Heartwarming / Sword Farce Online

• Episode 2
  • Asuna immediately deduces Kirito is the Beta Buster- but rather than expose him, she asks/orders him to team up with him. When asked why, she explains her motivations: she feels that he is the only one she can party up with because the two of them had been through similar experiences in trying to help others only for it to backfire (Kirito with his bug, Asuna trying to find a team only for her first partners to kill each other over her) and felt a kinship with him. Even when admitting that she had also partnered up with him to keep others from hitting on her, she assures him not to worry about her getting hurt by his bug. Asuna has nothing but support and empathy for Kirito.
  • Kirito and Asuna's final confrontation- even after what happened, she still asks him to help her clear the floors. Kirito immediately laughs at that before realizing she's serious. Overlaps with Tear Jerker.
    Kirito: Oh my God, you're serious. Why?
    Asuna: I know you're not the player everyone's making you out to be. You're strong, caring and you know more about this game than most people. Hell, you were even able to beat that boss without killing anyone. So maybe this bug you have isn't as bad as you think. I think you and I-
    Kirito: (sneezes and an explosion occurs; his eyes flicker over to Asuna)
    Asuna: (eyes black holes with smoke coming from them) Kinda thought it'd be more painful, but it's actually not that bad.
    Kirito: (voice subdued)...sorry, but I don't think I can do any good in this world with this condition. It'd be better for everyone if I just play solo for now. Thanks anyway, Asuna.

• Episode 3
  • Kirito being accepted into the Moonlight Black Cats, a guild of players who have bugged avatars. He had thought he was the only one in SAO with a bugged avatar and that nobody would ever want anything to do with him. But Keita happily brings him in (albeit kidnapping him to do so) and actively seeks him out to join them because of his status as a former beta and even shares a way to get rid of his bug.
  • During the group trying to kill a giant mantis on Floor 20, Kirito's bug activates and incinerates much of said floor. But rather than berate him for putting the group in danger, Keita congratulates Kirito for making their future navigation of the floor easier. Kirito lampshades this but Keita has only encouragement for him.
    Kirito: Did you just make me setting the entire 20th Floor ablaze sound inspiring?
    Keita: Look Kirito, don't feel so discouraged to fight because of your condition. We all do our best to insure our bugs don't hold us back, both in and out of battle.
  • Kirito's interactions with Sachi: he recalls how he felt before joining them and his doubts on whether or not the The Blue Thing existed/actually worked, and ultimately concluded that he was happy to have met them and that he would accept her despite her own bug. Their interactions when sleeping together (In the same bed, get your mind out of the gutter) are especially adorable.
    Kirito: And then we'll get back to the real world and we'll meet each other IRL and we'll friend each other on socialmedia.com and we can mess with our relationship status to freak our parents out and it'll be the be-e-est Tuesday ever.
    Sachi: (smiles sleepily and murmurs in agreement)
  • Even though he's done nothing but use Kirito as an emotional punching bag and is the one responsible for running over and killing Keita with a school bus, Klein still tries to cheer up Kirito when he's mourning his friends and feeling depressed and is even visibly shocked and horrified when he realized what Kirito intends to do.

• Episode 4
  • Silica knew the whole time that Kirito was the infamous Beta Buster, but stayed quiet out of gratitude for him saving her life.