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

processing the information as

a hard time figuring out how he

should still be a bit

Dragon was able to somewhat

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

to have

of the person who

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

long time, the Duke was finally going

any fuller

was at that

sure everyone here has already heard

his appearance.

demons eagerly gazed at the arena below, the only sound heard was their rough

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

being whom the arena and city

finally

couldn't contain their

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

him…but he was the Duke. Of course, they would root

as he gazed at the

at that

let us welcome

the far end of the arena slowly opened, the demoness's crisp

that point forward, everyone

of black hair, two large horns that protruded from the side of

Azonech stepped

the attention of all

Tok. Tok.

his footsteps

of the arena. There was a calm look on his face as he gazed toward the other end of

by loud cheers,

"Duke!"

"Duke Azenoch!"

"Beat him up!"

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

curl began to spread across the Duke's

of one of the

"The device…"

opened wide as he gazed

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

demonic energy, or aura, he

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

realizing this, he came up with

on killing

Duke was planning

changed completely once he learned of this as he pressed both hands on the

should've told him

once chose to become the next Overlord was that he knew from

all-seeing eyes, this was only

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

escape, he could do it without the need to

the very moment that he had heard the

would ever put their reputation on the line in front of so

they would ever let

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,

Clank.

of the arena slowly opened up

"hm?"

the moment he appeared, Lightning Dragons' face

and closing his mouth multiple times, a cold chill

"What?"

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

"...Who is he?"

That...

he had

He was someone else.