I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

“You’re not bad either,” Mochizuki Kaede laughed. “Your skills are more than enough even for the raiding team.”

Philia's cheeks flushed slightly: "That's too much... There's no reward for this kind of flattery."

"I'm just telling the truth."

“…Heh.” Philia’s lips unconsciously curled up. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been praised like that.”

Just then, she caught something out of the corner of her eye, and her blue eyes lit up instantly: "Ah! Look over there—"

Following the direction of her finger, in a recess in the rock wall made of black crystal, a treasure chest inlaid with dark gold patterns stood quietly.

"Could there be a trap?" Mochizuki Kaede cautiously warned.

Philia, however, had already jogged forward, her eyes sparkling with childlike excitement as she turned back: "It's alright! I'm a professional treasure hunter!"

She waved: "Come over here quickly!"

Watching her excited figure, Mochizuki Kaede couldn't help but chuckle. This usually calm player was now like a little girl who had discovered her favorite toy.

"Click——"

With Felia's skillful manipulation, the lock on the treasure chest opened with a click. She carefully removed a shimmering ornament from the velvet lining.

It was a pendant inlaid with void crystals, which spontaneously emitted a soft blue light in the dim environment.

"Here, take this." Philia handed the pendant to Mochizuki Kaede.

"Is this... alright? After all, you were the one who discovered it first."

“It’s alright, you can take it.” Philia shook her head, her tone leaving no room for refusal.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Mochizuki Kaede took the pendant, feeling a slight warmth on her fingertips; it was clearly a rather rare piece of equipment.

“You should cherish it.” Philia’s voice softened, her gaze drifting into the distance. “Because I… don’t give gifts very often.”

Mochizuki Kaede nodded solemnly: "I will cherish it."

Felia's striking features relaxed, revealing the most genuine smile she had shown in days.

Back in the management area, Mochizuki Kaede stood in front of the transfer gate and said, "Well then, I'll head back now."

Philia nodded slightly, a hint of melancholy in her eyes: "Yes."

Mochizuki Kaede keenly sensed her change in mood and gently added, "I'll be back soon."

"Yes, I will wait for you." Philia's voice was soft, but it carried a firm tone.

A flash of blue light, and Mochizuki Kaede's figure disappeared through the teleportation portal. Filia stood there, staring blankly at the empty teleportation point, muttering to herself, "Is he gone? At times like this, I always feel a sense of emptiness inside."

Her voice sounded particularly lonely in the empty management area.

Before this, she had always struggled to survive alone in this unfamiliar and dangerous place. Now, with Mochizuki Kaede as her partner, this companionship had already subtly influenced her. Now, even a brief separation made her feel so uncomfortable.

Moreover, there was something she kept hidden from Mochizuki Kaede, something that weighed heavily on her mind and kept her constantly uneasy.

Just then, as if sensing something, Philia suddenly turned around and looked behind her. There stood a man in a black cloak, shrouded in shadow, his face obscured.

"Who goes there!" Philia instantly became alert and drew her sword without hesitation, pointing the tip directly at the other person.

The cloaked man exaggeratedly raised his hands and stepped back: "Oh, that's dangerous~ Don't point that kind of thing at people."

"How did you get in?!" Philia's blue eyes narrowed.

"That kind of thing doesn't matter, does it?" The man waved his hand dismissively. "Anyway, anything can happen in this world."

Philia stared intently at him, then suddenly noticed the red badge above his head. Her gaze sharpened even more: "Red-named player? Are you here to kill me? Don't think you can take me down so easily!"

"Hey, don't be so tense~" The cloaked man's voice carried an unsettling laugh. "I didn't come here specifically to take your life."

"So, what do you want?" Philia remained vigilant, not daring to let her guard down for a moment because of the suspicious man in front of her.

"Don't make that scary face~" The man took a step forward, and Philia immediately stepped back to keep her distance. "Aren't we both red-name comrades?"

“Who’s your comrade?” Philia gritted her teeth, pushing the tip of her sword forward another half inch.

