Anyway, please do take your time and enjoy this chapter!

"Kirito-kun!" Asuna screeched when she saw her lover dropped to the ground motionless. She immediate ran towards him, stumbling along the way from the slippery icy surface. All of the ice golems had dissipated the moment the dragon was defeated, ending the battle for the Underwordians. Alice and the rest of the Underworldians followed Asuna in worry of the black-haired Spriggan as well.

"Kirito! Hey, Kirito!" Eugeo, who had just been brought back to life, crouched down beside the unconscious boy, gently shaking his shoulder to wake him. He had been calling his name a few times now but there was not a single response. Noticing Asuna's arrival, Eugeo moved aside and allowed the beautiful girl to kneel beside Kirito, hugging his body close t0 hers with a delicate hand on his cheek.

"Kirito-kun! Please, don't scare me! Wake up! Hey..." Asuna called but his eyes remained closed. Droplets of tears began falling onto his pale face and disappeared into tiny light particles. Asuna sobbed as she remembered the scene of Kazuto's lifeless body in her arms back when she found him almost killed by Watanabe. "Kirito-kun...please..."

"Calm down, Asuna! If his avatar hasn't disappeared means, he's still safe, isn't it?" Alice had kneeled down beside Asuna, holding her shoulders to calm her down. She was the first to reach them. "You're with Kirito in the Real World right now, aren't you?" Alice asked the said girl.

"Yes, we both logged into ALO from his room." Asuna tearfully replied.

"Why don't you log out for a moment to check on him while we stay here in case he wakes up?" Alice suggested and Asuna hurriedly nodded, bringing out her menu window about to log out temporarily.

Before she could press on the log out button, a weak hand grabbed her wrist to stop her. Asuna looked towards the owner of the hand with wide eyes. She found herself staring into the deep onyx eyes that she had loved so much, gazing back at her weakly. "Asuna...It's alright...I'm okay..." Kirito croaked in a low voice.

"Kirito!" Both Alice and Eugeo called in relief.

"Kirito-kun! Thank goodness. I was so worried."Asuna continued sobbing while cupping his face, placing a soft kiss on his forehead before nuzzling her nose against his. Both Alice and Eugeo smiled at this and moved away a little to give the couple their moment. "I thought I almost lost you again."

"That's not possible, you know. ALO isn't a death game." He chuckled lightly while sitting upright and wiping away her tears.

"I know...I know...It's just...I couldn't bear losing you." Asuna stifled her cries.

"Shh. It's alright, I understand. I'm sorry for making you worry so much." Kirito tenderly caressed her hair and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry, I won't leave you. Not ever." He then pulled her into a warm embrace and buried his face into her hair, taking in her scent. Even though this is the virtual world and her real scent should be non-existent, Kirito was so used to the way she smelled that he had imagined the scent was really there.

Once everyone had gathered around them, Asuna finally calmed down and helped Kirito back on his two feet. As Kirito thanked all the Underworldians for their bravery, Ronye tackled onto Kirito's chest sobbing in relief and Sortiliena patting his shoulders praising his great feat. Golgorosso and Tiese stood behind them, watching with smiles on their faces. The red-headed girl then turned her gaze to the side and her eyes widened at who she saw. Tears began to form in her eyes when she recognized the bright green eyes and flaxen hair.

"E-Eugeo-senpai..." She uttered and the name caught Golgorosso's attention, who also had a shock expression on his face. He was devastated when he learned about the death of his precious disciple as he knew just how much potential Eugeo really had.

Noticing the call of his trainee page, Eugeo turned towards the source and gave a strained smile when he saw the fiery-red orbs directed at him. He gave a small wave and soon felt himself being tackled by the red-haired girl in a similar fashion that Kirito had just experienced. Golgorosso walked over and ruffled the boy's hair, he also had beads of tears in his eyes due to the joy of his disciple's return. Tiese just sobbed into his chest and apologized over and over again.

Eugeo gently brushed Tiese's head to calm her down. "I'm sorry for putting you through so much, Tiese. But none of these was ever your fault, so please don't apologize anymore." He said softly and wiped away her tears.

"Eugeo-senpai, I'm so glad you're back." Tiese said while giving him a tearful smile. "There's so much to tell you!"

Eugeo watched her tearful smile and remember the same one she had when they talked in his room, where he had promised to talk more about her request. His smile turned into a bitter one as he wasn't sure how he should approach the matter. "Tiese, I..."

"W-wait, senpai." As if she had sensed what Eugeo was about to say, Tiese stopped Eugeo from speaking. Eugeo had a confused look on his face but seemingly understood when Tiese, gently pulled Renri to her side. "Senpai, this is Renri-sama, an Integrity Knight and...and my...fiancé..." She spoke with a shy voice as she blushed at the announcement. The green-haired boy had offered her hand in marriage about two years after the war and weeks of consideration and organizing her feelings, she finally agreed to it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Eugeo-san. I've heard so much about you from Tiese-san. I'm Renri Synthesis Twenty-nine." Renri bowed beside Tiese and gave Eugeo a light smile. Eugeo nervously returned a bow with courtesy.

"Senpai, I'm sorry for putting you on the spot for my request. I wasn't aware that you already had someone special in your heart and that everything you did was for her sake. When I learned about everything and was offered by Renri-sama, I had done a lot of thinking. I realized that I shouldn't rely on you so much and that I should move on. That's why I've decided to dedicate my heart to Renri-sama." Tiese blushed while looking at Renri and the boy became bashful but his smile still remained.

"I see. Thank you, Tiese, for your understanding. I wish for both of your happiness." Eugeo patted her head proudly.

"Thank you, senpai. And I, too, wish for yours as well." Tiese smiled and nodded towards Alice, who was currently speaking to Bercouli and the rest of the knights. Eugeo blushed slightly at her statement and chuckled in embarrassment.

