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 White

hard time processing the information as he

hard time figuring out how he had been able to beat

seen, the Overlord should still be a bit stronger

Dragon was able to somewhat gauge how strong an

Prince, there was still a bit

to have won that

the person

surprises up his sleeve. Particularly with regards to his upcoming battle with the Duke,

first time in a very long time, the Duke was

fuller as it was packed to

was at that

here has already heard of the event

his appearance. The crowd

at the arena below, the only sound heard

and all the demons wanted to do at the moment was catch

whom the arena and city were

him to finally make an

the demons couldn't

but to see him crush the current Overlord,

have hard feelings against him…but he was the Duke.

gazed at the audience. Their thoughts were so easy

was at that

us welcome

at the far end of the arena slowly opened, the demoness's crisp and pleasant voice echoed throughout the entire

point forward, everyone

from the side of his forehead, and

stepped into

attracted the attention of all spectators

Tok. Tok.

of his footsteps

stopped in the middle of the arena. There was a calm look on his face as he gazed

brief moment of silence was followed by loud cheers, which shook the entire

"Duke!"

"Duke Azenoch!"

"Beat him up!"

him at the top of their lungs sounded borderline fanatical. In spite of this, Duke Azenoch appeared to be enjoying the cheers as he basked in

a faint curl began to spread across the

the top of one of

"The device…"

as he gazed at the device that the

his mana toward his eyes, Lightning Dragon's

"It's not on."

him to detect the general flow of mana in

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

out of the Duke's suppressor, he knew that it wasn't

this, he came up

planning on

was planning on

Dragon's face changed completely once he learned of this as he pressed both hands on the window of

should've told him

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

all-seeing eyes, this was only to be

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

he could do it without the need to defeat the Duke, hence why

moment that he had heard the

mean, what kind of Duke would ever put their reputation on the line in front of so

if they would ever let themselves

of a single month, he managed to accomplish something

Clank.

moment her words faded, the gates on the other side of the arena slowly opened up revealing a

"hm?"

he appeared,

mouth multiple times, a cold chill

"What?"

hand to touch his face, he felt a wet sensation. Unknowingly, his body started to

"...Who is he?"

That...

he had

He was someone else.