I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

Mitt got to know the silver-haired boy in front of him all over again.

She took a deep breath and said, "As expected... you and I are completely different people."

"In my most desperate moment, when I fell off the cliff, I wanted to save you. Facing a large number of monsters, I fought desperately. However, as I watched your health points slowly decrease, I pessimistically believed that you were doomed. I started to be afraid... All I could think of was running away and protecting myself."

She raised her head and looked directly into Mochizuki Kaede's eyes: "But what you're thinking about is how to fight back and how to protect your companions."

Mochizuki Kaede opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something. But Mito raised her hand and stopped her.

"Let me finish." Her voice was more serious than ever before. "From the beginning of this death game, I have observed every battle you have fought. Your sword has never hesitated, as if you had already disregarded life and death."

“And what about me?” Mito laughed self-deprecatingly. “When Asuna needed me the most, I chose to run away. I betrayed my promise to protect her… I betrayed my most important friend.”

Mochizuki Kaede was silent for a moment, then said softly, "But when we found you, you were fighting to the very last moment. You didn't run away."

Mitt shook his head: "That's because you arrived in time. If you had been a second or two later... I might have abandoned you."

"Now I realize that I'm not a gaming pro at all; I'm actually a coward."

She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms: "I'm scared, scared of myself choosing to run away in a life-or-death situation, scared of possibly betraying my friends again in the future... That's my truest thought."

Chapter Fifteen: Departure

“Mite, you’re not a coward.”

Mochizuki Kaede's voice sounded exceptionally calm in the quiet room: "Do you remember when this death game first started? When Kayaba Akihiko announced the death declaration, all the players in the square were thrown into panic."

"When everyone was confused and fearful, you were the first to react and tell Asuna and me, 'To survive and complete this game, we need to become stronger as soon as possible.' You led us away from the chaotic crowd and quickly found the best leveling spot. You taught us the essentials of swordsmanship step by step, and formulated a detailed battle plan, allowing us to adapt to the rhythm of this death game in the shortest amount of time."

He took a step forward: "Without you, Asuna might still be trapped in the inn of the town of Beginning, tormented by fear and too afraid to step out of the city gates. And I might die worthless and alone in some deserted corner of the wilderness."

“True courage is not the absence of fear, but the choice to move forward despite fear,” he said softly. “How can you, the one who taught us this, now call yourself a coward?”

Mitt looked up, a ripple appearing in his purple eyes.

A long silence filled the room.

Mitt let out a soft breath.

"Mochizuki Kaede, as expected, you and I are completely different people." She repeated her words, but her tone was completely different now.

"What surprised me the most was..."

Mitt's voice suddenly softened, like the first melting snow: "You probably don't even realize it yourself, but you have a special kind of infectious charm."

A night breeze slipped in through the half-open window, ruffling Mitt's purple hair. She let the strands brush against her cheeks and continued:

"When you stand with your sword in hand, that unwavering belief will unconsciously be transmitted to those around you. Today in the forest, Asuna was able to stand up and fight again because she felt that belief of yours."

The night breeze swept by again, carrying the distant chimes of the clock tower.

"Thank you, Mochizuki Kaede."

She took a deep breath, stood up, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear—a simple gesture that carried a sense of solemn determination.

Mitt turned and walked towards the door, her purple ponytail swaying gently behind her. Just as she pushed the door open, she suddenly turned back:

"Moon Maple..."

"Ok?"

"Good night."

……

The cool morning light streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains. Just as Mochizuki Kaede finished tidying up his gear, a series of urgent knocks broke the morning's tranquility.

He opened the door and saw Asuna standing outside, her chestnut hair slightly disheveled. Her breathing was a little rapid, and her pale fingers were tightly gripping a silver recording device.

“Xiao Feng…” Her voice trembled slightly, “Mite is gone… she left this behind.”

Mochizuki Kaede stepped aside to let Asuna into the room. The girl quickly walked to the table and carefully placed the recording device down, as if it were some fragile treasure.

“When I woke up this morning, I found her bed neatly made and all her belongings gone…” Asuna’s voice trailed off, “I only found this on the pillow.”

