Episode 16

## Video

This is the fifth episode of the Fairy Dance Arc, and the sixteenth episode of Sword Art Online Abridged overall.

## Plot

Continuing their journey, Kirito and Leafa make their way through Kandy Kane Kavern. After wandering for hours, Kirito starts complaining about their journey, asking how kids don't get lost in the cave. The two then hear a scared little child somewhere deep within the cave. Kirito asks if they should help the child, but Leafa tells him that the voice was coming from the Hall of History, so the child is "basically already dead". The child then triggers the Animatronic Gandalf, the Hall of History's NPC that teaches children dodgy history facts. The Animatronic Gandalf asks a question about the moon landing, which the child gets "wrong", as the moon landing was a communist conspiracy to lull America into a false sense of superiority, so they'd be underprepared for Russia's army of psychic super bears. The child is then mauled to death by these bears as punishment. Shocked by this, Kirito voices his disdain for ALfheim Online's curriculum.

Sometime later, Kirito voices his disbelief that they left the child behind. Leafa tells him they had no choice, and that it was the child's fault for not knowing "basic history" anyway. Kirito's shocked that Leafa believes the Animatronic Gandalf, but tells himself not to pursue the topic any further, as it will only make things worse. With the matter settled, Leafa tells Kirito to focus on more important things, like his "totally real wife". Annoyed, Kirito tells Leafa to stop saying things like that, as he gets enough of that at home, and the less he thinks about that the better. Leafa's caught off guard by this statement and decides to ask Kirito about his struggles at home, taking advantage of the fact that he doesn't know who she is. Kirito then vents to Leafa about how his parents are never around and expresses his discomfort with his sister always making fun of him for not being as successful as her. He then complains about how she's always telling him that his hobbies will lead to him dying alone and unloved, slowly consumed by a legion of cats. Shocked by her brother's opinion of her, Leafa tells Kirito that his sister's probably lashing out, stemming from Kirito hurting her at some point. Kirito denies this possibility, however, stating that he didn't do anything. This upsets Leafa, who asks if Kirito ever considered that was the problem, a question that confuses him.

Before Kirito can pursue this, however, Yui pops out of his pocket and alerts the duo that she detects twelve players approaching from behind them. Leafa then spots a bat named Squeaker and realizes that the Salamanders have been tracking them. She casts Wind Needles and fatally wounds the bat before telling Kirito to run. Kirito's shocked by this, as the bat called out to its master before getting attacked, but Leafa shrugs it off, claiming that the Salamanders deliberately boost the affection levels of their pets to make them more willing to go on suicide missions, a statement that horrifies Kirito. However, unbeknownst to Kirito and Leafa, the Salamanders actually care a great deal about their pets, and Squeaker's master is cradling him as he's dying. Squeaker asks his master if he did a good job, to which he assures Squeaker that he in fact did a great job. Squeaker then dies satisfied and his master lets out a mournful cry.

The duo then reaches the capital of Kandy Kane Kavern, Kandy Kane Kapital. Kirito voices his shock at how lazy the place's name is which causes a stone wall to rise up and block the entrance. Kirito tries to break the wall but is deflected back and crashes to the ground. Leafa explains that Kirito accidently locked them out, as punishment for spelling the places name wrong, and now they'll have to wait for the lock to reset. This confuses Kirito, since he said the name out loud, but Leafa tells him that the game detected that he spelled it with C's instead of K's. This annoys Kirito because that how you're supposed to spell those words. Leafa then tells him they don't have time to argue, since the Salamanders are almost there. As the enemies approach them, Kirito asks Leafa why the Salamanders want her dead, only to discover that she doesn't know, having not paid attention to the roleplayers' boring politics. With no choice but to face the Salamanders head on, Kirito asks Leafa to shield him while he attacks. This gives Leafa an idea and agrees to help, but when the time comes, she ignores his increasingly frantic requests to shield him and lets him get hit by the Salamanders' Fireballs. She then plays dumb, claiming that she wasn't sure on when to shield him. This annoys Kirito and he yells at her to shield him when he asks her to. Irritated by Kirito's attitude, Leafa restores his health and he charges back into battle.

As Leafa watches on, Yui tells her that she's found something in the game's code that can help Kirito, but she needs Leafa's help to do it. Leafa refuses, however, as she sees Kirito struggling against the Salamanders as a perfect opportunity to watch him suffer. As she says this, Kirito begs the Salamanders to let him save Asuna, as he's nothing without her, but the Salamanders think he's just roleplaying, which Leafa finds hilarious. Yui then pleads with Leafa, stating that Kirito will be vulnerable while she initiates the code, and ask Leafa to put everything she has into protecting him. Leafa's hesitant to help, but Yui tells that, while she knows their bond as siblings is strained, nothing will change unless one of them takes the first step. Leafa asks why she has to be the one to do it, blaming her brother for ruining her life, but Yui tells her that she's the only one who can make things right in this moment. She then asks Leafa to assistance once more, calling her "Auntie Sugu" for good measure, which Leafa thinks is cheating.

