Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

"Boom!"

The commotion broke everyone's confusion. Emilia looked up and hesitated as she watched the two staggering figures rush in.

"Shawula, and..."

Emilia tilted her head in confusion and asked gently in her slightly hoarse, bell-like voice:

""Who are you?""

393. Obstacles from peers

"Master! Master! You've finally decided to come back! Your prized student, Star Guardian Xia Wula, reporting for duty! Oh oh oh!"

"Influenced by the power of the Bishop of Gluttony, she forgot that her master had been back in the tower for several days. Even so, it did not affect Shaula's ability to recognize her master at a glance."

"Starting from scratch again, Shaula was filled with happiness and hugged her master tightly, clinging to him like an octopus."

"Master?"

"Taking a defensive stance, Julius's pupils contracted. 'Miss Shaula's master, I remember him saying, was the true great sage Frugel—you are Frugel!?'"

"Everyone looked over, hoping that if it was a true sage, then they would have a question they were eager to ask."

"You've mistaken me for someone else, Shaura. I can tell you as many times as I want, I am Hachiman Hikigaya, not Frugal, and certainly not your master."

"Hachiman Hikigaya struggled to push Shaula away. He was no match for Shaula's strength, but fortunately, after venting his anger, Shaula was very respectful of his teacher and willingly let himself be pushed away."

She pouted and complained gleefully, "Really, Master! How could you say such a thing? A Master is a Master!"

"Having a headache, Hachiman Hikigaya had no choice but to make an exception and issue an order: 'I'll correct you on this later—for now, just stay there quietly, Shaura. I have important business to attend to.'"

"So, what's going on here? Can you explain?"

Anastasia suppressed her inner turmoil, narrowed her eyes, and revealed her wary fangs and claws as she scrutinized Hachiman Hikigaya with a very outward-looking gaze.

"Her slender little hands were placed on the fox scarf. If the man who called himself Hachiman Hikigaya and Shaula suddenly attacked, and Julius and Emilia couldn't defeat them, she would have Dona the fox possess her and use life-consuming magic to help them."

"Hachiman Hikigaya nodded. "Then please listen carefully to my story. It all started a year and a half ago..."

"This description was very long, lasting almost half an hour even without interruption, and everyone reacted differently after listening to it."

"Julius and Crusch are both hesitant and unsure whether to believe it, quite tempted; Ram and Merry are observing, seemingly rather dismissive; Beatrice is keeping a close eye on Hachiman Hikigaya, and has not yet made any further moves."

"Amelia, who is the most naive and trusting of others, is about to reach out her hand."

"But just then, Anastasia, who was expressionless and hid her emotions and thoughts very well, grabbed her hand."

"Don't be so quick to judge, Miss Emilia. Don't let yourself regret it later."

"Anastasia, who has been working hard on her own since childhood, is now the smartest, most vigilant, and most opinionated one in this group. Her interference can easily guide the will and thoughts of everyone."

"And now, it is obvious that she is highly skeptical of Hachiman Hikigaya's one-sided account."

"You claim to be Miss Emilia's knight, and to have accomplished so many feats—so, where is the proof?"

Anastasia, while signaling to several combatants to prepare for battle, pressed on aggressively: "When describing so much of the past, you were not only vague, but you also described it from other people's perspectives, it was all just 'I heard that'... How can we believe you?"

"I've said it before, that's because my memories were taken away by the Bishop of Gluttony."

"Hachiman Hikigaya looked as if he had expected this, because it was indeed a huge loophole. If the two of them were in the same boat, he would have asked the same question as this unscrupulous merchant."

"What a clever excuse," Anastasia said sarcastically. "According to your logic, anyone could come along and say, 'I'm someone you used to know, but my existence and memories have been swallowed up by the Bishop of Gluttony, so you don't remember me, and I have no proof, but you must believe me,' and I'd have to believe them."

"In that case, we and Miss Emilia could gain hundreds more chief knights every day."

"If Hachiman Hikigaya can reveal some small details that only people who have spent a long time together can discover, as well as secrets that they would only tell to trusted and close people, then the credibility would certainly be very high."

