^It's not the same for learning new stuffs, though. Kirito learned everything he knew from an RPG, which means that skill trees and quest logs are laid out for him as long as he has the level to take them. He didn't need to do any sort of research or try every possible angles to figure out what sword skill he could perform and their level requirement.
Further more, as a former SAO player who maxed his sword skills, it's possible to assume that he had already learned every single sword skills existing in the system (For his particular branch, One-handed twin-edges swords and Dual Blades). Another point is that UW's current Sword Skill systems is far less advance than Kirito's, with only Admin and Cardinal being the exception.
So, I'm just saying that Kirito couldn't have learned new Sword Skills while he's in UW.
And as a person, he would have at least taught Eugeo the sword moves, even if he's learning new ones. Kirito was a lot of things, but a stingy person is not one of them, and using underhanded method like keeping information away from his best friend to keep himself the stronger one is not how he does things.
I have no comment about who's more talented though.
« The voice I missed it so much I could cry, the voice I love so much I could go insane. That was——
"Whose voice is that?" »
waaahhh.. i cant get enough of this.. this line really.. my most awaited part.. uwaaahh. no words can explain what i feel right now..
sori' for not using spoiler tag(if i should) coz im on mobile and it isnt easy to use it. and SAOfreak thanks for the translation/summary..
__________________
«the world's unreasonable and unjust wherever you go, otherwise social stratification would not exist in the first place.. so why should i bother playing a SAINT if the world's very setup is already SHIT?, I live by my own rules!!» ~~mirai samejima
mine personal problem is the author gona do this repetitively on each new world/arc, aways gona be: kirito find a new game then gona get separated from asuna then a new girl pop up and gona fall for him while he total oblivious to this then in the end the girl gona find who he already deeply in love with other girl and gona heartbreak, a very repetitious plot like the author is unable to do anything different from that.
Spoiler:
the Girl in the latest Arc (underworld) is more aggressive then all the other girls and is making Asuna more nervous then all the other girls combine.
am i imagining thing or has sao anime skipped the most of volume 4 plot with the evil gods and excaliber underneeth the world tree?? ;/ i hoped too see in anime ;/
the Girl in the latest Arc (underworld) is more aggressive then all the other girls and is making Asuna more nervous then all the other girls combine.
and this the reason i started to hate this anime/NL since the SAO arc end, just become a bore harem with girls fall for the womanizer kirito who have only eyes for asuna, i dont see a reason to make girls fall for him if him already in love with asuna why not just get betters ways to improve this romance than just jealous and if the author want us see wonderfull 2d girls this can be easy done by "others ways" like fairy tail, kyoukay senjou, medaka box and others.
^ Reki caters to a wide array of fetishes. Watching all these girls hopelessly falling for the MC and see them all jealous and heartbroken is one such fetish.
You may not like it, and I know I don't like it either, but this kinda things have their audience, and that's all that matters for the author.
^ Reki caters to a wide array of fetishes. Watching all these girls hopelessly falling for the MC and see them all jealous and heartbroken is one such fetish.
You may not like it, and I know I don't like it either, but this kinda things have their audience, and that's all that matters for the author.
so bad , and very anoinning fetishe, like the "woman object" here only to show boobs, pants e looks like a bitch.
am i imagining thing or has sao anime skipped the most of volume 4 plot with the evil gods and excaliber underneeth the world tree?? ;/ i hoped too see in anime ;/
am i imagining thing or has sao anime skipped the most of volume 4 plot with the evil gods and excaliber underneeth the world tree?? ;/ i hoped too see in anime ;/
Here's a thought: I think we all know that the original Sword Art online volume 1 wasn't the best written of works, and had it's fair share of problems.
Can anyone who has managed to read SAO Progressive in it's entirety tell me how far Progressive has come from the Sins of the likes of ALO?
So far, from "Reasons behind the whisker", I think that it's fairly standard Shounenish fair, with an introverted and isolated Protagonist, though much better written than the original SAO, in terms of writing quality, with even more vivid characters.
Still, it feels that Kawahara didn't completely "reset" Kirito - he feels too much like later volume Kirito in some ways - and character development was one huge criticism of SAO (if, going by some of the more coherent and less rapid critiques floating around counts).
