Books by Reki Kawahara

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Book SynopsisDie in the game, and you die in real life. This is Sword Art Online, the latest VRMMORPG, and Kirito now finds himself trapped in its unforgiving virtual world. By chance, he comes across a swordswoman named Asuna, who agrees to team up with him to challenge the boss of the first floor. The two join a large raid party to take down the beast, but when its attack patterns become unpredictable, the group''s resolve will be tested

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Book SynopsisYuuma Ashihara is playing Actual Magic, a virtual reality MMORPG, when it suddenly begins to fuse with the real world. While he tries to make sense of what's happening, he runs into Sumi, one of his classmates. Before, she was one of the cutest girls in his grade, but she's undergone a terrible metamorphosisinto one of the game''s monsters! From the author of Sword Art Online and Accel World comes a story beyond VR and AR, where game and reality are one and the same.

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Book Synopsiswith Sky Raker and learn the clear conditions of Brain Burst as well as what lies at the pinnacle of the Accelerated World. When they arrive, they are warmly received by the dark silhouette of the dual-bladed swordsman, Graphite Edge! But Haruyuki can't afford to be stopped at this critical juncture. For in addition to finding the answers he seeks, Haruyuki learns that the Castle is home to The Fluctuating Light!

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Book SynopsisKlever, a SAO survivor currently working as a detective inside the VRMMORPG Asuka Empire, has another case on his hands. A girl who bears a mysterious resemblance to a new quest character needs help finding her missing father. Though the man in question went missing in the real world, Klever, along with his helpers Nayuta and Koyomi, will have to hit the streets in Asuka Empire to figure out what happened. Meanwhile, Nayuta and her friends visit a hot spring and attend a capybara festival, all within the game!

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Book SynopsisRead 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...

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Book SynopsisWhen a secret recipe deal with the Elves and Shoemaker Guild goes wrong, Lisbeth and the girls find themselves face-to-face with none other than the ghost of Rossa! Just what could be the connection between Lisbeth's quest and Lux's old friend?!

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Book SynopsisThis third collection of SAO illustrations highlights events from Volumes 16 through 22 of the main story, as well as Volumes 1 through 3 of Sword Art Online: Progressive. Art from the anime and games is also featured, along with all-new illustrations you won't find anywhere else!

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Book SynopsisIt's been a month since Kirito and Asuna returned from the Underworld. Together again with Alice, who managed to secure a life in the real world, it should've been happily ever after...But, as luck would have it, the three find themselves involved in a VRMMO by the name of Unital Ring, and all their stats have been reset to level one! It's time for Kirito to put his experience to the test in a genuine Survival MMO!

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Book SynopsisThe virtual world of ALfheim Online might not be literally deadly, but there''s still plenty of tough adventuring to be had. The trio of Liz, Silica, and Leafa set out on a quest for a magical ring but immediately run into monsters tougher than they expected. A certain black-clothed swordsman comes to their rescue--but it''s not Kirito?! It seems the game of death has had lingering emotional effects on everyone, and even the survivors bear scars. But the trio have gotten through tough times before, and they''re not gonna let a buffed boss stand between them and their goal! Even if they succeed in finishing the quest, though, will they be able to heal the mysterious sword-wielder''s broken heart...? Join Liz, Silica, and Leafa on a new adventure that''s all their own!

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Book SynopsisIn Underworld, a virtual land from which there seems no escape, Kirito meets Eugeo, an NPC destined to follow his Calling-his life's goal that must be achieved before he can follow his own path. What awaits Kirito in this new land?

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Book SynopsisThe Taboo Index and the Law of Power have both been breached by a single murder. The shadowy culprit's intentions are clear as day: the human realm and the dark territory must go to war again. With the help of Iskahn, commander of the Dark Army, Kirito seeks to bring the criminal to justice. But as they conduct an investigation with Asuna's help, disaster strikes again! Ronie and Tiese have been poisoned!

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Book SynopsisKirito has escaped Sword Art Online, the forbidden VRMMORPG of death, and returned to reality. He heads off to find his game partner and lover, Asuna Yuuki. But Asuna never made it back from the nightmare. Lost and desperate, Kirito''s only clue to her virtual whereabouts is a mysterious screenshot of Asuna as a fairy trapped in a giant birdcage. His conclusion: She must be trapped within the new, high-powered VRMMORPG, ALfheim Online. Now Kirito must plunge into the world of ALO, where players are fairies who fly gracefully through the air!

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Book SynopsisKirito jumps into a new VRMMORPG called ALfheim Online (ALO) in search of Asuna, who still hasn''t regained consciousness. On his quest to find the World Tree and reach Asuna, he meets a sylph girl named Leafa. A veteran player experienced with the sword, Leafa recognizes that Kirito is motivated by serious circumstances and decides to help him. But...Leafa''s identity in the real world is Suguha Kirigaya-Kirito''s sister. And it''s the glimmer of her beloved brother she sees in Kirito that prompts her to lend him a hand. Now, despite the conflicting interests guiding them on, the pair set off on a journey to the World Tree!!

