Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

"King Hachiman's guilt, after this return from death, will likely expand from a gentle stream into a raging sea."

Sword Demon Wilhelm was deeply moved. He thought of his wife and looked at Hachiman Hikigaya and Emilia, who had a deep affection for each other and were willing to do anything for one another, and died because of it. He said in a low voice, "It's not his fault, nor is it Emilia's fault."

“From Lord Hachiman’s perspective, this was his best choice—but he calculated everything except one thing: Lady Emilia’s gratitude towards Lord Hachiman made it impossible for her to abandon him!”

"Besides, Lady Emilia's feelings for Lord Hachiman are definitely not just simple gratitude... If she would abandon Lord Hachiman and run away to save her own life, then she wouldn't be Lady Emilia."

"From different perspectives, they made diametrically opposed choices, but behind their diametrically opposed actions, the burning passion they shared was surprisingly consistent."

"Fate really does play tricks on people."

Bystanders might feel sorry for her, but on the streets of the capital, Emilia's clear eyes flashed with a clear sense of relief amidst her guilt.

"Great, Parker... Did you see me? It's me, it's me... Waaah..."

I'm so sorry, I'm really sorry to him.

But if I didn't do that... then I would be the least qualified to meet him!

The excited girl hugged Parker, but Parker couldn't be happy. All he wanted now was to see the Witch Cult destroyed! He wanted to raze the entire Witch Cult to the ground, no doubt about it!

Many people initially thought Emilia was a terrible teammate, wasting Hachiman Hikigaya's good intentions. However, with the explanations of wiser individuals and by putting themselves in her shoes, they realized...

Emilia's decision to go back and save Hachiman Hikigaya proves that she deserves Hachiman Hikigaya's repeated and strenuous assistance.

"So this is Emilia."

The Nakano sisters, and even the extremely clueless Uesugi Futaro, were moved by her.

At the same time, Hachiman Hikigaya at the convenience store was dumbfounded.

His eyes were bloodshot and filled with hatred, both for the Bishop of Sloth and for himself.

"I was too rational... I was too rational and ignored my feelings because I kept running away from them."

"Stop being the riddle teller doesn't mean I have the courage to face my feelings. I've been indulging in my own fantasy that 'no one will fall in love with me, so don't be delusional,' so of course I didn't think Emilia would turn back to save me."

"Rescuing someone from three thugs is vastly different from rescuing someone from a witch's cult. I naturally assumed she wouldn't be unaware of how to avoid danger—I overestimated myself, and then..."

"You underestimated Emilia!!"

This is the real thing.

Undoubtedly, a genuine, sparkling object.

Emilia, this young girl, seems to be the embodiment of the real thing.

Yukino Yukinoshita covered her forehead, feeling her brain trembling.

It’s over.

Now it's not two and a half, but a sure three, and it's even possible... Emilia will still be in first place.

Hachiman Hikigaya isn't someone who values ​​being rescued; what he values ​​is the meaning behind it. As long as it's a genuine item, even if it's not about saving someone, but simply making them a cup of tea, that's enough!

If before this, Hachiman Hikigaya saved and helped Emilia because she had saved him once before, because of her gentleness, and because he couldn't bear to see living people die.

From now on, none of this matters.

He had only one reason for acting, and that one reason was enough.

Yukino whispered to herself:

"Emilia... she is the one that Hachiman has been searching for his whole life!"

69. Tell me, Rem.

"I'm sorry," Hachiman Hikigaya whispered, wanting to distance himself from the girl beside him, his eyelids drooping, his soul enveloped in deep shame.

Yukino Yukinoshita knew why he was apologizing.

“Hey, Hikigaya-kun,” Yukinoshita tried to force a smile, but couldn’t, her voice was hoarse, “not only the future you… but the present you have also been touched by Emilia, and clearly fallen for her, right?”

"I--"

Hachiman Hikigaya opened his mouth, wanting to berate himself, but he couldn't, because what he felt was such a dazzling real thing. If he were to berate himself, wouldn't that be the same as denying the real thing?

"It's okay, it's okay..." Yukino Yukinoshita still held his hand, resting her head on his shoulder, never leaving him. Her voice contained jealousy, but even more so, it was a self-comforting tone tinged with gritted teeth. "At least, in reality, Hikigaya-kun loves me the most... right?"

She was timid, and her last words trembled.

Hachiman Hikigaya felt he had no right to answer, but he had to, and his answer was unequivocal: "Yes!"

Yukino Yukinoshita gave a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"But the future Hikigaya-kun has drifted further and further away from me."

"Crunch."

