As I write this, we’re now up to episode 9 of Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld, after a first cour of 24 episodes. The second cour has already scored one Caw Out Awards: Most Unexpected Thermonuclear Strike To The Feels (Fall 2019 Edition) (October 19, 2019). Now, it’s earned its second.
And I haven’t emotionally recovered from the first award!
Since the day Kirito went into the online world in Sword Art Alicization, I’ve wanted to see what Asuna could do in this world. But to see what she can do, she has to get into the world. And we’ve waited 20+ episodes with her on the outside looking in.
The wait is finally over. And it earned a Caw Out Award for badassery.
It was near the end of the episode. One of the villains, Vassago Casals, slipped behind the Integrity Knight’s lines and began murdering the pickets for the supply division. That’s the division guarding Kirito. Ronie Arabel suspected something was wrong, and even perceived Vassago, who thought he was undetectable. But she soon found she was fighting a foe well beyond her capabilities. It didn’t help that he brought a company of troops with him. She tried to fight, but ended up on the ground, his blade pressed against his throat, with him gloating that he loved Player Killing (PKing).

Ronie tried her best, but she was pitted against a foe who had eluded even the Knights of the Blood Oath in their prime, all the way back in the days of Aincrad. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Despite her terror, a glimmer of light in the sky drew her attention. Vassago looked up, too. There, descending from the on high, the light increasing with every passing second, was a female form.
I wondered if this could be the moment I’ve been waiting for. It was! And it was well worth the wait.
Ronie breathed, “Lady Stacia…” Apparently, she’s the Goddess of Creation in that world. Vassago stood, not knowing how to interpret what he was seeing. As Ronie used the opportunity to scramble to safety, the glowing goddess extended her hand, commanding the ground to consume Vasago’s troops.
And the ground obeyed.
Again she extended her hand. Again, she commanded the ground to consume her enemy. This time, the earth beneath Vassago’s feet gave way, and he fell into an abyss. As he fell, he knew who it was who had destroyed him and his troops.

Can’t say I’m upset to see him fall into an abyss. Maybe he’s gone for good? Well, I can hope… Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
“That has to be the KoB’s… ‘Lightning Flash’…” Vassago had been in Aincrad when Asuna had been second in command of the Knights of the Blood Oath. In fact, he had been one of the founders of Laughing Coffin, so he knew well who Asuna was.
And she was the one who swept him aside as if he were nothing.
I’ve waited over a year to see Asuna make it into this world. To see her arrive as a goddess, a goddess instantly recognizable to characters like Ronie… And to see her obliterate some seriously bad characters with literally a wave of her hand?
That’s good stuff.
That was indeed an AWESOME moment.
Finally, the story’s getting good! If you read the light novels, then you know things are about to get really really crazy!
“then you know things are about to get really really crazy!”
Now I’m really looking forward to the next episodes!
Asuna will _not_ be happy when she sees the state Kirito’s in. Pretty sure that’s going to trigger Momma Bear mode.
This second season is head and shoulders above the first…
I’m more worried about how Asuna and Alice May kill each other over him
To tell you the truth, I’m a little anxious about that myself!
“This second season is head and shoulders above the first…”
It’s not like that’s a particularly high bar…
I can’t really argue that point! 🙂
Oh, without a doubt.