I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

"It's worth becoming a rapier wielder just for this sword! The name is... Ghost Sword? How cool!"

"Look closely, it's the Elf's Sword!"

Mochizuki Kaede's blood instantly froze.

—The Sword of the Spirits.

He was very familiar with this weapon.

That's a rare weapon that can only be obtained by completing the quest "Elf's Blessing" in the third layer of the Dark Elf faction.

Based on current information, there is no way to obtain a second Elf Sword. This sword should have been in Asuna's possession, but it's now in the hands of these red-named players.

The roar of gears seemed to fade away suddenly, leaving only the sound of blood rushing in one's ears.

The worst-case scenario flashed through her mind—Asuna would never easily give up this sword, unless…

Chapter 87: Reencounter with Molt

Even with the worst-case scenario in mind, he forced himself to calm down.

Mochizuki Kaede turned to look at Yuna and whispered, "Yuna, no matter what happens, don't come out. Leave this to me."

Yuna's eyes were full of worry, but seeing Mochizuki Kaede's determined gaze, she nodded and hid tightly in the shadows around the corner.

Mochizuki Kaede slowly walked towards the two red-named players, the metal floor beneath his boots making a dull echo.

"Who?"

The two players with red names also spotted him.

One of them was wearing a one-eyed mask, which Mochizuki Kaede recognized at a glance.

—Molt.

Back on the third floor, this Molt had suddenly attacked them, causing them considerable trouble. And Molt seemed to have recognized Mochizuki Kaede as well.

"Oh, aren't you that kid with the Thunder Blade? I remember your name was... Mochizuki Kaede."

Molt's lips curled into a mocking smile.

“Molt,” Mochizuki Kaede said coldly.

"I didn't expect you to still remember my name~" Molt spread his two heads exaggeratedly. "What? You suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Do you want to catch up with me, or do you just want to die?"

Ignoring his sarcasm, Mochizuki Kaede continued, "About that rare weapon... you just said it's called the Elf Sword, right?"

"Hey~ You have pretty good ears, you remembered it after just one listen. How's this weapon?" Molt crossed his arms, looking nonchalant.

"That rapier was the weapon my companion was equipped with." Mochizuki Kaede stared intently at Mort, saying each word slowly and deliberately, "Mort, did you attack my companion?"

Moult suddenly grabbed his companion who was about to interrupt, his one-eyed mouth twisting into a sinister smile: "You mean that chestnut-haired girl?"

He paused deliberately: "If I said I'd never seen it... would you believe me?"

He said something so ambiguous.

The air solidified instantly.

Mochizuki Kaede just stared at him coldly without saying a word.

"How about this~" Molt suddenly swung his serpentine scimitar, the tip drawing sparks as it sliced ​​through the steel plate. "Let's have a duel. If I win, I'll tell you the truth. Fair enough?"

Mochizuki Kaede also drew her Thunder Blade, which instantly flashed with blinding lightning, crackling and popping.

Without any warning, Molt had already rushed over, his serpentine scimitar dancing like a ghost in his hand, aiming for Mochizuki Kaede's vital points.

However, Mochizuki Kaede seemed to have seen through his movements, slightly shifting his body to easily dodge the attack, leaving only his cold eyes staring straight at Molt.

Immediately afterwards, the Thunder Blade, carrying a fierce aura and flashing with dazzling lightning, slashed towards Mort.

This is a completely different situation from when we first fought on the third floor!

Inside the metal passage, two figures darted past each other like lightning.

Molt's serpentine scimitar traced eerie arcs, as cunning as a real venomous snake.

His movements carried the wildness unique to fighting, and every charge was accompanied by feints, making it impossible for ordinary players to distinguish between the real and the fake.

But Mochizuki Maple is different.

His stance was as steady as a mountain, his thunder blade always at the optimal defensive angle. It was a sword stance honed through countless trials: feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and a center of gravity as solid as a rock.

He had already become familiar with Mort's attack characteristics during his first battle on the third floor.

Moort's feint followed by a sudden change of direction was nothing more than a futile trick in Mochizuki Kaede's eyes.

"Qiang!"

Lei Dao precisely parried the scimitar's thrust, sparks flying everywhere.