Finally giving into Yui's plea, Leafa casts Butterfly Shield, shielding the exhausted Kirito just as the Salamanders launch a more powerful version of their Fireball spell. With Kirito now safe, Yui hacks into the system and turns Kirito into the Gleam Eyes, a feat that impresses Leafa. Kirito then loses control of himself, roaring the Salamanders before charging at them. The Salamanders are completely caught off guard by this turn of events, but their commander tries to reassure his men, stating that Kirito was just using Illusion Magic and couldn't actually hurt them. However, he is almost immediately proven wrong when Kirito picks up two Salamanders, eating one of them and slamming the other into the ground. The Salamander commander then admits his mistake and tells his men to retreat, but Kirito pursues them and starts mercilessly slaughtering the army. Since Kirito no longer needs any assistance, Leafa asks Yui if she can log out to take a shower. Yui agrees to this, stating that if a Salamander tries to attack her, she will "subject them to a world of unimaginable pain and/or terror", which Leafa appreciates.

Back in the real world, Suguha wakes up to find that her phone is blinking. She checks it and becomes furious to discover that Shinichi has tried to call her ninety-six times. Just then, Shinichi calls her yet again, which Suguha answer rather annoyed. Having finally gotten into contact with her, Shinichi starts panicking about things being bad and says he doesn't know where to start. Suguha then tells Shinichi to take a deep breath and "pour that tea", which he literally does. Having finally calmed down, Shinichi reveals to Suguha that her false suspicion of Cazmer being up to something was actually correct. This shocks Suguha, making Shinichi realize that she just wanted to get rid of him. Suguha tries to brush this aside, however, telling Shinichi to focus on the good job he did, instead of what she "may or may not have done".

Regardless, Shinichi tells to Suguha that, true to his word, he followed Cazmer and his bodyguards with the help of his Hollow Body spell. After a while, he saw them wander into the sewers with invisibility cloaks on. This delighted the bodyguards, and they started loudly humming the Harry Potter theme, much to Cazmer's annoyance. Suguha reminds Shinichi that just because they don't want to be seen doesn't necessarily imply that Cazmer's doing anything shameful or illegal, as the sewers was one of their rendezvous spots. Shinichi then elaborates that, as he followed Cazmer and his bodyguards into the sewers, he saw them meet up with DeezGunz and Keith, who Cazmer berated for failing to kill Princess Leafa like he ordered them to. The Salamanders tried to explain that they were fought off by a very powerful Spriggan, but Cazmer couldn't understand what they were talking about due to their southern dialect.

Despite being annoyed with their failure, Cazmer resigned his frustrations and told the two that Leafa's death will no longer be necessary, informing them that the Sylph Queen will be in Butterfly Valley to sign a peace treaty with the Cait Sith. He then told the two to let their King know that, if his army hurries, they can hunt a few Cait Sith as bonus if he wishes. DeezGunz told Cazmer that he wishes he told them sooner, as they just sent thirty Salamanders to kill Leafa. Just as he said that, a Salamander named RamRod called DeezGunz to inform him that, not only are they about to enter the tunnel, but Squeaker's wife just had her babies. He then told DeezGunz not to tell Squeaker, as they want to surprise him after the mission. Unfortunately, while listening into this conversation, Recon's defected NerveGear short circuited again, causing him to scream in terror. With his cover blown, Recon was shot with several poisoned arrows, leaving his avatar paralyzed, face down in the sewer with a few dollops of mayo thrown onto his butt.

Hearing this, Suguha doesn't see the problem with the Salamanders invading the peace conference, as she's glad that this means they'll stop hunting her now. Shinichi tries to tell Suguha that the Salamanders ruining the treaty will result in them pillaging Sylph lands, but she doesn't care, stating that, as a Princess, she'll "bounce back". She then considers starting her own country, where all the guys will wear thongs and all the fat people will be banished. Shinichi then wonders who told Cazmer about the peace conference's location, as that was top secret information, stating that Sakuya will want the culprit's head on a pike. This makes Suguha realizes that she was the one that told Cazmer, and begins worrying what will happen to her once Sakuya finds out. Back in ALO, Leafa tells Kirito to run, who is back to his normal self, but has no memory of his actions during his transformation. Leafa gives Kirito the rundown of the situation, while still trying to dodge the responsibility for her actions, despite Kirito reminding her of it. Despite this explanation, Kirito remains confused about the situation, stating that he was kind of curious to see Kandy Kane Kapital. Leafa remarks that Kirito did see it, but he's no longer allowed back since he burned it to the ground during his demon rampage.

