Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

He and Echidna exchanged a narrowed look, the meaning clear: if Echidna wanted to live, she had to act like a prisoner and not provoke these two any further.

The two sides had been exchanging barbs for less than two seconds when Echidna immediately abandoned her feigned "good teacher, good mother" demeanor and tone.

She's willing to do anything to explore the unknown.

They appear to be determined and willing to sacrifice everything for their dreams, but in reality, they are utterly disgusting hypocrites.

Watching Echidna's ever-changing expressions, Beatrice turned deathly pale. She gritted her teeth and shattered her last remaining illusions.

Unable to use any schemes against Echidna, Hachiman Hikigaya resolutely rejected the idea, laying his bottom line out: "In this world, there are only two people I'm most worried about."

“That’s you, Echidna, and Pandora—even the Bishop of Gluttony can’t compare to you. If you two were dead, the world would have at least half less crisis, war, and tragedy.”

"You two must die!"

424. You should also think about Parker's safety, darling~

Beatrice's intercession in helping Roswaal to be spared was actually the least significant reason.

Two more important reasons are that Roswaal genuinely repented and that he lacked the ability to make any waves once the reins were tightened.

Since there is no threat, we can let it go.

But neither of these reasons applies to Echidna.

As a nearly omniscient witch, no one can be sure whether Echidna possesses any knowledge that can bypass the contract, and there's no way to ask her about it.

The priority and effect of the blessing are not as strong and absolute as the power. Even if Reinhard's blessing assessment of Echidna was telling the truth, Hachiman Hikigaya still couldn't believe it.

Who knows if Echidna, who possesses all the knowledge of the world, has created any forbidden techniques in the past four hundred years that can be concealed from her protection, or if her powers can be shielded?

Moreover, Echidna's goal is clearly to explore the unknown, so it's not surprising that she would do anything crazy for that purpose.

Reinhard is indeed the strongest in the world, but Hachiman Hikigaya still maintains absolute vigilance and respect for Echidna.

With both ability and motive, Echidna, a terrifying being capable of subtly and silently overturning the world, is someone that would send chills down Hachiman Hikigaya's spine if not completely eliminated.

Although he would definitely have to return to Earth eventually, if possible, he would like to eliminate these threats before then, leaving Emilia, Anastasia, and the others with a peaceful world.

So that you won't be able to sleep soundly.

"Hmm~"

Echidna tapped her fingers lightly on the table. After a moment's thought, she easily figured out what the man in front of her was thinking.

Glancing at the strongest swordsman who was poised to strike, Echidna didn't try to be mysterious. Just as Hachiman Hikigaya knew that playing tricks on her was a waste of time, she also found it difficult to deceive Hachiman Hikigaya.

Given that they are on equal footing in terms of intelligence, she and Hachiman Hikigaya are evenly matched opponents of the same caliber, and neither of them can deceive the other.

Then we have no choice but to reveal our trump card directly, so that the other party will be hesitant to act rashly.

"Oh dear... how stubborn. But what if I told you that I have hidden tricks up my sleeve for my dear Beatrice, Parker, and Donna Fox? They are all my creations. Do you think someone like me wouldn't do something behind their back?"

"No way! Don't you dare slander Betty's mother! You imposter!"

Beatrice was furious and shouted, "Our creator was a mother who was even more perfect than Hachiman. She didn't have such filthy thoughts! You imposter appeared after Mother died, how could you possibly have the opportunity to do anything funny!"

“Hehe, you’re right.” Echidna laughed instead of getting angry. “It’s because the Witch of Greed is a perfect person, who loves life and the world like a saint.”

"But that's precisely why she's more likely to have a backup plan, isn't it? You understand, right, Hachiman Hikigaya?"

Echidna leisurely watched Hachiman Hikigaya, her meaning quite clear.

Beatrice and Parker at their peak were incredibly powerful. If they were to be misled or have their minds altered, and were to wreak havoc on the world, the consequences would be unimaginable.

To avoid this possibility, the Witch of Greed, who cherishes life, would naturally set up a contingency plan, which was inherited by Echidna and became her current bargaining chip.

She thought this would force the loyal and righteous Hachiman Hikigaya to back down, but Hachiman Hikigaya simply patted the anxious Beatrice's head and looked at Echidna with equal confidence.