Of course, firstly, I think how Kirito actually developed in the original SAO Aincard Arc needs to be touched on more comprehensively.
Which is a shame - I think First Day Kirito was noticeably different from Alicization Kirito by a mile, but Reason Behind the Whiskers feels too much like Alicization Kirito at times. Maybe that's just me....
If you continue reading on with Rondo of the Transient Sword, you start seeing Kirito attempting to open up with others. I guess his openness towards people goes in an ebb and flow pattern. With events portrayed being defining moments in his life.
I was going to say how Vol. 1 was ok as a standalone, but then realized I really wanted more content. I do think most critics coherent complaints was time skips and "fast undeveloped romance." And yeah the harem was an outgrowth of Kawahara's initial difficulty in developing group interactions.
What I'm getting at is if one reads SAO chronologically with the Progressive chapters, most of the main complaints could be addressed.
I don't know. The SAO (game) world is just so vast and so much potential. I really don't know what people expected from it, another adventure with a party ala jrpg? another growth of a bumbling protagonist through spectacular trials? So I personally was surprised that it didn't focus much on the world itself, but on the relationship between 1 couple, Kirito and Asuna.
But yeah I just find it funny how people decry literary devices used extensively over time as "fetishes" as if it's a negative. It makes me want to say that maybe if people took a step back, treat it as what it is, science fiction and entertainment then maybe they could actually learn to enjoy media rather than torturing themselves keeping up with things they do not like at all.
I was going to say how Vol. 1 was ok as a standalone, but then realized I really wanted more content. I do think most critics coherent complaints was time skips and "fast undeveloped romance." And yeah the harem was an outgrowth of Kawahara's initial difficulty in developing group interactions.
Actually, that's an interesting point. Could it be that the reason why Kirito turned down Klein's invitation (something that would have drastically changed the SAO story) was partly because Kawahara himself had no confidence in writing that kind of large scale Male-Male character interactions (odd, since I'd have thought that Shounen provides lots of inspirations here) ?
But yes, most SAO Critics are assertion oriented - although the most popular form of bashing now centers around: Asuna/Kirto are Fail Characters with minimal character developments, Author Avatarship and Suish traits. I've yet to see one coherent thorough justification of this.
Actually, I also think one of the big problems of the Anime Adaptation is the axing of monologues- and that's how Kirito's character is actually developed. I suspect it's the lack of access to Kirito's internal thoughts , stated in the LN that actually leads to charges of Gary Stu- something I've not recalled any LN reader actually leveling.
I'm very surprised that no-one to my knowledge has leaped into the fanfic thread, and proposed a "Fix fic", if one of those things they bemoaned is the wasted potential of the concept. That could provoke quite an interesting discussion.
Interlude II is a short chapter in between chapter 7 and 8 of Alicization web version. In volume 10 of the published version, there is Interlude II as well, but that is actually the first few pages of the web version chapter 5, so please don't confuse.
Spoiler for summary of Interlude II:
On one cold morning in autumn, Alice looked out of the window after finished cleaning dishes. The weather was nice and clear, so she decided to ask the person to go out to the hill nearby.
There was no answer.
The young black haired man sitting on a chair in the small 2-room house just kept staring at the ground. He was very thin, clearly even more than Alice herself. He had no right arm. His pupils are jet black like his hair, but they had no light within. It pained her greatly to look at him in this state.
She suppressed her pain as she continued talking in a cheerful manner. She took of her apron and grabbed scarf and overcoat for both herself and the young man. It wasn't hard to put the overcoat on the man, as he could still stood on his own, although barely, of course, he couldn't walk.
She brought a wheelchair to replace the chair the man sat on until now, before pushing it out of the house. But before they could leave, the young man raised his voice 'Ah—…… ah—' and stretched his hand out, it was then, that she realized what she forgot.
She walked to the south wall of the room, there, stood three swords, on the right was her own golden long sword 'Sword of Fragrant Olive', on the left was the young man's jet black long sword 'Sword of Night Sky', and in the middle, the 'Sword of Blue Rose' was the pure white long sword of another young man, who was no longer here.
Alice grabbed the black sword and the white leather scabbard off the wall, the white sword had only half the weight of the black one, because its blade was half broken. She took both swords to the young man and placed them at his knees, he embraced the swords before continue looking down. The two swords were the only thing the young man would show any reaction to.
