Chapter 394. Anastasia's Successful Revenge
「"I have no intention of denying that someone other than Miss Rem once existed."」
「The twitching sensation in her heart and the discomfort of a missing piece of her soul were constant reminders of the 'person' she once had but lost.」
「Anastasia's gaze was sharp, her stance clear as she explained her position: "That person existed. That person was important. That person had countless interactions and deep emotional bonds with us. I cannot lose that person—and that is exactly why I must be careful. I cannot give someone else the chance to usurp their place!"」
「Perhaps Hikigaya Hachiman was that person.」
「But if he wasn't, the tragedy that would unfold by rashly accepting him and allowing him to take advantage of their vulnerability was self-evident.」
「Even if there were only a one-in-ten chance, Anastasia was unwilling to take the risk. She didn't want to betray 'that person,' and right now, there was at least a fifty-fifty chance he was an impostor.」
「"Perhaps you are a Sin Archbishop of Gluttony in disguise; perhaps you are an ancient relic of the Sage's Tower like Shaula, here to play tricks; or perhaps you were created by a hidden trial within this tower."」
「"As long as I am not certain of your identity, I will not accept your one-sided testimony for even a single day!"」
「With a resolute rejection, Anastasia's slender, light frame erupted with unparalleled momentum. Because she valued the truth so much, she would rather remain distant than accept a lie. If it weren't for the possibility that Hachiman really was that person, she would have already ordered everyone to swarm him.」
「Anastasia's logic regarding the consequences of letting a "cuckoo" into the nest caused Crusch and Julius to widen their eyes in shock, effectively erasing any lingering thoughts of believing Hikigaya Hachiman.」
「"Can you feel the contract between us, Beatrice?" Hikigaya Hachiman was down to his final card, but he held no expectations, because...」
「"If Betty could feel such a thing, she would have stepped forward long ago!"」
「Beatrice's eyes were red, her voice choked with sobs.」
「Forgotten. She had forgotten. She had forgotten everything... Clearly, someone had said something to her; clearly, someone had taken her hand and led her out of that place where she had been imprisoned for four hundred years; clearly, that was the person with whom she had made a lifelong contract.」
「But now, she only knew that she had made a contract with that person, yet she couldn't find the bond itself. it had been completely hidden away, tucked into some unknown void.」
「"It shouldn't be like this. This kind of thing... it shouldn't be possible!"」
「Panic, self-blame, sorrow, and confusion—these waves came one after another, merging into a tsunami that threatened to drown Beatrice.」
「"Don't be afraid! Beatrice, what has already happened won't disappear. You've already walked out of that Forbidden Library, you won't ever—"」
「"Do not presume to take that role, Mr. Hikigaya. Comforting Beatrice is our internal matter; it has nothing to do with you!"」
「Resisting Hachiman with a forceful tone, Anastasia remained on guard. She suspected this man was trying to bypass their defenses by exploiting Beatrice, the most emotionally fragile member of the group.」
「"Regarding what you said about the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony potentially coming to the tower, I will keep it in mind. But for now, you are also a stranger I am keeping an eye on. Please recognize your status!"」
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"...I knew it," Anastasia muttered with a wry smile and a heavy sigh.
"In that situation, I would definitely become the Prime Minister's greatest obstacle. Unlike Emilia or the amnesiac Crusch who are more emotional, I prioritize logic and evidence. So, I would inevitably act that way."
That rationality had been a great asset in Watergate City, but here, it was nothing but a hindrance. If she looked on the bright side, her suppression of her own "Prime Minister" could be seen as revenge for being outmaneuvered by him back in the Royal Capital—but she didn't feel the slightest bit happy about it.
Mimi tugged at the guilt-ridden Anastasia, pointing at the light screen in the sky showing the future: "But Hachiman-oniichan didn't blame the Lady!"
Anastasia stroked Mimi's head without a word, her face still clouded with worry.
"That meddling, hateful woman!" At the Kousaka house, Kirino cursed Anastasia. She was prone to shifting her attitude based on the future's progress, possessing a very flexible baseline for support.
At this moment, Kousaka Kyousuke, who had previously disliked Anastasia, took the opposite stance. He lectured his sister: "That's not it, Kirino."
"It's true that if Anastasia hadn't spoken up, Hachiman's eloquence would have allowed him to play to his strengths and likely persuade Emilia and the others. But that isn't a reason to condemn Anastasia."
"Anastasia's actions are perfectly reasonable. We have a god-like perspective and know everything, but what about them in the future? They know nothing at all. To rashly follow the words of a stranger like Hikigaya Hachiman—that would be truly dangerous."
"What are you doing, Brother? I thought you didn't like her. Why are you defending her?" Kirino's face turned red with anger.
"I'm not defending her; I'm just being objective." After lecturing his sister, Kyousuke exhaled a breath of frustration. "However..."
Anastasia's interference had indeed pushed the situation toward a much worse outcome.
"When will the pain lingering over Hachiman's head finally dissipate? Sigh."
Shirogane Miyuki knew that Hachiman could easily have posed as the Great Sage Flugel; things would have gone much smoother. But Hachiman had already felt his nature shift slightly due to the memory loss; if he did that, wouldn't he become a true "fake"? Hikigaya Hachiman was destined never to take such a shortcut.
"Are the threads of emotion simply cut like this?"
Crusch, Beatrice, and Emilia couldn't help but think the same thing. After everything—the countless heart-wrenching Returns by Death, the love forged through shining, "Genuine" bonds—could it all turn to total estrangement just because a Sin Archbishop stole his existence and memories?
Emilia bit her lower lip... she knew it was asking too much, but she desperately hoped that her future self could still love Hachiman and remember him in this situation.
"Please, future me... just this once, no matter what... you must respond to my hopes!"
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「Emilia pulled the sobbing Beatrice into her arms, comforting her with a warm, soft voice.」
「Hachiman's eyelids drooped... He had anticipated this outcome before entering, so it wasn't unacceptable. Since his two goals—warning everyone about a potential Gluttony attack and ensuring they wouldn't read the Books of the Dead—had been achieved, he could live with it.」
「...Or so it should have been.」
「But for some reason, as he turned to leave the Green Room, walking with his back to the crowd, he felt...」
「Ah, I feel like crying just a little bit.」
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