He casually countered with a question: "Why don't you guess what the effects of my gluttony power and lust power will be?"

Slightly stunned, Echidna, who had read through all his experiences since arriving in this world, finally realized: "You went to collect three witch factors first, just for this moment?"

Given Hachiman Hikigaya's personality, he should have gone to see Beatrice and Shaula first rather than focusing on power. However, he went to collect the Witch Factor first, clearly so that he would have enough strength to properly judge Echidna.

"Back in the capital, before leaving, you instructed Reinhard to send a telepathic message to those two girls, telling them to stay away from and restrain Puck and Dona... It seems you anticipated my plan all along."

Echidna sighed slightly; in this exchange, she was indeed slightly outmatched.

Upon hearing Echidna's sudden realization, Reinhard was relieved of a long-standing question and exclaimed in amazement, "Why did Hachiman never once consider contacting me to kill you during the year following the end of the Sanctuary Trials?"

"That's because the future Hachiman didn't obtain the Witch Factor and power back then, and couldn't guarantee he could deal with your backup plan against the Great Spirits. I see!"

Echidna and Reinhard's sudden realization and explanation left Garfield and Beatrice speechless, then they stood tall with pride on their faces.

This is his general, and this is her contractor!

"You gave up the chance to kill me for the safety of those few. You're quite sentimental~ Well, that's not quite right. At least you don't have any deep feelings for Dona Fox, right? You're just afraid that I'll control Dona Fox to hurt your Anastasia, aren't you?"

"Or perhaps, you're afraid that if I remotely kill Dona, it will sadden your beloved Anastasia."

Seeing that threats were ineffective, Echidna's eyes darted around, and she covered her mouth, resorting to the emotional appeal, "Well, if it weren't for me, you and those two girls, Crusch and Anastasia, wouldn't have any options besides enemies, would you?"

“A benign competitor is different from an enemy; don’t try to confuse right and wrong.” Hearing these two names gave Hachiman Hikigaya a headache. “And if it weren’t for you… are you trying to provoke me, Echidna? Do you want to die a more painful death?”

"Are you angry? No, I'm guiding you, trying to make you understand that I've also done you a favor. No matter what, you can't deny that those two real creatures falling in love with you did make you happy and satisfied, right?"

Having suffered a setback, Echidna made amends. In terms of cunning, prudence, and far-sighted strategy, Hachiman Hikigaya was indeed on par with her, but when it came to emotions, the ruthless Echidna held a far greater advantage.

She presented herself as a benefactor and went to provoke and provoke Hachiman Hikigaya.

Echidna chuckled, "Even a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness. You should also remember the happy times you spent with Anastasia~"

425. All cards have been played.

"Ask yourself honestly, even if I had ulterior motives in toying with you, objectively speaking, didn't I help you develop feelings for those two girls? Will you regret falling in love with them? Or will you hate being loved by them?"

As she spoke, she became increasingly assertive and confident, her posture straightening more and more, giving off a rather aggressive vibe.

Jiafei glanced at his general, and seeing his attitude, he felt reassured.

He simply closed his eyes, jumped over, and shoved the frail Echidna hard, causing her to fall to the ground in a sorry state.

Although he couldn't open his eyes to see, Jiafeier still felt incredibly good, so good that he immediately wanted to burst into laughter—getting revenge for both public and private grudges at the same time, it was so exhilarating!

The public grudge was that he instructed Roswaal to send a heavy snowfall, causing everyone in the Sanctuary to be devoured alive by the Rabbits; the personal grudges were even greater.

Even though his mother was still alive, Echidna deliberately made him think that his mother was dead when the trial scene ended with his mother being hit by a mudslide and disappearing from sight.

And if it weren't for that bastard Echidna interfering recklessly, how could that purple-haired scoundrel have gotten involved with our admiral? He's taken away our admiral's love for Lady Emilia for no reason!

"Go to hell, bastard!"

"No! In front of me! Don't think you can't be safe and sound in front of me!!"

Garfield's actions angered the Wrathful Witch Minerva. Her appearance was accompanied by a deafening roar, and before she could say anything more, she was instantly killed and controlled by Reinhard.

This was something that Hachiman Hikigaya had already discussed with him.

