During a heart-to-heart conversation while Death Gun was pursuing Kirito and Sinon, the sniper finally explains her situation to the protagonist.

Source: https://gamerant.com/sword-art-online-best-sinon-quotes/

Sinon asks Kirito, “if we get a chance to start over, will you fight me for real?” as though referencing their first meeting where Kirito pretended to be a girl, hence developing a friendship with Sinon that may have had him hesitate to fight seriously.

Source: https://gamerant.com/sword-art-online-best-sinon-quotes/

Sinon asks Kirito, “if we get a chance to start over, will you fight me for real?” as though referencing their first meeting where Kirito pretended to be a girl, hence developing a friendship with Sinon that may have had him hesitate to fight seriously.

Source: https://gamerant.com/sword-art-online-best-sinon-quotes/

This can be a sigh of relief on Kirito’s part - after all, while his mission around the pursuit of Death Gun cannot involve his lover, someone like Sinon can at least give him the emotional anchor he needs at the moment due to her strength of character.

Source: https://gamerant.com/sword-art-online-best-sinon-quotes/