As they fly Butterfly Valley, Kirito asks Leafa how she plans to fix this mess. Leafa then comes up with a plan to warn the Sylph and Cait Sith armies about the attack, so they can ambush the Salamanders when they arrive, only for Yui to reveal that the Salamanders have already arrived at the peace conference, much to Leafa's dismay. Kirito then taunts Leafa for having her "carefully laid plans" brought to ruin by the cruel hand of time, prompting Leafa to ask him what he thinks they should do. Kirito proposes they should just talk to the Salamanders, since they're going to a peace conference. Leafa states that Kirito's plan might work, but reminds him that the players are committed roleplayers, meaning, in order for them to listen, Kirito will have to engage in the roleplaying too. At first, Kirito refuses, but Leafa reminds him that he probably doesn't have long before Asuna starts developing Stockholm syndrome. Kirito reluctantly decides to endure it for Asuna's sake, exclaiming, "The things we do for love".

At the peace conference, the Salamanders surround the Sylphs and the Cait Sith. Afraid of what's going to happen, the leader of the Cait Sith, Princess Hime Kuronekodesuchan, asks Sakuya what they should do. Sakuya reassures Hime, stating that all they need to do is remain calm and talk to the Salamanders, before commanding the Salamanders to leave. They refuse, however, much to Sakuya's dismay. She then orders a Sylph to fly up and kill the Salamanders, but they get shot out of the sky before they can reach the enemies. Out of ideas, Sakuya states that she and the Cait Sith are willing hear the terms of the Salamanders' surrender.

Luckily, the attack is interrupted by Kirito, who crash lands between the two opposing factions, shocking everyone there, including Leafa, who lands safely. Doing his best to roleplay, Kirito introduces himself as the Viscount of the Spriggan Ziggurat, despite the Salamanders pointing out that his gamer tag says otherwise. Kirito then claims that he is there to speak on the behalf of his people, only for the Salamanders inform him that they killed all of the Spriggans. Caught off guard by this revelation, Kirito, with the help of Leafa, comes up with a story where he was adopted by the Undine, who sent him to join the Sylph/Cait Sith alliance. Sakuya is disgust by this claim, stating that she always knew there was something "off" about the Undine, to which Leafa tells her to "read the room". Ignoring Sakuya's response, Kirito tells the Salamanders that, if they attack the peace conference, they will be at war with the Sylphs, the Cait Sith, the Undine, and the Spriggans to a much lesser degree.

Hearing this, the Salamander King emerges and tells Kirito that his army will take their chances, remarking that the alliance will most likely eat each other within a week. Sakuya is offended by this, stating that, while the Cait Sith may be delicious, they are a "powerful and succulent ally", a statement that visibly shocks Hime. Despite the evidence stacking up against him, Kirito still refuses to back down, stating that the alliance forming in such unlikely circumstances only shows the strength of their resolve. However, this declaration is somewhat ruined when Kirito takes the opportunity to break character and ask the King if they ate the Spriggans. The King ignores Kirito's question, however, and offers to settle their feud one on one, "dingle to dingle", wanting to end the conflict quickly so they don't miss Squeaker's baby shower. One of the Salamanders tries to tell the King that Squeaker died, but the King tells him save it for after he defeats the Spriggan, believing it will make his victory "all the sweeter". Although confused by the King's confidence, Kirito agrees to take the King up on his gentlemanly offer. The King then boasts to Sakuya about being called a gentleman, who responds in disgust, revealing that the King's name is Eugene, a fact that confuses Kirito.

With Kirito off guard, Eugene takes this opportunity to reflect the sunlight off his sword, blinding Kirito. He then launches his attack, which Kirito attempts to block, but Eugene's sword passes through Kirito's and sends the latter face first into a cliff. Confused, Leafa asks what happened, to which Hime explains that Eugene's sword can pass through anything that tries to block it. However, due to the Cait Sith's habit of mixing cat puns and Japanese words into their sentences, Leafa couldn't understand any of her explanation and asks her to refrain from speaking like that. Kirito then charges back into the fight, to which Eugene calls Kirito a typical Spriggan, voicing his disdain for their habit of always butting into people's business. Irritated by this, Kirito asks Eugene why the players hate Spriggans so much in this game. Eugene states that the answer should already be clear, since Kirito's using a variation of the name of ALO's great betrayer: Kirito Prime. Overwhelmed by this revelation, and due to Eugene having the upper hand, Kirito states that he "needs a minute" and casts Smokescreen, covering Butterfly Valley in a thick cloud of smoke. He then takes this opportunity to steal something from Leafa. Annoyed by Kirito's antiques, Eugene swipes the smoke away, only to find that Kirito has vanished. Hime and Cait Sith voice their amazement at this with more cat puns and broken Japanese, to which Leafa threatens to eat them if they don't stop.