"……Alright, let's go, Kirito."
She swallowed the pain again before pushing the wheelchair out of the house.
The log house was built on the small clearing deep within the forest, Alice cut down the tree and tore of the bark herself, while elder Garitta helped with the construction. The house didn't look good, but it was strong enough for both of them.
Elder Garitta told Alice that this clearing was the place she and the owner of the Sword of Blue Rose always came to play when they were young, but of course, Alice didn't have any memory of that. She explained to all the villagers that she forgot her old memories, but the truth was, she actually Alice Synthesis Fifty, the Integrity Knight who occupied the body of Alice Schuberg of Rulid village. She wanted to return the body to her, but Alice Schuberg, as well as Eugeo, were no longer in this world.
From their house, walking about an hour would be Rulid village, but she would avoid going there if it wasn't necessary. She headed toward the east, to the hill she told Kirito earlier.
It was at the end of the tenth month, the weather was cold, she worry if it was too cold for Kirito or not, because he wouldn't say anything while his Life decreasing. After making sure the front of his neck was properly closed, she continued pushing the chair. Of course, she could easily create heat using sacred art, but she would avoid using high level sacred art that would cause the villagers to look at her in suspicious way.
After pushing the wheelchair for about ten minutes, she exited the forest and reached a small hill covered in short grass, she pushed the chair up until the summit of the hill.
What appeared before her was a vast blue surface of Ruhr lake, behind it was the Mountain range at the Edge, drew a curve from her left to the end of her vision on the right.
Before that beautiful scene, Kirito's pupils didn't look at it, he just continued looking into emptiness. Alice sat beside the chair and leaned on it.
"It's so beautiful, much more beautiful than the picture hangs at the Cathedral."
She muttered softly.
"……It's the world you protected."
She didn't know how long she sat there, but when she realized, Solus was already high up on the sky. She had to go back home to prepare lunch, she didn't worry about herself, but for Kirito, who barely ate, so she didn't want him to miss a meal.
As she began to push the chair, she noticed a sound of footstep on the grass climbed up the hill and turned around. It was a young girl dressed in black sister apprentice cloth and veil, her cute smile shone brightly as she waved her hand.
"Nee-sama!!"
Alice smile in returned as she waved slightly.
As the girl ran up the final ten meters distance and stopped in front of Alice, she continue saying without losing breath,
"Good morning, Alice nee-sama!"
She then turned and looked at the young man on the chair, before saying in even livelier voice,
"Kirito too, good morning!"
The smiled that was like she didn't worry about the lack of answer, changed into a painful feeling briefly as she looked at the two swords at Kirito's knees.
"……Good morning, Eugeo."
Muttered, as she caressed the scabbard of the Sword of Blue Rose. It was then that Alice greeted her in return.
"Good morning, Selka. I didn't expect you to know this place."
Selka-san, was what she called the girl until recently. But Alice still didn't know if she deserved this warmth from her beloved sister or not.
Selka told Alice that she left milk, some apples and cheese pie on the table in their house, and ask her to eat them during lunch. After Alice thanked her for the trouble, Selka joked that by eating Alice's cooking, one day Kirito might ran away on his own.
It was just this moment, when Alice could talk to Selka, embraced her, that she could forget about the sin tormenting her. She dropped her sword, ran away from her Knight's mission, and lived hidden in the middle of the forest to ease her feeling of guilt. But she knew full well that it was futile, as the end was coming close every moment from the direction of Mountain range at the Edge.
Half a year ago, on the top floor of Central Cathedral, laid on the floor, unable to move due to the severed injury, but Alice could still perceive what happened.
The fierce battle between Administrator and Kirito, the supreme priest got hold by Schuderkin and burnt away together. The death of Kirito's partner, Eugeo. His disconnected words in the final moment was still vivid in her memory.
Also, the words Kirito exchanged with the strange crystal handicraft, she couldn't understand but at the end, Kirito's body stiffed and collapsed.
Alice quickly tried to heal him, but he didn't regain conscious. Alice then checking the crystal handicraft Kirito spoke to, but its purple surface already changed black and never light up again.
