Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

70. Want to be your hero

"..."

Rem paused for a moment, seemingly considering how to explain it most concisely.

"This well-behaved and lovely girl is like a flower; she doesn't hold back in showing her bright smile to the man she likes."

"You are a hero, Hachiman."

Rem smiled and said, "Although Rem isn't always there, capturing the Bowel Hunters, stopping the monster invasions, challenging the Sages to duels, and working tirelessly behind the scenes for Lady Emilia... Hachiman is a hero, Lady Emilia's hero."

"However, Hachiman is not only Emilia's hero, but also Rem's."

"You said... I'm your hero?" Hachiman Hikigaya stammered, as if he had just thought of something, "Could it be..."

"So, Hachiman didn't take that to heart after all?"

"Rem seemed to have expected this. She showed no dissatisfaction, no anger, no jealousy; her words were full of happiness."

"It all started when I learned that Hachiman deeply loved his sister."

"Rem changed the subject, her blue eye, which wasn't covered by her bangs, narrowed into a slit, a crescent shape."

"Rem loves her sister deeply, but her sister loves Rem even more deeply than Rem loves her. Rem always felt that she was the happiest sister in the world, but Hachiman's words about his sister made Rem and her sister realize that there are siblings like them, who can rival Rem and her sister."

"You can trust someone who truly loves your sister. I'm happy that you've met someone who loves her. Rem has been watching you ever since that day."

""you……""

"Hachiman Hikigaya stared in surprise, but Rem didn't give him a chance to interrupt and continued speaking."

"She's always completely focused when studying or training. She occasionally helps out when she sees Rem is busy with work. She never gets angry despite her sister's repeated provocations. Her gaze towards Lady Emilia is always so gentle and tender. She remains calm and supports everyone's confidence no matter what troubles she encounters. When she has nightmares, calling her sister's name gradually calms her down."

"Hmm... After observing him, I always find all sorts of good qualities in Hachiman, so many that I could never list them all. It might sound strange, but Rem has definitely started to be quietly attracted to Hachiman, you know?"

The more he described it, the happier he became.

"Rem's eyes were completely immersed in a vast ocean of happiness. Just describing the virtues of her beloved made her heart pound even more."

"We reached our peak on the night of the monster invasion."

"From childhood to adulthood... the only person Rem truly cared about was her sister, and the only person who truly cared about Rem was her sister. But things changed from that day on."

"If anything unexpected happens, preserving Rem's life is more important than Hachiman's—why would Hachiman give such a warning? Rem didn't help you at all back then, and she still harbors resentment towards the witch's scent deep down. Hachiman knows this, right? That's why he's always been resistant to Rem before that."

"But even with Rem like this, Hachiman unconditionally feels that Rem is more important than you... Why do you think that Rem can remain unmoved after receiving this kind of treatment?"

"That's because I—"

"Hachiman Hikigaya wanted to vehemently refute this, but he had nothing to say."

"That's because I have Return by Death, I don't think I'll die... He can't even fool himself with that kind of talk. Hachiman Hikigaya isn't so arrogant as to view the world not from his own perspective, but from the standpoint and premise of Return by Death!"

"Even without the Return of Death, I would probably still do it anyway"—a point that Hachiman Hikigaya, who understood, could not refute.

"Hachiman is a hero." Rem repeated herself, and just as Hachiman thought she liked him because "Hachiman is a hero," the reversal occurred.

"But even as a hero, Hachiman is quite fragile, isn't he?"

Rem looked at him, looking at him with pity. "Hachiman wants to be a hero, to be a hero, that doesn't matter... But, Hachiman, don't you also need to be a hero?"

"What did you say?" Hachiman Hikigaya was stunned.

His astonished gaze caused the girl, who seemed to see right through him, to raise a confident expression.

"While exercising, eating, chatting, sleeping, thinking... every single moment, Hachiman's sorrow, Hachiman's sadness, Hachiman's anxiety—those hidden negative emotions, so as not to affect Lady Emilia."

"Rem doesn't know why Hachiman has these emotions, but..."

"Watching you have nightmares in your sleep, the way you unconsciously frown when you're spacing out, the way you act confident despite being uncertain... Rem sometimes wonders if she could be like her sister."

"Reliable, trustworthy, and dependable like an older sister—Rem's intelligence isn't as high as Hachiman's or Lord Roswaal's, so she can't fathom your thoughts."

"But if Rem can protect you, at least ensure your physical safety, and give you even the slightest sense of security, then wouldn't Rem also be considered your hero, Hachiman?"

At this moment, all is quiet.

"You said..." Hachiman Hikigaya said incredulously, "You love me, not because I was your hero for a few brief seconds, but because you want to be my hero? Did I trigger your protective instincts?"

"It's not that simple," Rem corrected. "It's not protection, it's Rem's own initiative, it's Rem's expression of love—because Rem only has this much strength, and can only rely on this much strength to stand by Hachiman's side."

"This feeling is truly genuine... not something cheap, a fake born from some event or some word. It is so strong, so real... Although it is difficult to describe accurately in words, Rem did her best to convey this love to herself through the most sincere and passionate words."

"A sincere confession."

"Rem wanted to hug Hachiman Hikigaya, but she respected him."

"I love you, Rem loves you... so I want to protect you, I want to put your mind at ease, I want to be your hero."

71. I want to be your hero.

Where does Rem's love for herself truly come from?

"Even though she explained it countless times and in different ways, only a part of it was understandable. There was still a lot that Hachiman Hikigaya didn't understand."