Mochizuki Kaede sat silently on the edge of the bed. Asuna's finger hovered over the play button for a moment before pressing it as if she had made up her mind.

The recording device emitted a slight electrical hum, followed by Mitt's familiar voice echoing in the room—

"Asuna, Mochizuki Kaede..."

Mitt's familiar voice came from the device, less sharp and more gentle than usual.

"By the time you hear this recording, I should have already left the town of beginnings."

Asuna's fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes.

"The days I fought alongside you as your comrades are my most precious memories in this death game."

Mito's voice carried a faint smile: "Asuna, do you remember when we first teamed up, you couldn't even hold your sword properly? And Xiaofeng, even though you weren't a closed beta player, you always managed to master the knack of swordsmanship very quickly."

The chirping of early birds outside the window mingled with the sounds in the recording.

“But I must confess something…” Mito’s voice suddenly lowered, “Asuna, I once wanted to abandon you. In that man-eating forest, at the foot of that cliff, facing hordes of monsters. At that moment, what I thought of was not how to save you, but how to run away… I betrayed my promise to protect you, and I don’t deserve to stay by your side anymore.”

The sound of fabric rubbing can be heard in the recording, as if Mitt is adjusting his posture.

“Every time I see the trust in your eyes, I feel incredibly guilty. I am too weak and too cowardly... If I continue to stay by your side, I am likely to disappoint you again.”

Mochizuki Kaede noticed that Asuna's eyes were starting to redden.

“So, I’m leaving for now.” Mitt’s voice became firm again. “Not to run away, but to become stronger. Strong enough to face my weaknesses with equanimity, strong enough to never again have the thought of abandoning my companions. When we meet again, I will definitely be qualified to stand beside you with dignity, as a trustworthy companion.”

There was a brief silence during the recording.

"And Mochizuki Kaede, thank you for your words. If it weren't for you, I might never have been able to face myself. If we were in the real world, we would definitely be very good friends, right?"

Mitt's voice carried a rare warmth: "You have a special strength. Just like you said, true courage is not about never being afraid, but about choosing to move forward even when you are afraid. I will always remember those words."

The final message was exceptionally gentle:

"Take care, wait for me to come back."

The recording ended there, and a long silence fell over the room. Asuna lowered her head, tears silently streaming down her face, dripping onto her tightly clasped hands.

Wang Yuefeng looked out the window, recalling the purple-haired girl's "goodnight" as she left last night.

As the morning light gradually brightened, it dispelled the shadows in the room.

"That idiot Mito!" Asuna wiped away her tears and suddenly stood up.

Her voice regained its firmness: "We will definitely meet again, right?"

Mochizuki Kaede nodded, her eyes beneath her silver hair clear and calm: "It will definitely happen."

He looked out the window at the sky and knew that Mitt must be on a path to becoming stronger.

We'll wait for you to come back...

A fresh morning breeze swept into the room, carrying the scent of distant lands. This promise silently melted into the morning air, carried far away with the tolling of bells. The town of Beginnings was beginning to awaken, and players took to the streets to begin a new day of survival battles.

In a place unseen by them, a figure with a high purple ponytail embarks on a journey alone. Her giant scythe gleams with a cold light in the morning sun, yet her back is more upright and resolute than ever before.

Chapter Sixteen: Diabel

A month has passed since Mitt left.

No one has yet successfully cleared the first floor.

The cruelty of the death game was on full display during this period—in the square of the starting town, nearly two thousand names engraved on the "Monument of Life" had turned gray. This meant that these players had died in the game, and whether they would die in reality was unknown…

Fear spread among the crowd, and more and more players chose to hide in the safe zone, surviving on the meager Coulombs distributed by the system.

Until that day, a player dressed as a knight named Diabel led the first group of players deep into the labyrinth area and discovered the room of the first-floor BOSS.

The news spread like wildfire.

Soon, a series of summons letters were sent to the top-ranked players—the [First Floor BOSS Strategy Meeting] would be held in [Torbana], the town closest to the labyrinth area.

Torbana.

Central circular plaza.

This town, famous for its iron mines, is more rugged than the starting town. The sounds of blacksmiths hammering away fill the air, and the air is thick with the scent of metal and charcoal.

