Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

Under its gaze, Emilia, lost in thought, slowly lowered her shy, happy lips, turning them into a bitter, sorrowful curve.

Yeah, how could I possibly be happy... How could I possibly be happy about something like this!

"Hachiman, Hachiman, Hachiman, Hachiman..."

Her left hand caressed her chest, and she murmured repeatedly, each murmur a heart-wrenching lament. In this deserted street alley, Emilia leaned weakly against the wall, slowly sliding to her knees.

"Waaah, waaah..."

Cold tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably. The pain was so intense she cried, a agonizing wail. She hadn't even participated in the trials yet, but the pain she felt during them already shattered a similar feeling within her.

"Ah... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, so really... Thank you, I, I... Hachiman, sob..."

She covered her face with both hands and sobbed softly.

Parker wanted to reach out and wipe away his daughter's tears. But he seemed to lack the courage.

"When Leah was in the most pain, when Leah needed comfort the most, when Leah was most anxious and needed someone to be with her, how foolish I was back then. I must have... I must have left Leah temporarily."

“If I were still here, Lydia would never have become that bad, would never have said that Parker was no longer important… I have made Lydia die so many times and feel helpless so many times.”

"I... am really useless."

With a self-deprecating tone, Parker mocked himself, his fists clenched tightly before limply relaxing.

"What...what have I even protected?!"

"wrong!"

A sob escaped her lips, an unstoppable soft whimper. Emilia gently cradled Parker in her tear-stained hands. "No, without Parker, I...I...Parker is absolutely important!"

Parker rubbed his eyes with his chubby paws. "Really... Lydia, I got sand in my eyes."

"It's okay. It's okay, Puck." The frequency of her sobs gradually decreased, and the silver-haired girl, her lips pursed and her voice trembling as she forced a smile, said, "I cry too, Hachiman cries too, so it's okay. But..."

"I... don't want to cry anymore, and I don't want Hachiman to cry either."

"I want to meet Hachiman. I want him to know me, to like me, to be with me, to be happy and joyful, and to protect him forever and ever."

"I will not give up, Puck. Whether it's Crusch, Rem, or Yukino, I absolutely! I will never give up Hachiman!!"

"Although it's selfish, troublesome, and willful, I also know that there are a lot of dangers around me."

"But I can't live without Parker."

"Yes, you're the best, Leah." Rubbing its sore eyes, Parker raised its tail, nodded vigorously, and smiled through its tears.

We can't live without Puck... so we won't give up on Hachiman, no matter what competitors or threats we face.

Because Hachiman is already just as important as Pakkun!

She removed the cat-ear cloak. The beautiful silver-haired girl stood up again, her gaze gazing towards the Karlsten mansion, then shifting to the Roswaal mansion.

The cat-ear cloak left his hand and drifted away in the wind.

"Only Roswaal, I will never forgive!"

Roswaal's cat-ear magic cloak drifted across the ocean, flying over the Hessin Merchant Guild.

"Too much pampering."

Anastasia muttered to herself, "Whether it's coercion or whatever, it's all spoiling... Every action, every move he makes, is a manifestation of his spoiling and favoritism towards Emilia, it's simply spoiling her to an unreasonable degree!"

The girl's heartstrings were plucked again and again.

Although she is a businesswoman, started from scratch, and is not afraid of difficulties, every girl will want to be cared for and pampered by someone.

"I... will definitely repay you with the same level of affection and pampering. With me, you'll be so much safer... pampering, pampering... Heh, Emilia, Emilia... Sigh!"

At Roswaal's mansion.

Betty's face drained of all color. She gritted her teeth and suddenly took a step. The mana was now fully formed, and the Yin magic could be used at any time. She found Roswaal on the rooftop, who seemed to be deep in thought.

“Is that Beatrice?…” That look in her eyes, a look of utter despair, of someone who had given up on life and living, a look of knowing there was no hope of ever achieving her goal. Roswaal glanced at Betty indifferently. “Keep watching. Keep watching… Whatever my fate may be, at least, I can only die when that time comes.”

"..."

Betty hesitated for a long time, then said, "—Betty will make you regret what you've done! That person will definitely, absolutely take care of you! And then, Betty will take care of you before he even arrives!"

"That person?"

Roswaal gave a wry smile. He understood perfectly well, he understood perfectly well… Echidna, the Witch of Greed, hahaha!

"You're right, you should be right, Hachiman-kun."

150. But people are inherently prone to change.

"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you."

"I opened my eyes and saw a familiar building, this dark training ground."

"Hachiman Hikigaya struggled to his feet, kicking his legs as if swimming. He gasped for breath, touching his body, his head, his legs—all intact. Yet, the biting sensation that spread throughout his body continued, stimulating his nerves."

"..."

"But he stood up. Without hesitation, he reclaimed control of his body, leaving behind all the lingering pain. Hachiman Hikigaya stood up."

"There are things that must be done, things that are far more important than wailing and lingering fear."

"Emilia..."

"Why. Why did it turn out like that? Why, why, why? Heartache, pity, distress, sorrow, pain, regret, and then confusion."

"With heavy, aching steps, his teeth chattered uncontrollably from the unforgettable pain. Hachiman Hikigaya took a deep breath, clenched his teeth, and went to wake Emilia. He couldn't let this girl continue to suffer needlessly."

"What did you see? What kind of past could make you tremble with fear? What did you encounter that made you so wicked? I don't know, I know nothing... I want to know, Emilia. If I want to save you, I must know your past. Only then, only then!"

