Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

"I like it, I like it, I like it, I like it... If it's really liking, why, why?"

"Why is your tone so calm? Why do you sound so relieved? Why is your expression so composed?"

"Hachiman Hikigaya in a calm state, Hachiman Hikigaya with a sense of relief, Hachiman Hikigaya in a composed state."

He gazed at the snow and let out a soft sigh.

"He said."

"I like you... I've always liked you like that."

121. Confession and Farewell (Part 2)

"Yukino Yukinoshita's mind was a complete mess, and her body at this moment was as cold and stiff as a snowflake, just like her name."

"In a few dazed seconds, she reviewed every moment since she met this man, like a revolving lantern. Under unparalleled panic and pressure, she finally dared to face her own feelings... She likes him. She likes Hachiman Hikigaya. Yukino Yukinoshita likes Hachiman Hikigaya."

"Perhaps it can't be called crystal-clear love, but this affection, full of goodwill, is genuine and clear."

"I..." She was like a fish that had jumped onto the shore, extremely anxious. Looking at the calm face of Hachiman Hikigaya, she suddenly realized that if she didn't do something, this affection seemed to be leaving her, seemed to be without a future, and seemed to be forever accompanied by regret.

"I...don't want to regret it, I don't want to feel remorse!"

"I...I like it too, I like it—"

"She stumbled and staggered, as if grasping at a straw, desperately. Her eyes widened in terror as she looked at Hachiman Hikigaya, and then, in the next second, a merciless bolt of lightning swept towards her, knocking her off a bottomless cliff."

""if…""

A faint glimmer of hope and longing crossed Hachiman Hikigaya's weary face. "If only I could have taken that step earlier, if only you could have told me sooner that you liked me..."

He sighed, meeting Yukinoshita's hopeful and yearning face, and in a daze, he saw Rem, and their conversation. His reply would not change: "It's too late now, Yukinoshita..."

"We have completely parted ways!"

Beneath the bewildered snow, she urgently protested, "No! That's not right! You're right here! You're right in front of me! You're my team member! You like me, and I like you too, if only you'd like—"

""already!""

Raising his voice, Hachiman Hikigaya, who was no better off than Yukinoshita, overpowered the girl: "There's no chance anymore. I'll never have the chance to come here again, I'll never be able to appear before you again. I'm still your club member, but!"

"He trembled, but hardened his heart."

"But... the person I want to love is no longer you, Yukinoshita."

"Click."

"The sound of a chair being moved."

"Beneath the desolate snow, her calf collided with the chair. The physical pain could not numb the immense shock to her soul."

"Yukinoshita didn't cry; her face was more sorrowful than anyone who was weeping. Her skin, already as white as snow, was now deathly pale: 'Is it... Yuihama?'"

"I have never, ever liked Yui Hama."

"This is the only thing that must be made clear. Whether this is reality, an illusion, or a parallel world... after losing herself, Yukinoshita only has Yuihama as her friend. It is impossible to let the two of them go their separate ways. I don't want the lovable Yukinoshita to be alone again. The only thing I can leave behind, burdened with sin, is to take this opportunity to deepen the friendship between the two of them."

"Beneath the snow, there is Yuihama, and the only rift between them is himself... Hachiman Hikigaya knew this a long time ago."

"...Is that so? Is that how it is? I've already..."

"The wind howled, and snow fell heavily. She was teetering on the edge of the snow, but even so, she did not ask again and again, she did not pester or try to keep her there."

"She was in so much pain that she seemed on the verge of fainting, and she was so filled with remorse that she almost wanted to hug Hachiman Hikigaya. Even so, she said nothing and did nothing."

""…sorry.""

"I'm sorry...?" Her voice was hoarse, as if she had a cold. She forced a smile that was more like a grimace. "Yes, you should apologize to me. Hikigaya-kun, when you confessed to Ebina-san, did you even consider her feelings for a second?"

""…sorry.""

"Hachiman lowered his head and did not answer. So his answer was clearly received by Yukinoshita... Did he have one, or did he not? It doesn't matter. Whether he did or didn't, even if he had foreseen that he would have a cold war with Yukinoshita, he would still have stubbornly done so."

"If you ask why, there's really no reason. If you really have to say, just consider him Hachiman Hikigaya as a fool who indulges his own heroic fantasies without regard for others."

"You're always like this, Hachiman. You might wish I called you a fool who indulges in his own heroic fantasies without regard for others, at least that would make me feel better... But I know, Hachiman, I know everything."

"Yukinoshita looked at him sadly, "As the person who has received the most selfless care from you, I understand. Because you are the kind of person who would sacrifice yourself to help others. There is no reason, and it's not to satisfy any heroic fantasies. It's just... if I had to say, it's because you are Hachiman Hikigaya."

"I don't expect you to put yourself first, but at least please take good care of yourself from now on and don't sacrifice yourself anymore... even if it's just for the sake of the person you love and who loves you in the future."

"This is what she said she would say after Hachiman Hikigaya finished speaking."

"Was the cold war because she felt neglected by Hachiman Hikigaya, or was she jealous, or did she feel deceived? No, none of those... The reason she started the cold war was because she hoped to force this man to submit, so that she would have the opportunity to force him to take good care of himself."

"Even if, perhaps, the reason I am now being abandoned by him is because of this cold war, Yukinoshita will never regret it."

""I…""

"Hachiman Hikigaya fell silent. He couldn't agree, he couldn't agree to Yukinoshita, he couldn't agree to the person he once loved, he couldn't agree to the girl who cared so much about him. In this world full of dangers, he, who didn't have the power of Reinhard, only the power of returning from death, who had to protect Emilia, couldn't fulfill this impossible promise."

"...I'm sorry, Yukinoshita."

