The Author's POV

"Huu...huuu..."

My body rose and fell as I breathed in and out. With sweat trickling down my body, I slowly closed my eyes and continued doing the same motion. Alongside it, I made sure to carefully move the mana around my body.

"Are you ready?"

It was then that a voice echoed inside the room.

I promptly ignored the voice.

Lowering my body once more, I flexed my muscles and only stopped once my chest and nose touched the floor before moving.

My movement was very slow.

Slow to the point that my muscles started to sting with each movement.

"Haa..."

It was only after I completed the movement that I finally stood up. Taking a clean towel I cleaned my body.

'Warm's up done.'

Clank. Clank. Clank. Clank.

Detaching four large bracelets from my arms, I put them away.

Knock. Knock.

It was exactly at this moment that I heard a knocking sound coming from the other side of the room.

"Overlord, get ready. Your match is about to begin."

"Okay."

Massaging my shoulders, I leaned and stretched my neck.

"What's your choice?"

The same voice from before spoke. As I glanced in his direction, my eyes paused.

Eventually, I nodded my head and mumbled.

"Okay..."

"Good choice."

A smile began to spread on my other self's face.

'I'm starting to think that this was part of his plans...'

I was honestly still strongly opposed to the idea of having him take over my body, but after taking everything into consideration, and realizing that the Duke could use his true strength at any moment and kill me, I realized that I had no choice but to accept his offer.

'It sucks, but I'm still too inexperienced to face a Duke-ranked demon.'

Clank.

Jolting me out of my thoughts, the door to the room opened up revealing several figures standing behind.

As soon as the door fully opened, one of the demons asked.

"Are you ready?"

"...Yes."

Nodding my head, I took a step forward. Walking shoulder to shoulder with me was my other self.

With the same emotionless expression, he muttered.

"Be sure to pay close attention to everything I do. I will show you the true depth of your strength."

Without saying anything, I opened my mouth and softly mumbled.

"Monarch's indifference."

***

In spite of the fact that he had only been defeated a week ago, Lightning Dragon could not believe what he was seeing.

against

was still having a hard time processing the information as

already had a hard time figuring out how he had been able to beat the

I've seen, the Overlord should still be a bit

his eyes, Lightning Dragon was able to somewhat gauge how strong an opponent someone

to the Blood Prince, there was still

have

expected of the person who beat

many surprises up his sleeve. Particularly with regards to his upcoming

first time in a very long time,

couldn't have been any fuller as it was packed to

at that

here has already heard of the event that's

his appearance. The crowd instantly

the demons eagerly gazed at the arena below, the only sound heard

to do at

supreme being whom the arena and city

to finally

couldn't contain their

wanted nothing else but to see him crush the current Overlord,

was the Duke. Of

the audience.

at that

let us

the arena slowly opened, the demoness's crisp

forward, everyone

hair, two large horns that protruded from the side of his forehead, and a presence that

Azonech stepped

attention of all spectators

Tok. Tok.

calm echo of his footsteps resounded throughout the whole

stopped in the middle of the arena. There was a calm look on

by loud cheers, which shook the

"Duke!"

"Duke Azenoch!"

"Beat him up!"

top of their lungs sounded borderline fanatical. In spite of this, Duke Azenoch

a faint curl began to spread across the Duke's

of one of the

"The device…"

gazed at the device that the Duke

his mana toward his

"It's not on."

Dragons' eyes were special. Not only could they allow him to detect the general flow of mana in the air, but they could also allow him to track down the general flow of energy in

was mana, demonic energy, or aura, he could see through it

detect any energy coming out of the Duke's suppressor, he knew

this, he came up

planning on

was planning

of this as he

should've told him

reason why Lightning Dragon never once chose to become the next Overlord was that he knew from the very beginning that

eyes, this was only to be

and the fact that he was too lazy to even consider the idea of

could do it without the need to defeat the Duke,

had heard the rules that it was practically impossible to escape from the

would ever put their

they would ever let themselves

could be described as nothing short of a miracle. Within a span of a single month, he managed to accomplish something that the contestants had never been able to accomplish in the past, and that is

Clank.

other side of the arena slowly opened up revealing a familiar figure that everyone had

"hm?"

moment he appeared, Lightning

mouth multiple times,

"What?"

he felt a wet sensation. Unknowingly, his body started to tremble as he took a step back and

"...Who is he?"

That...

he had fought

He was someone else.