Kirito had been watching the exchange between the two for quite some time. He was still hesitating to speak to the flaxen-haired boy as his feelings is now all messed up inside of him. Asuna came from behind him and wrapped both arms around his left arm, leaning close to his ear. "It's okay. Don't be afraid. Go talk to him. Everything will be alright, you'll see." Asuna whispered sweetly in his ears, giving him encouragement. With one gentle shove, Kirito stumbled towards Eugeo's direction, catching his attention.

"Eugeo..." He started in a small voice. Tiese saw this and smiled, before retreating with Ronye, Renri, Sortiliena and Golgorosso to where Asuna was standing.

"Kirito." Eugeo smiled at him.

"I...I...uh..." Kirito fumbled with his words, not knowing what to say.

"This isn't like you at all, Kirito." Eugeo chuckled. "The Kirito I knew was always so active and mischievous, yet now you're being so quiet. But..." Eugeo's eyes softened. "I think I understand what you're trying to say."

"Y-you do?" Kirito's black orbs met Eugeo's bright green ones.

"Yeah. When I was trapped in that ice, I could feel my memory fragments that were inside you, merged with my being. From there I could see glimpses of your memories and saw how much suffering you went through because of me. I'm sorry, Kirito." Eugeo gave him a strained smile.

Kirito's POV

"I'm sorry, Kirito." When I heard those words coming out from his mouth, my whole body trembled. What is he saying? It was all...

"Yeah, you got that right." My voice quiver, fists clenched so hard that my palms would have bled if this wasn't the virtual world. "How could you...how could you choose to abandon Alice like that?" I muttered with my head hung low, hiding my eyes.

'How could you choose to abandon what we had?!' Another voice rang deep inside my heart.

"What was fine about you sacrificing yourself like that?!" My voice was getting louder. My vision was getting blurry as tears began to well in my eyes.

'The one who should have died back then was me!'

"What sin? You didn't commit any sins at all! The one who did..." Everyone was probably looking at me right now, but I didn't care.

'The one who had made a mess out of everything...'

"Was me..." I mumbled in a quiet voice and fell to my knees. "Everything happened because I was there...If I never appeared in both you and Alice's childhood lives, she wouldn't have broken the taboo index. Then, you wouldn't have needed to travel to Centoria to rescue her. I wouldn't have endangered both Tiese and Ronye's innocence that caused you to break the taboo index by cutting off Humbert's arm. Then, you, Cardinal and Charlotte wouldn't have...died trying to fight the Administrator." I clutched my head in agony as I blamed everything I could onto myself. "Maybe then Alice wouldn't have become the Radiant Medium. Gabriel Miller wouldn't have invaded Underworld as Vector and there wouldn't be any war. Everything happened because I was there...The one who should atone was-" Before I could finish my sentence, I was pulled into a tight embrace.

My teary eyes widened in shocked when I realized Eugeo had approached me and hugged me. "Sorry. You're always putting up a brave face in front of others when you're suffering so much on the inside. I knew that and yet I put you through so much pain. And all this time, you have been doing your best to protect our world, thinking that was the only way to atone for your sins. But know this Kirito, none of us blamed you for everything that had happened."

"That right, boy." Bercouli had stepped in and spoke. "Everyone of us here found meaning in our lives thanks to you. Even if not all of the things that happened were good, but it was due to meeting you that changed all of us for the better. We would have remained as puppets if it weren't for the two of you." Fanatio stood beside her commander and nodded in agreement.

I looked around me saw everyone giving me smiles of encouragement and I could feel inside my heart, something was about to crack. When Eugeo died, a part of me had seemingly died with him. In reality, it was just sealed off deep inside my heart where no one could ever reach. But now, I could feel so much warmth inside of me that the chains of suffering were beginning to crack.

"Kirito-kun. Remember that day when I came back to the hospital and you asked why I had been crying and I told you that I would tell you the reason someday?" Asuna approached me and kneeled beside me while I was still held by Eugeo. I gave a short nod. "The reason was I went and met with Higa-san. He told me that someone from the Underworld wished to see me and they had a plan to cure your pain." She gently stroke my cheek as she explained. "That someone was none other than a copy of your fluctlight with 200 years of memories still in-tact. He told me how much guilt he had been holding inside of him and wished to atone for his sins by sacrificing himself by extracting memories of everyone here from inside him and used it for their revival. He died saying he didn't want you to go through the same thing he did and that he wanted everyone here to have another chance in a better life."

"That's why, Kirito. There's no need to blame yourself anymore. You have done more than you need to by bringing us back." Eugeo said as he hugged me tighter, patting my back. Hearing those words coming from the real Eugeo, not just the memory fragments of him inside of me, I felt the final shackle shattering into dust inside of me and the weight inside my heart was no longer there.

"Ah...ah...ahhh..." I could not hold in my tears any longer and for the first time in my life, I cried to my heart's content at the top of my voice before so many people while being held in Eugeo's arms.

For almost half an hour, I continuously wailed like a small child for the longest time as my tears would not stop gushing out. Everyone just stayed still and allowed me this moment to release all my pent up emotions until I finally calmed down into quiet sobs. "T-thanks and sorry for...breaking down like that..." I mumbled in embarrassment and everyone around gave light chuckles and giggles. I couldn't help but smile at the scene.

"Now that we have everything sorted out, would you mind explaining to us about where we are right now? I'm guessing we are no longer in our own world so is this the Real World?" Bercouli scratched his head as he said so. I shook my head at his statement.

"This isn't the Real World, but another one made by the humans from my world. It is similar to Underworld but also functions differently. There are many things in Underworld that required much labour to accomplish certain tasks. Here in Alfheim, much of the things are simplified as this world was made for entertainment purposes. We get to compete with one another in strengths without any limits, go on various adventures and meet different people from different parts of the Real World. This world will improve from time to time, granting us more adventures ahead. But that's not all, in this world, despite all of the fightings, there's no real danger. Even if our Life ends here, we will still be resurrected and we won't feel any pain from the damage we take. But, I'm not quite sure how it'll work for you guys." I tried explaining the virtual world as simplified as I could to not confuse them. I could also see the surprise they had on their faces at my last statement.

