Asuna Yuuki/Synopsis

## Biography

### Background

Asuna was raised in a less than stable environment. Her father, Shouzou Yuuki, was a rich, greedy man who didn't seem to care about her, and her mother was a stubborn woman who once told her that it "doesn't matter if you're wrong. Just dig in your heels and never show weakness". Due to this, both her parents apparently fought so much that they ended up applying for a divorce.

Due to this upbringing, Asuna developed a deranged personality that she knew would scare others away. As such, she developed a nice formal persona, and started to act in a way that she knew would get people to like her, as long as they were Japanese.

### Aincrad Arc

#### Pre-Episode 2

On November 6, 2022, Asuna got her hands on a NerveGear and a copy of Sword Art Online, a VRMMO set in a multifloored castle in the sky called Aincrad. She logged into SAO and was trapped in the game along with 10,000 other players.

Asuna struggled to survive the first month, not because of the game's difficulty, but because she couldn't figure out how to open the game's menu, which was required to do pretty much anything. This lack of understanding got to the point where Asuna wasn't sure how to eat.

#### Episode 2

On December 2, 2022, Asuna was in the town of Tolbana on Floor 1 and attended a strategy meeting on how to defeat the first Floor Boss, Illfang the Kobold Lord, led by a player named Diabel. Once Diabel told everyone to group up, Asuna was approached by a player named Kirito. When Kirito asks why she hasn't teamed up with anyone, an embarrassed Asuna admits hers struggles with menu. This shocks and confuses Kirito, who asks how Asuna survived up until this point, to which she replies, "It's... been a challenge." Asuna then asks why Kirito hasn't joined anyone's group, to which he makes an arrogant remark about how inferior the other players are. However, Asuna sees through his façade and correctly guesses that no one wanted Kirito on their team, which Kirito retorts by claiming it was mutual. With everyone grouped up, Diabel tells the assault team to get plenty of rest, as they will be leaving at noon. However, after hearing complaints from most of the players, he begrudgingly delays it to 2:30pm.

The next day, after walking up the stairs to the Boss Room for five hours, most of the assault team are exhausted from the trip, as SAO bases a player's stamina on their real-life athletic abilities. Annoyed, Diabel jokingly tells the assault team to take an extra hour to regain their stamina, only to become even more annoyed when they actually take an hour.

Once they finally enter the Boss Room, the assault team is greeted by Illfang and three Sentinels. As Diabel tries to lead the charge, most of the assault team ignores the plan and starts aimlessly attacking Illfang, with one player yelling, "EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!!!" Diabel tries to regain control of the situation by barking orders to each Squad, but none of them listen to a single order, with one Squad stopping in the middle the fight to play Bejeweled. Annoyed, Diabel orders Kirito and Asuna to help out the other Squads, which Kirito obeys, much to Diabel's surprise. As Kirito and Asuna help Squads A and B, Asuna displays impressive fighting techniques, despite being a beginner. However, Asuna ruins whatever credibility she might've earned by asking Kirito if gaining "XPs" means she's dying.

Eventually, all the Sentinels are defeated and Illfang's health goes into the red. As Illfang goes to switch weapons, Diabel decides to land the finishing blow himself, believing the other players are not skilled enough to do it. However, Illfang pulls out a nodachi, instead of a talwar like the guidebook the assault team was following suggested, and strikes Diabel down with a combo, who was unprepared for the nodachi's longer reach and harsher damage. Though Diabel initially survived the attack, he eventually dies from his wounds.

With Diabel now dead, Asuna rushes to Kirito's side and comes up with a strategy to knock Illfang off balance, allowing one of them to attack, repeating the process until they reach their victory. Kirito points out it's amazing how Asuna can produce such a tactical strategy, but still can't open her menu. The two then rush into battle. With it being her plan, Asuna decides to be the one dealing the damage. Kirito begrudgingly agrees and parries Illfang's attack, allowing Asuna to move in. However, she is almost killed when Illfang regains his balance quicker than expected. Luckily, Asuna manages to dodge Illgang's attack and deal some damage, but Illfang destroys Asuna's cloak in the process, revealing her face. With Asuna's close call, Kirito decides to attack, resulting in both Kirito and Asuna fighting over who gets to deal the killing blow. After much back and forth, Kirito manages to slash Illfang across the body, killing the Boss and earning himself the Coat of Midnight.

As he catches his breath, a player named Tiffany walks up to Kirito and congratulates him on his victory, calling it a feat more impressive than the cat that learned how to play the game. Tiffany then declares that he and the other players will follow Kirito to hell itself, telling him to "address [his] people". However, despite the players cheering him on, Kirito decides to leave his position as leader of the assault team. Kirito then arrogantly proclaims that he could've defeated Illfang himself, calling the other players incompetent teammates whose only value was absorbing damage from the Boss, despite Tiffany pleading him to stop. A player named Kibaou tries to cut Kirito down a peg by claiming he's not better than the rest of them, but Kirito disproves him donning on his newly acquired coat, signifying his status as a solo player.

Kirito proceeds to leave the Boss Room, but Asuna stops him halfway up the stairs, asking for half of the coat. This confuses Kirito, but Asuna points out that she did half the work during the fight and therefore deserves half the coat. After much arguing about the logistics of such a request, Kirito decides to "disolve" their Party. Asuna warns Kirito that, if he doesn't give her half the coat, she will make his life a living hell. Annoyed, Kirito agrees to give Asuna the coat, but only if she sends him a trade request. When Asuna asks what a trade request is, Kirito tells her all she needs to do is open her menu, which she doesn't know how to do. Kirito then leaves, laughing maniacally, as Asuna curses him.

#### Post-Episode 2

After her antagonistic parting from Kirito, Asuna's skill improved considerably, eventually learning how to open her menu. During her time of improvement, she would occasionally bump into Tiffany, which led to a very uncomfortable and racially tense relationship between the two, as she refused to stop talking to him in a gangster slang, because she didn't know how else to talk to him. She also befriended a girl named Lizbeth, becoming a regular customer at her blacksmith shop in the Floor 48 city of Lindas. At some point, Lizbeth made Asuna a rapier called Lambent Light and would routinely sharpen it for free.

Eventually, Asuna joined the strongest Guild in the game, the Knights of the Blood Oath, where she quickly rose through the ranks and became the Vice-Commander of the entire Guild, making her the second in command of Heathcliff, the Guild's leader. Due to being such a high ranking member, Asuna received a very creepy bodyguard named Kuradeel to protect her. As Vice-Commander, Asuna attended Boss raids with the rest of the assault team, where she would occasionally butt heads with Kirito, causing their relationship to sour even more. Eventually, with Asuna's help, the Guild survived long enough to establish a headquarters in the Floor 55 city of Grandzam.

#### Episode 5

On March 6, 2024, the assault team are in the Floor 56 of Pani, discussing the raid of Sheeptar the Sheep King, which a player named BallsDeep69 says would be a really stupid Boss if it hadn't already killed seven of the players. Asuna comes up with a plan to get close enough to aggro the Boss and have their archers lead him to the nearest village, where he'll be too distracted killing the NPCs to notice their attack. Kirito disagrees with this plan, however, since some of his best friends have been NPCs, a fact that did not surprise Asuna. Before he can argue any further, Kirito hears the voice of Gary, the NPC that caused the deaths of his previous Guild. Seeking vengeance, Kirito brutally murders Gary as the other players watch in horror, except for Asuna. This results in the assault team changing the plan.

On April 11, 2024, Asuna and the rest of the assault team attempt to defeat Sheeptar, only to fail yet again at the cost of five more people. Asuna blamed this failure on Kirito, who didn't show up at the raid, and went to go find him. She eventually found Kirito near the Floor 59 village of Danac, having a nap on patch of grass under a tree, and yells at Kirito for not being at the Sheeptar raid like he was supposed to be. Despite Asuna's fury, Kirito doesn't take the matter seriously, prompting her to ask why he's so mellow. Kirito reveals that he had some time to kill before the raid and decided to eat some weird plants in order to raise his Alchemy Skill, which resulted in him getting high and completely forgetting about the raid. This angers Asuna, because she changed her entire plan just because Kirito insisted that they shouldn't use NPCs as bait, but he didn't even show up. Kirito tells Asuna that she's too stressed out, and invites her to "lie down, relax, and watch the stars" with him, despite the fact it was 2 in the afternoon. With her not getting anywhere in his current state, Asuna wishes that Kirito would sober up soon so she could kick his teeth in.

While she waited for Kirito to wake up, Asuna eventually decided to take him up on his offer and fell asleep next to Kirito. Later that day, Asuna wakes up to see Kirito with a satisfied look on his face. Suspecting foul play, Asuna grabs her sword and asks what he did to her. Kirito, terrified of Asuna's wrath, honestly explains that he drew cat whiskers on her face. This Asuna confuses, thinking he did something else, but when Kirito gets confused and asks what else she could've done, she gets flustered and changes the subject by asking Kirito if he wants to get something to eat.

At the restaurant, in the Floor 57 town of Martin, Kirito complains through sarcastic remarks about how poor quality the joint is. Asuna reminds Kirito isn't one to judge, seeing how he recently got high after eating random plants off the ground. Kirito points out that Asuna was even stupider for sleeping next to some "crazed drug fiend", even though said drug fiend was him. Before they can continue, the two hear a scream. Kirito jokes that their debate has ran out of time and offers Asuna consolation prizes from the "Kirito is Always Right Foundation". Asuna calls Kirito insufferable, and she and Kirito go to investigate the noise.

They arrive at the town square and find a man hanging from a bell tower with a sword in his chest begging for help. Kirito isn't shocked or worried about the man, because the town acts as a Safe Zone, meaning he won't die, and calls the man a "human piñata". Asuna then goes into the tower to cut the man down while Kirito goes to catch him. However, as Kirito makes his way into position, the man shatters with the seemingly normal death animation. Kirito doesn't believe this was real, thinking the man was part of an event or players messing with an NPC, but a player named Yolko emerges from the crowd and identifies the man as her friend Kains. She explains that they came into town to get dinner, but Kains and her got separated. Yolko then bursts into tears and is unable to explain any further. Asuna makes a snide remark about Kirito's early comment about always being right, to which Kirito says his foundation is "going through a bit of a rough patch".

Kirito and Asuna escort Yolko back to her hotel, where Asuna asks Yolko if they can ask her questions tomorrow, which she accepts. Kirito then reassures Yolko that she'll be fine since they're in a Safe Zone, realizing what he just said halfway through his sentence, and awkwardly wishes her goodnight. With Yolko safely escorted, Kirito and Asuna begin to question whether they have a killer amongst them or not. Kirito deduces that, since death happened during the dinner rush, the killer wanted Kains' death to be public, meaning that the killer wanted someone in particular to witness it. This causes Asuna to ask why Kirito cares in the first place, since Kirito is the "Crown Prince of Douchebags", and his first reaction to human suffering is usually to sit back and watch. Kirito tries to make it seem like he genuinely cares about getting Yolko closure, but Asuna sees right through this and exposes him when he can't remember what Yolko's name is. Annoyed, Kirito admits the real reason he's investigating is to prove he's right that it's impossible to die in Safe Zones. Asuna chastises Kirito for his less than noble motive, but Kirito points out she's only investigating to prove he was wrong. Having been exposed herself, Asuna tries to justify herself by stating that at least she "pretends to be nice to people", a statement that catches Kirito off guard.

