Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

"He has personally experienced loneliness and betrayal, but the betrayal was not fatal, and the loneliness only lasted for a short time. He can understand the resilience that Yukinoshita faced during her ten years of solitude... However, four hundred years."

"A person, holding a blank book, hid in a forbidden library for four hundred years. During those four hundred years, how many hopes did he experience, and how many times did those hopes turn into disappointment? Hachiman Hikigaya simply cannot understand!"

"His research on humanity is very thorough, but a four-hundred-year contract... this level of despair, he really couldn't empathize with, couldn't resonate with, and couldn't understand Betty."

"Knowing nothing—although he heard Betty's description, he couldn't understand it, which is equivalent to knowing nothing. Under such circumstances, what can he say to comfort Betty?"

"Perhaps every word I said sounded like a sharp, grating expression of my self-righteousness to Betty."

"But... even if it's just wishful thinking, he has to say it!"

"I can't understand, I can't understand Beatrice, four hundred years of loneliness and all that—but, you have to live! Living is better than dying. If you die, you have nothing. If you live, there's still a chance for a turnaround and a future. That's the only thing I dare to say!"

"He shook Betty's shoulders frantically, trying to get her to make an expression—any expression would do: displeasure, thought, anything, or even mockery!"

"...Betty, you've lived long enough."

"Betty didn't show any expression; she simply closed her eyes slowly. She didn't plug her ears, but Hachiman Hikigaya knew she couldn't hear anything."

"Hachiman Hikigaya moved his lips, his mind in turmoil. This was the first time he had ever faced a problem and felt so helpless."

"Ugh... what is this all about?"

"Yeah, what exactly is this all about?"

The book of wisdom in her arms crashed to the ground, its scattered blank pages drifting away in the wind. Betty stared blankly at the future, lost and bewildered.

If I hadn't been looking at this from this perspective for so long, with all sorts of unforgettable images of Hachiman Hikigaya in my mind, my love for him, and my expectations for him, Betty might already be as desperate as she is in the future.

"Are you scared, Beatrice?"

It was Roswaal, who had long seen through everything, who pulled her out of her confusion.

He chuckled lightly, "Is this all the despair you've come to, Beatrice? After seeing so much from you, don't you still have enough faith in him?"

The person who placed high hopes on Hachiman Hikigaya, the person who believed in Hachiman Hikigaya without a doubt, the person who regarded Hachiman Hikigaya as the sun, was him, it was always Roswaal, not only the most certain, but also the first.

"The man who can accomplish my goal, the man who can help me revive my teacher, must be extremely powerful. He is the sun! I have always believed this, I have always been certain of this—it's just that, my teacher is the universe, so Hachiman Hikigaya, the sun, will be arranged by my teacher, that's all."

"That's how I used to think."

"It's not just you who's waiting; I was waiting too, waiting for the sun to come and for me to bask in its glory."

Roswaal chuckled to himself, appearing quite nonchalant. "So, that's all the confidence you have in him, Beatrice?"

“Betty… um… who said that? Nonsense, Roswaal, nonsense!”

Rubbing her eyes and covering her face with her sleeve, Betty's heart, which had cooled after witnessing that hopeless future, was rekindled by this provocation.

"Yes, yes... You've accomplished so much, solved so much, saved so much—so, so! Saving Betty one more wouldn't hurt, right? You can do it too!"

Betty had given up on thinking about why the Book of Wisdom was still blank; she took a deep breath.

"——Hachiman!!"

"Four hundred years of solitude..."

On the Tower of Sages, Shaula suddenly became extremely gloomy. In this world, if anyone could understand Betty at this moment, she might be the only one in the entire world.

"A promise made four hundred years ago... Master!"

It's hard to understand, and even hard to imagine.

The existence of Betty, a great elf who has lived for four hundred years, has never been a secret among the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Lugnica. Throughout history, countless nobles have tried to become her 'the one,' but none have ever succeeded.

"I...like Lord Hachiman, cannot understand. But those hopeless eyes are so shocking."

Crusch, Anastasia, Felt, Priscilla, Emilia—even the candidates standing at the pinnacle of this kingdom could not comprehend Betty's pain.

