Carrying the hopes of Cardinal, Eugeo, and Alice in his heart, Kirito stands yet again and visualizes the Black Swordsman, the top player who cleared SAO. For the sake of everyone he’s encountered in this world, Kirito, faces off with Administrator.

Ronie and Tiese are late getting to the dorm. Kirito rushes out in search of them, but no sooner has he gone than Frenica appears. She tells Eugeo about how she's suffered at Humbert's hands, and that Tiese and Ronie went to confront him about it.

Upon seeing Alice, Gabriel orders his entire army to capture her. The pugilists guild races ahead of the main force. As Alice and Bercouli try to come up with a strategy to counter them, the silent Integrity Knight Sheyta Synthesis Twelve steps forward.

Despite its modest size, the Human Empire Army and Asuna valiantly battle the wave of American players surging towards them. But they’re hopelessly outnumbered, and the Human Empire soldiers start to fall one after another.

Kirito finds himself in a duel against the Elite Disciple Volo Levantein, using real swords. As the curious crowd looks on, Kirito is encouraged by Sortiliena, and the duel begins.

Sinon manages to severely damage Gabriel, but her strength has been sapped. Leafa collapses after wiping out the American players. And Asuna, her situation now hopeless, gazes at Kirito. But the Black Swordsman continues to wander through his dreams.

The Final Load Test has begun, and the Eastern Gate has collapsed. Incited by Gabriel, now Emperor Vecta, the massive army of the land of darkness pushes on towards the Human Empire.

It's launch day for one of the most highly-anticipated video games of all time. Join the character "Kirito" as he begins his journey in the virtual world of Sword Art Online.

Kirito and Eugeo are on their way up the stairs of the Central Cathedral when they encounter two girls named Linel and Fizel. As they stand, wondering what two children are doing there, they let their guard down and...

Though riddled with wounds, Kirito manages to activate his Perfect Weapon Control art. Continuing on their way to the top floor of the Central Cathedral, Kirito and Eugeo find themselves standing before a strange-looking floating platform.

When Kirito and Alice both unleash the Perfect Weapon Control art in the Cloudtop Garden, the impact rips a hole into the seemingly impregnable Central Cathedral wall, which sends them both flying outside.

Due to Gabriel's scheme, U.S. players were given black knight accounts, and are now continuously logging in to the Underworld. They begin mercilessly slaughtering soldiers from both the Human Empire Army and the Dark Territory Army.

Alice and Asuna head to the World’s End Altar as Kirito confronts Gabriel. Unless he can defeat Gabriel and return to the real world before the maximum-acceleration phase begins, Kirito will have to spend the next 200 years in the Underworld.

Kirito and Eugeo have been rescued by the young girl, Cardinal, who has secluded herself inside the Central Cathedral’s Great Library. Cardinal explains to Kirito how the Axiom Church and the Taboo Index came to be, starting with Administrator’s past.

Eugeo reaches the ninetieth floor of the Central Cathedral, which turns out to be a vast bathing area. The perplexed Eugeo encounters Bercouli Synthesis One soaking in the bath. Meanwhile, Kirito and Alice are still climbing the Central Cathedral wall.

Seeing Alice’s reaction when he mentioned the name Selka, Kirito decides to tell her the truth about the Integrity Knights. Meanwhile, after being knocked unconscious during his battle with Bercouli, Eugeo awakes on the top floor of the cathedral.

The powerful formal art unleashed by the Integrity Knight Alice inflicts severe casualties on the forces of darkness. Alice encounters an enemy survivor and learns that Emperor Vecta's objective is to find the "Priestess of Light."

Escaping his nightmares, Kirito regains consciousness at last. With the Night-Sky Blade in his right hand and the broken Blue Rose Sword in his left, he faces off against Vassago, armed with the Mate-Chopper, now enormous in size.

Now an Elite Disciple along with Kirito, Eugeo struggles with the question of what he should infuse in his sword so he can become stronger. When he's taunted by First-Seat Elite Disciple Raios and Second-Seat Humbert, Eugeo decides to accept Humbert's request for a duel.

Cardinal appears on the top floor of Central Cathedral for a showdown with her bitter foe of the last two hundred years. She moves to achieve her objective of deleting Administrator, only to see the fallen sword golem rise up again.

Integrity Knight Renly Synthesis Twenty-Seven, in battle for the first time, flees his position, allowing goblins from the forces of darkness to infiltrate to the tent where Kirito is.

Asuna has created a bottomless chasm. The dark knights and the pugilists attempt to cross over to the other side, where the Human Empire Army waits. Meanwhile, Critter releases an announcement about a limited-time beta test for a bizarre new VRMMO.

Game over.

Kirito and Eugeo escape from their cell, only to find their way blocked by Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One, under orders from Alice to lie in wait for them. Kirito and Eugeo struggle against him until Eugeo realizes that he's seen Eldrie somewhere before.

Standing in Kirito and Alice's way is Eugeo, who's undergone the Synthesis Ritual and become an Integrity Knight. Kirito is rattled, until Alice admonishes him into resolving to fight Eugeo with everything he's got.