Ep 23. Bonds

Kirito and Yui have finally found Asuna, who is being held captive by Yuuki, the leader of the Sleeping Knights. Yuuki challenges Kirito to a duel, and he accepts, with the condition that if he wins, he and Asuna will be allowed to leave. The duel is intense, and both Kirito and Yuuki display incredible skill and determination, but in the end, Kirito emerges victorious.

With the duel over, Yuuki agrees to release Asuna and allows her to log out of the game. As Asuna prepares to leave, she says goodbye to Yuuki and the other members of the Sleeping Knights, thanking them for their help and telling them that she will always remember them. Yuuki, in turn, tells Asuna that she has been honored to fight alongside her, and that her bravery and determination have inspired her.

As Kirito and Asuna prepare to log out, Yui reveals that she has a gift for Yuuki: her own original skill, "Mother's Rosario," which is even more powerful than the skill Yuuki had been using. Yuuki is amazed and grateful, and she and the other members of the Sleeping Knights all log out, leaving Kirito and Asuna alone.

As they stand together in the virtual world, Kirito and Asuna reflect on the bonds they have formed with each other and with other players over the course of their time in the game. They realize that these bonds are what have given them the courage and strength to face the challenges of Aincrad, and that they will carry these bonds with them even when they leave the game.

As the episode ends, Kirito and Asuna log out and return to the real world, where they are greeted by their friends and family. They are happy to be reunited with those they love, but they also feel a sense of loss for the friends they have left behind in the virtual world. Kirito and Asuna realize that while they have completed their quest to escape from Aincrad, their journey is far from over, and they look forward to facing whatever challenges lie ahead.