"Boy, you said that we won't feel pain in this world. I did notice this in our battle just now but just how is that even possible? Do such thing really exist?" Fanatio spoke up this time and I briefly explained the concept and function of the Pain Absorber. Everyone seemed slightly confused but managed to grasp the gist of it.

"Another thing, in this world where we are free to choose the races of the beings in this world. And each of the races has their own unique abilities." I introduced Alice, Asuna and my elf race as an example. "All races have the ability to fly as well, making it much easier to travel around this vast world." I generated my wings and showed it to them which impressed some of them. "But I'm not so sure how are you guys fitting into this world. I mean what races are you guys categorized as?" I looked to Asuna and Alice for answers but they were just as clueless as I am.

"Allow me to explain everything from this point on." A voice echoed from above the cave, coming from the light that had appeared above our heads. As the light descends, it turned into a petite human, revealing the Cardinal that I knew from Underworld. Eugeo, Alice and I were surprised to see her. I didn't realize she was revived as well.

"C-Cardinal?!" I exclaimed. "But how..."

"I was revived the moment Eugeo was released from captive as my memory fragments were trapped with him when I merged into the Blue Rose Sword during the battle with Quinella. It took me awhile to awaken as my data was similar to the Cardinal in this world and much time was needed for the merging process. From this point onwards, I will also have the authority to generate small changes to this world. That's why I'll be managing their needs as well." Cardinal said, referring to the Underworldians.

"I see." I nodded in relief. "But there's still one thing that I don't get." I said while holding my chin with one hand.

"What is it?" Cardinal asked.

"I'm glad that these many people were revived from the memories of my other-self. But, how was it possible that people that I didn't really meet or knew well of were being revived too?" I asked, referring to the dark knights and Bercouli, who had died long before I get to meet them.

"Ah, yes, that. While was merging with this Cardinal System, I had a glimpse of the data update logs. I saw a new program was being added into this world known as, Memory Link. Apparently, this program allows similar data within those memory fragments to form links between one another to generate another data with the help of the Deep Learning program. Once all of the data has been formed properly, they are loaded into AI bodies in this world, which completes them as an individual."

"I see, so all Higa-san needed was a list of names and the required memory fragments from the Star King Kirito." Asuna stood beside me, also processing everything Cardinal had explained.

"So it's like the concept Dr. Shigemura had used to try and bring back her daughter, Yuna." I said and Asuna nodded. The Underworldians seemed to become quite confused as there were so much new information and foreign words.

"That's not all. Memory link can also bring back just about anyone they desire just as long as they have a strong and solid memory of them. But I've only granted this ability to the people of Underworld to keep the system from going out of control." Cardinal explained further.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"I will show you in a while. But first, Alice." Cardinal motioned the blond-haired girl over, much to her confusion. As Alice approached Cardinal, she brought out her palm and a blue prism crystal appeared in her hand. "This was the memory fragment that Eugeo had salvaged during our battle with Quinella. It belongs to Alice Zuberg. Once you merged with this memory fragment, you can finally return as Alice Zuberg." I could see Alice being unsure of what to do. As much as she wanted to return Alice Zuberg to her own body, she was also afraid to lose what she had been building up with Selka. She sent her gaze towards me then to Eugeo as she knew how much Eugeo tried to bring back the old Alice.

Normal POV

As if understanding her gaze, Eugeo walked over to her with a smile. "It's okay, Alice. You don't have to do this if you don't want to. No matter what your decision is, I'll respect it." He said, his smile not showing the slightest of hesitation.

"I..." Alice

"Alice nee-sama?" Selka held her hand in worry. Alice closed her eyes and made her decision when she saw Selka's face.

"I will accept it. It is wrong for me to continue to rob the true Alice from her own body." Alice said.

"I think you're mistaken. You never robbed anything from anyone. The essence of Alice Zuberg will always live inside of you. Having your memories taken away from you will never truly change who you really are. Memories are what made us grow, losing those memories may result in some personality change but deep down you're still the same person. Don't you think so too, Selka?" Cardinal smiled at the young girl beside Alice, which nodded at the statement.

"Alice nee-sama, I know you've told me how you don't have your memories and how you're not the sister I knew from my childhood. But after spending time with you for so long, I couldn't help but feel that you're still the same sister who cared for and protected me. Even when young, nee-sama has always been strong and you're no different." Selka held both of Alice's hands.

"Selka...is that true?" Alice asked, her heart filled with happiness at her sister's words.

"Of course. That's why I think you should accept those memories. I'm sure you'll be happier this way. I want you to remember the good times we had together as children too." Selka chirped in a cheerful tone.

"Alright, then Cardinal-sama, if you would." Alice bowed down in respect. Cardinal nodded with a smile and embedded the blue crystal into Alice's forehead. A bright light shined as the crystal slowly merged with Alice's avatar. Once the process was complete, Alice's limb body was about to collapse and Eugeo immediately held her in his arms before she hit the ground.

"Nee-sama!" Selka called out to Alice while holding her hand. Alice stirred and slowly opened her eyes to see both Eugeo and Selka looking down at her. "Nee-same? Are you alright? How do you feel?"

"I feel..." Alice touched her forehead while sitting, trying to process her thoughts. "The same...but complete." A smile formed on her lips, her face showing content.

"Thank goodness!" Selka exclaimed and hugged her with some tears of joy in her eyes. Alice then turned towards the flaxen-haired boy beside her.

"Eugeo." She called his name with a smile.

"A-Alice..." Eugeo was nervous, not knowing how he should react. A smooth hand suddenly placed on his cheek and Eugeo blushed at the soft touch. His heart skipped a beat at the new sensation. "D-do you remember me now, Alice?" To his surprise, Alice pulled him into a hug. "A-Alice?!" His face became deep red.

"Eugeo, thank you. I saw it all, everything. Everything you did for me, all of the suffering you had put yourself through to save me. You had always been a timid and gentle boy since childhood. It made me really happy just how much you've grown. I could feel so much love coming from you. It must have been difficult." Alice said, snuggling into the crook of his neck. Eugeo felt touched at her presence that tears were coming out from his eyes.

