Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

Ram gave a cold snort. She was almost amused by Hachiman Hikigaya. This was simply taking advantage and then acting innocent. "He enjoyed Rem's affection, but instead of obediently blinding himself and only getting close to Rem from now on, he actually dares to say that he loves other people."

"Listen up, Rem—"

Ram stopped abruptly.

The little sister in her arms didn't complain to Hachiman Hikigaya. On the contrary, she was quite happy, holding her head high: "This is the first time Hachiman has mentioned his past in this world... He trusts Rem so much."

It’s over.

Ram's face turned ashen. Just as Rem respected Hachiman Hikigaya more than her own desires, Ram respected his sister more than his own desires.

How could she possibly berate Hachiman Hikigaya and stop Rem now...?

'You just wait, you just wait, Hachiman Hikigaya! When we finally meet, I'll turn you into Rem's shape, so from now on you can only think of Rem!'

As for Emilia, they can all go to hell!

"..."

Unaware that the wicked servant had already made preparations to bully their superiors, Parker and Emilia were filled with mixed feelings. The silver-haired girl's two fair hands were tangled together in a very unpleasant way.

"Sigh, although I really want to yell at him and vent my anger for you, Leah, I don't have the confidence to do so now that I'm sure your life will be saved by this kid and the little maid at all costs."

Parker looked dejected, caught in a dilemma.

Emilia gave a wry smile. "How should I put it... it's a really strange feeling, given my position..."

While she was struggling with this dilemma, in another world, Yukino Yukinoshita found herself in a very similar and strange situation.

"I'm so happy that Hikigaya-kun still remembers me after going through so much since he transmigrated... But I'm already in the past, yet I'm the reason why Hikigaya-kun, who is covered in wounds, can't fully enjoy his warm new home."

"Is it me, this ghost, who's limiting Hachiman-kun and holding you back?"

"Compared to me, who no longer exists, why don't you care more about yourself? Hachiman, you're always like this!"

Yukino Yukinoshita glared at Hachiman Hikigaya with her head, clearly annoyed.

However... if Hachiman Hikigaya really accepts Rem like this, she'll probably be unhappy about it, either because of jealousy or envy.

“Hmm…” Yukino Yukinoshita could understand her boyfriend’s speechlessness. “I really am a troublesome woman.”

Hachiman Hikigaya didn't discuss this point, and sighed contentedly: "I'm quite satisfied with my future self's choice. If I forget you because of time travel, death, or meeting other wonderful girls, then I'm the biggest imposter, the least worthy of your love, Yukinoshita."

"Here we go again, saying those kinds of things."

Yukino Yukinoshita glared at him fiercely, swallowing back all the overly modest words that were about to be uttered by this humble man.

"In the end, will it still be shelved?" The Nakano Five Sisters wondered with melancholy.

"That's true. Who has time to care about love and romance now? The reason Hachiman brought it up was simply because he was scared by the White Whale. He was afraid that something unexpected might happen in the future, which would mean he would never have the chance to mention it to Rem again. He didn't want to have any regrets."

"However, it's still such a pity!"

At the same time, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji whispered patiently, "Let me see if our ideas for breaking the deadlock are aligned... I really feel a connection with you, Hachiman Hikigaya."

"Um, Mr. Hachiman? --Whoa!"

Otto, dressed in green, was startled. His employer, Hachiman Hikigaya, said he had a mission for him, but upon meeting him, he hugged and embraced him.

"I'm sorry, Otto," Hachiman Hikigaya's voice was even more affectionate than before, "and then, thank you."

Otto's face flushed instantly, his heart warmed, and he was at a loss for words. "Eh? Hmm... I don't know what he's referring to, but Mr. Hachiman's attitude is truly flattering."

"Normally, Hachiman Hikigaya would talk to him more, but now is not the time for sentimentality."

“Otto, I need to use your connections from your trading days to get some information to Crusch and Anastasia quickly.”

Anastasia?

Felt was taken aback. "Why are you looking for Anastasia? Shouldn't he be setting off soon, bypassing the White Whale, to defeat the Witch Cult? Why is he still leisurely here?"