With a flick of his wrist, Mochizuki Kaede sent the blade sliding down the curve of the scimitar, aiming straight for Molt's wrist.

This "sharp strike" was clean and decisive, forcing Molt to jump back and dodge.

"Tch, what a pretentious brat!"

Molt spat and suddenly changed tactics.

He lowered his body, his curved blade sweeping along the ground like a venomous snake, while his left fist concealed a deadly intent.

Mochizuki Kaede's eyes remained cold.

He took a half step back, and the thunder blade slashed down from above.

The blade stopped abruptly just inches from Molt's forehead, the resulting gust of wind blowing his bangs aside.

Molt's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

"Have you had enough fun?" Mochizuki Kaede's voice was devoid of any warmth. "I'll ask you one last time, where is Asuna?"

Yuna held her breath at the corner.

She saw the president's back in the cold light of the mechanical maze, like a sword drawn from its sheath, while Molt looked like a comical clown, all his underhanded tricks were exposed in the face of true swordsmanship.

"Snapped--!"

Another small, red-named player suddenly clapped his hands, the metal gloves making a piercing sound in the mechanical maze.

"Alright, alright, everyone stop fighting!" He stepped between the two. "We're all players, all poor souls trapped in this game, all trying to beat this damn game. We're all trying to survive, so let's not fight amongst ourselves!"

These hypocritical words, spoken by a player with a red name (indicating a high rank or negative reputation), seem particularly ironic.

He looked at Mochizuki Kaede and said, "You must be the silver-haired boy that Molt was talking about. You're not very old, but your swordsmanship is quite strong. He even said he almost killed you. I think he was just bragging. Hahaha."

Mochizuki Kaede paid no attention to his words and coldly asked, "Did you lay a hand on my companion?"

"We really didn't have it. We obtained this sword by defeating the [Armed Ratmen]." The skinny, red-named player shrugged, feigning innocence.

Mochizuki Kaede frowned, her mind racing.

The armed ratman possesses the [Steal] skill, so it's highly likely that it stole Asuna's Elf Sword, which was then picked up by these red-named players. However, Mochizuki Kaede couldn't tell whether what they were saying was true or false. After all, these were red-named players who enjoyed killing; how much truth could they possibly utter?

Just as Mochizuki Kaede was lost in thought, the skinny player who was already close to him suddenly turned fierce and pulled out a dagger from his waist with his right hand, stabbing it viciously into Mochizuki Kaede's side.

Mochizuki Kaede reacted extremely quickly. He instantly sensed the danger, and his body reacted before his mind could process it. The Thunder Blade spun at an incredible angle, and the back of the blade struck the opponent's wrist with precision.

With a crisp "click," the skinny player's dagger fell to the ground, bouncing and sliding a long distance across the metal floor.

Meanwhile, Molt moved like a ghost, his scimitar aimed straight for Mochizuki Kaede's back.

At this critical moment——

"Zheng!"

A silver arc of light pierced through the air and struck the scimitar precisely.

The enormous impact made Molt's hands go numb, forcing him to stagger backward.

He turned his head in astonishment and saw a girl standing at the end of the passage, the full moon drawing a graceful trajectory in the air before steadily flying back into her hand.

"Stop! You are not allowed to hurt Brother Feng!"

Silica let out a sharp cry, her twin ponytails flying. Her small body erupted with astonishing power, the crescent moon wheel humming in her hand, ready to strike again at any moment.

Chapter 88: Determination

Asuna quickly stepped forward beside Silica. Although both looked somewhat tired, they were thankfully unharmed. Just then, Yuna emerged from the shadows in the corner, warily watching the two red-named players.

When Molt saw that the number of the other side had increased, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, but he quickly put on a fake smile and shrugged casually: "Hey~ I told you I hadn't seen them before."

Mochizuki Kaede's gaze quickly swept over Asuna and Silica. Only after confirming that they were not injured did her tense nerves relax slightly, but her eyes remained sharp as she stared at Molt without the slightest relaxation.

"Looks like your companions are all alright." Molt grinned.

The skinny, red-named player proudly brandished the elven sword in his hand, deliberately drawing out his words: "But you know, we're not returning this sword to you. You have no proof that it's yours, and besides, it's in my hands now, so it's mine."

