Sword Art Online - Progressive Volume 03 (manga)


 * This article is about the manga adaptation of the original Progressive series. You may be looking for the original light novel.

Sword Art Online - Progressive Volume 3 (ソードアート・オンライン プログレッシブ003) is the third volume of the Progressive manga adaptation. This volume covers part of the Rondo of the Transient Sword story.

Despair
In a flashback to Asuna's childhood, her mother bought her a teddy bear for her hard work, but the teddy bear was later run over by a car and could no longer be repaired. In the present, after Asuna's rapier broke, Nezha immediately began apologising while Kirito demanded an explanation for how could the sword break, when it should have only been downgraded in the worst scenario. Nezha explained that there might have been a new penalty added in the official version of the game. After the incident, Kirito took Asuna to an inn, planning to buy a new sword in the morning. Leaving Asuna in the inn, Kirito headed out and activated his «Hiding» skill.

Return
While Kirito was observing Nezha from an alley, he was approached by Argo. Kirito asked Argo if she had anything to report and Argo revealed that there had been seven cases of a weapon breaking during enhancement. But she then informed him that it was impossible for a weapon to break during enhancement even in the official version of the game, as she had already researched it. She then explained that the only way for a weapon to break like that was if the item being enhanced was an «end product». Argo then encouraged Kirito to think if there was a moment during the process where they could have been distracted long enough for the blacksmith to switch the weapons. Kirito then remembered how they were distracted by the forge before the enhancement process was begun.

Meanwhile, Asuna was having recollections of the recent events while in bed. Suddenly, a man barged into her room and demanded her to bring out her items. Asuna tried looking for her sword that she no longer had, but then recognised the man as Kirito and questioned him on how he got in. After Kirito explained that party members could enter one's room unless set otherwise, Kirito demanded Asuna to bring up her menu in visible mode and guided her to the «Completely All Items Objectize» function which he then told Asuna to confirm before she managed to grasp what it was about. After Asuna confirmed the action, all the items in her inventory, ranging from her weapons and armour to her underwear, materialised nearby. Kirito then scavenged through the pile of items until he found Asuna's Wind Fleuret.

Chapter 10.5

 * Kirito did not express the anger in novel.
 * The reason why Kirito used the hiding skill was simplified.

Chapter 11

 * In the novel, Kirito used Hiding to follow Nezha to a bar where he met with his guild mates and they talked about their scam.
 * In the novel, Argo did not make an appearance while he was observing Nezha. The scene where Argo explained how a weapon could be broken during enhancement actually took place several days later when Kirito and Asuna were both spying on Nezha.
 * In the novel, Kirito only realized which part of the strengthening could be used for the scam after he had returned the Wind Fleuret to Asuna and they both discussed about the incident.

Chapter 12

 * The first part of the chapter is not part of the original story, while the part with the taurus is an altered adaption of the events that occurred after the battle with Bullbous Bow, but before Kirito and Asuna arrived at Taran.
 * The scene where Asuna ate the bread with cream content is changed to the night when her rapier was returned to her.

Trivia

 * An alternative cover version of this volume can be purchased from Comic Toranoana.