"I... can't understand either, but I can't understand even more why Hachiman-senpai would say he can't understand. Isn't that too modest? He died so many times in such agony, carrying those burdens all by himself. His feelings must be just as intense, right?"

At the Shirogane residence, Shirogane Kei frowned. She didn't really want to boast about the hardships Hikigaya-senpai had endured, but if they were to discuss these things and rank them, Hikigaya-senpai would definitely be one of the best.

“This is different, Xiao Gui.”

Miyuki Shirogane sighed and gave a vivid example: "There is a person who has cancer and lies on a hospital bed day and night, groaning in agony, receiving excruciating treatments all day long; another person has gone bankrupt from all his wealth and has become a beggar, even struggling to make ends meet."

"Both of these people bear equally and unparalleled pain and torment, but can they really say that they can understand each other's pain?"

"Reality is such a bastard, sigh!"

177. Under incomprehensible torment

"Is there nothing more we can do...?"

"Since his transmigration, he has encountered far too many obstacles, almost all of which are quite troublesome. But this time, facing Betty who has given up struggling, it is difficult for Hachiman Hikigaya to describe it with such a simple word as troublesome. Even he is at a loss for the time being."

"There are many words of comfort and encouragement, but those things are useless to me, who cannot understand Betty's four-hundred-year obsession, let alone to the girl in front of me."

"But outside this quiet, forbidden library, my closest friends are fighting desperately to buy me time, so no matter what, I must—"

"Were you really such a heartless person?"

"The girl who closed her eyes to face death felt no pain after waiting quietly. When she opened her eyes again, Betty's face and tone became terrifying, with a hint of life in her voice, yet it was a chilling coldness, a reproach, a scathing rebuke of Hachiman Hikigaya."

"Not allowing Betty to find relief, ignoring Betty's pleas, being self-righteous and doing things her own way... Your tenderness, your affection, were never truly shown to Betty? Was it all just Betty's wishful thinking all along?"

"Yes, ultimately, the person you interact with the least in this mansion is Betty. You only step into this forbidden library when necessary—and even then, it's not for Betty's sake!"

"Betty isn't gentle, Betty isn't cute, and Betty hasn't been as kind to you as that half-elf and the maid—Betty doesn't dare to expect you to treat her the way you treat them, but you won't even lift a finger to help Betty out of this easy request!?"

"You're so heartless, Hachiman Hikigaya!"

"Your opinion of me is wrong!"

"To the roar, roar back; to the shout, shout back; to the subjectivity, respond with subjectivity."

"With his hands resting on the shoulders of the girl who was coldly watching and condemning him, Hachiman Hikigaya's heart was churning with turmoil."

“Beatrice, it’s true… it would be a lie to say that you are the most important person in my eyes and in my heart—but no, we’ve talked a lot, and my feelings for you are just as strong!”

"That was during the month or so I spent at the mansion."

"Training, gathering villagers' opinions about Emilia, gaining a deep understanding of the current situation in the Kingdom of Lugunica, having long talks with Roswaal all night, and engaging in a tumultuous battle of wits with Remram."

"—Aside from these, the rest of the time was spent quietly immersed in Betty's forbidden library."

"This is a treasure cave, hiding all sorts of precious gems."

"The history of this other world, from ancient times to the present, the mythical epics, the stories from four hundred years ago, as well as various customs, traditions and common sense, and books about fighting, swordsmanship and magic, are all priceless treasures."

"For more than a month, Hachiman Hikigaya would visit this place almost every day, and then quietly take out a book to read."

"Aside from the fact that the book about 'another world' that he most wanted to see simply didn't exist, he gained so much knowledge here. Thanks to this, his activities in the capital went without any mistakes. His accurate grasp of the nobles and knights was precisely because of the accumulation he made in that month."

"I came here for knowledge, so I've been very quiet, and that's certainly true. But Beatrice, have you really forgotten, or are you deliberately ignoring—me, and you, we're both enjoying, we're both enjoying that quiet time, aren't we?!"

"I can feel your presence. When I'm looking for a book and don't know where to start, you gently hum and point out which shelf the book I want to read is on. When I encounter words that Ram hasn't taught me yet, and I ask you about their meanings, you always answer me."

