Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

Priscilla, filled with anticipation, continued arrogantly and presumptuously, "Come, break free from the utterly boring powers of those two filthy, unsightly leeches, and present me with a sumptuous gift and feast."

Even the Sword Saint Reinhard was looking forward to it. The actions of the Archbishop of Sin had already angered him, which was rare for him. However, if he did not unravel the mysteries of Regulus's power, given Regulus's performance, it was unlikely that he could kill this Archbishop of Greed.

If Hachiman Hikigaya can unravel the mystery, once he finds the whereabouts of these great bishops of sin, he will immediately take up his sword and sweep across the world!

"Hachiman Hikigaya returns to reality from the darkness of the Witch of Envy."

He looked around and saw Emilia, Julius, and Phyllis. Petitchius's extremely weak remnant soul had been frozen and sealed.

"boom--"

A chill ran through him, and Hachiman Hikigaya's voice became hoarse and his throat instantly went dry. He trembled as he looked at the girl beside him: "Rem, where is she?"

Emilia tilted her head, looking puzzled.

"Who is Rem...?"

96. Cry it out.

“This is a huge joke,” Anastasia said softly.

But she couldn't smile.

No one could laugh, except perhaps Satella, the witch of jealousy who was the culprit.

"You granted this power to Hachiman Hikigaya, forcing him to choose between two options, but postponed the time of his return from death... Watching him grieve, be angry, and break down, watching the person he loves never come back, are you happy, Satella?"

A chilling fear that comes from the bottom of one's heart.

No one could help but feel terrified... The people on Earth finally understood why the people of the other world were so hostile towards Emilia, Satella, a being even more extraordinary than a madman...

After a moment of silence, Izumi Sagiri asked in a low voice, "But what if Satella didn't do this on purpose?"

"If it wasn't intentional, that's the scariest thing, Sagiri—she dotes on Hachiman, but she doesn't consider Hachiman's feelings at all, let alone how she treats others."

Izumi Masamune personally experienced the pain and fear of Hikigaya Hachiman... Even though what he experienced was less than half of what Hikigaya Hachiman personally experienced, it was still too terrifying.

In Sakura-sou, Jin Mitaka, Sorata Kanda, and Ryunosuke Akasaka couldn't help but show expressions of disbelief, shivering as if they had seen a ghost. The bright sunshine couldn't dispel their icy demeanor.

While they had previously admired Hachiman Hikigaya's will, they also believed that Return by Death was a good thing... Now it seems that it was more of a curse than a power.

The Curse of the Witch of Jealousy, Satella.

If there had been no return through death, Hachiman Hikigaya wouldn't have had to suffer so much... He might have been better off dying at the hands of the Bowel Hunter from the start than enduring so much heart-wrenching suffering later on.

Many kind-hearted girls, including Chitanda Eru, lowered their heads, unable to bear seeing Hachiman Hikigaya's dazed expression as he was on the verge of collapse.

If it weren't for everyone hoping for a miracle and that someone could save Rem, they would all want to stay away from the videos showing the future.

In the courtyard of Roswaal's mansion, Ram scratched her palm until it bled with her fingernails. She couldn't ask anything of Hachiman Hikigaya, after all, he had already done his best.

Ram was filled with hatred for the Witch Cult. "If I still had horns... if I still had horns... I could definitely kill the Archbishop of Greed and the Archbishop of Gluttony to avenge Rem!"

Rem felt a surge of frustration welling up inside her. She didn't want to see the man she loved in such pain, yet she couldn't bear to look away from Hachiman Hikigaya for even a second.

"If Rem could become stronger... if Rem wouldn't cause Hachiman so much worry... She promised to be his hero, yet she made him so sad..."

On the main street of the royal capital, Emilia's heart ached as she gazed at Hachiman Hikigaya with pity. "Don't...don't blame yourself...don't feel so guilty, Hachiman..."

"Is there anything I can do? Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

Emilia, on the verge of tears, bit her lip. "Please, my future self, please... do something..."

