Sword Art Online Episode 15

Return (帰還) is the fifteenth episode of the Sword Art Online anime adaptation. It aired on October 13, 2012.

Plot
Kirito and Asuna are sitting on a rocking chair outside of their home on floor 22. Kirito watches her while she sleeps on a peaceful day. But quickly, the color of the sky begins to darken, the house itself begins to fall apart before disappearing completely, leaving the rocking chair and Kirito remaining. Kirito panics as he tries to find Asuna and begins to hyperventilate. Right away, he wakes up from the nightmare and gets out of bed to find tears in his eyes. Wiping his eyes, he says "I've turned into a complete crybaby... Asuna".

Suguha is outside having her morning practice with her shinai while having flashbacks of all the events that had happened during and after the SAO incident. She wasn't aware that Kazuto was watching her. Kazuto tosses her a water bottle and holds her shinai stating that it was light. Shocking Suguha because the shinai was made of timber bamboo and was considered heavy, she wonders what he was comparing the shinai to. Kazuto then challenges Suguha to a kendo match. Trying to intimdate Kazuto, she asks if he could stand a chance against a quarter-finalist in a middle school nationals but also question his physical state, regarding his body. He reassures her that he can and will show her his results from all the rehab he had done in the gym.

At their family's dojo, they were getting ready to begin. Suguha giggles at Kazuto's stance, but Kazuto proclaims it was his personal style. Suguha can see an opening in his stance to attack, but Kazuto attacks first. Eventually Suguha wins by hitting his head, but quickly regrets hitting him, asking if he was alright. Kazuto tells her that she is strong and Heathcliff wouldn't stand a chance against her. Kazuto takes a few steps back and swings the shinai as if it was his Elucidator leaving Suguha confused and concerned. Realizing what he was doing, he tells Suguha that it was old habits. While washing up, Kazuto notifies Suguha that he wanted to do Kendo again and ask if she could teach him, much to her delight. Suguha asks what Kazuto was doing today and Kazuto responds he will be visiting Asuna in the hospital as usual, which made Suguha upset.

While Kazuto was riding his bike to the hospital, he narrates that it has been two months since he defeated Heathcliff. He traded information about SAO to the Ministry of Internal Affair's SAO Incident Task Force, in exchange for Asuna's whereabouts. He learns that Asuna and three hundred players have yet to wake up. Many people believe that the still-missing Kayaba is behind it.

Kazuto visits Asuna who was still wearing the Nerve Gear, but he was not the only visitor. Yuuki Shouzou, Asuna's father and Sugou Nobuyuki also came for a visit. Kazuto tells Shouzou that he was sorry for bothering him, but Shouzou encourages Kazuto to come whenever he liked because it would make Asuna happy. Shouzou introduces Kazuto to Nobuyuki who was a family friend's son. Nobuyuki was overjoyed to learn that Kazuto was the hero who saved everyone in SAO, in addition shares news with Shouzou that he wants to make it official. Shouzou is shocked but asks if he was certain, since he was so young. Nobuyuki reassures him that his heart has always been set on one thing and wants Asuna to wear the dress while she was still beautiful, surprising Kazuto. Shouzou then leaves the room to attend a meeting.

Nobuyuki now showing his true colors, grabs Asuna's hair and starts to sniff it, angering Kazuto. Nobuyuki tells him that the chat with Shouzou was about Asuna's marriage to him, shocking Kazuto even more. Nobuyuki informs Kazuto while touching Asuna's face that she never likedf him,  and it was likely that she would reject the marriage proposal, so he is taking advantage of the situation to marry her. Kazuto grab Nobuyuki's arm to stop him from touching Asuna, but he pulls back. Annoyed, Kazuto asks if he was trying to take advantage of the fact Asuna was in a coma. Nobuyuki tell him that it was his right. Nobuyuki further explains that Argus went bankrupt and the SAO servers was entrusted to the RECTO Progress Inc, which Asuna's father was the CEO. Nobuyuki works under the Full-Dive Technology Research Division, concluding that he is the one who is keeping Asuna alive and thinks he can ask for a repayment. He then tells Kazuto to never come back or have any contact with Asuna's family. Before leaving, Nobuyuki tells Kazuto that the wedding is in one week and seeking to bring misery to Kazuto, invites him to the wedding.

Back at home, Suguha tells Kazuto that the bath is ready, but he doesn't answer so she checks and finds him in the room with the heating off. Kazuto asks Suguha to leave him alone. Seeing her brother upset, Suguha comfort him and asks what was wrong. Kazuto begins to cry because Asuna was going somewhere far that he can't reach. Suguha hugs Kazuto and tells him to not give up. When Kazuto falls asleep, Suguha puts him into bed and falls asleep next to him.

In a flashback prior to Kazuto's 16th birthday, his aunt Kirigaya Midori tells Suguha, when Kazuto was just 10 years old, he found out about his real parents. His parents died in an accident and Kazuto was Midori's nephew, making Kazuto and Suguha cousins, not siblings. Suguha asks if that was the reason he began to play online games. Midori replies that that was not the reason, as Kazuto was already into making machines from junk parts when he was young and believed he inherited her own love of computers.

The next morning, Kazuto tries to wake up Suguha by telling her that she won't have time for her morning practice if she didn't get up. Suguha eventually gets up but gets embarrassed and runs out of Kazuto's room, blushing furiously. Kazuto, now alone, recalls Suguha's encouraging words. Without any warning, his computer bleeps to inform Kirito about an e-mail has been received from Agil, and the message shows a picture of a girl in a golden cage who greatly resembles Asuna, surprising Kazuto.

New Characters

 * Kirigaya Suguha
 * Kirigaya Midori
 * Sugou Nobuyuki
 * Yuuki Shouzou

Adaptation Notes

 * Adapted Sword Art Online Light Novel Volume 3 Prologue, Chapter 1

Quotes

 * "She's going to go away, somewhere I can't ever reach her.." - Kazuto
 * "You can't give up on the one you love so easily" - Suguha
 * "I won't lie to myself anymore either" - Suguha
 * "I think he inherited my love of computers.. At least mentally" - Kirigaya Midori
 * "But your heart... belongs to her alone" - Suguha

Episodio 15