"It wasn't that hard. I wanted to see you smile again, to hear your voice filled with laughter just like when we were kids. That was what had kept me going. Plus, if it wasn't that I met Kirito six years later, I wouldn't have had the skills and courage to go and find you." Eugeo chuckled.

The two then turned towards the black-haired boy, who was walking towards them with Asuna in tow. "You finally found what you've been searching for, Eugeo, Alice. I'm happy for both of you." Kirito said with a grin.

Alice then grabbed both Eugeo's and Kirito's hand hers and gave them her brightest smile. "I remember it clearly now, the fun and carefree days we had as children. Thank you, both of you." Alice gratefully thanked them and embrace them both at once.

"Uwahh!" Kirito yelped in surprise. "A-Alice, are you sure you're still the same Alice Synthesis Thirty?"

"O-oi, Kirito! That's just rude." Eugeo nagged while still in Alice's hold. Immediately, Alice moved her hand and harshly pushed Kirito away from her. Kirito fell to the ground with a loud thump and Asuna was quick at his side, helping him up.

"You sure know how to ruin a moment, don't you Kirito? Just so you know, I will still cut you if you do anything stupid. So don't get used to this side of me." Alice glared at the boy and looked away with a humph, which earned some laughter from the Underworldians.

The group was they led by Cardinal back outside to the clearing outside of the forest, where Kirito and the others had started their quest. With a wave of her staff, many log houses began to appear on the grassland, more than enough to house all of the Underworldians. The Northwestern Cliffs miraculously moved away, opening up a wooden up to where Kirito and Asuna's log cabin was. In some of the log houses, the doors opened, revealing some other humans.

Alice, Selka, Ronye, Tiese and some other Underworldians from the Human Empire recognized them as their family members and ran to them for a heartfelt reunion. Eugeo, Alice and Selka greeted the Zuberg couple while Renri was being introduced to Tiese's father, who welcomed him with open arms. Aside from that, two lights appeared above Bercouli and Fanatio, as well as Sheyta and Iskahn. The light slowly descended into the females' arms, turning into babies. The mothers immediately recognized them as their precious children. Iskahn was overjoyed and was swooning over his daughter, Lisetta. He became even more ecstatic when he saw a few of his tribe members along with his best friend and follower, Dampa, emerging from the forest.

Meanwhile, Fanatio tearfully introduced their son, Berchie, to a very shocked Bercouli. Eldrie was reunited with his parents despite his loss of memories. The moment he saw them, he cried tears of joy and hugged his mother. Duesolbert, too, remembered his beloved wife the moment he set his eyes on her. The twins were having fun exploring the area. The Four Whirling Blades took off their helmets and were enjoying the peaceful scenery. Shasta and Lipia shared a loving moment together while standing before one of the unoccupied log house, happy with their newfound peaceful life.

Rirupirin stood alone watching everyone finding their own happiness. He felt bitter that he could not share the same feeling as the others. But then, a voice reached his ears that warmed his heart in an instant. "Riru..." He turned around to see his beloved childhood sweetheart.

"R-Renju..." Tears overflowed his eyes and the two orcs shared a heartwarming embrace. Some of the orcs had also appeared from the depths of the forest, bowing at Rirupirin.

Kirito and Asuna could not believe their eyes. The plan to revive some of the people from Underworld had gone so much better than they had thought. "So this is the Memory Link you spoke of." Kirito said to Cardinal in awe. The orange butterfly from before suddenly flew past Cardinal and landed onto Kirito's shoulder. "This butterfly...Could it be?"

"Ah. It's Charlotte. She was reincarnated as a butterfly to assist you in this quest. Although, her revival was purely a coincidence formed by Memory Link. When the butterfly had touched you at the start of the quest, you unconsciously linked your memories of Charlotte to the butterfly NPC, converting her data over to the butterfly." Cardinal explained and the butterfly took off once more and landed onto Cardinal's palm. "Oh, I almost forgot one more detail." The petite girl said and brought her staff once more.

A light was shot into the sun in the sky and soon several roars could be heard. Everyone looked up into the bright sun and noticed a few flying figures coming from above. As they flew closer to the ground, the integrity knights recognized their beloved dragons right away. Hoshigami flew towards Bercouli along with both Fanatio and Duesolbert's dragons flying to their respective owners. Renri's dragon, Kazenui, landed softly beside him, nuzzling its head against him. Yoiyobi landed before Sheyta and gently sniffed a sleeping Lisetta in her arms, letting out a gentle call while Iskahn stroke its neck.

"Amayori! Takiguri!" Alice cried with joy as the two young feathery dragons flew towards her with Ronye and Tiese's young dragons, Tsukigake and Shimosaki, right behind them. Eldrie came over to Takiguri and Alice explained to him how Kirito had turned them into eggs to save them from destruction. She had spent some time hatching them while visiting Selka in the Underworld.

"That should be everything." Cardinal nodded and turned to both Kirito and Asuna. "From this point onwards, ALO will have new races added. Humans, Pugilists and Orcs. These races won't be able to fly but humans are able to raise dragons, but if they wish to I can convert them into one of the elf race. All of the skills available in ALO will be open to them and they'll be like normal players. If they were to exhaust all of their HP, they will just respawn here. This place will be their save point like how other players do. The knights are still able to use their Perfect Weapon Control Arts but with different commands. However, normal players won't be able to learn them until more special quests are generated for them to find sacred weapons. Since you have your Night Sky Sword, you have unlocked your Perfect Weapon Control Art. You can find the new commands for it in your skill window."

"I see." Kirito nodded and quickly checked his skill window without any delay.

"The Pugilists and Orcs will be living in the forest where I had prepare shelters for them as well. The Underworldians will be able to age like normal humans do and are able to reproduce using the AI baby reproduction program. This way, they'll be able to retain their normal lives as they have in Underworld." Cardinal finished up the rest of her explanation with a smile.

"Cardinal, I'm deeply grateful for everything you have done for them." Kirito deeply bowed towards Cardinal, thanking with utmost sincerity.

"There's no need to thank me as you were the one who had brought everyone, as well as I, back to the living." Cardinal smiled in her reply.

