Chapter 345. Starting from Zero
"This is going too far!"
Outside the Royal Capital, Ram was already flying into a rage, her teeth grinding together and a bloodthirsty gaze fixed deathly upon the forceful Crusch.
"Stealing a man is one thing—it's not like she's the only one doing it—but what is this? 'Wanting to be Sir Hachiman's hero'? That shameless, brazen, foul, and low-down woman actually wants to snatch Rem's special status!"
It wasn't just Ram; at this moment, even the usually good-tempered Rem—who had remained gentle even after seeing so many "vixens" trying to steal her man—couldn't help but wear a terrifying expression, her eyes sharp.
For the first time ever, she felt a flash of murderous intent toward a girl her beloved Hachiman liked.
"T-this isn't right, is it? What triggered Big Sister Crusch? How did she suddenly become so proactive, and so... skilled at this?"
At the Kousaka residence, Kousaka Kirino was dumbfounded. "Is this really Big Sister Crusch? She hasn't been possessed by Big Sister Anna, has she?"
"One should be prepared to see a person in a new light after even a short absence. Although this is the fragile version of Crusch after her memory loss, she has undergone a metamorphosis. She can improve; don't underestimate her, Kirino."
Kousaka Kyousuke analyzed: "The bloody battle in the Watergate City, seeing so many corpses and facing powerful enemies—all of it pushed Crusch to become strong, to become like she was before her amnesia."
"Failing to protect Hikigaya, leading to his memory loss, is an even greater thorn—the most direct stimulus. No matter how fragile a person is, once they have a goal for revenge and someone they want to protect, they will become proactive and strong."
At this point, Kyousuke gave a reminder, "As for Crusch suddenly becoming 'skilled'... didn't you find her logic for comforting Hikigaya very familiar, Kirino?"
"Familiar? Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit familiar." Kirino froze, thinking hard for a good while before realization dawned on her.
"Ah! A lot of that content is exactly what Hikigaya-senpai said to comfort Big Sister Crusch on that first night they arrived at the Watergate City!"
"That despicable Crusch, dammit."
With a bang, Izumi Sagiri slammed her fist onto the table, her eyes turning red. As an "Anna partisan," she felt uncomfortable all over the moment she saw another "vixen" making more progress than Big Sister Anna.
If this wasn't beneficial for Hikigaya-senpai, she would have hated Crusch by now.
"It's just too despicable. It really was better when she was that 'Iron Straight-Laced Woman.' Bastard Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, hurry up and return the memories of Hikigaya-senpai and the old Crusch."
"If this continues, the 'Romantic Version' of Crusch might actually win Hikigaya-senpai over. Big Sister Anna is in danger!"
Sagiri grumbled anxiously, but then she heard a loud laugh beside her. She turned to see her brother, Izumi Masamune, with his hands on his hips, looking absolutely elated.
"Yes! This is great! After all this time, Crusch has finally pulled ahead! It wasn't in vain that I didn't switch sides all this time. Crusch is Number One in the world!"
As a "blockhead" who was only slightly better than Uesugi Fuutarou, Masamune originally didn't understand romance, but after watching Hikigaya Hachiman for so long, he had finally begun to catch on.
"You idiot brother, get out!"
Bam!
The brother was pushed out by his sister, whose face was red with anger. Watching the door slam shut and lock, Masamune scratched his head in confusion. "What's wrong with Sagiri?"
He had caught on, but only a little bit.
At the same time, inside the Hoshin Trading Company, Anastasia—who was being watched by Mimi and the others worried that she might be upset or angry—was far less annoyed than her supporters.
"To be able to comfort the Prime Minister when he's stuck in a rut—you did quite well. You do have your uses sometimes, Miss Crusch."
The smiling Anastasia praised her rival.
To say there was no displeasure between rivals would be a lie, of course. However, the Prime Minister of that future time would clearly feel much better after receiving Crusch's offensive. The benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
For that sake, she could temporarily forgive her.
"Besides, there's really no need to worry about me, right?" Picking up Mimi with a smile, Anastasia tilted her head slightly. "Miss Crusch has indeed improved, but I am definitely stronger than her~"
Unlike the confident Anastasia, over at the Karsten mansion, Crusch's expression wasn't very pleasant.
"I feel a sense of being betrayed by myself..."
Did the fragile version of herself actually hate the current her that much?
With a bitter smile, Crusch was truly speechless. Moreover, since both versions were the "Great Crusch-sama," Ferris and Wilhelm couldn't say anything to comfort her; they couldn't exactly praise one while insulting the other.
.
.
.
「Hikigaya Hachiman stubbornly turned his face away—just as he would bitterly curse Yuigahama Yui as a 'bitch,' or engage in a heated argument with Yukinoshita Yukino after falling for her at first sight.」
「Although he felt he didn't deserve beautiful girls, he wasn't the type to simply endure and indulge them; he had his own stubbornness and temper.」
「"Don't be so self-righteous. What you do is your business, but I absolutely do not accept it. Even if the pre-amnesia me was also me, and there wasn't a big change, that still doesn't work!"」
「Hachiman maintained his stubbornness. "The current me doesn't know you at all... That kind of 'Genuine' has nothing to do with me."」
「"Since that is what you care about, then I will make it have something to do with me. I will make you get to know me all over again. We will start from zero once more. This time, it's my turn, Sir Hachiman."」
「Crushing his final excuse, Crusch—who refused to let the opportunity slip from her hands no matter what—stepped onto the most correct path.」
「"Crusch Karsten, twenty years old, candidate for the Kingdom of Lugunica. I treasure the self-deprecating hero named Hikigaya Hachiman and wish to give him brand-new confidence, helping him reclaim all the 'Genuine' starting from zero. This is me. This is Crusch. This is the Crusch who was saved by you."」
「Crusch gave a gentle self-introduction. She seemed to possess a magic that made Hachiman instinctively turn his head to look at her again.」
「A cool breeze blew past, fluttering Crusch's long green hair that hung over her shoulders, a scene of exquisite beauty.」
「"Please look at me. Please watch me. Please start from zero with me, Sir Hachiman."」
「Under the setting sun, a dazed Hikigaya Hachiman seemed to see a 'Genuine' more radiant than the sun itself. He reached out in a daze and firmly took hold of that 'Genuine.'」
「He murmured.」
「"...Hikigaya. Hikigaya Hachiman. An ordinary person with nothing, Hikigaya Hachiman."」
「"You are no longer someone with nothing, Sir Hachiman."」
「Holding his hand, Crusch said softly.」
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