Chapter 1- Downfall

During the time I was writing SAO: Tales from the Coffin I was able to write the whole story of Mikael. As such I missed out three incidents that happen to him during his two years in Sword Art Online. This is the story of those incidents.

The first incident is what caused Mikael to mainly accept joining Laughing Coffin. It begins only a few days after the first boss was beaten. After the event of the first boss people's views on the beta testers took a turn for the worst due to the efforts of Kibaou. He and his group launched a full on attack on the beta tester and beaters. This is where this story begins.

I ran as far away as I could to escape my pursers. 'damn this is just ridiculous just because of the action of one beta tester these people find it alright for them to hunt down people like me' I thought to myself. "I should make it to a nearby town to rest up before going out into a dungeon" I said to myself. I pulled out a teleport crystal and teleported to the local town. As soon as arrived in that town I saw other player dragging player away. By the clothes of the player being dragged away they were most likely info brokers with info on beta tester. That was how most beta tester was being found as Kibaou and his group would interrogate info brokers for the identity of beta's and beater's. I ducked into an alleyway when one of player who seemed to be a part of Kibaou group looked in my direction. I equipped a white cloak to cover my face so they wouldn't recognise me as a couple of day ago an Info broker who knew me gave up my identity. At first I was angry with them and almost came close to killing them but stopped myself. I wore the cloak until I reached the hotel where I would be staying. When I entered my room I took it off and went straight into the bathroom for a shower.

'why do people think that the betas are the ones to blame for player death, I mean just because we didn't help them doesn't mean that we weren't at the same risk as them since so much of this game has changed' I told myself as I stood in the shower. After the shower I had something to eat before going straight to sleep. The next morning, I was in a nearby forest when I heard a scream. I began running in the direction of where it came from. I soon found the source of the scream as I came across a group being attack by a horde of ogres. I quickly dealt with the ogres to stop them from attack the group. The group was made up of seven players with five of them being boys and the other three being girls. "Are you all okay?" I asked them. "Yeah we are all fine thanks to you" a boy with white hair said. "Thank you" they all said after him. "I'm glad that I was able to help you all out" I said before beginning to walk away. I stopped when one of the girl spoke up "Hey if you don't mind how about we treat you to a drink as a way of saying thank you." I turned around to see that it was a girl with purple hair. "Yeah sure I wouldn't mind a drink" I told her. She smiled at my response. They all mumbled until the boy with white hair said "well since Akuro offer we might as well go through with it since I will allow us to get to know a little bit about are savior."

Later in the evening at a local tavern, "Well here's to you, Mikael" the boy with white hair said after asking my name. The whole group shouted "Cheers" as we clanged are glass together. "I can't thank you enough for saving us back there Mikael, my name is Tomeo, my level is 22 and this is my guild The Holy Knights" Tomeo said. He pointed to Akuro and said "You already known that this is Akuro, she is a rapier user and her level is 18." Tomeo then pointed to a boy with green hair and said "This is Sawao, he is the guild's shield user and he is a level 15." Tomeo then pointed to a girl with black hair and said "This is Yumi, she is an info broker and her level is 17." Tomeo then pointed at a boy with blue hair and told me "This is Matsu, he is the guild's blacksmith and his level is 16."

He then pointed at a girl with blonde hair and told me "Her name is Sayo, she is spear user and my girlfriend. Her level is 12." He then pointed at the last member of his guild, a boy with brown hair and said "This here is Shinji, he is a dagger user and he my little brother in the real world, he is a level 10." "Well I guess that is everyone in my guild so do you mind telling us your level then Mikael" Tomeo asked me. "I'm a level 22 and I'm a one hand swordsman" I told him though I was lying as my true level was 49. "Wow you're the same level as me and you are solo player still. You are amazing Mikael" Tomeo said. "There's no needed to praise me like that Tomeo I'm just a normal player like you" I told him. "Yeah I know but it just surprising to learn about you" he said.

"Hey Mikael would you like to join the Holy Knights since we could use someone like you in are guild. Most of my friend can fight all that well as this is their first game they have played" Tomoe asked me. "I don't know, Tomoe since I have never been in a guild before" I told him. "Oh come on Mikael I'm sure you will be fine in are Guild" Akuro told me. "Okay I will join your guild then" I told them. Tomoe then send me a guild request which I pressed the yes button to. "Welcome to the Holy Knight, Mikael" Tomoe told me. We all celebrated until it was late at night then we all separated and planned to meet up in a nearby field in the morning. I began sleeping until the dream came again. The cloaked figure approached me as he had done in the past few nights. "So you have joined a guild now, but for how long?" he asked me. "I don't care what you are saying why don't you just go away" I said to him. "This is important after all it won't be long until those people betray you just like all those groups you were with" he told me. "I don't care" I said to him but still thought about all the group I were with before. First it was this couple who tried to sell me out, then it was this group of four who asked for my help to clear a dungeon but it turned out to trap to get me arrested. Both of these times I had managed to escape without killing anyone but I kept thinking about what would happen if I do kill someone. "It's the only way to survive in this world, you either kill or get killed in this world. You know that you want to feel the rush of a kill like everyone else so far" the clocked figure said. "No I will not kill someone; I am nothing like Laughing Coffin" I told him. "OH but you are just like them and you will see very soon" he said before he disappeared.

