Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

"As his brother, you can be proud of him, but you shouldn't use such excessive pride to tarnish his reputation"—Joshua understood this subtext, his face turned pale, and he suddenly became unsteady, deeply reflecting on his actions.

"Thank you so much for your guidance... No, you truly deserve my praise, brother. Although you're not number one in the world, you're already number two... Ah, excuse me... Well, I'll take my leave now."

“Joshua.”

At the Hexin Trading Company, Julius smiled helplessly, both happy that his younger brother admired him and amused that his brother had embarrassed himself in front of the whole world. "Fortunately, it was the gentle Hachiman-kun who only gave him guidance, not a lesson. We should thank him, Joshua."

Joshua's actions were seen by everyone as just an overzealous younger brother, and no one was particularly disgusted by them.

The main reason is that Rius and Hachiman Hikigaya are best friends. Joshua is actually half a younger brother of Hachiman Hikigaya. His rude remarks can be described as rebellious.

Thinking about it this way, there's nothing to dislike anymore, and he even knows how to reflect on his actions.

Compared to Julius, who was both amused and exasperated, Anastasia, whose eyes were sparkling, and Crusch, who was far away at the Karlsten mansion, were all filled with comfort and satisfaction.

"Special treatment from Lord Hachiman..."

Crusch murmured, pursing her lips, her heart pounding with excitement and deep emotion.

Phyllis was especially overjoyed, beaming with pride for her Crusch-sama, "Although they are all candidates and have had close contact with Hachiman, Crusch-sama is above Priscilla-sama and Felt-sama, meow, congratulations meow."

Crusch was about to laugh, but when she looked at Joshua, she thought of Anastasia, of how she corresponded with more people than she did, and of how she had relentlessly pursued and snatched away Hachiman-sama.

My mood immediately soured again.

“Anna-tasia-ya”

She'll hold a grudge against that person who stole the deal for her for the rest of her life!

286. Emilia's generosity

"Watergate City..."

In a certain place in Lugnica, Chilitaka suddenly turned pale, swayed, and seemed somewhat panicked.

"After Joshua's problem was resolved, he actually lingered for a while, not because he wanted to stay, but because Mimi was running around energetically, pulling Garfield along with great interest."

"This was the first time Mimi and Jiafeier had met. Even so, Mimi seemed to have taken a liking to Jiafeier, showing no wariness towards him and appearing quite close to him."

"Garfield was particularly overwhelmed by Mimi's advances, and he visibly breathed a sigh of relief when Mimi and Joshua left."

"Then, Emilia, Hachiman Hikigaya, Garfiel, this is the list of those who have decided to go to Minato City after discussion."

"Since Hachiman Hikigaya and Emilia have both left, there are still some government affairs and daily operations of the territory left. Hachiman Hikigaya wouldn't feel comfortable leaving them to Roswaal. In addition, his intelligence is no less than Otto's, or rather, it's out of trust in Otto's abilities that he was allowed to stay."

"Driving the earth dragon and sitting in the carriage, as we approached the city of Minato, everyone else was filled with curiosity and excitement. Only Hachiman Hikigaya would occasionally look worried and toss and turn, even sighing involuntarily when he was sleeping, as if he had some particularly troublesome worries weighing on his mind."

""What's wrong?""

Emilia tilted her head, looking adorable as if she wanted to give him some psychological therapy. "Ever since you heard you were going to meet Miss Anastasia, Hachiman has been acting really strange. Could it be that you actually have some kind of entanglement with Miss Anastasia behind your back? Do you dislike her?"

"If you really don't want to, Hachiman can go back, it's okay!" She hung her head listlessly, blaming herself for not discovering the situation sooner. "I'll try my best to persuade Miss Anastasia to give me the information!"

"Hachiman Hikigaya was silent for a moment, then shook his head."

"No need for that... Actually, even if I didn't go to Watergate City, Anastasia would definitely have given you those things to pass on to me. That's just how she is. Although she's a shrewd businesswoman, she's not all about profit... This time, I actually came voluntarily."

He sighed, pressing his temples anxiously. "I know I can't possibly go through the rest of my life without seeing them even once; that day will always come... Let this be an opportunity, and hopefully I can face it properly."

"Hmm..."

Emilia was confused by the second half of his sentence. She blinked, somewhat surprised. "I have a feeling that Hachiman seems quite familiar with Miss Anastasia, even though you haven't seen each other for a year. It's very strange—but since he doesn't dislike Miss Anastasia and won't argue, I'm relieved."