Reinhard carefully instructed his chosen monarch: "The power of the Bishop of Sloth is currently only visible to Hachiman in Lady Emilia's camp. With the Bishop of Sloth around, those mercenaries alone are not enough. We need strong external support to have any chance of winning."

"Then why Anastasia? He's so close to Crusch and Felix, why not just go directly to Crusch? Why add Anastasia to the mix?"

"This one……"

Reinhard wasn't quite sure either. He wasn't as clever as Hachiman Hikigaya, and he had many unconventional plans. In fact, he was also very curious as to why he was going to find Lady Anastasia.

"The invisible hand of laziness caused Hachiman Hikigaya to completely change his thinking."

"The speed and number of those invisible hands are too outrageous. We need to bring in new high-end forces, otherwise we can't win."

In other words, we need to bring in outside help.

"'We couldn't find anything from the earth dragon, but I changed the direction of my investigation and searched around. Sure enough, recently Crusch's camp has seen the addition of many warriors, knights, and even mages who have a grudge against the white whale.'"

"'Crouch's supporters are the military officers, and in return, she needs to give back to them. According to the investigation, the Sword Demon Wilhelm is also someone who still harbors feelings for the White Whale. It's reasonable for her to give back to the military officers by defeating the White Whale.'"

"'The White Whale has been rampaging for so many years, devouring countless people. Once the White Whale is defeated, those officers will completely submit to Crusch, and her prestige will soar to unprecedented heights. This is her plan.'"

"'I encountered the white whale. Crusch and her army were not present where the white whale appeared, which indirectly proves that Crusch does not have the ability to know the location and time of the white whale's appearance, but I know... this is my bargaining chip.'"

"However, my strength is too weak; relying solely on a single piece of information is insufficient to achieve my desired goal."

"We need to think of a way, use some tricks, and... Anastasia!"

73. Turning the tables and taking control

"I've been seen through."

Kuris's face stiffened.

Felix, noticing her apparent resentment, hesitated for a moment, trying to appease her without insulting his trusted friend, but before he could even utter a word...

Crusch slammed her fist on the table, her face flushed with anger: "Competition will certainly make me go all out without holding back, but when it comes to cooperation, would I cheat or deceive Lord Hachiman? In his eyes, am I not even as trustworthy as Anastasia?"

This... I don't feel like the anger of being tricked or framed, but rather the heartbreak of being unable to have the lover you desire.

"Lord Crusch really craves Lord Hachiman's approval, meow."

Crusch's eyes were filled with longing: "Of course, Phyllis. If he doesn't approve of me, how can I become the monarch he willingly serves?"

Felix and Wilhelm sighed quietly.

You admire him wholeheartedly, but he's wholeheartedly protecting Lady Emilia.

That night, Emilia's faction welcomed its first distinguished guest of considerable importance at its representative residence in the capital.

"Hachiman Hikigaya looked at Crusch and Anastasia, who had arrived together, and said helplessly, with an expression that said, 'I don't understand what you're saying.'"

"I don't know where you heard this news from. How would I know the whereabouts of the white whale? Miss Crusch, there are so many rumors circulating in the capital; you should be careful to distinguish between truth and falsehood."

"As soon as he finished speaking, Crusch, who had been staring intently at him, suddenly couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, as if he had confirmed something. Confident and composed, he now had the mood to tease him, compared to his initial bluntness: 'Your advice is quite reasonable. If we're not careful, perhaps some people will really be deceived by the rumors you spread.'"

"Anatasia, who was feeling very uncertain, immediately calmed down after seeing Crusch's reaction."

"Hachiman Hikigaya didn't seem to care, and unlike some third-rate detective drama characters, he didn't immediately expose himself once he was exposed. 'You're quite the joker, Miss Crusch.'"

"The winds of lies are blowing around you, Hachiman-sama... Being able to see through someone's lies is my blessing." Crusch's blessing hadn't been publicized before, but in order to get information about the White Whale, and since it was impossible to keep it a secret in the future anyway, she decided to bring it out here, to keep pressing Hachiman Hikigaya.

"Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes sharpened instantly, his body tensing, but he concealed all his joy, maintaining an innocent facade as he said, 'Miss Crusch, please stop joking.'"

"As far as I know."

At the same moment, Anastasia, after observing for a long time, finally made her move.

"Although we can't find out the specific details... Felt had interacted with Emilia and you before being found by the Sword Saint Reinhard, and it seems they still have a good relationship... Hmm, thinking about it, when Hachiman angrily rebuked the Sages' Society, he was actually venting Felt's anger."

"But whether it's truly 'just right'... that's hard to say."

"Hachiman Hikigaya seemed to have been struck in a weak spot. His effortless, evasive demeanor suddenly faltered, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He forced a calm expression as he looked at Anastasia and asked, 'What do you mean by that?'"

Anastasia smiled knowingly, "Well... if we sell the information about the White Whale to Felt, our already good relationship is more than enough to form an alliance. Reinhard's combat strength can also guarantee that the White Whale can be killed without Emilia's forces being deployed."

"Currently, Emilia and Felt's factions have the lowest reputation among the candidates. However, if they gain the reputation for killing the White Whale—please don't underestimate them, buddy."

Anastasia had a look on her face that said, "Confess and I'll be lenient; I see through everything."

In reality, Anastasia was trembling with anger, on the verge of losing control, and fiercely spitting out her future self.

"You think you can see through anything? You haven't seen through anything at all! Hachiman Hikigaya deliberately spread the news that he had information about the White Whale and wanted to sell it to Felt, just waiting for you to come to him so that he could raise his value. And you actually went?"

Anastasia had never felt so frustrated in her business dealings or negotiations in her entire life; she was being led by the nose from the very beginning.

"Pfft...cough cough cough!"

The esteemed knight Julius couldn't help but chuckle, but quickly stopped himself. To save face for his monarch and to restore his monarch's good opinion of his close friend, he immediately thought and said, "If the white whale really does appear outside the capital, the Hexin Merchant Guild must have suffered a great loss. For various reasons, Lady Anastasia will have no choice but to go."

"That's true."

Anastasia shook her head dejectedly. "He knew my merchant guild was suffering losses and was eager to deal with the White Whale, but I didn't know he was eager to find help to deal with the Witch Cult... Tsk, he took advantage of the information gap and tricked both Crusch and me."

"Ugh, this is so frustrating. He should have been the one begging me; I should have been the one in control!"

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji nodded approvingly, “Hachiman Hikigaya’s acting skills could never have fooled Lady Anastasia before, but he was born with exceptional talent and died many times. Each death was a test of his character. This time, he was also cunning and waited for the enemy to catch him off guard.”

"A genius from another world, this candidate's loss is not unjustified."

“Keep growing, Hachiman Hikigaya,” Kiyotaka Ayanokoji said, not out of jealousy, but out of excitement. “If you have the potential to grow to a height even greater than mine, I would be happy to make the long-awaited leap forward.”

"Anastasia, hehe."

Priscilla, a genius in business and negotiation, was suddenly put at a complete disadvantage in front of the whole world and made a fool of herself. She smiled with delight and ate two more slices of apple.

"I wonder if Emilia, Crusch, Felt, and others will make fools of themselves by daring to rival me. That would be so interesting."

"and many more--"

Looking at Hachiman Hikigaya, who had made remarkable progress, a thought suddenly crossed her mind: was it possible that she too might oppose Emilia and be tricked by him?

Although it was just a fleeting moment, Hachiman Hikigaya's power and temperament were so formidable that she could not ignore the threat he posed.

Everyone else was wary and angry, but Crusch, the beautiful woman in military uniform, completely transformed into her own 'Hachiman-sama's' fubuki.

Felix could perfectly mimic the phrase she said most often:

"As expected of Lord Hachiman!"

74. Anastasia: Waaaaah!

Rem, standing to one side, couldn't help but show a shocked expression, which further solidified Anastasia and Crusch's conviction.

"However, Rem was shocked because the arrival of these two people and how they approached step by step were consistent with what Hachiman Hikigaya had told her—that after hearing his explanation, she would be shocked when the facts came to pass, and this step was also part of Hachiman Hikigaya's plan."