Hikigaya Hachiman is Kuuga?

"So, you really don't want the Ministry to confess, right?"

"...Can I ask how you figured that out?"

[I hope it’s not because of our affairs that bother you, otherwise…]

"It's very simple. In the past two days, you didn't take the initiative to help Hu Bu and Ebina get along. Sometimes you even created opportunities for Ebina to be alone. Doesn't this mean that you don't want Hu Bu to confess his feelings at all?"

Hikigaya Hachiman said this casually as he recalled Hayato Hayama's appalling performance as his friend's wingman these days.

"Huh~ Because I don't want to give up this relationship~"

Hayato Hayama looked up at the setting sun in front of him and stretched out his hand as if trying to hold back the setting sun.

"I love the present moment and the relationships I have with everyone, so I don't want something to happen that would ruin the relationship."

"Isn't that childish?"

"I'm not being childish, but I just find it hard to understand that if this relationship collapses because of this reason, it will collapse for other reasons in the future. Is it really necessary to care so much about a relationship that can't stand the test?"

As a person who has experienced too many fake things and witnessed many falsehoods, Hachiman Hikigaya has always been pursuing the existence of "real things".

In his opinion, a relationship that cannot withstand the test of external factors and will be destroyed at the slightest disturbance does not need to be maintained with great effort.

Because, at that time, will the person who worked so hard to maintain the fake relationship still be himself? Will the relationship still be the same as it was in the beginning? Has their bond quietly deteriorated without them realizing it?

Therefore, having seen through this, he no longer pursues false relationships, but instead pursues the "real thing" that can withstand the impact of external factors, will not be deviated by anything, and can stand the test of time.

It allows you to not have to put in a lot of effort to fit into other people's circles, cater to the topics raised by others, or tolerate other people's slightly troubled and thankless requests. You just need to be yourself as Hikigaya Hachiman.

He longed for the real thing.

Therefore, it is really incomprehensible that Hayato Hayama and Hina Ebina are trying so hard to maintain the falsehood, even though it is destined to collapse one day in the future.

"You have been alone from the beginning to the end, and you have observed everyone with reason. You have never expressed your true heart to others, so you will not understand, Hikigaya-kun."

Hayato Hayama had already anticipated that he would ask this question.

After all, he and he can be said to be a mirror.

He, Hikigaya Hachiman, firmly believes in reason and pursues the ideal that no one needs to change and they can still live in harmony.

He, Hayato Hayama, is emotionally invested and believes that people can go from being strangers to becoming close friends through communication and the little things in daily life. Such a "false" relationship that needs to be constantly managed and carefully maintained will sooner or later transform into a "real thing".

If it were in the past, Hayato Hayama would not have said so much to Hikigaya Hachiman, because he knew very well that the other party's character would not change so easily. In addition, if he argued about concepts, he would be exposed and show the mask of "management", which would go against his original intention.

But that was only before he had witnessed what the young man in front of him had been through, and what kind of burden he was carrying on his shoulders. Now, even if he had to tear off the mask on his face that he had painstakingly "managed" for many years, he would give Hikigaya Hachiman a heavy blow in his heart.

Because he knew very well that if he missed today, he might not have such a good opportunity again, so before the confession tonight, he had to use everything he had now to break a gap in the other party's psychological defense wall, even if it was just a crack.

He believed that as long as Hikigaya Hachiman had doubts about this, he would definitely understand that falsehood can also be slowly polished away to remove all flaws and become an incomparably magnificent real thing.

That's why he walked out alone and stayed away from the hotel where he was staying.

He firmly believed that Hikigaya Hachiman would look for him, and he was sure that the other party would be able to find him.

"Through our conversation just now, I understand what kind of relationship you are pursuing, but how can you, who has closed your heart, exchange for others' sincerity?"

"..."

Hikigaya Hachiman, who had wanted to refute, was stunned after hearing this. He opened his mouth but was unable to rely on his computing power, which was many times more exaggerated than that of an overclocked computer, to compose a rebuttal based on the words he knew.

"Whether it's a fake thing that needs to be managed or a real thing that just needs to be done well, isn't the first condition to start with being sincere?"

“How else can you touch someone’s heart and start a strong relationship that is friendly and genuine?”

“If you close your heart and pretend to be someone else, you can certainly fit into someone else’s circle, but if you still refuse to reveal yourself in the subsequent interactions, you won’t be able to continue to get deeper into the circle, right?”

"..."

Hayato Hayama looked at the silent Hikigaya Hachiman in front of him, and for a moment he didn't know whether the other party was prompted to think or was still thinking like a combat weapon, so what he said fell on deaf ears.

But no matter which aspect it was, he knew that he couldn't stop now.

