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

Dragon was still having a hard time processing the information as he stepped onto

had a hard time figuring out how

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

Lightning Dragon was able to somewhat

Blood Prince, there was still a bit of a gap

have won that

of the

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

time in a very long time, the Duke was finally going to make an

fuller as it was

at that

heard of the

made his appearance. The crowd instantly quieted

arena below, the only

atmosphere was heated, and all the demons wanted to do at the moment was catch

supreme being whom the arena and city were under the watchful

to finally make an

demons couldn't

see

didn't really have hard feelings against him…but he was the Duke. Of course, they would root

Dragon's eyes squinted as he gazed at the

at

us welcome

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

that point forward, everyone stopped

protruded from the side of

Azonech stepped

attention

Tok. Tok.

his footsteps resounded throughout the whole

wasn't long before he stopped in the middle of the arena. There was a calm look on his face as he gazed toward the

of silence was followed by loud cheers,

"Duke!"

"Duke Azenoch!"

"Beat him up!"

screaming for 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 them

began to spread

at the top of one

"The device…"

he gazed at the device that the

his eyes, Lightning

"It's not on."

him to detect the general flow of mana in the air, but they could also allow him

demonic energy, or aura, he

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

he came up with

planning on

was planning on

learned of this as he pressed both hands on the window

should've told

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

his all-seeing eyes, this was only to

lazy to even consider the idea of fighting

could do it without the need to defeat the Duke, hence why he never saw

heard the rules that it was practically impossible to escape

kind of Duke would ever put their reputation on the line in

they would ever

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

Clank.

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

"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 tremble as he took a

"...Who is he?"

That...

White Reaper he had fought in the

He was someone else.