Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

Roswaal chuckled, "Once you've settled things at the mansion, please head back to Sanctuary immediately. There's a good show to watch—well, but I don't really think you'll be able to handle the mansion this time, considering this is only the second time."

141. I personally pushed you into hell, Emilia.

"It's terrifying when masters clash." Shirogane Miyuki of the Shirogane family sighed with emotion, "Roswaal and Hachiman can deduce all sorts of information from a single sentence from the other. Although it's also because they're both using cheat codes, it's still truly spectacular."

There is a lot he can learn.

Meanwhile, at the Kousaka residence, Kirino Kousaka angrily punched the air, clearly displeased. "Does Roswaal really think Hachiman-senpai can't do it? Does he look down on Hachiman-senpai that much?"

After a moment of contemplation, Kousaka Kyosuke explained objectively, "It's not that I look down on you, but some things are truly deadly at first sight. You won't understand them at all unless you die once or twice, no matter how smart you are."

"For example, when Hachiman was killed by Rem, he had no idea that he had the scent of a witch before that, and even if he did know that, he didn't know how much Rem hated the Witch Cult."

"Hatred and suspicion can creep up on you without you even noticing. Even if you can carefully perceive Rem's hatred, you won't understand where it comes from, and it's difficult to resolve before the conflict erupts."

"Unless one possesses an omniscient prophetic ability akin to Echidna's near-Godlike perspective, it's difficult to understand why such a thing would suddenly happen before it occurs. These things can only be understood and resolved after they've happened once."

"The reason Roswaal said that Hachiman couldn't do it is because he was only doing it 'the second time.' According to Roswaal's statement... there are probably a lot of information in the Sanctuary that require risking one's life, similar to Rem's, and many are killed on first encounter."

"My arrangements in the Sanctuary, well, whatever, I have no intention of hiding them. In any case, no secret can be kept from someone who has the power to reset the world."

"Roswaal said casually, 'Well, I just think it's better for you to experience it for yourself first, so you can make a proper decision. Some things are completely different if you don't experience them firsthand.'"

"Their conversation ended there, and they parted on bad terms."

"Hachiman Hikigaya didn't rush back to the mansion two days earlier. In the last loop, Erza hadn't found Rem when he returned, which means either Erza arrived very late, or Roswaal instructed her to wait until then. Before the deadline, Rem, Frederica, and Petra were all safe and sound."

"He was thinking of another way to break the deadlock."

"The mansion is prepared, and the Sanctuary is also prepared. But if Emilia can break the barrier by passing the trial today, then no matter what trap Roswaal has set up in the Sanctuary, he can completely ignore it, escape the Sanctuary overnight, and even rely on Emilia to kill Elsa."

"Emilia."

"...Huh?"

"Standing outside the graveyard of trials, watching Emilia, who was about to face the trials once again, trying to appear calm."

Hachiman Hikigaya was silent for a moment, then he spoke: "I believe in you, Emilia. I believe you can do it."

He was somewhat agitated and hesitant to look at the silver-haired girl before him, but he still met Emilia's gaze directly, putting pressure on her: "You absolutely can, Emilia."

"Okay! I understand!"

Emilia's beautiful, deep purple eyes shone brightly. She looked as if she'd received a surprise gift on her birthday, greatly encouraged, and nodded happily: "Since Hachiman said so, I'm absolutely going to pass the trial today! I definitely won't let you down!"

"This is for the best of both worlds, this is to clear the game with one life, this is to avoid the unknown dangers of the Sanctuary and bring Emilia back to safety, this is to escape Roswaal's scheme..."

"Hachiman Hikigaya could find far too many reasons and excuses, but no amount of excuses could erase the fact that he shifted all the pressure onto Emilia."

"Emilia cannot pass the trial right now... Having witnessed this girl cry three times, he knows this better than anyone else. Emilia needs time. If given some time, she can try more and proceed step by step. It will be possible to pass in time... However, for Emilia's personal safety, Hachiman Hikigaya chose to force her to pass the trial in one go by putting pressure on her."

"Hey, you look so down. What's wrong, worried about the princess? You're really behaving like this, you've lost all your former manliness. This great man won't submit to a man like that."

Garfiel, grinning with his shark-toothed grin, added insult to injury. Hachiman Hikigaya patted his dejected cheek; Garfiel's mockery had just lifted his spirits: "Garfiel, Ram and I are going back to Roswaal's mansion tomorrow."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Jiafeier asked, puzzled. "Of course I know about this. Wasn't it the old woman who brought it up at noon about having you bring the villagers back?"

