Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

"You're beautiful, very beautiful, extremely beautiful, so beautiful that any girl would feel inferior—Amelia."

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110. Only build up half of your confidence.

"He was so timid and hesitant when confessing to Rem, but he took the initiative with Emilia? He's clearly good at charming girls and winning their hearts, isn't he? But I didn't see him praise Rem at all, damn it!"

Ram's ledger recorded another vicious entry for Hachiman Hikigaya.

“Sister.” Rem patted her sister’s back helplessly, while making excuses for the person she liked, “Hachiman didn’t do this to please Lady Emilia. He did it to help Emilia build confidence.”

and……

I have to admit, Lady Emilia is indeed very beautiful.

but…

Rem wouldn't admit defeat! Because he said, 'I, the man Rem loves, the chief knight of Emilia, Hachiman Hikigaya, swear by my own true form.'

Rem's love is not a burden to Hachiman; it's something he feels is worth remembering and being proud of! Therefore, Rem will surely hold onto this feeling forever!!

"Even if the opponent is Lady Emilia, Rem will not give an inch!"

While Rem was riding high on her momentum, Crusch on the other side sighed deeply, her mind filled with complex emotions.

"After we parted, I finally got to hear Hachiman mention me, and it was only in the form of a list of defeated opponents coming out of his mouth?"

Phyllis broke out in a cold sweat. If this continued, her Crusch-sama would suffer such a shock that she would mentally die! She had to change the subject!

"Don't be discouraged, Crusch-sama! Um, um, um—by the way, Crusch-sama, aren't you curious about who Yukinoshita that Hachiman mentioned is? How come she's ranked alongside Crusch-sama and the other four candidates, as well as Rem, who must be the most important person in Hachiman's heart?"

"Right, who is Yukinoshita?"

On the main street of the capital, Puck flicked his tail. Although he wondered why he hadn't jumped out to praise Lydia at this time, the inexplicable Yukinoshita was equally intriguing.

"I can tolerate Rem, this admirable little maid, but if some mistress or a third party suddenly appears, I, Parker, might not be able to resist the urge to beat this kid up."

Who is beneath the snow?

Normally, Emilia might have cared.

But now, she stared blankly at the future, at her future self, and then… that disbelief, that astonishment, that overwhelming joy, like seeing the sun after the clouds had parted, she felt it all with her future self.

Emilia has been completely trapped in the trap called Hachiman Hikigaya, and she has no time to think about anything else!

Inside the convenience store, Yukino Yukinoshita tilted her head to the side, her face expressionless, almost broken.

"The first time they mentioned me was when they kissed Rem's cheek; the second time they mentioned me was when they praised Emilia's looks; the third time they mentioned me, is it at someone's wedding?"

Hachiman Hikigaya's arm was almost bruised from her grip. "Calm down! Calm down, Yukino! Think positively!"

He met Xuexia's gaze, pondered for half a second, and tentatively asked, "At least... my use of you as an example to prove Emilia's beauty fully demonstrates my approval of your appearance?"

"Ouch, that hurts!"

Anastasia and Priscilla, on the other hand, reacted in completely opposite ways.

Anastasia was like a resigned salted fish, no longer caring that she had become Emilia's stepping stone.

"Anyway, Hachiman Hikigaya is my nemesis. I've realized it, I understand it, I know it. He's my nightmare, that's all!"

"Cheer up, Lady Anastasia?!"

Priscilla, her face as bloodthirsty as her vibrant red dress, declared: "You dare to slander me? Your end is near, Hachiman Hikigaya, and this foolish half-demon!"

"Not...a dream?"

Emilia stared in astonishment, still unable to believe it. "My...ears...?"

"'Don't believe yourself, believe what I believe in you,' Emilia, you said that to me, didn't you?"

"Hachiman Hikigaya remained unwavering; his words contained promise and trust. Not only his own promise and trust, but also that of the girl before him."

"Amelia, are you doubting that I, whom you trust, would tell you such a lie just to make you happy?"

"No, I—"

"The flustered and helpless girl, Emilia, realized the terrible mistake she had made."

"I can say it as many times as I want, you are beautiful, extremely beautiful, a feast for the eyes. Just looking at you reduces fatigue and increases motivation. You are beautiful to this extent, Emilia!"

"Hachiman Hikigaya quickly praised her again, his heartfelt words immediately diverting Emilia's attention, and her face flushed with embarrassment."

"That's the most undeniable fact. So he can say it as many times as he wants. But... even if it's true, every time Hachiman Hikigaya utters a word of praise, he feels apologetic to Rem in his heart."

"Even though I had no intention of cheating, doing this in order to build Emilia's confidence and help her become a qualified monarch could easily be misunderstood as flirting with Emilia."

"——"

"There's something there, like a mirror shattering."

"A world without memories, ostracized and driven away, where only Parker is by my side. It's a world where it rains incessantly day and night, and only the umbrella named Parker provides shelter."

"Rosswaal, along with Frederic Karam and the others, have slightly reduced the amount of rain in the downpour."

"Hachiman Hikigaya, who disregards her appearance, her identity, and her race, actively seeks her out, wants to make a deal with her, intends to get close to her, and does not discriminate against her, is like a day when the heavy rain turns to a light rain."

