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

still having a hard time processing the information as he

had a hard time figuring out how he had been able

from what I've seen, the Overlord should still be a bit stronger even if

eyes, Lightning Dragon was able to somewhat gauge how strong an opponent

to the Blood Prince, there was still a bit of

to have won

of the

surprises up his sleeve. Particularly with regards to his upcoming battle

first time in a very long time, the Duke was finally

couldn't have been any fuller as it was

at that

heard

appearance. The

at the arena below, the only sound heard was their rough

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

and city were under the

him to finally make an

demons couldn't

else but to see

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

he gazed at the audience.

at

us

opened, the demoness's crisp and

that point forward, everyone stopped

set of black hair, two large horns that protruded from the side of his forehead, and a presence that instantly overtook the entire

stepped into

every movement attracted the attention of all spectators and demons

Tok. Tok.

calm echo of his footsteps resounded

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

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

"Duke!"

"Duke Azenoch!"

"Beat him up!"

of this, Duke Azenoch appeared to be enjoying the cheers as

faint curl began to

the top of one of

"The device…"

opened wide as he gazed at the device that

mana toward his eyes, Lightning Dragon's

"It's not on."

mana in the air, but they could also

mana, demonic energy, or aura, he could

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

came up with one

on

was planning on killing

this as he pressed both

should've

to become the next Overlord was that he knew from the very beginning

this was only to

lazy to even consider the idea of fighting over one

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

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

kind of Duke would ever put their reputation on the

would ever let themselves

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.

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

"hm?"

the moment he appeared,

mouth multiple times, a cold

"What?"

sensation. Unknowingly, his body started

"...Who is he?"

That...

Reaper he had fought

He was someone else.