The Aincrad Arc is the first story arc of the Sword Art Online series. It covers the journey of Kirito within the VRMMOPRG Sword Art Online. In terms of the Sword Art Online timeline, the events of the Aincrad Arc take place between November 6, 2022, and November 7, 2024. The events of this arc are detailed within the following media: Sword Art Online Light Novel volumes 1 and 2, Sword Art Online - Aincrad Manga volumes 1 and 2, and episodes 1-14 of the Sword Art Online Anime.

Story

The world's first FullDive game SAO that features a skyborne 100-floor multi-biome construct Aincrad, releases a month after a week-long closed beta stage with 1,000 testers, and sells out completely at 10,000 copies. On the first day of the official launch, there is no log-out button, all avatars are replaced by the players' real faces and bodies, and the Game Master Akihiko Kayaba declares the death in-game is real due to hidden tricks in the FullDive machine, and nobody logs out until the last floor boss is beaten. Kirito, a former beta tester with certain skill, gets a headstart and plays solo.

A month later, two thousand people are dead with zero floors cleared. Kirito discovers a large enmity towards the former beta testers who seem to be expected to protect and lead the new people. He meets another solo player Asuna during a gathering to raid the floor 1 boss and works with her on the raid, finding out she is good. The "cheater" beta-tester hatred returns as they clear the quest, so Kirito decides to focus the hatred on himself, plays the comic villain and agrees to be called "beta testing cheater" — "Beater" then leaves for floor 2.

Four months later, Kirito is at level 40 and agrees to join the Moonlit Black Cats, a hopeful guild of level 20s, and help them develop. Sachi, a member, confides her fear of death to Kirito, who promises not to let her die. Later, the MBC become capable fighters, but wander into a trap in an overleveled dungeon and are massacred except the leader, who was away to buy a guild house, and the overleveled Kirito. Upon learning the news, the leader refuses to live. Half a year later, Kirito learns of a reviving item and rushes to defeat the Christmas event boss, but the item only revives those still visible in game, which is no more than ten seconds after reaching zero hit points, and gives it away to his old in-game acquaintance Klein who helped him get to the boss. Then Kirito receives a delayed voice message from Sachi who forgives and consoles him in advance (at recording time).

Kirito meets Silica and offers her help to get the item to revive her famililar Pina. However, there is more to it than meets the eyes, and Kirito not only helps Silica get it but also uses her as bait to apprehend a player-killing (PK) rogue guild as a revenge for the sake of their former victim.

Kirito rests on the grass and Asuna passes by and tells him off for it. He offers her to treat the game as reality since it offers sensory experiences too. Asuna relaxes and falls asleep until sunset, Kirito watching over her. She is embarrassed but offers him a dinner as thanks. Suddenly, they find a seeming murder scene right in the safe zone. They hone in on the truth of the story with explanations from the victim's friend, and advice from Asuna's guild leader Heathcliff. A cloak-and-dagger adventure later, they discover the murderer and hand him over to the near-victims. They witness a ghost inside the game.

Asuna's friend Lisbeth the blacksmith is furious over Kirito having a stronger sword (Elucidator) than anything she has made so far, and they go on a quest to get materials for a better sword. During the travel and the fight with a white dragon, Kirito impresses her with consideration and dependability. They end up in a trap for the night, and find the materials there. Kirito seizes the opportunity to get them out of the trap, and receives a new sword (Dark Repulser) in exchange of Lisbeth becoming his personal blacksmith just because she likes him now and wants to see him more. Then Asuna appears and Lisbeth realizes it was Kirito that Asuna liked, so she steps aside to cry in a corner where Kirito finds and comforts her.

Continued on page 2

References

SAO Anime - Fan Wiki