Just then, everyone had gathered around Kirito, Asuna and Cardinal, thanking the trio for everything they had done. Both Eugeo and Alice came close to Kirito and thanked him again. A message window with the words 'Quest Clear' then popped up before Kirito. The boy let out a content sigh and pulled the both of them into a hug, extremely happy that everything went well. Asuna stood behind him, feeling extremely happy for her beloved. She knew that from now on everything is going to be fine for Kirito.

"Now that we have finally cleared the quest, why don't we all head to our house for some party?" Asuna announced loudly for everyone to hear.

"Oh right! I almost forgot!" Alice's cat ears perked up at the announcement.

"A party? When did you plan this?" Kirito was just as clueless as Eugeo and the rest of the Underworldians.

"Hmm hmm." Both Asuna and Alice giggled in delight. "We kept it a secret as we wanted to celebrate your recovery and at the same time welcome everyone here who are new to ALO. Liz and the others should be ready with the preparations." Asuna said with excitement. "Shall we go then?"

Just as Asuna was about to lead everyone to their house, they saw three figures flying towards them. "Who are they?" Alice squinted her eyes to have a clearer view.

"Daddy-!!!" Before Asuna and Alice could make out the flying figures, one tiny figure turned into a small child and tackled Kirito onto the ground.

"Uwahhhhh!" Kirito caught the tiny figure ant hit the grass hard, being pushed back by a few centimetres. Eugeo, Ronye and Tiese looked at him from above and saw a small girl in white dress clinging hard onto Kirito's chest.

"A-are you alright, senpai?" Ronye asked.

"Y-Yui-chan?!" Asuna exclaimed and soon the other two figures landed, revealed to be both Leafa and Sinon. "Leafa-chan? Sinonon too? What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, we headed to your house to prepare for the party after you guys left." Sinon started.

"Then, Yui-chan suddenly came and told us that Onii-chan was in danger, so we came right away to help." Leafa explained and placed both hands on her waist when she saw her brother looking just fine on the ground.

"Ow..." Kirito winced at the impact and looked up at his attacker on his chest. "Y-Yui?"

"Daddy, Daddy! Thank goodness, you're unharmed." Yui cried while rubbing her face onto his chest.

"Yui, that was dangerous, you know." Kirito sat upright and held Yui in his arms. "How did you know I was in trouble?" He asked curiously.

"Since I was previously a Mental Health Counselling Program, I am still able to detect strong emotion in players. I was worried about you, so I've been keeping an eye on your mental health since you started questing, Daddy." Kirito gave Yui a wry smile as he realized Yui had become obsessed with monitoring his health just like Asuna was.

"Thank you for worry about me, Yui. But everything is alright now, so don't worry." Kirito said while patting Yui on the head. Asuna then came and kneeled down beside the both of them.

"We're sorry it took us so long to visit you, Yui-chan. Were you lonely?" Asuna asked to which the small girl shook her head and smiled.

"It's okay. I missed both Daddy and Mommy but Leafa-san and the others often log in and kept me company. I've been holding the fort while Mommy is busy taking care of Daddy." Yui cheerful answered.

"I see. Yui is such a good girl. We promise to make it up to you by hanging out more often from now on. I'll also treat you to your favourite Raspberry cake." Kirito said while stroking Yui's head and she cheered, cutely snuggling into his chest once more, emitting a muffled cat-like wuu into his clothes.

"D-daddy? K-Kirito? You have a daughter?" Eugeo spoke suddenly, looking just as surprised as the rest of the Underworldians.

"U-uh, yeah. This girl here is Yui. Asuna and I found her years ago and took her in as our own child. You could say her existence is almost similar to you guys." Kirito scratched his head awkwardly while trying to explain himself.

"And you lied saying you were bad with kids when we first met Fizel and Linel at the Cathedral!" Eugeo pouted and lightly elbowed Kirito's side. The black-haired gave him a nervous chuckle.

"Who are you calling a kid?!" Fizel whined from within the crowd.

"Hoh, parenting at such a young age? I'm impressed. I thought it was strange that you would have bore a child at such a young age. Though you didn't seem like the type to able to handle a child." Fanatio chuckled lightly, referring to how Kirito was often causing trouble and getting lectured by Duesolbert. Kirito could only blush and faked a cough at the statement of 'bearing a child'.

"You have a daughter too?! I see, I see. But our Lisetta is way more adorable than yours! And someday, she's going to become a stronger fighter!" Iskahn laughed while boasting about his daughter. Kirito could only smile wryly at them.

"Now that everything seems fine, let's head over to the party. Onii-chan! Come on, let's go!" Leafa cheered while pushing Kirito forward.

"I got it! I got it! Stop pushing, Sugu, I mean, Leafa!" Kirito struggled while Asuna giggled at the duo.

As the large group finally reaches their destination, a group of people had already gathered outside the cabin enjoying the barbecue. The Underworldians were surprised at the welcoming party and the cosy setting of the party. There were the Sleeping Knights, Argo, Sakuya, Alicia, Eugene, Reckon and Kirito's usual gang. Noticing their arrival, they greeted Kirito and the others with a wave of their hands.

"You're late, Kirito!" Lisbeth stomped her foot. While Silica waved at the group with Pina sitting on her head.

"Welcome back, Kirito-san! Please come and enjoy some food. Everyone else too!" The petite girl motioned everyone over.

"You're slow as usual, K-dawg!" Klein approached the black-haired Spriggan and locked his head under his right arm with a cup of beverage in his left hand. Agil sighed at the former's usual shenanigans. Klein then noticed the flaxen-haired boy beside Kirito. "Oh, what's this? A Kirito look-alike?"

"M-me?!" Eugeo exclaimed and was suddenly locked under Klein's left arm as well.

"I'm Klein, Kirito's best bud! Nice to meet ya! Now come on, don't be shy and join the party! Maybe I'll intro you to some of the ladies but be careful of Kirito. He has a knack for stealing all the ladies." Klein laughed but was then kicked by Kirito when the boy managed to free himself.

