In 2022, the ingenious Akihiko Kayaba introduces a groundbreaking virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game (VRMMORPG) aptly named Sword Art Online (SAO). This astonishing creation, unveiled in the first volume of the Sword Art Online: Progressive light novel series, utilizes the sophisticated NerveGear, a second-generation FullDive device devised by Argus under Kayaba’s brilliant guidance. The NerveGear envelops the player’s head with a singular interface and compellingly controls their consciousness by redirecting brain signals. This means players can captivate and command their in-game avatars solely through thought, crafting a deeply immersive experience devoid of any physical movement. Moreover, this device possesses its own power source and an advanced microwave transmitter, pushing the boundaries of technology.

A few months prior to the eagerly anticipated launch, beta testers engage in epic confrontations against formidable floor bosses. In a surprising turn of events, an enigmatic player swoops in to deal the final blow, advancing the game forward. However, as reality sets in, a shocking announcement pierces through the excitement: the beta testing phase comes to a sudden halt, and players must await the illustrious official debut on November 6, leaving one player disheartened by the abrupt disqualification from progressing further.

Fast forward to November 6, 2022, anticipation culminates as 10,000 players eagerly log into SAO, only to be met with a horrifying reality—there’s no option to log out. Kayaba emerges to ominously instruct them that their only means of escape hinges upon conquering all 100 floors of Aincrad, the steel fortress that serves as the heart of SAO. The harrowing stakes are unfathomable: dying in-game equates to death in the real world, as the NerveGear is programmed to obliterate one’s brain if forcibly removed while the player is still inside the game. This revelation sends shockwaves through the players, transforming the once joyous game into a frantic struggle for survival.

Among those ensnared in this treacherous reality is Asuna, who initially logged in to enjoy the game with her school friend Misumi Tozawa, known as Mito in the immersive realm. Asuna grapples with this new, life-threatening situation. However, taking advantage of Mito’s previous experience as a beta tester, the two women collaborate and rapidly escalate in strength by confronting monsters beyond the reach of novice players gathered at the starting town. Deep within a cave, they uncover a treasure chest that piques their interest, but Mito wisely cautions against opening it, suspecting it to be a trap, as no beta tester would have overlooked such a treasure. Tragically, their instinct proves correct—they witness hapless players fall into a deadly ambush after triggering the ransacked chest, and Asuna is left shaken by the brutal reminder of their mortality.

Weeks trickle by, and during a perilous encounter with the plant-like nepenthes in a mountainous expanse, Asuna makes a grave mistake while Mito is preoccupied. They are engulfed in a swarm of hostile plants, and Mito, horrified, decides to disband their party to safeguard herself. Asuna’s health depletes alarmingly until a heroic figure, Kirito (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka), arrives just in time to eliminate the monstrous threat. He gifts Asuna healing potions and a map back to safety before vanishing into the horizon.

Upon returning to her rented inn, an unexpected sight greets Asuna: the logout button reappears. Eager for relief, she presses it, fading back into reality to share a mundane dinner with her mother. However, this fleeting sense of joy shatters when a message from Mito awakened that bitterness, leading Asuna to realize her ongoing struggles are unyielding even in their digital form.

On the morning of November 27, 2022, Asuna makes a bold declaration about her stakes in this world: if death is to be her fate, it will be on her terms. Equipped with a cloak, she plunges into battle over three relentless days, vanquishing monsters. Yet exhaustion catches up to her, and Kirito finds her collapsed. He insists on her returning to town for recuperation, which she vehemently rejects.

In town, the duo attends a pivotal meeting organized by a player named Diabel, who lays out a strategic plan for tackling the first-floor boss, Illfang the Kobold Lord. Tensions rise as Kibaou, another player, accuses beta testers of responsibility for the deaths of 2,000 players. Despite this conflict, another player, Agil, defends the beta testers, asserting that blame should be redirected toward overcoming the boss. Asuna sees Mito among the attendees, feeling betrayal gnaw at her as memories of their past together resurface.

That night, Kirito presents Asuna with a new rapier, and they mutually hone their fighting strategies. Asuna pours out her heart about her experience with Mito, revealing how deeply she felt deserted and vulnerable. Kirito shares his understanding of fear and aggression while assuring her of Mito’s caring intentions. This revelation alleviates a fraction of Asuna’s heartache.

The climactic battle with Illfang looms, assembling Kirito, Asuna, Mito, Diabel, and the remaining party members in the boss room. They engage in a fierce fight, and just as Diabel prepares a finishing blow, he is fatally struck down. With his dying words, he urges Kirito to triumph in his stead. Just then, Mito discovers Asuna is alive and passes her a rare wind fleuret rapier. Together, they join forces as Kirito ultimately defeats Illfang, ushering in a moment of celebration among the surviving players—the first floor is cleared!

However, the joy is marred when Kibaou accuses Kirito of negligence in Diabel’s death, labeling him a “beater,” a derogatory fusion of “beta-tester” and “cheater.” In an act of bravery, Kirito decides to claim the title, deflecting hostility to safeguard his fellow beta-testers. Claiming the reward for defeating Illfang—a striking black leather trench coat—he strides through the gate, securing his status as the first player to conquer the first floor.

Upon recognizing the cloaked figure by Kirito’s side is indeed Asuna, Mito offers a heartfelt apology, expressing a desire to reconcile and rejoin her. Yet, Asuna declines, having forged a new direction for herself within SAO, one that steadfastly includes Kirito. They exchange farewell glances as Asuna embarks on her journey with Kirito into the unknown depths of the second floor, while an inscrutable girl watches from behind the gate, her keen interest piqued at the emergence of two of the most formidable players in this digital world.