"Returning to that place littered with severed limbs, seeing Rem who had ceased to exist, he lifted her onto the dragon carriage, sat beside her, and silently watched the girl. Throughout the entire process, apart from his slow breathing, Hachiman Hikigaya did not utter a sound; he was deathly still."

"On the way back to the capital, Felix, who was wailing, and Hachiman Hikigaya, who was silent, were the two most heartbroken and saddened people. Their reactions were completely different, but everyone could see how sad they were."

"Emilia, who used to spend every day with Rem, and Julius, who promised Rem that he would protect Hachiman Hikigaya, have all been forgotten by everyone."

"Death is terrible... but the unfamiliar looks others gave Rem made Hachiman Hikigaya tremble even more."

Emilia understood from his murmurs that this was a girl she knew. Emilia tried her best to remember, but even so, she could only look at Rem with kindness and gentleness, but could not bring herself to look at her with familiar eyes.

"That dark night, beside the sleeping Rem's bedside, a dazed Hachiman Hikigaya finally managed to utter his first words, barely audible, 'Don't force yourself... Don't force yourself, that's enough, Emilia.'"

"His voice was drained of all its vitality, like that of an old man on his deathbed. If Emilia hadn't been so focused on remembering Rem that she neglected herself, Hachiman Hikigaya might have remained silent for days."

""…Can't.""

Emilia paused slightly, then shook her head defiantly at her knight: "I must remember Rem. Since Hachiman said I knew her before, I absolutely must remember!"

"It was a very touching statement, but the very next second after she finished speaking so resolutely, Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly stood up. He gritted his teeth and, like a tiger in a state of stress, roared at Emilia."

"This is useless! It will only hurt you! Why won't you listen to me? Why are you hurting yourself? Why are you here? —How much more trouble do you want me to have? What will it take for you to leave and let me have some peace and quiet? Emilia!!"

"A sudden...first reprimand."

Emilia was startled and flustered. She paused for a moment, but she wasn't angry, nor did she take a single step back.

Emilia stared intently at Hachiman Hikigaya. The man before her was haggard, distressed, and dejected, filled with guilt and sorrow. It was the first time she had seen Hachiman Hikigaya like this. She pursed her lips, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes.

"But... Hachiman doesn't want me to hurt myself, so why are you hurting yourself?"

""I don't!!""

"With a bang, Hachiman Hikigaya slammed his hand on the bedside, his emotions running high."

Emilia pressed closer to Hachiman Hikigaya instead of backing down, retorting earnestly, "If you don't have any, why don't you cry?"

"Hachiman Hikigaya stared wide-eyed, finding it absurd. 'Why am I crying?'"

"When you're sad or upset, crying makes you feel much better, just like Phyllis did. She felt much better after crying... Hachiman, aren't you very sad or upset right now? Why are you suppressing all your emotions inside?"

"Why...why torture yourself like this?"

""I don't!!""

"If Hachiman refuses to cry, I will stay here reminiscing—until I remember Rem!"

"The tough Emilia refused to budge an inch. She ignored Hachiman Hikigaya's lies and used herself as a gamble, going all in."

"You are my knight, Hachiman... My knight would never hurt me... If you're willing to let me hurt myself, then continue to suppress your feelings, continue to deceive yourself. If you refuse to cry, I'll cry with you!!"

97. The Crying Hachiman Hikigaya

"Having personally protected her people and endured the bloody Witch Cult war... Emilia is definitely not a woman who only causes trouble, holds others back, or is utterly useless!"

"I believe in you, I trust you... You can't tolerate me hurting myself, so how could I allow you to hurt yourself? Hachiman!"

"Cry it out, okay?" Emilia, who had always listened to Hachiman Hikigaya's arrangements and always been protected by him, touched the man's pale and depressed face with her slender little hand.

Emilia's voice, gentle yet full of pity, said, "Just this once... please listen to me, okay?"

"This time, she will take the initiative to arrange things for Hachiman Hikigaya, and she will protect Hachiman Hikigaya!"

"Hachiman Hikigaya seemed to have turned into a statue, staring fixedly at Emilia... His rigid soul, which had stopped thinking from the very first second after this return from death, suddenly trembled."