"Who the hell is your best bud?! And stop spouting nonsense." Kirito scoffed in annoyance at Klein's usual antics while the man in bandana whined on the ground.

Suddenly, two pairs of arms came from behind Kirito, wrapping both his arms. Both Sakuya and Alicia had caught the boy by surprise, leaning their bodies close to him, causing him to blush furiously. The two ladies continued to tease him while Kirito sensed a dangerous glare and dark aura coming from behind them. He recognized it as Asuna's death glare and shuddered in fear. He looked towards Sinon who was standing a few meters in front of him, requesting to be saved but she pretended that she didn't see him.

"Consider it payback for pulling on my tail last time." Sinon said.

"That was a long time ago!" Kirito screeched. "And Argo would you stop looking at me like that and help me out here?" He said when he noticed the mischievous girl, snickering at him.

"Kii-bou, are you sure you're not enjoying the moment right noW?" Argo teased and snicker again.

"Kirito..." Eugeo looked at Kirito.

"Kirito-senpai..." "Kirito, you..." So was Ronye, Tiese and Sortiliena.

Both Leafa and Alice glared at the said boy suspiciously. "Daddy, I told you no cheating on Mommy!" Yui scolded.

"I'm not! I'm not!" Kirito tried defending himself while failing miserably.

"What can I say. Always popular with the ladies!" Klein grumbled as he watched in amusement while lying on the grass.

"K-Klein, would you shut the hell up!" Kirito struggled to free himself from Sakuya and Alicia but felt a chill down his spine.

"Ki-ri-to-kun..." Asuna smiled at Kirito but Kirito could feel that the smile was a hundred times scarier than The Gleam Eyes and her aura several times darker than Quinella. Even the Underworldians was taken aback by her frightening aura.

"Give me a break!!!" Kirito yelled while everyone else laughed and both Sakuya and Alicia finally released the poor boy, satisfied with the teasing. Kirito slumped down to the grass, feeling exhausted.

"Alright! Alright! Let us all not stand here, come and enjoy the food already!" Liz laughed while serving large plates of gourmet on the party table that was set up right in front of the log cabin.

Everyone started moving towards the table while being urged by Kirito's friends. Alice happily dragged along both Eugeo and Selka as well. Kirito remained seated on the grass and smiled as he watched the scene play out before him. A hand suddenly reached out beside him and he smiled at his beautiful lover. "Come on, Kirito-kun. We have to celebrate Alice's birthday!" She said to him, brimming with excitement as she pulled him up, placing a soft kiss on his cheek as he stood.

"Yeah. Oh and Asuna." Kirito held Asuna's hand firmly and brought his lips to her ears, whispering something. Asuna giggled in delight and nodded happily.

"Yeah, that's a great idea! I'll go get everything ready!" Asuna cheered and dashed into the log house without anyone else noticing. Kirito then went ahead and relayed his plan to his friends and they nodded in agreement.

After a few minutes of waiting, Kirito saw Asuna signalling him that everything was ready from the window. He took this as his cue to get the two stars of this moment to stand in the middle of the large table and the rest of the Underworldians surrounding them while his friends cleared the table, leaving an empty spot before them. Eugeo looked very confused but Alice seemed to understand the situation and smiled at him. Right on time, Asuna walked out of the log house with a huge well-made cake in her hands, placing it before Eugeo and Alice.

"W-what is all of this?" Eugeo said while admiring the gorgeous looking cake. It was a gigantic berry shortcake beautifully decorated with icing and various types of berries on top of it. ALO didn't have normal strawberries so Asuna had picked a few of the best tasting berries available and used them in her recipe.

"This cake it to commemorate this moment and to welcome all of the Underworldians to Alfheim! But more importantly, today's the fourth month and tenth day of the year. We're celebrating both you and Alice's birthday, Eugeo!" Kirito said with a thumbs up at his best friend.

"My birthday?" Eugeo repeated in awe.

"Yeah. I had requested for Asuna to postpone my birthday celebration, which was supposed to be yesterday, to this day as I wanted to share the happiness of such a celebration with everyone." Alice said to Eugeo while grabbing his hand.

"This is all so nice. Thank you so much, everyone!" Eugeo grinned with tears brimming in his eyes.

"W-what are you crying for? You should be happy instead." Kirito rubbed his nose shyly.

"I'm not crying, I'm just so happy." Eugeo said while wiping away the beads of tears.

"Well if you're happy, wipe those tears away because we'll be taking a picture to commemorate this moment." Kirito said while searching for something in his inventory. A small cube-like device then spawned on his palm. "Everyone, get into your positions, I'll be starting the countdown now!" Kirito yelled and he set the timer. The device levitated in the air and beeped when the timer had started. Kirito swiftly made his way in between of Eugeo and Asuna. "Come on, smile, Eugeo!" Kirito said while placing an arm over his shoulder and Eugeo did the same. Alice held onto Eugeo's arm and circle her other arm around Selka. Asuna leaned closely on Kirito's shoulder with Yui grinning in between them.

Once the final beep had sounded, a flash was set off and captured the blissful moment. Everyone then cut the cake and shared the slices among themselves. Kirito and Asuna both served each slice to Eugeo and Alice.

"Happy birthday, Eugeo, Alice!" They both said in unison and the duo gratefully accepted the cake slices. The party then went on, filled with cheerful chattering and laughter.

A Few Moments Later

It was almost evening, Kirito and Asuna were standing by the edge of the cliff beside their log cabin, watching the interaction between the Underworldians and their friends. Everyone seemed to get along really well which made them really happy about it.

"Daddy! Mommy!" Yui ran over to the couple hugging onto Kirito's waist.

"What's up, Yui?" Kirito asked while stroking her head.

"Leafa-san said she's making some juice from the berries she got from the Sleeping Knights. I'm going to help her make them. Would you like to try some?" Yui asked innocently.

"Of course we'd love to, Yui-chan." Asuna replied.

"Yeah. Our precious daughter making us something nice? How could we say no to that? Just be careful, okay?" Kirito said with a grin.

