I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

The hall was deathly silent.

“She’s like me,” Yui continued. “She’s been observing human emotions since SAO started operating. Like me, she’s accumulated error codes from absorbing too many negative emotions.”

She looked up, her eyes sparkling with understanding: "I think she got close to Dad because, just like I did back then, she was attracted to your pure heart."

The truth that Strea is not human, but an AI like Yui, shocked everyone in the Golden Rule.

Two more days passed, and Strea still hadn't returned to the guild. Although she was usually rather elusive, everyone was even more worried about her safety after the incident in the dungeon district. In the guild hall, without the sly, light-purple-haired girl, it seemed even the sunlight had dimmed.

Even though Strea is not human, to everyone, she is first and foremost a comrade-in-arms, a friend with whom they live and weather storms together. The precious memories she and everyone share are more real than any program code.

On the third day, when Mochizuki Kaede left Lisbeth's weapon shop, she finally spotted Stoleya's familiar figure in the bustling crowd.

A thought struck him, and he decided to secretly follow her. Perhaps this way he could find out where Stoleya had been staying these past few days and what she was doing.

Stoleya's pace was sometimes fast, sometimes slow; sometimes she would suddenly turn into an alley, sometimes she would linger aimlessly by the fountain. Her slender figure appeared and disappeared in the crowd, like a game of hide-and-seek. Mochizuki Kaede kept a safe distance, but still lost her around a corner.

"Stealth skill?" He activated his enemy detection skill and quickly relocked onto the target.

The longer Mochizuki Kaede followed her, the stranger it seemed—Storia appeared to have no destination, simply wandering aimlessly through the city. She would stop in front of dessert shops, but wouldn't buy anything. She would sit on benches in the square, but would just quietly watch the players walking by.

Suddenly, the purple-haired girl in front of them stopped.

"Thank you for your hard work, Mochizuki Kaede." Stoleya turned around, her crimson eyes staring directly into the shadows where he was hiding.

“…As expected.” Mochizuki Kaede had known all along that he had been discovered, which reminded him of the first time he followed Stoleya to the hotel, when she easily saw through his disguise.

"Huh? Saying 'as expected' means you discovered my prank?" Stoleya tilted her head, revealing her familiar sly smile.

"I only realized it halfway through," Mochizuki Kaede shook her head helplessly. "You tricked me again."

"You're still a little short~ But being just one step away means you've made a lot of progress," Stoleya replied, with her familiar smile.

. . . . .

Thank you to [fghjkop] for the donation!

Chapter 211: Reward

Looking at Stoleya's bright smile, Mochizuki Kaede swallowed back the words he was about to say. Stoleya suddenly leaned closer, her slender arm affectionately linking with his, the faint fragrance of her hair wafting over.

"I'm hungry~ Let's go get something to eat." The girl blinked her blushing eyes, her voice carrying a coquettish tone at the end.

Mochizuki Kaede sighed helplessly: "Still want skewers?"

“No~” Stoleya shook his arm, “There’s a new shop that’s been opening for a while and I’ve been wanting to try it.”

Dragged along like this, Mochizuki Kaede could only let her lead him through the streets. After turning a few corners, a small stall with red lanterns appeared in front of them. The red soup in the pot was boiling, and the pungent smell of chili could be smelled from a distance.

"We're here! How lucky, there don't seem to be many customers today." Stoleya pointed excitedly at the stall.

Mochizuki Kaede looked around, her brows furrowing involuntarily: "Rather than saying it's not much..."

His gaze swept over the groups of players around him, who hesitated to approach: "They're too scared to get close..."

The players all looked troubled, some even covering their noses and backing away. Mochizuki Kaede turned to the enthusiastic girl beside her: "Um, this doesn't seem too good. Can't we choose another shop?"

"No~ I want to try it, though." Stoleya hugged his arms tighter, the soft touch of his chest against her through his clothes. She looked up at him, "Please~"

Faced with such coaxing, Mochizuki Kaede could only nod reluctantly. Stoleya immediately called out to the vendor, "Boss, I want the two spiciest portions!"

