Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

"The next morning, when she got up, Phyllis told her that Anastasia had sent her a yukata, which fit her perfectly and was very beautiful, clearly one of Anastasia's excellent services."

"Although I'm more used to wearing my usual clothes, when I thought of what Phyllis said, 'Lady Crusch will look so beautiful in this! No one will be able to take their eyes off her!', she, who doesn't usually care much about looking pretty, hesitated for a moment and then decided to change into this yukata."

"See? See? I knew it! Even if the Prime Minister didn't mean it that way, he still knows how to attract women!"

Inside the Hexin Merchant Guild, Anastasia complained vehemently, "That Crusch guy, he's so mean!"

Although the screen had switched to the scene of Garfield and Ricardo sparring in the hotel courtyard early in the morning, Anastasia, knowing that Crusch was changing clothes, still pointed at the screen with a pitiful expression.

She now desperately wishes she could swap herself into that future version of herself, or at the very least, into the version of herself from the Holy Domain Trial timeline!

"They even sent Crusch a yukata and stuff...!"

"In the early morning, the girls in the inn got up no later than the men, but they all changed into their yukatas in their rooms before coming out. At this time, Hachiman Hikigaya had already replaced Garfield and was sparring with Julius."

"The advancement of technology is truly astonishing. If it weren't for your still somewhat frail body, your strength would be quite impressive, Hachiman-kun."

Julius was full of praise, believing that as long as Hachiman Hikigaya continued to train his body, he might be able to rival his current self in three or four years.

"Having received such praise, Hachiman Hikigaya froze, staring wide-eyed at Julius's back as if he had seen something incredibly beautiful, so captivated that he almost forgot to breathe."

"Feeling deeply confused, Julius turned around and followed his gaze."

"The light blue kimono was bright and beautiful, with delicate patterns of fluttering petals scattered on it, and the kimono against her skin was incredibly pure white."

"Wearing this kimono, and draped with Dona Fox."

"The stunning Anastasia."

299. Crusch's Grievance

"How about that? You clearly know everything, yet you still show this kind of expression in front of me—the deal hasn't even been finalized, and you're already inflating the value of the other party's assets. For someone as cautious as you, this is truly surprising."

"Raising her hands, she tiptoed and spun around, letting the stunned Hachiman Hikigaya admire her own cuteness. Anastasia smiled and condemned the man who had surrendered before even fighting."

"I was hoping to have a proper showdown with you sometime, to get revenge for being tricked in the capital... This makes me completely lose my will to fight. How cunning."

Hachiman Hikigaya found it both funny and exasperating. "You're dressed so cutely, why hold a grudge?"

"This isn't holding a grudge. Normally, if someone offends me, they wouldn't survive until the next day." Anastasia smiled faintly, using exaggerated rhetoric to highlight her greedy nature. "However, compliments sound nice too, and I'm very happy. Give me a little more and I'll let you off the hook, okay?"

Hachiman Hikigaya hesitated for a moment, then said, "Hmm... Good morning?"

Anastasia puffed out her cheeks in anger. She really couldn't understand it; this guy kept changing his mind, one minute he wanted to marry her, the next he wasn't. He hadn't even married her yet!

"But he acts very close one minute and then deliberately distances himself the next. What a weirdo!"

Meanwhile, Julius stared in disbelief at the two of them. He had no idea when his lord and his best friend had become so close... Just a while ago, Lady Anastasia had been talking about beating up Hachiman to avenge her previous humiliation.

"Lady Anastasia, you..."

Before he could even voice his question, Anastasia, who had a seemingly smiling face but actually sharp eyes, glared at him.

"The sword was sheathed, and at Anastasia's invitation, Hachiman Hikigaya walked alongside her to the room for breakfast, while Yurius, as a knight who adhered to the rules, deliberately lagged behind two steps to protect them."

"There's something I'm really curious about... could you tell me about it?"

Hearing her say that, Hachiman Hikigaya glanced at her sideways, giving her a look that said, "Tell me what it is first."

"Hmm~" Anastasia said with interest, "Doesn't Miss Emilia harbor any resentment towards you for openly two-timing and betting on both sides?"

Hikigaya Hachiman froze for a moment after being pointed out as to what he considered his worst mistake, then sighed with a wry smile, "You really don't hold back."

Anastasia smiled slyly. "Of course, there are some pieces of information that I need to know, since they affect my future views and actions. Could you explain in detail?"

