Sword Art Online Episode 04

The Black Swordsman (黒の剣士) is the fourth episode of the Sword Art Online anime adaptation. It aired on July 28, 2012.

Plot
On February 23rd of 2024. while roaming in the «Lost Forest», Kirito rescues a lost 13 year old «Beast-Tamer» named Silica as she is almost killed by the assault of multiple «Drunken Apes». After being saved, Silica cries over the loss of her «Feathery Dragon» named «Pina».

Silica regains some hope when Kirito explains to her that it is possible to revive her partner with a special flower at the 47th floor. However, she is soon discouraged when she realizes that the difficulty would be too high for her current level as well as there being a three day time-limit to revive Pina. Feeling obligated for not being able to save her familiar, Kirito provides her with some sturdier equipment to increase her protection, and partners with Silica to retrieve the flower.

Kirito would have gotten it himself, however the presence of a beast tamer was required for the item to appear. Silica returns with Kirito to «Mishe»; one of the towns of the 35th floor, to discuss their plans for retrieving the flower. While in-town, Kirito deals with some troublesome encounters with some of Silica’s fans and an old team member name «Rosalia». After having dinner, Silica visits Kirito’s rented room to evaluate the known data on the 47th floor with the «Mirage Sphere».

After spending the night at the second floor of the «Weathercock Tavern». Kirito and Silica begin their journey to the southern section of the 47th floor from the town: «Floria». As they defeat the plant monsters along the way, Kirito and Silica are able to make it to «The Hill of Memories» and retrieve the «Pneuma Flower». However, when returning with the item, Kirito senses a group of players waiting to ambush them. The players turn out to be members of an «Orange guild» named «Titan's Hand ». While facing off against the group and its leader, Rosalia, Kirito reveals to Silica that his reason for being at the lower floors earlier was to lure out the Orange guild and arrest them by the request of one of their victims: the leader of a fallen guild, «Silver Flags».

Some of the Orange guild members recognize Kirito, and despite being fearful of him at first because of his status as a «Beater» and being one of the «Lead Groups», they still try to fight him. However they soon learn how futile their efforts are against him thanks to the overwhelming differences in skill between Kirito and the guild members. Kirito wield's out a rare «Warp Crystal» and plans to send them all to the prison at the 1st floor governed by «The Army». All the Orange guild members give in to Kirito’s supremacy except for Rosalia, who Kirito threatens that he has no problem harming her and becoming an orange player in the process.

Afterward, Kirito brought Silica back to the «Weathercock Tavern» at the 35th floor. Silica was unhappy that she and Kirito would soon part ways, so they made a promise to meet again in the real world once they were freed from this world. As Kirito watches, Silica uses the revival item, and readies herself to tell her story to Pina about her one-day adventure with the «Black Swordsman».

New Characters

 * Silica
 * Pina
 * Rosalia

Named Monsters

 * Feathery Dragon
 * Drunken Apes

Guilds

 * Titan's Hand
 * Silver Flags

Inventory

 * Silica
 * Pina's heart
 * Ivory Dagger - Given by Kirito
 * Silverthread Armor - Given by Kirito
 * Moon Blazer - Given by Kirito
 * Fairy Boots - Given by Kirito
 * Florit Belt - Given by Kirito
 * Teleport Crystal - Given by Kirito
 * Flower of Pneuma
 * Popping Corn
 * Sekiren
 * Fullmelon Skin
 * Manbaad
 * Samep Tail
 * Tough String
 * Worn-out Meal
 * Gem Bottle
 * Rominel Water
 * Pretty Fragment
 * Potion
 * Hi-Potion
 * Antidote Crystal
 * Minemurg
 * Bombom
 * Blue Soda
 * Tricoll Juice
 * Minicase
 * Lemming Bell
 * Cacacocori Fruit
 * Kirito
 * Mirage Sphere
 * Corridor Crystal - Given by Unnamed Silver Flags Guild Member

Locations

 * Aincrad Floor 1: Town of Beginnings, Black Iron Castle Prison (mentioned)
 * Aincrad Floor 35 Mishe: Lost Forest, Weathercock Tavern
 * Aincrad Floor 47 Floria: Hill of Memories

Adaptation Notes

 * Adapted from Sword Art Online Light Novel Volume 02.


 * In the light novel, Kirito threw Rosalia into the portal as she was pleading to him
 * In the light novel, the scene involving Silica in the Inn is altered. Rather than visiting her room, she visits his, resulting in Kirito sleeping on the floor. This happens again to him at the beginning of the Fairy Dance story arc, when Suguha falls asleep in his bed, reinforcing Kirito's impression that Silica reminds him of her.
 * The Anime depicts a member of the Titan's Hand guild Dual-Wielding a pair of hand-axes, and even using a Sword Skill involving the pair of weapons. As Kirito's skill is unique, this is likely a mistake on the part of the animation team.

Quotes

 * "Don't leave me, alone, Pina"- Silica
 * (While being attacked by a plant monster) "Kirito, save me! Don't look, but save me!" - Silica
 * "I don't think that your sister hates you. You can't work that hard for someone who you don't like" - Silica
 * "In this world, strength is just an illusion. There are more important things" - Kirito
 * (Before the revival of Pina) "Pina...I'll talk to you lots and lots, okay? About my amazing adventure today...and about the one day in my life that I had a big brother." - Silica