"But since he lost his memory, he's only spent about twenty days with Anastasia and the others. How could he have had time to observe their habits and details?"

"Ameria and the others were certainly happy to tell Hachiman Hikigaya all sorts of secrets about themselves, but Hachiman Hikigaya simply couldn't ask about them back then."

"This is an unsolvable loophole," Hachiman Hikigaya could only avoid the question, instead asking, "In your memory, what were the specific details of the White Whale Extermination Campaign?"

Crusch tried to recall carefully, then looked somewhat surprised and uncertain. "It's like it's shrouded in a fog... I remember, but it's a little blurry... I can't recall the whole process when I try to think about it specifically."

"Regarding this, I feel the same way, but that's not enough to prove your point."

"When Crusch wavered, it was Anastasia who stood up to refute her. She pointed to the sleeping Rem and said, 'Miss Rem was devoured by the Bishop of Gluttony. There are witnesses to this, and we also know that she was in the capital during that time.'"

"I understand what you're trying to say: 'That person' played a crucial role in the White Whale Extermination War, and the world couldn't reconcile itself after 'that person' was eaten, causing our memories to become blurred—but the probability that 'that person' is Miss Rem is far greater than you think."

"Emilia, Crusch, and Julius, who were initially inclined to believe, were gradually persuaded to become more skeptical after Anastasia's clear and logical argument."

"This is also an unverifiable topic," Hachiman Hikigaya avoided the question again, and continued to ask in return:

"So, who told Ms. Ram, who forgot her sister, that she had a sister? Rem had already fallen asleep during the Watergate City battle; she couldn't possibly be 'that person' from Watergate City, could she?"

"The questions he posed were all prepared in advance."

"Anastasia's intelligence and caution, as well as her far more mature personality than Emilia, destined her to stand on the opposite side of Hachiman Hikigaya today."

"When he was an enemy, Hachiman Hikigaya clearly understood how troublesome this unscrupulous merchant was and how formidable he was."

"The saddest thing is that Hachiman Hikigaya actually knew that without evidence, no matter how hard he racked his brains, it wouldn't work."

"He's bound to lose to Anastasia this time!"

394. Anastasia's successful revenge

"We don't intend to deny that 'that person,' who was different from Miss Rem, ever existed."

"The throbbing sensation in my heart, the discomfort of a missing piece in my soul—these all remind me of 'that person' I once had but have lost."

Anastasia's eyes were sharp as she clearly stated her position: "That person existed, that person is very important, that person had many interactions with us, and we shared deep feelings. We cannot lose that person—that's why we must be even more careful and not give others the opportunity to take their place!"

"Perhaps Hachiman Hikigaya is 'that person'."

"But if he isn't, it's self-evident what kind of tragedy would occur if we hastily agree with him and he takes advantage of our vulnerability."

"Even if there's only a one in ten chance, Anastasia doesn't want to take the risk, doesn't want to let 'that person' down, especially now that there's at least a fifty percent chance."

"Perhaps you are the Archbishop of Gluttony in disguise, perhaps you are an old relic like Shaula from the Tower of Sages, preparing to toy with people, or perhaps you were created by a hidden trial within the Tower of Sages."

"As long as we are not certain of your identity, we will not accept your one-sided account!"

"With unwavering rejection, Anastasia's slender and graceful body unleashed unparalleled power. Because she valued him, she preferred to distance herself rather than acknowledge him. If it weren't for the possibility that Hachiman Hikigaya might actually be 'that person,' she would have already led her followers to attack."

Anastasia's explanation of the consequences of taking over someone else's place caused Crusch and Julius to widen their eyes in surprise, essentially dispelling any thought of believing Hachiman Hikigaya.

"Can you feel the contract between us, Beatrice?" Hachiman Hikigaya had only one last resort left, but he had no expectations for it, because...

"If Betty could sense that, she would have stood up already!"

"Beatrice spoke, her eyes red and her voice choked with emotion."

"She forgot, she forgot, she forgot everything... Someone clearly told her something, someone clearly held her hand and led her away from the place that had imprisoned her for four hundred years, someone who had made a lifelong pact with her."