Kirito then calls out to Eugene, who looks up and gets blinded by the sun, just managing to see that Kirito's above him, flying down directly in the sun's light. Eugene is offended that Kirito would dare steal the former's tactics and goes to attack him. However, just as he swipes through Kirito's sword and is about to slash his throat, Kirito reveals that he stole Leafa's sword and uses it to block Eugene's attack. He then parries Euguene, stating that stealing the King's tactic is "just what [my] character would do". With the tables turned, and two swords in hand, Kirito begins slashing away at Eugene, ranting about how every time he tries to do the right thing it only causes him to lose the things he loves. Euguene tries to retaliate, but Kirito dodges his attack and stabs him in stomach. He then states that, to top off everything he's been dealing with, he's now learned that the players of ALO have somehow found a way to ruin his name. Kirito then deals the finishing blow, causing Eugene to burst into flames, wondering what Kirito meant by his last remark. The rest of the players look on in awe, as one Salamander asks why Eugene exploded.

With the fight over, Sakuya revives Eugene, who remarks how unusually civil this is of her. Sakuya clarifies that she only revived him to prevent the Salamanders from harassing them further, telling Eugene to pay her back for the diamond she used later. Eugene states that it's typical for Sakuya to not "loosen the purse strings a bit" for a revival spell. Seeing this, Kirito's relieved that the two leaders are talking, stating that this might be their chance to recruit all the armies to help them. Leafa doubts this, however, and tells Kirito to "give it a minute". Sure enough, Sakuya gets offended by Eugene's remark, asking if he thinks her kingdom is cheap. Eugene states that he doesn't need to say that, since Sakuya's outfit is doing all the work for him. Sakuya then points out how ridiculous Eugene's armor looks, particularly with the fidget spinner he's decorated it with. Eugene explains that the fidget spinner is actually a medal, and it's the highest honor the Salamander military can bestow. Just then, a gust of wind causes the "medal" to spin, playing Sandstorm as it does. Eugene then states that the song is the Salamanders' national anthem, which always causes a veteran like him to tear up.

This comment causes Sakuya, whose real name is Brian, to break character and tell Eugene, whose real name is Becky, that he never said he was a veteran, he just thinks that his job isn't that different from serving in the navy. Becky then snaps back at Brian, reminding him that he's just a lifeguard. Seeing this, Kirito asks Leafa what's happening, to which she explains that Brian and Becky used to date, and their breakup was so messy that they hacked each other's accounts and stole the other's characters to mess with each other. She then reveals that the entire conflict in the game is the result of said breakup, much to Kirito's dismay. As Brian and Becky mock each other's former characters and real-life interests, Becky's new boyfriend, PantySmasher, whose real name is Jonathan, emerges from the crowd and suggests that they call it a day. Becky assumes this is because Jonathan believes she won't be able to beat Brian due to being a woman, which Jonathan denies, claiming that he thinks they should get going if they want to binge the Crown. This amuses Brian, who remarks that Becky should learn to keep better control of her man. This enrages Becky, who remarks that Brian was always obsessed with control when they were dating. Brian counters that the only time he was being "controlling" was when he apologized on her behalf after she vomited on their neighbor's dog again, even though he was guilty of this himself out of "solidarity".

Becky then reluctantly agrees with Jonathan, stating that fighting everyone at the peace conference isn't worth it. She then tells everyone that they should be lucky that she's in a healthy relationship now, before departing. As she leaves, Hime, whose real name is Denise, breaks character to tell Brian that she can't believe he slept with Becky, only for Brian to remind her that Becky is her cousin. As the Salamanders fly away, Becky thinks about how Brian always manages to annoy her and that she needs something to cheer her up. She then slips back into roleplaying mode to ask about the "good news" the Salamander was trying to say earlier, only to let out a mournful scream upon learning that Squeaker is dead. As they watch the Salamanders fly away, Kirito and Leafa reluctantly accept that they probably won't be recruiting their help. They are the approached by Sakuya, who asks why Kirito's there.

