-1678- I'll wait for you....

In the golden birdcage, everything returned to tranquility.

Watching as Sugo Nobuyuki disappeared, Rozen waved his hand, dismissing the windows in front of him. Not only Asuna, but even Yui hadn't been able to react in time.

"Gu!"

"Gu!"

It was the Saichou and Hanachou, the rainbow butterflies, fluttering in the air of the golden birdcage, as if celebrating, their calls melodious and cheerful.

Hearing the sounds of the two butterflies, Asuna and Yui finally reacted.

"Is it over...?"

Yui asked, unsure.

"Over...?" Asuna also seemed somewhat dazed.

For the past two months, the one who had shackled them like a demon was now gone so simply, which left Asuna and Yui with a sense of disbelief.

However, Rozen still said...

"It's over."

Rozen approached Asuna and Yui, extending his hands and pulling both of them into an embrace.

"Don't doubt it, and don't think it's unreal. This is the fate of that fool, without a doubt."

To Rozen, Sugo Nobuyuki had truly been a minor character.

And as a minor character, he had to have the fitting exit.

This was the way Sugo Nobuyuki exited.

"Guess it's the price of overestimating himself," Rozen said to the two girls in his arms, his voice strong as if declaring that the nightmare they had been living through had finally passed.

"Ahh..."

"Finally, it's over..."

Asuna and Yui relaxed their bodies, hugging Rozen and resting against him, as if trying to regain their inner warmth, erasing all the cold and fear. Their grip grew stronger.

Especially Asuna, who couldn't hold back her tears, which started flowing again.

But this time, the tears weren't sorrowful or filled with pain, nor were they tears of joy. Instead, they were like tears of complete liberation, flowing down her face.

Rozen wiped away Asuna's tears and kissed her cheek.

"Alright, let's go back."

Rozen spoke softly.

"Now, I'll let you log out."

Rozen's words, to Asuna, felt like the sweetest melody from a dream, almost unbelievable.

"Log out..."

This was something Asuna had been hoping for, for who knows how long.

While other players in SAO had logged out after completing the game, Asuna had been trapped in this world, never returning to the real world.

Asuna had spent more than two years in this virtual world and still hadn't logged out.

"I've already seen you in the real world," Rozen gently stroked Asuna's hair, smiling. "You're just as beautiful as before, not a single change. You don't need to worry about waking up to find yourself frail and thin."

This was because Asuna had been staying in the best hospital, receiving the best care and treatment.

Of course, there would be some effects from lying in bed for over two years—Asuna's body would be weak, and she would need time to recover.

But even so...

"You won't be alone anymore."

Rozen smiled at Asuna.

Asuna's eyes fluttered for a moment, wiping the corner of her eye.

Her expression was more relaxed than ever.

"Congratulations, Mama!"

Yui hugged Asuna as well, smiling as if sharing in her happiness.

At this point, Asuna suddenly remembered something important and quickly spoke up.

"What about Yui and the others?"

Yes.

If Asuna logged out, what would happen to Yui, Saichou, and Hanachou?

"Don't worry," Rozen replied, as if he had already made plans. "I've extracted Yui, Saichou, and Hanachou's core program data with admin privileges and stored it locally in my personal data space. As long as the NerveGear exists, they can run in any virtual world."

Moreover, if things went well, Yui, Saichou, and Hanachou could even run on any intelligent software.

And if Rozen wished, he could even bring Yui, Saichou, and Hanachou into the real world.

Although Rozen wasn't particularly skilled in science, if he used magic, he could easily bring Yui back to life in the real world.

For example, he could use Alchemy to create an artificial body for Yui, then apply the Taizan Fukun ritual to transfer Yuuki's program code into the body, giving her life in the real world.

As for Saichou and Hanachou, if they appeared in the real world, it might cause quite a commotion. So, Rozen had other plans for them.

"You don't need to worry."

Rozen reassured Asuna, dispelling all her concerns.

"And Sugo..."

Asuna looked at Rozen.

Rozen responded with indifference.

"He won't be able to log out. His HP has been locked, and he will never die. He'll remain in eternal torment, receiving the punishment he deserves."

Rozen believed that with the countless guardian knights at the World Tree's root attacking him, Sugo Nobuyuki would endure unimaginable pain and, in the end, mentally break, becoming a complete fool.

That was the price he had to pay.

"You can rest assured and go back now," Rozen softly said. "I'll immediately go see you."

Hearing this, Asuna finally felt at ease.

Rozen then smiled, opened the system menu, and with admin privileges, reset Asuna's ID file, lifting the logout restriction.

"Clang..."

With a burst of light, Asuna's figure turned into particles and slowly faded away.

"Mama!"

Yui gave Asuna one last hug.

"Yui..." Asuna embraced Yui gently and said, "We'll see each other again soon... very soon..."

"Mm!" Yui nodded firmly.

With that, Asuna disappeared.

Only one voice remained, reaching Rozen's ears.

"I'll wait for you..."

The voice, filled with affection, love, and longing, lingered in his ears, causing Rozen to smile.

He then turned to Yui.

"I'll go find Mama too," Rozen ruffled Yui's hair. "Please take care of Saichou and Hanachou. You'll store them in my NerveGear storage, okay, Yui?"

"Got it, Papa," Yui said, a little reluctant but understanding. "I'll always stay by Papa's side. Always."

"Thank you, Yui," Rozen smiled gently.

"Gu!"

"Gu!"

Saichou and Hanachou also chirped, rubbing against Rozen's cheek, extremely docile.

The one person and two butterflies then disappeared, no longer existing in this world.

Rozen stood up and looked toward the sky, where the World Tree's top reached. He opened the main window, selected logout, and vanished from this world.

————〈ALfheim Online〉.

The game was, in every sense, cleared by Rozen.