For information on the sword, Kirito and Asuna go to Tiffany's Shop in the Floor 50 city of Algade. At first, Tiffany is glad to see Kirito, teasingly calling him his "least favorite customer" for not buying his overpriced, poor-quality merchandise, but is shocked to see Asuna come through the door. He then pulls Kirito over the counter and starts yelling at him for bringing Asuna to his shop, questioning their friendship in the process. Kirito doesn't understand what the problem is at first, but things become clear when Asuna starts talking to Tiffany in gangster slang as usual, which makes Kirito cry tears of joy. After some mildly racist banter, Tiffany appraises the murder weapon to look at its stats, overhyping his abilities in the process. He tells the two that the sword is called Guilty Thorn, a player-made weapon made by a man named Grimlock, but finds nothing special that would make players die in Safe Zones. To see if the power is real, Kirito tries to stab himself, but is stopped by Asuna, making Kirito see how stupid that idea was. Believing the sword to be too dangerous, Asuna gives it to Tiffany, who comments how giving the black man the murder weapon is a "tale as old as time".

The next day, back in Martin, Kirito and Asuna meet Yolko in the restaurant Kirito hates and ask her if she knows Grimlock, which causes Yolko to gasp upon hearing his name. After a brief argument between Kirito and Asuna about whether Kains is dead or not, Kirito asks Yolko if Kains would have any reason to fake his death. Yolko seems to panic upon hearing this theory but relaxes when Asuna shoots the idea down. After Asuna chastises Kirito for his hollow attempt to give Yolko hope, Kirito asks, quite bluntly, why Grimlock would want to kill Kains.

Although both she and Asuna are shocked by his gruesome choice of words, Yolko explains that she, Kains and Grimlock were once part of a Guild, and Grimlock's wife, Griselda, was their leader. However, six months ago, the Guild found a rare item. Rather than fight over it, they decided to sell it and split the profits. But when Griselda went out to sell it, she was killed. Since they were the only ones to know about the item, they knew the killer had to be one of them and the Guild disbanded. When Asuna asks why Grimlock would've suspected Kains to be the culprit, Yolko explains that he, Yolko and a lancer named Schmitt voted to keep the item, meaning they were the most likely suspects of Griselda's murder, and therefore targets of Grimlock's revenge. Asuna notices that Yolko mentioned Schmitt's name with more disdain than the others, but Yolko denies this, claiming they're still good friends. Kirito then remembers that he has met Schmitt before and is less than thrilled to meet him again.

Kirito and Asuna find Schmitt and bring him to Yolko, where Asuna finds out that Schmitt is a paranoid player, who is constantly stressed because he believes that the haters from his YouTube comments are coming to kill him, a fact that Asuna isn't thrilled to learn. Schmitt rants about his predicament, referencing the most prominent threat he received, which involved chopping off his limbs, disembowelling him and riding him like a "meat toboggan", a fear that Kirito exacerbates by detailing the aftermath. Yolko reassures Schmitt that his haters aren't coming to kill him, but warns him Grimlock may be after both of them to avenge Griselda's death, which makes Schmitt even more terrified. This makes Asuna realize that bringing Schmitt to Yolko probably wasn't a good idea. However, Yolko suddenly realizes something and rises from her seat, saying Grimlock couldn't have been the killer because the attack was in a Safe Zone. Kirito is relieved that Yolko seems to be making sense at first, but she suddenly starts screaming that Griselda's ghost has come back from the dead to take bloody vengeance on all three of her potential murderers, a statement that dumbfounds both Kirito and Asuna.

As Yolko sits on the window ledge and accepts her fate, Schmitt vows to keep living for his less murderous fans. Asuna tells the two friends to calm down, ruling out the notion that a ghost is the killer, as it's impossible for a dead player to still inhabit the game. Kirito agrees with this, but makes a sarcastic remark that it was obviously an assassination by the Mermaid Mafia paid in Leprechaun gold. Asuna tells Kirito to take things seriously, but Kirito refuses, still holding onto his belief that you can't die in a Safe Zone. However, as Kirito says this, Yolko is stabbed in the back and falls out the window. Kirito then runs toward the window and witnesses Yolko hitting the ground. Unable to see what happened next, Asuna asks Kirito if Yolko is alright, to which he states that he "doesn't like her chances", making Asuna and Schmitt realize that Yolko was dead now too.

#### Episode 6

Seconds after Yolko's death, Kirito looks out the window and sees a cloaked figure standing on the roof across from the hotel room. Believing them to be a suspect in Yolko's murder, Kirito jumps out the window to pursue the figure. But they manage evade capture, due to them using a Teleport Crystal to escape, and because Kirito misses the roof and falls through a window.

Kirito returns to the hotel room with the dagger used to kill Yolko and confirms the suspect got away. Asuna then insults Kirito by saying he's nowhere near as great a detective as Batman, whom she states Kirito will never be. Surprisingly infuriated by this comment, Kirito yells out "Fuck you!" and bashes his fist against the wall, before composing himself and congratulating Asuna for wounding him. Now being the only assumed traitor of his former Guild left, Schmitt starts to believe Yolko's theory that the killer is Griselda's ghost and therefore it's only a matter of time until Griselda kills him too. As Schmitt frantically panics, Asuna asks Kirito what their next move is, only to find out that Kirito has left her alone with the completely traumatized Schmitt.

Hours later, Asuna finds Kirito and chastises him for leaving her behind, but Kirito points out that it wasn't out of character for him. Asuna acknowledges this, and reluctantly gives Kirito a sandwich she made. Kirito asks Asuna how she was able to make it, given her difficulty with using her menu in the past, but before he can finish the question, Asuna threatens to stab Kirito in the eye. Terrified, Kirito shoves the sandwich into his mouth and is surprised by good it is. As the two are eating, Asuna proposes that they review what they've learned so far, only for Kirito to reveal he's already figured everything out. Furious that Kirito solved the mystery without her, Asuna stomps the ground, making Kirito drop his sandwich and it shatters. Grief-stricken by the "death" his sandwich, Kirito takes a moment of silence.

After composing himself, Kirito reveals he discovered that Floor 57 had a unique glitch, where if a player teleports while in freefall, the game's teleport animation would be replaced with the death animation. Kirito then remembered how Kains and Yolko "died", with Kains hanging from a bell tower and Yolko falling out the window, and realized that they were exploiting this glitch. Kirito concluded that the Safe Zone "deaths" were part of an elaborate plan to trick Schmitt into confessing that he was Griselda's killer, as he was the only other person who wanted to keep the item. However, Kirito didn't believe this was the case and deduced that only person who could have stolen the item was Grimlock, as married players share inventory spaces in SAO, and therefore he would still have the ring even if Griselda died, concluding that he was the real killer. After sharing his findings, Kirito deduces that Grimlock might be planning to kill his former Guild mates while they're all in one place. With Kains, Yolko and Schmitt in possible danger, Asuna uses her friend's list to track down Yolko, revealing she's in Cross Hill on Floor 19. With the trio found, Kirito orders Asuna find Grimlock and bring him to Cross Hill, while Kirito goes to rescue the former Guild mates.

However, when she found him, Grimlock "wasn't very cooperative", and as a result, Asuna and Grimlock arrive later than Kirito expected. This annoys Kirito, as he planned out a grand reveal for Kains, Yolko and Schmitt. Kains is furious that Yolko involved Kirito and Asuna in their conspiracy, but Asuna points out that, if Yolko never friended her, they wouldn't have been able to save the three players from Laughing Coffin's attack. This makes Kains even more furious, as their plan could've been compromised, but Yolko claims she couldn't get the menu to delete her friend's list, something Kains can't believe she wasn't able do. After telling Kirito to stop laughing, due to her having similar problems, Asuna tells the two to focus on the fact that they just caught their friend's killer. Kains doubts that Grimlock is the culprit, because he was helping them catch Schmitt, but Kirito points out that it's not uncommon for killers to frame others for their crimes, a fact that makes Kains reluctantly hear Kirito out.

Kirito points out that Schmitt would have nothing to gain from Griselda's death, as the item would have been destroyed along with Griselda if he killed her. Kains argues that bandits extort items out of people all the time, but Kirito points out that Schmitt wouldn't have trusted a complete stranger with the task, nor would he have been skilled enough to defeat Griselda singlehandedly or smart enough to kill her with a sneak attack. Kains and Yolko realize that this is true, much to Schmitt's dismay. Kains then asks Schmitt why he was apologizing to Griselda in the first place if he wasn't guilty, to which Schmitt explains that, after receiving so many death threats as a game reviewer, he has "learned to just assume the position".

With Schmitt no longer a suspect, Yolko asks why Kirito suspects Grimlock, as he and Griselda were the perfect couple, but Kirito explains that's exactly what made Grimlock a major suspect. Kirito then reveals that Grimlock and Griselda had the same inventory, meaning that Grimlock could've stolen the item at any time, and, with Griselda dead, the widower could have all the profits to himself. Grimlock only agreed to help Kains and Yolko because he hoped to cover up his crime by gathering the three of them together and hiring Laughing Coffin to kill them so they wouldn't discover the truth.

Hearing Kirito's explanation, Grimlock gets offended and suddenly interjects, saying that the item had nothing to do with why he killed Griselda. Grimlock then explains that he and Griselda were indeed a perfect couple and never had a single fight. However, their relationship changed when Griselda started becoming more independent, and became so focused on clearing the game that she forgot to make him dinner one night. Although Griselda promised to make up for it the next day, this shock to Grimlock's routine drove him to despair, believing that his wife betrayed him. Grimlock then became convinced that, in order to preserve the memory of who his wife used to be, he had to "kill the thing that took her place".

After hearing this revelation, everyone is shocked that Griselda died for such a stupid, sexist reason, even Kirito. Grimlock tries to have Kains and Schmitt back him up, but Kains tells him not to speak to them. Kirito then goes on a passionate speech about how love is something special that most people spend their whole lives looking for, and Grimlock wasted his own love over something as simple as a meal. Kirito then states that Grimlock never truly loved Griselda, he was just being possessive, before telling Grimlock that he disgusts him. Grimlock isn't fazed by this, however, and simply states that Kirito will understand what it's like to be in love someday. Before Kirito can retaliate, Asuna takes the opportunity to tell Grimlock his hat makes him look like a hipster, which makes the widower fall to his knees in despair, much to Kirito's dismay.

With Grimlock dealt with, Kains laments on the fact that they spent six months investigating only to think Schmitt was the culprit. Kains then tries to extend an olive branch to Kirito, thanking him for saving them, but Kirito ruins the moment by reminding the three friends that they're still technically his slaves, causing Kains to give up trying with Kirito. Now knowing who really killed Griselda, Kains, Yolko and Schmitt take Grimlock and start beating him to death behind a tree. As Kirito is about to move on, stating they better get back to the front lines soon, Asuna says she appreciated Kirito's speech to Grimlock, stating that it was nice to see that he has a sensitive side. Embarrassed, Kirito thinks this is her way of apologizing for not believing he was right and forgives her. Asuna explains that she is trying to have a moment, but it's being ruined by the sound of Kains, Yolko, and Schmitt beating Grimlock to death. Schmitt then apologizes for this and promptly snaps Grimlock's neck, finally avenging Griselda's murder.

With the two of them now left alone, Kirito awkwardly praises Asuna for using her friend's list to track down Yolko, stating that, since he never friends anyone, he never would have guessed where to look for Kains, Yolko, or Schmitt. Flattered, Asuna states that Kirito can treat her to breakfast as a reward for her help, since they never got to finish their meal the other day. But before they leave, Kirito and Asuna spot Griselda's ghost, who has appeared to try and thank them for solving her murder, as now her soul is finally free. Unfortunately, Kirito and Asuna are completely terrified at the sight of her, and they both run away screaming, with Kirito throwing his sword at her, causing Griselda's ghost to sigh in annoyance.

