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

having a hard time processing the information as he stepped onto one of the

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

should still be a bit stronger even if his rank

eyes, Lightning Dragon was able to somewhat gauge

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

him to have won

expected of the person who

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

a very long time, the Duke was finally

been any fuller as it was packed to the

was at

sure everyone here has already heard of the event

made his appearance. The crowd instantly

arena below, the only sound heard was their

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

being whom the arena and city

to finally

the demons couldn't

wanted nothing else but to see him

was the Duke. Of course,

eyes squinted as he gazed at the audience. Their thoughts were

was at

let us welcome the

slowly opened, the demoness's crisp and pleasant voice echoed throughout the

point forward, everyone

from the side of his forehead, and a

stepped into the

attracted the attention

Tok. Tok.

echo of his footsteps resounded

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

by loud cheers, which

"Duke!"

"Duke Azenoch!"

"Beat him up!"

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

curl began to spread across the

the top of one of the

"The device…"

he gazed at the device that the Duke was

his eyes, Lightning Dragon's eyes

"It's not on."

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

energy, or aura, he could see through

of the Duke's suppressor, he

this, he came up with

on killing

Duke was planning on killing White

completely once he learned of this as he

I should've told him

become the next Overlord was that he knew from

eyes, this was only to be

he was too lazy to even consider

do it without the need to defeat

very moment that he had heard the rules that it was practically impossible to

mean, what kind of Duke would ever put their

if they would ever

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

Clank.

the arena slowly opened up revealing a familiar figure

"hm?"

appeared, Lightning Dragons'

his mouth multiple times, a cold chill swept his

"What?"

his face, he felt a wet sensation.

"...Who is he?"

That...

wasn't the White Reaper he had

He was someone else.