“It’s been ages, what should I call you now… Rozen?” Lin Luo looked at the person before him and smiled faintly.

Rozen was momentarily stunned, but she quickly understood the situation. Being devoured only meant dormancy, not oblivion. Even though millennia had passed, and the circumstances were bizarre, Rozen was no longer the naive child she once was. Having survived countless life-and-death battles, her temperament had long since reached a state of unshakeable calm. In an instant, she composed herself and bowed to Lin Luo: “Whether Rozen or Shosho, both are me.”

Lin Luo gave a noncommittal glance, his gaze shifting to Laplace’s Demon across from them. “It seems you two have some lingering grievances. Do you need me to resolve it for you, or will you handle it yourself?”

Rozen’s gaze followed Lin Luo’s to Laplace’s Demon, her expression tightening slightly. She then nodded. “I can manage it myself. I won’t trouble Master to act… Do you dare to fight me to the death?”

She directed the last sentence toward Laplace’s Demon.

Laplace’s Demon found his body regaining mobility and immediately chuckled, “I shall accompany you to the end.”

“Find somewhere quiet, so as not to disturb anyone else,” Lin Luo instructed.

“The Forbidden Zone of Life.” Laplace’s Demon instantly selected the dueling ground and vanished across the spatial rift. He wasn't fleeing, but rather making haste to the Forbidden Zone of Life first.

In truth, with Lin Luo present, if he wished to escape to the heavens or burrow into the earth, it would be near impossible; there was no chance of resistance. This was why he so readily agreed to Rozen’s challenge for a duel. Since Lin Luo could kill him too easily, and knowing his own demise was certain, dragging someone down with him before death counted as a small consolation… He couldn't beat Lin Luo, but surely he could beat Rozen?

Then, Rozen nodded to Lin Luo and instantly vanished from her spot.

After they departed, Lin Luo disassembled the Gate of Light once more, taking the seven Rozen Queens with him as he descended gently to the ground. He then waved his hand lightly, and the Cross Seal that had bound Mercury Lampe instantly dissolved, allowing her corresponding Rozen Queen to return to her body.

“Father?” The moment her eyes opened, she saw Lin Luo’s face inches away. Mercury Lampe let out an instinctive cry of surprised delight and threw herself forward.

“I truly owe you everything this time,” Lin Luo said, stroking her head with a smile. He had already learned everything that had transpired via the Rozen Queens; frankly, if Mercury Lampe hadn't decisively initiated this Alice Game, leading to the unification of the seven Rozen Queens, Lin Luo wouldn't have been able to return from the Void Space.

Mercury Lampe shook her head, her expression utterly blissful. “Just seeing you, Father, is enough…”

Lin Luo smiled, saying no more, and his gaze drifted to the deceased Rozen Maidens scattered around.

Moments later, Lin Luo arranged the five Maidens—Shinku, Suigintou, Soussou, Suiseiseki, and Hinaichigo—together, mending their damaged bodies while returning their respective Rozen Queens into them. Although they hadn't merely been sealed like Mercury Lampe, the Rozen Queens were their life essence. Furthermore, with Lin Luo, their true Father, personally intervening, they quickly awoke.

“Father… Master?” Upon opening their eyes to see Lin Luo, their thoughts were somewhat muddled, unable to process what had happened. But upon hearing Mercury Lampe’s address to Lin Luo, Shinku and the others were momentarily dumbfounded, because in their memories, the Father figure did not look like this at all.

This was understandable. After all, aside from Mercury Lampe, the other Rozen Maidens had never met Lin Luo. Moreover, their Rozen Queens were originally given to them by Rozen; at least in their memory, Rozen was their Father. However, since Lin Luo was the genuine article, proving it was not difficult.

Thus, once the truth was revealed, the haughty Shinku lost her arrogance, the tsundere Suigintou was left only with tenderness, the profound Soussou became bashful, while only Suiseiseki and Hinaichigo remained as innocent and childish as ever.

Finally reunited with their Father, every Rozen Maiden was overcome with emotion, sinking into that sense of happiness and fulfillment. Yet, very quickly, they noticed one problem.

“Where is the Seventh Doll?”

Indeed, they were all resurrected, but the Seventh Doll was nowhere to be seen, nor did Lin Luo make any move regarding her.

However, Lin Luo merely smiled faintly. “Isn't she right here?”

As he spoke, the head of Kirakishou emerged from behind Lin Luo, offering them a brilliant yet eerie smile.

Kirakishou was only an intentional construct, possessing no physical body to begin with. Lin Luo naturally did not need to repair her. However, having a body had always been Kirakishou’s wish, and Lin Luo had long decided to craft one for her upon their return to the Bright Realm.

“Master, I have returned.” Just then, Rozen suddenly appeared beside the group.