"We must understand..." Hachiman Hikigaya paused, slightly surprised that this unscrupulous merchant would so directly demand information.

"He guessed it was probably because his directness earlier made this shrewd, foolish businessman think that talking to him wouldn't require any scheming. As for 'his views and actions afterward,' it was simply a matter of whether or not to stir up trouble and sow discord, right?"

"...Anastasia's change in behavior and her less distant attitude towards him made Hachiman Hikigaya feel a little dazed. He felt that the purple-haired girl beside him was becoming more and more like her after she put on her wedding dress."

"This made it even harder for him to refuse the guy."

"To say I'm two-timing is a bit of an exaggeration. I'm torn between two people—the thought of having both is worse than nothing, although I've had that thought before, but I don't think I'll actually do it."

"Hachiman Hikigaya lowered his voice, wanting to preserve the good image he had in Julius's heart, and only letting Anastasia hear it was enough."

"Amelia certainly wants me to be with her directly, but she's a very good girl and says she'll wait for me to make my choice."

"So, what's your choice?" Anastasia raised one eye and closed the other, fully displaying her cuteness.

"I can't make a choice." Hachiman Hikigaya sighed deeply. "Indecisiveness, it's the only thing I hate about myself... Perhaps, I can only be chosen."

Anastasia looked at him, as if she wanted to say something, but before she knew it, they had reached their destination. The others gathered from different corridors and came to this place to eat breakfast.

"The girls, Crusch and Emilia, were all dressed in well-fitting yukatas, which were very pleasing to the eye. However, the yukatas were obviously not as stunning as the more formal and complete kimonos. Everyone was amazed when they saw Anastasia, which interrupted her conversation with Hachiman Hikigaya."

"Curly's eyes, which held a certain brilliance, froze as she turned the corner and saw Hachiman Hikigaya and Anastasia standing side by side, their heads close together, their voices hushed so that they could hear each other. Anastasia's clothes were even more gorgeous and beautiful."

"Hmph, a shrewd businessman is indeed a shrewd businessman, always plotting his own schemes."

Back on the main street of the capital, Puck snorted, "He secretly ordered kimonos and only gave yukatas to others, using such petty tricks to improve his appearance—see, Lia? It's okay to feel guilty, but it's enough to feel guilty towards Hachiman. Don't have any thoughts of looking down on this bastard merchant."

Emilia's eyes sparkled. She pursed her lips and stared intently at Anastasia. Although she didn't answer Parker, her expression made it seem as if she had taken his words to heart.

"Ugh…"

At the Karlsten mansion, Crusch was speechless.

Anastasia seems to be her nemesis, not only stealing her opportunities in different timelines, but now even the main storyline is bullying her. Not to mention others, Crusch herself feels extremely aggrieved.

The Shirogane family absolutely does not support Anastasia, but absolutely supports Crusch. Shirogane Miyuki, who was about to speak, was about to snort when Shirogane Kei, an Anastasia supporter, spoke first: "Don't you dare insult Anastasia! Otherwise, I'll call Kaguya-neechan. I just spoke with Kaguya-neechan on Line, and she said she also supports Anastasia!"

"I……!"

Shirogane Miyuki gritted his teeth as if they were aching. He looked at his sister, feeling a terrible headache coming on. More than his sister's usual rebelliousness, he was bothered that Shinomiya Kaguya was actually on a different political faction than him.

What should I do?

He will absolutely not support Anastasia, absolutely not!

"Rem, Rem, your big sister will buy you the best kimono too!"

"Sister, sister, Rem will dress up nicely for Hachiman too!"

300. The beginning of Hachiman's cool act

"—"

The aggrieved grumbling stopped instantly, and Anastasia opened her pale blue eyes with emotion.

She was the only one wearing a kimono, and with this unique advantage, her appearance, even compared to Emilia's, was just as striking against the backdrop of ordinary yukatas.

If Emilia and Crusch were wearing other clothes, it wouldn't matter, but they were wearing yukatas, which forced them into a stark contrast with the kimonos, making the difference in quality immediately apparent.

Anastasia's subtle intention in sending the yukata was crystal clear.

"Should I say it really is me? -- This is a little embarrassing~"

With her crescent-shaped eyes and cunning, fox-like demeanor, Anastasia's words were not even believed by Mimi. Mimi knew that the young lady was the most shameless person in the world, and that she was capable of anything!

"But because the young lady is so shameless, she's incredibly powerful!"

Holding Mimi affectionately, Anastasia said openly, "Thank you, Mimi, but it's better to keep this to yourself than to say it out loud."