"Hikigaya-kun, if you meet your true self from the beginning, it is indeed a very happy and lucky thing, but this world is not so beautiful. Many people often need to go through a lot before they can meet their true self. Some even exhaust their own beauty when they really meet it, and feel ashamed to choose to leave, or they will never meet their true self in their whole life."

"So, most relationships start out as fake, and slowly transform into the real thing through mutual management."

"Whether it's catering to other people's interests or trying to figure out other people's emotional changes, we can find common ground with each other and the role that suits us in the relationship in the process."

“This process can sometimes be long and even painful, but who can be sure that it will be sour when it blooms and bears fruit?”

"Besides, you won't be alone at that time. As long as you have companions around you to support you and move forward together, what difficulties and pains can't you face together?"

"The power of one person is indeed very weak, but once there are many people, it cannot be said that all difficulties can be overcome, but it is much better than fighting alone, isn't it?"

"The sense of security that comes from fighting side by side can also wash away the bitterness in one's heart."

"The same beliefs between each other can warm each other's hearts. Is it wrong to work together to build something that belongs to ourselves?"

"Besides, if it really isn't a good fit, can't we all just give up?"

"Isn't it time for you to give up now?"

Hayato Hayama had already anticipated this question.

"But it's only going through the second test now. If I give up so easily, I may never find the real thing that belongs to me in my entire life."

"If you give up or escape when you encounter a little difficulty, how can you catch the fleeting dawn of victory?"

This simple sentence resonated deeply with Hikigaya Hachiman. After all, if he gave up when fighting with Spider Gurongi because his flesh and blood were pierced and flew away, then Hikigaya Komachi would have completely faced death and would not have lived well in this world, continuing to show him the cutest smile, healing his life, and having the motivation to fight anything.

Therefore, he could not refute this statement.

"ok, I get it."

At this point, Hikigaya Hachiman already understood the attitudes of Hayama Hayato and Ebina Hina, and had his own ideas about how to maintain the relationships in their current circle.

However, when he decided to do so, for some reason he remembered the distressed yet relieved smile on Shizuka Hiratsuka's face during the cultural festival, which made his heart begin to ache.

"Hey~ Hikigaya-kun…"

Hearing the voice behind him, Hikigaya Hachiman stopped but did not turn around.

"I think you'd better try to get your heart out, otherwise you will regret it sooner or later."

Hayato Hayama silently looked at Hikigaya Hachiman who left without answering.

"I know what you will do, and your approach is undoubtedly the best at the moment, so hypocrisy or reward is fine."

He seemed to have lost all his strength. He slumped to the ground and stared at the receding figure with longing eyes.

"I hope my words can create some cracks in your heart. As long as there are cracks in it, Yukino and Yui will definitely be able to break through its defenses and really step into your heart, allowing you to truly recognize yourself and begin to learn to rely on others."

For some reason, Hayato Hayama now seemed to vaguely understand this test and what the God of Creation really wanted.

——————In the unknown space

"So, do you still think that humans are incapable of distinguishing right from wrong and must live under your control?"

Touma didn't look back. He was not at all surprised by the arrival of Kawada Shinichi behind him. On the contrary, he would not be like himself if he remained indifferent when he saw that humans had once again exceeded his expectations.

"But this is only a minority after all. Most humans are weak. They only believe what they see and do not work hard to pursue the truth."

"It is just as you said. Humans only believe the truth they want. Few people pursue the truth hidden inside, which leads to many tragedies on the dark side."

“That’s why, after most humans awakened to the power of light and discovered that they possessed superpowers, they simply took the fact that they were the chosen ones as the truth and acted according to their own wishes without delving into the truth of possessing this power. They turned into monsters in human skins and caused the great flood that destroyed the world in the ancient times.”

Shinichi Kawada did not deny what Toma said. He would not deny what really happened. Otherwise, they would never be able to make Toma understand what the infinite possibilities of human beings are.

"However, it is precisely because of the existence of these monsters that you can see the good side of humans, right?"

"This world is a place of balance. There is no absolute evil or absolute good. That's why humans are so complicated that they create miracles that change your mind again and again when you despair of us. They make you hesitate whether to destroy the world and create us again, right?"

“We are indeed very vulnerable, but as long as we have companions with the same beliefs around us, we can supervise each other and encourage each other to become better.”

"And isn't this what you want that brat to understand?"

Kawada Shinichi's tone softened a lot, which made Douma think a lot.

"I know you won't make up your mind so easily, but I want you to calm down and take a good look at what kind of creatures we humans are."

“Our lives cannot be understood simply by observing from the sidelines. Even if we have the same experience, we will have different endings because of our different hearts. This is the infinite possibility of us humans.”

"So, calm down, forget about the existence of Agito, and savor us humans carefully."

"You said so much because you're afraid that I'll see those two Agitos and kill them if they hurt Hachiman, right?"

“There are indeed considerations in this regard.”

