Sword Art Online Light Novel Volume 02

Summary
This volume consists of four short stories that take place before and during the events of Volume 1.

The Black Swordsman (Aincrad 35th Floor, February 2024)
After getting into a fight with her party, Silica the beast tamer soon got herself lost in the «Forest of Wandering». She is later attacked by multiple Drunk Apes and it resulted on the death of her familiar: a «Feathery Dragon» she named Pina. She was soon rescued by Kirito who happened to pass by. Both Silica and Kirito then journey together to «The Hill of Memories» on the 47th floor, hoping to obtain the familiar revival item «Pneuma Flower». After retrieving it they are stopped by the orange guild Titan's Hand, where Kirito reveals his intentions in helping Silica were not only to help her but to lure out this guild and trap them at the request of one of their victims. After imprisoning them successfully, Kirito and Silica part ways.

Warmth of the Heart (Aincrad 48th Floor, June 2024)
The story introduces a female blacksmith name Lisbeth who spends her days running her own weapon shop on the 48th floor. One day, a certain «Black Swordsman» enters her shop and just broke her best sword. With her pride of a blacksmith enraged after losing her best «Player Made» sword against a Drop weapon, she forms a party with him on a quest to obtain a Crystalite Ingot; to forge a sword that can rival the «Elucidator».

Morning Dew Girl (Aincrad 22nd Floor, October 2024)
Takes place during the honeymoon period of Kirito's and Asuna's marriage. After following on the rumor of a wandering ghost, they find an unconscious young child name Yui; which the couple soon cherished as their own daughter. Seeking to find the child’s origin, they journey to the 1st floor and learn of the tyranny of «The Army». Along with Yulier's help, they later have to adventure on a quest to locate the originator of the Army: Thinker. In the end; after eliminating the secret boss; Kirito and Asuna soon discover their departing daughter’s true identity. Before her complete elimination, Kirito hacks the game with the hidden console unit to save Yui from the world system: «Cardinal».

Red-nosed Reindeer (Aincrad 46th Floor, December 2023)
Christmas Eve is rolling around and the special event boss, Nicholas the Apostate arrives with the promise of special drops one of which is the revival item. Kirito sets out to claim this item in hopes to revive Sachi, his dead guildmate. Klein encounters the disraught and desparing Kirito and tries to talk him out of engaging Nicholas alone to no avail. Kirito then recollects on his former guild «Black Cats of the Full Moon». Kirito finds the place where Nicholas will appear, and notices he's followed by Klein and his guild, and them by the Divine Dragon Alliance, so he takes Nicholas alone while the others fight. At the end of the battle, which almost kills him he collects the item he wanted, just to discover that it can only revive players 10 seconds after their HP reaches 0, devastated he gives the item to Klein and returns to the Inn, Kirito then stumbles upon a record crystal left behind by Sachi in their shared inventory space tab, Sachi then relays her message to Kirito that if he would read this that means she has died and that she never blamed him for her death and to survive and see the world end and to find out why this world was created. The song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was also sung by her and her final goodbyes gave Kirito the strength to live on.