Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

Although she had tried to overestimate the impact of marriage, she had clearly underestimated it for Hachiman Hikigaya, who valued authenticity to the point of being willing to give anything in pursuit of it.

"Anastasia is actually seriously considering whether to accept this request and give herself to Hachiman."

In the room that was originally used by a few people to hold study sessions, Nariyuki Yuiga paused, scratched his head, and said, "Is she a little... uh, not so good?"

“That’s not how it is.” Compared to the wooden-like Nariyuki Yuiga, the emotionally sensitive Fumino Furuhashi shook her head, refuting Anastasia’s claim.

“Anatasia will seriously consider it, not because she is bound by the value of those favors. What prevented her from immediately refusing was the correspondence she had with Hachiman over the past year.”

"Although she hasn't completely understood Hachiman and fallen in love with him after three years of living together like in the 'if' route, she has learned about various aspects of Hachiman through so many letters and has developed some feelings for him."

Fumino Furuhashi's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed happily, "Actually, Anastasia is already starting to resemble the 'if' scenario!"

Overjoyed, Fumino Furuhashi stood with her hands on her hips, head held high and chest puffed out. She was a die-hard Anastasia supporter, and now that she saw a chance for Anastasia to rise to power in the official history, she was incredibly excited.

As for Emilia and Rem... well, well, at worst we'll have a harem, right? Anyway, having Anastasia is better than not having her.

"Humph…"

Inside the mansion, Priscilla gave a disdainful snort. She had to admit that she was indeed intrigued; the scene of Hachiman Hikigaya reuniting with Anastasia was so interesting that she was quite curious herself.

If Hachiman Hikigaya were to encounter Priscilla again in the official storyline, how would he react? His expressions and emotions would likely be quite intriguing.

"Anastasia was supposed to give the explanation, but she suddenly seemed lost in thought, looking troubled. She was not suitable to take on this task, so Rius took her place."

When Hachiman Hikigaya left the reception room, he and Anastasia, who was still inside, both breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief at the same time.

"Having distanced himself from that adorable purple-haired swindler and no longer filled with happy memories, Hachiman Hikigaya's intelligence has finally returned to its peak. He reviewed his actions and noticed his various unusual behaviors just now, glancing somewhat guiltily at Emilia beside him."

"Hmm...?"

Emilia tilted her head in confusion, not understanding.

"Then, let me explain in detail, Lady Emilia, the Great Elf, and..."

"Julius paused for a moment, stared straight at Hachiman Hikigaya, said nothing, took a step forward, and hugged him tightly. Although it seemed rather unladylike, he did it nonetheless."

"My dearest friend."

Beatrice, who was holding Hachiman Hikigaya's hand, was pushed aside. The little bit of goodwill she had developed because of Julius's natural blessing that increased the favorability of the spirits vanished instantly after witnessing what Julius had done. She glared angrily at the man who had come to steal her man, extremely jealous.

Emilia took Beatrice's hand, as if comforting her spoiled younger sister, and then said proudly in her melodious, clear voice, "Julius and Hachiman have a very good relationship, isn't that amazing, Beatrice?"

"Betty doesn't understand what you're so happy about," Beatrice grumbled, feeling annoyed.

"The four of them strolled through the water-gate city, listening to Julius's explanation."

"Information about the Bishop of Gluttony is on its way. As for helping Hachiman Hikigaya enter the Tower of Sages, we'll discuss that later when both of us are available. As for the magic crystal that can help Puck awaken, it's in the hands of Kiritaka, the owner of another large merchant guild."

"Kiritaka?" Upon hearing the name, Hachiman Hikigaya interrupted Julius to confirm.

"Because he also knew a Kiritaka, a bard named Liliana who came to Roswaal's territory between the monster invasion and the start of the Royal Selection."

"Liliana is a petite girl who dresses rather provocatively and is far less beautiful than Emilia and Anastasia. She has a very outgoing personality, but she sings exceptionally well."

"Rem and Ram were shopping in the village when they happened to meet Liliana. They were amazed by her singing voice, and when they returned to the manor, Rem immediately introduced Liliana to him."

"Such a beautiful voice! Rem hopes Hachiman can hear it too!"

"Upon hearing Rem say this, Hachiman Hikigaya did not hesitate at all. He immediately asked Emilia and, after receiving her consent, invited Liliana to Roswaal's mansion to sing."

