r/swordartonline

I remembered that in the light novel, Eugeo mentioned something about Garitta, who after losing his wife who drowned, lost some memories of her, and that Garitta said something about how it's both "mercy and punishment" from Stacia.

Isn't that just Dementia? How could someone thought that their god is punishing them by 'losing memories of a loved one"? (Yes, i know stacia and the other goddesses are fake and made up) Just what on earth were the people of the Human Empire were told of Stacia anyways by the church?

Chapter 1

Steam drifted lazily through the locker room showers.

Suguha stood beneath the warm stream of water, letting it trickle over her smooth skin, the heat slowly easing away the fatigue from practice.

Her muscles ached pleasantly from training.

She was getting stronger.

The steady rhythm of practice, the familiar weight of the shinai, the gradual improvement she had worked so hard for—it all brought a quiet satisfaction.

A faint smile tugged at her lips as her thoughts wandered.

And—as they had been doing lately—they drifted toward Kazuto.

Images surfaced.

Not intentionally.

But they were there all the same.

His quiet kindness.

The gentle way he spoke when he lowered his guard.

The closeness they had when they were younger.

A warmth stirred unexpectedly in her chest.

She didn't understand it.

But wanted to.

"...Mm."

The sound escaped, almost subconsciously.

She froze.

Her eyes widened.

"W-What...?"

Her cheeks flushed almost instantly.

She turned away beneath the spray, and hid her face in her hands.

"Oh my God..." she muttered beneath her breath. "What was that about...?"

"...idiot."

Embarrassed, she hurried through the rest of her shower and dressed as quickly as she could.

When she stepped back into the locker room, however, something felt wrong.

A crowd was gathered near the television.

The usual chatter was gone.

The laughter too.

Replaced by tense voices and uneasy expressions.

Suguha slowed.

Something was wrong.

"What's going on...?"

She moved closer, weaving through the crowd.

"Why is this happening!?"

"My friend just bought that game..." another said, pale-faced.

"T-They aren't dead... are they?"

A chill ran through Suguha.

Game?

The television flickered overhead.

On screen, a news broadcast.

Too formal.

Too serious.

Too real.

"...213 confirmed deaths have occurred following attempts to remove the NerveGear headset..."

Her breath caught.

"...officials report the cause of death to be the microwave transmitters built into the device. Nearly ten thousand players remain trapped inside the VRMMORPG Sword Art Online..."

The words didn’t feel real at first.

Just noise, just numbers—but then they settled.

Heavy.

Unmistakable.

And somewhere beneath the shock, one thought surfaced—sharp and impossible to ignore.

Kazuto…

The room seemed to tilt.

No.

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.

No, no, no—

Kazuto.

That name hit her like ice water.

Her stomach twisted violently.

She forced herself to keep listening.

"...players are being transferred to medical facilities while authorities disconnect external power and internet access..."

Hospital.

The word cut through everything else.

Before the report had even finished, Suguha was already moving.

Running.

Her hands shook.

He wouldn't leave me like that... right?

───

I made it to SAO season 3. I’ve only recently started to pick up on the issues and at first it was fine but it seems to be getting progressively worse. I’ve reached my breaking point at epi 12. Keep in mind I’m watching on the English dub. The audio is completely out of wack. Like dialogue not lining up. Sometimes just none at all! I checked ChatGPT and apparently this is common. I’ve got 2 seasons and a movie with the dub and while I don’t mind subs it’s a frustrating transition mid series…

Anyone got any solutions? Or know around what epis the bug resolves itself.

Please help new fan of the series!