I woke up the next morning with that dream I had last night still on my mind. 'This group is different I know they are' I told myself. I quickly got ready and met up with the rest of the guild. We cleared through most of the hordes with ease due to us all working together. We earned quiet a lot of money so later that day Tomoe called for us all to meet up to discuss what we would do with the money we gained. "Well due to the recent successful hunts we have now earned enough money to buy are own headquarters, so want do all think" Tomoe told us. "Yeah let do it" we all responded. "Hey if we have some money left over why don't we upgrade Akuro equipment" Sayo said. "I'm not that useless and the equipment I have is alright for this floor" Akuro said. "we know that it just not fair to have Mikael protect you when your attacks fail" Tomoe said. "Sorry about that" Akuro told me. "It's okay I don't mind" I told her. "Come on Akuro if we upgrade your rapier then you will be a bit better at fighting" Tomoe told her. "Fine" Akuro said. I could tell something was wrong it wasn't until two day later I found out why.

I return to the town after doing some hunting by myself. As I stepped off the teleport gate I received a message which said

'Hey Mikael, it's Tomoe here I have just returned to the headquarters to find that Akuro is missing could you look for her.'

I closed the message to activated my tracking skill. I soon located Akuro's footprints and followed them all the way to a bridge. I saw sitting the edge of the bridge and walked towards her. "Hey Akuro" I said to her. "Hey Mikael did Tomoe send you to come look for me" she asked. "Yeah he did, the whole guild was worried about you" I told her. "I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble. It just that I needed to be by myself for a while to think" she said to me. "It's okay, so what has been bothering you then" I asked her. "it's just I don't why people hate the beta testers; I mean we never did anything wrong it not our fault that those people died" She said. I was surprised which led me to ask "you were in the beta." "Yeah I was I know that you were also in the beta as well" she said. "How did you find out I was a beta tester" I asked her. "On the day you saved us I figured it out as those ogres could not be killed by someone below level thirty, but don't worry no one else in the guild will know that" she told me. "oh, the answer to your question is that people just want someone to blame and since they can't take their anger out on Akihiko then they would just take it out on those who were in the beta since they assumed we know everything about this game but the game changed" I said to her. "I can't believe this. We should just run away from this town, from the Holy Knights and from Sword Art Online" She said to me. "Yeah we should but then we would look just as guilty as they make us out to be" I told her. "Yeah you are probably right it just that I am so scared that I might die in this game if I am found" She said as she began cry. I comfort her and said "Don't worry I will protect you if they find out that you were in the beta." "Thank you Mikael" said to me. I had told her I would protect her unaware that in one week the holy knights would be no more.

What caused my change happened one week after I comforted Akuro on the bridges. We were in a dungeon as Yumi had learned that in this dungeon was a secret room which held a secret item that boosted the user level by five. We were deep in the dungeon when we reach the hidden door. Tomoe had managed to open the door and we all entered the room. I was about to enter the room only to be stopped by Akuro who said "Mikael I have a bad feeling about this room." "Don't worry we will both be fine" I told her. After I told her that we enter the room. As we did so the door immediately slammed shut after we entered. I looked around the room and saw that there was no chest which only meant that the item was a lie and If it was a lie then this must be a trap. Soon two hidden doors open and player who were dressed in uniform of Kibaou and his group. One of them approach Tomoe and handed him a bag of money. "What is the meaning of this Tomoe" Akuro asked. The rest of the holy knights snickered until Tomoe said "you see two days ago I had Yumi have a looking into you and Mikael, I learned that you two were beta's and after that I got into contact with Kibaou who told me that Mikael was worth a lot of money so I made a deal to have you two arrest, that's want you deserve for all those who died." "Yeah you will get what you deserve you filthy Beaters" Sayo said. Everyone began laughing as Akuro collapsed to her knees. I looked at them with rage in my eyes. "I can't believe you, YOU SON OF A BITCH Akuro trusted you and this is how you return that trust" I shouted at Tomoe. "Oh come on don't be like that, why don't you make this easy and let them arrest you" he responded. "I have a better idea" I said as I drew Blazing Hope "I'm going to fucking kill all of you right here." Launch myself right at them and slaughtered all of them until Tomoe was left on the floor with his arms cut off. "Please don't kill me, I did this for the money it was only personal for Sayo not me" he pleaded. "JUST FUCKING DIE" I told him before Blazing Hope pieced his chest killing him. It was then that the clocked figure appeared. "So this is what this led to, you know that you are a murderer and there is only one place you belonged" he told me. I soon ran out of the room and to the nearby forest. Akuro then approached me. I then said "what are you doing." "I'm coming with you Mikael" she responded. "No you are not I am a murderer I killed 27 people and you are not" I told her. "But Mikael" she said. "No buts you are not coming with me and if you follow me then I will be forced to kill you" I told her as I soon dash off not looking back. I did not know about this till later but Shelia had seen the whole thing which had caused her to recruit me later on.

This is the first incident about want caused Mikael to join LC. I hope you have enjoyed this are looking forward to the next story about how Mikael got given the name of The Black Sword.