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

hard time processing the information as he stepped onto one of the platforms overlooking

out how he had

Overlord should still be

his eyes, Lightning Dragon was able to

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

him to have

expected of the person who

to his upcoming battle with the Duke, which took the whole arena

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

have been any fuller as it was packed to

at that

has already heard of the event

his appearance. The

gazed at the arena below, the only sound heard

the demons wanted to do at the moment

and

to finally

demons couldn't contain

else but to see him crush the current Overlord, White

hard feelings against him…but he was the

he gazed at the audience. Their

was at

us welcome

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

point forward, everyone stopped

from the side of his forehead,

Azonech stepped into

every movement attracted the attention of all

Tok. Tok.

of his footsteps resounded throughout

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

brief moment of silence was followed by loud

"Duke!"

"Duke Azenoch!"

"Beat him up!"

him at the top of their lungs sounded borderline fanatical. In spite of this, Duke Azenoch appeared to

curl began to spread across the Duke's

of one of

"The device…"

Dragon's eyes opened wide as he gazed at

toward his eyes, Lightning

"It's not on."

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

or aura, he could

any energy coming out of the Duke's suppressor,

he came up

on killing

was planning on killing

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

should've told him

main reason why Lightning Dragon never once chose to become the next Overlord

this was only to be

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

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

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

ever put their reputation on the line in front of

if they would ever let

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 the current Overlord,

Clank.

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

"hm?"

the moment he appeared,

times, a

"What?"

a wet sensation. Unknowingly, his body started to tremble

"...Who is he?"

That...

the White Reaper he had fought

He was someone else.