Sword Art Online: Progressive – Scherzo of Deep Night (劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン -プログレッシブ- 冥き夕闇のスケルツォ) is a 2022 Japanese animated science fiction action adventure film based on the Sword Art Online: Progressive light novels written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec, and a sequel to the 2021 film Sword Art Online: Progressive – Aria of a Starless Night. The staff and cast from the first film reprised their roles, including production by A-1 Pictures and direction by Ayako Kōno, with character designs by Kento Toya and music by Yuki Kajiura. It was released on July 14, 2023.
Plot
In December 2022, the two lead guilds ALS and DKB, along with a few other players, defeat the 4th floor boss. The two guilds are somewhat at odds with each other over how to complete the game. After, main characters Asuna and Kirito along with side character Argo discuss a New Year's party planned by the two guilds. Asuna and Kirito go into the dungeon below the 5th floor's main town, where Asuna overhears two other players have conceived a plan to destroy the two guilds; the plan includes the guild ALS walking out of the party to kill the 5th floor raid boss, where it had otherwise been a joint effort.
Kirito and Asuna later discuss the negative impact that ALS killing the raid boss would have on the effort to finish the game and then confront the leader of ALS, Kibaou, who acknowledges the plan's existence. He reasons that the 5th floor boss has a powerful item that would give his guild the advantage in clearing the floors, but that he was forced into the plan by a faction within his guild. He gives a mixed blessing to Kirito, Asuna, and any other group who attempts and succeeds in killing the raid boss before his guild attempts to kill it.