The Author's POV

"This will be a short fight."

Overlooking the arena from above, SilverMoon's eyes narrowed. All of the top Duke bracket competitors were standing beside her.

"That's good for Skull Crusher."

"Yeah."

"It was a given considering his strength. Although he's nothing much himself."

None seemed to be interested in the upcoming fight. There was an air of certainty about the fight, despite the fact that it hadn't even begun yet.

Who was going to win was already clear to them.

"Why do you even bother with that human, anyway?"

A lazy-looking figure languidly asked. His shoulder-length black hair spread across the sofa as he leaned back against the sofa and stared up at the ceiling with his yellow-colored eyes.

From his mouth, he took out a popsicle and looked at SilverMoon.

"I admit that he is strong, but Skull Crusher should be able to handle him."

"I know."

SilverMoon replied. Glancing back at the figure, she asked.

"You're also a human, what did you think of him?"

"Him?"

The figure leaned back once again on the sofa and crossed his arms behind his head as he gazed at the ceiling of the room.

"Huaaam."

He let out a yawn.

"He aight. Nothing special apart from his hair."

That was the last thing he said before he closed his eyes

"I see..."

SilverMoon nodded her head and once again turned to look at the arena below. However, this was merely a pretense. Her attention was secretly drawn to the human from earlier.

'Rank 3, Lightning Dragon.'

He was the individual that SilverMoon feared the most out of all the bracket contenders. His strength was quite unknown as he always ended an opponent within a couple of moves, but SilverMoon always felt this unsettling feeling whenever she saw him.

She couldn't explain it clearly, but there were times that she would fear him above the current Emperor.

Perhaps it was because her instincts had been honed over a long period of time, but she knew that the human sitting on the sofa was bad news.

Had it not been for his lazy personality, who knows...

He could've even been the current Emperor.

'What am I thinking?'

After shaking her head to clear her mind, SilverMoon returned her attention to the arena.

With the demoness already present and preparing to announce something, SilverMoon's eyes narrowed even further.

"The match is about to start."

Her words drew the attention of everyone in the room as they all gazed at the arena.

"Should we bet on how long the human will last against Skull Crusher?"

"Sounds fun."

"I want in."

***

In a calm manner, I got up from the bed and walked toward the cell door.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

Nodding, I pressed my hand against the cell door and opened the door.

Clank—!

My ears were pricked up by the sound of several demons waiting on the other side of the door.

I didn't pay much attention to them since I was used to such scenes.

and walked deeper into the tunnel, one of the

"Follow me."

"..."

the other demons, they followed me from behind, trapping me

had any

At least not yet.

*

inside the arena were

the arena, the

suggest you end the fight as soon as

Glancing in his direction, I lowered my head and didn't

'That's the plan.'

antagonized the top ten rankers in my bracket, there was no

end them quickly to save my energy for when I fought the Emperor. Someone

"We're here."

out of metal, the demon turned to

Your fight will start any

a deep breath and concentrated on the noise

right corner, with an undefeated

the announcer's voice coming from the other side of the gates. It was the same voice I had been

[...Please welcome White Reaper!]

Clank—!

the doors soon

forward, I entered the arena with my

"White Reaper!"

"Fuck him up!"

"Skull Crusher! Destroy him!"

the arena, I could hear the loud cheers of the spectators. They

them

because my current focus was directed

"We meet again."

Skull Crusher's face

Crack. Crack. Crack.

"..."

him, I

me for what will happen next. We clearly gave you a way out. I hope you last long enough for me to enjoy

"Sure."

replied. The look on Skull Crusher's face changed when he realized I wasn't taking him seriously, but I didn't notice as I

was my other-self. Due to the fact that no one

you going to proceed as

tone. In the midst of the loud cheers,

nodded my head

'Yes.'

two contestants

I nodded, I felt the demoness's gaze pause on me.

"Yes."

[Skull Crusher?]

"Yes."

her a short

she raised her hand and the noise in the arena ceased. A slight smile hung on the demoness's face as she noticed

held her hand in the air. At the exact moment the tension reached its climax, she

[You may fight!]

hand, she announced the start of the fight and I quickly

'The one.'

to a halt. Neither

other self slowly moved behind

From the corner of my

he positioned himself behind Skull

only then that I took

Tok.

***

'What's going on?'

muscles loosen as he couldn't muster any strength in them. He

his body started

his head to glance at his hands,

"Is this fear?"

an emotion that he had not

Actually, not quite.

Back when he met the current

single match, he had

biggest

for his mercy, he would've

'I...impossible.'

current emperor, the one coming from the small figure standing opposite him was even more fiercesome. He

even stronger

dull-grey gazes stared back at him once

"Ah..."

out a strange

"What are you doing?!"