- Y'know, I WOULD be interested in hearing what Kirito has to say about his aversion towards NPCs dying, but it's never mentioned after this exchange. Like, ever.

- Asuna's sure made a name for herself. For reference, Knights of the Blood Oath is the largest guild in SAO.

- Here's something I can get behind. Asuna is focused on going back to the real world, while Kirito has become complacent in the virtual reality. It's an interesting conflict because while you may argue that nothing in SAO is real, and that nothing you feel, breathe, taste, and touch are real, but those stimuli nevertheless exist. You're alive. It may be in a crapsack world, but it would not be so wrong to feel as if SAO has, quite literally, taken over your real life.

- However, every time the camera shifts back to a character's POV, there's the distortion coming from the headgear's visor, serving as a constant reminder that they're in a game.

- I have met no one whose hair unfurls like that when they sleep.

- Aaaaand now you expect me to believe that Kirito watched Asuna sleep until sunset. we twilight now.

- The drool and blade of grass on the cheek are a nice touch, I admit.

- Why is Asuna so outrageously touchy about people seeing (read: not necessarily staring at) her sleep? Enough to buy off Kirito's silence with food?

- Ah, she literally made a name for herself.

- Exposition tiems. Let's talk about how to kill people in safe zones while we wait for dinner to arrive!

- WHEN SUDDENLY

- DROP THE ADVENTURE, WE'VE STUMBLED UPON A MYSTERY!

- "I just came here to eat dinner" Well, I came here to solve mysteries and snort coke, and I'd rather snort coke.

- can we not

- Seems like someone couldn't spell "Your Mother's Lodge" correctly.

- I do like Asuna's characterization so far. She negates a lot of Kirito's douchebaggery by being *gasp* independent.

- God Egil, don't make it gay.

- Okay what is with this [radio edit]ing show and butts. Also why wouldn't you test out a weapon's deadliness if it's supposedly killed someone in a safe zone?

- I mean, she drops the [radio edit]ing blade into Egil's hand and it doesn't make even a scratch.

- Apparently this murder is a continuation of an old guild feud where someone else was murdered.

- Showing the blood-red reflection of a person with their eyes obfuscated is kind of a dead giveaway that she's not being honest. C'mon.

- Married couple in question. Wait, when did simple start talking about married couples? I didn't. I just reeeeaaaallllly don't care about what's happening right now. Also it's a wonder that none of these rookie detectives ever suspected that the husband killed the wife.

- Lines without context!

- More lines without context!

- I dunno Kirito, a system where the rewards only go to the last-hitter seems inherently unfair.

- she ded

- Sheesh, she then proceeds to fly out of the window and fizzle away. Drama queen much.

- The supposed murderer teleports away, which gives us this animation to consider when we get into the reveal later.

- Note, Griselda is the woman who was murdered in the guild. Also, are we seriously going to consider ghost stories in an MMO.

- Kirito doesn't believe in ghosts. He's a big boy.

- Stop the presses, guys, Asuna made Kirito a sandwich.

- What the [radio edit] SAO, that sandwich was still good. The real world certainly doesn't operate on the one second rule.

- OTL

- are we seriously. Did he just. Because of a [radio edit]ing sandwich?

- Kirito is basically saying that none of these people died within the safe zone, essentially destroying their armor while teleporting away, thereby making it look like they died.

- Now see, I'd buy this argument if the teleport particles actually matched what happened here. To put it quite simply, they don't. So this is entirely bullshit.

- Even this doesn't make a lot of sense because there was a stabbing noise before she "died".

- This has a lot of other implications as well. What stops anyone from stabbing people just so that their clothing disappears? Obviously there aren't any law enforcement if all authority in this investigation lays in the hands of a vice-guild leader and her lv 9001 Solo Beater Dark Swordsman Detective.

- BUT LOOK, they're indeed still alive! WHY.

- Oh, because they needed to justify the episode title.

- Here's another thing. So we know that these people are on a completely different floor, and they're soon going to be in danger of being ded'd. Kirito and Asuna are on a completely different floor. These people should be dead by the time Kirito even discovers the "killing method". But nooooo, let's stop time for a second.

- God hooded man, don't make it gay.

- Anyways, Kirito and Asuna go back inside the restaurant to discuss the case Law and Order style before getting into the topic of in-game marriages. Asuna tries to make it sound romantic since it's pragmatic, but no. In-game marriages are pretty dumb.

- So they discuss that, then FINALLY figure out that the murderer may have been the husband after all, go ALL THE WAY to a completely different floor, get a [radio edit]ing horse, somehow stop a murderer mid-swing because of said horse in the distance, watch as this horse drops the shit out of Kirito for laughs, and wait for him to shoo the horse away before finally gloating over the fact that he just saved these people's lives.

What a terrible PK guild.

- Ah, now we know that red players exist.

- How convenient, the murderer is here to explain himself!

- Compare this strong, independent lady to Grimlock's idea of an ideal wife, realize that this is the only reason he killed her, and join me as I proceed to give no [radio edit]s about this entire mystery, and these two episodes altogether.

- This villain is so comically evil that the main characters can easily dismantle their beliefs.

- And he responds by collapsing to his [radio edit]ing knees. How rich.

- Actually you've been away from the front lines for two episodes.

- Ghost!Griselda approves of this arc.

- Okay. Are you telling me that Ghost!Griselda's very existence was only meant to disprove Kirito's notion that ghosts don't exist? Is it even possible to marginalize your own mystery arc any further?

- Hold on. Asuna hangs out with Kirito for more than 48 hours and now she asks to friend him.

ASKS.