead, he saw the panic and self-blame caused by failing the challenge trial, those scenes of Emilia crying her heart out in fear, every single time he remembered them vividly, every single time they felt like a knife cutting into his heart."

"If you can't do it once, try ten times; if you can't do it ten times, try a hundred times. The challenges and trials will be painful, uncomfortable, and frightening. You can endure them and face them again and again, but—"

"Hachiman Hikigaya gritted his teeth, his face full of bitterness. "I can hardly bear to see even a single tear from you. Have you ever considered how much pain I felt seeing you in that state because of the challenge trial?!"

"It wasn't me who cried because I was so scared of the trial, it was you!"

Faced with his rebuke, Emilia retorted loudly, "You gave Parker, you gave Parker to... The trial is nothing, compared to losing Parker, the trial is nothing!"

"That's your stubbornness. You'd rather be tormented by the trials again and again than lose Puck." Hachiman Hikigaya gently shook his head. "But I also have my stubbornness. I'd rather you pay the price of losing Puck than see you suffer again and again."

"I never asked you to make this decision for me without my consent!" Emilia exclaimed, incredibly agitated. "Besides, the idea that losing Parker and regaining his memories would guarantee immediate passage through the trial is too cunning!"

She trembled, curled up, hugging her shoulders, filled with unease. "Unfamiliar memories kept flooding my mind. What were those? What were these... I don't understand, I don't understand! So many unfamiliar memories... If I knew them, would I succeed? If I knew them, would I still be myself? If I knew them, would I become happier or more miserable?"

"Wishful thinking! You have no idea what I'm thinking—"

""I know!""

Raising his voice, Hachiman Hikigaya interrupted the girl once more, his tone assertive, as if trying to instill the same confidence in her and dispel her hesitation: "I know, Emilia, your past."

"It was a wonderful past. You had the best family, the best childhood, the best memories, everything was the best. Although there was an unexpected and hard-to-accept event at the end, believe me..."

"Accept your past, your memories. You are still you. You were just as lovely and kind as you are now. I can promise you, I predict, that when you recall the past, you will inevitably smile sweetly. At that moment, you will be happy, content, and fulfilled."

"There's no need for unease, no need for fear. I wouldn't act rashly if I weren't absolutely certain... Emilia is the most precious treasure in the world, unique and irreplaceable. I wouldn't risk causing you more pain and loss, or robbing you of your own identity, to accept these things."

Taking her delicate hand in his, conveying his sincere warmth, Hachiman Hikigaya looked into her eyes and said softly, "I won't lie to you. Your knight won't deceive you. Trust me as much as I trust you, Emilia!"

Emilia stared blankly at Hachiman Hikigaya, and in his pupils, she saw her own reflection.

"Saying something like that is too cunning..."

"You might think it's cunning, but I'm absolutely certain." Hachiman Hikigaya was utterly certain, having absolute faith in Jus, Fortuna, Archie, and everyone in the forest. "That must be the memory you desire, the past you long for, Emilia."

She fought back tears and murmured, "Even if you say that... Parker..."

"It's just a contract termination; Puck won't leave you," Hachiman Hikigaya said firmly. "Just as I won't abandon you, Puck will absolutely not leave you. Although it says it will go into a deep sleep, as the culprit, I will definitely find a way to awaken it."

He gently crouched down and looked directly at the girl who, after being bewildered and helpless, was comforted by his unwavering confidence and seemed to have found hope again.

"Hachiman Hikigaya said once again, 'Accept the past, face reality, and believe me, Emilia.'"

Emilia bit her lower lip tightly, her heart pounding with turmoil, her eyes darting around. "I...if I...I'm willing to believe you, to believe Hachiman, but I'm so scared, so very scared...Just today, just today, stay with me, Hachiman, please, I know you're busy, I know I'm willful and selfish, but I—"

"Only this, as I've already said, I cannot promise you, Emilia."

"——"

270. Emilia Takes the Initiative to Kiss (Part 2)

"The trust that had been restored, the feelings that had been rekindled, the atmosphere that had warmed up—all collapsed back to square one in an instant."

Ignoring Emilia's suspicious expression, Hachiman Hikigaya released the girl's slender hand and raised his own.

“Look, Emilia.”

His eyelids drooped, his expression somber. "These are my hands—weak, incompetent, useless, and unable to—no, unable even to properly care for or protect the parts they are capable of. Not just these hands, but my whole being."

"He failed, but he turned things around... From the Bowel Hunters in the capital to the invasion of Petitchius, he failed time and time again, but he turned things around every time. Even now, with the Sacred Rabbit, he is trying his best to turn things around."

"But in the second trial, in so many worlds, he watched Emilia die completely so many times, unable to save her... He understood."

"I will take good care of you, I will protect you with all my might. But, I may fail sometimes. I am not omnipotent, I am weak. Although I have the will, I do not have the strength."

"Hachiman Hikigaya smiled bitterly, his expression full of self-mockery. 'Relying on someone as useless as me is far too risky. But you're different, Emilia. You're actually very strong, and there's no worry about not being able to rescue you in time... I hope you can grow up, take good care of yourself, and protect yourself.'"

"So you absolutely cannot rely on a piece of trash like me, you can't depend on me. If I stay today, then..."

"Someday in the future, maybe I'll hate myself, Emilia!"

"Such words—"

"To belittle one's own gentleness, to underestimate one's own strength, to erase one's own merits and achievements... This is Hachiman Hikigaya, her knight Hachiman Hikigaya."