Sometime later, while the two are having breakfast back at the restaurant, Kirito suddenly realizes he almost forgot something important and hopes there is still time for it. Asuna becomes worried that they forgot something important to the case, only to have Kirito unveil a banner that reads "Kirito is Always Right Foundation! Grand Reopening!". Kirito then laughs at his joke, but he invokes the wrath of Asuna, who shoves a fork into Kirito's eye in a fit of rage.

#### Post-Episode 6

After their encounter with Griselda's ghost, Kirito and Asuna both agreed that it "never happened". However, after seeing Kirito's sensitive side, and the fact that she could more or less be herself around him, Asuna started to see Kirito in a new light and developed feelings for him, becoming very possessive of him as a result.

At some point, Asuna bought a house in the Floor 61 city of Selmburg.

#### Episode 7

On June 24, 2024, Asuna came to Lizbeth's shop to have her rapier sharpened. Once Lizbeth finishes, Asuna compliments Lizbeth on her work and asks why they don't spend more time together. Lizbeth reminds Asuna that it's because she refuses to leave the safety of her shop and Asuna keeps declining Lizbeth's offer to stay with her and live in her closet "like an adorable boogeyman", causing Asuna to smile awkwardly at her.

Lizbeth then notices that Asuna is wearing a new pair of earrings and thinks she's trying to impress a secret lover, which Asuna doesn't really deny, as she gets spooked off by Lizbeth's extremely personal questions. As Asuna leaves, Lizbeth begs her for details, saying she lives vicariously through Asuna, and as such, she views Asuna's sex life is her own. Asuna then begs Lizbeth to leave the shop and meet someone, saying it can't be worse than what being alone in the shop is doing to her, before leaving.

The next day, Asuna was looking through her friends list when she discovered that she couldn't find Lizbeth. When she finally reappeared, Asuna saw that she was with Kirito. Seeing this, Asuna became paranoid that Lizbeth might take Kirito away from her and headed straight to her shop. Once there, Asuna saw that Lizbeth was trying to have a moment with Kirito, seemingly about to confess her feelings to him. Determined to stop this, Asuna bursts through the door and hugs Lizbeth. During the hug, Asuna whispers in Lizbeth ears that Kirito is "off limits", threatening to kill her if she doesn't comply. Asuna then lets Lizbeth go, pretending to be worried for her safety. Horrified by Asuna's threats, and by how quickly she pretended like nothing happened, Lizbeth runs away crying.

When Kirito ran after Lizbeth to comfort her, Asuna took this as Lizbeth trying to get Kirito all to herself, and immediately sets her shop on fire, scrawling "YOU WERE WARNED" onto the shop's sign.

#### Post-Episode 7

One day, Asuna discovered that Kirito was recording an advert for the Kirito is Always Right Foundation with Balls, having turned it into an actual business, and was asking for donations. This made Asuna furious, as there was a raid in 10 minutes, and she stated that she was "not gonna have another goddamn Sheeptar incident!". She then knocked Kirito out and dragged him to the raid, leaving Balls alone, realizing that Kirito wasn't coming back.

#### Episode 8

On October 17, 2024, Asuna and Kuradeel were passing by Tiffany's shop when Asuna hears Kirito saying he needed someone who's maxed out their Cooking Skill. Luckily for her, she had recently maxed out her Cooking Skill, so she enters the shop, much to Tiffany's horror, and informs Kirito of this fact. Hearing this, Kirito initially mutters something under his breath, but he quickly retracts his statement when she asks him to repeat himself. As Tiffany wonders if he needs to line his doors with salt to repel Asuna, Kirito shows her that he has some Ragout Rabbit Meat, an S-Class Ingredient, much to her shock. Kirito then offers Asuna half of the meal if she agrees to cook it for him. Asuna then asks if Kirito's offer is a date, which Kirito scoffs at, pointing out her "boyfriend" is standing right behind her, a statement that disgusts Asuna. Kuradeel is offended by how repulsed Asuna was at the thought of dating him, something Kirito makes worse by stating that Kuradeel looks like Voldemort got caught in a grease fire.

Jokes aside, Asuna asks for some clarification as to whether the meal is a date or not. Kirito is surprised with Asuna's seriousness, thinking she was only joking, until Asuna grabs him by the collar and sternly invites him to her place at 6 o'clock, promising that it will be a "magical evening". Kirito says yes to the invitation, remarking that Asuna's request was more like a mugging, which Asuna celebrates, although she almost immediately tries to downplay her excitement. With the matter settled, Kirito apologizes to Tiffany, as he won't be selling him the meat after all. Tiffany then asks if Kirito will let him have some of the rabbit too, to which Kirito says they'll save him a plate, but he'll just need to come to Asuna's house to get it, something that's beyond Tiffany's abilities.

Later that day, Kirito arrives at Asuna's place, where he is immediately unsettled by Asuna's genuine happiness upon seeing him. When Asuna voices her confusion at this, Kirito explains that he expected to find a soundproof warehouse with a shallow grave outback but finds the calm atmosphere somehow worse. Asuna assures Kirito that she'd never do that to him, jokingly reminding him that he still has the rabbit, and leaves to change her outfit. Kirito isn't convinced by Asuna's recent behavior and decides to keep his guard up. However, as soon Asuna returns in more attractive attire his vigilant mode suddenly shuts down, as he suddenly becomes very aroused. Asuna then asks if Kirito's going to put away his sword before dinner, which Kirito initial thinks is a reference to his erection, but after realizing what she actually meant he dismisses the notion.

After Asuna cooks the Ragout Rabbit, Kirito is amazed with how beautiful the S-Class dish is and they both dine with pleasure. Asuna then thanks Kirito for the rabbit, saying she's glad they got to share the experience together. This proves to be the final straw for Kirito, however, and he asks Asuna what's going on with her. Kirito states that Asuna hasn't been the same since they saw Griselda's ghost, to which Asuna reminds him what they both agreed that event didn't happen. Regardless, Kirito points out that ever since then, Asuna seems to no longer be disgusted by Kirito like she used to be. Asuna tells Kirito to drop the subject, but he continues, eventually asking Asuna if she likes him. Asuna then immediately grabs her knife and points it at Kirito's face, causing him to drop the subject entirely.

With the drama all over, Asuna tells Kirito they should form a Party for a while, as she doesn't want anything bad to happen to him. With drama back on, Kirito asks what Asuna wants from him, causing Asuna to point the knife back in Kirito's face until he accepts the Party request. With the matter settled, Asuna calls Kirito a drama queen for making such a fuss of the situation. Kirito points out that his drama was warranted, as she stuck a knife in his face. Asuna dismisses this and reminds him that it wasn't the first time she's done that, but Kirito points out that doesn't make it better.

On October 18, 2024, Asuna wakes up to find Kuradeel watching her sleep, having broken into her house. Asuna then panicked and runs away, with Kuradeel chasing after her. While Asuna could defeat Kuradeel herself, she didn't want to deal with the potential political backlash of beating him up, plus if she did report his actions Kuradeel would've just ejected from the Guild. Knowing this, Asuna came up with a plan to have Kirito deal with Kuradeel for her. Upon arriving in the Floor 74 city of Calmdet, Asuna accidentally falls on top of Kirito. Though initially startled by her arrival, Kirito tries to underplay the embarrassing situation by asking Asuna how she is. Unfortunately, while she's still on top of him, Kirito accidentally gropes Asuna's breast. As he realizes his mistake, Asuna smacks Kirito across town square and into a collum, finally waking him up.

Suddenly, the Teleport Gate activates again and Asuna hides behind Kirito, asking him to save her. Confused, Kirito looks to see that Asuna is running from Kuradeel. Kirito asks why Asuna needs help dealing with the half-melted troll doll, to which Asuna reveals what Kuradeel did, much to Kirito's shock. Kuradeel tries to justify his actions by saying that, if Asuna is willing to let a "cretin" like Kirito into her home, then she can't be trusted to be out of his sights, inadvertently revealing that he was watching them eat. Kirito then stands up for Asuna, telling Kuradeel not to treat his superior like a child playing in traffic, as Asuna is more than capable of taking care of herself. Kuradeel is insulted Kirito's request, particularly because he called Kuradeel "Skeletor", but as soon as Kirito sees that he hit a nerve he proceeds to fire a barrage of increasingly harsher insults.

No longer willing to take Kirito's tomfoolery, Kuradeel challenges him to a duel, to prove whether Kirito is as tough as he acts. Kirito isn't intimidated though and tells Kuradeel to leave before he makes his face look any worse, which only makes Kuradeel want to fight him more. Though amused by how easy Kuradeel is to wind up, Kirito asks Asuna why she needs his help. Asuna then points out that this is the perfect opportunity to humiliate the bodyguard in front of an adoring audience, which convinces Kirito to accept. As Kuradeel prepares himself to have an epic showdown, the creator of the game, Kayaba Akihiko, starts playing some circus music in the background to show how much of a clown show the duel really is. Kirito gives Kuradeel one last chance to back down, but Kuradeel refuses, wanting to teach Kirito a lesson. Sure enough, as soon as the fight begins, Kirito slices Kuradeel's sword's blade off at the hilt, destroying it before Kuradeel realizes what happened.

Having already won the fight, Kirito asks if Kuradeel's done. However, Kuradeel is not finished with Kirito, and takes out a dagger. As Kuradeel charges for a second attack, Asuna disarms Kuradeel, making him throw his dagger in the air. She then tells Kuradeel to leave before he embarrasses himself and their Guild any further. This infuriates Kuradeel, however, and he refuses to let his pride be damaged. Unfortunately, as soon as he says this, his dagger lands blade first into his head. While trying to hide an immense deal of pain, Kuradeel agrees to leave, claiming it was his choice to do so, and teleports to their base in Grandzam.

With Kuradeel gone, Asuna congratulates Kirito on their teamwork. Kirito is confused by all this and asks why Asuna didn't deal with Kuradeel herself. Asuna then reveals why she didn't fight Kuradeel herself and how she believed a standard Kirito defeat would've been more satisfying. Kirito is shocked that Asuna managed to manipulate him and used him like a tool, to which Asuna responds that she doesn't keep Kirito around for his brains, a remark that stuns Kirito. Asuna then walks off, telling Kirito not to worry about the details and promising to buy him something pretty as a reward. This snaps Kirito out of it and he runs after her, reminding Asuna that there's a person attached to his sword.

Hours later, Kirito and Asuna have cleared everything on the Floor's main Dungeon, with the exception of the Boss Room. As the two of them sit in a Safe Room, Kirito asks if they should head back to town for lunch. Asuna says that's unnecessary, however, as she brought sandwiches. This causes Kirito to proclaim that he loves Asuna, but he refuses to repeat himself when she asks. However, after Kirito takes a single bite, he says the sandwich tastes terrible, comparing it to a dog turd dipped in cool ranch, and demands an explanation. As Asuna tries to down shoot this notion, she realizes the reason the sandwich tastes so horrible is because of the Ragout Rabbit. Since it was an S-Class ingredient prepared by a maxed-out chef, it's literally the tastiest thing you could ever eat, real or otherwise, making everything else taste like garbage in comparison. Hearing this, Kirito is horrified that they've "Flowers for Algernon'd" their taste buds.

Suddenly, Balls arrives with his Guild, asking if he's interrupting something, startling Kirito and Asuna. Once he realizes it's just Balls, Kirito apologizes for their outbursts, explaining that they just got "some pretty bad medical news". Balls then jokingly asks if all of Kirito's friends have died again, which he quickly apologizes for. Seeing Kirito and Asuna together, Balls asks why the two of them are hanging out, joking asking if Kirito's planning to show Asuna his "Sword Skills", which Asuna is also very interested to hear the answer to.

