SAO S1 E5

## Plot

March 6th, 2024, Floor 56. Kirito has returned to the front lines. Asuna has become Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, the most powerful guild in the game. Klein is also there, but he's part of a different guild. Asuna's plan is to lure the boss to the village. While the boss is busy killing villagers, aka NPCs, they can attack and kill it. Kirito objects to the plan, but Asuna points out that NPCs *are* objects, and they can always respawn. There's the theme song, and thanks to subtitles, comprehensible lyrics. It's really good. *I recognized my cowardly past Remaining ignorant, I cowered in fear My other self reflects reality onto the present This world, where I envisioned countless skies, Will surely drive my frail heart insane. In my dreams, I soared in the skies, Shaking off any anxieties that clung to me A subconscious thought expands outwards Notice my weakness and stay by me So I can confidently accept this dark world I continue to dream for all of eternity I wanna always be with you I'll give you everything I have.* April 11th, 2024, Floor 59. The sun is shining, and Kirito is sleeping on the grass. Asuna scolds him for not trying to clear the dungeon. She thinks that every day in the game is another day lost in the real world. Kirito tells her that it'd be a waste to go raiding on a day like today, and that they're alive in Aincrad. When he wakes up, he discovers that Asuna fell asleep. He watches over her until she wakes up, since player killers are going around, cheating the system and killing players in towns for their items. She's angry, but decides to thank him by treating him to a nice restaurant. People there recognize her. Her nickname is Lightning Flash, because of her speed. They hear a woman scream outside. A man is hanging from a tower with a spear in his chest. Asuna and Kirito attempt to save him, but he dies. Knowing this was murder via duel, Kirito looks around for a player with a winner icon, but can't find anyone. Asuna informs him that the room inside the tower is empty. They decide to solve the case instead of going back to the front lines, since no one is safe anymore. They look for witnesses. A woman with purple hair, named Yolko, says she was the one that screamed. She knew the player. His name was Kains. They belonged to the same guild, and were going to get dinner together. She thought she saw someone standing behind him. Kirito and Asuna walk her home, and plan to talk to her again tomorrow. They go to the 50th floor to find someone who can appraise the murder weapon, a spear. The appraiser is Agil. He informs them that a player made the weapon. Their name is Grimlock. Agil has never heard that name before. Asuna chastises Kirito for being so reckless when he tries to injure himself to see what the weapon is capable of. The next day, they talk to Yolko again. She informs them that Grimlock was in the same guild as her and Kains until a few months ago. Yolko decides to tell them about how her guild, Golden Apple, was destroyed. Their leader, Griselda, went to town to sell a rare ring six months ago, and was killed. It wasn't a duel kill though, because that method is still new. She was killed for the ring, meaning one of the seven other guild members killed her. Grimlock was her husband, and they were married in the game. Yolko believes Grimlock is after the three players who voted to keep the ring. They were Kains, herself, and a man named Schmitt, who is now on the front lines. Yolko, Asuna, and Kirito get in touch with Schmitt. Yolko believes the ghost of Griselda has come back from the dead to kill them all. Before she can say anything else, she's killed with a dagger thrown from the window and falls to the ground.

## Review

I like this episode. It's a murder mystery, and I like mysteries. I also really like Yolko's purple hair. Then again, it's Japanese anime. Just about everyone has crazy hair, and not just in TV.