Alice believed in Kirito's word that she had a sister, and in order to protect her sister, she stood to fight against the absolute ruler, Administrator. She never thought about being alive after the battle, she already chosen her own death when she threw herself in front of the blade of Administrator, but she still alive.
No matter how many times she called Kirito to take the responsibility for preventing her death, but he never wake up. After a long while, she stood up and checked the rest of the tower.
At the bath hall, Bercouli already returned to normal, she explained everything to him, after he asked a few questions, he asked her to entrust the rest to him. He gather the knights and explained.
About the result of the battle against Kirito and Eugeo, the supreme priest Administrator death.
About the supreme priest's plan to defense the Human World was to change half of its population into sword golems.
About the real identity of the commander of the Knights being Schuderkin alone.
The only thing Bercouli didn't tell the Knights was the fact that they weren't summoned from heaven, he judged that it might be too much for the other Knights.
There was a serious confusion among the Knight as they no longer had the absolute ruler they obeyed for so many years. But as their desire to protect the Human World was still the same, they continued following the leadership of Bercouli.
After ascertained the situation, Alice secretly left the capital, brought Kirito, who was still in coma state, along with her on the flying dragon. It was because some of the Knights still wanted to execute the traitors.
She wanted to give a proper medical treatment to Kirito but it required a roof and a bed, but she didn't have any money to rent a room around the outskirts of the Capital nor she wanted to use her Knight authority. She bet on a small ray of hope that she might be able to regain her loss memory if she had the warmth of the family in her home town, so she decided to fly toward the north, she took three days to reach the small village surrounded by forests near the Mountain range at the Edge.
She landed in the forest near the village to prevent the villagers to panic because of the flying dragon, before carrying Kirito on her back and walked to the village.
As she approached the village, a young man jumped out of the guardhouse to block Alice, as she looked suspicious with her bloodstained face, but the man recognized Kirito on her back, before he looked at her carefully and started realizing.
Alice told him she was Alice Schuberg and asked him to let her meet her father, the village chief, whose names were a couple of names she heard from Kirito. The guard's face turned from red to blue before rushing into the village.
As she waited for the village chief, the stare from the villagers weren't what she expected, it filled with cautious and slightly disgust.
Gasupht appeared from the crowd and embraced her, but she didn't have any tear, when her father asked if they had released her from the punishment, she told him it was more than punishment, as her memories were now all gone, and she had nowhere else to turn to.
Upon hearing, Gasupht closed his eyes and turned his back on her, before telling her to go away, as his village couldn't accept a sinful people.
Just recalling this caused Alice body to became stiff, she didn't want to make Selka worry. It was Selka who called her when she came back to the forest after being told off by her father. Without the help from Selka and Garitta, Alice was certain that she and Kirito would be in a wasteland somewhere now.
It wasn't easy for such a little girl to hear all the news at once, about her only sister losing all memories. About Kirito she met two years ago was in coma. And about the death of Eugeo, who was like her own brother.
But Selka only shed her tear just once, and after that, she always showing her best smile to Alice. The strength of her heart was something Alice really admired, and at the same time, she felt greatly guilty.
After building a log house at the eastern forest outside of the village boundary with the help from elder Garitta, Alice started performing treatment on Kirito using abundant blessings from Solus and Terraria. All his wounds were healed without difficulty and he finally regained conscious, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't restore his right arm. After several hours of trying, she gave up and used the remaining power to restore her right eye under the bloodstained bandage.
Also, there was no sign of Kirito's heart to come back.
Selka assured her that with her earnest nursing, Kirito would certainly come back one day, but Alice knew deep down it was impossible, because she was just a mindless knight doll.
Before their parting, Selka told Alice that Nigel Barbossa asked Alice to help cutting down the tree blocking his field expansion. Selka strongly against Alice helping them, because they drove Alice out of the village but only called when they need help with such things.
Selka asked Alice to refuse, said she would take care of what they need for living, and next year when she promoted to a sister, she could give part of her wage to Alice so she wouldn't need to help them for a wage anymore.
Alice appreciated Selka offer, but she didn't want to bother her sister, she was happy enough with Selka being with her. She told Selka she'd go after the lunch.
After preparing and eating lunch (Kirito didn't have any memory but his mouth still retained its muscle memory, so he could still eat, albeit slowly). Alice hid her body and hair in a thick garment and pushing the chair out of the house again.