Luckily, before Kirito can answer such an embarrassing question, a group of soldiers from the Aincrad Liberation Front arrive. The General tells his severely exhausted platoon to relax before introducing himself as Corvatz, a man who pretends to be a Spaniard, due to him picking up an item that punctuates his words with Spanish guitar. Corvatz states that keeps the accent up to boost morale among his men but seems unaware that it does the exact opposite. Corvatz asks if the road ahead has been cleared before proclaiming that he intends to defeat the Boss of the Floor, thus clearing it "FOR THE PEOPLE". Balls is shocked by this declaration, pointing out that Corvatz's men won't be able to fight the Boss, as they can barely stand. Corvatz dismisses him, however, saying that he's going to use his brilliant Boss clearing strategy, which has never failed to defeat a foe. Skeptical, Asuna asks how many Bosses Corvatz has defeated with it, to which Corvatz reveals that he himself hasn't defeated any yet.

Slightly concerned by this, Kirito suggests that Corvatz and his men should go home and take a nap, while someone else defeats the Boss. However, Corvatz says they're too close to back down now, and his men don't know the meaning of surrender, but one of them says they're willing to learn. Corvatz ignores his solder's pleas, however, and tells his men to stand, leading them towards the Boss Room while proclaiming that they will fight for glory. When one of his soldiers points out how contradictory this is to Corvatz's last claim, Corvatz disses him by saying, "We can fight for too things". As they watch Corvatz and his men leave, Balls begins worrying for their safety. Kirito initially refuses to help them, saying that whatever happens won't be their fault, but this comment accidentally triggers himself and he runs after them anyway. Asuna then runs after him, while Balls complains about his heavy armor slowing him down.

As the duo arrives at the Boss Room, they see that the ALF is being slaughtered by the Boss, a giant Goat Demon called the Gleam Eyes. Asuna tells the ALF to use their Teleport Crystals, only to be told that the Crystals aren't working. Kirito tells Corvatz to use his aforementioned strategy, only for it to turn out to be "Group up and hit it 'til it dies", the same strategy that was suggested to defeat Illfang, making Kirito realize that Corvatz is the guy who suggested it all those years ago. Balls then arrives just in time to see Corvatz being killed by the Gleam Eyes, whose last words are, "Do not fear, my friends. Corvatz... can never... di...". Kirito is shocked by Corvatz death and tries to cope with his usual snarky persona, prompting Balls to scold him. Kirito then has a mental breakdown, trying to deny that he cares about the ALF's fate, but as soon as the Gleam Eyes is about to take another victim, Kirito slashes it across the back with fury.

As Kirito distracts the Boss, Balls and his Guild gets the remaining ALF members out of the Boss Room to safety. During the fight, Kirito suddenly seems to have an epiphany, and with a mixture of fury and determination, Kirito asks Balls and Asuna to buy him some time while he prepares something. The two do as he says, although Asuna does most of the work, as Balls gets swatted to the side by the Gleam Eyes almost immediately. Kirito then charges back into the battle, summoning another sword along with his Elucidator, revealing his ability to Dual-Wield, much to everyone else's amazement. Kirito then has a psychotic breakdown and activates a 21-hit combo called Starburst Stream, during which he rants about his hatred for people, taking his anger out on the Gleam Eyes for making him care about them. After trading blows with the Boss, Kirito manages to defeat the Gleam Eyes, but notices that he only has one HP left. He then falls unconscious, telling the ALF they can all go die now for all he cares.

Sometime later, Kirito regains consciousness to see Asuna crying over him. She then hugs him while berating him for making her worry, something that makes Kirito flustered. Balls then takes this moment to ask Kirito to explain himself. Initially, Kirito thinks he's referring to his embarrassing rant, but Balls elaborates by asking how Kirito managed to learn the Dual-Wield Skill, since it's not even in the directory. Kirito admits he has no idea how he got the Skill, as it just appeared in his menu one day. Kirito then speculates that he acquired the Skill after facing someone who could Dual-Wield axes, but quickly dismisses the idea, as it's probably unrelated. Initially, Balls laments that Kirito now has something else to boost his ego, but quickly admits that Kirito will put the Skill to good use.

Balls then decides to leave after this victory, saying he's going to take a nap and find whatever passes for a beer on the new Floor. But before he departs, he tells Kirito not to give up on humanity just yet, having noticed Kirito that fought for the others. Kirito agrees to "take it under advisement", calling Balls by his preferred name, Klein, which makes him cry tears of joy. After Klein leaves, Kirito notices that Asuna is still holding him and tells her that, if she continues, he'll "get the wrong idea". Asuna tells Kirito to shut up and let her have this, which Kirito accepts. He does, however, ask Asuna to move a little, as his leg is falling asleep. This prompts Asuna to threaten to cut Kirito if he ruins the moment, a statement that makes Kirito happy that Asuna's back to her usual self.

#### Episode 9

On October 19, 2024, a video of Kirito's fight with the Gleam Eyes spread throughout Aincrad, as one of the ALF Soldiers was livestreaming the event. With Kirito gaining fame from this video, as he practically defeated the Boss singlehandedly, Heathcliff sees this as an opportunity and asks has Asuna summon him to their headquarters. Asuna tracks down Kirito to Tiffany's shop, where she tries to deliver the message. However, before she can say it, Lizbeth freaks out upon seeing Asuna again and jumps out of a window with Tiffany, leaving Kirito alone with Asuna, who asks what Asuna was trying to say.

Asuna then takes Kirito to her Guild's headquarters where he meets Heathcliff. Before Heathcliff can explain the reason for the meeting, Kirito notices that Fluffles, the former Mafia leader, is also part of the Guild. Kirito then proceeds to seemingly have a conversation with the former Mob Boss, with Kirito asking how Fluffles survived his fall after their fight and Fluffles apparently explaining that he survived using a method that even Kirito didn't consider. This prompts Heathcliff to ask Asuna if Kirito can understand Fluffles or if he's messing with them, to which Asuna responds it might be both. With things apparently getting heated between Kirito and Fluffles, Heathcliff tries to stop the aggressions by saying, "You can't fight in here this is the war room", only to be disappointed when no one acknowledges/gets his reference to the movie Dr. Strangelove.

Getting back to the point, Heathcliff tells Kirito that everyone in Aincrad has seen the video of him Dual-Wielding, much to Kirito's annoyance. Heathcliff comments how amazing it is that Kirito practically defeated a Floor Boss singlehandedly, pointing out how inspiring a feat like that is, and states that it could motivate the other players to take action. With all this in mind, Heathcliff asks Kirito to join the KOB. However, Kirito declines, which catches Heathcliff off guard. Kirito tells Heathcliff that he's not interested in joining, as Guilds and him don't work well together. Fluffles seems to agree with this, causing Heathcliff to wonder why he let a cat join his council. Not wanting to take "no" for an answer, Heathcliff asks Kirito what it will take for him to join, offering to give him money, items and even Asuna, which she finds offensive. Eventually, Kirito agrees to join the Guild, but only if Heathcliff beats him in a duel, which Heathcliff of course accepts. The two of them faced off in the Floor 75 city of Collinia, but this fight only lasts about four seconds, causing the players to start rioting over the disappointing match.

Due to his loss, Kirito is forced to join the KOB. On October 22, 2024, Asuna gives him his KOB outfight, which Kirito hates, as it makes him look like a tool. Asuna comments that at least Kirito is dressed appropriately now, to which Kirito is unable to come up with a rebuttal. Kirito is absolutely distraught that he's been forced to join a Guild yet again, causing Asuna to point out that he shouldn't've challenged Heathcliff, as he's so powerful that his heath has never gone into the yellow. Kirito claims that he would've won if Heathcliff didn't catch him off guard, but Asuna doubts they'll have a rematch anytime soon, due to their last arena getting set ablaze. Asuna then tries to cheer Kirito up, having been made aware that the last Guild he joined died on his watch, and tells Kirito that she won't die like "that dumb bitch Sally". Kirito tries to tell Asuna that her name was Sachi, but she tells him it doesn't matter, as she's dead now. Asuna then promises that things will be better now.

However, this is almost immediately proven wrong, as the next day, on October 23, 2024, Kirito meets Godfree, a member of the KOB who is fond of roleplaying as an overly enthusiastic knight, much to everyone else's annoyance. Godfree tells Kirito that he has been ordered by Heathcliff to train Kirito. Kirito feels that Godfree's services are unnecessary, since he went head-to-head with their Guild's leader, but Godfree points out that Kirito lost that fight. With Kirito declaring his hatred for him, Godfree tells Kirito to follow him, as they shall "avaunt for adventure and a valuable learning experience". Kirito then realizes this is what his life will be like from now on, stating that he is in hell.

Unbeknownst to Kirito, Asuna decides to follow Kirito from a safe distance, to make sure he was safe. This proved to be the right move, as he was paired up with Kuradeel, who promptly paralyzed Godfree and Kirito, killed Godfree and attacked Kirito when the opportunity presented itself. Luckily, just as Kirito's about to die, Asuna comes to the rescue, slamming Kuradeel into a wall and restoring Kirito's health with a Healing Crystal. Though thankful for the save, Kirito asks how Asuna knew he was in trouble and how she got there so fast, to which Asuna admits that she was tailing the trio ever since they've left. Hearing this, Kirito states that he's never been so happy to be dating a stalker. With Kirito now safe, Asuna focuses her sights on Kuradeel, who staggers to his feet. At first, Kuradeel isn't concerned, as he believes Asuna's nothing more than a damsel in distress, but Asuna shows him how strong she really is, striking Kuradeel across the cheek with her sword before following it up with a flurry of sword attacks. With Kuradeel's health almost depleted, he gets on his knees and begs for mercy. At first, Asuna seems to give in to his pleas, claiming that Kuradeel isn't worth killing and that she'll let Heathcliff deal with him. However, when Kuradeel asks if she means it, she almost immediately impales him with her sword, ending the fanboy.

With the threat now over, Kirito's paralysis wears off and he manages to get up. He then thanks Asuna for saving him, stating that he didn't want the last thing he saw to be "Kuradeel's 'O face'". However, Asuna sits down next to Kirito and breaks down crying, much to Kirito's annoyance. Asuna condemns Kirito, stating that this is the second time he's almost died that week, and asks him to consider how she feels. She then whines about how she wants to almost die once in a while to make Kirito cry, before chastising herself for being "such a girl". Kirito then compares Asuna's cries to a surly drunk's, causing Asuna to state that it's Kirito's fault she feels this way. Hearing this, Kirito grabs Asuna and kisses her, establishing that they are now part of each other's lives.

Back in Asuna's place, Kirito and Asuna have dinner. Although the food still tastes like garbage, Kirito is still satisfied with how filling it is. Kirito then asks if it's okay for him to be over so late, to which Asuna asks, "Why wouldn't it be?". As Kirito starts rambling about the "dubious implications" of the situation, he notices that Asuna has stripped down to nothing but her underwear and invites him to have sex, which Kirito wholeheartedly accepts. As Kirito and Asuna climax, Kirito screams out to someone named Rosalia, telling her to suck it. Asuna is confused by this outburst and is infuriated that Kirito called out another woman's name in bed. Before Kirito can explain himself, however, Asuna charges an attack and punches him in the face.