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Book SynopsisKazuto Kirigaya (aka Kirito) has beaten Sword Art Online, a VRMMORPG that transformed into a literal game of death, and returned to the real world. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Asuna Yuuki (aka Asuna the Flash), the girl with whom Kirito fell in love in the virtual world of Aincrad but who has yet to awaken from her game-induced slumber. As his sister, Suguha, sadly looks on, Kazuto continues to visit Asuna in the hospital in the hope of finding answers. But when one day he meets a man claiming to be Asuna''s fiancé, Kazuto fears that Asuna may be lost to him forever... That is until a fellow survivor of SAO taken form the latest VRMMORPG sensation, ALfheim Online - a screenshot that features someone being held captive who looks entirely too much like Asuna! His hope renewed, Kirito dives headlong into an all-new virtual adventure, but can true love conquer the game?!

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Book SynopsisAs the third Squad Jam begins to wind down, the "special rule" takes effect! "Your former comrades are now your enemies." Team LPFM, one of the favorites to win the competition, has been torn apart, and Pitohui couldn't be more delighted! Not looking forward to her rematch with the trigger-happy Pito, Llenn and her new teammates are escorted to the mysterious UNKNOWN area at the center of the sinking map, surrounded by a thick fog. As bullets of betrayal fly past former allies, the fog finally clears to reveal...a luxury cruise ship?!

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Book SynopsisDelve deeper into Kirito's and Asuna's pasts in this collection of three short stories adapted to manga for the first time! From their newlywed life in SAO to Asuna''s time in ALO, revisit events from throughout the series as they originally appeared in the novels!

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Book SynopsisThree years after the Sword Art Online incident, Kirito dives into a revamped Aincrad (now known as Ainground) in the new VRMMO Sword Art: Origin. As he progresses through the game with old friends and new, he meets a mysterious girl...

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Book SynopsisAfter Ronie and Tiese try to save their friend from the clutches of noble knights Raiosand Humbert, they end up getting captured themselves! With the two girls bound andhelpless, Kirito's going to need Eugeo's help to save them...but Eugeo finds himselfparalyzed by the thought of breaking the Taboo Index! With the fate of his pagehanging in the balance, can he violate his world's most sacred code to rescue her?

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Book SynopsisWith only two teams remaining in Squad Jam, Karen (a.k.a. Llenn) and M prepare to move in for their final kill...that is, until a sudden barrage of bullets stop them dead in their tracks! Will the two be able to pinpoint the enemy in time for a counterattack?!

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Book SynopsisThe second day of the Final Stress Test rages on. Having defeated Sinon and Leafa--even with the added might of their godly super-accounts--Gabriel drives Alice into a corner. Meanwhile, in another corner of the battlefield, Asuna is pushed to her limits as she defends Kirito from the army of Darkness. But just when all seems lost, a voice cries out in Kirito's heart, urging him back into the world. Grabbing hold of that light in the darkness, the black swordsman awakens...

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Book SynopsisSince meeting Kuroyukihime, Haruyuki has managed to grow up a bit. But suddenly this mature Haruyuki is confronted by Tomoko, an elementary school girl he''s never met before--who calls him big brother?! When Kuroyukihime sees the two of them flirting, the look she gives Haruyuki is like a cold knife stabbing him in the gut! Meanwhile, in the Accelerated World, something very mysterious is taking place...A cursed piece of Enhanced Armament called the Armor of Catastrophe is making the rounds, polluting the minds of the duel avatars that don it and causing those avatars to attack at random with no regard for friend or foe. Only Silver Crow, the sole duel avatar with the power of flight, can apprehend the relic. Is Haruyuki up to the challenge on this mission to subjugate the Armor?!

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Book SynopsisLux''s dark past with SAO ''s Laughing Coffin guild has been revealed-along with the bad blood she shares with Gwen, leader of the Batty Bats. When the girls are sent on a quest to eliminate Gwen, will Lux be able to follow through and betray her former friend yet again...?

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Book SynopsisThe fifth-floor boss, Fuscus the Vacant Colossus, brings the raid party to the brink of destruction when it reveals mechanics that are completely different from the game’s beta. On top of that, PoH, the leader of Laughing Coffin, attacks Kirito to obtain the Flag of Valor. Will Kirito be able to overcome these unexpected trials and make it out of the fifth floor alive?!

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Book SynopsisThe SAO Progressive series continues, following Asuna and Kirito to the sixth floor of Aincrad, where puzzles and brainteasers galore await them! Will our sword-swinging pair burn out on a mental challenge, or will the frightening gang of player-killers catch up with them first?

