The duel between Kirito and Heathcliff is held at an arena where a large crowd has gathered. Asuna warns Kirito to be careful about fighting Heathcliff as he has an unique skill called Divine Blade which gives him maximum strength and defense. Heathcliff at first is able to overpower Kirito but the tides turn when Kirito forces Heathcliff on the defensive. Just as Kirito is about to deal the winning strike, Heathcliff mysteriously manages to dodge it and defeats Kirito. Now a member of the Knights of Blood, Kirito is asked by Asuna why he never join guilds and he reveals what happened to his old guild. Asuna comforts Kirito and tells him she will protect him. Later, Kirito is asked by fellow member Godfrey to follow him and a seemingly remorseful Kuradeel to the 55th floor dungeons for a skill assessment. As they take a lunch break, Kirito notices too late that the water he and Godfrey drank contains a paralysis effect. Kuradeel reveals he is a member of the Laughing Coffins and how he plans tohug both Godfrey and Kirito while making it look like they werehuged in an ambush. After he finishes off Godfrey, Kuradeel attempts tohug Kirito but is saved from certain passing by the arrival of Asuna who tracked them on her map. Asuna quickly decimates Kuradeel's health until critical stages. Kuradeel begs Asuna for forgiveness which is a ruse. When Kuradeel's is about to attack Asuna, Kirito jumps in between them, blocking the attack with his arm before hugging him. Asuna feels guilty for what happened but Kirito calms her by kissing her, telling her how much he cares about her and wants to protect her. They agree to a take break from adventuring and stay at her home for the night. Later, as he sits next to Asuna at her bed, Kirito tells of a place they can be alone together and proposes to her, which she happily accepts.
s01e01 - The World of Swords
s01e02 - Beater
s01e03 - The Red-Nosed Reindeer
s01e04 - The Black Swordsman
s01e05 - Murder in the Safe Zone
s01e06 - Illusionary Avenger
s01e07 - The Temperature of the Heart
s01e08 - The Sword Dance of Black and White
s01e09 - The Blue-Eyed Demon
s01e10 - Crimson Killing Intent
s01e11 - The Girl of Morning Dew
s01e12 - Yui's Heart
s01e13 - Edge of Hell's Abyss
s01e14 - The End of the World
s01e15 - Return
s01e16 - Land of the Fairies
s01e17 - Captive Queen
s01e18 - To the World Tree
s01e19 - The Lugru Corridor
s01e20 - General of the Blazing Flame
s01e21 - The Truth About Alfheim
s01e22 - The Grand Quest
s01e23 - Bonds
s01e24 - Gilded Hero
s01e25 - The World Seed
In the near future, a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) called Sword Art Online has been released where players control their avatars with their bodies using a piece of technology called Nerve Gear. One day, players discover they cannot log out, as the game creator is holding them captive unless they reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, if they die in the game, they die in real life. Their struggle for survival starts now...