Vice-Kings

The Vice-Kings are extremely powerful individuals who hold great influence over the course of the worlds. They serve the Concept of Evil as enforcers of it's will.

The Concept of Evil
The Concept of Evil is a massive collected conciousness in the shape of a black Maelstrom in the skies of each world. However, it can only be seen by a Vice-King or a select few it will allow to, such as Shade Kagekyo and Beliar. The Concept was created when the worlds were still very young and everyone was extremely sinful and avaricious. When God created the Great Flood to wash away all the sinners, their souls were collected and solidified into the collected conciousness that the Vice-King's now serve and whom they refer to as the Concept of Evil. It's purpose is to keep strife, conflict, and sin in the world by manipulating events in favour of so and even enlisting it's Vice-King's to operate in the worlds when the need arises.

Creation and Purpose
When deciding it's enforcers, the Concept chose four beings that it granted immense power to so that it's will can be made throughout the realms. Each Vice-King is given a Latin name that corresponds with it's assigned duty or representative symbol. For instance, Devoveo is Latin for sacrifice. This corresponds with the fact that Devoveo tempts mortals to sacrifice their loved ones for power.

Vice-Kings Today
The current Vice-Kings, if there were even ones before them, are Esurio, Vita, Devoveo, and Ira. They each represent Gluttony, Life, Temptation and Sacrifice, and Destruction. Esurio's power and purpose is the constant devouring of souls, which has made him a walking container of trillions of them by now. Vita governs Life, and makes sure to keep all the races plentiful and not extinct. The only reason he couldn't for the Genocide of the Oni when Fukienzeru was in power was because the Concept willed it. Devoveo, as stated above, represents Temptation of power and the sacrificing of others. He has his own realm, hintedly part of Hell, that he transports his "clients" to along with some of their loved ones and uses illusions to tempt them into sacrificing their cherished ones to his ghouls, who are walking corpses of former sacrifices. If the sacrifices are not devoured by the ghouls, then they are marked with a special symbol that bleeds profusely when they are near a Vice-King. Finally, Ira represents death and destruction and is plentiful with oppressive abilities. He can also harness the power of his rage to devastating effects. Ira, however, has abandoned his position as Vice-King to escape servitude to the Concept and has recently taken refuge in the lava oceans of Hell under the alias of Akuma.

The Chosen One
Apparently, every so often the Concept will designate a certain individual to be a candidate for the status of "Chosen One". Devoveo would be assigned to tempt the candidate in every way possible so that they may give up their friends and family and accept reality-bending power, or "Godhood". According to Devoveo, every Vice-King must attend the ceremony of temptation. However, since Ira has abandoned his post, they didn't include him when tempting Shade with Chosen One power. When one is granted the position of Chosen One, they are granted a new appearance; long, flowing blonde hair and golden eyes as well as a radiating aura surrounding them, making them appear divine. However, the Concept limits the Chosen One's power so that they do not become powerful enough to destroy it. If damaged enough, the Chosen One will lose it's ability to regenerate it's wounds or even use it's abilities altogether. Thus, pushing a Chosen One beyond it's limit is the way it can be destroyed.