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Book SynopsisHaving cleared the first and second levels of Aincrad at great cost, Kirito, Asuna, and the rest of the players ascend to Level Three. New challenges await them even as tenuous new allies appear, in the vast forest that encompasses the entire level. Meanwhile, the first player-wide strategy meeting on the new level forces Asuna and Kirito to make a difficult choice.

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Book SynopsisWith the prelims over, it''s time to head into the main event-the Bullet of Bullets tournament! But this fun free-for-all has turned into an IRL death match when a member of SAO''s Laughing Coffin raises the stakes. Can Sinon and Kirito figure out who Death Gun is before it''s too late?!

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Book SynopsisThe Priestess of Light, Alice. If we sacrifice all members of the army of darkness, she will be within our grasp...It is the second day of the final stress test. The army of darkness, driven to desperation by the coordinated onslaught at the hands of the Integrity Knights, has begun to retaliate with incredibly reckless tactics. Critter, who had been observing the events of the Underworld from the outside, has successfully created a gateway for the masses under the guise of an invitation for "A limited-time beta test for a new VRMMO in production." This digital invite has bolstered the forces of the army of darkness by over fifty thousand people. Asuna, unable to compete with such a level reinforcement, begins to sink into depair. But all is not lost! Two new deities of the Underworld will descend to lend their aid: The Blazing White Solus and the Earthmother Terraria. And the ones in possession of these super-accounts are none other than Sinon and Leafa!

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Book SynopsisAsuna and Kirito narrowly thwarted Morte and his PK gang's assassination attempt! To solve the mystery of the dangerous poison pick he used in the attack, they head for the dark elf stronghold standing tall amidst the wasteland, Castle Galey. And after reuniting with their comrade Kizmel, she tells them all about Elven folklorerevealing an unexpected connection between the PK gang and the Fallen Elves...

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Book SynopsisAfter getting separated, Kirito and Eugeo have continued their struggle toreach the 100th floor of Central Cathedral--Eugeo in hopes of restoring Alice toher true self, and Kirito for the sake of the Underworld. But on the 99th floor,Kirito must first face a heartrendingly familiar Integrity Knight...

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Book SynopsisFrom bullied to Burst Linker, one boy grasps his true destiny in this mega-popular and award-winning futuristic series from the author of Sword Art Online!

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Book SynopsisSeiji Nomi''s scheming from his position atop the school social hierarchy has ceased. Sky Raker has returned to the Accelerated World, and upon joining Nega Nebulus, he and Kuroyukihime have become a force to be reckoned with. But one day, Haruyuki hears the news that the social camera network has been expanded to include the Hermes Cord space elevator, and he realizes what the next stage of the game will be: space. Upon arriving, he gets help from a mysterious operator in taking on the biggest mission in the history of Brain Burst! Plus, Kuroyukihime and Haruyuki have a chance to experience their first overnight event--except that Sky Raker and Fuko end up crashing it!

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Book SynopsisThe silver wings responsible for the rise of Nega Nebulus, the legion led by Kuroyukihime, are weakening! During the battle with the mysterious Acceleration Research Society, Haruyuki sustained corrosion damage from the revived Chrome Disaster, and he has still been unable to escape its effects. The Seven Kings of Pure Color take this very seriously, and soon they hand down their judgement: purification. Now Haruyuki is faced with a choice--undergo the grueling purification process, or have a bounty on his head and risk being cast out of the Accelerated World altogether!

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Book SynopsisKirito has wound up in another mysterious fantasy world again. In this VRMMO-ish place, the first person he meets is the young boy Eugeo. Kirito can hardly believe Eugeo''s an NPC when seeing his rich emotions and thoughts and ends up heading to the capital, Centria.Two years later, Kirito and Eugeo have become First Order initiates of the North Centria Imperial Discipline Sword Academy and have been taken under the wing of their seniors, Soltirina and Golgoth. As they train and learn, they do nothing but strive to become one of the highest keepers of peace and order in the human realm, the Integrity Knights.Aiming to reach the center of the Axiom Church that controls the capital, the two break past numerous obstacles to try and become one of the elite Greater Master Swordsmen, a title that only twelve people lay claim to in the whole academy!

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Book SynopsisThe Squad Jam is underway, and Llenn and M are already caught in the crossfire! Will they be able to hold their own as a two-man team against squads with actual military training...? Hey, wasn't this supposed to be just a game?!

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Book SynopsisAdminstrator''s defeat has come at a heavy cost: The death of Eugeo as well as the mental decline of Kirito. Six months after the epic battle atop Central Cathedral, Kirito spends his days in the Underworld wheelchair-bound; bereft of emotion or even a will to live. Although Alice and Bercouli do what they can to help him, it isn''t long before the armies of the dark territory are start to move in earnest. The Final Stress Test has begun. But will Kirito be ready?