Wang Yuefeng looked at him coldly, not surprised by the result. He had long expected that the other party would not return it easily.

However, at this tense moment—

"Squeak!"

A piercing mechanical screeching sound suddenly rang out!

A dark shadow darted out of the ventilation duct like lightning, its entire body covered in rusty metal armor, resembling a giant mechanical ratman.

—【Armed Ratmen】!

Taking advantage of the moment when the skinny red-named player was distracted, it suddenly reached out with its sharp metal claws and snatched the Elf Sword directly from his hand!

"What—?!" The skinny player stared wide-eyed in astonishment, not having a chance to react—

"Whoosh-!"

A silvery-white flash streaked through the air!

Asuna's figure flashed out like the wind, her rapier wielding the sharp sword technique [Linear Thrust], precisely piercing through the core joint of the armed ratman!

"Bang!" Metal parts flew everywhere as the elven sword slipped from the ratman's grasp—

Asuna lightly touched the ground with her toes, performed an elegant spin, caught the falling sword hilt with her left hand, and kept her right hand in the thrusting position with her rapier. Her chestnut hair drew a beautiful arc in the steam.

"Return it to its rightful owner." She slightly raised her eyes, a cold glint flashing in her amber pupils.

Moult and the skinny player froze on the spot, their expressions frozen between shock and resentment. The air seemed to stand still the moment the Elven Sword was snatched back right before their eyes.

"Pah, pah, pah——"

The skinny player suddenly burst into applause, his exaggerated laughter echoing through the corridor: "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! We admit defeat, we accept it!"

He nudged Molt with his elbow and said, "Hey, it's time to go."

Molt twirled his serpentine scimitar in a dangerous arc, his gaze sweeping over Asuna, Silica, Mochizuki Kaede, and Yuna before finally settling on Mochizuki Kaede's lightning blade. He slowly sheathed the serpentine scimitar, the metallic scraping sound particularly jarring in the passageway.

He looked at Mochizuki Kaede again, a smile playing on his lips: "We'll meet again sometime, and maybe something even more interesting will happen then."

As the two passed each other, Mochizuki Kaede's Thunder Blade remained unsheathed, its blade faintly gleaming with lightning.

His tense shoulders only relaxed slightly after the footsteps of the red-named player completely disappeared at the end of the passage.

Yuna breathed a sigh of relief: "Phew... They're finally gone..."

When Mochizuki Kaede sheathed the Thunder Blade and turned to look at Asuna and Silica, the coldness between her brows had melted away.

Asuna keenly noticed the fleeting relief in his eyes, and a gentle smile unconsciously curved her lips: "Xiao Feng, I'm sorry to have worried you."

Silica stepped forward: "After we separated from you, we encountered a really annoying armed ratman! It stole Asuna's sword when we weren't paying attention. It was very fast, and we chased after its tracks for a long time!"

She described the scene: "When we caught up here, we saw those two red-named players fighting with Brother Feng..."

Mochizuki Kaede reached out and gently rubbed Silica's head: "Yes, it's all thanks to Silica's timely intervention."

"Hehehe~" Silica squinted her eyes and gave a silly smile.

Yuna walked over to Asuna and Silica, a teasing expression on her face: "Asuna, Silica, you don't know, the guild leader was very worried about you. On the surface, he maintained his calm demeanor and led me through the maze methodically. But when he saw those two red-named players holding your weapon, Asuna, his expression changed drastically! I've never seen him with such a terrifying expression before! He was like a powder keg that had been lit."

As Yuna spoke, she imitated Mochizuki Kaede's sword-drawing motion, then added embellishments, "The guild leader drew his sword and slashed at those two red-named players. I couldn't stop him even if I wanted to; before the red-named player could react, he was cleaved in two by the guild leader's blade!"

"Guess what the president said last?" Yuna paused deliberately, her voice suddenly turning cold, perfectly mimicking Mochizuki Kaede's icy tone, "One last time, where is Asuna?"

Silica exclaimed "Wow!" her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Upon hearing this, Asuna's eyes flashed with emotion, her cheeks flushed slightly, but she couldn't help but smile as she softly said, "Xiao Feng... you're too impulsive. What if you get hurt?"