: Rath hit a wall when their AI became too perfect; the virtual citizens of the Underworld are incapable of breaking laws like the Taboo Index , which prevents them from committing murder.
The episode also explores the heavy past of Rinko and (the creator of SAO). Rinko confesses that she could have stopped Kayaba but loved him too much to do so. In a moment of empathy, Asuna comforts her, stating that despite the tragedy, her time in SAO allowed her to meet Kirito.
After sneaking onto the secret research facility with the help of , Asuna confronts Kikuoka Seijirou . Kikuoka reveals that Kirito is being treated with the Soul Translator (STL) to repair severe brain damage by stimulating his "Fluctlight"—a copy of his human soul. The Goal of Project Alicization