Kirito's "light-saber" versus bullets


The first time we see a bullet hit Kirito's light-saber the bullet melts. Next
episode we see this happen again although this time the sword cuts the bullet
in 2 half's. How is this possible?

**Episode 5**

![Episode 5](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wRGJ2.png)

**Episode 6**

![Episode 6](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wGSWe.png)




[Lordmau5's theory](https://anime.stackexchange.com/a/20190/1398) is quite
interesting, but it doesn't quite match the visual appearance of the sword as
described in the light novel.

> I stared at it for a while, and found that the sword itself didn’t have any
> direction as the entire circular section was just like a long and thin
> cylinder.

* From Sword Art Online Volume 5 - Chapter 6, after Kirito bought the sword and activated it for a test run.

The corresponding scene in the light novel (also in Volume 5 - Chapter 6)
doesn't say anything about the bullets melting:

> The enemy’s rifle’s muzzle suddenly let out an orange spark.
>
> During this time, the blade of the light saber blocked the lines of the
> first and second bullets with pinpoint accuracy.
>
> *BA-BAM!!* The surface of the light saber let out two bright orange sparks.
> The moment I noticed this, my right arm immediately pointed the photon sword
> onto the third and fourth bullet lines at a lightning quick speed. Then, the
> sound of the bullets being deflected off the intense energy could be heard
> again.
>
> [...]
>
> 5...and that’s the 6th one! After deflecting all the bullets that could have
> hit me successfully, I kicked the ground hard with all I’ve got to cover the
> remaining distance between us.

The next scene (where his opponent ran out of ammo and had to change magazine)
starts right after the text cited above. Therefore, the scene in episode 5 of
SAO II is most likely something added in the anime to explain how the bullets
are neutralized and to impress viewers, since the viewer can't see how Kirito
neutralize the bullets if the scene is animated at real world speed.

The bullet being cut in half in episode 6 is actually described in Volume 5 -
Chapter 7, though:

> From the Hecate’s large muzzle break came orange flames. On the other side,
> the blue white lightning cut through the dusk darkness.
>
> Shining like shooting stars, two small lights split to the left and right,
> flying far away.
>
> [...]
>
> _It was cut apart._
>
> At the moment the bullet fell to the ground, Kirito’s lightsaber slashed
> upwards, and cut the 50-caliber bullet that was supposed to be a fatal hit.
> The two shooting stars that Sinon saw, were fragments of the bullet that
> were cut by the high concentration energy blade, and flew pass either side
> of Kirito behind him.

Note that it doesn't say anything about the bullet being _cleanly_ split in
half as shown in the anime.

I couldn't find any explanation on how the sword works in the light novel,
though, and with so little information, we can only guess why the light saber
would deflect bullet in one scene, and cut the bullet in half in another.




[Lordmau5's theory](https://anime.stackexchange.com/a/20190/1398) is quite
interesting, but it doesn't quite match the visual appearance of the sword as
described in the light novel.

> I stared at it for a while, and found that the sword itself didn’t have any
> direction as the entire circular section was just like a long and thin
> cylinder.

* From Sword Art Online Volume 5 - Chapter 6, after Kirito bought the sword and activated it for a test run.

The corresponding scene in the light novel (also in Volume 5 - Chapter 6)
doesn't say anything about the bullets melting:

> The enemy’s rifle’s muzzle suddenly let out an orange spark.
>
> During this time, the blade of the light saber blocked the lines of the
> first and second bullets with pinpoint accuracy.
>
> *BA-BAM!!* The surface of the light saber let out two bright orange sparks.
> The moment I noticed this, my right arm immediately pointed the photon sword
> onto the third and fourth bullet lines at a lightning quick speed. Then, the
> sound of the bullets being deflected off the intense energy could be heard
> again.
>
> [...]
>
> 5...and that’s the 6th one! After deflecting all the bullets that could have
> hit me successfully, I kicked the ground hard with all I’ve got to cover the
> remaining distance between us.

The next scene (where his opponent ran out of ammo and had to change magazine)
starts right after the text cited above. Therefore, the scene in episode 5 of
SAO II is most likely something added in the anime to explain how the bullets
are neutralized and to impress viewers, since the viewer can't see how Kirito
neutralize the bullets if the scene is animated at real world speed.

The bullet being cut in half in episode 6 is actually described in Volume 5 -
Chapter 7, though:

> From the Hecate’s large muzzle break came orange flames. On the other side,
> the blue white lightning cut through the dusk darkness.
>
> Shining like shooting stars, two small lights split to the left and right,
> flying far away.
>
> [...]
>
> _It was cut apart._
>
> At the moment the bullet fell to the ground, Kirito’s lightsaber slashed
> upwards, and cut the 50-caliber bullet that was supposed to be a fatal hit.
> The two shooting stars that Sinon saw, were fragments of the bullet that
> were cut by the high concentration energy blade, and flew pass either side
> of Kirito behind him.

Note that it doesn't say anything about the bullet being _cleanly_ split in
half as shown in the anime.

I couldn't find any explanation on how the sword works in the light novel,
though, and with so little information, we can only guess why the light saber
would deflect bullet in one scene, and cut the bullet in half in another.