Leafa then tells Sakuya that Cazmer was behind the Salamanders' attack, although she claims that Cazmer got the location of the peace conference by beating up Sakuya's scribes to cover up her mistake. Sakuya believes this revelation, stating that Cazmer has gone "rogue with his roleplaying" before by sparking the Sylph civil war in an attempt to take Sakuya's throne. Kirito then asks if Cazmer's just trying to take over the Sylph Kingdom, making a deal with the Salamanders after getting bored waiting to marry into the family. However, Sakuya realizes what Cazmer's actual goal is and explains that his ambitions go much deeper than seeking power. She then asks Hime for a Moon Mirror so she can contact him. Meanwhile, Cazmer's in his office thinking about how his goals are finally coming to fruition. He wishes that he didn't need to resort to such "drastic measures", but tells himself the players will see the necessity of them in time. However, he's then caught off guard by Sakuya calling him on the mirror. He tries greeting her to hide his suspiciousness, but Sakuya confronts him on his actions, revealing that his deal with the Salamanders was an elaborate attempt to get Brian and Becky to talk to each other, a revelation that confuses Kirito.

Having to been caught, Cazmer, whose real name is Travis, breaks character to tell Brian that ALO used to be fun, but ever since he and Becky broke up, they've been forcing the others to choose sides and fight a proxy war just to spend time with them. This annoys Sakuya, stating that he sounds just like Kirito Prime, who was "an embarrassment to the name". However, Travis states that Kirito Prime, whose real name was Ted, had the right idea, as he just wanted Brian and Becky to talk things out so they could at least be friends again. Instead, Sakuya and Eugene committed genocide against the Spriggans to the point that none of them wanted to play anymore. This shocks Kirito, but he's still relieved that the Spriggans weren't eaten. Travis then tearfully admits that regrets not standing by the Spriggans' side when they needed him the most. He then apologizes to Kirito for how he treated him, stating that he had to keep the ruse that he was still on Brian's side, and that he only wanted peace between the races. Despite his good intentions, Sakuya tells Travis that his "mad dreams" have come to an end, before banishing him from ALO. Seeing all this unfold, Kirito states that he doesn't feel good about what just happened.

With the threat dealt with, Leafa tries to butter her adoptive mother up by saying she looks pretty. Sakuya sees right through her, however, and asks what she wants. Having been called out, Leafa claims that she would never ask Sakuya for a favor after going through such a perilous ordeal like she did, but Kirito would. With the attention now on him, Kirito bluntly asks the two leaders to borrow their armies. This shocks Leafa and the two leaders, to which Kirito states that they wasted enough time doing things Leafa's way. Sakuya admits that they probably owe him a favor after he rescued them but asks why he wants their armies. Trying his best to roleplay again, Kirito explains that his beloved has been captured by "the cruel King of the World Tree", and he needs their help to save her. However, he soon becomes more interested in just getting the Sylph army after Hime tries to get Kirito to call her "Princess Hime-Senpai".

Hearing Kirito's request, Sakuya and Hime both state that it would take more than just a single army to conquer the World Tree. Kirito wonders why the armies don't work together to storm the World Tree, asking if that's not the purpose of the peace conference. However, Sakuya explains that their peace treaty is just a non-aggression pact stating that "Eugene" was in the wrong when "he" bought opera tickets on the night "Sakuya" was planning to go to the Lakers game, even though "she" had been talking about it for months, something that riles Brian up just thinking about it, much to Kirito and Leafa's awkwardness. Sakuya then adds that working together would be pointless anyway, since only one of the races would receive the wish. This statement confuses Denise, and she break character to ask if the wish was real or something they made up, something Brian can't remember anymore. Regardless, they both decline Kirito's request and wish him luck on his suicide mission. Kirito voices his disbelief that he went through all the effort of saving them from the Salamanders, and exposing their "traitor", only to get nothing. Hime thanks Kirito for understanding their position, and tries to get him to calm down, reminding him that it's just a game. This reminds Kirito that Sakuya and Hime don't know how serious this is for him and decides not to get mad at them.

