[Emilia's pupils contract. A cold, sharp fury surges within her—an intensity she hadn't even shown when her precious insignia was stolen. The moment she sees blood on Hachiman's throat, her mana erupts, manifesting a terrifying, freezing pressure that fills the cellar.]
[She isn't foolish enough to stop her assault on Rom. Instead, she doubles down, summoning a dense thicket of jagged ice spears that box the Giant in from every angle. Her expression, usually so soft and hesitant, is now a mask of lethal resolve.]
["If so much as a hair on his head is harmed," her eyes scream at Felt, "you will watch your grandfather be torn apart."]
[Puck, ever the pragmatist, understands the necessity of this bluff. He lets out a low, dry chuckle. "Oh my. We should be asking you that, little thief. Do you really want to watch your dear Old Man Rom die right here? That's a long time to spend regretting a single choice."]
[Hachiman stands frozen, a burning, visceral shame clawing at his insides. Watching Emilia fight so decisively while he trembles—unable to even struggle—makes him feel utterly pathetic. At the very least... I won't let myself be her anchor.]
[Emilia misinterprets his intense stare as silent condemnation of her ruthless tactics. She falters for a heartbeat, but Hachiman's next words shake her to the core.]
["Hahaha! Hilarious! This is actually hilarious!"]
[Hachiman bursts into a mocking, raucous laughter, completely ignoring the blade at his throat. He twists his face into an expression of sheer, elitist arrogance. "You actually think you're holding a winning hand? You think she cares about me? Have you ever seen a noble stop a hunt because of a stray dog? I'm just a disposable guide. Your logic is as pathetic as your status!"]
"This... this guy. Does he actually want me to kill him?"
Even though the girl being mocked was her future self, the real Felt clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.
"He was baiting you," Old Man Rom sighed, pausing his packing. His eyes held a newfound respect. "He wanted to goad you into a mistake. He was willing to throw his life away just so that little lady could win without hesitation... We were wrong, Felt. This wasn't a job we should have taken. Not for money, and certainly not against people like them."
"...Yeah," Felt muttered, her voice thick with a complex, heavy realization.
The idea of dying for a cause was something most people only read about in history books. Hachiman, the man who claimed survival was his only priority, was doing the exact opposite. It was impossible not to be moved.
Back on Earth, Hachiman's phone was a war zone of notifications. Officials, classmates, and strangers were all trying to reach him. He ignored them all, finally answering the one call that mattered: his sister, Komachi.
"Onii-chan, you total idiot!" Komachi's voice was ragged with tears. "You scared me to death! I thought you'd already crossed over! Being a hero is one thing, but did you even think about me? What am I supposed to do if I never see you again?!"
"Ah... yeah... I know. Stop crying, Komachi. Look, I'm right here. Nothing has happened yet." Hachiman spoke with a rare, humble softness, the warmth of his sister's worry acting like a balm against the cold cynicism on the screen.
"I'm staying in the store. I have zero interest in being a martyr in another world. Emilia... she's strong. She would have handled it even without me."
"Hehe, well, good! You'd better stay put!" Komachi sniffled, her tone suddenly shifting to a mischievous tease. "But hey, it's not all bad. Now that billions of people have seen how brave and reliable my brother is, surely at least one or two beautiful girls will want to be my sister-in-law, right?"
Yukino, listening in from beside him, felt a jolt of pure, unadulterated terror.
It was true. Hachiman might be a cynical, antisocial loner, but he was now the most famous "hero" on the planet. If she didn't act now, she would lose him to a sea of competitors.
Driven by an impulse that overrode her pride, Yukino's hand didn't just grab his sleeve this time. Her fingers slid down, interlocking with his.
Both of them froze.
Hachiman's breath hitched. "Yukinoshita, you..."
They locked eyes. In that silent exchange, the petty arguments and the "Service Club" pretenses finally crumbled. The wall between them, built over months of pride and misunderstanding, was finally shattered by the hammer-blow of the future.
"It's... it's nothing..." Yukino's face was a radiant crimson. Feeling Hachiman's own shy, awkward response, she let out a soft huff and squeezed his hand even tighter.
"Ah... okay..."
Neither of them had the courage to look at each other again. They stared at the screen with identical, flushed faces, their voices barely audible.
"Don't read into it. This is just..." Yukino began to make an excuse, but the image of Emilia's ethereal beauty flashed in her mind. She swallowed her pride. "...Just watch the video."
"...Right."
[On the screen, the atmosphere in the cellar has shifted. It wasn't just Felt—Rom, Emilia, and even Puck were momentarily stunned by Hachiman's suicidal gambit.]