I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

Chapter 197: I Killed Myself

Void Zone.

Maze area.

The earthen-yellow stone brick passageway gleamed with a warm glow under the wall lamps. Mochizuki Kaede's boots made a crisp echo on the stone bricks as he glanced at the girl beside him. From the moment they entered the maze, Philia had remained silent.

"Philya, do you want to rest for a bit?" Mochizuki Kaede stopped, his voice filled with concern. "You haven't looked well since earlier."

Philia shook her head gently, her short, apricot-yellow hair swaying slightly with the movement: "I'm sorry... I've caused you trouble."

Mochizuki Kaede smiled and said, "This is no trouble at all."

He carefully observed the girl's expression: "You look preoccupied. Did something happen?"

“It’s nothing…” Philia managed a weak smile.

Mochizuki Kaede looked at her earnestly: "If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

Philia looked up, her blue eyes now misty with tears: "It's really nothing. It's just... I think you're very gentle."

Mochizuki Kaede paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "This is quite ordinary, isn't it?"

As the two continued on their way, Philia suddenly stopped. Her short sword tapped lightly against the wall to her right, producing a hollow echo.

“The walls here…” she whispered.

Mochizuki Kaede leaned closer to examine the wall and discovered an almost invisible gap hidden in what appeared to be an intact surface: "There's a hidden door! I didn't notice it at all. No wonder you're a treasure hunter."

"It's alright..." Philia's tone was unnaturally flat. She skillfully found the mechanism, and the hidden door slid open silently, revealing a treasure chest inside that emitted a faint glow.

“It’s a treasure chest. These things really do excite people.” Mochizuki Kaede said, glancing subconsciously at Felia, only to find her still listless. In the past, if she found a treasure chest, this girl would always be so excited that her eyes would light up, but now she was a completely different person.

With a complex emotion in her eyes, Felia suddenly said, "Mochizuki Kaede, you've never asked me why I became a red-named player... never asked me why I killed people, why...?"

Mochizuki Kaede was taken aback. Had Philia been agonizing over this all along?

He pondered for a moment, then said earnestly, "Everyone has their own story, and the color of a label cannot define a person's personality."

He gave a gentle smile: "Besides, some things don't need to be said if you don't want to say them. We've fought side by side so many times along the way, and this trust needs no reason."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of emotion crossed Philia's eyes, but it quickly faded: "I am... not someone you would say that to."

Mochizuki Kaede hurriedly replied, "What are you talking about? Haven't you been helping me all along? If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would have had a hard time becoming so familiar with the environment in the [Void Zone] and exploring it smoothly."

“No… I…” Philia took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage, and slowly said, “I killed someone, no, it’s worse than that, I… I killed myself!”

"..." Mochizuki Kaede's eyes widened, and for a moment she didn't know how to respond.

“I told you before that I was just like you, when I came to my senses I was already in this world. Actually, there’s more to this story. After that, when I was wandering in the forest, someone suddenly appeared in front of me. That person looked exactly like me, it was another me!”

Philia's voice trembled slightly.

Mochizuki Kaede frowned and asked cautiously, "So you fought that person? Could it be an NPC for a special mission?"

“There’s no way I could be wrong, I wouldn’t mistake an NPC for a player!” Philia’s voice choked with emotion, her feelings growing increasingly agitated. “That person…it’s definitely me!”

"Can you believe it? I don't know what happened back then. Besides being surprised, I felt a murderous intent. There was no reason at all, but I really wanted to deny the person in front of me and eliminate their existence."

As Felia spoke, tears welled up in her eyes: "I can't remember exactly how the battle went... I only remember that when I came to my senses, that person had already disappeared."

“Philya…” Mochizuki Kaede looked at the girl’s sad face.

Philia continued, "Then my mark turned red. Because I killed myself!"

Seeing the tears welling up in Felia's eyes, Mochizuki Kaede quickly comforted her, "How could there be two of you in this world? That's impossible. Maybe it's just some kind of coincidence or a special mission in the game."

Philia shook her head and continued, "Even if my red name tag disappears, the fact that I killed 'myself' with my own hands will not change. I will always... always have to live in this world of shadows, and I will never be able to leave."

She was somewhat out of control, her body trembling slightly: "If only... I hadn't met you... If only I didn't have these feelings..."

Mochizuki Kaede gripped her shoulders tightly, his gaze firm yet tender: "Filia, I will find a way to take you away from this world, so don't be sad. No matter what difficulties we encounter, I will never give up on you."