As Kirito and Leafa watch the Sylphs and the Cait Sith leave, Leafa tries to talk to Kirito. However, she's cut off by Yui, who yells in frustration about how their entire adventure was a colossal waste of time, having lost seven hours and forty-eight minutes. While Kirito's upset too, he calms Yui down, telling her that losing their cool won't help the situation. He then states that they should just cut their losses and head directly to the World Tree. Before they can, however, Leafa, trying to follow Yui's suggestion to make things right, sincerely apologizes to Kirito for wasting their time, taking full responsibility for her actions. She then thanks him for helping the Sylphs and tries to reassure him that things will eventually work out for him. However, she awkwardly stumbles over her words and ends up quoting the Poison song Every Rose Has Its Thorn. Kirito and Yui are shocked that Leafa's genuinely trying to make them feel better as opposed to her normal snarky behavior. Leafa's surprised that her advice didn't cheer Kirito up, as she's "throwing out her 'A' materiel", to which Kirito points out that her unintentional song reference ruined the moment a bit. Leafa defends herself by stating she's "out of practice" with being nice, before threatening to beat up Kirito if he doesn't accept her encouragement. Under threat, Kirito accept her words of kindness, but begins teasing her awkward delivery by singing the song she accidentally quoted. Leafa then chases after him, telling Kirito he's being a jerk, as they fly off towards the World Tree.

The next day, at the top of the World Tree, 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".

## Cast

* **LennonDrake:** Suguha Kirigaya/Leafa
* **YamatoSFX:** xVx\_K1r1t0\_xVx\_KillMe, Gleam Eyes Kirito
* **TabsterBlaster:** Lost Child
* **MrBuddyVA:** Animatronic Gandalf, Shinichi Nagata/Recon, DeezGunz
* **redasatomato:** Yui
* **Hayden Daviau:** Squeaker, Additional Voices
* **Mezmoreeyez:** Squeaker's Master, Salamander Mage Commander, Additional Voices
* **Cole Jackson:** Cazmer Guard 1
* **FrozenFrost:** Keith
* **Jesse Inocalla:** Travis/Cazmer
* **Bread Breaderson:** Denise/Hime Kuronekodesuchan
* **Coffinjockey:** Brian/Sakuya
* **Cat Protano:** Becky/Eugene
* **BlazingAzureCrow:** Jonathan/PantySmasher, Santa, Additional Voices
* **xbubblemunkyx:** Asuna
* **NiptoonVA:** RamRod, Cazmer Guard 2, Additional Voices
* **eagle8burger:** Additional Voices
* **CharlestonVO:** Additional Voices

## Music

* **Greek Fire:** "A Real Life"
* **Sword Art Online Original Soundtrack vol.1:** "Quiet Strain", "Taut Nerves", "A Strategy Meeting"
* **Sword Art Online Original Soundtrack vol.2:** "In Time of Peace", "In the Cage"
* **The Seven Deadly Sins Original Soundtrack 2:** "Harlequin"
* **Fairy Tail Original Soundtrack Vol. 4:** "Carla no Akumu"
* **Fairy Tail Original Sound Collection:** "Momentary Peace"
* **The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine (Soundtrack):** "For Honor! For Toussaint!"
* **Made In Abyss Original Soundtrack:** "Serphent Call"
* **Your Lie in April Original Song & Soundtrack:** "Kyaaaaa", "My Truth ~Rondo Capriccioso~"
* **Buso Renkin Original Soundtrack:** "Semaru Kiki", "Kyouteki"
* **Xenoblade Original Soundtrack:** "A Friend on My Mind"
* **Bravely Default Flying Fairy Original Soundtrack:** "That of the Name", "Dark Cavern"
* **Trans-Siberian Orchestra:** "Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24"
* **Darude:** "Sandstorm"
* **Howard Harper-Barnes:** "Christmas Wonders"
* **The Countdown Kids:** "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"
* **8 Bit Universe** "WAP [8 Bit Tribute to Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion]"
* **Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game (Original Videogame Soundtrack):** "Love Rising"

## Differences from the Original

The following is a list of differences *only* from this episode. To view any differences for the characters, view their pages, or if you want to see more click here.

