Sitting on a dark throne in a dark icy-cold room was a stoic-faced man.

His hair was a radiant crimson, and his horns protruded up and back to the roof and sky. 

The man's eyes were a dark color, with his pupils a shining flame.

Reflecting off of the dark marble floors was his demonic armor, light, but powerful.

This man is the most powerful in the world. 

***

I can't remember. 

When was the last time I had a human delicacy? 

When was the last time I played in the rivers and oceans?

When was the last time I saw my parents?

In honesty, I, the demon king miss such simple ventures.

But, power is much more interesting.

At least, I thought.

Being powerful is fun until it isn't.

There Are no opponents that can reach you, that can scar you, that can even cross your mind every once in and while. In the end, there is no goal to reach.

At the peak, you go no further. 

I hit that breakneck 75 years ago, and yet...I broke through and pierced the skies.

There was nothing to stand in my way. No heroes, no champions, no swordmasters, just me and only I.

The world bowed to me, and most praised me. They learned to look past my malevolence and forced themselves to see the faint benevolence.

Like I said, I was once human. I was born from the mortal womb, raised by mortal people, and yet I despised it. Maybe it was my upbringing, maybe it was my parents themselves, but I hated and hated.

My malice and my hatred grew so strong that it was endless. I grew stronger, fought strong opponents, and killed whoever stood in my way. In the end, I remained.

But, I can't help but feel shaken. Not just recently, but for the last 21 years. I feel some imminent fate upon me, but I refuse to acknowledge it enough. I will not let fear control me, not even when I die. 

Which, will be never.

***

"Sir...I must inform you, that the seer has claimed to have received a vision from the gods."

Bending the knee, with a single arm folded over his chest and one behind his back, a middle-aged man in a dark robe kneeled before my dark throne.

"Then why are you in his stead?" my callous voice spoke.

"W-Well, I just wanted you to be one of the first to know...sire."

He felt like the weight of 10 worlds had been placed onto him, as his head slammed to the floor alongside his body.

"Don't enter my chambers with such trivial matters. If the seer had a vision, then he would come himself. And if he didn't, I would know. Trust me, I would."

As his face slammed to the floor, the man bit his tongue by accident. And with a bleeding tongue, "Y-Yesh...M..My Lord.." he spoke.

"Scram."

With haste, the man scurried like a rodent. 

It wouldn't be long before the seer himself stood before me.

Sitting in my dark armor on the throne, I said: "So...enlighten me."

"Well, sire...it would behoove you to prepare."

"Prepare? For what, exactly?" I said, with one raised eyebrow and a curious tone.

"Well, for your archnemesis. The only thing that can drive out your darkness. The hero."

My eyes widened before I lowered my head and looked down with a pale expression.

"My lord?.." The seer said.

I raise my hand, stopping his speech, "Nothing, it's nothing..."

"HAHAHAHA! It's just so funny....the hero you say? I've killed well over 20 of them, and you think this one will be the one to do it?"

"I did not see much. But, I did see his power. Understand, that he is a hero, sent by the very gods you defy. You know that each of the gods can only assign a single hero under them. But, this hero...he may very well be appointed by all of them."

My smirk slowly turns into a frown accompanied by a glare.

"What are you trying to say?..."

"I'm saying, this hero is being guided by all of them. With their wills and their abilities, he is truly an entity raised to destroy you."

I sigh, my smirk returning.

"So..that's it? I thought it was something serious. With the wills and abilities of the gods, he is meant to destroy me?.... I've heard it all before. I tell you now, he will try. Because I will mutilate him. I will turn his blood into beverages, his viscera into candy, and his bones into weapons!"

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With a nod, the seer turns, "I see. Well, I do not doubt your ability sire. But, it is never bad to be on guard, always."

"Yeah, yeah I get it. You can leave now."

I sat there thinking, running my mind across it all.

Was it fear? Not at all. Anxiety? Again, no. It was...excitement. 

If this hero truly was all the seer spoke about him to be, then finally I would have a true opponent to face.

That was 21 years ago.

My authority stretched from wherever the sun and shadows touched, and my power was still growing far beyond anything I had years and years ago.

Boredom is all that lives with me.

After 50 decades of living you think you'd get used to it, but, the loneliness truly eats you alive.

'What does my father look like?....my mother? Where did I grow up?..why did I even start to hate humans?'

My hatred lasted so long, I forgot the origin of it.

My days now consisted of sitting on a dark throne, in a cold room, awaiting something that may never come.

***

Tales of a hero scourged the lands.

"He defeated a dragon!"

"I heard he the most honest guy ever!"

"I saw him save a village!"

"I heard he's gonna kill the demon king..."

He was mighty, honest, and just. His strength rivaled every knight, every general, and every king.

He was a young man, just barely 22 years of age. His team of fearsome and loved heroes brought joy to many towns, villages, and kingdoms.

Said to be wielding the 5 divine powers and artifacts of the gods, nobody could doubt his strength.

"Today's the day huh?.."

"Yep, 400,000 soldiers of the highest rank from 2 different kingdoms, and of course the hero's party."

Standing in front of the long list of men, the hero spoke with might, "He's ruined the world for long enough! The demon king will fall!"

Cheers broke out along the rows and rows of soldiers.

Raising his sparkling great sword, the cheers became screams and the screams became roars.

