-1600- The girl that's still asleep

In the 75th-floor boss room of Aincrad, Rozen participated in this final battle, but in the end, he and Heathcliff were both transferred to the Ruby Palace on the 100th floor, where the ultimate duel took place.

As for Kirito and the other members of the clearing group, including Rozen's two familiars, the rainbow flower butterflies Saichou and Hanachou, they remained in the 75th-floor boss room and fought the floor guardian, the Skull Reaper.

Rozen had no idea how that deadly battle ended.

Nor did he know what had become of the familiar people in his life.

Had the clearing group lost anyone after his sudden disappearance?

What about the members of his beta-tester guild, Crimson Wing—those rascals he had carefully nurtured?

And more...

Rozen needed to learn about all of these things from Kirito before deciding what to do next.

Naturally, Kirito didn't hold anything back.

"After you and Heathcliff vanished, the clearing group was in chaos. But with Klein, Agil, and me taking charge, we managed to avoid major losses. While some people were careless, panicked, or scared and had their HP completely drained by the Skull Reaper, the casualties were minimal."

Kirito sighed.

"There were no losses from Crimson Wing, thanks to Saichou and Hanachou controlling the Skull Reaper and easing its attacks. Everyone had worked with your familiars before, so even though the situation was dangerous, they pulled through."

Partway through the fight, the Skull Reaper vanished on its own.

Rozen had defeated Heathcliff, cleared the game, and freed everyone from SAO, returning them to the real world.

"I also contacted Klein, Agil, Sachi, Liz, and Silica with help from the officials. I even reached out to the members of Crimson Wing. I can confirm that everyone survived and is currently recovering in different hospitals. Klein and Agil's rehabilitation has gone well, and both have already been discharged."

At this, Kirito gave a relieved smile.

"The only thing troubling Klein now is whether his company will take him back after skipping work for two years. As for Agil, who runs a café, his wife kept the business going throughout the whole ordeal, which moved Agil to tears."

As for the others, they were focused on either rehabilitation or reuniting with their families. Yet, there was still a lingering uncertainty about the future.

Whether students or working professionals, losing two years of their lives meant that many could no longer continue their previous paths—classes were missed, jobs lost, and there were many problems still to solve.

"The government is working on solutions," Kirito explained. "There's talk of job placement programs for those who lost their employment. Players who successfully managed guilds might even get entrepreneurial support. As for students, the authorities are coming up with ways to help us catch up with our studies. We can't return to school just yet, but we'll definitely get back there eventually."

Kirito's reassurances brought comfort.

Hearing this, Kirigaya Midori and Suguha couldn't help but join in.

"Weren't you the one worried that you'd have to go back to middle school even though you're already 16?" Midori mercilessly teased Kirito.

"And didn't you say you'd just quit school entirely if you became my underclassman?" Suguha added playfully.

"Ahaha..." Kirito averted his gaze awkwardly, embarrassed by their teasing.

The family burst into laughter, the warmth between them palpable and touching.

Rozen, too, was enjoying this atmosphere, though one pressing question remained.

"And what about Asuna?"

Rozen turned to Kirito and asked, "How is Asuna?"

Kirito's face stiffened at the question.

"Asuna?"

Midori tilted her head in confusion.

"Aoka-nii-san..."

Suguha noticed the shift in Rozen's tone and fell silent, the smile vanishing from her face.

For Midori and Suguha, Asuna was just a stranger.

But Kirito knew better—he knew that Asuna was the person Rozen cared about most.

In fact, when Kirito sought information from the SAO Task Force about his comrades, Asuna was the first person he asked about.

However, the look on Kirito's face made it clear—he was struggling to find the right words.

A deep sense of foreboding gripped Rozen.

"Tell me," Rozen demanded as he stared into Kirito's eyes. "What happened to Asuna?"

The commanding tone reminded Kirito of the same Rozen who once led the Crimson Wing and directed the clearing group—the one known as the Magus.

Given his understanding of Rozen, Kirito knew that withholding the truth was not an option.

"...You need to stay calm while I explain."

Kirito finally gave in.

"After the game was cleared, almost everyone returned safely. But besides you, who suddenly disappeared, there are still about 300 players who haven't woken up. And according to the officials, the servers running SAO are still active."

At this, Rozen understood everything.

He now knew why Kirito had been so hesitant.

Struggling with his words, Kirito finally spoke.

"Among the 300 players still trapped, one of them is named Yuuki Asuna."

"Asuna... hasn't woken up yet."

...

Tokorozawa.

Located in the southern part of Saitama Prefecture, on the Musashino Plateau, Tokorozawa is a central city.

Here stood a private hospital run by a corporate entity.

That day, a taxi pulled up to the hospital's entrance.

The person stepping out was none other than Rozen, who had just arrived from a hospital in Tokyo.

"So, this is the place?"

Rozen glanced at the hospital, his back to the departing taxi.

Then, a man appeared at the entrance, as if he had been waiting for him.

"You must be Kirigaya Aoka, right?"

The man greeted him with an upbeat voice.

His stiff hairstyle and narrow, formal face made him look like a literature teacher, though his friendly expression seemed more professional than sincere.

"Hello, my name is Kikuoka Seijirou."

The man introduced himself with a smile.

"You may already know this, but I am the current head of the SAO Case Victims Rescue Force, working in the Second Division of the Advanced Network Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications."

With a polite smile, Kikuoka Seijirou extended his hand to Rozen.

"Pleasure to meet you."