Integrity Knights. Or, occasionally, Integrators.

They were the most powerful of servants, possessing finely honed swordsmanship, high-level sacred arts, and even at-will use of fearsome Perfect Weapon Control abilities.

For three hundred long years, these knights had been the force upholding the law and order of the four empires of man, as well as the rule of the Axiom Church—but the knighthood itself was stunningly small. As suggested by the name of the most recently inducted knight, Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One, there were barely over thirty of them.

But rather than diminishing the dignity and potency of the knighthood, their small number only enhanced it. A group smaller than a full raid party in games like SAO or ALO had kept the lands of humanity safe from encroachers in the Dark Territory for all these years.

I, Kirito, once known as “Beater” or the “Black Swordsman” but now an elite disciple at the North Centoria Imperial Swordcraft Academy, armed with nothing more than my trusty blade and an even more trusted companion, had launched into battle against this band of Integrity Knights. Our rebellion wasn’t by design but rather was the consequence of escaping from jail—because once we had drawn our blades against the Axiom Church, the ultimate ruling body of the land, there was no way out but forward.

Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One, user of the Frostscale Whip.

Deusolbert Synthesis Seven, user of the Conflagration Bow.

Fanatio Synthesis Two, user of the Heaven-Piercing Blade and her Four Whirling Blades.

Alice Synthesis Thirty, user of the Osmanthus Blade.

We had made our way up the grand staircase of the Axiom Church’s Central Cathedral, just barely besting these knights and their almighty weapons, which were known as Divine Objects. Needless to say, it wasn’t my skill alone that had paved the way.

The craftsman Sadore in Centoria had taken an entire year to fashion a branch of the demonic Gigas Cedar into a single black sword for me.

The sage Cardinal had provided me with rest, food, vast knowledge of the world, and the Perfect Weapon Control skill needed to fight back against the knights.

And most of all, I had my friend Eugeo, who had been at my side for two long years, ever since we left the distant village of Rulid.

I had taught Eugeo the One-Handed Sword skills of the Aincrad style, but he had given me so much more in return. The only reason I’d survived my unexpected plunge from the real world into the unfamiliar Underworld was the help, encouragement, and guidance of Eugeo.

At the eightieth floor of Central Cathedral, I was separated from my partner. In the midst of a fierce battle, the Integrity Knight Alice and I punched a hole in the outer wall of the tower and tumbled out.

I took great pains to convince Alice to stay her sword, but over the course of an entire night, we managed to climb the sheer wall of the tower until we at last reentered the building on the ninety-fifth floor. I raced up the stairs, certain that Eugeo was ahead of me now, and met a creepy man named Prime Senator Chudelkin. I chased him up to the ninety-ninth floor, just one floor below the chamber of Administrator, pontifex of the Axiom Church and supreme ruler of humanity.

It was in this room, featureless aside from the staircase leading back down to the senate floors and the levitating platform up to the hundredth floor, that I was reunited with my partner.

But he was no longer the simple, purehearted young man that I knew.

Now he was Eugeo Synthesis Thirty-Two, clad in the silver armor of an Integrity Knight.