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

hard time processing the information as he stepped

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

seen, the Overlord should still be

eyes, Lightning Dragon was able to somewhat gauge how

was

him to have

of the

sleeve. Particularly with regards to his upcoming battle with the Duke, which took the whole arena and city by

time, the Duke was finally going to make

arena couldn't have been any fuller as

was at that

everyone here has already heard of

appearance.

arena below, the only sound heard was their rough

do at the

supreme being whom the arena and city were under

to finally

couldn't

but to see him crush

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

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

at that

let us welcome the

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

forward,

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

Azonech stepped into

attention of all spectators

Tok. Tok.

echo of his footsteps resounded throughout the

There was a calm look on his face as he

of silence was followed by loud cheers,

"Duke!"

"Duke Azenoch!"

"Beat him up!"

lungs sounded borderline fanatical. In spite of this, Duke Azenoch

faint curl began to spread across the Duke's

the top of one of

"The device…"

Dragon's eyes opened wide as he gazed at the

toward his eyes, Lightning Dragon's eyes

"It's not on."

were special. 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

demonic energy, or aura,

to not detect any energy coming out of the Duke's suppressor, he knew that it wasn't

he came up

planning on

was planning on killing

completely once he learned of this as he pressed both

should've told

chose to become the next Overlord was that he knew

his all-seeing eyes, this was only to

lazy to even consider the idea of

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

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

their reputation

they would ever let themselves

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

Clank.

arena slowly opened up revealing a familiar figure that everyone

"hm?"

appeared, Lightning Dragons' face

his mouth multiple times, a cold chill swept his

"What?"

face, he felt a wet sensation. Unknowingly, his

"...Who is he?"

That...

White Reaper he had fought

He was someone else.