Emilia, who already knew this, paused for a moment. "Don't joke around like that! How can I trust you if you say things like that and refuse to stay!"

"Trust me, always trust me, so I trust you too... I've always remembered what you said to me when I returned to the manor on the eve of the Sloth Extermination Campaign, Emilia."

Completely unfazed by the girl before him, Hachiman Hikigaya watched her clumsy lie and couldn't help but smile. "Don't make up such lame excuses, Emilia. You've always trusted me, just as you know me well, and I know you well too."

"Upon hearing these words, Emilia's brows furrowed, her anger not only did not subside but continued to burn, and she grabbed Hachiman Hikigaya."

"It was my fault for not considering your feelings, and I apologize. So... it's your fault for not considering my feelings, and you need to correct it!"

"Grabbing Hachiman Hikigaya, who was trying to leave, Emilia refused to budge. Her strength far surpassed Hachiman's. 'You're belittling yourself again, and you won't even let me rely on you... I absolutely won't allow that! If I can't even rely on my own knight, what can I rely on? Isn't that pathetic?'"

""I--""

The moment Hachiman Hikigaya opened his mouth, Emilia immediately interrupted him: "If you stay now, you'll definitely regret it... but if I let you leave now, I'll definitely regret it, Hachiman!"

"With the contract broken and no Parker to rely on, after the initial despair, the sun shines through the clouds, and Emilia's growth and strength are soon becoming apparent."

"This makes Hachiman Hikigaya very happy. It would be even better if this growth hadn't been applied to him."

"Anyway, I always make mistakes... Considering your feelings, I'll make up for this later. Let me owe you this time, Emilia."

"His determination to not stay was exceptionally firm. Hachiman Hikigaya struggled violently, his wrists were squeezed until they turned red, which greatly troubled Emilia, who was so heartbroken that she almost let go."

“No…” she murmured, “No, you can’t… Hachiman is my knight, and my knights must obey me!”

"This was the first time she had ever exercised such coercive power, but even so, Hachiman Hikigaya refused to yield. 'That's not my philosophy.'"

"I will be strong, I will grow, I will become independent, I will become even stronger, I will protect myself and take good care of myself. If that's what Hachiman hopes for, then I will do my best to do so from now on. But I also need to rely on you, I need to rely on Hachiman—always, always, always relying on you!"

Her face flushed red, but she continued, "It's too much to rely on Hachiman for everything, it's terrible to let Hachiman solve everything, and it's absolutely unacceptable to be unable to move an inch without Hachiman. I understand all of this, so I won't be that kind of child."

"But I want to rely on you—with Hachiman around, I have confidence in everything I do. Just thinking about Hachiman encourages me, and I'm always full of energy when Hachiman gives me orders. I want to rely on you like that!"

"Hearing these words, Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly felt a stomachache and his breathing became rapid... The more Emilia trusted him and relied on him, the more vividly he remembered the times he failed to protect her and the tragic deaths of Emilia before his eyes. He stared wide-eyed, feeling that he had committed countless sins."

"I'm so happy to have this kind of trust, I'm overjoyed to have received such a genuine item, and I'm so happy to be recognized as a reliable person that I can temporarily forget my troubles."

"But I... don't have that qualification, I don't have that ability."

"Saying such things—"

Emilia opened her mouth, as if making a very special decision. She gripped her knight tightly and suddenly said, "I am beautiful, more beautiful than anyone else, gentle, and cute... Although I always think it's too exaggerated and I can't believe it, these praises came from Hachiman, so I believe it's true."

"Gentle, cute, and beautiful... Hachiman doesn't dislike someone like me, right? He'll be my knight forever, right?"

"If being a knight for life isn't enough for you, then I... I'll make you worthy of being someone I can rely on!"

"I really don't want to do this, but in order to be able to rely on him, in order to be able to rely on my knight, I have to become a despicable bad boy... For Hachiman, in order to get Hachiman, I'll do anything!"

"If you don't want to, don't force yourself—"

Realizing something, Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly froze. He stared at the equally stiff girl as she leaned forward and gradually closed her eyes.

"—Even as their lips met and they were locked in a deep kiss, Hachiman Hikigaya, filled with remorse, did not pull away."

271. The awareness to steal a man

"They...they kissed?"

Nakano Ichika stared blankly, her whole body buzzing with shock, as if she were seeing a brand new world.

She had no doubt about Emilia's feelings for Hachiman Hikigaya, but in her opinion, even if the world ended, as long as Hachiman Hikigaya didn't take the initiative, Emilia would definitely be the least physically aggressive one!

"Based on her previous performance, Emilia is completely clueless when it comes to physical contact. She clearly knows nothing about it, although she's been quite aggressive with her mind, but... but—"

Nakano Nino stared in disbelief, while the five sisters looked at each other blankly, an overwhelming sense of astonishment and humiliation spreading through them.

Even someone like Emilia, who has absolutely no concept of love and is as pure as snow, will hide her kindness, erode her gentleness, and become so possessive in order to snatch the man she wants to rely on.

So, what would those five sisters go to for a man? Would they go that far? — Probably not, they'd only sneak away a little, without considering so much, always worrying about their own sisters…

But love isn't like that!

"Love is war. You must abandon morality and dignity, use all your weapons, be proactive, seize the initiative, and attack both mentally and physically. Don't be Crusch, be Anastasia, Rem, and Emilia!"

Nakano Ichika murmured to herself, as if a new door had suddenly opened for her.

Although she had already gained some insights from watching Emilia and the others' relationships, it wasn't until now that Ichika Nakano was certain that she had truly transformed!