"Tsk tsk..." The cloaked man suddenly lowered his voice, his tone becoming dangerous, "I know everything about what you did."

Philia's breath hitched: "What do you mean?"

"You can't say it, can you?" the man repeated as if singing, "You dare not tell that silver Shura, do you?"

“Silver Asura?” Philia’s eyes suddenly sharpened. “You mean Wang Yuefeng?”

Her voice suddenly rose: "If you dare touch him—"

"Wow, that's scary~" The man pretended to shrink back in fear. "Don't worry, I won't do anything..."

He deliberately dragged out the words: "At least not now."

Philia's sword blade began to glow faintly as if a skill was being activated.

"Alright, I should go now~" The man turned around, his cloak billowing. "But I think we get along quite well, Comrade Red Name."

"Get out," Philia uttered through gritted teeth.

"OK~" The man chuckled and walked into the shadows. "Just a friendly reminder, if you stay with him... you'll be dead."

"What did you say-"

Philia's questioning came to an abrupt halt. The man had vanished like mist, leaving only his last words echoing in the air.

.

Chapter 196: The Truth About Philia

When Mochizuki Kaede returned to the Void Zone, he immediately spotted Filia standing not far away. As he approached, he keenly noticed that the girl's expression was somewhat unusual, revealing an indescribable worry.

"Philya? What happened?"

Philia slightly raised her head, a complex emotion in her eyes. Instead of answering directly, she asked, "Mochizuki Kaede...do you know why I haven't gone back to Aincrad?"

Wang Yuefeng was slightly taken aback: "Isn't it because of your status as a red-named player? You don't want to go back there, afraid of getting into trouble."

“No, it’s not that I don’t want to go back.” Philia gently shook her head, a hint of helplessness and bitterness flashing in her eyes: “It’s just that I can’t go back at all…”

"Can't go back?" Mochizuki Maple didn't react for a moment.

“Literal,” Philia said softly. “I cannot teleport from the Void to Aincrad.”

Mochizuki Kaede frowned deeply: "How is this possible..."

Seeing that Mochizuki Kaede still looked puzzled, Felia decided to demonstrate for him herself. She walked straight to the teleportation portal and teleported. The teleportation light only flashed on her briefly; she remained standing there unchanged.

At that moment, the cold, robotic voice echoed through the empty management area:

[System Error: Unable to perform transfer operation from the Void Zone].

“See?” Philia turned around with a bitter smile. “I’ve been imprisoned since the first day I was teleported here.”

"Is it because of the red name marker? That's why I can't teleport?" Mochizuki Kaede frowned, trying hard to search his memory for relevant information. He had also been a red-name player before, and during that time he could still teleport freely, so he was increasingly puzzled by Philia's situation.

“…I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you about this.” Philia lowered her head, her voice tinged with guilt.

Mochizuki Kaede quickly shook her head: "It was me. You were clearly troubled by this matter, but I didn't even notice your abnormality."

He suddenly reached out and placed his hand on Philia's shoulder, a determined light flashing in his gray eyes: "But now that we know, let's solve this problem together. Keep exploring, keep investigating—we'll definitely find a way to get you back."

Mochizuki Kaede smiled gently: "I will take you back to Aincrad. I never break my word."

Philia looked at him, a gentle light gradually appearing in her icy blue eyes: "You... are indeed very gentle."

Mochizuki Kaede smiled and said, "Today we'll start our investigation from the western area; maybe we'll find some clues."

“Mm.” Philia nodded.

……

Mochizuki Kaede and Philia explored the Void Zone for an entire day.

They searched every nook and cranny, sparing no effort to find a way to teleport Philia back to Aincrad, even venturing into several unexplored and dangerous areas. Mochizuki Kaede's lightning blade shattered countless monsters, and Philia's short sword pried open every mechanism that might hold clues, yet they still couldn't find a way to remove the teleportation restriction.

"That's enough for today." Seeing that it was getting late, Mochizuki Kaede put away the map. "We'll start our investigation from the East District again tomorrow."

