Chapter 328. Crusch's Failed Confession (Part 2)
「"Hey, hey~ Can you all hear me? Well, it doesn't matter if you can't. If you're some deaf person who can't appreciate my heavenly voice, that's your own loss, hee-hee~ Such meat-scraps have no reason to be alive~"」
「Interrupting Crusch's budding romantic bashfulness was a sudden broadcast voice, Capella's words echoing throughout the entire city. This broadcast caused Hikigaya Hachiman to instantly retract his vulnerability, his eyes turning sharp as he returned to his wartime posture.」
「He was no longer leaning warmly in Crusch's embrace.」
「"I, this Great One, clearly gave you annoying, eyesore, disgusting meat-clumps a chance to live. But oh my, oh my, there are actually meat-males and meat-females so stupid and thick-headed that they mistake seeking death for courage and dared to attack me, to attack the Witch Cult—oops, that little flood just now couldn't even be called revenge, it was just a tiny little return gift."」
「"You meat-scraps have truly annoyed me. So, so, so, so~ In addition to the Witch's remains, I'm adding two more conditions~"」
「It was normal for Capella to still be able to broadcast. There were originally two broadcasting devices in the City Hall, but now only one remained. The spare one had clearly been swiped by her.」
「"First, hand over the Artificial Spirit."」
「"Second, cut out the tongue of that meat-male Hikigaya Hachiman, break his limbs, and present him obediently to me. If you do that, I might overlook the past. Hmm, if you don't do as I say, let me think... next time I open the floodgates, I'll just go ahead and destroy the gate mechanisms, hee-hee~"」
「"Watching you meat-males and meat-females sink into the water along with this pathetic city will be quite interesting too~"」
「Threatening tens of thousands of lives with casual indifference, Capella's broadcast came suddenly and ended swiftly. In truth, she knew the candidate camps were not the type of surrendering factions that would hand over their companions.」
「From the start, her broadcast wasn't truly hoping the candidates would obediently hand over the Artificial Spirit and Hikigaya Hachiman; her goal was to pin the blame for the flood onto Hikigaya Hachiman.」
「Among the ignorant masses influenced by Sirius's Authority, there might be those who would come to the City Hall to curse or storm Hikigaya Hachiman because of this. Capella felt
satisfied just thinking about the citizens Hachiman protected with so much effort turning their backs on him.
「Her open scheme was, of course, obvious to both Hikigaya Hachiman and Crusch.」
「"I'm fine." Facing Crusch's concerned expression, Hikigaya Hachiman let out a sneer at the self-righteous Sin Archbishop. "If she had sent this broadcast before Liliana appeared, I would truly have a headache."」
「"But since she wasted so much time naming me specifically to investigate my identity, her tactic has absolutely no room to work now."」
「Exhaling comfortably, a murderous Hikigaya Hachiman strode forward with large steps toward the City Hall's broadcasting room. "Before Liliana moves, I'll give Capella a little return gift of my own."」
「His killing intent masked his hidden fragility and pain, but it could not hide his exhaustion. 」
「Watching Hachiman's retreating back, Crusch, trailing a few steps behind, couldn't help but call out: "Sir Hachiman."」
「Hikigaya Hachiman stopped and looked back.」
「Pursing her lips and hesitating, Crusch felt that her face must be very red. Despite this, she persisted in voicing her feelings in a faint whisper.」
「"...If... there is a need in the future, I can become Sir Hachiman's support at any time."」
「Lowering her head, Crusch didn't dare to look at this man who made her blush, made her shy, and made her body burn with heat.」
「She couldn't see Hikigaya Hachiman's expression or know what he was thinking. She only heard, after a brief silence, a response filled with various complex emotions.」
「Hikigaya Hachiman spoke euphemistically: "Thank you."」
「In that complexly toned soft rejection, he seemed to understand something, accompanied by a gentle sigh.」
「Along with that sigh, Crusch's body rapidly cooled. Her beating heart skipped a beat, and the tingling sensation from her chest was frozen over.」
.
.
,
"—Pfft, cough, cough, cough!"
」
At the Karsten estate, the current Crusch was so agitated she choked on the water she was drinking. Her face turned bright red—not a bashful maiden's blush, but the shame and frustration of failing again, of being rejected by Sir Hachiman once more.
While she hoped her amnesiac self wouldn't overstep or make Sir Hachiman prefer a weak version of herself over her cool self, she certainly didn't want her amnesiac self to fail in her confession!
No matter which "self" it was, at the end of the day, it was her. Success was definitely better than failure.
"Time after time, again and again, it's all failure... What exactly do I have to do to successfully win Sir Hachiman's heart and soul!?"
Crusch glared fiercely at her dejected future self.
"It's all your fault!"
If it were the current her, she wouldn't have lost her head and laid her cards on the table with Sir Hachiman without any preparation. She blamed her useless amnesiac self.
"Just as I thought, nyan." Ferris shook his head wordlessly. He knew that no matter what Hikigaya Hachiman did, her Lady Crusch would never blame her "Sir Hachiman." Instead, she wouldn't hesitate to pour all her annoyance onto herself.
"Lady Crusch has already been shaped into Hachiman's form, nyan."
Outside the Royal Capital, Ram snorted coldly with her hands on her hips. She was satisfied that her brother-in-law could hold his ground, and for now, she forgave him for the sin of leaning on Crusch earlier. "Hmph, he did well enough, at least he didn't betray Rem."
Rem smiled sweetly, her eyes reflecting only the existence of her beloved Hachiman.
"Miss Crusch really is unlucky, hmm... but I guess this counts as a good thing? If she confesses early, she won't keep falling deeper while in a daze."
On the streets of the Royal Capital, Emilia, who didn't dislike Crusch, offered a moment of silence for her.
Puck was about to teach her that there was no need to pity a romantic rival, when he heard the once-naive Emilia continue her reflections: "If only Miss Anastasia could be this unlucky too. Otherwise, if she falls so far that she can't pull herself out, what will she do? —Eh? Puck, what's wrong? Why do you have such a relieved expression?"
"Nothing, nothing. I'm just... I'm just... sob."
Puck dabbed at his cat face with his paw, looking like he was finally seeing the fruits of his labor. He had a look that said, "My daughter has finally learned to be proactive."
"After teaching for so long, finally, finally—that's it, that's just right, Lia!"
He clenched his paws and punched the air, his words brimming with high spirits and immense satisfaction.
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