Sword Art Online Episode 03

The Red-Nosed Reindeer (赤鼻のトナカイ) is the third episode of the Sword Art Online anime adaptation. It aired on July 21, 2012.

Plot
On April 8th of 2023; at the 11th floor town: Taft. The members of the guild: «Moonlit Black Cats» are celebrating their survival with their saviour Kirito; who happened to be around at the time. The guild leader: «Keita» offers the invitation of joining after learning that Kirito was a solo player.Hiding his true level, Kirito joins as a temporarily member until the guild can be independent without him. Kirito is also asked to help the stat development of another player named «Sachi». To maintain his own level, Kirito sneaks out at night to go hunting in higher level dungeons. After coming back from his self-leveling, he recieves a message that Sachi has gone missing. He quickly finds her with his «Tracking» skill. After learning that she was incredibly afraid of dying, Kirito tries his best to reassure her; constantly telling her that she will survive. Afterwards Kirito would commonly comfort Sachi whenever she was afraid; helping her sleep by being by her side.

As the group later became formidable, Keita left with all the collected money to purchase a new base for the guild. With the leader’s absence, the other members decided that they should surprise Keita by obtaining new items from the next dungeon. Despite Kirito’s cautions, the other members were lured in by the presence of treasure in a concealed room and triggered the alarm by opening the treasure chest; sending a siren that kept drawing in a continuous horde of monsters to the room. Kirito tries to defend himself and reach Sachi while witnessing the other members fall one by one due to monster attacks. Sachi is also killed despite Kirito’s effort to protect her. After surviving the trap, Kirito informs Keita about the demise of the other members, as well as telling him that he knew about the possible trap since he was at a higher level for being a «Beater»; Keita curses him and leaps off the town railing into the endless sky.

Later on December 24th of year 2023; Kirito meets with the information broker: «Argo the Rat», questioning her about the location of the Christmas event boss. Obsessing about the possible revival item, Kirito hopes it could help redeem Sachis life; it didn't matter if she hated him or not, he would take all her anger. As it was nearly time for the Christmas Eve, Kirito renews his armor, restocks his medical supplies and heads off to the 35th floor forest. Along the way, Kirito meets Klein and his guild: «Fuurinkazen ». Klein initially wants to fight alongside with Kirito against the Christmas boss, however the plan changes when another guild: «Divine Dragon Alliance» intersects them. Klein and his guild members holds off the opposing guild as Kirito makes his way to the boss.

Kirito challenges the monster: «Nicholas the Renegade» without even listening to the boss’s opening dialogue. He wins but is devastated after gaining the rewards; he half-heartedly returns to meet up with Klein who was waiting for him. After handing him the revival item: «Divine Stone of Returning Soul», Kirito walks off into the distance. it turns out that the revival item can only save a player during their ten-second «End phase» and not a player who had perished a long time ago. Kirito went back to his home and sulks while sitting in front of his desk; he is soon alerted by an incoming message in his inventory. To his surprise, he learns that Sachi had set a message to appear at Christmas day. After engaging the voice message, Kirito listens to the sound of Sachi’s voice; telling him that her death was not his fault.

New Characters

 * Argo the Rat
 * Sachi
 * Keita
 * Tetsuo

Named Monsters

 * Nicholas the renegade

Inventory

 * Kirito
 * Message record crystal
 * Klein
 * Devine Stone of Returning Soul

Locations

 * Floor 11: Taft
 * Floor 28: Wolf Plains
 * Floor 27: Dungeon
 * Floor 35: Forest Maze
 * Floor 49: Myugen

Adaptation Notes

 * Adapted from Sword Art Online Light Novel Volume 02


 * Klein and Kirito do not meet and talk about the christmas event while they meet up hunting.
 * The intial story of how Kirito meets up with the Black Cats is not portrayed in the anime.
 * Sachi was supposdely "invisble" in the novel when Kirito found her.
 * There is no mention of the shared inventory window between Kirito and Sachi.
 * Sachi doesn't exactly sing "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" in the anime, she hums it.

Quotes

 * "Willpower is what seperates us from the clearers; the determination to protect one's friends.... no, everyone. Right now, they are still protecting us." - Keita to Kirito
 * "In this world, the dead won't return." - Kirito
 * "Kirito... Kirito! Your have to survive. Survive until the end please..." - Klein to Kirito
 * "Even if i die, you keep living okay? Live to see the end of this world, and to see why it was born. Live to see why a weak girl like me ended up here... And the reason you and I met." - Sachi to Kirito