* The part where Kirito casts the Night Vision spell, so he and Leafa can see in the Legrue Corridor, is skipped.
	+ Leafa teasing Kirito on his "lame Spriggan magic" being useful is skipped.
* In the original, Kirito has his menu open because he's trying to remember his spells. In the abridged version, he's looking at a map of Kandy Kane Kavern.
* There was no little kid trapped in the cavern.
* The part where Leafa receives a message from Recon is skipped.
	+ This is replaced with a scene where Leafa asks Kirito about his homelife.
* Leafa casting Concealment when Yui detects the Salamanders is skipped.
* ALO doesn't allow Salamanders to name their pets or allegedly max their affection levels for suicide missions.
* The entire subplot about the Salamanders mourning the death of their Tracer is an abridged series original.
* The brief moment where Kirito admires the lake surrounding Legrue is skipped.
* Kirito never comments on how lazy the city in the center of the tunnel's name is.
* In the original, the rock wall was a spell that the Salamanders cast to stop them entering Legrue. In the abridged version, the rock wall appears because Kirito accidentally locks them out.
* The part where Leafa explains they can't swim around the rock wall, due to the monsters in the lake, is skipped.
* In the original, Kirito doesn't ask to get shielded and gets hit with fireballs twice, both times Leafa heals him. In the abridged version, Kirito asks Leafa to shield him, but she refuses to in order to watch him suffer, and then proceeds to heal him once.
	+ Leafa telling Kirito to give up, as failure just means more hours of flying, prompting Kirito to say that he refuses to let another party member of his die again, is skipped.
* A moment where Kirito asks the Salamanders to leave them alone, stating that he is nothing without Asuna, is added in.
* The entire encounter on the bridge is now a symbolic representation on how stagnant Kazuto and Suguha's relationship is.
* Yui never calls Suguha "Auntie Sugu".
* In the original, Kirito casts Transformation to project an image of the Gleam Eyes over himself to scare the Salamanders and make them easier to attack. In the abridged version, Yui hacks into the system and turns Kirito into the Gleam Eyes.
* The Salamander's leader getting eaten by a monster in the lake is skipped.
* Leafa trying to interrogate the remaining Salamander, only for him to comply when Kirito offers to give him all the rewards he received in the battle, is skipped.
	+ The Salamander telling them that the Salamander army is heading up north is skipped.
* The leader of the mages' name, Gtacs, is omitted from the abridged version.
* Kirito telling Leafa he has moments where he blacks out during battle is skipped.
* Leafa asking what the Salamanders tasted like, prompting Kirito to bite Leafa as a joke, causing her to slap him, is skipped.
	+ In the original, Kirito says the Salamanders tasted like grilled meat. In the abridged version, he comments that they tasted like mayo.
* In the original, Kirito and Leafa spend time in Legrue before Kirito reminds Leafa about the message she got from Recon, prompting her to log out and check on him. In the abridged version, Leafa logs out during Kirito's rampage to go take a shower and coincidentally sees that Shinichi has been calling her.
* It's never stated how many times Shinichi tried to call Suguha.
	+ Suguha now scrolls through her calls twice.
* Suguha doesn't have Shinichi's number saved under the name "Nutter Butter", nor does she have "WAP" as the ringtone for him.
* Suguha is now a lot more furious over Shinichi calling her compared to her original counterpart.
* Shinichi is a lot more distressed about the Salamanders invading the peace conference compared to his original counterpart.
	+ Suguha doesn't tell Shinichi to "pour that tea", nor does Shinichi literally drink said tea.
* Sigurd's guards don't start singing the Harry Potter theme once they put on their invisibility cloaks.
* We don't hear Sigurd's conversation with the two Salamanders in the original, so we don't know if they were the same Salamanders that Kirito killed.
	+ This scene now states that the Salamanders sent thirty guys after Kirito and Leafa, whereas the original only confirmed twelve.
* In the original, Recon was caught because he tripped trying to listen in on Sigurd's conversation. In the abridged version, he's discovered because his NerveGear short circuited again.
	+ One of the Salamanders doesn't ask if Recon is there before he shoots him.
	+ Recon was shot with a lot more arrows compared to her original counterpart, and now has mayo thrown on his butt.
* Leafa's explanation of what will happen after the Salamanders attack the peace conference is skipped.
* The scene where Leafa offers to let Kirito kill her to gain favor with the Salamanders, followed by Kirito's speech to her, is skipped.
* The scene where Kirito drags Leafa through a gang of Orcs is skipped.
* The part where Leafa checks her map is skipped.
* Leafa doesn't try to make a plan to warn peace conference about the Salamanders before they arrive so they can ambush them, only to find out they've already arrived. Kirito and Leafa see the Salamanders on their way, but they're too far behind to stop them.
* In the original, Leafa tells Kirito to go to the World Tree while she tries to save Sakuya, only for Kirito to turn her down. In the abridged version, Kirito comes up with a plan to make peace between the races and Leafa eggs him on by reminding him that means he has to roleplay.
* Sakuya doesn't use terrible defense tactics to get the Salamanders to leave, Kirito arrives before any side can do anything.
	+ Kirito now crash lands again, coughing in the smoke, instead of doing it on purpose for dramatic effect.
* In the original, Kirito states that he was the ambassador for the Spriggan-Undine alliance and was sent to join forces with the Sith-Cait Sith Alliance. In the abridged version, Kirito, with the help of Leafa, states he that he was the viscount of the Spriggan Ziggurat, who was adopted by the Undine after the Spriggans were wiped out.
	+ Leafa signaling to Sakuya and Alica that Kirito is making all this up is skipped.
	+ Sakuya doesn't voice disgust over the Undine joining forces with the Spriggans.
* In the original, Eugene comes out before Kirito's speech. In the abridged version, he comes out after it.
* In the original, Eugene challenges Kirito to their fight stating that he will believe Kirito's claims if he can last thirty seconds against him, but he changes his mind and continues the fight after the thirty seconds pass. In the abridged version, Eugene challenges Kirito to their fight to settle the conflict.
* The part where Leafa gets worried that Kirito has run away, followed by her relief when he reappears, is skipped.
* The moment where Leafa notices that her sword is gone is skipped.
* The part where everyone celebrates Kirito's victory is skipped.
	+ None of the Salamanders ask why Eugene exploded.
* The revival spell isn't named Raise Dead, nor does it cost a diamond to use.
* The part where Eugene praises Kirito is skipped.
* In the original, Kagemune tells Eugene that he saw Kirito with an Undine when he attacked his squad, as a favor for sparing his life during their encounter. In the abridged version, PantySmasher suggests they should leave to prevent his involvement with Cazmer being exposed, claiming they've got a show to watch.
* The part where Kirito and Eugene say they hope to fight again is skipped.
* Kirito now says he doubts they'll be getting the Salamanders' help raiding the World Tree since things ended on a sour note.
* The Moonlight Mirror spell's name has been shortened to just Moon Mirror.
* In the original, Sakuya states that she's banishing Sigurd from the Sylph territory, leaving him to wander the neutral territories. In the abridged version, it's heavily implied that she banished him from the entire game.
* Kirito revealing that he was lying about the Spriggan-Undine alliance is skipped.
* The scene where Sakuya and Alicia try to seduce Kirito to their side, followed by Leafa getting jealous, is skipped.
* In the original, Yui gets mad because Kirito's heartrate increased when he was around Sakuya and Alica, which Yui considered "cheating". In the abridged version, she's mad because they wasted an entire day.
	+ Leafa asking why she isn't a problem, to which Kirito says it's probably because Leafa doesn't seem like a girl most of the time, is skipped.
* Leafa trying to reassure Kirito, followed by Kirito teasing her for her awkward delivery, is added in.
* Asuna doesn't monologue to herself about disappearing like a whisper.
* Asuna doesn't get disappointed in herself for getting scared by a door.