Kawada Shinichi did not deny what Touma said, because this was indeed one of his purposes, and lying in front of the God of Creation was of no use at all, so it would be better to admit it.

"However, that was actually incidental. I just didn't want to miss any of the highlights of human beings. When you were hesitating whether to intervene, the boy broke free from your guidance and made a decision for you. At the same time, he was also thinking about how to use this opportunity to help the brat recognize himself. He also guessed the fundamental purpose of your test. The most important thing is that I didn't tell the two little girls about this possibility to ensure that you can see the most realistic development."

"Isn't this worth my talking about?"

Dou Zhen had nothing to say about this.

Just as Kawada Shinichi said, he was originally planning to start the test directly on the Yukinoshita sisters and Yuigahama Yui. However, after discovering that Hikigaya Hachiman's awkward personality could actually be improved through this incident, he has been hesitating whether to give up the test.

After all, letting the two Agitos help Hikigaya Hachiman to recognize himself or something like that, He felt that it was a desecration of such a beautiful existence, and that was something He could not accept.

But while he was still hesitating, Hayato Hayama pushed Tobe Sho directly in front of Yukinoshita Yukino and others, forcing him to go with the flow and start the test of this core transformation.

Afterwards, the opponent, relying on his better understanding of Hachiman Kigaya, launched a series of heavy artillery with considerable destructive power, which continuously bombarded the latter's solid psychological defense wall, causing real damage.

It would be a lie to say that Dou Zhen didn't feel relieved, as if his child had finally grown up.

"I'll watch it carefully."

So, He made another promise to Shinichi Kawada.

"Then take another look at the infinite possibilities of human beings."

After Shinichi Kawada said this line again, he disappeared into an unknown space.

"Again? How many times can I hear this?"

No one can answer the words of the Creator God, just as His inner obsession cannot be relieved.

Chapter 182: The Ultimate Darkness Appears, Hikigaya Hachiman Loses Consciousness

The bright crescent moon hangs high in the dark night sky. The silvery light pouring down and the blurred white light of the bamboo path merge into a soft halo, which, combined with the lush bamboos on both sides, creates a landscape with a very romantic atmosphere.

This was a place that the Service Club trio accidentally discovered while they were out and about. It was a perfect place for Tobe Sho and Ebina Hime to confess their love tonight, and it would also increase their chances of winning a little bit.

At this moment, as the male (gong) protagonist of the night, Sho Tobe, like most innocent little boys who have just fallen in love, stood stiffly in place, trying his best to control his disordered breathing and his heart that was about to explode, so that they could calm down and not interfere with the functioning of his brain, otherwise he felt that he would not be able to speak clearly later.

On the road some distance away from him, watching him were Ooka Yamato, who was just there to watch the fun and did not provide any practical help except for teaming up with others, and Hayama Hayato, whose attention was apparently on Tobe Sho, but his actual attention was on the opposite group of three people from the Service Club, Hikigaya Hachiman.

[Xiaoxue, what do you think is the true purpose of the God?]

[I don't know either. At first I thought that I was ambushed by an angel while handling a commission, which caused my credibility to be blocked. This made me wonder if I could handle the relationship between Yukinoshita Yukino and Agito. I had to either give up my human identity or my Agito identity. After all, the Service Club is an important way for me to realize my ideals, so I can't give up.]

On the other side, Yuigahama Yui and Yukinoshita Yukino were discussing the purpose of this seemingly nonsensical test set by Toma.

[Yuigahama-san, what do you think?]

[If it were me, it would probably be Xiao Hu's confession that failed, and my circle of friends would collapse. Xiao Xue, do you think I don't mind this kind of thing?]

[I will definitely not be so attentive in the following training or fighting. If I were to assign a few angels to me one after another, I would definitely not be able to hold on and would go berserk.]

Yuigahama Yui subconsciously touched her eyes, and her smile revealed a hint of bitterness.

[After all, the purpose of my eyes is to end everything, so...]

Even if she didn't say it, Yukinoshita Yukino already understood what she said next.

[Let's work hard together, Yuigahama-san.]

Without saying much, she showed a gentle smile, stretched out her hand, and said this while holding her friend's somewhat cold hand.

[Well, let’s work hard together, Xiaoxue.]

Yuigahama Yui felt the warmth in her hands, and the frozen image of the puppy's death in her mind melted away like snow under the scorching sun.

Hikigaya Hachiman took advantage of the time the two were talking to walk over to Tobe Sho, who was mumbling to relieve his tension, and said, "Tobe, you won't give up, right?"

"Don't talk to me suddenly, Hidori-kun. I... I'm really nervous right now."

"Stop talking nonsense. Will you not give up even if you are dumped?"

"Of course. Although I usually look very casual, I am serious this time."

Tobe Sho saw that Hikigaya Hachiman was not joking, so he took a deep breath and spoke to him seriously.

"Yeah, I understand."