Miracle Summoner

The Twelfth Strike!

A twelve-hit combo!

Rozen's original single-handed sword skill, never seen by anyone before, transformed into the scythe of the Grim Reaper in the cold calmness of his expression and gaze, slicing diagonally toward Yuuki's neck.

For a moment, Yuuki seemed to glimpse a starry sky appearing before her eyes.

In that starry sky, the Big Dipper shone brilliantly.

The sight compelled Yuuki to murmur:

"So beautiful..."

This was the universal reaction of any player who had witnessed the "Big Dipper" sword skill.

All seven of Rozen's original sword skills had unique, dazzling effects. As each combo reached its climax, these effects culminated in a magnificent starry spectacle, earning them the title of the most powerful yet beautiful sword skills in ALfheim Online.

Yuuki, too, had the fortune to be among those who beheld this sight. And, at this moment, she accepted her fate.

(If I were to die beneath such a beautiful sky, surrounded by these stars... it wouldn't be so bad.)

Smiling, Yuuki closed her eyes, as though tying her destiny to this fleeting moment.

Her body, immobilized by the long Rigid state following Rozen's eleven-hit combo, could no longer move.

With her HP already depleted to the brink, this was indeed the final strike.

Defeat was inevitable.

"Splurt!"

The dazzling starlight formed a constellation map as it slashed across Yuuki's neck.

Only then did Rozen stop his assault, holding his pose as if declaring victory with a single decisive cut.

The starlight vanished in an instant.

Yuuki's HP dropped to zero, completely exhausted.

"Boom!"

Dark purple flames erupted, consuming Yuuki's body entirely until nothing was left but a flickering flame, quietly floating in midair.

"Hah..."

Rozen finally emerged from his Rigid state, sheathing his sacred sword at his waist as he exhaled deeply.

Almost simultaneously—

"Clap, clap, clap, clap—!"

A roaring applause resounded from above.

Rozen looked up to find countless players gathered in the sky.

"You did it!"

Leafa cheered.

"Incredible! Rozen-nii!"

Silica was equally ecstatic.

"Outstanding!"

Kirito smiled in amazement.

"As expected of the Guild Leader! Truly formidable!"

Liz gave a thumbs-up to Rozen.

"Papa is the strongest!"

Yui beamed with joy.

"Gu!"

"Pi!"

Saichou, Hanachou, and Pina joined in, their happy chirps filling the air.

If Rozen's close friends were so thrilled, the rest of the crowd was even more overwhelmed.

"That was spectacular!"

"My goodness!"

"An eleven-hit combo followed by a twelve-hit combo!"

"To witness such an exchange of original sword skills...!"

"Today was truly worth it!"

The casual players marveled and applauded.

"Rozen! Rozen! Rozen! Rozen! Rozen!"

The members of Crimson Wing chanted his name in unison, their cheers echoing throughout the sky.

"Hah..."

Asuna, standing alone, looked both moved and relieved. She placed a hand on her chest and smiled warmly, her gaze filled with tenderness and love as she watched Rozen.

Seeing such a scene, Rozen finally realized what was happening and smirked.

Then, he turned to the flickering flame floating before him, extending his hand.

"—キ·Ψ·Ч·ㄌ·Л·δ·ゴ·ご·し·な·ぞ·の—"

Rozen chanted a lengthy incantation, one magical glyph after another appearing around him before transforming into radiant streams of light that flowed into the flame.

This was undoubtedly a resurrection spell.

Over nearly a year of game time, Rozen had mastered nearly every type of magic available to a Sylph. Compared to his early days in ALfheim Online, when he could only use basic wind magic, his current proficiency was in a league of its own.

In Crimson Wing, this was a frequently discussed topic of admiration. While most players might manage to master two or three magic attributes in the same time frame, Rozen had achieved near-mastery of them all—a feat bordering on the absurd.

Of course, few players knew that Rozen was originally a Magus in the real world. Compared to sword skills, he was far more adept at magic, which allowed him to develop efficient training methods to rapidly improve his skills.

Today, aside from the spells restricted by Sylph capabilities, Rozen had mastered every type of magic skill available to his race, even obscure ones.

Had he used magic during the duel, Yuuki would have stood no chance. Spells to confuse the five senses were plentiful, making her reliance on sensory detection exceedingly risky.

However, Rozen had chosen to respect Yuuki's wishes, otherwise, she would have been overwhelmed far earlier and unable to deplete his HP so significantly.

Thus, while others praised the brilliance of his original sword skills, few realized that Rozen's prowess in magic was equally, if not more, remarkable.

Whether through sword skills or magic, Rozen had reached the pinnacle of ALfheim Online.

As the resurrection spell concluded, Yuuki's flame began to swell and transformed into a vortex of fire.

When the flames dissipated, a fully healed Yuuki stood before everyone once more, directly facing Rozen.

"Sigh..."

As she reappeared, Yuuki scratched her head with a sigh of regret.

"I lost."

Her tone carried disappointment, yet her eyes gleamed with fulfillment.

"As expected of the strongest player in ALfheim Online, the hero who cleared SAO—I admit my defeat."

Yuuki graciously acknowledged her loss to Rozen.

"You're strong too," Rozen said, smiling at Yuuki, who seemed completely satisfied.

"So," Yuuki said with curiosity, "what's the name of that twelve-hit combo? Was that the sixth and seventh original skills of the Big Dipper?"

Rozen nodded at her question.

"That was the sixth star of the Big Dipper, the twelve-hit single-handed sword skill—Alioth."

Rozen looked at Yuuki and asked, "What about your OSS? What's it called?"

Yuuki grinned brightly.

"Mother's Rosario."

This was the name of Yuuki's eleven-hit original sword skill.

"I originally created it to pass on to someone I was searching for," Yuuki explained, "but since you won, I'll honor our agreement and give it to you."

Yuuki spoke without hesitation or regret.

Rozen's eyes flickered briefly, and then he nodded.