## Errors

* When Suguha wakes up from her AmuSphere session, she's wearing her pyjamas, but in the previous episode, she started playing the game in a t-shirt. This is due to Something Witty Entertainment skipping a scene where Suguha takes a shower in the previous episode. However, this might be explained by saying she had her shower and then took a nap, after which she noticed her phone was blinking.
* When Suguha's asking what the problem is, her reflection's lip flaps are out of sync.
* When Kirito flies up to the Salamanders, Eugene can be seen in the sky, despite the fact that he hasn't emerged from the crowd yet.

## Trivia

* Originally, the Cait Sith from Episode 14 was going to return. ...It didn't end well for him.
* The reference used for the lost child was Hajime Aoyama from Ghost Stories.
* Originally, Kirito's rant about Suguha was going to be longer, but it was cut for time because YamatoSFX was running out of footage to use.
* The joke of Leafa quoting the Hunger Games was a happy accident from when Something Witty Entertainment were searching for a poem to use.
* During his rampage, Kirito is still lucid enough to be disgusted by Leafa saying, "Preesh".
	+ This joke caused the word "Preesh" to end Something Witty Entertainment's vocabulary.
* The Nutter Butter/WAP ringtone joke was an idea created by YamatoSFX and xbubblemunkyx when they were trying to come up with a cute nickname for Suguha to call Shinichi. Hayabusa449 had no idea what they were doing until he saw the name.
	+ Other nicknames that were considered were "Fuccboi" and "Lollipop", the latter of which made xbubblemunkyx have a headcanon that Shinichi calls her Sugarpie.
* The "I fought bravely" joke was one of jokes that Something Witty Entertainment had planned since before they started adapting the Fairy Dance Arc.
* The scene where Kirito and Leafa go sightseeing in the underground city was going to be in the episode, but it was cut for time.
* One of the shots of Kirito and Leafa towards Butterfly Valley is a reused shot from the previous episode with Butterfly Valley added in the background.

## References

1. ↑ The Cait Sith's fate
2. ↑ Hajime cameo
3. ↑ Kirito's extended rant
4. ↑ Lack of footage
5. ↑ Hunger Games joke
6. ↑ Gleam Eyes Kirito's disgust
7. ↑ Nutter Butter's origin part 1
8. ↑ Nutter Butter's origin part 2
9. ↑ Recon fought bravely
10. ↑ Sightseeing snip
11. ↑ Flying redo