Asuna is seduced by Inoda, Kyoko is seduced by Inoda and Liz will be seduced by Inoda. Suguha has broken out of control, Alice is currently suffering from hypnosis, but she may also break out. Sinon has also gotten out of control, and maybe she's only playing for herself in the council.
Perhaps you are right, and Fujino will really divide the characters into sides for the sake of the plot, and the previous update is the first clear line between Kirito and Asuna's sides.
But it's just NTR in essence. No matter how Fujino inflates the plot, the ending should have one definite outcome. There was no plot at all in the first part. And it didn't get any worse.