"Wang Yuefeng, thank you... but... please bear with me." Philia looked at him sadly, her eyes filled with complicated emotions.

Just then, Mochizuki Kaede suddenly became alert, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. His extensive battles and swordsmanship training had given him a keen intuition for hostility. He whirled around, only to see a dark shadow flash by, followed by a tremendous impact. Immediately afterward, the floor mechanism beneath his feet activated, creaking and groaning, before the floorboards instantly collapsed.

In the instant of falling, Mochizuki Kaede saw the attacker's appearance clearly: a flowing black cloak.

Goodbye, Silver Asura~

A familiar voice was distorted and deformed by the sound of falling wind.

"boom!"

Mochizuki Kaede crashed heavily onto the rocky platform in the underground labyrinth.

Fortunately, his equipment and level were high enough that he quickly adjusted his posture during the fall, reducing the impact and minimizing the damage.

He recognized that voice immediately. Wang Yuefeng instantly remembered the person—the guild leader of [Smiling Coffin], the one who had managed to escape during the battle for the Dark Elf capital.

"He was actually hiding in the Void Zone..." Mochizuki Kaede frowned deeply. And it seemed he had fallen into his trap, which was why he had ended up here. But judging from Felia's reaction just now, it seemed she knew some of the truth.

As Mochizuki Kaede pondered these thoughts, she slowly stood up: "Let's leave here first."

There were rustling sounds coming from all around.

He saw the monsters around him begin to gather in greater numbers, emitting low roars as if they were taunting him.

He gripped the Thunder Blade tightly, its blade crackling with blue lightning. Then, he drew the Earth Sword, its blade heavy and sturdy. He crossed the two swords in front of his chest.

"Perfect timing... I need to vent."

For the next half hour, the underground labyrinth echoed with the agonizing howls of monsters. Mochizuki Maple swept through like a storm, the blue lightning of her Thunder Blade and the yellow light of her Earth Sword weaving a web of death that shredded the surging monsters to pieces.

When Mochizuki Kaede kicked open the last stone door, the long-awaited sunlight stung his eyes.

He returned to the management area but didn't see Philia. However, he did see someone unexpected.

Her familiar light purple short hair shimmered softly under the light of the data stream, and her crimson eyes burned like flames, exuding a mysterious and captivating aura.

—Stroeia.

She stood there quietly, giving him a girlish smile.

Chapter 198: Slaughter

Mochizuki Kaede stared in surprise at the girl who had suddenly appeared in the management area: "Storea?"

"Hey~" The girl with short, light purple hair waved casually. "Asuna said you were late in returning and was worried sick, so I tried teleporting to see what would happen. I didn't expect to actually get into this [Void Zone]."

Her tone was as calm as if she were discussing today's weather.

Stoleya looked around: "This must be a secret testing area used during game development."

"Development...testing?" Mochizuki Kaede frowned.

"Hmm~" Stoleya patiently explained, "All items, weapons, and skills in SAO undergo balance testing here before their official release. Isn't that how every game is? Internal testing before implementation?"

Mochizuki Kaede stepped forward: "How do you know all this?"

Stoleya smiled without answering and walked straight to the management terminal. Her slender fingers lightly touched the holographic keyboard a few times, and a huge system window instantly appeared before her eyes, displaying a dense array of information.

"I just checked, and according to the data, the system generates a corresponding player ID in the [Void Zone] based on the player's login data."

"Generate an ID?" Mochizuki Kaede asked, puzzled.

"Yes, the system started collecting player data during the closed beta. By the time the server officially opened, it had stored complete data on tens of thousands of players. Then, using this player data, a corresponding number of AIs were synthesized. These AIs, which look indistinguishable from real people, were then thrown into this [Void Zone]."

Stoleria added, "And these AIs cannot leave the Void Zone."

Mochizuki Kaede suddenly remembered Philia; she, too, was unable to leave the Void Zone. Could she be an AI generated by the system using player data? But Philia had clearly stated that she, like herself, had been suddenly teleported here…

Mochizuki Kaede asked, "Why was I able to enter this world?"

Stoleya pondered for a moment and said, "It seems to be due to a system malfunction."

"What about Philia?" Mochizuki Kaede pressed. "Why can't she leave?"

“Philia, your treasure hunter…” Stoleya tilted her head slightly and replied, “She accidentally entered the Void Zone, encountered a void version of herself, and killed the void version first. Therefore, she was identified by the system as the AI ​​Philia and cannot leave the Void Zone.”