""I…""

"Emilia had deep purple eyes."

"The moist world has come to a standstill."

"The sound of raindrops."

"I'll never hear it again."

"So, please have some self-awareness, Emilia."

"If you didn't listen to the gentle tone, some people might mistake the content for a reprimand."

"You're not ugly at all, not scary at all, not annoying at all. Your face is beautiful! Very beautiful! Extremely beautiful! So beautiful that it makes people envious and jealous!!"

"...I am very good-looking..."

Emilia murmured, then her voice grew louder and more determined: "I am very, very beautiful!!"

"If Puck and Hachiman really think that way, then Emilia must be, absolutely must be, incredibly beautiful!!!"

111. Rem, she is, your sister.

"Tch, so that's how it's set up? Lacking self-awareness and confidence in her own beauty."

Aki Tomoya's eyes were bloodshot, and he frantically scratched his hair. His jealousy and disdain for Hikigaya Hachiman reached an all-time high at this moment.

"In that case, if anyone just comes along and compliments Emilia, telling her that she's actually very beautiful, wouldn't they be able to easily win her heart? Damn it, damn it, damn it! She looks like a non-existent two-dimensional beauty, and even her personality is very two-dimensional!"

"If I were in this world, I could have won her over long ago! And with save/reload cheat codes, anyone could beat the game! Why, why is it Hachiman Hikigaya? Why not me?!"

Hysterical jealousy overwhelmed Kato Megumi, Kasumigaoka Utaha, and Sawamura Eriri. They no longer felt hopeless about Aki Tomoya, but rather that he was beyond redemption.

They were finally cleansed, and Aki Tomoya no longer existed in their hearts.

Compared to Aki Tomoya's disgraceful behavior, they were more focused on Hikigaya Hachiman while watching the video, wondering which girl he could end up with. And... even though they were all girls, they felt it wouldn't be a problem if it was Hikigaya Hachiman with Rem or Emilia!

"Sigh! This relationship guru has gone off to pretend to be a straight, honest guy again!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had written romance novels, was itching to try it herself. She watched as Hikigaya Hachiman pretended to be completely clueless about love, and wished she could teach Emilia step by step.

Do you even understand the value of a girl taking the initiative?! You'll miss your chance once Rem wakes up, you idiot Emilia!

"Hachiman Hikigaya is gone."

"After building Emilia's confidence, he immediately withdrew and walked out with Garfield, leaving Emilia alone inside to declare to the villagers that she had passed the trial."

"Although this will leave Emilia feeling stagnant, like she's choking on her food... it's better than her thanking me, leaving more of my mark on her heart, and making me more and more immersed in the trap called Emilia."

"Rather than falling uncontrollably in love with Emilia and becoming unworthy of both Emilia and Rem, Hachiman Hikigaya would rather let Emilia choke on her like this."

"Rem, forgotten by the world, now only has this pathetic man she protects, and only Hachiman Hikigaya as proof that she lives in this world... How could I possibly abandon her!"

"Hold on, Hachiman Hikigaya, hold on... Remember your true essence."

Shaking his head, Hachiman Hikigaya banished all the nascent, instinctive affection he felt for Emilia. He already had Rem. So, he had to restrain himself from anything else.

"Hey! Why are you talking to yourself in such a low voice? Are you afraid I'll overhear some secret?"

"Elbow at me," Garfiel grinned, baring his shark teeth, and grabbed Hachiman Hikigaya, saying nonchalantly, "You and the princess are getting along quite well, aren't you? How about it? If you can tell me how to marry Lum, I might help you out once in a while."

"You've really given me a tough problem." Hachiman Hikigaya sighed. He really wanted to trick Garfiel into coming to his side, but now that Rem had lost him, how could Ram possibly like any man other than Roswaal?

"Garfield, how about we try a different wife candidate?"

"Huh? Are you stupid? I only like that strong woman, Ram!"

""Oh.""

"A kind of Ram-esque mockery. She came at Roswaal's command without any semblance of a maid, arrogant and domineering. I don't know who she was mocking."

"Where is Lady Emilia? Aren't you going to participate in the trial?"

"There's no rush for the trial."

"Hachiman Hikigaya himself didn't really care about Ram's obvious disrespect towards him. To be honest, the low-class treatment he received before joining the Service Club when he was hiding his talents in Soubu High School was much worse than the treatment Ram gave him."

"During our meeting after the White Whale hunt, when the villagers were being evacuated, Ram's attitude towards him was quite calm and normal. Ram's current dislike for him is simply because he and Roswaal are sworn enemies, and Ram naturally sides with Roswaal."

"but…"

"Hey, Ram."

"What? Even if you've managed to become Lady Emilia's knight through trickery, don't expect Ram to address you as 'Lady.' Ram will not show any courtesy to those who disrespect Lord Roswaal."

"But... it's really heartbreaking."

"Hachiman Hikigaya shook his head slightly. Before he went to the royal capital, he and Ram had a pretty good relationship."

"But Rem, who built the bridge between him and Ram, is no longer here."

"Hey, Ram...do you know her? Do you...know...Rem?"