"Alright! Let's get started right away!" The boss's booming reply drew gasps of amazement from those around him.

Mochizuki Kaede suddenly had a bad feeling, and when the owner started cooking, that feeling came true. Unidentified dark ingredients floated in the bubbling red broth, and the spicy smell made his eyes sting.

"It looks really spicy, is it seasoned with some special spices?" Stoleya asked curiously as she leaned closer.

Mochizuki Kaede rubbed her itchy nose: "Although I have no cooking skills, I can confidently say that this has gone beyond the category of spicy."

"Wow~ I'm even more excited now..." Stoleya clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling.

When the two bowls of eerily bright red dishes were handed to him, Mochizuki Kaede felt the bowls burning hot in her hands. The unknown ingredients floating on the surface of the soup emitted a suffocating spiciness, and the surrounding air seemed to become scorching.

They sat down on a bench under a large tree nearby.

Stoleya couldn't wait to scoop up a spoonful and put it in her mouth, her cheeks immediately puffing out.

"So spicy!" she mumbled, but continued chewing. The moment she swallowed, she suddenly sprang up from the bench.

"Strange! I only ate a little bit, but I feel an amazing power surging from deep within my body! Even though there's no buff, I feel like I can run incredibly fast!" As she spoke, she actually started spinning rapidly in front of Mochizuki Kaede, so fast that she left afterimages.

Mochizuki Kaede cautiously took a bite, and immediately felt a fire burning from his throat to his stomach. If he hadn't been in a safe zone, he had no doubt that his health would have started to drop.

The spiciness brought tears to his eyes, but then he heard Stoleya's cheerful voice: "How does it taste?"

"..." Mochizuki Kaede opened her mouth, but the spiciness made her unable to make a sound.

Stoleya, sitting back down beside him, had a slight blush on her cheeks and was gently fanning her mouth with her hand: "It feels so hot all of a sudden."

"Of course you'll feel hot after eating this kind of thing," Mochizuki Kaede's voice was hoarse.

Stoleya tugged at her sweat-soaked collar, revealing her alabaster skin, glistening beads of sweat disappearing between her delicate collarbones and alluring cleavage.

Noticing Mochizuki Kaede's gaze, she winked mischievously: "Aren't you hot? Let me help you take off your clothes."

As she spoke, she reached out to unbutton his shirt.

Mochizuki Kaede hurriedly leaned back: "Although I've sweated a lot, it's too strange to take off my clothes in a place like this!"

His gaze fell on the girl's chest, so close to his own, where beads of sweat slid down her delicate skin, leaving streaks of moisture between her breasts. He looked away, finally able to stare at Stoleya's flushed eyes. The girl, however, pressed closer, saying, "I'm so hot right now, can you help me take my clothes off?"

"What are you doing taking off your clothes here! No way!"

"Eh~" Stoleya pouted, "I know! You just want to have all my charming body to yourself, don't you?"

"Huh?" Mochizuki Kaede couldn't keep up with her train of thought.

"Hehe~" Stoleya chuckled, "I can take my clothes off for you anytime you ask."

Mochizuki Kaede quickly waved her hand and said, "I never intended to say such a thing..."

"Come on, come on, take yours off too~"

Seeing that the girl was really about to unbutton his shirt, Mochizuki Kaede had a sudden inspiration: "Storea, do you want to go get some ice cream?"

"Ice cream?" Sure enough, the girl's attention was immediately diverted, her eyes shining like stars. "Yay! After eating spicy food, I have to eat something sweet!"

She hopped to her feet, her clothes clinging to her body and outlining her alluring curves: "Uh, which store should we go to?"

……

The strawberry ice cream shimmered pink in the sunlight. Stoleya licked it slowly, her eyes crinkling with satisfaction: "Mmm~ How can ice cream taste so good after spicy food?"

"Has the sweating stopped?" Mochizuki Kaede asked, looking at her cheeks, which were flushed red from the spiciness.