Mochizuki Kaede's shoulders relaxed slightly, which at least meant that Philia was a real human, not a virtual AI clone.

"How can we get Philia back?"

"Yes, we need to find the central control and control device."

Mochizuki Kaede's eyes lit up: "Then let's go find Felia now. You know where she is, right? She's with the people from [Smiling Coffin], and she's in a dangerous situation."

He stared intently at Stoleya, a strong intuition in his heart that Stoleya knew everything.

Stoleya smiled slightly, then suddenly moved closer to Mochizuki Kaede, the soft touch against her through the fabric. She narrowed her eyes mischievously, burying Mochizuki Kaede's arm deep into her chest: "...Since it's your request, of course I'll help~"

……

"YEAH! You've done a great job, Philia." PoH, the guild leader of [Smiling Coffin], said with a smile and a playful tone.

"You coming here means the plan is all set, right? Then let me out of here right now! Didn't we agree that you'd let me out after you finished your business?" Felia's eyes revealed anxiety and worry. "I need to hurry and save Mochizuki Kaede!"

PoH suddenly let out a piercing laugh: "Save him? That guy's probably a data fragment by now, isn't he?"

Philia's pupils contracted sharply, her icy blue eyes trembling violently: "You... what did you say!"

"What's wrong with you? You look like you just received a surprise gift," PoH teased, deliberately drawing out the sound.

"This isn't what we agreed on!" Philia's voice began to tremble. "You promised he wouldn't die!"

"Did I say that?" PoH pretended to think. "Ah~ I remember now! That trap wouldn't kill instantly~ but... none of the twelve people who fell in came back alive."

Philia gripped her short sword tightly in anger: "You liar!!"

PoH laughed even harder: "So now I'm telling you the truth, aren't I?"

He admired Felia's distraught expression: "Your almost-crying face is absolutely gorgeous!"

Felia turned to rush out to save Mochizuki Kaede, but PoH blocked her way.

"What's the rush?" He whistled flippantly. "Anyway, your prince is so strong, he'll definitely be fine, right? Hahaha, and I have some good news for you—"

His eyes revealed a sinister and smug look: "It's because of you that that troublesome Mochizuki Kaede disappeared. You really did me a big favor~ Thanks to you, the best party can start so early. I can keep killing here. It's all your choice, letting your beloved fall into a trap and die."

"That's not how it is!" Philia's scream echoed through the space.

“We, the Smiling Coffin…” PoH’s eyes gleamed with madness, “We love murderers like you who have fallen to the very bottom of depravity!”

"I'm different from you!"

"Let's kill together!" A hint of madness flashed in PoH's eyes as he drew the demonic sword [Friend-Slaying Butcher] and slashed at her with a smile.

Philia managed to raise her short sword, but PoH dodged it with a sidestep. The black boots kicked her heavily in the stomach, making a dull thud.

"Ahem——!"

She was thrown three meters away like a puppet with its strings cut, her back slamming hard against the data terminal. Before she could even get up, a tearing pain shot through her scalp—PoH grabbed her short, apricot-yellow hair and slammed her face against the ground repeatedly.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Once. Twice.

Philia's health points continued to decrease, and system damage effects flashed around her.

"How boring~" PoH shook off his hand. "So weak, I'm useless now. Goodbye~"

The demonic sword [Friend-Slaying Butcher] emitted a dark red glow.

The moment the sword struck, tears of regret welled up in Filia's eyes: "I'm sorry, Mochizuki Kaede."

“Zheng——!!!”

A deafening metallic clang rang out as a greatsword precisely parried the demonic sword, sparks illuminating PoH's astonished face.

"Varied……!"

A blue lightning bolt followed closely. PoH only saw a blur flash by before a cold touch came from his left arm—his arm flew high into the air and dissipated into orange data particles.

"Tsk!" PoH retreated several steps, his magic sword drawing a defensive arc in front of him.

In Philia's blurry vision, that familiar silver hair appeared like the first rays of dawn. The boy had his back to her, and the lightning on his thunder blade cast a flickering shadow on the wall.

"Looking at the moon... Maple..."

"I've been looking for you for a long time." The boy tilted his head slightly, a reassuring smile playing on his lips.

Philia burst into tears: "I...betrayed you..."

“It’s not your fault.” Mochizuki Kaede’s voice was gentle yet firm. “Besides, look, I’m perfectly fine now.”