Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

"But why go through all that trouble? Are we going to transport him to the capital and execute him in front of everyone? That would certainly be more prestigious."

Before Felix could even form a thought, the Great Spirit Puck Soil popped out again, looking at Hachiman Hikigaya with a knowing smile, and said, "So, it really is for Ria, isn't it? You heard what Ria said just now, didn't you? Petticius can evoke Ria's memories, so we have to keep him around."

"Huh? Is that so?"

Emilia, her beautiful, deep purple eyes wide with emotion, looked at the man who was now almost as close to her as she was.

"..." Hachiman Hikigaya turned his face away.

"Although he is a master liar, lying to Emilia, and to Julius and Felix who acknowledge him as their best friend, is truly agonizing."

"But was it really necessary to deliberately bring up the reason for keeping Petitchius around? It's like intentionally embarrassing him... Parker, I'll remember you!"

"Julius exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, 'Hachiman-kun and Lady Emilia have such a good relationship.'"

"Idiot, what are you saying? That's easy to misunderstand, you know? And I'm not shameless enough to be fickle... Don't say things like that again, Julius, especially when Rem is around."

"Rem?"

"Rem...?"

Hachiman Hikigaya paused, sensing something strange about these people. "What's wrong with you guys?"

“Um, I might have forgotten, I'm sorry, but…” Emilia tugged at his sleeve guiltily, “Who is Rem…?”

"Who is Rem?!"

94. Regulus, rejected by billions.

"It felt like a giant python was licking his back with its tongue. He felt a jolt of fear, his scalp tingling and his whole body trembling. Hachiman Hikigaya unconsciously moved his throat."

He stared intently at Emilia, who, not being good at lying, pursed her lips nervously, seemingly realizing from his expression that it was a terrible thing that she didn't know Rem.

"You actually asked me... who Rem is?"

"Enough!" Parker couldn't stand it anymore. It didn't expect Hachiman Hikigaya to have such a gloomy face over some random Rem, even putting his hands on Emilia's shoulders and squeezing them so hard they hurt.

"Puck, it's okay... Um, maybe I was just too careless. Hachiman, could you describe Rem's appearance? If I've seen her before, I should be able to remember."

"Feeling uneasy after being treated so abruptly and roughly, Emilia immediately took the blame from Hachiman Hikigaya, stopped Puck, and then gently and softly comforted the flustered Hachiman Hikigaya."

"Hachiman Hikigaya had no time to enjoy being comforted. He jumped up, ignoring his injuries, his face ashen."

"He needs to return to the capital immediately!"

"These symptoms are exactly the same as when I was killed by the beluga whale, but wasn't the beluga whale already dead?"

Apart from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had anticipated this and remained calm, everyone was stunned, especially Hiratsuka Shizuka, who watched helplessly as her favorite student was repeatedly drawn into the vortex and suffered many misfortunes, and she shook her head with heartache.

Normally, factional strife is one thing, but when news of someone's death breaks, the Shirogane siblings, the Kousaka siblings, and the Izumi siblings all sit up straight and pray for Rem.

The people of the Kingdom of Lugunica reacted even more strongly, exchanging bewildered glances: "The white whale is dead, that's for sure... Could it be that there's a second white whale?"

Felix racked his brains. "What on earth happened? There couldn't possibly be a second beluga whale. Could it have been resurrected?"

He suddenly froze, experiencing the same sudden, chilling feeling that Hachiman Hikigaya had felt. Felix thought, "If something happens to Lord Rem, then wouldn't Lord Crusch, who is traveling with Lord Rem, also be in danger?!"

"The extremely anxious Hachiman Hikigaya handed over the cleanup work to Otto and rode his earth dragon swiftly toward the capital. Emilia, Julius, and Felix, who couldn't bear to leave him behind, followed closely on their own. The remaining soldiers stayed behind and returned at a normal pace, led by Wilhelm."

Both worlds received the urgent desire of Chiju and the world consciousness to find out the cause of Rem's death, and for the first time, they briefly shifted their perspective to the future.

"The light screen and screen flickered, the scene changed, time rewound, and it froze on the leisurely procession transporting the white whale carcass, who were about to return to the capital in glory."

