Chapter 419. Please Take Me Away
Ram and Puck were both secretly stifling laughs, the corners of their mouths curling upward uncontrollably.
Had it not been for the presence of Hikigaya Hachiman and Reinhard, they would certainly be laughing mockingly out loud by now, taking the opportunity to kick her while she was down and ridicule the "loser dog" Priscilla for her impotent rage.
It was a rare sight indeed to see this arrogant woman eat humble pie.
"...Hmph, I shall grant you your life for now!"
Keenly aware that she had become the object of others' ridicule, a pale-faced Priscilla snorted coldly. She sheathed her Yang Sword, standing tall with an air of arrogant indifference as if nothing had happened. "The dunderhead who defies me will one day come crawling back to admit his mistake of his own accord. I do not care whether it is a day early or a day late."
Her words carried a powerful self-confidence; even after hitting a dead end, Priscilla remained as arrogant as ever.
She did not believe she was truly helpless against Reinhard, nor did she believe she would fail to obtain the dunderhead guarded by him. This time was at most a temporary setback; if she set her mind to it, she would surely find a way to deal with Reinhard.
Usually, someone shouting empty threats after a defeat looks pathetic, but when Priscilla did it, it had a unique charm, further highlighting her singular charisma.
Being well aware that everyone present—including this widow—possessed the powerful attraction of "the genuine thing," Hikigaya Hachiman slightly turned his head away. He avoided looking at Priscilla and the others, focusing his attention solely on Reinhard.
Even with the merged memories of the future, he did not intend to develop relationships with these girls that exceeded friendship this time.
"...I have already made a promise to Yukinoshita."
On the scales of his heart, Yukinoshita was actually in a very weak position; she could easily be overturned by the likes of Emilia and the others here. However, that was under normal circumstances.
At least this time, he had not yet touched the girls here, whereas he and Yukinoshita already shared actual physical intimacy and a promise more precious than gold.
As if cheering himself on, favoring one side of the scale to overwhelm the other and forcing himself to make a difficult choice, Hachiman didn't dare look at Emilia and her group.
He just looked at Reinhard and declared in a complex tone: "I... I've already promised to always be Yukinoshita's boyfriend. Everything can still be salvaged now; nothing has happened yet. I don't want—I don't want to fail her... Truly, I am sorry."
With lowered eyelids, he didn't have the courage to stay here any longer, even though he was deliberately not observing the expressions of Emilia and the others.
"Please take me away, Reinhard."
Having made his declaration, he began to flee—both to give his own heart peace and to deny Emilia and the others any chance to persist or cling to him.
"...I understand." Reinhard nodded slightly. He picked up Hachiman, kicked off the ground, and soared into the sky.
He had no intention of interfering with his best friend's decision. As long as it didn't violate morality or the law, he would forever support Hikigaya Hachiman, even if he, Reinhard, would be hated by many and become a target for all because of it.
But playing the role of the great villain was something he did gladly.
"I have already slain the Archbishops of Lust, Greed, and Gluttony. Shall we go to retrieve the Witch Factors now, Hachiman?"
"Yeah. Before that, please use your Divine Protection to transmit a message to Emilia and Anastasia. Help me pass on a request I have for them."
The sound of breaking the air at supersonic speeds carried an unparalleled momentum. Utilizing a newly acquired Divine Protection to wrap his best friend in his arms with a layer of protection—ensuring he wouldn't be injured by the extreme speed—Reinhard charged toward the site where the three Archbishops had fallen.
Only then did the speechless candidates snap back to reality. They looked at each other, chewing over Hikigaya Hachiman's declaration, feeling as if a heavy stone had been pressed onto their hearts.
So, after fighting for so long just now, were they merely making a wedding dress for someone else?
" Yukinoshita Yukino..."
Murmuring this name, Anastasia still wore her cunning, fox-like smile, but a closer look revealed it was the stiffest smile she had ever worn.
Beneath the surface of that smile, she was like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Her palms tightly gripped her fox scarf, squeezing Dona-fox until it hurt.
Only, Dona-fox didn't cry out this time because she knew very well that Ana's mood was currently at an absolute low point.
Because she had seen the future in advance, Yukinoshita had cast aside her reserve to confess to him and establish their status before Hachiman even crossed over... Anastasia hadn't dismissed this possibility, but now that it had actually happened, a great deal of gloom took root in her heart.
She almost felt like killing someone.
If she had lost to Emilia, Rem, Priscilla, or even Crusch, no matter how unwilling Anastasia felt, that resentment would be limited. After all, everyone had come here together to snatch him; the future memories hadn't overtaken the present, and their Prime Minister was guided by his current self. Everyone present was starting from zero with equal opportunities.
Failing under those conditions could only be blamed on her own lack of charm; she couldn't blame anyone else.
But what was this deal with Yukinoshita Yukino?
"A head start..."
"It's a head start, isn't it..."
Hate was mixed into their listless voices. Regarding Yukinoshita's "stealing a march," dark clouds of terror flashed in the eyes of Rem and Crusch, and Emilia's spirit sank to the absolute bottom.
They all knew very well how much Hikigaya Hachiman valued promises; once a commitment was made, he would do his utmost to keep it.
...They wouldn't give up their thoughts of claiming Hachiman's heart because of this, but they were inevitably affected, knowing their chances of victory had drastically decreased.
While everyone else looked sickly and dejected, Priscilla was the only one who didn't lose heart. Instead, she let out a cold laugh, radiating an even sharper aura, and steeled her resolve to eliminate Yukinoshita Yukino.
Winning the dunderhead's heart was obviously best, but failing that didn't matter; just getting his body would already be a profitable trade.
"To dare lay hands on my things... it seems you truly wish to taste what death feels like. I shall go and fulfill that wish for you later, you shameless, flat-chested bitch!"
She spoke terrifying words with a cold laugh. Among all her romantic rivals, the one Priscilla looked down upon most was the useless Yukinoshita Yukino.
That ice-sculpture-like waste who could only drag others down held a position in the world of rivals as incompetent as the Puck who could never protect Emilia.
Just as a thousand Rems couldn't compare to one of Priscilla's fingers, ten thousand Yukinoshita Yukinos added together couldn't even hold a candle to any one of the other four candidates.
"Oh dear, what's wrong? Why is everyone so dispirited? Good luck won't come to you that way. Come, why don't you smile?"
Briefly setting aside their identities as rivals, the girls—all feeling a common enmity toward Yukinoshita—subconsciously looked toward the source of the sudden voice.
Coming into view were three figures that caused Wilhelm and Emilia to instantly become dazed, their eyes welling with tears.
Theresia, the previous generation Sword Saint with her ever-present smile, and the incomparably affectionate Geuse and Fortuna.
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