Return Of The Strongest Player

"Dumbasses," said Gregorio, thrusting his sword into Karen's abdomen. The tip of the blade dug into her skin, impaling her internal organs instantly. Ms. Gomez fell to the ground, coughing blood.

The searing pain that rushed across her body was unreal. It was like her body was on flames. She writhed on the ground, unable to accept the fact that she was about to die. She looked pitiful.

Gregorio pulled his sword out, moving it to the right slightly before doing so. A deep scar embedded itself on Karen's body, and an excessive amount of blood emerged due to the wider cut.

It only took a few moments before her eyes lost luster.

"A little help would be nice, Gregorio!" Mason spoke urgently, barely deflecting Athanasia's mana-coated strike. The ground shattered under their feet, and the walls barely withheld the impact.

"I thought you could take her on by yourself," said Gregorio, cracking a smile now that Karen had perished and Arthur had managed to escape. A considerable chunk of Gregorio's part in the plan had been fulfilled.

It was only a matter of time.

Also, a matter of survival, as they would soon arrive…

Speaking of which, they did arrive.

Crash! Crash!

"Two people are trying to enter!" One of the members of the Ainsworths barged into the banquet hall. His body was covered in blood, and soon, a sword impaled his back. His eyes lost their luster, and he fell forward.

His corpse was puddled in a pool of blood. 

Stepping on that corpse was a man in a pristine, white suit. In his hand was a bloodied sword, and in his other hand was a clump of mana. A dangerous aura exuded from his body, yet his expression was as casual as ever.

This was the leader of the Millers, Kevin Miller.

However, he was not the only one who had arrived. As a kick landed on Kevin's head, he staggered forward with a pained expression.

"Cecilia, could you be any more rude?" Kevin asked, caressing the back of his head while regaining his composure. From the entrance, a woman dressed in a black tight-suit emerged. Her hair was tied back, and a thin sword was strapped to her waist.

"Well, I'm not going to be hospitable to the enemy, am I?" 

*

"You, call Professor Henry Noxickle," ordered Arthur to one of the remaining members of the Ainsworths. The crimson-eyed man hid at the side of the building, cloaked by the darkness that remained during midnight.

The member of the Ainsworths nodded before shooting away with a determined expression. Although he wasn't sure why the crimson-eyed man requested the presence of a random second year professor, he wasn't in any position to complain.

Gregorio Dune had personally chosen Arthur, and questioning the latter would be like defying the former's orders. That simply wasn't possible.

Moreover, they were in a dire state. The leaders of the Ainsworths, principal of Arcadia Academy, executive of the Ainsworths, head of the Jester Organization, and the leader of the Millers were in the same hall.

Shit was about to go down.

'They aren't going to be the only combatants, though,' thought Arthur, glancing at Jake, who tilted his head in confusion. 

A few minutes passed, and the members of the Ainsworths returned with Professor Henry Noxickle, who seemed out of breath. Glancing at Arthur, Henry's eyes widened, and he desperately tried to escape.

"Jack," said Arthur. His expression contorted into that of a devil, and he slowly crept up to Henry, who was shitting bricks by this point. 

"Who's Jack?" Henry asked, regaining his composure. "I am not acquainted with anyone bearing the name Jack."

"Shut up and follow us," ordered Arthur, nodding once towards Jake. 

Arthur, Jake, and Henry shot towards the main building of Arcadia Academy. It didn't take long before they arrived in front of the main building. The signs, advertisements, and notice sheets were still stuck to the boards.

The entire area was dark, and seemed abandoned. However, there was a single light illuminating Athanasia's office. Even though Athanasia was currently engaging in battle against Mason, the light to her office was on.

Why was that?

'Thankfully, I brought Henry along,' thought Arthur, entering the main building. Immediately, he was faced with a corridor in which even seeing a few meters away was difficult. One needed to concentrate to navigate across the school.

The lights weren't working, either.

"We have to get to Athanasia's office," said Arthur, walking across the dark corridor. He applied mana on his eyes before concentrating in order to see within the darkness of Arcadia Academy. It was difficult and consumed a considerable amount of mana…

But there was no other option.

Arthur barely retained 30% of his mana after forcefully creating a skill involving Sins and Virtues. It wouldn't be long before he eventually ran out. Considering the rate of use, it would only take a few minutes of continuous use for his body to be squeezed dry.

He had to do it all in a few minutes.

"Jake, your mana reserve is still over 80%, right?" Arthur whispered, navigating slowly across the school.

"Over 90%," responded the dirty-blonde haired man. 

"Good," replied Arthur. "Mine is about to run out, so you have to conserve yours. Henry, use your mana to illuminate the surroundings."

Henry nodded solemnly before using a light spell. A sphere exuding dim light manifested in the air, floating a few inches above Henry's head. It was almost like the sphere was a living being.

The three walked slowly but consistently for a few minutes before a certain entity revealed its presence.

Swoosh! 

Two daggers shot towards Arthur, Jake, and Henry. Professor Noxickle's eyes widened, and he extended his arm before circulating a ton of mana across it.

Immediately, a shield manifested before him, allowing the daggers to collide with it and then fall harmlessly to the ground.

"Mr. Mason… I was wondering where you'd disappeared off to," greeted Arthur with a strained smile. "Have you gotten a job as a guard dog?"

"Unfortunately… a guard dog that's been sent specifically to bite your ass."

"That's pretty gay, Mr. Mason."