"That was just a side effect; I would have gone out even if Ms. Ryuzu hadn't mentioned it."

"Hachiman Hikigaya looked at Garfield, observing his expression: 'The mansion is in danger. There will be assassins invading tomorrow night. They are an enemy that Frederica alone cannot defeat. Even with me and Ram joining the fray, the outcome is hard to predict.'"

"Frandelica is your sister. If you're willing to help her and protect her, you can come with us tomorrow."

"There is a barrier that prevents demi-humans from leaving the Sanctuary, but Frederica's demi-human bloodline concentration is only one-quarter, making her an exception. Hachiman Hikigaya had already inquired with Ryuzu Bilma, and Garfiel's situation is actually the same."

"Upon hearing him say that, Jiafei stared at him suspiciously for a long time, seemingly not believing it to be true at all. Only after seeing his serious expression did she reluctantly think about it."

"Leave the Sanctuary to protect that woman...?"

"Garfield looked dazed. He gritted his teeth, then finally turned his head away. 'That woman isn't that fragile, and Ram isn't a useless woman either.'"

"He's making excuses, all of them are just excuses for why he doesn't dare leave the Sanctuary. Hachiman Hikigaya can see that, but as Roswaal said, he doesn't know where to start. He knows too little about Garfiel and doesn't know the cause of his illness."

"Jiafeier, you—"

"Just as he was trying to alleviate Garfiel's semi-combat stance, Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly turned his head sharply before he could even speak."

"In the darkest night, in the grave of trials."

A heart-wrenching cry suddenly rang out!

-

-

142. Emilia on the verge of breaking down

"No, no... It wasn't me! It wasn't me—"

"The heart-wrenching cries were so loud that even Hachiman Hikigaya and Garfiel, who were standing outside the grave, could hear them clearly."

"That kind of fear, as if facing hell directly, came from the depths of his soul. Through the girl's trembling cries, it reached Hachiman Hikigaya's heart with unparalleled clarity, turning into swords and spears every second, condemning his wounded heart."

"...Compared to the previous three times, this trial lasted an exceptionally long time. However, along with the increase in time, Emilia's cries, screams, and wails became even more piercing than during the previous three trials. Just by listening from afar, one could imagine the terrifying nightmare she had fallen into."

"...But she didn't give up. Despite the unbearable shock, Emilia's cries never stopped, yet she persevered through the trials, refusing to give up or back down no matter what."

"Enough, Emilia... Please give up, Emilia! ...Please, Emilia, that's really enough!"

Hachiman Hikigaya staggered, his face pale, all his spirit and strength drained by the piercing cries. "What...what did I do..."

"Because of his words, because of the pressure he deliberately created, in order to meet his expectations... Emilia's blossoming faith, her perseverance, the suffering she endured, all of this made Hachiman Hikigaya feel breathless. He wanted to rush in, to go in and tell Emilia, to tell her that there was really no need to force herself like this."

"...But this time, as the culprit, I don't even have the right to save her."

"Was it an hour, two hours, or even longer?" Hikigaya Hachiman, who had collapsed to the ground, looking utterly dejected, raised his head at a certain moment.

"The cries that lingered in the air finally disappeared, and from the corridor of the grave, a slender figure could be vaguely seen supporting herself against the wall, walking slowly, step by step."

The slender, silver-haired girl lowered her head slightly, her eyes red-rimmed. She stopped timidly a few meters away from Hachiman Hikigaya, her voice choked with sobs and filled with fear: "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Hachiman, I... I—I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, really..."

"She failed to meet his expectations. Filled with fear and self-blame, exhausted, Emilia couldn't even finish her sentence before collapsing to the ground and fainting completely."

Kirino Kousaka stared blankly, clenching her fists, feeling indignant: "What's wrong with this person? He suddenly became so heartless, doesn't he care about Emilia at all? Hachiman Hikigaya's decision is like that of a completely different person."

"…well."

Kyosuke Kousaka shook his head sadly. "It's not that Hachiman changed people, it's that Roswaal forced him to change people."

"The mansion itself is relatively easy to deal with, but there are still unknown dangers in the Sanctuary. Hachiman has no confidence that he can return to the Sanctuary in time after dealing with the mansion. Even if he saves Rem, he cannot accept the death of Emilia."

"Then, now there's a perfect solution in front of us. How can we know it will fail if we don't even try it?"

