The Fake Rem and Crusch
「Batenkaitos's raw strength was not as immense as Sirius's, but the gap was not wide. Having devoured the memories of countless powerful individuals, Batenkaitos was capable of fluidly employing a variety of top-tier combat techniques from different masters.」
「Coupled with his agile body and a ghost-like presence—whether it was an effect of his Authority or space magic, he possessed an ability akin to teleportation.」
「Not long after the battle began, both Al and Hikigaya Hachiman were already wounded.」
「If Hachiman and Crusch had been able to maintain the seamless synchronization they showed in their previous fight against Capella, they could have at least parried more attacks for one another. However, following the failed confession, Crusch's mind was in total disarray; she simply could not calm herself.」
「Her desolate state of mind affected her footwork, turning her into the perfect breakthrough point for the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony to target.」
「"Binge eating! Gluttony! How wonderful, how great, isn't it fantastic? Although there are two useless items here I've already tasted, what a pity—but, this is perfect!"」
「Clang!」
「Weapons clashed as Hikigaya Hachiman blocked yet another attack for the faltering Crusch. The look in his eyes as he stared at Batenkaitos was colder than ever before. Since coming to this parallel world, the person he hated most was Batenkaitos.」
「He hated him so much that he had even entertained thoughts of slicing the Archbishop into a thousand pieces or tearing him limb from limb—ensuring Batenkaitos died in extreme agony.」
「"It's perfect, because Sir Hachiman all by himself is an unprecedented feast! Since the others have already been sampled, it just allows me to focus on consuming the world's best Sir Hachiman, hee-hee-hee~"」
「"Wh...!?"」
「Crusch's spirit was violently shaken. She stared at Batenkaitos with wide, incredulous eyes.」
「The tone, demeanor, and honorifics the Sin Archbishop used right now were clearly those of the "her" that Wilhelm, Ferris, and the others always spoke of—the true, former Crusch.」
「Swoosh!」
「A sharp blade whistled through the air. Batenkaitos's attempt to strike while Crusch was dazed failed; Hachiman grabbed Crusch by her slender waist, and the two used the momentum of a jump to spring out of Batenkaitos's reach.」
「"How wonderful, how great, isn't this fantastic! To think that I, who was always jealous of Emilia for picking up such a wonderful Sir Hachiman, finally have a moment to be so valued by Sir Hachiman myself. I'm so happy I can't help but want to win Sir Hachiman over to my side!"」
「Batenkaitos showed no regret, standing his ground and continuing to speak using Crusch's persona while effortlessly parrying Al's attacks.」
「"Shut up, you wretched fake," Hachiman stared at him coldly. "Even if you have Crusch's memories, you can never impersonate her. One day, I will cut out your tongue, Batenkaitos!"」
「"Eh? Are you angry? Hachiman's angry face is so wonderful too! You're simply the best person in the world! No matter the expression, Rem absolutely loves Hachiman! But... but... if Hachiman cheats and stays with Lady Crusch, Rem will be very sad. Will Hachiman stop liking Rem? Eh—"」
「Cold light flashed as Hikigaya Hachiman lunged like an arrow from a bow. His sword darted through the air, moving so fast it left afterimages. This supernatural display of swordsmanship momentarily forced Batenkaitos into a frantic defense.」
「"It's okay, it's really okay. Even if Hachiman wants to kill Rem, it's okay, because Rem loves Hachiman the most! To be Hachiman's hero, Rem is willing to do anything. So—"」
「After finishing the masquerade in Rem's voice, Batenkaitos's expression shifted, and he spoke in his original, terrifying voice: "What a truly heart-rending sentiment!"」
「This horrifying transition was usually enough to cause those caught in his "tender trap"—immersed in the beautiful voices of loved ones he had devoured—to show massive openings. He had used this method to kill many powerful warriors in the past.」
「However, Hachiman's expression remained unchanged. The blade in his hand moved with perfect precision, not faltering for even a fraction of a second due to the change in voice.」
「"Hmm~ I see, I see. So you are essentially such a cold-blooded and heartless person. Rem-yo, Rem-chan, Crusch-chan, Julius-chan... how truly pitiful they are, pouring such deep, unrequited affection into you."」
「Plying one trick after another, Batenkaitos was determined to make Hachiman slip so he could enjoy this "feast."」
「But... despite being depicted in the memories of Rem, Crusch, and Julius as someone who deeply values bonds, Hachiman did not lose control of his emotions for a single moment despite the accusations.」
「Hachiman's gaze grew even colder, accumulating his hatred and waiting for it to erupt all at once. As a "monster of logic," he would never step into Batenkaitos's trap. No matter how much it hurt inside, he knew what the best course of action was.」
「His decision-making was flawless, but his body began to give out. His stamina was fading, and the backlash of his brief burst of speed appeared. He retreated alongside Al; Julius's magic bombardment still failed to hit Batenkaitos, serving only to buy the two panting men a little time.」
「"This is bad, brother." Al's iron helmet shook. Unable to use his partial Authority, his own strength was only roughly on par with Ricardo's—not as brilliant as Julius or Wilhelm, let alone comparable to Emilia or Priscilla.」
「The current Hachiman wasn't much stronger than Ricardo either; his physical stats were too low. To hold back Batenkaitos for this long was already his limit; defeat was imminent.」
「The two exchanged a look and reached a consensus: no matter how hard it was, they had to stall a bit longer.」
「Although the other battlefields were going well and they could theoretically lure Batenkaitos over there, doing so would introduce variables. Perhaps Priscilla could have killed Capella, but if Batenkaitos appeared, Capella might get a breathing room. A situation where a Sin Archbishop could have been killed might turn into one where none were.」
「They couldn't let that happen. They had to wait for the others to finish their enemies and come to support.」
「"I'm sorry..."」
「Crusch bit her lower lip, forcing herself to pull together and stand by Hachiman's side.」
「Hachiman knew why she was apologizing and shook his head gently. "It was my fault for leaning on you without permission and giving you the wrong idea... I'll talk to you in detail after the fight is over, Crusch. For now, just focus."」
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