I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

Mochizuki Kaede narrowed her eyes thoughtfully: "If we could use these fireworks to attack monsters, I wonder if they could cause any damage."

Yuna couldn't help but laugh out loud: "The president's idea is good."

"What a pity," Lisbeth said, shrugging. "The system is set so that these fireworks can only be used within the designated area."

Celica tugged at Mochizuki Kaede's sleeve: "The fireworks are almost over. It's a rare fireworks display, so enjoy it properly."

Urged on by Silica, they turned their gaze back to the sky above the street. Dozens of dazzling streaks pierced the darkness, blossoming into a spectacular sight amidst a deafening roar. In the instant the rain of light fell, the entire street was bathed in a dreamlike glow.

Cheers erupted again in the streets.

As the last spark dissipated into the night, Asuna murmured softly, "It's 2023 already..."

Yuna adjusted her white hat, which had been ruffled by the night wind: "It's been two months since I was trapped here on November 6, 2022..."

Silica nodded: "When we were hiding in the starting town at first, every day felt incredibly long. But since we started following Brother Feng to conquer the area, time has actually flown by."

Mochizuki Kaede reached out and ruffled Silica's hair, gazing at the now-silent night sky: "2023 will be a very long year. After all, there are still twelve months to go."

A hint of worry flashed in the gray eyes beneath the silver hair, and her thoughts drifted to a more distant place.

How long can the current pace of the walkthrough be maintained?

This situation can't go on forever.

As they ascend through the floors, the difficulty increases dramatically. They will then be bogged down in monotonous hunting day after day, forced to contend with increasingly dangerous monsters to maintain their level advantage. The mental strain will also intensify, and the hardship and difficulty of conquering each floor will likely be incomparable to what they are experiencing now.

The night breeze rustled the remaining ribbons from the celebration, and Mochizuki Kaede pulled herself back to reality. At least tonight, they were still alive to welcome the New Year. Since that was the case, they should properly enjoy Aincrad's first major celebration since its launch.

Afterwards, the girls decided to go to the mysterious prop shop to buy fireworks, while Mochizuki Kaede took on the task of preparing drinks and food. As they parted, Asuna turned back and gave him a "come back soon" gesture, her chestnut hair tracing a warm path in the lamplight.

As I walked alone through the bustling crowd, a familiar voice came from behind me: "How was it, Fengzi? Wasn't the best viewpoint I chose pretty good?"

Mochizuki Kaede turned around and saw Argo leaning against the shadows at the street corner.

“Yes, the view is excellent.” Mochizuki Kaede nodded, then lowered her voice, “Argo, there’s something I’d like you to investigate.”

Argo's ears twitched slightly, keenly sensing the seriousness in Mochizuki Kaede's tone: "Oh?"

Chapter 95: Kradir

Mochizuki Kaede took out a throwing knife.

He recounted in detail to Argo the events surrounding Yuna's ambush during the sixth-floor boss battle.

“This is the murder weapon that fell to the ground.” Mochizuki Kaede flipped the blade over, revealing a small engraving at the bottom of the hilt. “I had Lisbeth appraise it with her [Appraisal] skill. It’s called [Sin Blade], and it was made by a blacksmith named Prifi.”

Argo took the throwing knife and examined it closely: "So you want me to investigate this Prifi?"

Mochizuki Kaede nodded: "The sooner the better."

"Since we've known each other for a long time," Argo said, sheathing the throwing knife in his sleeve, a sly smile playing on his lips, "I'll make an exception and help you this time."

Two days later, Argo found Mochizuki Kaede with the intelligence.

"Found it. Prifi is just an ordinary blacksmith who runs a shop on the third floor. This knife was specially customized by a player named Kradir. Because he has triangular eyes that look like a venomous snake when he squints, Prifi remembers it very well."

“Kladier…” Mochizuki Kaede repeated the unfamiliar name softly. He quickly recalled all the members of the Dragon Knights and the Aincrad Liberation Army, confirming that he had never heard of this person before.

He had initially suspected Joe, the short swordsman in the Aincrad Liberation Army, whose repeated incitement of conflict seemed too deliberate. But the intelligence he was now reading pointed to a completely unfamiliar figure, making the situation even more perplexing.

Argo asked, "Should we continue investigating this Kradir?"

Mochizuki Kaede nodded: "Continue the investigation, thank you for your help."

He looked up to the sky.

Mochizuki Kaede originally thought that her meeting with Kradir would still take some time, but she never expected that fate would be so impatient.