The blazing sun shines on the circular plaza built of yellow stone bricks, and the tiered stands extend downwards in a ring, forming a natural gathering place.

The clanging of the blacksmith's shop drifted from afar, mingling with the chatter of the players, filling the entire city of Torbana with a tense yet exciting atmosphere.

Mochizuki Kaede and Asuna sat side by side on the front steps.

A month of fighting side-by-side had made their teamwork increasingly seamless. Asuna's rapier gleamed like silver, while Mochizuki Kaede's swordsmanship was steady and precise. They had wiped out elite wolf packs in the wild, explored deep mines, and held their ground at the spawn point of the stone giant. Each narrow escape from death strengthened their mutual trust.

There were more people than I expected.

Asuna spoke softly, her chestnut hair gently ruffling in the breeze. She was wearing a new set of light leather armor today, which made her figure appear even more upright and elegant.

Mochizuki Kaede nodded, her gaze sweeping across the surroundings beneath her silver hair. Dozens of players had already gathered in the plaza, with only a handful of them being female. Many eyes were subtly drawn to Asuna—in this cruel death game, such a radiant and beautiful girl was simply too dazzling.

"Do they think we're a couple?" Asuna suddenly leaned closer and asked in a low voice with a sly smile.

Mochizuki Kaede remained unfazed: "Maybe he just feels lucky to have a beautiful girl like you as a teammate."

Asuna couldn't help but chuckle, drawing envious glances from several male players around her.

Looking at the girl before him, Mochizuki Kaede noticed that Asuna's aura was completely different from when they first met. After a month of life-or-death battles and countless brushes with death, her youthful fragility had been tempered into a resolute and unyielding strength.

Her once amber eyes, which often held unease and timidity, now shone with a resolute light. Her slender figure still carried the elegance unique to a young lady of a wealthy family, but her slightly forward-leaning posture and her right hand, which hung naturally near the hilt of her sword, all demonstrated that she had transformed into a true swordsman.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the center of the square.

"Everyone! Thank you for coming!"

A loud voice came from the center of the square.

A blue-haired youth dressed in blue and white knight's armor stood in the center of the square. He made an exaggerated bowing gesture, which drew good-natured laughter from the crowd.

"I am Diabel, and my profession... well, I'm self-proclaimed [Knight]!" He patted his breastplate, the metal ringing out crisply. "I've gathered everyone here today because our squad is in the deepest part of the labyrinth—"

His expression suddenly turned serious: "We've discovered the room of the first-floor boss."

A burst of exclamations and discussions immediately erupted in the square.

Diabel waited for the commotion to subside, looked around at everyone, and said in a firm and powerful voice: "We must defeat the first-level BOSS in order to open the staircase to the second level!"

He clenched his fist: "Let's convey the hope that this deadly game can one day be completely defeated to the players in the starting town who are still living in fear! This is the duty of everyone here! Am I right, everyone!"

"well said!"

"That's right!"

A burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted.

Some people clapped, some whistled, and some even excitedly waved their weapons. Mochizuki Kaede and Asuna also clapped softly.

at this time--

"and many more!"

A sharp voice suddenly shattered the harmonious atmosphere.

All eyes turned to the source of the sound—

A short man with a mohawk and two knives hanging from his waist jumped onto the center of the square.

"My name is Fang Wang. Before we fight the BOSS, there's something I need to make clear!"

The King of Fangs glared menacingly at the crowd, and the atmosphere in the square instantly froze, even the sunlight seemed to turn cold.

"There must be some bastards in here!"

The King of Fangs' voice was furious: "Shouldn't you be held responsible for the two thousand deaths?!"

Diabel stood beside him, his brow furrowed: "Mr. Fang Wang, the people you're referring to are the closed beta testers, right?"

"That's right!"

Ya Wang's voice grew even sharper, spittle flying everywhere: "Those beta testers abandoned us newbies the very day the game started! They monopolized leveling spots and quest information, only caring about leveling up quickly themselves, and left us newbies to die without lifting a finger!"

Ya Wang pointed at the players in the front row and roared, "There should be some beta testers here too, right? I'm going to make them kneel down and apologize to everyone, and give back all their money and items!"