"If his stimulation can help Emilia pass the trial smoothly, all the problems will be solved, which would be a huge win. Even if she doesn't pass, it won't be a loss. It's just a try—that's his thinking."

Kyosuke Kosaka sighed as he met the gaze of his younger sister, Kirino, who was still in middle school and didn't understand many things. For a moment, he had an urge to scold Kirino.

No one could condemn Hachiman Hikigaya's perfectly reasonable decision except himself. Emilia had taken the bait willingly; she had done it voluntarily.

And right now, the person who is most affected is Hachiman himself.

“Emilia’s insistence went far too far. Lord Hachiman must have thought that either they would pass in one go, or it would take a minute or two longer at most, which would be fine.”

"You always underestimate your importance in other people's eyes. You were like that when you were with Rem, and you haven't changed that now... That's your only flaw, Lord Hachiman."

“However.” Crusch sighed and paused slightly. She looked at the unconscious Emilia with shining eyes and praised her without reservation, “To be able to push yourself so hard for Lord Hachiman’s expectations… Emilia, you have impressed me.”

Wilhelm sighed, "However, this only adds to Lord Hachiman's burden."

"Yes."

Crusch clasped her hands together, and because of this, her feelings towards Emilia were now at their most complicated.

"Humph."

In Class D, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji suddenly sneered, "Is it true that feelings are a hindrance? It seems that what I want may not be so good."

"The death of Rem caused by the last reincarnation has seriously disrupted your judgment and thinking, Hachiman Hikigaya... You value that woman too much. If you don't wake up soon, the probability of making new mistakes is one hundred percent!"

"...How he carried Emilia back to the bedroom and then walked out alone, looking lost and disoriented, was something Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't remember. When he came to his senses, he was already back outside the graveyard of trials."

"Jiafeier followed him the whole time, watching him from the side, I don't know what he was thinking."

"...Emilia's four cries echoed in my heart, Rem's death, Elsa's power, and the unknown dangers of the Sanctuary made Hachiman Hikigaya make up his mind."

"What are you going to do?" Garfield looked at the gloomy man who was about to step into the grave, and he stopped Hachiman Hikigaya.

"I am going to undergo a trial."

""What?""

"I said, 'I want to take on the trial.'"

"Emilia's spirit has already been damaged, so we must not let her body be endangered. If Emilia cannot pass the trial, then he will take her place; at least that will stop the damage in time."

"If you're willing to help me deal with the enemies attacking Roswaal's mansion, then I won't have to immediately dispel the barrier, Garfield."

"Hachiman Hikigaya skillfully persuaded Garfiel, knowing that Garfiel was afraid of leaving the Sanctuary. So he planned to use persuasion to set a trap, making Garfiel choose between agreeing to his trial and helping him defeat his enemies."

"However, Garfield did not fall into his trap. On the contrary, his hesitant eyes sharpened, and he raised his fist."

"—He knocked out Hachiman Hikigaya."

143. Cleverness can backfire.

"I was dazed. When I opened my eyes, I was inside a dark building. My hands and feet were tied. I looked around and saw Garfield watching me from the side."

"Oh, you're awake? ...Don't stare at me like that. I even laid out a layer of straw for you to sleep on." Jiafei smirked, revealing his shark teeth. "I have no intention of treating you like a prisoner. I'll give you the best treatment for your three meals a day."

"Hachiman Hikigaya could feel that the ropes binding him were only meant to restrain him, and that he wouldn't feel pain as long as he didn't struggle."

"What's the reason for imprisoning me?"

"There are three reasons. First, you weren't in a hurry at all during your first two days in the Sanctuary, but now you're telling me that Roswaal's mansion has been attacked by enemies... Things in the Sanctuary can't be hidden from me, but I haven't found any intelligence sources from you. How can I believe you?"

"Secondly, you told me to leave the Holy Land, but then you wanted to immediately break the barrier. Your behavior is really strange, you know?"

Hachiman Hikigaya tilted his head in confusion. He knew all that Garfield was saying, but he didn't hide it because he thought it was a good thing: "Isn't the second indication proof that I wasn't lying? If there weren't enemies attacking the mansion, why would I be in such a hurry?"

"Yes, if that's all there is to it, it's not that I'm unwilling to believe you. After all, you and I are both men among men."

"Garfield clicked his tongue. "But can I trust someone who smells like a witch? And the stench even intensified after you came out of the grave... and you became anxious after that too. Can I believe this is just a coincidence, something unrelated?"