I was genuinely surprised by how Kirito repurposed his SAO boss fight trauma into that illusion spell, literally paralyzing the Salamanders with their own fears; it was a messed-up but brilliant move that showed he's still haunted by Aincrad. Seeing him collapse afterward from mana exhaustion, though, that made me realize just how much of his old life is still weighing on him, making the dangers here feel just as real.