"This timeframe is just before the manor begins its battle with Petitchius!"

Not only Horikita Suzune exclaimed in surprise, but Ayanokouji Kiyotaka also watched very carefully. He was quite curious about who could kill Rem amidst Crusch and a large number of soldiers.

A man appeared directly in front of the marching column. Although he hadn't made a move yet, his malice was palpable to everyone. Crusch frowned. "Crush him!"

"The soldier, piloting the earth dragon, was about to trample the man. At the same time, Rem, her intuition constantly warning her, grabbed Crusch and jumped off the dragon chariot without hesitation. The instant they left, it was as if they had been bombarded by magic; the convoy was instantly reduced to half dead or wounded, blood and flesh flying everywhere!"

"Crouch was furious. After exchanging a few words with the garrulous stranger, she decisively drew her sword—an attack that could even wound a white whale, yet the man was unharmed."

"The next second, Crusch's right hand, which was holding the sword, was suddenly severed, her arm completely separated from her body; Crusch had lost a limb!"

"The Archbishop of Lust, Regulus Kornius—the man who introduced himself also introduced his companion, a short man named Ray Badenkathos, the Archbishop of Gluttony."

By this point in the video, it's quite clear. Even Julius, the kingdom's best knight, couldn't defeat just one Bishop of Sloth without the visible presence of Hachiman Hikigaya, let alone two Bishops of Sin.

Don't even dream of winning. With Crusch and Rem alone, it's a miracle they managed to escape.

"A single glance, just one glance!"

Crusch looked up at her future self, who was being crushed and instantly killed by the Archbishop of Greed. Her teeth were grinding together. "Even if the Archbishops of Sin were only at the level of Petruccius, of course I couldn't possibly win one-on-one. But now I can't even do the most basic combat. I'm just incompetent!"

This is not a fight, it is a one-sided beating, crushing, and toying!

"If we don't even have the ability to fight against the Archbishops of Sin, or the ability to delay them, how can we bring security to this kingdom even if we win against the King's Chosen?"

“She’s a monster.” Priscilla covered her mouth with her fan, but Al could still see her apprehension.

Priscilla dared to speak so arrogantly in front of Reinhard. One reason was her arrogance, and another was that she knew Reinhard would never lay a hand on her... However, the Archbishop of Greed displayed a capriciousness and unfathomable superb strength.

Priscilla didn't want to be too impolite; if they really encountered that situation, she would probably have no choice but to leave Al and waste time with the Bishop of Greed.

Fortunately, she was sure she wouldn't encounter such a monster during the day. As for the night, if she encountered any difficulties, she could just sleep it off and not go anywhere.

"How could there be such an excessively large monster..."

"Tsk tsk tsk," Regulus, who was feared and cursed by everyone, had just killed one of his wives. He spread his hands regretfully, "What a pity, what a pity. It seems that Rem was not bad. She should have been taken as a wife along with Emilia. It's a pity that Rai ate so many of them."

Whether in the world of the Great Falls or on Earth, all countries are on high alert, having been provoked by Regulus.

Reinhard is indeed strong, but he's a good person, so there's no need to worry about him. None of the other characters who have appeared so far are strong enough to be insurmountable.

"This Regulus has unparalleled defense and attack power... there's no way to deal with him! Not even a nuclear bomb!"

"Can Hachiman Hikigaya find a way to deal with Regulus, just like he did with the previous predicaments?"

95. Suicide, the collapse of the sanity of the monster.

"The group of four, who had been traveling non-stop, finally saw the group of soldiers, whose limbs were torn apart and who had fallen into a strange dormancy, half a day later in that hellish place filled with dismembered bodies."

"Rem is outwardly unharmed, yet her death sentence has been handed down, according to Felix, the kingdom's first healer."

"...Lady Crusch, please wake up! It's me, Phyllis! It's me, Phyllis!..."

"A mournful wail could be heard not far away. Felix was sobbing uncontrollably, on the verge of collapse. If Crusch never wakes up again, no one knows what will become of him."

"...And what about me?"

"Hachiman Hikigaya gazed at Rem, who had lost her life, her soul, her very existence, like a sleeping princess from a fairy tale, and asked himself a question."