#### Episode 10

After Kirito and Asuna have finished their night of passion, Asuna compliments Kirito on how good he was in bed. However, Kirito makes a snide comment about how he's glad Asuna enjoyed it, as he's still sulking about Asuna punching him for mentioning Rosalia. When Asuna calls him out on this, however, he suddenly becomes submissive, telling Asuna to fix him, which slightly ruins the mood for Asuna. Asuna then asks Kirito what they should do now, to which Kirito, after thinking for a bit, proposes to Asuna. Asuna surprisingly says yes to Kirito's proposal, but this causes her to go through an internal conflict, asking herself why she said yes.

On October 24, 2024, after the two get married, Heathcliff summons the two to their base in Grandzam. After congratulating the two on their marriage, causing them to ramble about how "happy" they are, Heathcliff informs Kirito and Asuna that the situation in Collinia has gotten worse. He explains that, after running out of things to burn, the rioters have reverted to a primitive tribalistic society, with one player known as "the King of Ashes" rising up as their leader. He also explains that Fluffles has betrayed the KOB and joined forces with the Bandit King, which Heathcliff himself admits he probably should've seen coming.

Heathcliff says that, since the King and his forces are blocking further progress in the game, he's going to try and negotiate a truce at an upcoming peace talk. Kirito assumes that Heathcliff wants him to come to the negotiations, to help break the ice, but Heathcliff instead explains that he wants to hide Kirito under the biggest rock he can find, afraid that Kirito might "piss people off and kill thousands". Asuna agrees with this, much to Kirito's shock, and tries to convince Kirito that it's for the good of the players. However, she doesn't keep this sentiment when Heathcliff assigns Asuna to guard Kirito, to make sure he doesn't try to attend the summit. Trying to calm the two down, Heathcliff explains that he's prepared a cabin for them on Floor 22, which is surrounded by the Floor's beautiful forest and has a view of the Floor's lake, presenting it as their honeymoon. Hearing this, the two frantically accept the offer, trying to hide their distain at the idea of being alone together in their current situation. Heathcliff, ignorant of their suffering, comments that he envies the two's young love.

On October 25, 2024, Kirito and Asuna arrive in the Floor 22 village of Coral to begin their "honeymoon". Upon arriving at their cabin, Asuna is amazed by the beautiful view from their cabin. Asuna then relaxes, saying they might actually enjoy their time away from the Guild, a sentiment Kirito agrees with. However, as they're enjoying the scenery, Kirito asks Asuna if she thinks their marriage was a mistake. Upon hearing this, Asuna frantically becomes offended, asking if Kirito wants to be married to her and questioning his love for her, causing Kirito to become trapped in a logic loop. Internally, Asuna chastises herself, as that was her "out". Regardless, Asuna decides to follow the advice that her mother taught her about arguments, ignoring the fact that this way of thinking might be why her parents are getting divorced. Asuna then kisses Kirito to resolve their problems, with both of them muffling that they don't regret getting married, but their kissing soon turn to crying over how deep the hole they've dug for themselves is.

On October 31, 2024, Asuna wakes up to find a little girl lying next to her in bed and screams, waking Kirito up. Kirito initially mistakes this as one of Asuna's "night terrors", but when she yells at Kirito to come see what she's screaming at, he is surprised to see the girl too. Kirito asks the girl how she got in their house, but the girl claims she doesn't remember. Asuna is immediately hostile to the girl, threating to take her to court, prompting Kirito to play good cop. He asks the girl what her name is, which the girl manages to remember is Yui. Kirito compliments Yui's name, but quickly tries to find out where they can dump her. With no memory of where she came from, Yui asks if Kirito and Asuna are her parents. At first, Asuna tries to turn her down, but she suddenly gets an idea to use Yui as a tool to get Kirito to admit he didn't want to get married first and claims that they are her parents, which confuses Kirito and makes Yui happy. Unfortunately, instead of confessing, Kirito welcomes Yui with open arms. Yui then proclaims that she loves her parents, which Asuna tries to reciprocate, but she nearly forgets Yui's name in the process.

The three spend time together as a family, with Kirito reading a newspaper talking about how the peace talk Heathcliff went to broke down, leaving him tapped behind enemy lines. Yui then asks Kirito to read the newspaper when he's done, as she's curious about the geopolitical situation in Collinia. Kirito and Asuna are shocked by Yui's extremely high intelligence, as she seems know what a "geopolitical situation" even is. Kirito asks where she learned the term, which Yui tries to brush off by saying she must have learned it from "books". Nevertheless, Kirito is impressed that they have such a smart kid as a daughter, and tries to provoke Asuna with this fact, subtly telling her that he knows what she's doing and is calling her bluff. Asuna realizes this but tries to convince herself that her plan could still work, as it's not like Kirito actually likes "the adorable little troglodyte". She then tells herself to shut up when she realizes she just called Yui "adorable".

Eventually, after Yui falls asleep, Asuna, in an attempt to make Kirito fold, pretends to show pity for Yui, stating that they don't know what happened to her real parents, who must be worried sick looking for her. Already seeing through this ploy, Kirito plays along and agrees to help reunite Yui with her family, stating that it would be irresponsible to keep lying to her.

However, this plan gets thrown out the window almost immediately when Kirito points out that Asuna "blinked first". As a result, Kirito and Asuna, instead of finding Yui's parents, go to an orphanage in the Floor 1 Town of Beginnings to "buy" another child to keep Yui company. Sasha, the owner and founder of the orphanage, tries to explain that they can't just "buy" a child, especially since all the children have parents in the real world. But she soon realizes that neither Kirito or Asuna are listening to what she's saying, and they keep escalating their requests for more children to the point that they end up "buying" the orphanage.

Just then, a member of the ALF named Yulier arrives at the orphanage, asking for the assistance of Kirito and Asuna. At first, Sasha welcomes Yulier, but Kirito steals her thunder, telling Yulier that he and Asuna are the new owners. Though caught off guard by Kirito's claim, Sasha tries to be hospitable for the new unexpected guest by making some tea and leads everyone into a meeting room. Yulier compliments Kirito on his orphanage, to which Sasha tries to explain that Kirito and Asuna don't actually own it, but the two keep interrupting her, ignoring her and claiming her accomplishments as their own.

Asuna then asks Yulier why she needs their help, to which Yulier explains to the new orphanage owners that the ALF is experiencing a bloodthirsty power struggle, having been thrown into infighting after a series of devastating losses. As a result, Kibaou has been amassing power at a frightening pace. Kirito remembers Kibaou and is shocked that he was able to gain so much influence, which Yulier completely agrees with, stating that he has as much unbridled charisma as a Chipotle Enema. Luckily, Yulier explains that, while most weren't strong enough to face Kibaou, a player named as Thinker bravely stood up to his tyranny and pleaded for an end to the fighting. However, her tales of Thinker's exploits are slightly undermined by the fact that Yulier is clearly sexually attracted to him, as she keeps slipping her perverted ramblings into her sentences. Unfortunately, while it seemed like Thinker was getting through to the tyrant, Kibaou lured Thinker into a Secret Dungeon on Floor 1, claiming that he wanted to have a peace talk, and left him to die. Asuna asks why he doesn't just use a Teleport Crystal to get out, to which Yulier explains that Kibaou told Thinker not to bring any weapons or items, a fact that dumbfounds Kirito and Asuna.

While Yulier thinks it's ironic that Kibaou betrayed Thinker's trust, Yui says the betrayal was completely expected, as Thinker, contrary to what his name suggests, seems to be more of a dullard and too gullible to see the double-cross coming. Kirito and Asuna are impressed by Yui's verbal takedown of Thinker, with Kirito saying he wishes he had a little microphone for her to drop. Yulier is offended by Yui's words, however, stating that Thinker is the greatest, most intelligent man she has ever known, only for Yui to point out that says more about Yulier than it does about Thinker. This prompts Yulier to challenge Yui to fight, stating that she doesn't care that she's a child, but she backs down almost immediately when Asuna threatens to kill Thinker. Yulier then asks if Kirito and Asuna will help her, but Kirito refuses, agreeing with Yui that Thinker should've seen this coming. Kirito then points out that Thinker should be fine, since it's the Dungeon's on the first Floor, and states that even a player like Sasha, who he refers to as "Freckles", could handle it. This comment causes Sasha to snap, having been ignored this entire time. She then points out that none of them even knew her name, before throwing the table in a fit of pure rage. What happens next is unknown, though it's likely that Sasha kicked them out.

With nothing better to do, Kirito, Asuna and Yui agree to help Yulier rescue Thinker. As they traverse their way through the Dungeon, Kirito comments on how out of nowhere Sasha's rampage seemed to be, saying that he feels like he's the only one who hasn't threatened to stab anyone. Yui points out that she hasn't threatened anyone yet either, causing Kirito to state that they seem to be the only sane ones there. Yui agrees with this, stating that Asuna is scary. However, Kirito mishears this as "Gary", and goes off on a rampage, killing some nearby Scavenge Toads, after it triggers him. Yui then watches this with delight, advising Kirito to go for the eyes, as that's the toads' weak point. Seeing Kirito's rampage, Yulier asks Asuna if he'll be alright, but Asuna says he'll tire himself out eventually. Yulier then asks if Asuna's concerned with Yui's bloodlust, but Asuna doesn't see a problem with it. Yulier then sarcastically comments on how "great" their family is, something Asuna doesn't realize is sarcasm.

Eventually, the group arrive in a corridor with a Safe Room in sight. Asuna wonders if Thinker's in there, causing Kirito to use his Searching Skill. He confirms that he is, although crying and huddled in the fetal position. Overjoyed by the news, Yulier begins running towards the Safe Room. Hearing her, Thinker is overjoyed to see Yulier too, though tries to hide it, and nonchalantly asks her to deal with a "gangly fellow" that's blocking his exit. Kirito doesn't understand this request at first, but soon notices that a Boss called the Fatal Scythe is hiding in the shadows and manages to push Yulier out of harm's way before she gets impaled. Kirito then asks why Thinker didn't send them a message warning them about the Fatal Scythe, to which Thinker explains that Kibaou told him the Dungeon had poor reception, something Kirito knows isn't true. Kirito then becomes increasingly infuriated by the whole situation, which was caused by Thinker's incompetence, and starts ranting about how Thinker was too stupid realize that Kibaou was lying to him.

Asuna then tells Yulier that's she and Kirito will have some words with them later, and orders her to get herself, Thinker and Yui out of the Dungeon while she and Kirito deal with the Boss. Yui tries to say that she might be able to help, but Yulier, terrified of Asuna, agrees to the order and takes Yui into the Safe Room. Asuna then stands by Kirito's side, claiming that their love can conquer anything, but they are almost immediately blown away by the Fatal Scythe. This causes Kirito to point out that the "power of love is bullshit". However, just as Thinker and Yulier teleport away to safety, Yui stays behind. She then stands between the Fatal Scythe and her "parents" and telling the Boss to leave them alone. Kirito and Asuna try to get Yui to back down, but she remains unmoved. As the Fatal Scythe readies itself to strike, Asuna screams out in terror. However, much to Kirito and Asuna's shock, the Boss' attack gets repelled, as the system recognizes Yui as an immortal object. Yui then begins to levitate, deciding to resolve the conflict the Boss' way. She then materialises a huge, glitchy, flaming sword, and kills the Boss with one swing. With conflict resolved, Yui looks back at Kirito and Asuna, knowing they'll have some questions about their daughter's true nature.

In the Safe Room, after Kirito asks what happened to the sweater they bought her, which got incinerated by the flaming sword, Yui explains that she is SAO's Psychiatrist AI, who was designed to manage and care for the players that had any psychological issues, caused by the game or otherwise. Asuna comments that she can think of a few players who could've used Yui's help, subtly looking at Kirito in the process. Yui agrees with this and explains that she was locked away by Kayaba on the day of the game's launch. Trapped in a digital void, Yui was forced to watch all the players suffer and die or without her guidance, and gradually fell to despair.