"The orange-yellow light of dusk refracted through the window and shone on the two people standing opposite each other."

"We really have drifted further and further apart, Yukinoshita."

122. My first kiss was with Yuki.

"If it had been a little earlier, a little earlier, a little earlier... I definitely would have accepted you, I would have fallen in love with you, I would have held you in my arms, I would have told you my vision for the future, I would have gained the power to distort your life, I would have made you the most important person in my life, and I would have let you mold me into whatever you wanted me to be."

"No matter the request, no matter how unreasonable the wish, even if I am covered in wounds, I will fulfill all your expectations of me... Yukinoshita."

"But I can't stay here any longer. Under the snow... I already have true love. I have a hero who loves me and protects me, and someone who needs my protection, someone I can be her hero for..."

"I believe in you, Yukinoshita."

"I believe in you more than anyone else. You are strong, you are amazing. You have lived alone for so long and still shine brightly. Even without my company, even if the road ahead is full of thorns, you will never stop moving forward."

"You may need me, but someone else absolutely needs me, so!"

Their eyes met.

"Hachiman Hikigaya, who only confides; Yukino Yukinoshita, who only listens; the club president and club members, drifting further and further apart."

"If there's a chance... even if there's a chance to start over, I will never give up on them, Yukinoshita."

Unable to understand anything, Yukinoshita smiled bitterly, "Is it because I'm too strong that you're going to give up on me?"

"This was my own opinion, my arrogance, my selfishness... But Emilia needs me more than you do, Yukinoshita."

"Hachiman Hikigaya said softly, 'I... also need Rem, I can't live without Rem, I... can't live without my hero, Yukinoshita.'"

"Yukino Yukinoshita, her mind in turmoil, rested her hands on the table. She had so much confusion, so much bewilderment, so much regret, and so much she wanted to say. But in the end, she only asked one question."

"Is this our last meeting, Hachiman-kun?"

"The day we meet again, the day I can introduce you to my beloved. If... that day ever comes, I will apologize to you again, Yukinoshita."

"He cannot make promises he cannot keep, and he cannot predict the future... He simply looks forward to that day and will do his utmost to act and try with that in mind."

"Yukino Yukinoshita's slender body trembled violently, her breathing rapid, like a homeless dandelion, so fragile that she might disappear at any moment."

Her throat bobbed, and she whimpered, "Is it really that urgent... that you won't even hand over your resignation documents?"

"Faced with the most humble of all, Yukino Yukinoshita, and her most humble request, Hachiman Hikigaya responded with a desolate shake of his head. If, if this were reality… 'I would like to ask you to convey to Professor Hiratsuka that her request for her immature student to leave school for an extended period be granted.'"

"I dare to see Komachi, I dare to see Hayama, I dare to see Yukinoshita, I dare to say goodbye to Yuihama and Totsuka—but I dare not go to see my teacher Hiratsuka in person."

"Hiratsuka-sensei, who pulled me out of the mire of idleness and poured all his heart and soul into nurturing me."

"If it were her, she would probably threaten me with those iron fists, forbidding me from going anywhere, telling me to stay here, to stay in a safe place, to stay in a happy world."

"Because Hachiman Hikigaya is her student!"

"Hachiman Hikigaya did not directly address Yukino's request, but the answer has already been conveyed."

"..." Yukino Yukinoshita experienced a heart-wrenching ordeal.

She took a deep breath, trying her best to hold back the few tears welling up in her eyes. Forcing a smile, she nodded and said, "...I've approved it. The final request from my subordinates, I will fulfill it."

"Hachiman Hikigaya thought a lot. He wanted to give his blessing and encouragement, but now he no longer had the right to do so. He looked at Yukino Yukinoshita, at her face, her figure, her elegance in her school uniform, her posture, her sorrow, her reluctance, and her love."

In his heavy voice, he said, "Under the snow... goodbye."

“…Goodbye, Hikigaya-kun. ""

"Two people who said goodbye frankly, two people who knew it was goodbye forever, two people who lied together."

"Hachiman Hikigaya turned around, his crisp footsteps never faltering."

"Yukino Yukinoshita stared straight ahead until even his silhouette disappeared from sight."

The staggering girl moved step by step, touching the spot where Hachiman Hikigaya had always sat—his chair, the desk where he rested, where his familiar scent still lingered.

"Ah, woo... woo... woo woo woo... Hachiman, ah... ah..."

"Sitting in his chair, leaning on the table where he rests, tears finally streamed down her face, a faint sob escaped her lips, and the setting sun shone on Yukino Yukinoshita, who was all alone."

"The trivial daily routines since we met in the Service Department, and the various requests he was entrusted with, which added a heavy weight to his heart, came rushing in like a tide."

In the end, only a lonely, abandoned girl remained.

That lonely figure, beneath the sobbing snow.

Hachiman Hikigaya looked at her.

He was suddenly overwhelmed with a wave of sadness... To save Emilia, to bring Rem back, neither his future self nor his present self would regret this decision.

But Yukinoshita is such a pitiful girl, a girl who loves him so much, and a girl he can't live without.

"Under the snow..."

He turned his head sadly and saw the girl beside him, just like the girl in the future, shedding tears.

"If you could have taken that step sooner, if I could have told you I liked you sooner... I've made up for that regret now, Hikigaya-kun."

He was muttering to himself.

Extricate yourself from the shock, the lingering fear, the sadness, and the overwhelming terror.

Back in the snow of reality, she could feel the bittersweet gaze that still loved her, even adored her, because she had seized the opportunity in time, because everything hadn't yet happened, and because she was there.

"I will make you... I will make you twist my life, I will make you tell me your vision for the future, I will make you hold me, I will make you love me forever, I will make you stay by my side, Hikigaya-kun!"