"Just half a day ago, he was lying in this girl's warm embrace, listening to her gentle voice and enjoying her direct confession."

"Hachiman..." Emilia said timidly. Hachiman Hikigaya seemed much calmer than Felix now, but the calmer he was, the more worried Emilia became about his suppressed emotions.

Emilia looked to Puck for help, truly not wanting Hachiman Hikigaya to be so heartbroken: "Puck, can't you really think of something?"

"I'd be happy to help if I could, but... I'm sorry, Leah."

"Parker's helplessness was the last straw that broke the camel's back."

"Hachiman Hikigaya swayed precariously, all light gone from his eyes, as he gently stroked Rem's cheek. In his ears, Felix's cries echoed again and again."

"What if we lose Rem... what if there's no Rem... what if Rem is forgotten by everyone..."

"Hachiman Hikigaya trembled and turned to look at the girl beside him. Emilia's face was full of sincere concern for him."

"As Felix cried out, the questions in Hachiman Hikigaya's heart resurfaced and echoed again and again."

"...There's still Emilia who needs me, and Emilia who can't let go of her worries."

"I need Rem," Hachiman Hikigaya whispered. "Emilia, I need Rem!"

"I understand, I'll help you. Um... and Roswaal! Let's go find Roswaal, okay?" Emilia nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice. She was afraid that the repressed Hachiman Hikigaya might do something irrational, her tone soft and worried.

"On the contrary, this is the most rational moment for Hachiman Hikigaya."

"Is there really no way to save Rem?... There might be. But who can guarantee we'll find someone with that ability? And who can guarantee there's definitely a way to save Rem? In comparison, Return by Death is the most efficient and effective method!"

"I'm sorry, Emilia—but if I don't do this, Hachiman Hikigaya is certain he'll feel even more guilty towards Rem, and he'll live with regret for the rest of his life, absolutely!"

“Emilia.” Hachiman Hikigaya took out a letter and carefully handed it to the bewildered girl. “Listen to me, Emilia… everything in this letter is true. I won’t lie to you.”

Emilia hurriedly took the letter. "Eh? Why... Hmm, I understand. I'll believe it. Everything in the letter is true. I believe you. I believe Hachiman."

"Stop talking." Hachiman Hikigaya turned his head away, not daring to look at this pure and innocent girl. The more Emilia trusted him, the more Hachiman Hikigaya felt his stomach churning and his internal organs throbbing with pain.

He stumbled and staggered into the dark forest as if fleeing, leaving behind his final words: "I need some peace and quiet. Come find me after you've finished reading this letter."

"Hmm!" Emilia relaxed a little. He's so organized in his planning, he probably won't be too heartbroken and do anything to hurt himself.

“Emilia…”

Seeing his future self hide in the woods, draw a sword, and slit his neck without hesitation, the real Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't bear to watch and felt a pang of sympathy.

"I'm such an idiot!"

Emilia trusted him so much and needed him so much. If this were a parallel world, what she would get later would be the cold, lifeless corpse of her knight after his suicide!

"Even so, there's nothing we can do about it, isn't there?"

Yukino Yukinoshita sighed, "You're willing to sacrifice yourself to save lives. You can have a clear conscience, right? Hachiman, don't blame yourself too much... I really hate the way you insult yourself."

Despite being rivals in love, Yukino Yukinoshita is not overjoyed by Rem's death.

Life is very important... In the future, Hachiman Hikigaya's suicide was certainly unfair to Emilia, but by taking his own life, he did more for Rem and Crusch!

This was a reluctant compromise. Apart from Emilia, no one had the right to condemn Hachiman Hikigaya, not even himself.

"..." Hachiman Hikigaya fell silent.

He understood this principle, of course, but he couldn't let it go.

"This is really..."

In the courtyard of Roswaal's mansion, Ram opened his mouth for a long time, but in the end, he couldn't say anything.

Her sharp tongue made her want to subconsciously say that this was more worthy of her younger sister, but even she couldn't ignore the fact that Hachiman Hikigaya's choice was too agonizing and too touching.

Hachiman Hikigaya had no such obligation, yet he still did it without hesitation.

Rem, watching the light screen, was so moved that she cried uncontrollably.