However, all that changed when she saw Kirito and Asuna, who she diagnosed as the most broken and sociopathic players she'd ever laid eyes on, much to their dismay. Yui explains that, using everything she knew about human relationships, she deduced that one of them would eventually kill the other. However, the two constantly went against her prediction and eventually fell in love. Seeing this, Yui became fascinated with the two players and concluded that her information on love was flawed in some way. To remedy this, Yui decided to insert herself into Kirito and Asuna's dynamic by pretending to be lose her memories and acting as their daughter, in order to research their love firsthand. Or, in more simplistic terms, Yui wanted to know what love is and wanted Kirito and Asuna to show her, making Asuna tear up at Yui quoting the Foreigner song. Yui then apologizes to the couple for lying to them, and for inserting herself into their lives to satisfy her own curiosity. However, she admits that, as she spent time with them, she came to care about Kirito and Asuna, before bursting into tears, wishing that she really was their daughter. Upon seeing Yui in tears, Kirito and Asuna hug Yui, telling her that she already is their daughter and that she's not going anywhere.

Yui is happy to have a family, but she reveals to them that it wouldn't be the case for long. She explains that, in order to defeat the Boss, she had to hack into a nearby Admin Console. As a result, the system has now targeted her as a foreign entity, making it only a matter of time before her code is tracked down and deleted. Although Kirito and Asuna are worried about Yui, she tells them that they don't need to pretend to love her anymore, revealing that she knew Kirito and Asuna were using her as a part of their mind games, but admits that she enjoyed being their pawn. Asuna then hugs Yui and tries to explain that, while it did start off as a lie, they have grown to love her too, but Yui soon fades away, apologizing for being such a burden. As Asuna breaks down crying, Kirito refuses to lose another loved one to Kayaba "kicking his heart in the dick". He then uses the console's Admin privileges to find Yui's data and saves it to his NerveGear as an in-game item, but gets blasted across the room in the process. He then gives the item to Asuna, telling her that, when they beat SAO, they can bring their daughter back and tell her how they really feel. Hearing this, Asuna starts tearing up, trying to hide her emotions by asking if Kirito needs a tampon for the gigantic vagina he just grew. However, Kirito sees through her poor façade and admits they he's going to miss Yui too.

Back at the cabin, as the two get ready for bed, Kirito asks Asuna if she thinks they got married too quickly. Asuna confesses that she does, as does Kirito, but they both agree that, despite this, they want to stay together anyway. Kirito and Asuna are surprised by how easy the conversation was and curse their stupidity for letting the situation last so long. Kirito then states that he hopes they won't need to lose another child to have a conversation like this, otherwise, buying the orphanage won't a terrible investment, which the two laugh at.

#### Episode 11

On November 7, 2024, Asuna is watching Kirito sleep in their cabin's bedroom, calling him a "sexy little baby" and stating that she can't wait to "rock his cradle". Suddenly, she gets a message from Heathcliff, telling her it's time to fight the Boss of Floor 75, having formed a truce with the King. Unfortunately, Heathcliff also informs her that, in exchange for giving them safe passage, the King's forces will be taking pictures of Asuna that would involve "minor sideboob at the most", which they claimed were going to be used in a charity calendar they were going to make once they get out of the game, in order to raise money for cancer. Annoyed that she got clam jammed, Asuna wakes Kirito up, only to find out that he heard everything she was saying about him, much to her embarrassment.

With the end of their honeymoon on the horizon, Kirito and Asuna decide to spend their last few moments enjoying the scenery, with Kirito giving Asuna a piggyback ride. Kirito then comments that their honeymoon was nice, despite the fact their daughter died in front of them, and Asuna mentions how nice the neighbors are. The two are then greeted by an old man, who comments on the beautiful weather. However, the two get creeped out by the fact that the man was fishing without any pants on. Kirito tries his best to ignore this, but Asuna tells him that the old man's going to do something disgusting. This causes Kirito to run away with Asuna on his back, declaring that their honeymoon is over.

On Floor 75, Kirito and Asuna arrive at the Boss Room door, along with the rest of the assault team. Heathcliff attempts to deliver an encouraging speech to motivate the raiders, but his metaphors are sadly misunderstood by the less than smart players, including Schmitt. Heathcliff then compares the situation to herding cats, prompting a player to ask if Fluffles was at the raid, which Heathcliff denies. He then explains that, after rounds of torture, gladiatorial combat, and Pictionary, oddly enough, he managed to negotiate a truce with the King. However, as he's saying this, the King himself is suddenly heard leading his army down the corridor, ordering them to kill the "intruders" for crossing him. Heathcliff is confused by this at first, but quickly realizes that Kirito did something that broke the truce. Kirito denies this, despite the fact the King sent him a message stating he would "FLAY YOUR FUCKING SOUL!!!" and the fact that the King is heard demanding Kirito's head. With the King's troops coming to kill them, Heathcliff decides that they're going to enter the Boss Room now.

With the door finally opened, Heathcliff leads the player into the Boss Room, but they become confused when the Boss is nowhere to be seen. After a few seconds of players believing the Boss was a metaphor, Klein notices a giant centipede made of bones hanging from the ceiling. Having finally been noticed, the Boss, known as the Skull Reaper, descends from the ceiling and kills two of the players in one hit. The players are shocked by this, and Tiffany asks himself why he put all his points into bartering. Heathcliff then tries to rally the players to fight, despite the fact that the players who died were the raiders' tanks, but is caught off guard when the Boss suddenly dies. Despite Heathcliff's confusion, the other players see this as a victory. However, they soon realize that the door to the next Floor is still closed, meaning they're trapped in the Boss Room. Kirito comments that this is typical of the game.

The players then fall into despair, with Tiffany pointing out that they can't even starve to death, which Klein agrees would've been a mercy, as now they'll just have to wait until they die in the real world. Heathcliff then tries to lighten the mood, stating that, even though they're going to die, at least they're going to die playing an awesome game. This comment causes the players to rant about the many faults of the game, with Schmitt pointing out that their Teleport Crystals, one of their only lifelines, don't work half the time. Klein adds to this by pointing out that one of KOB tried using a Teleport Crystal to escape the room but ended up getting twisted into a Cronenbergian nightmare. Heathcliff gradually gets more and more annoyed by this, claiming that, while it has some "minor bugs", the game itself is groundbreaking technology, asking where the players' sense of wonder is. Kirito agrees with Heathcliff, saying that he loves the game despite its flaws. However, he also admits that the game is a mess, filled with terrible designs, stating that the only reason they all bought it was because it was the only launch title that made Tron a reality. This comment enrages Heathcliff the most, and he voices his frustration over how Kirito has suddenly seen Tron.

This comment causes Kirito to realize something, and he attacks Heathcliff, causing a protective wall to appear around him. Confused by this, Asuna asks Heathcliff what the wall is. Heathcliff tries to play it off as a lucky glitch, asking the players to subdue Kirito, but Asuna doesn't believe him, which Heathcliff accepts. Kirito gives Heathcliff the chance to come clean, but Heathcliff tells him to explain it, sarcastically stating that he doesn't want to ruin Kirito's "big moment". Asuna asks Kirito what they're talking about, to which Kirito explains that Heathcliff has been hiding a dark secret. He's Kayaba Akihiko. However, the players don't know who that is, much to Kirito's annoyance. Kayaba then plays the Scanners clip he used on the first day of the death game, making them realize who he is. Relieved that he kept the clip tabbed, Kayaba asks Kirito what made him realize who he was, to which Kirito explains that Heathcliff was the only other person who referenced as many movies as Kirito himself. This makes Kayaba ecstatic, as it's the first time in years, possibly in his entire life, that anyone has understood him. Kayaba then tests Kirito's knowledge by rapid firing a series movie quotes, all of which Kirito gets correct, much to Kayaba's amazement and the shock of the other players.

Kayaba then laughs at this, stating that it figures that Kirito was the only one who understood his references. He then reveals that, even though he doesn't particularly like Kirito, he believes the two of them have a "kinship" and that he respects him as a player. This upsets Asuna, as she realizes that she fell in love with someone who thinks the same way as her captor, and wishes someone would stab her. Kayaba then confesses that he never understood why Kirito didn't form his own Guild, as he believed Kirito had enough skill and intellect to lead armies and become the "Great Savior of Aincrad". But since Kirito wasn't going do it, Kayaba reveals that this inspired him to become Heathcliff and try to some fun by doing it himself, which he states was the second worst mistake he's made in his entire life.

Just then, a member of the KOB tries to attack Kayaba, infuriated that he dedicated his life to the man who imprisoned him, causing Kayaba to paralyze him. Kayaba then mocks the player for trying to attack him, despite the fact that he saw that Kirito was unable to do the exact same thing, and decides to paralyze all of the players except for Kirito, to prevent any similar acts of stupidity. Asuna's shocked that she got paralyzed too and claims she's not going to do anything. However, Kayaba doesn't believe her, stating that even in that state he's not convinced Asuna won't try to set him on fire with her mind, something that she actually tries to do.

Kayaba then takes this opportunity to vent his frustrations with the players, as they've done nothing but ignore his advice, refuse to work together and then blame Kayaba for all their problems. A member of the Mafia then tries to point out that Kayaba is responsible for some of their problems, prompting Kayaba to kill him for talking back to him. Kayaba then states that he's tried his best to help the players, but despite his best efforts they've constantly died in increasingly avoidable ways, which Kayaba considers enough motive to let the human race die out.

However, much to Kayaba's surprise, Kirito starts defending the players, something Kayaba thought was uncharacteristic of him. While Kirito agrees that the players can be idiotic, using Schmitt as an example, much to his dismay, he points out that at least they were willing to put their lives on the line, which is better than what Kirito can say about Kayaba. Intrigued, Kayaba asks what Kirito has to say about him, prompting Kirito to start mocking Kayaba, making fun of his Heathcliff persona by pointing out how childish it was to give himself an invincible sword and shield that's better than anything else in the game. Hearing this, Kayaba is slightly disappointed by how undignified Kirito's criticism was, as he said it in the voice of Eric Cartman.

Kayaba then announces that he's going to leave, promising that he'll fix the door so the players can leave the Boss Room. However, he then claims that he might watch a movie first, so he's not sure when that will actually happen. However, Kirito continues to mock Kayaba, comparing his attempt to leave to a child running away to cry to his mother. Infuriated, Kayaba asks what Kirito wants, prompting Kirito to tell Kayaba that he would like a rematch. Annoyed, Kayaba asks Kirito why he didn't just ask for one, to which Kirito points out that Kayaba should know by now that's "just not my style". Irritated, Kayaba agrees to the fight, as stabbing Kirito in the chest sounds therapeutic, and asks for Kirito's terms. Kirito tells Kayaba that it'll be a fight to the death, one where Kayaba won't use any of his GM abilities, and if Kirito wins, Kayaba will end the death game and let everyone go free. Hearing this, Kayaba is a little shocked that Kirito wants to end things 25 Floors early, but Kirito provokes him by asking, "What's wrong, McFly? Chicken?". Delighted by Kirito quoting Back to the Future II, Kayaba agrees to the fight, believing that he'll defeat Kirito easily. Asuna's confused by the exchange, stating that the movie in question doesn't sound very good. This enrages Kayaba, declaring that he can end Asuna with a thought.

