Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

Let alone the fully-powered version of Hachiman Hikigaya who went through life-or-death crises after transmigrating to another world and thus sometimes acted without restraint, even before Hachiman Hikigaya transmigrated, the text message incident and the confession incident back in Soubu High School had already proven it.

Even the more reserved and unassuming version of Hachiman Hikigaya is not someone Hayato Hayama can easily mess with!

“Garfield is indeed arrogant, but the kind of person who respects men who are equally arrogant the most.”

"For Emilia to dare to risk being killed by him, to ask for benefits directly and reasonably, and not greedily. It is only natural that this well-thought-out approach by Hachiman would win Garfield's favor."

"After all, he is Hachiman Hikigaya!"

"A man's charm can only be truly appreciated by a man; women simply can't quite grasp it."

As he spoke, Hayama Hayato's eyes shone brightly. He wanted to continue watching the charming Hachiman Hikigaya without any distractions. As for Miura Yumiko?

Women are too much of a hindrance; I'm the man who's going to watch Hikigaya's entire life!

"When Garfiel led Hachiman Hikigaya and Emilia to the place where the villagers were imprisoned."

"The villagers, who were originally anxious and listless, immediately brightened up with their eyes, and greetings of 'Lord Hachiman!' and 'Lord Emilia' filled the air with sincere respect, and the place suddenly became lively."

"They even ignored Jiafei, even though they had previously been somewhat repulsed and afraid of him."

"All of these actions combined only prove one thing. When the villagers saw Hachiman Hikigaya and Emilia here, they no longer believed that Garfiel could harm them, or would harm them at all."

"Hey, are you kidding me? This requires more than just charisma; it also requires real achievements! Even I, the Shield of the Holy Domain, don't receive this kind of treatment in the Holy Domain. Just how blindly do they believe in this guy? It's infuriating! Do they think this man is stronger than me?!"

"Grinning his shark teeth, Jiafeier was both furious and curious."

"On the other side, Hachiman Hikigaya carefully inquired about how the villagers were doing here. After learning that the demi-people had not treated them differently and were doing alright, he withdrew his subtle hostility towards Garfiel."

"He then announced that Emilia would soon undergo a trial to break the barrier, at which point everyone would go out with the demi-humans here."

"Hachiman Hikigaya didn't clarify the facts. Instead, he subtly portrayed the threat of the demi-humans as 'being on the same side, cooperating for mutual benefit, and Emilia taking the initiative,' without intending to put the villagers and the demi-human residents at odds."

"His words, in particular, gave the village chief a subtle hint: Since the residents here aren't hostile towards you, you should spend the next few days getting along well with them, making friends, and praising Emilia to them, understand?"

The village chief nodded frantically: "I understand, I understand, I understand this perfectly! I'm an old man with a sharp mind, I'm very good at this kind of thing. Leave it to me, you can rest assured!"

"With a glance, a dirty conspiracy was completed. Emilia, like a puppet king, blinked on the side, not understanding anything and not saying a word."

"Everyone's waiting for your leadership, Emilia, so say something?"

"She was still a little dazed when Hachiman Hikigaya pushed her."

"Huh? Huh—Ugh!"

Emilia’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she cautiously observed the villagers… These villagers, regardless of age or gender, every single one of them, pricked up their ears with great interest and awaited her declaration with utmost respect.

"There was not a trace of the distance or impatience on these people's faces compared to when they saw her in the past few years. No one was unwilling to look at her, and no one thought she was some kind of terrifying monster."

Silver hair, long ears, and deep purple pupils.

"Her witch-like appearance has shattered her self-perception over the past few years. Basically, everyone who sees her keeps their distance, is wary, fearful, or angry."

"Am I ugly? Am I scary? Am I repulsive?"

"Countless times, countless times... Emilia has asked herself this question countless times."

"She actually knew the answer... If she weren't ugly, scary, or repulsive, why would so many people distance themselves from her?"

"Lia is so beautiful! So cute! My daughter is definitely the most beautiful woman in the world!"

"Parker has praised her before, but he just can't believe it."

"But now... so many, so many people don't think she's scary, ugly, or repulsive... Is this just an illusion?"

"——"

"We should give the stage to Emilia, and let everyone's attention be focused on Emilia. The overshadowed Hachiman Hikigaya should step down for now. If he stands with Emilia, the villagers will probably be more willing to watch him."

"But I can't do that."

"His hand was grabbed... by Emilia."

"Hey, Hachiman..."

"This timid girl mustered her courage and whispered...asked someone other than Parker for the first time about the question that had lingered in her heart for years."

"Am I... ugly? Am I scary? Am I repulsive?"

"This timid girl has long, smooth, and bright silver hair; she has beautiful and captivating purplish-red eyes; she has a perfectly proportioned and eye-catching figure; she has fair and delicate snow-white skin; she has a mesmerizing and enchanting voice; she has a gentle and kind heart; she has... the real thing."

"Her everything, all of her, everything about her, could fascinate Hachiman Hikigaya so much that he inevitably left a mark on his heart for this girl named Emilia."

"Emilia."

""Um…""

Emilia trembled timidly, filled with apprehension; when the moment came, she had to bow her head.

-

-

109. You are the most beautiful, Emilia!

"How does the girl named Emilia truly perceive herself?"