"Haha!" Li Jiaduo laughed heartily.

"Everyone from all four factions took their seats. Anastasia prepared a hot pot breakfast for everyone. Using two small spatulas, you can freely flip the ingredients you want to eat on the hot plate, fry them into pancakes, and then eat them while they're still hot."

"Although she's a shady merchant, Anastasia doesn't skimp on fees in this kind of place. All kinds of precious and delicious ingredients are available for you to choose from."

Before taking action, Emilia, who was sitting obediently next to Hachiman, secretly tugged at his sleeve and pointed at Anastasia, "Hachiman, shall I buy an outfit like that later? You seem to really like it."

"I don't really like it that much..."

"Compared to the mere kimono, what truly captivated him was the unscrupulous merchant himself."

"See, you really like it!" Seeing that he was still staring at Anastasia but stubbornly refusing to admit it, Emilia shook her finger and lectured him earnestly, "Lying is very bad, you can't do that, okay? I'll buy it later, it's okay!"

"Hachiman Hikigaya raised his hands and surrendered cooperatively."

Emilia rolled up her sleeves and nodded emphatically. "Yes, that's more like it. Hachiman is a good boy. So, I'm going to make you some Daikon-yaki, and Beatrice will have some too."

"Hmph, Betty doesn't need it! Besides, Hachiman wants to eat Betty's homemade okonomiyaki, so you can keep yours for yourself!"

"Treating Beatrice's rejection as childish whining, Emilia wasn't bothered at all. She seriously flipped the table and, after some effort, successfully created a culinary disaster. Beatrice was the same; neither of them had any talent for cooking."

"Looking at these two inedible dishes, Hachiman Hikigaya thought of Yui Yuigahama for the first time since he was transported to this world more than a year ago."

"What's wrong, Miss Emilia? You can't cook? Poor Hachiman, he can't get anything to eat." Anastasia glanced over and said generously, "My—"

"Thank you, no need, okay, don't bother, please make yourself at home, Anastasia."

Before she could finish speaking, Hachiman Hikigaya quickly refuted Emilia's generosity on her behalf. While it wasn't as dire as Emilia's situation, he knew very well that Anastasia's cooking skills were by no means good, certainly not as good as his.

"Isn't being this decisive a bit too much?"

"Um... if you don't mind, Lord Hachiman, would you like...?" Crusch carefully considered her options and raised her hand. Her culinary skills were considered exquisite by everyone. The okonomiyaki she made not only smelled delicious but also looked incredibly appetizing.

"Upon hearing this, Phyllis and Wilhelm exchanged glances and opinions within a second. Then, without saying a word, the two of them picked up the plate that Crusch was about to hand out and placed it directly in front of Hachiman Hikigaya."

"He was so fast that he didn't even have a chance to refuse."

"Kursh was stunned for a moment, then looked at Hachiman Hikigaya, whom she had no choice but to taste, and somewhat embarrassedly brushed the hair that had fallen beside her ear."

"Whoa..." Felt looked left and right, her expression suspicious. "Why does it seem like you're so good at getting along with everyone? We're all competitors, right? I'm the only one who seems out of place. Could it be that I'm the only one still sticking to my role as a competitor?"

"Hachiman Hikigaya shared his thoughts: 'The competition between the candidates is healthy; there's no need for such tension. Felt, regardless of who wins or loses, we're all friends now, so just enjoy it.'"

"Anyway, when the competition comes later, no one will hold back because of this."

"Waaah... I'm the one who grew up in the slums, and you seem to know so much more than me." Ferut scratched her head. "Okay, okay, I got it."

"They say they won't go easy on anyone, but they always show mercy and even give their competitors an advantage."

Inside the Sword Saint's mansion, Felt stood with her hands on her hips, speechless, and said, "What a gentle big liar."

“But this is Komachi’s older brother!” Komachi grinned, showing her fangs, and was extremely satisfied with her brother who was the best in the world.

"During the Great Feast, a meteor, with an effect similar to a radio broadcast, carried Liliana's song throughout the entire Watergate City. This broadcast was scheduled to air daily."

"Liliana sang a love song by a sword demon today, which is an adaptation of Wilhelm's love story."

"Influenced by the song, Wilhelm strengthened his resolve to reconcile with his grandson. He tremblingly invited Reinhard to teach him how to make Daiko-yaki. After a moment of disbelief, Reinhard also tremblingly agreed."