Without warning, Alpheus' body began to convulse violently, white form spewing out of his mouth. "Alpheus! What the hell are you doing?!" The World Forger did not answer and continued to have what appeared to be a major seizure at double speed.
He quickly backed away just as Alpheus finished. The pair of yellow eyes now glowed with a dark purple color. Suddenly, his body jerked up, the pupilless eyes wide and alert.
"Good try!" The Ultimator's deep, raspy voice spoke through the World Forger, "to give credit where credit is due, your plan to kill me is not bad...but it was far from good!" Then, he threw his head back and laughed maniacally.
"Ultimator, what have you done to Alpheus?!" Sam demanded, taking a firm stance between Anna and The Ultimator.
The Ultimator took one look at his stance and laughed even harder. "Guarding your precious little vampire love, eh? Bold of you to assume I would want a fly like her in the first place! Hahahahahaha..."
Sam flicked his wrist, summoning Alpheus' hammer to himself and shrinking it down to a holdable size. "Well? What are you waiting for? Come on!"
"You think that little twig is going to help?! Hahaha..." The Ultimator, now possessing Alpheus' body, was doubled over laughing. "But nonetheless, I like your spirit. I imagine it must be delicious to eat!"
A blast of power burst forth from the impact. Sam flew his vessel being blown backward, disintegrating from the expulsion of universe-busting power. Anna dove for cover behind the Crisis Anvil just in time.
The hammer was shattered to smithereens, yet The Ultimator remained completely unfazed. "Good try, Salvatore, good try!" With a flick of its wrist, it sent Sam's body flying over to itself where it caught him using one of Alpheus' hands.
"So, Salvatore, any last words? Any last requests?" The Ultimator's true form manifested from beneath Alpheus' great big face, its giant gaping mouth wide open. It raised Sam up high above its mouth, prepared to consume him at a moment's notice.
The great yellow swirl was disorienting. Sam needed to clear his mind. The Ultimator was so arrogant and confident that it can destroy and absorb him at any time it pleased. There had to be a way to turn that arrogance against it.
He squeezed his eyes shut to focus. The last wish...The Ultimator was willing to grant him one final wish...make it worthwhile!
Think, Samuel, think...he told himself, what can you beat The Ultimator with?
Think...thoughts...the mind...suddenly, he had an idea.
"No last requests? Fine with me." The Ultimator prepared to release him into its mouth. "Goodbye, Lord of Death..."
"No! Stop!" Sam suddenly wailed, "no! I have something to say."
"Oh?" The Ultimator closed its mouth and shrunk its true form back into its vessel. "Well, go ahead! Out with it."
"I challenge you to a duel!"
"A duel?!" The Ultimator threw his body down against the Crisis Anvil, sending it crashing over on top of Anna's ghost. "Are you joking?! Hahahaha..."
Sam struggled to his feet and straightened his clothes confidently. "No, I am not joking! I wish to challenge you to a duel on my terms, so unless you are too COWARDLY-" He made sure to put emphasis on the word 'cowardly' as an extra jab to The Ultimator's ego. "-to accept."
The provocation worked; The Ultimator's taunting smile immediately turned into a furious scowl and it reached out, snatching Sam up by the waist, holding him at eye level. "I have nothing to fear from you! What terms do you propose for our duel?"
Sam struggled against The Ultimator's grip, which was beginning to hinder his ability to talk due to how tight it was. "One battle between our minds inside your vessel. If you win, my essence is yours. If I win, you leave me and my friends alone forever!"
"You think I have anything to fear in the mind?" The Ultimator snarled loudly, "I am the embodiment of the 10th dimension! My will and imagination are unmatched. You think you can beat me inside the mind?"
"One mental duel inside your vessel. If you will, my essence is yours to consume. If I win, you leave me and all those I care about alone. Do you accept the deal?" Sam withered in The Ultimator's grasp to no avail.
"Give me one good reason why I should not consume you right this instance!"
"Because if you do, then I will die knowing you were a coward! You are a coward too afraid to even face a powerless, helpless prey that you have caught. Even when you are certain that you can destroy me, you still-"
"Enough!" Screamed The Ultimator, "I accept! Come into my vessel, and watch as I shred your mind to smithereens before consuming your essence into myself!"
He put Sam down roughly on the Crisis Anvil and spread his arms invitingly. "Come join me in the World Forger's body...if you dare!"
"Oh, I dare of course." The corners of his lips curled up in a nearly unnoticeable smile. "Anna, my dear, please, get back behind the Crisis Anvil. My true form could be overwhelming, even to ghosts."
Then, a blinding white light erupted from Klaus' body as Sam left it to join The Ultimator inside the World Forger...
"I'll destroy you!"
With another blinding flash of light, Sam flew into Alpheus' body.
Inside the mind of Alpheus the World Forger, The Ultimator marched through a blank void. " ! Lord Death! Sammy! Come out, come out wherever you are!" However, despite his arrogant attitude, his senses were searching vigilantly for Sam's presence.
"You can't hide forever, Mr. Salvatore! The World Forger's mind is only so big! Why not come out and get it over with?" The Ultimator spread its thin, nigh-shapeless arms invitingly, "you called me a coward, yet, you are no better! Salvatore!"
"I heard you the first time."
Samuel Salvatore's voice boomed in a deep, high whisper that came from all directions. The Ultimator turned around swiftly. Nothing was behind him. Nothing was before him. There was still only the blank void that is the World Forger's mind.
"Who says I'm hiding?" Sam's voice boomed again. "You are simply too incompetent to perceive me, but just for a bit of clearly-" Suddenly, a massive face appeared in the void and five massive fingers closed in around The Ultimator. "-here I am."
The Ultimator looked up at him in disbelief; the Salvatore was out willing, out imagining, and out manipulating him! Every time he tried to grow in size, Sam would outgrow him tenfold. Every time he tried to will Sam away, Sam would hit him back twice as hard.
"How-How are you doing this?!" The Ultimator panicked as he tried to access his powers and use them to expel Sam's essence from his vessel. They were no longer in his control too. "How?! What did you do?!"
Sam held The Ultimator closer to his face, his eyes narrowing in on the tiny cosmic entity that rested in his hand. "I am not some comfort food for you to munch on. I am Death. Something as ancient as yourself should be wise not mess with things like me. My power exists beyond dimensions, my mind can process concepts you cannot imagine, my will can reshape entire dimensions. You were foolish to give in to your pride and arrogance, and now, you shall pay the price."
"Yes...yes..." The Ultimator tried to back out of Sam's grasp, only to find his opponent's mind all-compassing. "I'll...I'll leave...like the rules of our duel said...right? I promise..."
"Yes. You will." Sam agreed, "however, you will not be leaving back to your 10th dimension. Your conscience will be leaving into non-existence and your power will be taken by me. Our duel never specified where you must go once you leave."
"What?! No!" The Ultimator dropped to his knees, trembling in fright. Sam's mental blockade keeping him away from his powers was impenetrable. "No...please..."
"Goodbye. Your arrogance blinds you. You were foolish to assume your power deficiency would extend to my willpower as well."
And with that, Sam closed in on him, his thoughts completely crushing those of The Ultimator, obliterating his enemy's consciousness from existence. Every last thought, every last memory that The Ultimator has ever had was shredded away.