Chapter 323. Regulus on the Brink of Ruin
「"—Wha—how is that possible!?"」
His steps toward the Royal Capital ground to a sudden, jarring halt. Regulus's eyes looked ready to burst from their sockets; he was utterly astonished, and that astonishment instantly curdled into hatred. He stared up with a terrifying gaze at the images of Hikigaya Hachiman and Anastasia, who had reached the same conclusion.
"Adulterers! Ignoring my rights, my right to privacy, the privacy rights of my wives, the right to freedom of my wives! Stealing my wives, peeking at my Authority—I say, no matter how perfect, no matter how generous one is, encountering such shameless adulterers is truly nauseating! To dare, to dare, to dare, to dare invade me with such defiance! Invade me! Invade me! Invade me!!"
After spitting out these vicious words, Regulus was panting heavily. Yet, despite being only two hours away from arriving at the Royal Capital of Lugnica, he showed no intention of taking another step forward.
Given his personality, he should have sped up to deal with the pair who had violated his "rights."
But he didn't. Because he... was afraid!?
The wives, no longer numb, felt as if they had heard the voice of a divine blessing. They quickly searched their memories and remembered: every time Regulus traveled, he brought them along, and he never let them get too far away.
That was it... yes... if it weren't necessary, how could a self-important, utterly selfish, willfully "Bastard Fake" man-child like Regulus keep a "burden" like them around!
Their blood began to flow with life; their souls stretched out.
Looking up at the sky, watching their future selves, some of the wives could not help but let out a smile—a smile of reverence and longing... In this moment, Hikigaya Hachiman and Anastasia were their gods, their saviors.
However, facing the wives who had dared to smile on their own accord, Regulus did not kill them in an instant.
The man-child, his face shifting between shadows and light, was immersed in his own world of fury. His eyes could only hold Hikigaya Hachiman and Anastasia. He cursed them, breathing heavily, wishing for these "adulterers" to die a miserable death!
But no matter how much he loathed them, he simply didn't dare advance toward the Royal Capital anymore.
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"As expected of Miss Anastasia. Truly amazing."
On the streets of the Royal Capital, Emilia pursed her lips, feeling a bit frustrated, but she still felt joy for Anastasia's sharpness and wit... After all, this was a major matter concerning whether Hachiman could win and whether the entire Water Gate City could survive. It was no time for jealousy.
At the same time, Rem also let out a dejected sigh.
"Compared to Rem, who can only do housework and isn't strong enough to defeat a Sin Archbishop, Lady Anastasia can provide Hachiman with sufficient help..."
She really didn't want to admit it, but she had to.
"See, right?" At the Kousaka house, an elated Kousaka Kirino nudged her brother with her elbow.
The tide of the battle in Pristella was beginning to show the dawn of victory. Her mood began to soar, no longer so suppressed.
Not just her—many people breathed a sigh of relief.
"In terms of ability, Big Sister Anna is the closest to the amazing Hikigaya-senpai. In terms of personality, Big Sister Anna is also the most fun and the most likely to let Hikigaya-senpai enjoy happiness. By comparison, Big Sister Emilia falls a bit short... well, though Big Sister Emilia is certainly prettier in terms of looks."
A determined Kousaka Kirino clenched her fist. "But Big Sister Anna is very cute, isn't she!"
Kousaka Kyousuke turned his head. He accepted the fact that Anastasia was formidable, but he would forever support Emilia and Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Emilia is number one in the world, Emilia is number one in the world, Emilia is number one in the world... Ahhh, Emilia, your home base is being raided! Notice it already!"
Kyousuke was a bit frantic. "
You were the first one there, and you've been with Hachiman the longest, yet it's turned out like this. Are you worthy of those of us who support you, Emilia!?"
"Anastasia, huh." At the Karsten estate, Crusch shook her head with a bitter smile.
Looking at it now, "cutting in" was really not a matter of luck. This Anastasia—she simply had that kind of strength. Her vision, intelligence, and decisive judgment were not inferior to Lord Hachiman's, and she was even more proactive in her boldness.
In the battle for Pristella so far, the one who had contributed the most was Lord Hachiman, and the second was Reinhard. But Anastasia, while working hard to build the camp, had found
the key to affecting Regulus's Authority. She would soon be tied for the second-highest contribution.
Compared to Anastasia, whether it was Crusch herself, Emilia, Garfiel, or Julius, their contributions fell far short.
It was only natural that someone so talented, capable, and proactive could snatch Lord Hachiman away.
"But that was the original future, Anastasia." Crusch's gaze grew sharp. "The current me has more or less learned from your brazenness, your persistence, and your proactivity. I won't fail again, Anastasia!"
Ferris and Wilhelm both acknowledged her spirit. At this point, it was no longer just about Crusch wanting to snatch Hikigaya Hachiman; Wilhelm was actually more invested than she was.
His wish for Hachiman to join the Karsten camp burned even more fiercely.
"I really hope they understand after seeing this that the Prime Minister being with Me is for the best." Anastasia smiled craftily, saying words she knew were unrealistic... Her soft hand touched her long lavender hair.
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「Since they already knew these wives were related to Regulus's invincibility, the fastest and most convenient method would have been to simply start killing them. However, neither Hikigaya Hachiman nor Anastasia was so cold-hearted.」
「"First, let the physicians give them a full-body checkup. See if we can find any cause within their bodies."」
「When they heard that a key to breaking Regulus's invincibility might be hidden within them, the wives' eyes widened, and they trembled violently. In the next second, tears flowed like a fountain.」
「Having been given this hope, these women retreated from their numbness. To resolve the issue of Regulus, every single one was exceptionally cooperative. The pain and fear they had suffered under Regulus's oppression rebounded into the most loathing curses and most vicious verbal abuse.」
「"I hate him, I hate him to death."
"He's mentally ill."
"His brain is sick."
"He should have died long ago."
"He's like a giant infant, lower than a child."
"He killed my entire family."
"Every word he speaks makes me want to puke; I feel nauseous just looking at him."
"Scum, dregs."
"I've thought about beating him to death so many times."」
「—They vented, like a gushing well.」
「Before the three worlds, the wives knelt on the ground crying, cursing the man-child, indicting the crimes and the disgusting nature of Regulus Corneas to the entire world.」
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