"But now, all she knows is that she did make a contract with that person, but she can't find the contract anymore; it's been completely hidden away somewhere."

"It shouldn't be like this; this kind of thing should never happen!"

Panic, self-blame, sadness, and helplessness—these waves surged one after another, converging into a tsunami that crashed down and engulfed Beatrice.

"Don't be afraid! Beatrice, what has happened won't disappear. You've already left that forbidden library, so it won't happen again—"

"Don't jump to conclusions, Mr. Hachiman. Comforting Beatrice is our internal matter and has nothing to do with you!"

"Resisting Hachiman Hikigaya with a tough tone, Anastasia remained on guard, suspecting that this man was trying to smooth things over with Beatrice, who was the most vulnerable among them."

"Regarding what you said about the Gluttony Archbishop possibly coming to the Sage's Tower later, I'll keep a close eye on it. But right now, you're also a stranger I'm keeping an eye on, so please recognize your place!"

"...I knew it."

Anastasia smiled bitterly and let out a heavy sigh.

"Under these circumstances, I will definitely become the Prime Minister's biggest obstacle. Unlike Emilia and Crusch after her amnesia, who are so emotional, I am more rational and evidence-based, so I will definitely do it this way."

This rationality played a significant role in the Watergate City, but now it only serves to hold them back.

On the bright side, she has now suppressed her own prime minister, which can be considered revenge for being tricked in the capital. But she is not happy at all.

Mimi tugged at Anastasia's guilty conscience and pointed to the light screen in the sky that was projecting the future, saying, "But, Hachiman-nii didn't blame the young lady!"

Anastasia patted Mimi's head, said nothing, and still looked worried.

"That talkative, despicable fellow!"

At the Kousaka residence, Kirino Kousaka berates Anastasia, whose fickle attitude is adjusted according to future developments, yet she has a flexible bottom line for support.

At this moment, Kyosuke Kousaka, who had previously disliked Anastasia, did the opposite, admonishing Kirino, "That's not how it is."

“Indeed, if Anastasia hadn’t spoken up, Hachiman’s eloquence would have allowed him to play to his strengths and persuade Emilia and the others, but that is not a reason to condemn Anastasia.”

“Anastasia’s actions were perfectly reasonable. We, from God’s perspective, know everything, but what about them in the future? They knew nothing at all. If we had just hastily listened to Hachiman Hikigaya’s one-sided story, that would have been truly disastrous.”

"What are you doing? Brother, don't you dislike her? Why are you speaking up for her?" Kirino Kousaka's face turned red with anger.

"I'm not taking her side, I'm just being objective." Kousaka Kyosuke finished lecturing his sister, letting out a sigh of frustration. "However..."

Anastasia's intervention certainly made the situation worse.

"When will the pain that haunts Hachiman finally dissipate? Alas."

Miyuki Shirogane knew that Hachiman Hikigaya could easily impersonate the Great Sage Frugal, which would make things much easier for him. However, he had already changed somewhat due to amnesia, and if he did that, wouldn't he become a true imposter? Hachiman Hikigaya was destined not to take that shortcut!

"Has the thread of our affection been severed just like that?"

Crusch, Beatrice, and Emilia all couldn't help but think the same thing.

After experiencing so much, countless unforgettable deaths and returns, and a love bound together by radiant realities, are they now like strangers just because the Bishop of Gluttony took away their existence and their memories?

Emilia bit her lower lip... She knew it was too much, but she just hoped that her future self could still love Hachiman and remember him even in this situation.

"Please, my future self... this is the only time, no matter what... you absolutely must meet my expectations!"

Emilia pulled the sobbing Beatrice into her arms and comforted her gently.

"Hachiman Hikigaya's eyelids drooped... He had foreseen this outcome before he came in, so it's not unacceptable. Since the two goals of warning everyone to be on guard against a possible attack by the Bishop of Gluttony and preventing them from looking at the Book of the Dead have been achieved, then he can accept it."

"...That should be the case."

"But for some reason, when he turned and left the green room, walking with his back to everyone, it just felt..."

"Ah, I feel a little like crying."