Sword Art Online - Vol 2 Chapter 4.1: Red-nosed Reindeer (Aincrad 46th Floor, December 2023) Part 1

Ren Takahashi, a shy, hoodie-wearing tech genius, hides behind the online alias GhostHood — a quiet legend in underground hackathons. Despite appearing average in school, he dreams of becoming a real-life Iron Man — not the hero, but the builder of world-changing tech.Enter Aoi Hoshizaki, a bold, gal-style girl with a love for code, a messy room, and a mysterious spark. When she moves in next door and discovers Ren's secret, their world begins to change — from quiet club meetings to national hackathons, late-night debugging sessions to secret rooftop conversations.What starts as teamwork grows into something deeper, more complicated, and far more electric than either expected. Together, they aim for Japan’s most elite tech university — and face rivalries, rumors, and the whisper of love in every line of code.

10 years ago, after “the Gate” that connected the real world with the monster world opened, some of the ordinary, everyday people received the power to hunt monsters within the Gate. They are known as “Hunters”.

The spacious cafe was strangely silent as Ruan Shishi hung her head while nervously stirring the coffee in front of her.

The atmosphere was rather awkward and strained for a while.

Half a minute after he sat down, the man asked flatly, “Is this your first blind date?”

His aura was so overbearing that a simple question from him made Ruan Shishi even more nervous

Abandoned at birth in a humble stable, Shirone was raised by commoners—but he was anything but ordinary. Blessed with remarkable insight, he taught himself to read at a young age. A fateful visit to the city introduced him to the wonders of magic, igniting an unshakable dream of becoming a mage. Yet, beneath the city's dazzling facade lurked a ruthless social hierarchy, where power and privilege crushed those who dared to rise above their station. As Shirone uncovers the world's darkest secrets before even coming of age, one question remains—can he defy fate and claim his destiny as a mage in a world determined to keep him down?