You Only Need to Believe in Me!...

"I already knew..."

The voice rang clearly in Yui's ears, throwing her already uneasy heart into instant turmoil. Before Yui could say anything, however, the words that followed seized all of her attention...

"'SAO,' its full name being 'Sword Art Online,' is a game governed by an enormous system..."

Yui bit her lip and lowered her head again, listening as Wu Yan recounted in a distant tone what should have been her own confession. Her mind had already become a complete mess...

"The system is called 'Cardinal.' It was designed to function without human maintenance and possesses immense computational power for independent judgment. Based on its own decisions, it regulates the balance of the world of 'SAO'—whether it is monsters, NPC AI, or the drop rates of items and equipment, all are managed by the program collective controlled by 'Cardinal'..."

"Including treatment for abnormalities in players' mental states..."

By this point, Wu Yan could clearly feel Yui's body trembling slightly. He looked straight into her face and gave a bitter laugh. "Yui, you're an artificial intelligence AI, a program designed to support the mental well-being of 'SAO' players, aren't you?..."

Yui abruptly raised her head and stared at Wu Yan in shock. The courage she had only just managed to muster to confess to him vanished without a trace, leaving behind only panic and helplessness.

"Why would you..."

Wu Yan shook his head. Rather than answering Yui's question, he met her eyes and smiled.

"I knew from the very beginning—from the day I brought you home..."

"From the beginning..." Yui trembled in disbelief. "If that's the case... then why did you bring me home?..."

"I couldn't help it..." Wu Yan placed a hand on Yui's head and stroked her beautiful long straight hair all the way down. "When you see