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Summary

Sword Art Online Progressive, or "Progressive" for short, is a light novel and manga series written by Kawahara Reki that is a reboot of the original SAO series. The manga continues into Sword Art Online - Progressive Barcarolle of Froth.

Chronology

Volume 001

Rondo of a Fragile Blade (Continued)

The raid almost struggles with the boss, and when it is nearly beaten, a new unknown boss steps out. Kirito has to use Martial Arts, but he and others get paralyzed. Suddenly, a chakram-wielding Nezha and even Argo appear to save the day, buying them time and giving a strategy. Kirito and Asuna finish the boss.

Kirito learns boss data is given by the side quests. Nezha is happy to finally be a fighter, but is confronted by scam victims and takes responsibility. The lynching crowd ensues, and Kirito thinks that making player killing (PK) not unthinkable was the poncho stranger's goal all along. But the Legend Braves join Nezha in atonement, defusing it.

Kirito and Asuna follow to the Floor 3 entrance while arguing about how Kirito took the last attack bonuses of all the bosses. Kirito tries hard to evade Asuna's inquiries, and thinks ahead to how SAO "really starts" from there, wishing Nataku luck in his mind.

Volume 002

The Floor 3 is all a forest of enormous ancient trees. The southern part, separated with the mountains and choked with thick fog, bears the name of the Forest of Wavering Mists. The main city to its northeast, Zumfut, is built inside the hollowed tree-trunks. The Dark Elf stronghold to the south and Forest Elf stronghold to the north of the Wavering Mists are the campaign quest bases that let players recuperate without trudging back to Zumfut. Beyond the mountain pass guarded by the field boss lie the northern part and the Labyrinth tower.

Concerto of Black and White

Floor 3 is special because from then on, human mobs appear that are just like the players apart from their color cursors. Kirito and Asuna talk about Kayaba Akihiko having said the term Sword Art refers to the clashing Sword Skills in a concerto of life and death, Asuna remarking a concerto is a lot of people backing the solo, not a duet. Kirito takes Asuna to pick up a quest. They find a light-colored man and a dark-colored woman battling, both Elves and questgivers for a campaign quest lasting until Floor 9. They decide to help the woman, Kizmel, and win, contrary to how Kirito remembered it go in the beta.

Kizmel picks up the Jade Key quest item and, speaking like a real person and not an NPC would, takes them to the base where they are rewarded and Kirito explains the Elf War quests and that they are designed so the questing players would not have to fight. At night, Kizmel visits her sister Tilnel's grave.

Again on a forest quest, Kizmel mentions the Great Separation, creation of Aincrad. When the trio have explored most of the map, they hide from Kibaō complaining about the open chests, and others, including a player wearing a chain coif. Kizmel is reminded of her own faction, the Pagoda Knights' dealings with the others. Asuna decides to reforge her rapier, holding Kirito's finger again, and now, she has an overpowered Chivalric Rapier with 15 instead of 6 upgrade attempts possible; both upgrade their swords.

Kirito and Asuna witness Lind and his Dragon Knights have trouble with the quest initiation, and the development is identical to the beta test experience, unlike their recent one. Kirito wonders why the hatched-and-shield man seems familiar. The trio then reaches the baobab buildings of Zumfut. When asked for advice, Kirito recommends Asuna to explore games in company for safety, but Asuna wants to know if she is a support of bother for him, and Kirito thanks her for fighting on his side.

Next evening, Lind and Kibaō establish their guilds and start recruiting in Zumfut. Things heat up. Kirito feels his presence influences Asuna's profile and singles her out, exposing to danger; Asuna is angry at how selfish the both guild leaders are. He tells her he wants her to survive, and for that, make peace with the Dragon Knights Brigade, and Asuna simply complies. Then he discovers Kizmel has been spying on them the whole time, and wonders how NPCs even can follow their curiosity and go off their beaten path infiltrating human cities. Kizmel explains she received commands to serve and protect the duo. On their way back to the base, Kirito thinks deeply about what he feels about Asuna and Kizmel, then blurts out he would like to marry them. He wants himself and Asuna to hang out wiht Kizmel, each party helping each other, and to start on the Floor 3 boss ASAP.

Three days later, on December 18, Kirito conveys Asuna the backstory of Aincrad as told by Kizmel, and Asuna notices the lack of any divine intervention in the myth. Later, Kirito and Kizmel talk alone, and she tells him she, an NPC, dreams of different outcomes of the fateful starting duel, where things happen as per the beta version, over and over, Kirito (his real-life look) being surrounded by different people each time. That makes them both wonder what it means. Later, Argo tells Kirito about the chain coif man, named Morte, who had since joined the Dragon Knights.

Kirito goes to the Forest Elf Camp alone on a spy quest. Not the Elves, but Morte stands in his way instead. Morte has been waiting for Kirito specifically to tell him to wait a day before stealing in, but instead of telling why he wants to duel him. During the duel, Kirito realizes Morte might be a PK using a duel loophole, who trained with another such. Suddenly Morte has to go, interrupting the duel that is a draw.

Kirito follows angry voices to find both human guilds in the vicinity of his quest, and remembers how Morte was seen on both sides. He completes the quest before the guilds are able to, and the stronghold disappears. Kirito does the mean beater show again, but the guilds do not make peace, and Kirito thinks back to the hooded poncho stranger, wondering if that was not Morte. Asuna and then Kizmel appear to support his position. The power balance shifts, forcing the guilds to converse, as Kizmel says she knew the human players were not of this world, summoned to fix the world and unify the Floors again. The both guilds abandon the questline and agree to a raid on December 20. Kirito makes peace with Lind and Kibaō.

The trio are tasked to bring the Jade Key to Floor 4 via the Spirit Tree far west of the Wavering Mists. They test the grounds and return for R&R. Further into the dungeons, they face Fallen Elves who were cooperating with Forest Elves, and take the Key to the Spirit Tree. Kizmel hugs Asuna and Kirito and goes alone into the Tree. The duo learn of a new boss trick in the campaign quest and present it to the guilds to see how Morte reacts. On December 21, the raid boss is defeated, Morte gone.

Kirito has grabbed the last attack bonus again, and Asuna complains as they go to Floor 4. They think about the meaning of a concerto again, and Asuna thinks Kizmel was playing solo there. They hope to see her again.

References

• SAO Progressive Volume 1 - Fan Wiki
• SAO Progressive Volume 1 - Yen Press
• SAO Progressive Volume 2 - Fan Wiki