Sword Art Online Alicization Episode 05

Ocean Turtle (オーシャン・タートル) is the fifth episode of the Sword Art Online Alicization anime adaptation. It aired on November 3, 2018.

Plot
On Sunday, June 28, 2026, having been attacked by Kanamoto Atsushi, Yuuki Asuna was pushed back away to safety by Kirigaya Kazuto, who intercepted the man's attack with his umbrella. However, the boy was injected with the drug in the brawl, causing him to collapse due to cardiac arrest. Witnessing this event, Asuna momentarily recalled a similar scene in Sword Art Online, when she had been protected by Kirito from a Laughing Coffin member’s attack two years prior.

Having accompanied her boyfriend to the Setagaya General Hospital, Asuna waited in front of the operating room, until she was joined by Kirigaya Midori and Kirigaya Suguha. The next morning, even though the operation saved Kazuto’s life, the doctor suspected that the boy might have sustained permanent brain damage due to the long period of cardiac arrest. As Midori was signing the paperwork to transfer Kazuto to a better facility, Asuna and Suguha were approached by Kikuoka Seijirou.

That evening, Asuna and Suguha arrived at the National Defense Medical College Hospital, the institution where Kazuto was supposed to be currently hospitalised. The next day, in ALfheim Online, Asuna and Leafa explained to Lisbeth, Silica, Sinon that they had not been able to see Kazuto, who was said to have been treated with specialized equipment. However, the girls felt unease about this claim, as they learnt that Kazuto's ambulance had never arrived at its destination, despite the boy being officially admitted to the hospital.

Following a quick discussion, they concluded that Kazuto must have been taken to another location, possible one of RATH facilities with a Soul Translator in the city. Then, Asuna revealed that there could be a slight chance to pinpoint Kazuto’s whereabouts, thanks to the mobile application connected to Kazuto’s heart, as well as Yui, who had traced back the data and analysed it. The Navigation Pixie showed the results of her investigation and informed that Kazuto’s signal had been last detected somewhere in the Minato Ward, at around 21.20, the day before.

Later, the same day, Asuna and Suguha drove with Tsuboi Ryoutarou to the Shinagawa Wharf, a part of Minato Ward, where they hoped to find more clues about Kazuto’s whereabouts. After learning from Rika’s call that due to the tight security it was not possible to confirm anything at other locations, Asuna asked Yui for her assistance. As the A.I. girl informed about a helicopter that flew away from the Shinagawa Wharf at the same time where Kazuto’s signal had been lost, the group concluded that the boy must have been transported overseas.

Despite being saddened by the revelation, Asuna quickly regained her optimism once she was reminded by Yui about Kazuto’s indomitable effort to save his lover in ALO. As the group mused on finding other hints, Suguha recalled her brother stating that STL was based on Medicuboid, a FullDive device for medical purposes. This led Asuna to reminiscent Kayaba Akihiko and his acquaintance, Koujiro Rinko, two people responsible for creating and developing Medicuboid. Moment later, after Yui’s quick checking, Asuna, Suguha and Ryoutarou learnt about Rinko’s whereabouts.

In the evening, in California State in the USA, Koujiro Rinko, while checking her mailbox, noticed a lot of messages from Kikuoka Seijirou who was inviting her to participate in a project. Falling into a reverie, the woman recalled a past event, where she had talked with her lover, Kayaba Akihito. The man had shared his lifelong dream of visiting a large castle divided by multiple floors and with a palace at the very top. Back in the present day, Rinko had her attention riveted by a sudden e-mail from a person named Yuuki Asuna.

A few days later, Koujiro Rinko, together with her assistant Megumi Reynolds, flew to the Ocean Turtle, the RATH’s base secret located somewhere on the ocean. Having landed, they were greeted by Lieutenant Nakanishi and guided to a control-like room, after being subjected to numerous security procedures. Inside, the women met Kikuoka Seijirou and Higa Takeru, Rinko’s former colleague from Shigemura Lab. After mentioning that the three most important participant of the project were now present, with Rinko and Higa being the first two, Kikuoka, replying to Rinko’s question, added that the third person should be able to be met in a few days.

Having heard that, Asuna, who had been pretending as Megumi Reynolds until now, discarded her disguise, much to Kikuoka’s astonishment. Meanwhile, Rinko revealed that it was the young girl who had contacted her and informed about the connection between STL and Medicuboid, which had made her to recall the meeting with Kazuto when he had informed her about Kayaba’s last legacy, the Seed. While still speechless, Kikuoka was approached by Asuna who, with a death glare in her eyes, demanded the whereabouts of her lover.

New Characters

 * Higa Takeru
 * Koujiro Rinko
 * Nakanishi

Locations

 * Setagaya General Hospital
 * National Defense Medical College Hospital
 * Rath's Roppongi Office
 * California, America
 * Ocean Turtle

Adaptation Notes

 * Adapted from Volume 10, Chapter 2, Parts 1-2


 * Laughing Coffin raid flashbacks were anime original scenes.
 * The entire scene of Kazuto being loaded in an ambulance and his heart stopping was omitted.
 * In the Light Novel, Asuna did not notify Suguha and Midori until after Kazuto's operation was over.
 * Therefore, the scene of Asuna, Suguha and Midori at the hospital was anime original content.
 * The scene of Seijirou convincing Midori to place Kazuto under his jurisdiction and supposedly transfer him to a military hospital was anime original content.
 * In the Light Novel, Lisbeth and Silica were not present at Asuna's, Leafa's and Sinon's meeting in ALfheim Online.
 * In the Light Novel, Asuna, Leafa and Sinon quickly deduced Kirito was at the Ocean Turtle from information previously given to them by him at the Dicey Cafe and news reports on the facility.
 * Therefore, the scenes where Asuna, Suguha and Ryoutarou search the harbor while Shino, Rika and Keiko check Rath's facility in Tokyo was anime original content.
 * In the Light Novel, Yui also explained the concept of «Top-Down AI» and «Bottom-Up AI» at Asuna, Leafa and Sinon's meeting, using herself as an example of «Top-Down AI».
 * The scene of Rinko's and Kayaba's past relationship was anime original content.
 * The scene of Rinko receiving Asuna's E-Mail was anime original content.

Trivia

 * One of YUNA's songs, longing, can be heard on the radio when Ryoutarou is driving Asuna and Suguha to the harbor.