"I don't have much experience... but I'll try my best, so... please cry, okay?"

"The slightly nervous girl, seeing that he didn't immediately refuse..."

Emilia stepped forward, gently opened her hands, and softly embraced the sculpted Hachiman Hikigaya.

"Hikigaya Hachiman, his eyes vacant and expressionless, his clenched fists seemed to have suddenly lost their strength, hanging limply at his sides. He remained motionless, his gaze fixed on Emilia's snow-white skin and clothes."

"Pretend to be a man who is always reliable, strong-willed, never lets personal matters interfere with public duties, never feels heartbroken or lost, and never fears hardship."

"You know perfectly well that you're not that kind of person."

"Hachiman Hikigaya said silently."

"You'll hesitate, you'll waver, you won't dare to fully face true love, you can't take everything upon yourself, you'll be sad, you'll be in pain, you'll care about other people's feelings. You're not a block of wood, you have your own feelings, you have your own emotions, you're even almost at your breaking point, your hero, your Rem, are no longer here!"

"Suppressing yourself, hurting yourself, numbing yourself, deceiving yourself... who are you putting on this act for?"

""…ah.""

"Hachiman Hikigaya trembled, and he sobbed."

"...Ugh, ah... ahhh—"

"It started with small sobs, gradually became more coherent, and the volume unconsciously increased until it became an unrestrained, unbridled, torrent-like wail."

"This rational monster, this strong man, always putting himself last, Hachiman Hikigaya..."

"This was the first time he had cried since he was old enough to understand things; his near-breakdown was far more intense than any of his previous emotional expressions!"

"Rem, Rem... Ahhh—I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Rem, Emilia, waah—"

Tears soaked Emilia's chest, her skin, and her clothes. Covered in mud and smelling of blood, Hachiman Hikigaya was disheveled. His hands were wrapped around Emilia's slender waist, constricting her painfully.

"Mmm, I understand... Um, um..."

"Without the slightest disgust or annoyance, her eyes were full of pity. Looking at this man who was in such a sorry state for the first time since she met him, Emilia was so heartbroken that she couldn't say any words of comfort."

"Her soft little hands, patiently and repeatedly, stroked Hachiman Hikigaya's hair and gently patted his back."

"Emilia had no experience in comforting people, but she gave her all for Hachiman Hikigaya, being careful and meticulous, afraid that she might not have done enough."

Hachiman Hikigaya cried... He looked terrible when he cried, neither handsome nor reliable. His cries were as shrill as Phyllis's.

But apart from a few people like Regulus and Tomoya Aki, no one disliked Hachiman Hikigaya now; on the contrary, they showed a relieved expression.

Parker opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "You did it, Leah."

"Hmm..." Emilia lowered her head dejectedly and shook her head. She felt she had done too poorly and didn't deserve the praise.

"If I had remembered Rem back then, would Hachiman's pain and stress have been lessened?"

“Emilia did a really good job this time.” Crusch sighed deeply, having to admit, “Lord Hachiman has good judgment; Emilia is indeed someone he should protect. But, if she were under my command, she would be even more…”

Felix sobbed, "You can't even take care of yourself, and you're still thinking about Hachiman, meow? You should take better care of yourself, Crusch-sama! Phyllis is so worried, meow!"

"Humph!"

Priscilla gave a barely approving hum, and even with her arrogance and haughtiness, she had no intention of insulting Hachiman Hikigaya and Emilia at this moment.

On the other side, Anastasia looked away. She was slightly moved—but when she thought back to the time when everyone was displaying their character, strategy, and strength while she was the only one being beaten up and assaulted throughout the negotiations, she still couldn't help but feel indignant about this lifelong black history joke.

Felt stared blankly at Emilia and Hachiman Hikigaya, who were embracing each other, and then secretly glanced at Reinhard, who seemed inexplicably loyal to her.

Could I and Reinhard... be like that too? Such unconditional trust, such a good relationship.

In Class D, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji nodded slightly, "It's good to cry it out, it's good to vent it out."