"Hachiman Hikigaya turned his head away, somewhat embarrassed... Emilia couldn't understand why he looked so guilty."

"That's right, that's how it is. You've lured people here. You're really something else, so cunning."

At the Hexin Chamber of Commerce, Anastasia smiled contentedly and sincerely praised, "We should also thank Emilia for her generosity."

"Oh! As expected of the young lady!"

Mimi jumped up and down, cheering excitedly. This time, it wasn't just the young lady's prime minister; her Jiafei had also come.

Julius, an upright man, stood stiffly to the side, feeling a little reluctant and ashamed... but thinking that it was mutual affection, he hardened his heart, abandoned his pity for the ignorant Lady Emilia, and nodded wholeheartedly in support of Lady Anastasia.

"—Pfft."

On the road to the capital, Rem and Ram looked at each other, both of them wanting to laugh.

Although I really wanted to condemn Anastasia, for some reason, seeing Emilia pushing Hachiman Hikigaya towards Anastasia made me feel... how should I put it...

"How delightful!"

At Advanced Nurturing High School, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji clapped his hands cheerfully. He didn't care what his opinion of Anastasia and Emilia was, but the thought that they were fighting over Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly gave him a feeling.

“This is a new feeling... You really are my nemesis, my blessing, the person I recognize most, Hachiman Hikigaya.”

At the same time, on the main street of the capital, Emilia, who should have been the most furious and disappointed, had no time to wallow in self-pity. She grabbed Parker tightly and anxiously urged him, "Parker, Parker, calm down!"

Parker, in her palm, had bloodshot eyes, his hair standing on end with the oppressive aura, and he grinned a ferocious sneer.

"Everyone else can live, but Anastasia must die! At times like this, we must be ruthless and decisive, Lydia!"

It couldn't see through its own daughter, but it could. Anastasia was fine without a trigger, but once a trigger was given, she would become an unstoppable and terrifying rival in love. And Echidna had already provided that trigger.

"—Echidna, you bastard, Aaaaaaah!!"

"Watergate City is a city built on water, with four sluice gates, all of which are magnificent and breathtaking. The scenery in the city is also unique, with many Japanese-style buildings... Hachiman Hikigaya is not so special. After learning from Priscilla that Al was also a transmigrator, he knew that he was not the only transmigrator in this world."

"These Japanese-style buildings were brought by the legendary merchant Huangdi Hexin four hundred years ago. There's no point in exploring them now, since that fellow villager has been dead for four hundred years anyway."

"Compared to this, Hachiman Hikigaya cares more about those four sluice gates that, once opened, can easily cause the river to overflow and completely submerge the entire Minato City."

"If someone wanted to conquer Watergate City, all they had to do was send someone to take down the four sluice gates and then release the floodwaters. Leaving such a fatal weakness unchecked, I really don't know what the people in this city are thinking."

"Thinking about it this way, I really do feel insecure..."

"Displeased with his absent-mindedness, Betty squeezed his hand, eager to win his favor, "Hmm, with such a cute elf like Betty around, why are you daydreaming?!"

"Well... that's just my pessimistic outlook on life kicking in again without me even realizing it. It's hard to control, but Beatrice's desire to get my attention is really cute, just as good as Komachi's. I'd give her a perfect score of 100!"

"Hachiman Hikigaya smiled and patted Betty's hair, praising Beatrice in the way Komachi spoke. This wasn't just out of nostalgia for Komachi; he mainly thought Beatrice wouldn't dislike Komachi's cute way of speaking."

"After all, Komachi and Beatrice are both her adorable little sisters!"

-

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287. Anastasia's First Hobby

"Mmm!"

Two people were simultaneously stimulated. Betty was as sweet as if she had eaten honey, and Komachi, far away on Earth, also shouted "Yay!"

She didn't care at all that her brother had misappropriated her ratings. In fact, she would be overjoyed if her ratings could help her brother get along better with other girls.

However, from the appropriation of words, Komachi realized that Anna might hold a terrifying weight in her brother's heart!

So far, he has misappropriated his own sister's and Anna's confession, hasn't he?

"To be compared to Komachi... Wow, I really have to support Anna-neechan! Of course, Emilia-neechan and Rem can't be left out either, Komachi likes them all, Komachi wants all these sisters-in-law... Ah, and Crusch-neechan too!"

"—We arrived at the post station I had carefully chosen, but all my attention was focused on my own elf. What a disappointment! I was hoping for praise or even astonishment."

Just as he was about to continue praising Beatrice with a smile, a cute voice with a hint of frustration suddenly reached his ears, and Hachiman Hikigaya froze, mechanically turning his head to look at the newcomer.