"Liliana's voice is truly captivating, comparable to the top singers on Earth, and there's something special about it; in short, it's just beautiful."

"Back then, there was a man named Chilitaka who was always following Liliana. He was a fanatical pursuer of Liliana. Although he could not be called a pervert, his fanaticism for Liliana was enough to make everyone who saw him disgusted with him."

"So, is there a girl named Liliana in that merchant guild, or in Watergate City?"

"I'm not quite sure about that, but Liliana, um..."

Julius frowned, thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "You mean the 'songstress'? Indeed, her name is Liliana, as Lady Anastasia mentioned."

291. Overwhelming Negotiation

"Ah?"

Liliana, who travels freely and dreams of becoming the world's greatest bard, blinked, somewhat caught off guard.

The screen did indeed show her being invited to sing at Roswaal's mansion.

However, just as the light barrier blocked Echidna's nauseating quality, it also blocked her blessing. Therefore, although her singing was still beautiful, it wasn't so beautiful that it was widely discussed by people all over the world; she was only praised briefly.

She thought she wouldn't have any further contact with the prestigious candidates after that, but she never expected to have another chance to appear.

Despite the constant dangers facing Emilia's faction, it's actually an insurmountable challenge for someone like her.

"Mr. Kiritaka is known as a die-hard fan of the songstress in Watergate City. Although the entire city's residents are fans of the songstress, he's said to be second to none in terms of fanaticism."

"Upon hearing what Julius said, Hachiman Hikigaya and Emilia exchanged a glance, and were basically certain that Liliana and Kiritaka here were indeed the two people they knew."

"Lady Anastasia considered having the Hesin Merchant Guild directly purchase the magic crystals, but because there's often some competition between guilds, she's worried that this might strengthen Mr. Kiritaka's resolve not to sell."

"Julius sincerely prayed that his lord and close friend could get along well. He was still thinking about what happened a year ago and was worried that Hachiman Hikigaya might hold a grudge against Lady Anastasia."

"But the nice things he said to win back Anastasia's favor with Hachiman Hikigaya weren't made up; they were true."

"Yes." Hachiman Hikigaya nodded. "She's very thoughtful. I've met Kiritaka once, and while we're not exactly friends, it's definitely better for her to negotiate than for Heishin to do it."

"When it comes to Kiritaka, Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes are deep and his tone is meaningful."

"Back then, Kiritaka followed Liliana and saw her enter Roswaal's mansion. He was filled with rivalry and anger towards Hachiman Hikigaya, the man who could get close to Liliana. So he hired someone to put a sack over Liliana and beat him up."

"Hachiman Hikigaya swiftly summoned Ram, Rem, and Emilia, and wiped out all his mercenaries in one fell swoop. Kiritaka was so terrified by Ram's beating that his liver and gallbladder were ruptured. If no one had stopped him, he would have been beaten to death on the spot."

"...From this perspective, Kiritaka should hate him, but later, because Hachiman Hikigaya saved Liliana, Kiritaka, who was Liliana's simp, immediately changed his attitude and became friendly and harmonious."

"On the other hand, it was later that Hachiman Hikigaya came to hate Kiritaka."

"The journey to the merchant guild in Kiritaka required a boat trip. The four of them enjoyed the beautiful river. Julius seemed to have endless things to say, like a bullet shooting incessantly. He sat next to Hachiman Hikigaya the whole time, and the two talked about many things, from food preferences to various interests, as well as each other's recent situations."

"Hachiman Hikigaya also asked Julius if Kiritaka had won Liliana's heart, and the answer was no."

"…！ …！ ！ ………！ ...

"Beatles has been holding back for so long, but she's about to reach her limit. Right now, she's definitely the only elf in the world who hates Julius."

"Just before Beatrice was about to explode, we finally arrived at the Chamber of Commerce."

"I'll handle the negotiations myself. You guys have a good time outside," Hachiman Hikigaya instructed. "Have fun, Emilia, but take good care of Beatrice. And please keep an eye on Julius as well."

Beatrice turned her head. "Betty doesn't want someone like that looking after her, hmph!"

"Although she said it in anger, she actually couldn't resist Hachiman Hikigaya's request. Julius smiled wryly; it was the first time in his life he had been rejected by a spirit, and he was truly at a loss for words."

"In the end, he and Beatrice each took a step back, while Julius remained with them, but he followed from a distance."

"Watching the three of them leave, Hachiman Hikigaya, now alone, sharpened his gaze. His gentle demeanor suddenly transformed into a murderous solemnity. He straightened his clothes and stepped into Kiritaka's trading company."

