Return Of The Strongest Player

Heather immediately rushed forward to prevent Randy's greatsword from stabbing her heart. At that moment, with a swift motion, Arthur swung at Heather's neck, delivering a shallow cut on her throat.

"One should never underestimate those he does not know inside and out," said Arthur, chasing after Heather, who was wounded quite severely. Neon immediately dashed towards Arthur, but his path was obstructed by Harry, Jenny, and Dino.

The three were not proficient in combat without the use of mana, but Jenny's swordsmanship lessons were paying off. Neo struggled to reach Heather, while Randy and Arthur pressured her endlessly, cutting and bruising her relentlessly.

Jenny was especially shocked, and embarrassed due to her former outburst. In reality, Arthur was simply pursuing a tactic she hadn't been made aware of. 

Recalling her swordsmanship training alongside Arthur, she made use of the mana restriction to hone her abilities even further. A barrage of strikes fell upon Neon, who was struggling to keep up with the assault of three people.

Even without the capability to display powerful attacks, the cooperation between Jenny, Harry, and Dino was coordinated enough to pressure Neon–who had access to mana–into a difficult position.

On the other hand, Randy and Arthur were successfully pressuring Heather, who had a severe–possibly fatal–injury on her back. Randy's greatsword had grazed her internal organs due to the woman's terrifyingly fast reaction time.

Arthur expected her to die on the first strike, but the battle was prolonged due to her sheer tenacity. 

Randy unleashed strikes from his sword style, the Grevino Style, which had now advanced into a skill. Although he couldn't access the skill due to the system error, the muscular man could still recall the days when the style was not yet a skill.

Since the style was not a skill at the moment, Randy's movements were clumsy, and openings could be spotted. However, Heather's condition was deteriorating at a rapid pace, leaving her incapable of spotting such flaws.

Randy rushed forward, thrusting his greatsword forward. Gusts of wind burst as his sword pierced through the air, heading straight towards Heather's heart. The woman gritted her teeth, sidestepping.

Her Admin capabilities were boundless, but the condition of her body didn't allow her to make use of them.

As soon as she avoided the blow to her heart, Arthur foot landed on her face. Her eyes widened before clamping shut due to the impact. Her nose suffered damage, and her entire body was flung backward.

Her strength was a tier above Arthur and Randy's, but it only mattered if she received the opportunity to attack. Considering how matters were progressing, she would soon lose her life without being able to land a single hit.

"Randy, switch!" Arthur shouted, switching positions with the muscular man. Randy focused on strength, while Arthur was an all-rounder. However, the latter switched his expertise to speed during the current battle.

By switching, they were able to confuse Heather.

Previously, Randy was using his immense strength to attack from the right, while Arthur was pairing it up with his speed from the left. Now, the roles were switched, and the speed was on the right.

Klang! Klang! Klang!

Heather–with much difficulty–parried, blocked, or evaded most fatal attacks. However, her speed decreased over time, deepening the smiles on the faces of Randy and Arthur, who exchanged knowing glances.

The battle was entertaining.

In a few minutes, Heather would be rendered unable to fight. Once she was killed, Arthur and Randy would shift their attention towards Neon. By that time, the mana restriction would be lifted.

Following that, victory would be a piece of cake.

Suddenly, the light in Heather's eyes dimmed, and her movements became sluggish. Randy and Arthur jumped at the chance, preparing to unleash a combined attack to finish off their foe once and for all.

Glancing at each other, they estimated the timing.

When both parties nodded simultaneously, Arthur and Randy rushed towards Heather, preparing to deal the final blow. Elation was visible in their gazes. Their footsteps were soft and without sound.

Arthur, although stripped of his footwork technique, could still traverse at a fair percentage of his peak speed. 

Within seconds, the two had closed the gap.

They swung their swords with all their might, determined to leave nothing of Heather's behind as she moved on to the afterlife. Their gazes contained dedication, a hint of deviousness, and a devilish nature.

Swish! Swish!

Their swords approached Heather's neck at terrifying speeds, and Neon's scream reverberated across the battlefield. 

However, Arthur and Randy's faces paled as their swords reached within proximity. At that moment, a portal opened behind Heather, and her injured body fell to the ground. She had lost consciousness.

The portal sent out strong winds, causing Arthur and Randy to struggle to hold on.

"What…"

"What the fuck?"

Their words of indignation were justifiable. The ethereal, iridescent portal was oval-shaped and differed from regular portals in terms of intensity and color. From within the portal, a shadow stepped out.

It was as if the world stopped. The wheel of time slowed, washing away the colors of the world. 

The jaws of both Arthur and Randy dropped. As they regained composure, the two raised their weapons, clenching their teeth. Their foe was incomparably more powerful than Heather, but they refused to sacrifice their lives.

Thankfully, it seemed the figure hidden within the shadow did not emanate any killing intent.

The shadow dissipated, revealing a muscular, old man with gray hair. His appearance was refined, accurately displaying his stature as a high-ranking official. His gaze was calm and casual as if this was regular business.

His eyes swept across the desolate world. His pupils, which were a light shade of velvet, seemed to contain the wisdom and truth of the world. They absorbed all information present in the entire world in mere seconds.

Then, he stepped forward, his gaze fixated on Arthur and Randy.

A faint smile blossomed on his face. It wasn't devious; in reality, it was quite gentle.

"You must have had trouble. I apologize for this girl's mistakes."