After a while, they reached the southern forest, where Gigas Cedar once stood until two years ago. The fallen Cedar was still there, decaying, but Kirito had no reaction toward it, just kept hugging the two swords while looking down.
There, she met Nigel Barbossa, who asked her to cut down a lone platinum oak, which many villagers were cutting with their axe. Alice glanced at the one mel diameter tree and noticed the nick on its trunk was still less than ten cens
He wasn't supposed to ask for Alice help more than once a month, but he didn't want to be slower in expansion than Ridack, his rival farmer family, so he asked her for help today. He reminded her that he always gave sweets to her during her childhood, Alice agreed to help, saying she'd help only just this once, before proceeding to the oak.
Alice was greeted by vulgar smirk from the men at the oak, but they already knew of her strength, so they stopped swinging their axes and made way for her.
After checking Life of the oak from its Stacia Window, Alice knew it'd take too long to cut it down using axe, she then returned to Kirito to borrow his black sword. At first his body became stiff after she asked, but after a short while he relaxed his arm as he said '……ah—'
She returned to the tree with Kirito's sword in hand, after saying sorry to the oak, which should be over a hundred years old, she swung the sword once.
Nothing happened, just when the men started ridiculing her, the oak fell down. Alice checked the cut on the tree trunk and noticed her skill had become dull due to the lack of practice.
Barbossa impressed by her skill and asked her to help him once a week, no, daily, in exchange for the increase wage, which Alice politely declined. He then changed to pay her not to help Ridack when it was his turn to ask. Alice was shocked by his demand, but before she could respond.
A sound came from behind, she turned around and saw Kirito and his chair fall sideway, his outstretched arm pointed to the Sword of Blue Rose on the ground slightly away from him, which three boys were trying to pick it up.
Alice quickly jumped to them and demanded the sword back, but they said they was given the permission from Kirito as he said 'Ah ah' when they asked.
The Sword of Night Sky in her hand trembled in her anger, if it was her old self, the arms of those boys would be cut into six pieces instantly due to the 'disrespect conduct toward Integrity Knight'. But Alice bit her tooth, tried to control her anger, because those boys, were the people of Human World Kirito and Eugeo tried to protect with their lives, Alice knew Kirito wouldn't want her to harm them.
The boys scared by her angry face and gave in, returned the sword to her. She picked the chair up and helped Kirito sat on it, before placing both swords at his knee and began pushing the chair away from the field.
Such event wasn't the first time happened to Alice, as the villagers didn't treat Alice and Kirito as Human, but the monsters from the Dark Territory. Alice already grateful that they still sell her food and things she need for living.
But at the same time, she couldn't help but kept asking herself why they had to suffer like that. Why they had to protect these people to this extend that even Cardinal and Eugeo gave up their lives, that Kirito loss his speech and emotion. She asked herself if those villagers had any meaning or value to be protected.
It was all those doubts, that drove Alice to drop her sword and status as the third rank Knight and came to live in this small village.
At the moment, Bercouli was building an army at the Eastabarieth Empire, which would be the main route of the invasion from Dark Territory due to the existence of the 'Great Eastern Gate' at the Mountain range at the Edge. They were clearly still lacking in morale, weapons and manpower, given her stand point, Alice wouldn't hesitate to join.
But she already abandoned her sword.
She helped defeating the supreme priest, who she gave her utmost loyalty. The three gods of creation she always believed in weren't exist. And seeing too much of the ugliness in human soul. All made her doubt to the point she could no longer swing her sword.
Now, there was only three person she wanted to protect. Selka, elder Garitta, and Kirito, in order to protect them, Alice determined to continue living here.
After she bought a week worth of foodstuff, and pushed the wheelchair back to their home, the sky was already in sunset color. Before she open the door, she noticed a sound of wind from the treetops nearby. Appearing in the low altitude was a flying dragon, Alice's Knight Dragon, her name is Amayori.
When she came to her, Alice noticed she was a little chubby and scolded her that she ate too much fish from the lake, while smiling, before the dragon retreated to her own bed in the back of the log house.