Among the witches in the Sanctuary Tomb, with Reinhard around, only Echidna is truly worthy of fear and usefulness. The others don't have as many ulterior motives or knowledge reserves, so once they appear, they can be eliminated instantly.

With Minerva under control, Reinhard acted with impunity, immediately angering the Gluttony Witch Daphne and the Pride Witch Typhon, who had been watching the spectacle from behind the scenes.

They appeared one after another, and within two seconds followed in Minerva's footsteps, experiencing the full power of Reinhard.

“You’re right, I’m really happy… Crusch and Anastasia, those real things, have actually made such progress with me, and I really don’t regret it or hate it.”

Without even glancing at the three witches and unaffected, Hachiman Hikigaya slowly squatted down, gazing at Echidna. "But they are them, and you are you. My thoughts about them are none of your business."

"Trying to use this to repay a favor? When did you become so naive, Echidna?"

"Hmm~ It's always better to try than to give up and do nothing, right?"

Echidna sighed regretfully. She had failed to sway Hachiman Hikigaya's mind. One card after another failed. "Compared to me, isn't that bitch Pandora a bigger threat?"

"Given my inevitable death, do you think I'd still lead you to that bitch?"

“That’s a problem,” Hachiman Hikigaya said. “If Priscilla weren’t around.”

"Relying on her incredible luck... Ugh, what a hassle." Echidna narrowed her eyes coldly. She had known all along that the woman was a huge problem. "What if I told you I could help you get rid of that bitch Pandora?"

"She's lying!"

Roswaal categorically denied it: "Before the final battle with the Melancholy Demon, my teacher told me that she had a disagreement with Pandora and was expelled from the Witch Cult by Pandora."

Even if the Witch of Greed was gentle and unassuming, if she had the ability, she would never have stood by and watched Pandora cause such chaos.

The truth is, she couldn't defeat Pandora, otherwise she wouldn't have been banished.

"I haven't wasted four hundred years of my life!"

"Is that so? Who can be sure you're telling the truth? Maybe you're just planning to find an excuse to meet the fake witch, then rebel and join forces with her to fight Reinhard, or run away and sabotage things in secret?"

Roswaal sneered, his words piercing the heart, wishing he could kill Echidna as soon as possible. This was the only thing he, as her apprentice, could do for his teacher.

Although his intelligence and planning skills are inferior to those of Hachiman Hikigaya or Echidna due to the lack of prophetic information from the Book of Wisdom, he can still act as a gust of wind that blows the tide.

However, the next moment, Roswaal stared at Echidna with wide eyes, like a duck being choked.

“I can resurrect your teacher.” This was solely because Echidna said, “Not me, but the Witch of Greed Echidna that you long for.”

Whether it's the method to kill Pandora or the resurrection of the original Witch of Greed, these two biggest trump cards were actually originally intended by Echidna to improve her treatment and to be used to blackmail Hachiman Hikigaya in case of emergency.

Unfortunately, without the advantage of being a prophet and with Reinhard's terrifying combat prowess, she was no longer able to control Hachiman Hikigaya.

If she wanted to survive and experience the dazzling unknown and the new future, she had to offer these two tangible benefits.

"Over the past four hundred years, I have studied a great deal. In fact, I am already capable of resurrecting myself and leaving this tomb... But now I can give this opportunity to the former Witch of Greed, Echidna."

"As long as the contract is signed, even if I am not resurrected, I can leave this grave, Hachiman Hikigaya."

"You, you, you, you—"

Beatrice and Roswaal, their voices trembling, suddenly gasped for breath.

"I can sign a contract with you and be completely at your disposal. Look at Beatrice, whom you cherish so much, how much she wishes her mother could be resurrected; think of that bitch Pandora's threats, compared to her, I'm actually much better, aren't I?"

"As long as I don't completely restrict my pursuit of the unknown, I can do everything I can for you. Do you really want to refuse such a win-win situation, Hachiman Hikigaya?"

She believed that Hachiman Hikigaya had come with the intention of killing her, but she also knew that if he had no other purpose, he could have simply ordered Reinhard to kill her the moment they met.

The reason I'm taking this time to talk is that I want to see if I can squeeze anything out of her.

When the benefits one can gain from her outweigh the threat she poses, she can actually obtain a one-time get-out-of-jail-free card.