"I don't know, I can't explain it clearly. If feelings could be analyzed and understood clearly, then they wouldn't be feelings but interests."

"Precisely because Rem couldn't explain it clearly no matter how hard she tried, Hachiman Hikigaya listened attentively and excitedly. He faced this burning passion head-on without any hesitation."

"Different...completely different from Yuigahama."

"Familiar figures of people he knew flashed through Hachiman Hikigaya's mind one by one, and finally slowly froze. The figures of the others began to disappear, and the remaining three figures were imprinted very clearly in the depths of his soul."

"Emilia, Yukino Yukinoshita, and... Rem in front of me."

Will he accept this confession, or will he reject it?

The five Nakano sisters swallowed hard. They weren't blind; they could see that the moment Hachiman Hikigaya realized Emilia had come to save him in the last reincarnation, his heart belonged to Emilia.

No matter how much Hachiman Hikigaya was moved by Rem's feelings, he was destined not to abandon Emilia.

That is to say...

To have one foot in two boats.

The five sisters were all very excited, while Uesugi Fuutarou, standing to the side, couldn't fathom their fervor and was focused on the other side.

Even though he has a wooden personality, only knows how to study all day long, and his eyes are full of longing for money to pay off his debts, Uesugi Futaro knows that human life is more important than anything else.

He sincerely wished that Hachiman Hikigaya would never die again, and that he would save everyone.

"Rem," Hachiman Hikigaya whispered in the silent room, "I have someone I like."

"His heart was calm and peaceful, yet also turbulent and chaotic—Hachiman Hikigaya surrendered his answer to instinct, without thinking about what his subconscious reaction was, and simply let his body express it completely."

"Faced with this dazzling real object, he must also respond with his most authentic self."

"Looking back now, I have to admit that the moment I saw her for the first time, when I knew nothing about her, I was completely captivated. I stared at her, mesmerized."

"Hachiman Hikigaya said whatever came to mind, his pupils unfocused, as if he could see Yukino Yukinoshita smiling in the air."

"Am I in your way, Hachiman-kun?"

"'I've bound myself, Yukinoshita.'"

"To be honest," he said, "I can no longer reflexively picture what she looked like under the snow, nor can I subconsciously recall her clear, cold voice. I've been through so much these past two months, far too much. The weight of responsibility on my heart leaves no room for reminiscing."

"Every morning when I wake up, I think about how long I can live, what new enemies I might face, how I can overcome all sorts of difficulties, and how many lives I can save... Even so."

He gave a self-deprecating laugh, his eyes filled with apology. "Even so, I still love her more than I love you, Rem."

"Before I met you, when I could still salvage the situation... I was enjoying the flirtations from several girls. I clearly had no feelings for them, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything and distance myself."

"As a lover, as a husband, as... a man who loves you," Hachiman Hikigaya exhaled, accepting the fact that someone loved him. He would no longer hide from the girls at Soubu High who were openly showing their affection for him. "I'm not good enough, Rem."

Rem seemed completely unconcerned, and said earnestly, "Rim is the only woman Hachiman knows right now."

"Hachiman Hikigaya looked at this stubborn person and loudly belittled himself: 'Well—what if I said I might still have feelings for Emilia!'"

“I’m not worthy of your affection,” Hachiman Hikigaya said.

Rem gently shook her head. She didn't argue about whether she was qualified or worthy; instead, she changed the subject, steer the conversation far away: "Does Hachiman need a hero?"

"Huh?" Hachiman Hikigaya paused for a moment, wanting to stop her from continuing, but it was too late.

"Hachiman is a stubborn person, a tenacious person, a person who will never be defeated by difficulties, a person who values ​​others more than himself, a person who is overly humble and overly gentle, and a person who will never stop moving forward."

"Hachiman is powerful, stronger than Rem, stronger than his sister, stronger than Lady Emilia, stronger than Lady Roswaal, stronger than anyone else."

"But Hachiman is also so weak, so weak that even if Rem scolds or even beats you, you won't fight back."

"Rem's eyes shone brightly. 'Does Hachiman need a hero? Someone who can protect your body, listen to your troubles, and tell you that you are actually far greater, more worthy, and more reliable than you think—as long as he can be that kind of hero, Rem will be content, and Rem won't care about anything else.'"

Hachiman Hikigaya sighed, his thumb and forefinger rubbing together unconsciously, a helpless, secret joy spreading through his body.

"I shouldn't have talked to her so much."

"Once, once, and again..." Hachiman Hikigaya muttered, his tone a mixture of helpless glee, "How many times do you intend to move me before you're satisfied, Rem?"

"Rem sat obediently, her loving eyes fixed on the man she loved, a gaze that Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't resist."

"Blushing, Hachiman Hikigaya muttered to himself, 'I shouldn't have talked to you so much.'"

"It's too late."

"Yes, it's too late." He closed his eyes, his voice barely audible, "...I'm sorry, Yukinoshita."

He opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and stood up with renewed strength. "I understand how I feel—but I won't refuse you now, I won't agree to your request. If one day I do refuse you, or if I do agree to your request, it will be after I've said goodbye to the girl I first fell in love with, Rem."

"Whether you change your mind during that time is entirely your prerogative."

"It seems that's a long way off," Rem smiled. "Rem looks forward to that day. In the meantime, please let Rem follow Hachiman well."

"Yes, if you want to come with me, I can't let you go."

"Hachiman Hikigaya composed himself, his shyness vanished, and in an instant, a fierce and murderous aura emanated from him."

"I need you... But right now, we have more important things to do!!"

72. Turning the tables and taking the lead

"You don't know what's good for you!"