"Mmm, it's much cooler now." Stoleya tilted her head to look at him. "And eating ice cream together feels like a date, it's so nice."

Seeing her happy, Mochizuki Kaede felt as if her heart was being warmed by sunshine.

“Actually…” Stoleya’s voice suddenly softened, “When I first started avoiding you, I was very uneasy. I was worried that you hadn’t noticed me, but I was also afraid that if you did, you would just leave…”

Mochizuki Kaede hadn't expected her to say these things so suddenly, and instinctively softened her voice: "As long as I find out it's you, I'll definitely catch up. We're comrades, and I'll worry about you if anything happens to you..."

“Yes!” Stoleya’s eyes lit up. “This makes me especially happy! So…”

She suddenly leaned closer, and before Mochizuki Kaede could react, her soft lips were already pressed against his.

The kiss carried the sweetness of strawberry ice cream and the lingering heat of chili. Mochizuki Kaede stood frozen, feeling the girl's tight embrace, her light purple hair tickling her cheek.

Both of them blushed when they parted.

Stoleya licked her moist lips: "This is a reward~"

She then affectionately rubbed her cheek against him, saying, "You didn't lose me and hide; you even caught up with me..."

"Wait, wait, don't joke like that..." Mochizuki Kaede's voice stammered.

"This is no joke!" Stoleya's eyes suddenly turned serious.

"Stroeya?"

"There's an opportunity!" Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in attention, the girl kissed him again. This time, it was deeper, with an undeniable force. When they parted, her lips were glistening with moisture, and her chest heaved violently.

"Mochizuki Kaede, I love you the most!"

Suddenly kissed and confessed to, Mochizuki Kaede was at a loss for what to do. His mind went blank, as if he had been struck by lightning.

"Wang Yuefeng looks so cute when she's flustered!" Stoleya smiled more sweetly than ever before, the sunlight forming a halo behind her, so dazzling that it was impossible to look away.

Chapter 212: Confession

The wind carrying the scent of grass brushed past the two of them, and Stoleya's light purple hair shimmered like pearls in the sunlight. She knelt on the soft grass, her fingers fiddling with a wildflower.

Mochizuki was still immersed in Stoleya's passionate confession, her thoughts drifting like willow catkins. Stoleya, on the other hand, gazed quietly at the distant, rolling mountains, the azure sky and white clouds spreading out casually, weaving a picture that needed no ink.

"Wang Yuefeng," she suddenly spoke, her voice so soft it was as if she were afraid of disturbing the tranquility, "I'd like to reintroduce myself."

The girl turned her head, her crimson eyes looking directly at him: "I am Prototype 2 of the [Mental State Management Program], program codename [Strea], responsible for monitoring and regulating the mental health of SAO players."

Mochizuki Kaede was slightly taken aback. Although Yui had told him before that Stoleya was not a player, but an AI like herself, hearing Stoleya state this fact in such a calm tone still made him feel a little dazed.

He frowned slightly, and asked with a hint of doubt, "...Why did you come to me?"

“Because you are different.” Stoleya’s answer was as straightforward as a prepared, standard response. She looked up at the drifting clouds. “But what attracts me most is your story with that dark elf lady. That dark elf lady, I think her name is Kismer. I know everything that happened between you, from your chance encounter to your gradual falling in love.”

Mochizuki Kaede nodded silently. The wind in the field suddenly became gentle, as if the female knight was watching him through the scenery.

Stoleya turned slightly to the side: "Do you remember when we first met, I told you, 'I know about your wedding with that dark elf lady, you know?' That's why I came to find you... So I wanted to ask you, what do you think of her? An NPC, a program, or..."

“Kiz…” Mochizuki interrupted Stoleya, her voice firm, “In my eyes, she is a real person, a real life. Whether she is an NPC or not makes no difference to me. She has feelings, she can be happy and sad. She has likes and dislikes, she will give everything for her beliefs, and she will hate those who hurt her. Therefore, Kiz and I are the same, we both have a real soul. That is why we have feelings for each other.”