"I want to know. But Emilia herself can't remember exactly what she saw during the trial."

"Sizzle..."

"But my body, which had just stood up, was mercilessly thrown back down, and everything went dark."

"Your desires truly surprise me."

"The voice of the Witch of Greed, Echidna, echoed in my ears. The next second, everything went dark, and then my vision returned, along with the memories of our two previous conversations."

"An endless expanse of white clouds and blue sky, a monotonous and uninteresting green meadow. The table, the chair, the witch's liquid in the teacup, and the fake object smilingly greeting him: 'Welcome, your second time attending the witch's tea party.'"

"Your thirst for knowledge is incredibly strong, having participated in the Witch's Tea Party more than once. Hmm, not bad. I really admire people like you. Indeed, the joy of wanting to explore the unknown is unparalleled, a supreme pleasure."

"Echidna."

Ignoring the woman's sudden, almost delirious, glee, Hachiman Hikigaya remained silent for a moment, then sighed, a look of defeat on his face. "I surrender, Echidna. I've lost to you."

""oh?""

Echidna raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "What are you talking about?"

"Terrible. Absolutely terribly. Even though she knew everything perfectly well, she just wanted to see him bow his head and explain. She was mocking him, taking the opportunity to get revenge on his previous attitude towards her."

"The first time, I barely resisted your temptation. The second time, I asked you some trivial questions, and I didn't care whether you answered or not. Now, for the third time, I have to admit... you are truly tempting, and I've lost, I admit defeat wholeheartedly. Now I want to ask you the questions I absolutely need to know."

"So, make your terms—what price do you want me to pay for me to remember you and the knowledge you taught me after I leave here?"

"no."

"Hachiman Hikigaya wasn't annoyed at all. He was even prepared to kneel down and beg if Echidna wanted to tease him like that, so he was willing to do it."

"The enthusiastic Echidna pursed her lips, said 'Oh...' and suddenly lost interest."

"Should I say you're just bored, or what... You're usually such an interesting person, but how come you become so boring around me? Utterly boring! I really hate it, I absolutely hate your attitude. So, if you want my help, at least change this utterly boring state of yours first."

"It clearly possesses the ability to return from death, it clearly has countless possibilities, it clearly is a rare and unique resource, so why is it so boring, so rigid, so fixed, ugh."

"If you can disregard yourself for others, and sacrifice anything for others without a second thought, then the endless possibilities for the future that you've worked so hard to acquire will suddenly shrink to just a few visible paths, so clear that you can see the end and the process clearly before you've even experienced them."

"I had such high hopes for you, such great expectations of you, and I liked you very much—but you've disappointed me, Hachiman Hikigaya."

Echidna's smile vanished. She stared blankly at Hachiman Hikigaya, issuing a half-hearted dismissal: "While your desires may surprise me, if it's such a utterly pointless possibility, I have no interest in you."

"Listening quietly to the capricious witch's nagging and scolding, Hachiman Hikigaya narrowed his eyes. He understood. He knew why Echidna had been so kind to him before, and he also knew the source of the fake scent he had sensed in this woman."

"You mean you've seen through me and have no desire for me anymore, is that what you mean?"

Echidna sat lazily in her chair, not even lifting her eyelids. "Don't make me repeat myself. It's boring, and I already hate boring people."

"You read my memories, saw my actions, and then arrogantly made such presumptuous assumptions. Is that so? I see. The so-called Witch of Greed is just this ignorant."

"Is Hachiman Hikigaya a boring person?... Maybe, maybe before joining the Service Club, his future was, as Echidna said, an utterly boring story with a predictable end."

"However, even with such a stubborn and persistent attitude of being willing to sacrifice himself for the people he cares about, Hachiman Hikigaya doesn't believe that the woman in front of him can see through him."

Echidna seemed somewhat intrigued, watching the man slowly approach. "What did you say?"

"I said, you probably never expected me to do something like this—Echidna!"

"?...!!"

"Hugs, kisses, hands roaming freely over her body, a rough guy—completely beyond her expectations."

"Unexpected, unreasonable, unpredictable, and beyond conventional understanding."

"Ugh, ugh ugh ugh—"

"Funny, very interesting, extremely interesting, beyond the norm, so interesting that it's exciting, passionate, happy, joyful, shocking, surprising, the best gift, the best material, the best contract partner."

"Mmm..."

"You are the most interesting, the most expansive, and the most promising future..."

"Ah, I love you, Hachiman Hikigaya."

151. But people are inherently prone to change.

"—?!"

Kyosuke Kousaka and Kirino Kousaka stumbled and nearly fell over, their heads spinning. They rubbed their eyes hard, but they weren't mistaken; it wasn't an illusion. It was all real.

"What are you doing? What are you doing—Are you crazy, Hachiman Hikigaya?!"

Kirino Kousaka shook her head like a rattle-drum. She quickly covered her eyes with her hands, furious and angry, so angry that she felt like she was about to explode. She felt that all the sympathy, pity and respect she had felt for this pervert had been wasted!

"And yet I thought, ahhh—Rem-neechan, Emilia-neechan, Yukinoshita-neechan… I've let them down, you've let them down, Hachiman Hikigaya! And yet I thought there was such a beautiful love in the world. Die! Die, die, die, die, die, die, Hachiman Hikigaya, you deserve to die so many times!"