Sword Art Online Episode 23

Bonds (絆) is the twenty-third episode of the Sword Art Online anime adaptation. It aired on December 8, 2012.

Plot
As Suguha and Kazuto fell into sorrow, Kazuto remembered when he discovered the truth about his parents and thought his gaming addiction was a way to run away from reality, but after his two years in SAO he understood that the real and virtual worlds are the same. He then told Suguha that he'll wait for her in the north terrace of Aarun back in ALfheim Online.

Suguha also felt sorry for how she treated Kazuto and decided to enter ALO again. However, Recon suddenly appeared before her, revealing to have escaped from the Salamanders by paralyzing them with poison, and followed her all the way to Aarun. As Recon noted the Spriggan was nowhere to be found, Leafa stated she said something mean to him and that they won't be seeing him again, and tells Recon that they should head back to Sylvein. However, Recon tried to confess his love for her and tried to kiss her, but Leafa, surprised, punched him and sent him rolling down the stairs. He quickly returned and told her that he thought that if he was honest about his feelings she would understand him.

Leafa arrived to the terrace where Kirito was waiting; they decided to fight to express their feelings. As they start to battle, Leafa recognized his stance as he did when he fought her in their kendo duel and does the first attack. The battle quickly went up to the skies, but Leafa suddenly dropped her sword and fell towards Kirito, intending to be slashed by him. Instead, Kirito also dropped his sword and caught her, and he told her he wanted to apologize, but didn't know what to say, and wanted her to get a free hit on him. The two apologized and hugged, and Kirito stated he felt that he never fully returned to reality until Asuna woke up, which is why he didn't know how to think of Leafa, but she assured him that she will wait until he comes back for real and agrees to help him once and for all.

Back in front of the dome, Recon is surprised to be joining Kirito and Leafa in their raid on the World Tree. Kirito summoned Yui and asked her if she had learned anything about the Guardian Knights, and responds that their individual stats aren't very high, but make up in sheer numbers, and she believed that the quest was intended to be impossible. Kirito muses that the monsters add up to a single, unbeatable boss, but Yui also believed that Kirito could break through with his speed.

Feeling pressed on time Kirito, Leafa and Recon decided to challenge the Grand Quest again. The operation began smoothly with Kirito attacking and Leafa and Recon staying behind for healing support, but everything changed when the Guardian Knights instantly re-spawned into massive swarms and began targeting Recon and Leafa, in which Leafa noted that the Guardian Knights have a more different targeting algorithm. Recon immediately took the offensive for Leafa, attacking with magic and attracting the Guardian Knights' attention. He then used self-destruct magic, creating a large gap in the mass of the Guardian Knights but sacrificed himself and turned into a «Remain Light» in the process and incurred a huge death penalty.



With Recon's sacrifice, Kirito rushed up to the gap, but more Guardian Knights blocked his way and attacked while the gap was immediately sealed up. Leafa despaired that the grand quest was impossible as she healed Kirito, but was immediately surrounded by more Guardian Knights. But before they could attack her, a squad of Sylph warriors appeared, followed by a squadron of Cait Sith Dragoons; Sakuya and Alicia had arrived in the nick of time. After they destroyed most of the Guardian Knights, they explained that they owe Kirito their help because not only he brought their alliance together but gave them the money needed for the raid preparations.



Leafa decided to take action and fought back-to-back with Kirito, and eventually the gap was re-opened. Kirito flied toward the highest part of the dome, but another group of Guardian Knights appeared in front of him. Leafa threw him her sword and with «Dual Blades» he broke through the mobs and arrived to the summit. Sakuya and Alicia retreated, with their mission complete.



On the top, however, the doors remained closed. Kirito asked Yui why the doors won't open, and Yui told him that the door lacks a quest flag and was locked by system administrators; players were never intended to open the door. As more Guardian Knights re-spawned and surrounded them, Kirito remembered the card Asuna had given him earlier, and gave it to Yui. Yui transferred the data from the card to the door and was successful in opening it. She then told him to hold her hand as it is about to teleport them.

Location

 * World Tree
 * Aarun

Adaptation Notes

 * Adapted from Sword Art Online Light Novel Volume 4

Episodio 23 Sword Art Online odcinek 23