The Rozen Maidens were momentarily startled, glancing between Lin Luo and Rozen, unsure how to address whom.

“Oh, settled?” Lin Luo raised an eyebrow at Rozen. It wasn't that he doubted Rozen could defeat Laplace’s Demon—otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed her duel. By nature, he was protective; he wouldn't have let her go without absolute confidence in her. But the timing surprised him; it was much faster than anticipated.

“Yes, it’s settled,” Rozen replied simply and cleanly.

Although to Laplace’s Demon, Rozen’s strength was inferior—which held some logic, as Rozen was devoured by him, effectively sealed for millennia—it was hard for her not to regress, let alone progress. However, Laplace’s Demon utterly failed to grasp that Rozen had received Lin Luo’s true teachings. Even after being devoured, her power did not wane; instead, it gave her time to rest, accumulating strength like a boundless ocean over thousands of years. Emerging now, only one word could describe it: explosive breakthrough from deep reserves.

In terms of power, Rozen had now reached the Half-Step Heavenly Tier. Though only a hair's breadth separated her from Laplace’s Demon, this sliver was insurmountable for him. As the root of all evil, he wouldn't die, of course… Didn’t the arrogant Sin Dark once boast of his own immortality? Yet, he was ultimately blasted to dust by Nanoha’s Starlight Breaker.

Rozen didn't elaborate, and Lin Luo didn't press further. He simply pointed to the side. “You should deal with that one too. Relatively speaking, you are much more suited for it than I am.”

The person he pointed to was none other than the blond youth who had created the Rose Crystal. Since the self-destruction of the Rose Crystal, his spirit seemed to have collapsed as well. He was simply kneeling there, wearing an expression of utter desolation.

Rozen nodded and approached the blond youth. “Shun.”

Rozen’s voice, infused with magic, resonated like an electrical wave into the blond youth’s mind, instantly clarifying his muddied gaze. He looked up reflexively. “Mas… Master?”

“Do you know where you went wrong?” Rozen asked gravely.

“I…” Although he had always harbored the desire to surpass Rozen and acted upon it, seeing her again now, he understood the gulf between them was immense. This disparity wasn't visible to the eye but palpable to the soul. Thus, his mouth opened, but no words came out.

Rozen sighed, a trace of regret in her tone. “Actually, with your skill, you’ve surpassed my own past abilities just in doll creation. But precisely because of that, you became arrogant, striving to create a perfect doll that surpasses the Rozen Maidens to surpass me. But did you ever realize that the Rozen Maidens were never dolls I created? They cannot be replicated or surpassed, because the Fifth Element is singular, and only the Rozen Maidens can contain the Fifth Element… For this illusory goal, you forgot the most crucial thing for a doll master. While you were somewhat deceived by Laplace’s Demon, I must also bear some responsibility for that, so…”

“Well, just putting on a show will suffice; it’s not that big of a deal anyway.” At that moment, Lin Luo suddenly spoke. He could tell that with Rozen’s serious nature, the punishment she intended for Shun would not be light, and she might even punish herself for being a poor mentor. This compelled him to interject.

While Shun’s fate meant little to him, in his view, although the young man’s actions were questionable, he hadn't committed any grave offense. Although on the surface, Shun merely used the Rose Crystal as a tool to surpass Rozen, in reality, when the Rose Crystal’s body shattered, Shun chose to abandon his lifelong aspiration to let the Rose Crystal extract the Rozen Queen. This single act proved that his love for the Rose Crystal was not false.

Moreover, creating a doll nearly equal to the Rozen Maidens without relying on the Fifth Element, purely through his own ability, was testament enough to the effort and feeling he poured into creating the Rose Crystal.

To cripple such a person under Rozen’s hand would indeed be a pity.

As for what he did regarding the Rozen Maidens, they hadn't been fundamentally harmed. Compared to Laplace’s Demon, his actions were forgivable… And if Shun’s actions could be pardoned, then Rozen was naturally blameless as well.

This was Lin Luo’s calculation, primarily to prevent Rozen from overthinking things.

“Since Master has said so, then… Shun, I will hold your doll in my custody, and you must undergo one hundred years of solitary reflection.” Rozen finally decreed.

“Yes,” Shun nodded. There was no resentment, only joy in his departure, because he understood Rozen’s true meaning: if Rozen could revive his Rose Crystal, reflecting for a hundred years, or even a thousand, was nothing.

Thus, after Shun disappeared, Rozen crouched down and carefully gathered every shattered fragment of the Rose Crystal’s body… With her current ability, resurrecting the Rose Crystal would not be difficult.

With all matters thus resolved, Lin Luo soon opened the gate leading to the Bright Realm.

The Rozen Maiden Arc concludes here, proceeding next into the penultimate chapter—The Heart of the World Arc. RQ