"For 500 years, he has plunged the world and its people into his darkness! Our ancestors and now even us have had to live under his eyes and shadows. But, I say...no more!" 

"YEAH! NO MORE!"

"WE'RE WITH YOU!"

"Hundreds of millions he has killed, hundreds of thousands of villages and towns he has destroyed, will we continue to let him proceed with his charade? WILL WE?!"

Cheers and screams filled the air with: "NO WAY!" and "HELL NO!"

***

The sound of souls being taken, bones being crushed, and swords clashing were now evident in the lands.

This long war of my men and the humans being slaughtered was at its end.

I hate to admit it, but we had been losing.

For the past 8 months, we were being pushed back every day and night.

I never hid, I remained on my same throne in the same place giving orders.

I even went out and slaughtered a few thousand on my own accord, but it didn't savor my thirst.

So, I waited.

"And now....here you are!" 

With an angry look of will and fire, the hero spoke: "Do not acknowledge me, I don't want anything from a demon like you!"

"I have waited a long time. I have known about you since you were a wee baby."

Gritting his teeth, the hero calmed himself.

"Cut the talking. AND FIGHT!" 

Clutching the handle of his long, sparkling pearly blade the hero dashed at me.

A demonic and violet-ish aura formed around my hands before a dark and thicker blade appeared in my hands.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Our blades struck one another, making sparks and bright flashes across the room as we moved.

With quick steps, any normal man would have thought they were seeing two gods fighting.

"You have ruined our people, and our soil for long enough! Just die!"

The hero kicked me back, going for a strong vertical slash.

I flipped backward, parrying the attack before sending a dark violet flame toward him.

His eyes widened as the flames approached at breakneck speeds.

Swiftly, he flipped, rolled, and maneuvered throughout them.

I smirked, "Idiot." 

I moved my hands in a pulling motion.

The same flames he dodged seemed to have turned back and lashed him directly in the back.

Now In agonizing flames, the hero twists and turns.

I look at him, a curious and angry expression evident on my face.

"Is that it?...500 years of no real challenge, and this is what I get sent?!"

A bright light flashed, even blinding me for a short moment.

The hero now stood the same as before, with no burn scars or visible fatigue. 

"Huh..?"

As the hero spoke the elegant words into existence, I watched as his pearly sword burst into a white flame.

I wasn't even near the flame and yet it hurt both my eyes and irritated my skin.

"That flame, what is it?" I asked.

"Something meant to destroy you."

I watched as his once sub-par speed enhanced, losing track of him.

'This...what the hell is going on?..' I was visibly distraught.

CLANG! 

CLANG!

CLANG!

I blocked and sent back each strike from the near-invisible blade through his speed.

He bounced and moved all over the chambers of my throne room, his pearly white armor unable to truly be seen.

"Fine then.."

A swift rib-shattering blow to the gut sent the once proud hero to the wall.

The hero clutched his rib area, blood leaking from his mouth and nose, he then spoke: "H...His speed, it increased tenfold." 

"Come, let us fight to our fullest," I said with pride, a terrifying aura surrounding my body.

I rushed him, putting him in a barrage of strong blows to the body before sending him away with a spinning kick to the jaw.

"The mighty hero, are you done already? Don't feel sad. You aren't the first, and you probably won't be the last. Wait, did you think you were special? That you were 1 of 1? HAHAHAHAHA! Wake up, you're just those bastards playing things, another sent to fight and die against me."

"S-Shutup! You don't know....it's not for the gods or something trivial like pride and glory. It's for the people! The very ones you kill and hate! For 500 years they have suffered, all due to you!" The hero said, in a confrontational manner.

"How selfless. Like I care, come here."

I grabbed his hair, raising his head to look into my dark eyes.

Then, I looked down to see a blade going through my chest through my back.

"You let your pride get to you. Didn't I tell you to cut the talking? You fell for my clone. An ability gifted by the gods, the same ones you defy, isn't that a pity?" His voice leaked a contumelious tone.

"I-Impossible...I would have sensed it was a clone!"

"My clones are not the souless type, they are me in a sense. Just, a copy. So the hate that I feel for you, and the love I feel for my people, that clone does too."

With my heart pierced, I sat against the chamber walls. Coughing up blood and clutching the bleeding wound, I try to speak, but to no avail.

It wasn't a grand wound, I could easily heal it.

And I had gotten so strong that I could easily live through an artificial mana heart created from my very soul if I wished.

But that flame, that white flame prevented my healing. Every time I tried to heal, an excruciating pain filled my structure. It felt as if a million blades with that same flame continuously pierced my body.

Honestly, I felt fear of the pain, so I stopped trying to heal.

"Your 500-year dark masquerade has come to an end, Demon King Syren."

I chuckled, laughing so hard that I coughed up blood with my laughter.

"I admit I lost."

The hero spoke, "I bid you farewell and a painful death."

"—For now."

The hero's eyes widened.

"What do you mean, "For now" Demon King?"

"See you in the next life.."

I raised my middle finger before a blinding light shimmered beneath my head.

My hands had a dark violet aura around them as I screamed the words: "Cursed Rebirth Renewal!"

"What are you doing?! Do you truly wish to defy the gods, even in death?!"

"Keke—those bastards can go fuck themselves!"

The dark castle of the demon exploded into ruin in the very next second.

That day, the world's greatest evil and the world's greatest good perished.