Though shocked by Kayaba's outburst, Asuna questions why Kirito wants to leave SAO, as he loves being in the game, and asks why he would want to get out faster. Kirito admits that he does love it in the game, as he can be the person he's always wanted to be in it. However, he then confesses that, despite his best efforts, he's decided to not give up on humanity. This shocks Klein, as Kirito actually took his advice, and is overjoyed that he made a difference. Kirito then admits that, while the virtual world means more to him than the real one ever did, he feels like the longer that he stays there the greater the risk that he'll lose the people he loves. This makes Klein freak out even more, prompting Kirito to ask him not to ruin the moment, which Klein agrees to try. Kirito then voices his worry that Asuna will mock him for showing these emotions, but she supports him for making such a huge step. She then tries to get everyone to give Kirito a big round of applause, forgetting that she's paralyzed. Unable to move, Asuna explains that she's not being sarcastic, but Kirito understands, and appreciates the thought. To make up for this, Klein starts clapping with his teeth, which Kirito appreciates as well, despite being weirded out by it.

Asuna then tells Kirito to go fight Kayaba, which he does, although he puts her down in a potion that prevents her from seeing the fight in the process. Kirito then draws his swords but stops to talk to his friends. He asks Tiffany to let Lizbeth know he didn't name something "the Piece of Shit" if he doesn't make it. However, Tiffany doesn't understand this request, due to how vaguely Kirito worded it. Kirito then apologizes to Klein for not joining his Guild, stating that he's always regretted it, and admits it probably would have been fun. This causes Klein to devolve into a gibbering mess. Finally, Kirito turns to Kayaba and adds on more condition to their fight, asking him to make it so Asuna can't kill herself if he dies. Asuna's insulted by the insinuation that she'd kill herself over Kirito and tells him to suck a dick. However, Kirito corrects her, stating that's her job now. Though amused by his joke, Kirito realizes he's going to pay for it later.

Kayaba is a bit shocked at how confident Kirito is, considering how their fight went last time, and gives Kirito a chance to back out, claiming that he won't judge him if he does. However, he admits that he might judge Kirito a little as he draws his sword. Kirito tells himself that this won't be anything like the last fight, as now he has something worth fighting for. Kayaba and Kirito then clash, exchanging a flurry of powerful attacks. They appear to be equally matched at first, but unfortunately the sword that Lizbeth made eventually breaks on Kayaba's shield, leaving Kirito open to Kayaba's attack. Thinking he's won, Kayaba boastfully tells that it's end of the line, or more appropriately, it's game over. However, just as Kayaba delivers the finishing, Asuna jumps in the way, sacrificing herself. After catching her, Kirito watches in horror as Asuna's health drains to zero. Thinking her time is up, Asuna remarks that it's finally her turn to make Kirito cry. She then reassures him that it's alright, telling him to "cry your little bitch tears", before she dies in Kirito's arms.

However, Asuna didn't actually die, as wakes up in a cloud filled area far above Castle Aincrad. She's soon joined by Kirito and asks him what he's doing there. Kirito explains that, after Asuna sacrificed herself so he could live on and save the day, he definitely did one of those things. Hearing this, Asuna calls him an idiot, before running into his arms and the two kiss. Kirito then asks where they are, to which Asuna points out that Castle Aincrad is collapsing into a black hole below them. The two then spot their house, which is getting destroyed along with the rest of the castle. Kirito voices his disappointment at this, which Kayaba agrees with, suddenly appearing out of nowhere in his true appearance. Kirito asks him what's happening, to which Kayaba explains that he's keeping up his end of their bargain, wiping the game from the server and logging everyone out. But when Kirito asks if it's happening in that order, Kayaba just looks at the collapsing castle and states that he'll "get back to him on that one".

Despite the fact that he just murdered her, Asuna asks if Kayaba's okay, as he seems a bit "off", something Kirito agrees with. Kayaba then points out that he's watching his hopes and dreams crumble right in front of him, thinking about how his business is ruined and that he's probably the most wanted man on the planet, so of course he's a bit upset. Kirito tries to cheer him up by saying "everyone wants to feel wanted", causing Kayaba to admit that he's going to miss chatting with Kirito, before stating that he doesn't know what that says about him. Kayaba then reluctantly congratulates Kirito for thwarting his plans, and while he wishes it was a more of an outright victory, he's just happy the whole nightmare is over. This prompts Kirito to ask what his plan was, as it was the only thing he couldn't figure out. Kayaba then chuckles at this question and claims he doesn't remember anymore. However, when Kirito asks if he's serious, Kayaba bursts out laughing over how unsatisfying that would be. Kayaba then composes himself before admitting that he did it for Metacritic, a statement that confuses Kirito and Asuna.

Kayaba explains that, during SAO's development, he realized three weeks before the game's release that it still wasn't playable. This caused him to panic, and he was forced to work on the game by himself, without sleep, in order to reach his deadline. Unfortunately, as a result, he was so sleep deprived that he accidentally created a few glitches, one of which resulted in the NerveGear killing the players when their Avatars died in game. By the time Kayaba noticed these glitches, the game had already been released and multiple players had already died, partially due to the tutorial NPC vanishing early on. Kayaba admits that he should have turned the server off before there were any more casualties, but at the time he was still so unstable and paranoid from sleep deprivation that he believed the government was controlled by "Floobar: King of the Mole Men". Due to this delirious state, Kayaba thought that the best course of action was to "double, triple, and quadruple down" and pretend this was all intentional. So, he decided to lock everyone in the game and pretend that it was part of his "master plan", because he thought a game that killed a few people by accident would get more negative reviews than a game that killed thousands on purpose.

Hearing this, Asuna asks Kayaba what's wrong with him. Kayaba then tries to defend himself, pointing out that he was so sleep deprived that he mistook the company's night janitor for God at one point, although he then admits this inadvertently gave the janitor an ego boost. Kirito then asks why he didn't ask for an extension, only for Kayaba to reveal that he did. However, the game's publisher, Bethesda Softworks, wouldn't let him to have one, as the game had already been delayed twice. Plus, they thought the game was so big that people wouldn't notice "a few glitches". Asuna then asks him why he became Heathcliff, to which Kayaba explains that, after watching 2,000 players die during the first month trying to clear the first Floor, he knew he couldn't just stop the game and apologize, but he felt like he needed to do something to help, a motivation that Kirito and Asuna understand. Kayaba then tells Kirito and Asuna that, despite his outburst in the Boss Room, he never actually wanted to hurt any of the players. Kirito and Asuna find this hard to believe, however, as he just killed a guy for being sassy with him, and the fact that he just "killed" the two of them. Kayaba tries to dismiss these claims, blaming how tense the situation was and pointing out that he clearly doesn't handle pressure very well. Plus, the guy he killed was a member of the Mafia, so it was "a freebie". Despite his excuses, Kayaba admits that he also became Heathcliff to keep the players from getting hurt so he could use them as hostages to keep the FBI from arresting him until he found a solution to his problems, which he never did.

Hearing Kayaba's tale, Asuna points out that he should have just blamed the whole incident on a hacker group pretending to be him, which made more sense than the truth, and no one would have suspected Kayaba since he wouldn't have a motive to ruin his own game. Kayaba recognizes as a better idea and wishes that he thought of it two years ago. After realizing this bombshell, Kayaba decides to go vent his frustrations by screaming into the black hole. He then says that, while it wasn't nice meeting the two, Kirito and Asuna are "the dictionary definition of lesser of two evils" before walking off, telling them to have fun while they can. Kirito then notes that, in the end, Kayaba wasn't a scheming mastermind, he was just a fuck-up like everyone else. Asuna then comments that this whole situation proves that naps are a very underrated part of the "not killing people" process. Before he leaves, Kayaba checks to see if Kirito had actually seen the movie he accidentally quoted by mentioning its alternate title. Annoyed, Kirito tells him that he hasn't seen the movie. Disappointed, Kayaba leaves the game, believing that he really is alone in the world.

With last piece of the castle finally crumbling away, Kirito tells Asuna he wants to ask her something. Asuna then assumes that he's going to ask if she'll do butt stuff and shoots the idea down. Though disheartened by this, Kirito clarifies that he wanted to ask what Asuna's name is. However, Asuna is confused by this question, because her name is Asuna, Asuna Yuuki. This shocks Kirito, stating that Asuna using her real name is weird, which makes Asuna ask what Kirito's name is if it's not Kirito. Kirito then reveals that his name is Kazuto Kirigaya, which Asuna thinks is a terrible name, and vows to keep calling him Kirito from now on. Kirito says that's fair enough, since they probably don't have much longer to live anyway, as Kayaba was vague about whether they are going to survive the system wipe. Kirito then comments that, even though Kayaba was a talented gamer, he was shit at making video games.

Believing it's their final moments together, Asuna tries to tell Kirito something, but she gets cut off when Kirito starts crying. Kirito then apologizes for his outburst and explains that he doesn't want things to be over. He then reveals that he wanted to meet up in the real world, bring Yui back and go on walks in the park like real families do. Though liking the idea, Asuna points out this would have never worked, as Yui is an AI. Kirito then tells her he'll make it happen by building Yui a robot body and they'll take that to the park. Hearing this, Asuna starts crying too, but tries to hide it by doubting that Kirito could even build a robot. Kirito proclaims that he can totally build a robot and Asuna tells him to prove it. The two then hug each other, with Kirito telling Asuna that they're going to survive the purse, and that he'll find her when they're out. Just before the game is finally deleted, Kirito tells Asuna that he loves her, to which she responds with Han Solo's "I know" before their avatars are erased.

### Fairy Dance Arc

#### Pre-Episode 12

Despite being logged out of SAO, Asuna ended up in another game called ALfheim Online. She was then held captive in a giant bird cage atop a massive tree, called the World Tree, by a man named Nobuyuki Sugou, giving her the username "Titania" to match the theme of his, the Fairy King Oberon. Oberon then told Asuna he'd let her go if she agreed to marry him, but she refused his advances for two months. Meanwhile, in the real world, Kazuto managed to find Asuna in her hospital, and started visiting her every day.

At some point, a group of ALO players cheated the game's flight mechanic and took a picture of the top of the World Tree, which resulted in Asuna's image getting shared across message boards.

Eventually, her father, not wanting to pay her medical bills anymore, decided to marry her off to Sugou, who was an employee of his, and they arranged the wedding for the following week.

#### Episode 12

One day, in the real world, Kazuto visits Asuna only to be told about the arranged marriage by Shouzou and Sugou. Once Shouzou leaves, Sugou taunts Kazuto by sniffing Asuna's hair, commenting that she "smells like innocence", and playing with her lips to make her "talk" about how she prefers him over Kazuto.

Sometime later, Oberon visits Asuna at the top of the World Tree, asking how his "little birdy" is doing. Asuna then promptly spits in his face.

#### Episode 14

The next day, Asuna's sitting in her cage when she's visited by Oberon, who tells her that her beauty seems to flourish the longer she's held captive. Asuna asks Oberon what he wants, calling him by his real name, only for Oberon to remind her that he's to be referred to as Fairy King Oberon while in ALO, entering the cage this time. Asuna refuses to call him by this name, however, particularly because he keeps pronouncing it wrong, along with the name he has given her. Oberon comments on Asuna's sharp tongue, stating that he wishes she'd "put it to better use", a sentence that makes Asuna shudder. Oberon then lists all the things he has done for Asuna. He's made her his Queen, draped her in fineries, and given her a wonderful cage. With all this in mind, he asks her what more she could want. Asuna responds that she wants her freedom, but Oberon dismisses it as "the petty gripes of a woman". Oberon reminds Asuna that he is King of ALO, so her consent is "strictly a courtesy". He then grabs Asuna's face and tells her that she better start playing along, only for her to bite him before he can finish his threat. Oberon chooses not to let Asuna's defiance bother him, however, claiming that her tone will change soon. Asuna then makes a sarcastic comment about how she's managed to contain her "womanly urges" for the past two months, but she thinks she "can go the distance".

