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.

Duke against

the information as

time figuring out how he had been able to beat the current

yes, but from what I've seen, the Overlord should still be a

Dragon was able to somewhat gauge how strong an opponent someone

White Reaper to the Blood Prince, there was still a bit of a gap between

him to have won

expected of the person who

up his sleeve. Particularly with regards to his upcoming battle with the Duke, which took the whole arena

a very long time, the Duke was finally going to

fuller as it was packed

was at that

sure everyone here has already heard of the event that's currently

made his appearance. The crowd

below, the

was heated, and all the demons wanted to do at the moment was catch a glimpse of the

supreme being whom the arena and city

him to finally

couldn't contain

wanted nothing else but to see him crush the current

really have hard feelings against him…but he was the Duke. Of course, they would root

squinted as he gazed at the

at

let us

slowly opened, the demoness's

point forward, everyone stopped

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

Azonech stepped into

the attention of all spectators

Tok. Tok.

footsteps

before he stopped in the middle of the arena. There was a calm

moment of silence was followed by

"Duke!"

"Duke Azenoch!"

"Beat him up!"

borderline fanatical. In spite of this, Duke

curl began to spread across the

at the top of

"The device…"

he gazed

his mana toward his eyes, Lightning Dragon's

"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

energy, or aura, he

of the Duke's suppressor,

came up with

planning on

was planning on

once he learned of this as he pressed both hands on the window

should've told

once chose to become the next Overlord was that he knew

all-seeing eyes, this was only to be

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

do it without the need to defeat

that he had heard the rules that it was practically impossible

kind of Duke would ever put their reputation on

they would ever

the arena, we have his opponent. Someone whose rise 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 to fight against the current Duke! Welcome

Clank.

the arena slowly opened up revealing a familiar figure that everyone had seen in

"hm?"

the moment he appeared, Lightning

mouth multiple times, a cold

"What?"

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

"...Who is he?"

That...

Reaper he

He was someone else.