"Witch, witch, witch... Get out of here, die, you're an eyesore, I'm terrified, I'm resistant. According to Hachiman Hikigaya's investigation, no, it can be said that it was what he saw and heard after he met Emilia. His eyes have been personally witnessing the treatment this girl received."

"Perhaps Parker will keep praising her and complimenting her endlessly, but how can one person's efforts compare to the concerted efforts of millions?"

"If everyone you meet from childhood to adulthood finds her repulsive, would she feel that her appearance deserves praise?"

"Hachiman Hikigaya never thought of that... because Emilia has always stubbornly and defiantly faced the world with her true self. After meeting him, she even stopped using Roswaal's magic cloak. Emilia is so beautiful, how could she be insecure?"

"But perhaps... she faced the world with her true self, always, always... secretly hoping that someone would praise her, that someone would affirm her, that someone would tell her, that Parker was right, that she was a good girl, that she was beautiful, that she didn't need to feel inferior, that she didn't need to shrink back, that she could stand tall in the sun and enjoy genuine admiration."

"……No."

"Nobody's here."

"I've known Emilia for two months now... and I've never heard her praise anyone, let alone praise herself."

"A chill ran down his spine, and Hachiman Hikigaya, whose hands and feet were ice-cold, stared blankly at the girl in front of him. His mind went blank for a moment, and he froze."

"I...no! I didn't ask anything! Um...please!"

"As the silent seconds passed, Emilia's face gradually paled, and she suddenly felt terrified... She had asked for too much. Hachiman had already sworn to her that he would always be her chief knight and would never leave her... But she had suddenly become so greedy and actually asked such a difficult question."

"I knew it..."

"Lift your head, Emilia."

"—Hmm?!"

"The girl, who dared not look up, had her face touched by the man's broad, strong hand, which forcefully lifted her head."

"What came into view was a face that showed a mixture of confusion and shame in his eyes, but there was absolutely no falsehood in it; it was the same as always... the sincere face of Hachiman Hikigaya."

"Emilia, you are..."

"Hachiman Hikigaya took a deep breath. He had no intention of belittling his beloved Rem, but he genuinely believed it."

"You are...the most beautiful, the cutest, the most lovely, the most perfect, the most exquisite and flawless girl I have ever seen in my life—your appearance, your looks..."

"...You are special, Emilia."

Emilia's face, which had just begun to brighten slightly, froze after that last sentence. She repeated in a pained tone, on the verge of tears, "Am I...special?"

"You are special, Emilia! No one is prettier than you, no one is cuter than you, no one is more beautiful than you—Priscilla is not, Crusch is not, Anastasia is not, Yukinoshita is not, Rem is not—you are special!!"

"So beautiful it's breathtaking, so beautiful you can't take your eyes off her. Silver hair, long ears, deep purple eyes—she's beautiful beyond compare in every way!!!"

""I…?""

"The praise was even greater than Parker's, and Emilia was completely stunned. She was dumbfounded, feeling as if it were not real."

"Am I... good-looking...?"

"Her inferiority complex was deeply ingrained."

"Hachiman Hikigaya shook his head slightly, turning to look at the villagers who wore expressions of satisfaction after eating the candy. "I can't say that all by myself! But—"

"Clang!"

The village chief chuckled, her cane striking the ground with a crisp sound.

"If I were fifty years younger, I would absolutely be jealous of Lady Emilia!"

"Huh? Why?" Emilia tilted her head instinctively, looking confused.

"If I had even half of Lady Emilia's beauty when I was young, I imagine all the young talents of the entire Kingdom of Lugnica would have flocked to me, vying for my hand in marriage?"

"But I—"

"Does Lady Emilia believe that Lord Hachiman cannot represent the young talents of this kingdom? Does she perhaps not approve of Lord Hachiman?"

"How could this be—"

"Or does Lady Emilia believe that we, who were once openly hostile to you, will now lie to you and flatter you out of respect for your status?"

No sooner had the village chief finished speaking than a little girl in the village jumped up and down, raising her hand and shouting sincerely, "Me! Me! When I grow up, I want to be as beautiful as Sister Emilia!"

"Lady Emilia... it may be too late to apologize now."

"In unison, all the villagers, except for the children, bowed deeply, including the elderly village chief; the adults were all sincerely repenting."

"However, there is something I must say. Lord Hachiman's evaluation of you, and our current admiration for you, are absolutely not exaggerated in the slightest… Our past treatment of you led you to misjudge yourself. The entire village of Karara offers its deepest repentance!!"

"Even if you say that..."

Emilia stared in disbelief, her mouth slightly agape. She felt dizzy, as if floating on a cloud. She never doubted anything Hachiman said or did; she trusted him completely… But the answer she received far exceeded her expectations, far, far beyond what she had imagined.

"...Am I dreaming?"

"A timid girl," Emilia murmured.

"Hachiman Hikigaya didn't say anything. He raised his hand, which the girl had been holding and hadn't let go yet."

"Emilia's slender little hands actually felt Hachiman Hikigaya's body temperature, that sense of security."

""I……""

"Hachiman Hikigaya paused for a moment, then said, "I, Hachiman Hikigaya, the man Rem loves, the chief knight of Emilia, swear by my own true identity."

"He looked at the sobbing Emilia and spoke softly, in a very low voice, but in a tone that Emilia could hear—the most serious and earnest he had ever been."