"What came into view was a cunning smile like a fox, light blue eyes full of treachery, always accompanied by her fox-fur scarf, and then..."

"Her body feels very soft, and her long, light purple hair is incredibly soft and fluffy. She likes to carry a wallet with her at all times, and her second hobby is counting money and listening to the clinking of coins. Her first love is to call him 'Prime Minister' while stripping naked and snuggling in his arms so he can stroke her fluffy purple hair. Then it evolved into stroking her whole body. She has an adorable accent, and her chest area is even better than Felt's. She's an extremely cute girl."

"If Komachi and Beatrice's cuteness is a thick soup that melts in your mouth, then Anastasia's cuteness is three meals a day, a computer or cell phone, a small house or mansion, family and friends, real things, and a wife."

Anastasia could create any happiness and sweetness that anyone could imagine, and then offer herself up as the most important part of it, accompanied by the most lovely words.

"The Anastasia who used to act cute in my memory, and the Anastasia who is exactly the same and extremely cute in front of me, the two figures completely overlapped, making Hachiman Hikigaya's heart pound."

"...?"

"A hint of puzzlement flashed across Anastasia's cunning eyes, which were always full of mischief and pranks. She paused. "It's good to receive such a gentle look right away after such a long time. It means you really don't mind my withdrawal from the alliance a year ago... But isn't that scrutinizing me a little too closely?"

She tilted her head and looked at Emilia. "Didn't Miss Emilia satisfy him properly?"

“Satisfied?” Emilia tilted her head blankly, looking at her innocently.

"This answer exposes everything," Anastasia said, clapping her hands together. "Alright, I understand. That way, there's no way to blame them."

"The sound of hands clasped together brought Hachiman Hikigaya back to reality from his semi-real spiritual world. Although she didn't blame him, she wasn't prepared to continue being looked at like that. Surprisingly, she didn't dislike it... but she felt like her body and soul were being seen through, which made her very uncomfortable."

"Hachiman Hikigaya was momentarily dazed before realizing that the way he looked at Anastasia was a bit too much... Although he was subconsciously reminiscing and feeling sentimental, in other people's eyes, he might have been openly taking advantage of others with his eyes."

"—It turns out that only Beatrice thought that way."

"Emilia doesn't think there's anything wrong with looking at other people's bodies. Garfield always thinks the best of his general. He suspects that his general might have sensed some hidden strength or threat in Anastasia, so he's been searching carefully."

Anastasia's thinking was even simpler. She knew that Hachiman Hikigaya had no shortage of girls who liked him. Although Rem was practically dead, there was still Emilia. If Hachiman wanted, Emilia could probably warm his bed anytime.

"Although I don't really want to think about this, I have to admit that, as a woman, Emilia is definitely more attractive than her."

"Thanks to Hachiman Hikigaya's good image and character in the past, Anastasia almost immediately thought the best of things."

"So... you've probably been communicating for a year and haven't seen me, so you've almost forgotten what I look like and want to remember me properly again?"

"She smiled slightly, and Hachiman Hikigaya nodded without hesitation... Anyway, he had tricked Anastasia more than once or twice, both in the royal capital and in the Sanctuary Trials, so there was nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, he was already used to it."

"Well then, let's get back to the main topic. You must be tired after traveling so far, right? ...Please come to your rooms and rest well, and then we can chat more."

"With the air of a hostess, Anastasia smiled and was very polite, but this politeness only reinforced her position. It was her usual shrewd business practice. She appeared gentle and yielding on the surface, but that was just a facade to maintain her dominance."

"...This is a deeper understanding of the previous perspective, but now, Hachiman Hikigaya can see the third layer buried beneath, which is the gentle nature of a cunning businessman."

He led Emilia and the others in, showing none of the timidity expected of guests, and entered the inn with great poise. He nodded to the lovely girl, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Anastasia."

"——"

Anastasia paused slightly, "You...you really are Hachiman?"

"Hachiman Hikigaya, feigning cuteness, raised his right hand, made a fist, and gently tapped his head. 'Is it the real deal?'"

"As he said that, Anastasia was even more dumbfounded... Although we had been corresponding for a year and could be considered friends, and we had chatted with each other in our letters about our preferences and recent situations, he had never been this cheerful in his letters."

"In addition, considering the bitter and resentful look on Hachiman Hikigaya's face when he was in the capital a year ago, her impression of him was that of a serious and upright person."

"I can't even tell people apart anymore!?"