"Yes, Daddy!" Yui cheered and ran into the log house where Leafa was.

Kirito smiled at her daughter's excitement before turning towards the breathtaking view beyond the cliff. He could see the vast orange sky and the waterfalls flowing into the gorgeous lakes below. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, thinking how far he has come and enjoying the wonderful feeling of having his heavy feeling of guilt finally lifted from him. A pair of loving arms then came from behind and wrapped around his neck.

"A-Asuna?" Kirito blushed at the sudden attack, feeling Asuna's body pressing onto his back.

"Sorry. Just let me enjoy this for a moment, Kirito-kun." Asuna said while leaning her head onto the side of his face.

"Sure." Kirito smiled and closed his eyes once more to enjoy her presence. He stroke the arms wrapping around his neck, grabbing one of the hand and breathing in its scent.

"Are you feeling okay? You seemed like you were doing some deep thinking. What are thinking right now?" She asked.

"I feel great. I was just thinking about how lucky I am." He said and opened his eyes. "Asuna, thank you. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to get so far. I'm sorry for making you worry about me all the time."

Asuna released him and moved over to his side, holding both of his hands in hers. "I would do anything for your sake, Kirito-kun. And besides, all I did was gave you the encouragement you need. It was because you didn't give up that you were able to come so far."

Kirito smiled and moved his hand to her cheek, tenderly stroking the soft skin with his thumb. The orange glow of the sunset bathe her avatar and she looked as beautiful as a goddess before him. As if being captured in the moment, Kirito gradually moved in and their lips were almost touching. Asuna became entranced by his loving eyes that she had closed the gap between them, engaging in a long and tender kiss under the beautiful sunset. Their kiss got deeper as they were so caught up in the romantic moment and Kirito's hand moved to her waist, pulling her closer to his body while Asuna's hands moved to his back and held onto his shoulders.

Suddenly, the sound of someone clearing their throat brought them back to the present and the couple stopped kissing, looking at the source in shock. Leafa was standing there, stomping in annoyance, with a tray of beverage in her hands with Yui right beside her holding two cups of juices. Everyone else in the party had noticed their actions and had been staring for quite some. The couple blushed in crimson red and pulled away from each other. "Onii-chan, if you're going to do something like that, please don't do it in front of Yui." Leafa nagged her brother while Yui looked confused. The young girl then brought the drinks to her parents.

"Daddy! Mommy! Here you go!" Yui giggled in delight.

"T-thanks, Yui." "T-thank you, Yui-chan." The couple awkwardly accepted the drinks. Kirito quickly gulped down the juice to bring down the heat while Asuna shyly took in a few sips.

"Honestly, ever since you were hospitalized with Asuna constantly staying by your side, you've been so clingy with her." Sinon lifted a brow with her arms folded.

"Hey, Kirito! I don't know how far you guys have gotten but if you're gonna do something like that, best to take it to the bedroom!" Liz teased mischievously. Hearing that, Asuna spat out the liquid in her mouth onto Kirito's face.

"H-hey, Liz-san." Silica blushed at Lisbeth's teasing towards the couple. Asuna apologetically wiped away the splattered juice on Kirito's face as the poor boy had an enervated look on his face.

"G-geez, Liz. There's no way we could do that right now in the Real World!" Asuna yelled without thinking.

"H-hold on, Asuna!" Kirito exclaimed and Asuna finally realized what she had revealed. Unable to do it in the Real World, would have meant that they had done it before in the virtual world. Lisbeth only intended for it to be a joke but turned red when she heard what Asuna had implied.

"Hoho, does that mean you guys did it in the virtual worlD? Hmm, if I remember correctly there was this hidden option that allowed players to conduct such act back in SAO." The couple twitched at Argo's comment. "ALO doesn't seem to have that feature thougH. That must mean you guys did it back when you two got married in SAO! I bet Kii-bou and A-chan were having the time of their lives during those two weeks of honeymoon in this cosy cabin of yourS! If SAO had the feature to make AI babies like Unital Ring, then you'd probably had tons of-mphhhh!" Both Sakuya and Alicia felt that Argo was getting out of hand with her teasing that they cover her mouth with their hands to spare the couple.

"What?! Kirito, you lucky bastard!" Klein whined. "But then, I guess it's not all that surprising considering how lovey-dov-Ow!" Agil then hit the man on the back of his head to stop him from talking. "The hell you do that for?!"

"Read the atmosphere." Agil said in annoyance while pointing towards Kirito and Asuna.

The couple's faces were already beet red as everyone stared at them with shock faces while Bercouli, Fanatio and some of the adult couples smirked in amusement. Both Kirito and Asuna felt their faces heating up so much that the circuits in their brain would have been fried. Yui innocently looked between her parents clueless of the situation, wondering everyone is so silent. However, one question piqued her interest.

"Daddy." She tugged on Kirito's black coat.

"W-what is it Yui?" Kirito asked, snapping out from his trance.

"Argo-san said Daddy and Mommy would be able to make babies. Just how does one make a baby?" She asked and both Kirito and Asuna became petrified at the question. It wasn't just them, everyone else present had choked on their drinks or food at Yui's question. It was the hardest thing to explain to a child after all.

"Y-Yui-chan, ummm...right! Kiss. When someone l-love each other very much, they can make babies through k-kissing."

"But Daddy and Mommy kiss all the time, so are you two making me a sibling? Ah, no. ALO does not seem to have such a feature. So, is it a practice then?" She asked innocently.

"A-Asuna." Kirito tapped on Asuna's shoulder and whispered in her ear. "I think your answer might cause Yui to misunderstand. Think about it, if she sees others kissing then..."

"Ah, you might be right. Uuuu..." Asuna shuddered in embarrassment of the topic.

"Eh, a misunderstanding? Mommy, why would you lie?" Yui pouted in disappointment.

"T-that's not it, Yui-chan. I mean, kissing is part of the process. You see, to make a baby...F-first, you would have to turn off the Ethics Code and-" Asuna fumbled with her word and Kirito suddenly screamed to stop her.