"Your pride, your gifts, your kindness, your goodness to me—all of these, I've always cherished them, Beatrice!!"

"You must be able to sense it too—before meals, I'll put down my book and leave. On the eve of my departure, I'll ask what you'd like to eat and relay your message to Remram—please feel my presence."

"These aren't etched in my memory enough, they're not enough to be milestones. So every day I think of Emilia, Rem, Yukinoshita, even Crusch—but aren't the ordinary, everyday moments, accumulated together, the most profound emotions, an unforgettable part of life, Beatrice?"

"If I truly have no feelings for you, if I truly feel I have no communication with you, if I truly consider you an insignificant outsider, then just because you saw Rem die... how could I possibly wipe away your tears, Beatrice!"

"The most sincere expression, the most sincere tone, the most sincere shaking of Betty's shoulders, yet Hachiman Hikigaya's heart sank a great deal."

"Some relief... Betty, she's somewhat relieved, a little joyful."

"But you... are not 'that person'."

"But her suicidal intent, her determination to end it all, remained unwavering in the slightest."

"That person..." Hachiman Hikigaya gritted his teeth. If he didn't resolve Betty's inner conflict about "that person" here, then he should—

"——"

"At that moment, Betty seemed to open her eyes in surprise. She looked at the door of the Forbidden Library, then turned to look at the clueless Hachiman Hikigaya. Suddenly, she grabbed Hachiman Hikigaya's hand, pulled him to the door, pushed it open, and left the Forbidden Library together."

"Wait, what—"

"The once tranquil forbidden library was now a scene of devastation, with bloodstains everywhere, many walls broken and blasted with large holes, dust billowing everywhere, and the crisp sound of clashing weapons ringing out constantly. The beast-like Frederica had many chunks of flesh cut off from her body, and Ram was panting heavily, with only one hand left."

"Mr. Hachiman! I can't take it anymore! You've finally come!!"

In the distance, Otto, covered in blood, stared with a mournful expression. Nearby lay the corpses of his animal friends. "There are magical beasts! Magical beasts that aren't driven away by the ore! Thank goodness, if you had come out any later—"

"None of these things seem so important at this moment."

"Through the broken wall, I could see the scene outside."

"In the remaining directions, a colossal creature tens of meters tall stretched out. That black shadow... Hachiman Hikigaya recognized this new uninvited guest; her name was..."

"The Witch of Jealousy, Satella".

178. Satella, death, and understanding

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

"The whispers that once lingered in his heart have now become a tangible reality. Her enormous body, almost comparable to that of a beluga whale, caused Elsa, Melly, Otto, Ram, and Frederica, who were unaware of her true identity, to instinctively stop fighting. They felt an overwhelming difference in strength and malice emanating from Satella."

"Why, why is she here? What's going on?"

"The reality is confusing," Hachiman Hikigaya murmured. He understood that Satella had only appeared because of him, but why had she behaved herself so well during all the previous Return from Death events, only to appear this time? What exactly was that trigger?

"Satella, stop right there!"

"Hachiman Hikigaya tried to command Satella, but to no avail. The murmuring Satella not only drew closer, but also created shadows to attack the mansion, devouring everything in her path. Such methods were chilling."

"Sure enough, no matter how much they say they love me, whether it's true or not, the values ​​of the Witch Clan are all very questionable. It's hard to say what kind of love this is."

Having quickly finished his analysis, Hachiman Hikigaya, no longer caring about resolving Betty's inner conflict, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Elsa, Melly, let's call a truce! Otto, Ram, Frederica, take Rem and Petra and run!"

Elsa narrowed her eyes. "This was an unforeseen accident, there was nothing we could do about it. We'll have to save the employer's task for next time."

"She and Melly are about to flee with their massive army of monsters. Death is not frightening to them, but being killed by this enemy would be far more terrifying than death itself—this is a consensus among everyone."

"Everyone feels this way from the first moment they see Satella."

"Splat!"

"The next second, countless, innumerable black shadows enveloped, ravaged, and crushed the two people, finally assimilating them into their bodies."