Sword Art Online: Progressive - Aria of a Starless Night 2021

As the year 2022 progresses, a groundbreaking virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game (VRMMORPG), called Sword Art Online (SAO), is brought to life by the brilliant Akihiko Kayaba. This extraordinary game is enabled through the NerveGear, an advanced FullDive device designed by Argus, which allows players to completely immerse themselves in this digital universe. By enveloping the player’s head, the NerveGear transmits brain signals, integrating their consciousness seamlessly with the game’s characters, eliminating the need for physical movement. This state-of-the-art technology boasts a self-sustaining power source and a high-frequency microwave transmitter, marking a notable innovation in gaming.

On November 6, 2022, a historic moment occurs when 10,000 players log into SAO simultaneously for the first time. To their dismay, they quickly learn that escaping this virtual dungeon is not as simple as they expected. Kayaba appears and reveals the shocking truth: to break free, players must work together to conquer all 100 floors of Aincrad, a massive steel castle that serves as the game’s setting. The stakes are terrifyingly high, as failure to complete this daunting quest could mean death in the game—or worse, irreversible brain damage if the NerveGear is removed.

Amidst this chaos, Asuna, who had entered the virtual world with her friend Mito, finds herself overwhelmed and bursting with uncertainty. Unlike the excitement they shared during their initial login, her experience is fraught with peril. As a former beta tester, Mito strives to guide Asuna through the game’s challenges, helping her level up and build a formidable team. Their journey leads them to confront the nepenthes, a fearsome plant monster dwelling in the perilous mountains of the first floor. Mito warns Asuna about the dire consequences of attacking the nepenthes overhead, yet, in a moment of distraction, Asuna unwittingly summons a horde of these menacing plants, leading to a desperate struggle for survival.

In a gripping moment, as Asuna battles for her life against the relentless nepenthes, she receives a devastating blow to her health bar. Mito, trapped on the opposite side of a chasm, is powerless to assist her friend. Just when all hope seems lost, Kirito arrives, defeating the monstrous foes and providing Asuna with healing potions and a map to safety before vanishing as suddenly as he appeared.

After this harrowing encounter, Asuna awakens in her lodge room on November 27, 2022, fueled with a fierce determination. Resolving that if she is to die in this digital realm, it will be on her own terms, she embarks on a personal quest that sees her vanquishing monster after monster within treacherous caves. Eventually, Kirito discovers Asuna’s solitary venture and urges her to take a break and recuperate, yet she refuses, pushing herself to the brink of exhaustion. In a tender moment, Kirito nurses Asuna back to health, subsequently inviting her to an important meeting in town concerning their first major challenge: defeating the infamous Illfang, the Kobold Lord.

As the sun sets, Kirito and Asuna enter town, where they come across a strategic gathering led by Diabel, who outlines a plan for each party to unite against Illfang. While scanning the room, Asuna’s eyes settle on Mito, a familiar yet distant figure shrouded in past hurt. The memories of their earlier bond weigh heavily on Asuna, but she chooses to focus on the impending battle rather than confronting her feelings of betrayal.

Later that night, Kirito gifts Asuna a shiny new sword, and they train together, at which point Asuna shares her fears about the beta testers. She recounts her own experience of betrayal, and Kirito reveals a similar past, creating an emotional bond between them as they grapple with the motives of survival in this unforgiving world.

The following day, the group unites in the boss room for a fateful battle against Illfang and his minions. In a twist of fate, just as Diabel lines up the final blow, he is suddenly defeated by Illfang’s unexpected attack. With his dying breath, he charges Kirito to defeat the boss and protect their fellow players.

With Asuna and Mito by his side, Kirito manages to overcome Illfang, but their victory is short-lived as other players accuse him of holding back vital information about the fight, labeling him a “beater”—a derogatory term for one who mixes beta testing with cheating. Unbothered by the title, Kirito embraces it and claims his reward: a sleek black trench coat, solidifying his position as a force to be reckoned with in SAO.

In the aftermath, Mito extends a heartfelt apology to Asuna for past mistakes, but after some reflection, Asuna gently declines Mito’s offer to reform their original party. She recognizes a new purpose within herself and decides to venture out with Kirito, setting off towards the second floor. As they prepare to activate the teleporter, they attract the attention of a mysterious figure lurking nearby, her eyes sparkling with intrigue and unease as she observes the emergence of this powerful new duo.