This day was a rare day of rest for the [Golden Rule] guild.

On the street, Asuna, Silica, and Yuna walked lightly ahead, their chestnut, brown, and dark brown hair weaving warm colors in the sunlight. They were enthusiastically discussing their shopping list, Silica occasionally skipping and pointing to shops along the street, eliciting a soft giggle from Asuna, while Yuna carefully noted down price comparisons.

Mochizuki Kaede followed behind them, her gaze drawn to the heartwarming scene.

However, just as he relaxed, a thin figure suddenly appeared from the street corner ahead.

He was a man with a gloomy face; his sunken cheeks and prominent cheekbones gave him a mean appearance.

But what made Mochizuki Kaede wary were those long, narrow, triangular eyes.

Is he the Kradir that Argo mentioned?

The man seemed to have noticed them as well, his gaze sweeping over the group.

In the instant he brushed past Mochizuki Kaede, the corners of his mouth suddenly twisted into a strange arc.

That was definitely not a kind smile.

Mochizuki Kaede abruptly stopped in her tracks.

In that instant, the swordsman's intuition rang like an alarm bell. The keen senses cultivated through years of swordsmanship gave him a beast-like instinct for hostility.

The malice emanating from that man at that moment was so intense that it almost materialized.

"Brother Feng?" Silica turned around and looked at Mochizuki Kaede, who had suddenly stopped. "What's wrong?"

Asuna and Yuna also stopped, and all three pairs of eyes cast puzzled glances at them.

"It's nothing." Mochizuki Kaede withdrew her gaze, her voice calm. "I just remembered that I have something to do. You guys go ahead and look around, I'll be there shortly."

Asuna keenly sensed something was amiss, but simply nodded: "Okay, we're going to check out the newly opened clothing store. We'll contact them via system message later."

Once the three girls disappeared around the street corner, Mochizuki Kaede immediately turned around and quickly chased after the man in the direction he had gone.

The man with triangular eyes turned into a secluded alley.

Wang Yuefeng, hiding around the corner, saw that the man seemed to be waiting for something.

Before long, a mysterious figure shrouded in a black cloak appeared silently. The two spoke in hushed tones, but due to the distance and the cloaked figure's deliberately lowered voice, Mochizuki Kaede could only see the other person nodding occasionally.

A moment later, the cloaked figure vanished like a ghost. The man with the triangular eyes continued walking forward, with Mochizuki Kaede following behind.

Just as we turned the third corner, a cold laugh suddenly came from ahead:

"Aren't you tired after following us for so long, President of [Golden Rule]?"

Mochizuki stopped and saw the man leaning against the wall at the end of the alley, his triangular eyes looking at him sinisterly.

“You must be Kradir,” Mochizuki Kaede said directly.

The man grinned: "That's right, I am Kradir. What do you need me for?"

Mochizuki Kaede did not answer his question, but instead took out the [Sword of Sin] and said, "This sword is yours, isn't it? The cloaked man just now was your accomplice, and Joe from the [Aincrad Liberation Army] is also with you... You deliberately create conflict and antagonism within the conquest group."

Although Mochizuki Kaede wasn't entirely certain how many accomplices Kradir had within the conquest group, the [Sword of Sin] was irrefutable proof. The sword belonged to him, and the person wielding it must be connected to him. Even if they weren't accomplices, there must be some kind of connection.

Mochizuki Kaede deliberately used a confident tone, making each word sound like a hammer blow. He needed to mislead the other party into thinking that he already possessed more information.

Cladier's triangular eyes narrowed dangerously: "I didn't expect you, little brat, to have found out so much."

This statement undoubtedly confirmed Mochizuki Kaede's guess.

"Why do this?"

"Do you mean why you wanted to assassinate your companion?" Kradir deliberately dragged out the word, emphasizing the word "assassinate".

The word "assassination" made Mochizuki Kaede's pupils shrink, and he gripped the hilt of his knife tightly.

"Because I just don't like you." Kradir suddenly raised his voice, his tone trembling with madness. "What makes a little brat like you think you can climb higher than an adult like me in this world? And be the president of some kind of club..."

His expression turned ferocious: "What's even more hateful is that you actually managed to team up with Lady Asuna!"

"You know Asuna?"

"Know her?" Kradil laughed nervously. "Of course not, but when I first saw her in the square, I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was as noble and elegant as a wisteria flower..."

His voice suddenly became infatuated, then turned into rage: "But when I followed her, I found you two were inseparable! What right do you, a mere brat, have?!"