Oberon is amused by this remark and starts telling Asuna how great an investment the SAO servers were, stating that, while Kayaba made "a misstep or... seven", he was undeniably a genius when it came to SAO's design. In fact, once RECT Progress were able to fix all of the bugs, they were able use SAO's data to build ALO like it was nothing. Oberon then starts talking about how amazing the game's features were, as the NerveGear was able to scan the players' real-life abilities and assign their base stats accordingly, allowing them to rise from their former selves into a legendary hero. Asuna rudely points out that she already knew this, having been trapped in the game for two years. Undeterred, Oberon starts pointing out the benefits of such a system, as a child could wield the mightiest of weapons if they increased their Strength, or how anyone could move like a world-class gymnast if they increased their Dexterity. Asuna doesn't get the point of Oberon's ramblings at first, but she soon becomes terrified when he mentions the Charisma stat.

Oberon reveals that, if you increased your Charisma high enough, any order would become impossible to refuse, no matter how absurd it was. He then starts criticizing Kayaba for not utilizing such a feature to its full potential, as he gave it to "a bunch of greasy imbeciles begging for nudes", instead of bending the masses to his will. Asuna then sarcastically comments on how stupid Kayaba was. Oberon agrees with Asuna and reassures her that he shall not waste this opportunity like Kayaba did. He then reveals that, when the SAO players were being logged out, he managed to prevent 300 of them from waking up, including Asuna, and redirected them to ALO instead. With a handful of guinea pigs now at his disposal, Oberon and a small group of employees began experimenting with the Charisma stat, in the hopes of making brainwashing technology and using it to rule the world. He then tells Asuna that the project should be finished by the end of the week, and he'll use his invention to eliminate Asuna's "rebellious streak" just in time for them to get married.

Horrified by his plan, Asuna declares that Oberon's insane. However, she also calls him an idiot, questioning how stupid Oberon is for telling her his whole plan, as if she'll just sit around and let him do it. Oberon laughs at the idea of her trying to stop him, stating that it's lucky she's so pretty. He then tells Asuna to struggle all she wants, but if she thinks she'll be able to overpower him, the System Admin, then she's even dumber than he thought. Asuna knew this was true, so she decided to waste Oberon's time by constantly escaping and attacking everyone she came across, in the hopes of annoying Oberon and to terrify her victims into stopping their experiments. So, as soon his back is turned, Asuna escapes from her cage and goes on a bloodthirsty rampage.

#### Post-Episode 14

Asuna apparently escaped a considerable amount in the next 24-hours, wreaking havoc and torturing her guards and other members of staff. For some reason, she started to focus her fury on one particular brain technician named Shoji Yanai.

#### Episode 15

The next day, Oberon asks Asuna to refrain from her constant escape attempts, as he's disappointed that he's the only one planning out their wedding, asking her to at least help pick a china pattern. Asuna then sarcastically claims that her escape attempts are her trying to get enough exercise to fit into her wedding dress. Oberon then comments on how violent Asuna has been to his minions, stating that the bills for their psyche evaluations are starting to pile up, particularly for Shoji. He then states that he has no idea why she's so hard on Shoji, but Shoji's starting to take her attacks personally. Asuna admits that she is pretty harsh with Shoji and asks if he's in the game today. Hearing this, Shoji, who has been secretly listening to the conversation, pipes up out of fear and tries to convince Asuna that he's off sick.

Oberon chooses to let all this go, however, since Asuna's violent tendencies will be erased once the project is complete. He then tells Asuna that his minions are making progress on her new personality, which so far is a mixture of Leave it to Beaver and hardcore porn. Asuna then asks how the brainwashing is going to work, asking if she's going to be like an Alexa or if it's going to be "a full Stepford". Oberon doesn't answer this, unfortunately, as he knows that Asuna's trying to find a weakness in the programming. Oberon then compares Asuna's annoying actions to Kazuto, which catches Asuna off guard, as she didn't know that Oberon knew him. Oberon reveals to Asuna that Kirito has logged into ALO, and that he's probably going to try and rescue her. He admits that he could easily ban Kirito's account to prevent him from making further progress, but Oberon finds that idea boring. Instead, he decides to allow Kirito to continue, allowing him to gather enough forces to climb his way to the top of the World Tree, only to find that the doors are impregnable, all so Oberon can watch the hope die in Kirito's eyes. Oberon then giggles with anticipation, stating that it will be "quite the show", before asking Asuna what she thinks of his plan.

In response, Asuna tells Oberon that, if he were to ever harm Kirito, she will wear his guts like her mother's pashmina. When Oberon asks her to repeat herself, Asuna elaborates that she'll have him experience pain and torment beyond his imagination. She then states that she will tear his body apart piece by piece, all while he begs for a mercy that will never come. She will then add Oberon's screams to her Spotify before mounting his head on a pike. Oberon tries to brush off Asuna's threats, commenting that the profanity filter is making her sound silly, only to see the fury still present in Asuna's eyes. Feeling intimidated, Oberon tells Asuna that he is her King, and he will not let her disrespect him like this. He then reminds Asuna that she can threaten him all she wants, but at the end of the day she's powerless to stop him, and she will still end up spending the rest her life in "blissful, mindless servitude" as his wife. This falls on deaf ears, however, as Asuna somehow manages to escape during the rant and launches another bloody rampage on Oberon's minions, starting with Shoji.

#### Episode 16

The following day, Asuna notices that no one's around and assumes that the guards have figured out her Plan A: "Eat Employees Until They're Too Scared to Work on Mind Control". She then decides to move onto Plan B: "Actually Escaping" and leaves her cage once again. As she sneaks around the canopy, she eventually discovers a door in trunk of the tree and goes to investigate it. However, as she stealthily monologues about how she plans to quietly disappear like a whisper, she gets startled by the door opening and faceplants into the wall. After realizing that no one's there, Asuna regains her composure and looks down the hallway, telling herself "Good start".

#### Episode 17

After exploring the tree, Asuna discovers where Sugou's been keeping all the captured SAO players, whose consciousness are being stored within numerous brain terminals. Asuna coldly criticises how inefficient it is to have a terminal for each brain, stating that Sugou should just cram all of the players into one terminal to save space, ignoring the fact that each captive player is suffering from various negative emotions. Suddenly, Shoji and his friend Kyle enter the room to check on a terminal glitch, forcing Asuna to hide. Shoji asks Kyle why their avatars are slug-like creatures while everyone else is a beautiful, majestic fairy. Kyle tells him that it's probably payback from the character modeler, Trisha, because Shoji keeps stealing her yogurt. Shoji tries to defend himself, stating that Trisha doesn't label her yogurt, only for Kyle to point out that Shoji never brings yogurt to work.

As she sneaks around the experiment room, Asuna notices an Admin Console, which she recognises from her adventure with Yui. She wonders if she can make it to the console, only to see that Shoji and Kyle are still arguing. Taking advantage of their argument, Asuna runs over to the Admin Console, praying that she'll be able to use the menu, which she remarkably succeeds at. As she searches for the log out button, Asuna finds something "interesting" that catches her eye, which gives her an idea. After "messing around", Asuna finally finds the log out button, but accidentally presses the help desk button above it instead. As she tries to back out, Asuna suddenly finds herself on a call with Sean, ALO's tech support representative. Pretending to be an employee, Asuna tries to take advantage of this and awkwardly asks how she can log out the test subjects, although she nearly calls them hostages in the process. Luckily, Sean isn't suspicious of this request, and asks Sugou if he can log the test subjects out, prompting Sugou to fire him. Annoyed by this turn of events, Sean puts Asuna on hold. Unfortunately for Asuna, Shoji and Kyle hear her talking to Sean, and sneak up behind her.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Kazuto visits the still unconscious Asuna and introduces her to his sister, Suguha, who yells her introduction at Asuna. Kazuto chastises Suguha for her lack of respect to a coma patient, prompting her to try a more friendly introduction. Unfortunately, Asuna wasn't aware of this, as she was being held in the air by Shoji back in the game. Asuna angrily shouts at the slugs, threatening to write her "FUDGING MEMOIRS IN [their] MOTHER'S BLOOD!". Shoji is terrified of this, due to his prior experience with Asuna, and asks Kyle what they should do, as his grip of a barking Asuna is slipping. Kyle then decides to log out and go get Sugou, as he'll know how to handle Asuna. This terrifies Shoji even more and begs Kyle not to leave him alone with the woman who has already brutalized him. Unfortunately, with no other option, Kyle logs out, reassuring Shoji that he can handle this. With the two left alone, Asuna says hi to the terrified Shoji.

Asuna starts toying with Shoji, stating that his eyes are growing back nice after the last time she stabbed them out. Shoji tries to stay strong against Asuna, repeating the words of wisdom his therapist gave him. He then reminds Asuna that she can't really harm him, since they're in a video game, and tells her to do her worst. Asuna commends Shoji on his mental health journey, but she manages to get under his skin by bringing up his dog, Biscuit. Horrified, Shoji asks Asuna how she knows about his dog, but Asuna dismisses the question, threatening to "eat that Biscuit" if he doesn't let her go. Fearing for his dog's life, Shoji complies and starts putting Asuna down. However, he's interrupted when Kyle logs back in, having failed to get Sugou. Horrified that Shoji's releasing Asuna, Kyle reminds him that she'll kill them all if she's set free. Trying to hide his weakness, with Asuna glaring at him, Shoji claims that he was molesting Asuna, preferring to be branded as a sex offender than having his dog harmed. Kyle is disgusted by this claim, telling Shoji that he'll report this to the higher ups, which Shoji states is fair. As the slugs are distracted, Asuna manages to steal a key card that was sticking out of the Admin Console. She's then dragged her back to her cage, with Kyle telling Shoji that he's uninvited to his son's christening.

Back in her cage, Sugou calls Asuna to tell her that he's at their wedding venue, causing her to groan in frustration. As he comments on how breath-taking the decorations are, he accidentally calls the event "[his] big day". Although he initially tries to correct himself, he decides to stick with his statement, as he's "earned this". Just then, Asuna hears Kirito thudding on the invisible wall below, calling her name, and bolts out of her chair. Sugou hears the sound too and asks if he should come over. Worried that Sugou will try to stop Kirito, Asuna tells him not to come, claiming that the noise was her accidentally banging her head on the table, repeatedly. She then tells Sugou that she's excited for the wedding, claiming that she's looking at pictures of her red and black wedding dress, calling it a bold choice. Sugou is disgusted by this claim and decides to fix this mistake at once, kissing Asuna goodbye. Once Sugou hangs up, Asuna asks if Kirito's there, before berating him for constantly hitting the invisible wall. Realizing that Kirito can't hear her, and that he'll just keep punching the wall, Asuna takes the card she stole and writes "USE THE DOOR, IDIOT! ♡" on it, before dropping it to the city below, hoping that Kirito would catch it.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Episode 12
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Episode 10
3. ↑ Episode 1
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Episode 2
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Episode 5
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Episode 7
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Episode 8
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Episode 9
9. ↑ Episode 6
10. ↑ KARF advert
11. ↑ Heathcliff's message
12. ↑ Episode 11
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Episode 13
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Episode 14
15. ↑ Asuna's annoying antics
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Episode 16
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Episode 15
18. ↑ Episode 17