Stoleya's eyes lit up, as if she had received some kind of confirmation: "I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

She stretched and smiled slightly: "From the first time I met you until now, my feelings for you have not faded at all. On the contrary, the more I get to know you, the more I find that you are an incredibly gentle person. And everyone in the Golden Rule... Every minute and every second I spend with you makes me truly feel alive. Every day, I feel incredibly happy."

A butterfly landed on her fingertip, its scales shimmering in the sunlight: "That's why I want to keep all of this, to keep you all here, to keep you in this world."

"Storia..." Mochizuki Kaede softly called her name.

Stoleya closed her eyes slightly: "I like you, I want to go on adventures with you, to taste delicious street food together, to stroll through bustling streets together, to kiss in a romantic atmosphere, to fall asleep in each other's arms in a warm bed... just like having the sweetest date with a lover. We've done everything we could, so I have no regrets."

As she spoke, she leaned on Wang Yuefeng's shoulder, her soft hair gently brushing against his cheek.

"When we were in the maze area, I suddenly had a headache and uncontrollably manipulated the Goat Lord to strengthen it. I really regretted it then. My original intention was not to prevent you from completing the game, but to let you all stay in this world happily. But I know that even if you stay, you won't be truly happy. I don't want you to have negative emotions, which is completely contrary to my idea."

Mochizuki Kaede listened in silence.

After Stoleya finished explaining, she raised her head, her crimson eyes looking directly at him: "How does Mochizuki Kaede view me? An AI? A piece of program?"

“You are no different from the players,” Mochizuki Kaede said earnestly. “In this world, what we see with our eyes is just virtual data; the only thing that is real is our feelings. I believe that the feeling of thinking of others is the true soul.”

Stoleya's eyes widened slightly, then blossomed into a smile brighter than the sun: "Yes! I like you and everyone in the Golden Rule... This feeling isn't pre-written code, but rather emotions that I've accumulated little by little, the most genuine feelings from the depths of my heart."

“Yes, that is the true heart,” Mochizuki Kaede replied affirmatively.

“Hearing you say that makes me so happy…” Stoleya took a deep breath. “So, please complete this game. Please… end this world and let everyone return to their original lives.”

She suddenly stood up and extended her hand to Mochizuki Kaede: "But before that, shall we take one more adventure alone? Just the two of us."

Mochizuki Kaede did not refuse and grasped that slender yet strong hand.

And so, the two began their adventure in the maze area that day.

"Left!" Mochizuki Kaede shouted in a low voice. Stoleya immediately understood, sweeping her greatsword across and slicing the attacking monster in half at the waist. Mochizuki Kaede then took a step forward, his lightning blade aimed straight for the vital point of another monster.

During a lull in the battle, Stoleya suddenly winked mischievously: "Let's see who takes down more monsters?"

"You're doomed." Mochizuki Kaede's lips curled into a slight smile.

The two advanced through the maze, their teamwork becoming increasingly seamless. Sometimes, they didn't even need words; a single glance was enough for them to understand each other's intentions. In the maze's deep passages, they encountered various ferocious monsters. Whenever a monster attacked, Mochizuki Kaede would swiftly rush forward, unleashing sword techniques with her lightning blade to force the monster back. Stoleya would follow closely behind, delivering the fatal blow with her greatsword. Their figures darted through the maze like two dazzling beams of light.

Turning a corner covered in moss, Mochizuki Kaede and Stoleya ran into an elite group of the Blood Oath Knights. Heathcliff, at the head of the group, stopped, his cross-shaped shield gleaming coldly in the dim maze.

However, they didn't say much. Mochizuki Kaede simply nodded slightly and then brushed past Heathcliff.

Heathcliff stood there, watching the departing figures of Mochizuki Kaede and Stoleya behind him, a meaningful smile on his face.

“When something unexpected happens…” he said softly, “perhaps that’s where the real fun of RPGs lies.”

Chapter 213: Before the Final Battle