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My race was to be mistrusted. Labeled as evil and cruel. Destruction was always our calling card wherever we visited. All those who would see us knew that there soon would be death and mayhem. It was not an existence that they could tolerate.

Nor could we. We fought each other countless times for dominance. Never had there been a single one of our kind to top us all as a whole. Always, there had been a contender that would trump the lesser evil.

Demons. We were called Demons.

It was true that we grew horns, our flesh was of different shades that ranged from the deepest blacks to the molten bright yellows, and we had our share of features that were not always pleasant. Sharp teeth, scales, tails, claws, wings, crowns of horns, or more variations. We had so many that it was hard to discern if we were one race or a congregation of many lost tribes. 

If we were a gathering of different peoples, it was a divided one. No one chose to willingly follow. It was based on threats, fears, or punishment to coerce those lesser evils into action.

From across the steaming crags, to the raised heights of razor-edged stone hills, a lake of lava was kept inside a bowl made of those dangerously sharp hills. Any who approached would be swept away, leaving no trace of life as the fiery waves washed all away. And that same burning current splashed against a raised peak of one tower made entirely of obsidian, and I sat, observed, and anticipated the formation of mankind's greatest assembled army.

The whole lot of them were ready to die in an effort to at last wipe us all out. Our last bastion. Me, the final lesser evil of all Demons. Being the last one, I suppose that would make me the Greater Evil by default?

It made me laugh.

"So be it. Let's show them Hell tonight." As I flicked my wrist to gesture for both my legion and garrison to sally forth, I laid back in my throne and watched. Waited. There would be a Hero.

A final battle...

"..." Looking around in the darkness, I was a little perplexed at what had just happened. A peek down revealed that there was no floor to stand on. I was hovering in some kind of void, or this was one very deep chasm I was falling in… on second thought, I didn’t sense myself falling. Not in the natural sense.

"Hello?"

Swerving my head left and right, I searched for the voice.

"Ah, hello? Do you speak?"

Cringing in irritation and anger, I spoke. "You dare to assume I am a simpleton without a tongue!"

"Whoa, okay! Sorry for the mixup there. Not a simpleton. Check."

There was a silence between me and this mysterious voice.

"Do you, uh, have a name?"

With my sharp teeth bared, I announced myself in a righteous shout. "I'm Sulvon, the Lesser of all Evils!"

"Sulvon the Lesser of all -- Hey, wait, why lesser?"

In frustration, I lashed out into the darkness with a coil of flames to light this place up. Searching wildly, I tried to find the source of this voice. "Where are you! Show yourself, coward!"

"Mhm, yeah, I see now why you want a humble title with that attitude. Lesser Evil, got it."

I wasn't a Lesser Evil. Not after being the last of them. Enraged, I billowed out a surging inferno that had ever been present within my being. It fanned outwards in a great sphere. From a distance, I watched it wave outwards until the ball of power could no longer be maintained. It broke apart, but it had reached out so far that I could no longer depend on its illumination to see.

"You like playing with fire, don't'cha?"

This hunt was not over. Darkness was a friend and there was plenty of it. Tapping into a neglected vein, I entered the shadows with my senses to feel out for this voice.

When I touched the darkness, the Darkness touched back.

"Hey! No touching!"

I choked in shock. The voice was the Darkness. This entire Void was what was speaking to me.

"Sulvon, a Lesser Evil who likes to play with fire and has a real temper. Sounds like a good summary. At least, it's a start."

My mouth went dry. Where was I? "Who are you?"

"Well, since you gave me your name, I guess it would be polite to return the greeting. I'm Death."

Seriously? This was Death? "Are you joking?"

"Right now? No. Do you want to hear one?"

I shook my head. "No." After hearing who this was, I didn't feel like hearing anything amusing anymore. This was Death. That meant I had died and I’d forgotten how it happened.

"Oh, you'll come around. I'm sure a little joke won't hurt? For you, how about the effort you put into that final battle? That was a real hoot. Sitting on your throne doing nothing until there was just you. C'mon! What did you call that strategy? Last Man Standing? Great for a free-for-all, but you had legions under your command --"

"SHUT UP!" Lowering my head, I shook it and felt true despair for the first time. What he said was what hurt. I was not just the last Lesser Evil, but the very last of my kind that had died. There were no more Demons.

"You know, if you are that broken up about it. I could give you another crack at it? Maybe this time put a little effort in it?"

Did I hear that right? "You will give my life back?"

"More than that. I'll send you back before you sat down and awaited your demise."

Nodding, I was more than willing to do something different this time around. "Please. Send me back."

"Ah, wait. Before you go, there is one little catch."

I quietly waited to hear what this was. When nothing was said, I closed my eyes and bowed as low as I could to my dangling feet. "Please. I beg you. Send me back. I will offer anything in return."

"Oh, I'm not taking anything. It is a gift. Knowledge. Each time you fail to avert the events of this battle, I'll grant you knowledge of how to prevent this calamity."

This didn't sound like a bad catch at all. Why was it that I had the impression a warning was hidden in this? "Ve-- Very well? Please, may I go?"

"Sure! See you in a little bit."