Philia nodded.

A flash of blue light, and Mochizuki Kaede's figure disappeared through the teleportation portal. Silence returned to the management area. Philia sighed and leaned against the management terminal.

"Oh~ His Highness has gone back?"

A sinister voice suddenly came from behind.

Philia's short sword was drawn instantly, its tip pointing directly at the cloaked man who emerged from the shadows.

"What are you doing here again?" Her voice was colder than a sword's edge.

The cloaked man spread his hands: "Don't be so nervous~ I'm just here to check on the lost sheep."

"Enough with the nonsense." Philia's sword remained motionless. "Just state your purpose."

The cloaked man's lips curled into a smile: "I'm just curious, how much longer are you going to deceive that silver Asura?"

"My affairs are none of your business."

"Tsk tsk..." The cloaked man suddenly lowered his voice, "He'll find out soon enough, won't he? About your true identity... Miss Void Philia, the one with the red name?"

Philia's pupils suddenly contracted, and her hand gripping the sword trembled slightly: "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"Oh dear, haven't I made myself clear enough? You and that prince are from completely different worlds."

He suddenly took a step closer, his eyes beneath his cloak gleaming with an eerie light: "You belong to the world of shadows, and like us, you are a resident of the [Void Zone], while we... have never been human!"

"Nonsense!" Philia's sword flashed with a magical light. "I still have memories... I remember him..."

"Oh?" The cloaked man said slowly, "Are those really 'memories'? Or data implanted by the system? Otherwise, why... is it only you who can't leave this place?"

Philia's face turned deathly pale instantly.

The cloaked man admired her expression, letting out a soft chuckle: "WOW~ That expression is fantastic! You actually noticed it a long time ago, didn't you? You just didn't want to admit it—"

"—Accept the fact that you are not human at all~"

Felia raised her voice in rebuttal: "So...so what! Mochizuki Kaede said she would definitely take me back!"

Upon hearing this, the cloaked man suddenly let out a shrill laugh: "He's only interested in the new equipment and materials in the [Void Zone]. As for you, you're just a convenient guide... understand? In his eyes, you're probably not that important."

"Shut up! Mochizuki Kaede is definitely not that kind of person!"

"Do you really understand him? Perhaps it's all just wishful thinking on your part." The cloaked man continued, "Didn't I warn you before? If you continue like this, you'll die."

"...Why? What makes you say that?"

"Not just you, but everyone here, including me, will be GAME OVER." The cloaked man deliberately dragged out his words.

"That's absurd! How could I possibly believe something like that?" Philia shouted angrily.

The cloaked man paced back and forth unhurriedly: "That young man... Wang Yuefeng, is rapidly growing stronger in this [Void Zone]."

His voice turned cold: "It's infuriating, but he might actually be able to clear all 100 floors. Then... what do you think we'll do?"

"……do not know."

"Use your flawed brain and think!" the cloaked man suddenly roared, then resumed his flippant tone, "When the world of SAO disappears... what do you think will happen to beings like us?"

Philia's eyes widened: "Could it be..."

"That's right, just like you thought! The moment SAO is conquered, we, as [data], will disappear like bubbles—pop! Completely gone~ In other words, we will all be killed by your prince."

The cloaked man continued, "I don't want to die yet, so I have to stop him... How about you do me a small favor? You just need to lure him out, and you don't have to do anything else."

Philia looked up abruptly, her blue eyes blazing with fury: "Don't even think about it!"

"Don't be so quick to refuse. We just need to trap him temporarily. With his strength, he'll definitely survive. Then... he can become a resident of our world."

Philia's breath hitched, and she murmured, "From the same world as us..."

The cloaked man watched her wavering expression with satisfaction: "Think it over carefully—will you continue to be strangers in two different worlds, disappearing alone... or will you live with him forever in the same world?"

Before disappearing completely, he said one last thing: "Tell me your answer next time we meet."

In the empty management area, Philia slowly knelt on the ground.

"Mochizuki... junior..."

"What should I do...?"