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Book SynopsisThe moment Kirito, Asuno, and Alice were dragged into the mysterious VRMMO “UnitalRing,” Shinon was also thrust into the online world. After numerous setbacks, she findsherself without friends or equipment, and only a few “Thirst Points” left to her name.Backed against a wall, she’ll need to defeat a terrifying boss monster to survive.Meanwhile, Kirito’s group splits in order to both search for Shinon and defend theirhome, unaware that a mysterious assailant lies in wait...

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Book SynopsisA year after Kazuto and Asuna escaped from Aincrad, the deadly setting of Sword ArtOnline, they're still coping with the aftermath as they try to recover from theharrowing experience. Meanwhile, there's a new VRMMO game sweeping the world'sgamers--Gun Gale Online. When a mysterious player who calls himself "Death Gun"claims to be responsible for real-world deaths, Kazuto (aka Kirito) is recruited to enterthe game to investigate, bringing an end to his hard-won peace!

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Book SynopsisKirito's chance encounter with Eolyne, a man with the same eyes and voice as hisdeceased friend, shakes him to the core. But with the possibility of an interworld warbreaking out in the Underworld growing higher by the day, Kirito has no time to besentimental. Meanwhile, the decisive battle against Mutasina of the Virtual ResearchSociety looms, and she's used her powers to force a battalion of one hundred magesunder her command. Can Kirito and company devise a strategy to defy theiroverwhelming disadvantage in time, or will it all be for naught?

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Book SynopsisOn the 80th floor of the Central Cathedral, Kirito, Asuna, and Alice have a reunion with dear friends, but Kirito is pulled away to Planet Admina to investigate the approaching threat to the Underworld. Meanwhile, in Unital Ring, Sinon, Silica, and company are putting up a good fight against the field bosses, but the conflict intensifies in a way few could have predicted…

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Book SynopsisA year after Kazuto and Asuna escaped from Aincrad, the deadly setting of Sword Art Online, they''re still coping with the aftermath as they try to recover from the harrowing experience. Meanwhile, there''s a new VRMMO game sweeping the world''s gamers-Gun Gale Online. When a mysterious player wielding an item he calls the Death Gun claims to be responsible for real-world deaths, Kazuto is recruited to enter the game to investigate, bringing an end to his hard-won peace!

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Book SynopsisThere''s no way to beat this game. The only difference is when and where you die...One month has passed since Akihiko Kayaba''s deadly game began, and the body count continues to rise. Two thousand players are already dead. Kirito and Asuna are two very different people, but they both desire to fight alone. Nonetheless, they find themselves drawn together to face challenges from both within and without. Given that the entire virtual world they now live in has been created as a deathtrap, the surviving players of Sword Art Online are starting to get desperate, and desperation makes them dangerous to loners like Kirito and Asuna. As it becomes clear that solitude equals suicide, will the two be able to overcome their differences to find the strength to believe in each other, and in so doing survive?Sword Art Online: Progressive is a new version of the Sword Art Online tale that starts at the beginning of Kirito and Asuna''s epic adventure--on the very first level of the deadly world of Aincrad!

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Book SynopsisThe girls of SAO are back! Liz, Silica, and Leafa, with their new friend Lux--having ruined their clothes in their previous adventure--go to see Ashley, a survivor of Sword Art Online and a legendary master tailor. The price for Ashley''s skills is a high one, and in order to pay the tailor, the girls end up in a swimsuit contest! But naturally, this isn''t just any swimsuit contest. Will Lux, Liz, Silica, and Leafa get away with their wardrobes and dignity intact?!

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Book SynopsisKirito and Sinon''s battle with Death Gun is over, but mere weeks later, something strange is afoot in the next-generation VRMMO ALfheim Online. A new dualist with a custom sword skill is defeating all comers--including Kirito! But when Asuna goes to face this dualist, she receives something she never expected: An invitation to an exclusive guild! But what is their aim? The Mother''s Rosario arc begins!

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Book SynopsisAsuna joins forces with the Sleeping Knights guild in their quest to defeat a major boss, but inwardly, she struggles with her ongoing attachment to the VRMMO game. When the time for battle arrives, will she be ready? And when Yuuki''s secret is revealed, what will the consequences be?

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Book SynopsisSeiji Nomi is a mysterious new student whose skillful use of Brain Burst abilities in the real world has boosted him to astonishing heights of achievement (not to mention astonishing heights of jerkitude). When his wings are stolen by Seiji''s cunning and ability, Haruyuki suffers a crushing defeat. Stripped of his greatest ability, will Haruyuki ever be able to rise again...?

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Book SynopsisIn 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...

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