Several months back, Alice removed the metal mouthpiece from Amayori and set her free, so the dragon could return to the flying dragon lair in the western region. But Amayori chose to stay with Alice, during day time, she would play in the forest and find the food from the lake, but she would always return in the evening.
After saying good night to Amayori, she made dinner and eating with Kirito, once they finished, she heard a sound of flapping wing outside, feared that it might be the dark knight from Dark Territory, she came out to confirm it and found that the visitor was none other than Eldré, her own disciple.
Alice invited him for the meal and asked why he found her here. He said it was just coincident, as he was on duty to check the Dark Territory movement on the northern border, as the new Knight recruit reported he saw an army of beasts on this side, but Eldré found nothing so far and was on the way back to the eastern empire.
Unlike the Great Eastern Gate on the east, the south/west/north caves of Mountain range at the Edge weren't big enough for large body of troll or orc to pass through, but to be on the safer side, Bercouli ordered to destroy the caves. It was also the reason Alice chose to stay here, as it was less likely to be engulfed in flame of war once the invasion began.
Once Eldré finished eating, he asked Alice to come back to join the Knights, Alice declined without giving her reason, Eldré assumed it was because of Kirito and wanted to kill him to set Alice free, but was forbidden.
Eldré let out his frustration that if Kirito truly wanted to protect the Human World, wasn't now the time to grab his sword, but there was no respond from the young black haired man.
Alice apologized Eldré that she couldn't help the Knights, and it wash't because of Kirito, but she no longer had power to even stood against her own disciple. Eldré couldn't argue more and brought out two glasses before pouring wine he brought along, saying farewell to his master, before leaving.
It was time for bed, Alice took off a black dressing gown from Kirito and covered him in a night cloth before pushing the chair into the bed room. She laid him on the big bed next to the window and pulled the blanket up to his neck, Kirito's half sleepy eyes kept looking at the ceiling the entire time.
Alice remove the light from the lamp in the bed room before changing into night cloth herself, after locking the door and removing light from the lamp in the living room, she returned to the bed room and laid on the bed beside Kirito.
She couldn't sleep, various thoughts surrounded her keeping her awake, if the flame of war broke out, it will certainly reach this village sooner or later, and no one would be able to stop it. But when Kirito talked with the 'Gods' from the other side, she remember the word 'World End Alter', which was to the south after exiting the Great Eastern Gate. But Alice couldn't understand why the Gods wanted Kirito to bring her to Dark Territory.
Alice looked over to the other side of the bed, to the wound young man, before moving herself closer and embracing his thin body. But no matter how much strength she put into her arms, she couldn't see any sign of a response from him. Painful, Alice wanted everything to burn to ash as soon as possible, she couldn't stand it much longer.
Now if I have a sword in my hand——
I would pierce our hearts together, then everything will be over.
With that moment of thought, hot tear spilled off her eyes before scattered on Kirito's neck.
"Please tell me…… what should I do……"
There was no answer.
"I…… what should I…………"
In the silence, only the tree tops shook by late autumn night breeze passing through.
-End of Interlude II-
Currently, I don't think I'll have time to do further summary of chapter 8 and beyond, so I'm sorry.
There is a trivial I forgot to add in the last summary of Alicization web chapter 7.
Spoiler for regarding Cardinal:
Her old name was Riséris, she was daughter of Quinera (Administrator). Both of them don't like being called with their old names, and Quinera always addressing Cardinal as 'midget'.
And about a comment a while back, saying I spent 2 pages describing a certain scene but didn't mention much about another major scene.
Spoiler:
Both death of Cardinal and Eugeo were painful enough to read, I don't really want to rub it in by spending too much time on it and readers would get to read it in full later on anyway, but I chose to focus on Eugeo's because there were a few things revealed at the same time, such as the name of the black sword I wondered for long, as well as the fate of Alice Schuberg.
About Cardinal decision to give her life:
In beginning of chapter, when she explained everything to Kirito in the library, she told him Quinera couldn't kill human, it was an absolute rule just like Cardinal herself couldn't place a tea cup directly on a table.
But in the actual battle against Administrator, Kirito and Cardinal realized they were wrong. While Cardinal confident she could deal a great deal of damage to Administrator, but the life of the three children might be loss in the process.
So Cardinal chose to trade her own live for the survival of the three children.
2012-11-30, 05:36
