Sword Art Online Episode 23

Bonds (絆) is the twenty-third episode of the Sword Art Online anime adaptation. It aired on December 8, 2012.

Plot
Kazuto remembered when he discovered the truth about his parents and started thinking about why he started playing video-games as a way to run away from reality, but after his two years in SAO he understood that it's the same. He then told Suguha that he'll wait for her in the north terrace of Aarun.

Suguha felt sorry for how she treated Kazuto and decided to enter ALO again. However she just happened to meet up with Recon who had escaped from the Salamanders by paralyzing them with poison, and followed her all the way to Aarun. He confessed and tried to kiss her, but Leafa in return punches him and sends him rolling down the stairs. He returned and told her that he thought that if he was honest about his feelings she would understand him.

Leafa arrived to the terrace where Kirito was waiting; they decided to fight to express their feelings. As they start to battle, Leafa recognized his stance and does the first attack. The battle quickly went up to the skies, and Leafa droped her sword and fell towards Kirito, intending to be slashed by him. Instead, Kirito catched her, and he told her he wanted to apologize, but didn't know what to say, and wanted her to get a free hit on him.

Back in front of the Dome, Kirito summoned Yui, and she informed that the quest was intended to be impossible, although she told him he may be able to complete it with his high speed. Kirito, Leafa and Recon decided to challenge the Grand Quest again, and everything began smoothly with Kirito attacking and Leafa and Recon stay behind for healing support, but everything changed when the Guardian Knights started targeting Recon and Leafa, so Recon took the offensive, attacking with magic and attracting the Guardians' attention, and finally revealed his strongest spell, Self-Destruction magic, and used it to take a huge quantity of Guardians and left a large gap.



With Recon's sacrifice Kirito rushed up to the gap, but more Guardians blocked him, and the Guardians then sealed the gap up. As Kirito was hit by a swarm of Guardians charging downwards with their swords, Leafa healed him, and then got surrounded by some Guardians. As the Guardians started to attack Leafa, a squad of Sylph warriors appeared, followed by a squadron of Cait Sith Dragoons, Sakuya and Alicia arrived to help. They explained that they owe Kirito their help because they finished their preparations with the money he gave them.



Leafa decided to take action and fought back-to-back with Kirito, opening some space to him, finally Kirito flied toward the highest part of the dome, but another group of Guardians appeared in front of him. Leafa threw him her sword and with it he broke through the Guardians and arrived to the summit. Alicia and Sakuya retreated, since their mission was complete.



On the top however, the doors remained closed. Kirito asked Yui why the doors won't open, and Yui told him it is locked, only openable with admin access. As more Guardians spawned and surrounded them, Kirito remembered the card Asuna had given him earlier, and gave it to Yui. Yui transfered the data from the card to the door, opened the door, and told him to hold her hand as it is about to teleport them. As they got teleported to the top of the tree, the door closed.

Location

 * World Tree
 * Aarun

Adaptation Notes

 * Adapted from Sword Art Online Light Novel Volume 4

Episodio 23 Sword Art Online odcinek 23