"You, you—you, it's you!?"

"While leisurely brewing tea in the reception room, waiting for the guests introduced by Anastasia to arrive, Kiritaka revealed a ruthless smile typical of businessmen, exuding the air of a businessman determined to negotiate the highest price. This air was abruptly cut off the next second when he saw the person who pushed open the door and entered."

"Kilitaka, who was so frightened that he squealed like a duck, jumped to his feet, trembling like a sieve. He was so cold that he almost knelt down and begged for mercy."

"Hachiman Hikigaya's voice was filled with murderous intent, 'Yes, it's me. Long time no see, Kiritaka.'"

“You, you, you, you—” Chilitaka trembled, stammering, unable to speak clearly.

"However, Ram didn't come over."

"——"

"It was as if he had become a different person. Upon hearing that the dreadful maid wasn't there, Kiritaka immediately returned to normal, reverting to his shrewd businessman demeanor. He glanced sideways and coughed..."

"He acted as if nothing had happened, as if the person who had just been scrambling around wasn't him at all."

"So," Kiritaka quickly realized, having regained her composure, why Hachiman Hikigaya was here, "you are the guest introduced by Miss Anastasia?"

"Hachiman Hikigaya sneered, "If you dare to give me that 'trying to extort money' look again, I'll have Lum throw you into the river to feed the fish."

"Kiritaka, who had just felt confident that he was doing well again, immediately shrank back and gave an awkward laugh."

"Bring out the magic crystals, all of them, lowest price."

"Speaking arrogantly, Hachiman Hikigaya sat in the chair that originally belonged to Kiritaka with a cold demeanor, as if he were the master of the place and Kiritaka was the one who was subservient."

"It's only natural that the two of them would be like this."

"Back then, after Liliana finished singing at Roswaal's mansion, she stayed temporarily in a village on the territory, and then she was kidnapped. Hachiman Hikigaya rescued her and then discovered that the kidnappers were a group of elite down-on-their-luck mercenaries who were also quite moral, so he decided to recruit them."

"Before he could make a move, the equally astute Kiritaka had already seized the opportunity and secretly poached the elite mercenaries known as the White Dragon Scales with a large sum of money."

292. The Great Crisis of Watergate City

"You slipped away pretty fast last time, Kiritaka."

"Hachiman Hikigaya feels heartbroken every time he thinks about it. Elite mercenaries like the White Dragon Scales are not easy to find. They are comparable to the Iron Fang Mercenary Group."

“This…this…calm down, calm down.” Chilitaka, cold sweat dripping from his forehead, bowed humbly as he poured tea.

"Although he has taken over his father's large trading company and is no less powerful than Hachiman Hikigaya in terms of status, he is still very guilty of the underhanded things he did before."

"Lowest price...no, no, it's free! I'll give you all those magic crystals for free as compensation for stealing the White Dragon Scales." Kiritaka swallowed hard and said cautiously, "Please, please don't let Miss Ram come over!"

With Kiritaka's humble behavior, everyone remembered his previous appearance and performance. At that time, Ram not only physically beat Kiritaka, but also dealt him a heavy blow with her sharp tongue.

"In other words, the magic crystals can be obtained quite easily, which is something—"

At the Carlsten residence, Crusch was just feeling happy for her Hachiman-sama when her gaze suddenly froze, and her mood plummeted from heaven to hell.

"While Hachiman Hikigaya was completing his overwhelming negotiation, Emilia was happily strolling around Minato City, looking around so much that she accidentally bumped into a man while walking."

"It's okay, I was wrong too. I was just staring at you."

The man accepted her apology, gave her a meaningful smile, then turned and left. As he walked away, he pulled a Gospel from his clothes and softly recited, "Fate will guide us to meet again."

Emilia, who remained where she was, felt that this man looked somewhat familiar, but she just couldn't remember where she had seen him before.

"This man, dressed in white, with white hair and a very ordinary appearance, has a name."

"Regulus Kornius, Archbishop of the Great Sin of the Witch Cult."

At that moment, most people experienced near cardiac arrest.

It was a peaceful and tranquil year. Anastasia's self-deception and the successful acquisition of the Materia made everyone quite happy. After all, they had enjoyed a good year with nothing to do. The mastermind behind everything, Roswaal, had reformed, and the mastermind behind the mastermind, Echidna, had also run away.