Following a mighty clash, Kirito and Eugeo find themselves separated for the last leg of their journey to the top of Central Cathedral. Kirito, forced into an unlikely alliance with Alice the Integrity Knight, continues his climb from the outside, while trying not to fall to his death. At the same time, Eugeo must face off against the Integrity Knight Commander himself, Bercouli Synthesis One! Although the journey is nearing its end, they'll soon learn that the cathedral is still full of surprises...

READ THE NOVEL THAT IGNITED THE PHENOMENON! Kirito has faced innumerable hardships in the two long years since he first awoke in the Underworld, but his greatest battle yet lies ahead. As they near Administrator's chamber at the top of Central Cathedral, Kirito and Alice confront a heartrendingly familiar foe on the ninety-ninth floor. The final obstacle standing before them is none other than Eugeo...wearing the armor of an Integrity Knight! Can Kirito's cries reach Eugeo in the tortured recesses of his mind? Or will Administrator have the last laugh?!

Two years after waking up in a mysterious fantasy world, Kirito and his oddly human NPC friend, Eugeo, continue their quest to become Integrity Knights--and find Alice, who disappeared so long ago and yet has somehow lingered in the back of Kirito's mind. Their journey takes them to the Imperial Swordcraft Academy, where they must train to become two of the top twelve seats in the class to have even a hope of seeing Alice again. Meanwhile, as Asuna desperately searches for Kazuto Kirigaya, she stumbles across the deeper secret of his new world...

Vor über zwei Jahren landete Kirito, der Held der SAO-Krise, in einer rätselhaften Fantasy-Welt: Underworld. Auf halbem Weg zur Spitze der Central Cathedral, um dort endgültig der Welt zu entfliehen, wurden nun auch noch er und sein Freund Eugeo getrennt. Doch Kirito gibt nicht auf und macht sich von außen an den Aufstieg. Ihm bleibt keine andere Wahl, als mit dem Feind zusammenzuarbeiten, und ständig droht der Sturz in den Tod. Eugeo trifft es noch härter: Er muss sich dem Kommandanten der Integrationsritter, Bercouli Synthesis One, stellen!

Read the novel that ignited the phenomenon! In the year 2022, gamers rejoice as Sword Art Online - a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) like no other - debuts, allowing players to take full advantage of the ultimate in gaming technology: NerveGear, a system that allows users to completely immerse themselves in a wholly realistic gaming experience. But when the game goes live, the elation of the players quickly turns to horror as they discover that, for all its amazing features, SAO is missing one of the most basic functions of any MMORPG - a log-out button. Now trapped in the virtual world of Aincrad, their bodies held captive by NerveGear in the real world, users are issued a chilling ultimatum: conquer all one hundred floors of Aincrad to regain your freedom. But in the warped world of SAO, "game over" means certain death - both virtual and real...

After successfully untangling themselves from a dangerous encounter with the Black Poncho Man and clearing the fifth floor of Aincrad, Kirito and Asuna head to the next challenge, an area filled with...puzzles? What's more, because of the precarious balance of power between two large guilds aiming for the same item, "The Flag of Valor", there's also a murderous PK group to be wary of. As the problems seem to pile up, Kirito and Asuna face the sixth floor of Aincrad completely unaware of the malicious trap awaiting them!!

A BRAND-NEW BATTLEFIELD AWAITS! The fifth Squad Jam has had one surprise twist after another, and it’s finally reaching a climax. Other teams have proven they’re more interested in Llenn’s hundred-million-credit bounty than winning the competition! It doesn’t help that even her friends are tempted to take her out as well. Thanks to the target on her back, Llenn’s allies are dropping like flies. It all comes down to a game of tower defense—will Llenn persevere when she’s caught between a hail of bullets and a ten-thousand-foot drop?!