"STOP! STOP! Asuna, what are you explaining to Yui?!" Kirito blushed deep red as this information has confirmed everyone's suspicion of their relationship in SAO.

"Ah! S-sorry! Ughhhhhh..." Asuna shook her head and fidgeted, not knowing what to do. "K-Kirito-kun...you do the explaining then..." She hid her face in her hands as she passed the baton to her boyfriend. However, there was no reply like she had expected. "K-Kirito-kun?" She removed her hands and looked to her side, only to find the black-haired Spriggan missing from his spot. She then searched around and saw him standing a few meters away from her facing a tree, still with his hand covering his face. Both Eugeo and Alice had gone over to the overheated Kirito. "Geez! Kirito-kun, you dummy!" She pouted.

"Oi, Kirito." Eugeo called his name while poking his shoulder. "I think he's broken, Alice." Eugeo chuckled wryly at Alice.

"Snap out of it, Kirito!" Alice nagged at the boy, grabbing his shoulders, roughly shaking him.

"Don't come near me, don't talk to me, don't touch me..." Kirito mumbled. He was so embarrassed that he had covered his face with both hands, wishing he would disappear right this second.

Later That Night

Kirito and Asuna had sent off the Underworldians back to their new home in the northwestern area. Their ALO friends have all logged out as well, leaving only the couple with Eugeo and Alice in their log cabin. Exhausted from all the excitement, Yui returned to her pixie form and fell asleep, lightly snoring away in Kirito's breast pocket.

"Today sure was eventful." Alice said.

"Yeah, I'm grateful for everything you've done, Kirito. You've made me happier than I have ever been." Eugeo smiled at the said boy.

"Glad to hear it. So, will you be staying in the cabin next door?" Kirito asked while pointing towards the window, where another empty log house could be seen. Cardinal had spawned another log house beside Kirito and Asuna's as she had assumed Eugeo would prefer living somewhere closer to Kirito.

"I guess." He shrugged.

"I will stay with him tonight." Alice announced.

"A-Alice?!" Eugeo exclaimed in surprised, pink tinge forming on his face.

"D-don't be mistaken! It's just I feel that we need some time alone and talk." Alice fidgeted and Eugeo smiled at her words, nodding in approval.

"I'm so happy for the two of you, Alice, Eugeo-san." Asuna said with her hands clasped together.

"Just Eugeo is fine, Asuna-san." The flaxen-haired boy corrected her.

"Then, Eugeo-kun it is!" She replied.

"I guess we'll see you guys soon then." Kirito said. The duo then waved their goodbyes and headed towards the house next door. "We really did it, didn't we?"

"Yeah. They're really here in this world. I'm happy for you, Kirito-kun. You made your wish came true." Asuna said, hugging her lover.

"I swear I'll protect them this time and I'll find a way to show them both the new Underworld and the Real World. I'll make sure of it." Kirito swore to himself.

"I'm sure you will and I'll always be here with you." Asuna smiled at his confidence. "Shall we log out then?" Asuna asked.

"Yeah." Kirito nodded and the two logged out.

Back in Kazuto's Bedroom

Kazuto's POV

I felt myself being pulled back into reality and a ticklish sensation along with the urge to sneeze invaded my nose. Letting out a small sneeze, I sighed while slumping back onto the bed, taking off the Amusphere on my head. I looked to my side to see Asuna waking up as well and took off her Amusphere for her, placing the device on the shelf. "Welcome back." I said to her.

"I'm back." She replied with a smile and snuggled close to me. I look to the wall clock across my bed and noticed it was already midnight. We had been logged in for more than twelve hours, skipping both lunch and dinner.

"Asuna, are you hungry? I could go make us some supper if you want to." I offered. She only shook her head while holding me tighter.

"No, I'm okay. Are you?" She asked back and I shook my head. We had eaten a lot back at the party and it was a good thing that virtual worlds can retain the sensation of feeling full even after you logged out. "I'm exhausted." She spoke again.

"Yeah, me too. Let's just go to sleep." I said while lying back down with her. "Hey. I'll be moving most of my stuff to my new apartment tomorrow. Do you wanna come along?"

"Of course! But first, I need to head back home first. I'll meet you before lunchtime. I was wondering if I could move some of my belongings to your new place and also stay there for the night, if that's okay." She asked me shyly. I smiled and stroked her soft locks.

"Of course it is. I wouldn't want it any other way. Just being with you is more than enough for me." I said while kissing her forehead, then her nose and finally her soft lips. "I love you, Asuna." I said while kissing her once more, this time I inserted my tongue into her mouth and she accepted it right away. My hands began roaming her back and so was hers. Then, I remembered the teasing from just now and stopped abruptly. Asuna pulled away from me in confusion and I blushed hard while looking into her face. She seemed to have understood the reason behind my reaction and blushed too.

"W-why don't we go to sleep?" She said nervously.

"Y-yeah." I nodded. We laid in each other's arms and said our goodnights before falling asleep right away from extreme exhaustion.

That night, I had the best sleep in ages. After everything that had happened today, I finally understood the meaning behind Aki-san's and Asuna's words. Accepting my fate is to accept everything that has happened, good or bad. Instead of giving up, I fight for a brighter future to change my future for the better. I managed to bring back the Underworldians, giving them a new beginning. In that case, I will forever resist any unfortunate destiny with all my power and fight for a brighter future. I shall become a renegade of reality.

Well, this chapter is the finale of this story! But don't you worry, it's not over yet! I'll be making an extra chapter for this story before officially ending it. A warning though, half of the next chapter will have mature contents in it, so please keep that in mind.Also, I won't be updating here anymore due to some inconveniences of me only able to update using my phone. So instead, I'll post the extra chapter in my Wattpad account. (Yuzuki95) Feel free to head on over there to read it if you're interested. :D

So, what do you think of this chapter? Is it way too lengthy? (Because I couldn't figure out where to stop) Is there too much information to absorb? Does it bore you? Anything you don't agree or like about this chapter? Please do let me know in the comment section and I'll try to do better.

Thanks and sorry for any inconveniences to my dear readers here.