Accel World - 19

 
The connection between Hime's side arc and Haru's struggles with Nomi become clear as Black Lotus battles a Burst Linker named Sulfur Pot.



Like Nomi, Sulfur Pot is using a backdoor program that allows him to not appear on the list of Burst Linkers in the area.  Not only that, but he's also using yet another illegal program that allows him to  dive from Tokyo.  As a result, he's targeting remote areas with weaker opponents that he's able to beat easily.  In addition, he tamed a monster that is crazy powered up.  The fight between him and Black Lotus was entertaining, but it's interesting that Black Lotus probably wouldn't have been able to beat him on her own.  Instead, she's like a general who is able to strategize and maneuver her troops.  Even so, it almost seems like all was lost...

Until Megumi shows up!  Megumi is the biggest mystery of the episode, and one that I don't think we'll ever see any answers to.  The best theory I can come up with is that she was once a Burst Linker herself, but vowed never to use it again and wiped her memory clean of it.  That would explain how she was able to get back into the program (after all, if she uninstalled it, she'd have no access to it).  However, that doesn't explain the little girl version of herself that appeared, the book that appeared, or why she didn't remember anything afterwards.  Whatever her story may be, her appearance certainly helped Black Lotus and company defeat Sulfur Pot.  I loved seeing the monster turn on the master.  Served Sulfur Pot right!  He was nearly as smug as Nomi, and I enjoyed seeing Lotus beat him.

The most interesting revelation is that there is an organization out there that's allowing these Burst Linkers to do illegal things, like remote diving or taking their name off the player list.  It's probably the same organization that is helping Nomi.  Next week, we'll be back to seeing the conflict between Haru and Nomi, and maybe get some answers to why Chiyu is helping Nomi.