"The door opened and a carefully prepared tonic soup was brought in. What came into view was Hachiman Hikigaya, whose body trembled slightly with anger and whose fists were clenched. This was the first time since we met that he had so clearly shown his emotions."

Rem was taken aback at first.

"Hikigaya Hachiman was also taken aback when he saw him."

""eight…""

"Just as Rem opened her mouth, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared in Hachiman Hikigaya's dark pupils. He rushed over in a hurry, like a beggar who had seen a mountain of gold, stumbling and falling without caring that he almost fell."

"The plate of nourishing soup was casually moved to the table by this man."

Hachiman Hikigaya grabbed the stunned, blushing Rem, touching her hand, shoulder, face, hair, waist, and thigh. There was no sexual connotation whatsoever; he seemed afraid of something, tentatively asking, "Rem?"

"Yes...?" Confused, Rem nodded obediently. "Rem is here."

"Thump."

"Hachiman Hikigaya, who couldn't help but show a relieved expression, lost all his strength and slumped to the floor. He looked up at the living Rem."

“Rem,” he called softly.

""yes.""

Rem blinked, looking bewildered. She smoothed her skirt, put her legs together, and sat on the floor without caring about getting dirty.

"Um, did something happen...?"

"Rem."

"Hachiman Hikigaya's tone was chaotic and complex, with feelings of relief, reassurance, lingering fear, joy, determination, and, most of all, apology."

“I’m sorry,” he said.

"Huh? Why all of a sudden..."

""sorry.""

Why…?

""sorry.""

"With each 'I'm sorry,' Rem slowly shut her mouth."

"She could see it in the man's eyes. He was determined to apologize, and it was something he truly wanted to do from the bottom of his heart. If he couldn't finish his apology, he probably wouldn't say or do anything at all, unlike Hachiman Hikari."

""sorry.""

"When you saw your sister's corpse, I was only angry about the deaths of Emilia and the villagers. You were filled with endless sorrow until the moment you were frozen to death by Puck."

""Um.""

"I don't understand, I don't know, I don't comprehend... But if accepting the apology can help you, even if it makes me feel guilty, then Rem can listen and accept it."

""sorry.""

"Because of my own pain, I avoided your love. From your perspective, it was probably like, 'This man not only doesn't love me, but he's also not interested in even hearing my confession.' I didn't take your feelings into account. I can be selfish like that sometimes too."

""Um.""

"Rem will accept everything and put everything down. If you're in a bad mood, Rem can always be your listener when you're feeling down."

""sorry.""

"His grand ambitions were to take you back to Roswaal's territory, to save you from tragedy, to rescue your sister, but instead you perished in the belly of the white whale before you could even see her one last time."

""Um.""

"Rem's world is very small, so small that it only consists of you and your sister, so Rem is willing to do anything for you, absolutely."

"Each apology, brimming with complex emotions, was dissolved by each gentle and obedient reply."

A slightly serene expression appeared on Hachiman Hikigaya's face. The atmosphere in the room at this moment was so beautiful that he almost wanted to immerse himself in it.

"But he knew he couldn't stop, he shouldn't stop, he wanted to shatter this beautiful atmosphere with his own hands."

"Hachiman Hikigaya took a deep breath and stared straight at Rem, who was looking directly at him."

"Hachiman Hikigaya did not lose control of his emotions, nor did he shout or cry uncontrollably—or rather, the fact that he was able to show his true feelings in front of others without hiding himself was already the biggest manifestation of his emotional breakdown."

After a two-second silence, Hachiman Hikigaya calmly said, "Do you like me, Rem?"

"Yes, I like it." Rem smiled sweetly. "Rem likes Hachiman, likes you, loves you, wants to be with you, wants to possess you, wants to be your girlfriend, wants to marry you, Rem wants to be the one who loves you the most in your life."

""Why?""

"Hachiman Hikigaya asked... In the instant he realized that Rem had been swallowed by the white whale, besides the hatred and sorrow that flowed like a river, the question he asked himself the most was this one."

"What is it about me that makes you like me so much? I just can't figure it out. I've never saved you, and I haven't..."

"why?"

yeah why?

This is something that many people can't understand.

Chitanda Eru pursed her lips, and she and Oreki Houtarou quietly held their breath, wanting to delve deeper into the answer.

Rem's love, Rem's feelings, that depth and weight, are enough to move anyone, and no one would doubt or underestimate them.

But why is that?

If it were Emilia, they would understand; the scene where Hachiman Hikigaya angrily rebuked the Kenjinkai was incredibly captivating.

Thinking about it carefully, Hachiman Hikigaya didn't actually do anything for Rem. It's natural to like her, but why does he like her to this extent?

“Tell me, Rem.”