Chapter 1- How it all began
The first chapter in SAO: Hunter & Prey, the third story in Mikael story. In this story Mikael has to enter Gun Gale Online to track down his enemy Retribution in order to save Sinon, so it simply a game of cat and mouse except there is one rule you die in the game you die for real. Mikael must make allies to survive another round of a death game as his past haunts him. This story shall introduce two character I have been waiting to do. In this chapter Mikael acquires some help from friend to prepare himself to enter Gun Gale Online while it revealed just what situation does Retribution have Sinon.
The Hunter- Mikael POV
I was still in shock from what I had just read as the situation had hit me hard. Sinon was now trapped inside Gun Gale Online with no way to get out except from finding Retribution and ending his game, it was just like Sword Art Online all over again except this time it was being hosted by someone who loved the idea of murdering another player just for fun. I immediately fell to my knee as fear went through my entire body. I was unable to move due to the throughout that Sinon was now captured by the one person you wouldn't want her to be. I then was able to move when I thought 'Wait this is Sinon we are talking about. She wouldn't give up easily and neither shall I. I have to enter Gun Gale Online and end Retributions twist game.' I then made my way to my office to begin converting my avatar from Alfhiem over to GGO. I then thought 'Wait if I use my Alfhiem avatar, Retribution will know it is me straight away and could just kill Sinon straight.' I then stopped and began to think about how could I create an avatar that Retribution wouldn't recognise. Suddenly it dawned on me that Nariko could help me out with this problem. I then took my phone out and dial Nariko's number. The phone soon began ringing as I heard a voice say "Hello." "Hello Nariko, it's me Mikael" I responded. "Oh hello Mikael, it's good to hear from you. So why did you call me" Nariko asked me. "I was wondering if you could create an avatar that is completely unrecognisable as me as I need to enter a game to deal with a problem and the person responsible knows exactly what I look like" I told her.
"Okay Mikael I will be there soon just give me a few minutes" Nariko replied. "Okay I will wait I just need to go purchase the game" I responded. The phone call soon ended as she hung up. I then went out to purchase the game since the only copy in the house was Sinon and since Retribution said the current situation was just like Sword Art Online so if I removed the game then that it Sinon life is over. It didn't take long to get the game since the game store was close by and within walking distance. Once i returned I turned my laptop onto the Bullet of Bullets broadcast to see If anything new had happened in the situation. It just happened that the minute I turned it on a cloak figure in a white robe appeared. The figure soon spoke "Ladies and Gentlemen, as you are aware the was a problem with the broadcast earlier. Well that was me, I have taken control of the Bullet of Bullets and turned it into my own game. The rules of this game are simple, you have to find and kill the other players or me and if you die in the game you die for real. However, I will broadcast the last rule when a certain player shows up. So I wish you all good luck." The broadcast was then over as I heard someone behind me say "So that the problem you spoke of Mikael." I turned around in my chair to see Nariko was standing there. "Yep it seems that my warning didn't seem to matter to him at all. Damn if only I take him out when I had the chance" I told her. "Well let's get to work on your new avatar to deal with this problem" she replied before taking my laptop to begin creating my GGO avatar. She started by taking the basic outline of Alfhiem avatar.
She then increased my height slight before changing the colour of my hair to grey and my eyes to sliver. She then made my hair slightly longer before working on my outfit. She gave my avatar the basic equipment but added a sliver coat. After that she began working on my stats. She put Agility, Dexterity, Strength and Vitality while she put my Sensibility and Luck at normal. "Why are you not changing those two" I asked her. "Simple it would make you stand out if a player who just started playing had all max out stats. This way you will have a bit more of an advantage without during attention to yourself" she told me. She then began to work on the skill I would have applied Army Combative, Hawk Eye, Acrobatics, First Aid and Suggestion before adding a new skill called Blade Creation (A skill that allowed player to create their own photon swords). She then passed the laptop to me when the option of name popped up. I thought for a while since I know I couldn't use my real name or Alfhiem name but I need a name that Sinon would recognise so I typed in the name "Sliver Blade." After that I passed the laptop back to Nariko as she said "Okay you are now ready to log on just put on the Amusphere and you know what to do." I then walked over to the chair and put on the Amusphere before saying "Link Start."
The Prey- Retribution POV
I stood by the window as I looked over the world of Gun Gale Online as I thought about the broadcast. "I hope he saw my little show after all this was because of him. Now I have taken him out of his comfort zone and into a world where I hold power but just to be sure I should prepare for the next broadcast" I said to myself before walking away from the window and began to make my way to the holding cells. I opened the door to the closest cell to reveal the captive that I was so proud of. "Are you awake, Sinon" I asked her as her arm were chained to the wall. "What the, Retribution" she shouted. "Yes it is me. I hope you are enjoying yourself as I know I am" I told her I brushed my hand across her cheek. "You know Mikael is going to rescue me no matter what" she told me as I then smiled. "Oh I know that exactly why I captured you in particular. I want him to come after me so that we can decide once and for all who is better, which one of us is truly the best killer. This fight will be a battle of the age, the last two members of Laughing Coffin fighting it out till the bitter end." I told her. "And what about me" she asked me. "Oh that simple you will be teleported away after the last broadcast but you will be stuck in the same situation as everyone else with only one way out. Find me and kill me simple as that" I told her before walking out of the cell and return to my main room. "Oh Mikael you should have killed me when you had the chance but now all these deaths are on your hands. The chaos of Sword Art Online as now spread to Gun Gale Online as the death game has now begun" I said to myself as I sat down on my throne.
The end of Chapter 1. With this story I took a lot of inspiration from the Fairy Dance Arc of Sword Art Online but I took out one of the biggest flaws with and that was how Asuna was done in that Arc as I didn't want to portray Sinon as a damsel in distress as that isn't her kind of character which is why Retribution isn't going to hold her hostage but instead make it so that she can't come in contact with Mikael which you will find out in later chapters. In the next chapter Mikael begin his journey in Gun Gale Online as he get equipped and allies to join him while Retribution decide how he will use the participates of Bullet of Bullets to his advantage.