The dome of the Ruby Palace is collapsing.
Before the white fragments even hit the ground, they disintegrated into countless points of light in mid-air. The throne, pillars, and distant corridors also began to lose their color, like a painting being constantly erased from its edges.
Lin Yuan grasped the unnumbered record left behind by Kayaba.
There was no map inside, only a dense array of collision coordinates. From the first floor to the hundredth floor, every swing of his sword, every injury, and every contact he made was saved by the system as an unclassifiable anomaly.
The earliest record points to a blank period from two years ago.
Just as Lin Yuan was about to give chase, the record in his palm suddenly lit up with a soft white light.
"Elder brother."
He suddenly looked up.
Yui's figure appeared in the center of the shattered hall. She was still wearing a white dress, but her body was much more transparent than usual, with tiny specks of light constantly scattering from below the hem.
Lin Yuan strode over, but his hand passed right through her shoulder.
Are you still in Aincrad?
"Yes." Yui. "I am an independent AI, not on the player logout list, and I don't have a physical body I can return to."
She raised her hands, and a series of external connection states unfolded around her.
All members of the Moonlit Black Cats have successfully disconnected. Kirito, Asuna, Klein, and the conquerors in the Ruby Palace are also awakening one after another. The points of light representing surviving players are disappearing from the server one by one.
Lin Yuan looked at the last name before turning his attention back to Yui.
"Come to the records."
Since what Kayaba left behind could preserve data, perhaps he could also take Yui's core information with him.
Yui did not refuse.
She transformed into a beam of white light, attempting to enter the records in Lin Yuan's palm. The moment the light touched the unnumbered coordinates, a violent repulsion occurred deep within the records, causing the entire space to tremble.
A cut appeared on the back of Lin Yuan's hand.
He didn't let go.
"Again."
"No, brother." Yui materialized again, reaching out to cover the back of his hand, though their palms couldn't truly touch. "It's not rejecting the data, it's rejecting me."
Ordinary data can be copied, and equipment can leave Lin Yuan's coordinates after prolonged contact.
Yui, however, is different.
She possesses a complete memory, is capable of fear and anticipation, and can make her own choices. The world's boundaries do not judge her as a program, but rather as a truly living being.
Lin Yuan does not yet possess the ability to traverse the world with another life.
Another pillar collapsed in the distance.
"Then I won't leave." Lin Yuan tightened his grip.
Yui was stunned.
"Wait until I find a way to get you out of here, then we'll go together."
But this place is about to close.
"I know."
Lin Yuan answered without hesitation.
He promised Yui he would come back. Now that Yui is still here, he can't just leave her alone in a disappearing world.
Yui looked at him, her eyes gradually reddening.
" Kayaba Akihiko reserved a separate storage area for me during the termination process."
She raised her hand, and a closed white cube appeared next to the Projection.
"That area doesn't belong to Aincrad, which is being deleted, nor will it disappear along with the floating city. My core will temporarily cease operation after entering it, until it receives sufficient resources again."
Lin Yuan looked at the cube but didn't speak immediately.
Will someone else find it?
"The entry point has been removed from the external directory. My core cannot be accessed unless you possess this string of unnumbered coordinates."
The only person who could save the coordinates was Lin Yuan.
This is not a hopeless farewell.
If one day he is able to actively cross the world's borders, he will be able to find Yui again along the same coordinates.
"Brother wants to go back to Fairy Tail, right?" Yui asked.
Lin Yuan saw the reluctance in her eyes, and he also saw the decision she had already made.
Someone is waiting for me there.
There are people waiting for you here too.
Yui forced a smile.
So my brother will definitely come back.
Two years ago, in the lakeside cabin, Lin Yuan told her that as long as there were still people waiting, he would find a way to go back. Now Yui the same words to him.
Lin Yuan crouched down to be at the same height as her.
I'll come back for you.
This time, he didn't say he had tried his best.
Yui vigorously and opened her arms to hug Lin Yuan. The transparent body could not transmit any warmth, but Lin Yuan still raised his hands to embrace the Projection.
After a brief embrace, Yui took the initiative to step back.
"The remaining system resources are insufficient to maintain Aincrad. I will entrust the last of the computing power to the unnumbered record to connect to the earliest anomaly coordinates for my brother."
" Yui."
"Brother, welcome home now, and remember to come back too."
Her body transformed into white light and flew into the enclosed cube.
The cube slowly closed and then disappeared from the Ruby Palace.
The unnumbered record in Lin Yuan's palm suddenly unfolded.
Countless coordinates connected beneath their feet, forming a white trajectory extending downwards from the hundredth floor. That trajectory traversed the collapsing floors, ultimately pointing to the very bottom of the floating city.
The Ruby Palace was completely shattered.
Lin Yuan gripped the " Nameless " book tightly and leaped into the white light, following the path left by Yui.