When the word "track" came out of Cladier's mouth, Mochizuki Kaede's eyes turned completely cold.

Cladier, oblivious to the danger, continued to taunt as he retreated: "What? Are you angry? I'm not only going to kill your companions, but I'm also going to take Lady Asuna away from you! In this death game, there are no laws, I can do whatever I want!"

Mochizuki Kaede silently strode forward, while Kradir kept retreating. The two of them walked out of the dark alley in this way, one advancing and the other retreating.

Suddenly, blinding sunlight poured down, and Mochizuki Kaede realized that they were already standing at the boundary outside the safe zone.

Kradir suddenly drew his longsword: "Hehehe, this is outside the circle, I can kill you as I please!"

Mochizuki Maple slowly drew his Thunder Blade, the arcs of electricity crackling in the air as they wrapped around the blade, illuminating his cold, gray eyes.

“You’re right, this is outside the circle.”

Chapter 96: The Blade of Sin

“You’re right, this is outside the circle.”

The moment the last word was uttered, the lightning on the Thunder Blade surged dramatically. Mochizuki Maple's figure transformed into a silver bolt of lightning, the blade aimed directly at Kradir's throat.

This strike was so fast that it even severed sunlight!

Kradir hastily raised his sword to parry, only to see his blade shatter into pieces amidst the lightning.

The violent impact traveled along the broken blade, causing his tiger's mouth to split open and him to stagger back several steps.

He stared down at the hilt of the sword he held, his triangular eyes widening slightly in shock, his lips twitching nervously.

"How could this be... how could this be... how could I lose to a brat like you..."

He trembled as he brought up his inventory and drew a longsword that gleamed with purple light.

Wang Yuefeng merely watched coldly as the lightning on the Thunder Blade hissed in the air.

"Die!" Kradir suddenly sprang to his feet, gripping his sword with both hands, poised to strike Mochizuki Kaede in the face. But just as the blades were about to meet, he abruptly changed his attack, the blade slashing insidiously towards Mochizuki Kaede's waist and abdomen—

"boom!"

The Thunder Blade struck first, precisely intercepting the trajectory of the sword blade.

In the sparks of their clash, Cladier was astonished to discover that his feint had been seen through.

Mochizuki Kaede's blade continued its momentum, slicing upwards along the blade.

Kradir felt a tremendous force surge through him, and his longsword flew from his hand, embedding itself deeply in a distant tree trunk. He staggered and fell to his knees, looking up to meet Wang Yuefeng's cold, grey eyes.

"You nasty little brat!"

Kradir tried to take out a weapon from his inventory, but Mochizuki Kaede's lightning blade was pressed against his throat. The cold blade pressed against his skin, making him shudder.

Cold sweat streamed down Kradir's contorted face, but his triangular eyes remained sinister: "You dare not kill me, you dare not kill me! If you kill me, you will become a red-named player! Everyone will be hostile to you, your companions will be implicated, and your guild will be ruined. Just think, the hero who conquers the front lines is actually a murderer."

These words caused Mochizuki Kaede to furrow her brow almost imperceptibly.

In that moment of distraction—

"Whoosh!"

A throwing knife came hurtling through the air from afar.

Mochizuki Kaede instinctively swung his sword to block, and sparks flew as metal clashed.

Cladier seized the fleeting opportunity, a ferocious glint in his triangular eyes, and drew the short knife from his waist, thrusting it fiercely towards Mochizuki Kaede's thigh.

However, Mochizuki Kaede was prepared. Her right leg lashed out like a whip, kicking Kradir hard in the chest and sending him flying backward.

Just as Kradir fell, Mochizuki Kaede's left hand flashed with a cold light.

The [Sin Blade] had already plunged deep into the opponent's thigh.

"Pfft!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

A piercing scream echoed through the forest.

Kradir stared in horror at the trembling hilt of the knife on his thigh, his triangular eyes bulging almost out of their sockets. The poison spread rapidly, and his body went limp on the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, the [Paralysis] icon appearing next to his health bar.

Ignoring the collapsed Kradir, Mochizuki Kaede's sharp gaze pierced the direction from which the throwing knife had come. In the shadows, a figure draped in a black cloak stood silently.

It was the same mysterious man who had spoken privately with Kradir in the alley earlier.

Mochizuki Kaede gripped the Thunder Blade and pointed it directly at the cloaked figure: "Who are you?"

A deep laugh came from beneath the mysterious man's cloak: "Who I am... is not important."