Sword Art Online Episode 21

The Truth about ALfheim (アルヴヘイムの真実) is the twenty-first episode of the Sword Art Online anime adaptation. It aired on November 24, 2012.

Plot
Kirito and Lyfa finally arrive at? Aarun. While admiring the city, a voice of the system announces, "The servers will be down today from 4:00 AM to 7:00 PM due to a scheduled maintenace. And that players are asked to log out 10 minutes before then." Lyfa suggest to log out at an inn. Kirito agrees but nowhere that is too pricey because he is out of cash. Lyfa tease that it was because he was showing off by giving it all away to Sakuya. Lyfa ask Yui, if there is a cheap inn nearby. Yui points to the inn's direction and they begin to walk into the city.

Asuna is running through the branch pathway and see a cave-like entrance. Inside the cave, Asuna put her hand on the keypad and the door begins to slide open. Frighten Asuna runs and hide, she takes a peek at the door and sees a long and brightly-lit hallway.

Back in the real world. Kirito is washing his face and greets Suguha. Noticing Suguha's drowsiness, ask when she went to bed. Suguha tells him, she went to sleep at 4:00 AM because she was on the Internet. Kirito tell Suguha to turn around. She does what he said, resulting her in getting cold water down her back.

Asuna is cautiously walking through the hallway when she notice the map of the floor. She is looking at the map and tries to find where the console to log out could possibly be until she notice a label that said "Experiment". She recalls Nobuyuki's plans.

Kirito and Suguha are making food. But Suguha is still mad at Kirito's prank, that she demands that he should buy her shaved ice and a parfait to apologize which Kirito agree to. Kirito tells Suguha that he is going to visit Asuna in the morning. This saddens Suguha but she asks if she could come, which surprises Kirito but he accepts the idea.

Asuna goes to the "Experiment" room, and in the room was many pillar like objects and on each object was projecting a human brain. Realizing that the "brain" was suffering, she vows to save everyone. Suddenly 2 slug monster walks in the room and are montoring the sample. Asuna is hiding behide one of the pillars and begins to walk away.

Locations

 * Aarun City
 * World Tree

Adaptation Notes
Sword Art Online Light Novel Volume 4
 * In Volume 4, Chapter 5: Kirito and Lyfa's adventure in Jötunheimr was omitted