Verse and Dimensions: Stories. Мастер Исандер
optimized and repurposed the multarach silk into a new material, dubbed “Demon Thread”. However, it seemed that the demon thread was not effective enough for The Seventh’s methods, and thus he abandoned it as a potential method of extending his lifespan. To 45b, however, it was priceless. He spun and wove the demon thread into his very being, shaping his body into a more stable structure. Over time, as his physical body became increasingly deformed, he became more dependent on the demon thread. Eventually, the demon thread comprised a large part of 45b’s very being, so deeply interwoven into his essence in hypercomplex knots that it was impossible to remove them without destabilizing, even killing him. Compensatively, he went on to achieve a skillful manipulation of demon thread to deadly and devastating capabilities, turning what was originally a necessity for living into a tool that made him feared. 45b largely lived a nomadic and quiet lifestyle in this time, until he heard of a certain being called "Hyperman" by many. 45b believed himself to have discovered The Seventh’s "golden boy", the one who came out "right". 45b begrudgingly watched from a distance as Hyperman seemed to perfectly achieve everything The Seventh intended for his plans. 45b wondered why that couldn’t be him. He felt that he was just as entitled to everything that Hyperman had. Because of this, he grew to deeply resent The Seventh, and to an even greater extent Hyperman. It was to 45b's pleasure when The Seventh finally died, which gave him the satisfaction of knowing his father never achieved his plans. With the Seventh dead, an open spot presented itself for 45b to reside within his life, finally giving him a true sense of self-identity. Still, however, there remained one loose end: Hyperman. 45b had an even greater bone to pick with Hyperman than he did The Seventh. If there was anyone more likely to replace The Seventh than 45b, even indirectly, it was Hyperman. He was the one threat to his goals, and 45b would not let it stand. He found that this would be the perfect opportunity to prove himself, and come into his own. He named himself Ultraman, and forevermore dedicated his existence to overthrowing Hyperman, and taking his place as the supposed heir of The Seventh.
The Hunt For Hyperman
Ultraman eventually tracked down Hyperman. However, he did not immediately strike. Instead, he stalked his target, learning everything he could about Hyperman and his weaknesses. When he felt that the time was right, Ultraman finally revealed himself to Hyperman. He did so by destroying a monster that Hyperman had been assigned to kill by the Hexagon Lords, as part of his training. Ultraman politely introduced himself to Hyperman, and then attempted to kill him. A brief duel ensued, and Ultraman had almost managed to kill Hyperman by tearing him apart from multiple directions with demon thread. However, before he was able to, The Hexagon Lords appeared. They teleported Hyperman away from harm, back into The Folded Cascade. Ultraman was angered by this setback, however he realized that it was only just that – a setback. He then also realized that the Hexagon Lords, who had so rudely interrupted him, were responsible for this setback. Ultraman then knew what he had to do next. Later, upon returning to The Folded Cascade from another mission, Hyperman found himself ambushed by the Hexagon Lords, who violently and aggressively attacked him out of nowhere. Hyperman was incredibly confused and bewildered as he fended off the rogue Hexagon Lords, and his confusion only deepened when many of the Lords were shouting to Hyperman that what they were doing wasn't voluntary, that they weren't in control of their forms. After Hyperman blasted an energy beam, it highlighted the outline of an odd cord-like object near one of the Hexagon Lords in its trajectory. Intrigued, Hyperman sent out a wave of non-harmful energy around him, which revealed many of these cords attached to the forms of all the Hexagon Lords. Hyperman traced the cords, following them until he saw the source behind it: Ultraman. Ultraman's hands maneuvered themselves in complicated and impossible positions, as he pulled on the strings to control the Hexagon Lords as if they were puppets, laughing maniacally all the while. Hyperman was infuriated to see his friends being helplessly exploited by Ultraman, and so he lashed out at him, severing all the strings in one swift motion with his folded stringshard blade. The Hexagon Lords, with their will once again returned, wanted to join in the fray and fight against Ultraman too, but they found themselves too weakened from the possession to do so. What nobody failed to anticipate nor notice in the midst of their fight, was that the demon thread which had been severed from the Hexagon Lords and lost from Ultraman was now loosely drifting throughout archversal space. It found its way into the ownership of many beings in many -verses, many of which utilizing it to deviant ends. It rapidly spread like a plague, and an omniscient being would have been able to observe countless archverses rapidly becoming entangled in a vast interconnected array of the demon thread. Hyperman and Ultraman's fight progressed throughout the Omniverse. They climbed up the Archverse chain together, riding on the power and momentum from destroyed -verses which they channeled into devastating attacks against each-other. With each level they rose through the infinite chain, the more devastating each being's attacks were. They lost focus of all other things in the environment around them, only immersed within their battle with no regard for collateral damage. Finally, at the climax of the fight, a large divine light ruptured above the two. Ultraman and Hyperman looked at the light, and immediately knew that they were in the presence of a god. Not a god in the way The Seventh had been, but a True God. The light, who called “himself” Creator, stated that the battle between the two brothers had caused far more trouble in The Omniverse than it should have, and that the massive instability caused by the spread of Demon Thread warranted his intervention. It was Creator's decision, therefore, to resolve the dilemma by removing all instances of Demon Thread from the Omniverse. And so, Creator willed all Demon Thread within the Omniverse to be gone.
Ultraman's rebirth
Creator had banished all the Demon Thread into The Outside, a neutral space separate from any -verses in The Barrel. However, this act came with unintended side effects. Due to Demon Thread being so greatly intertwined with Ultraman to an inseparable degree, he too had been banished into the Outside along with all the Demon Thread. As this occured, Ultraman’s perception of reality folded inwards upon itself in multiple directions. Ultraman tried to scream out as he felt intense agony ripping his physical form apart, but no sound could be made in the complete vacuum of The Outside. He lost every sense with which he could perceive reality, and the overwhelming forces pressing upon Ultraman led to him losing consciousness.
When Ultraman later regained consciousness, he was in a chaotic realm, where destruction infinitely persisted and thrived. The next thing he knew, an enormous ethereal black-red "hand" descended upon Ultraman, scooping up what remained of his tattered form. A voice from which spoke the hand assured Ultraman that he was safe, that this hand was a friend who was here to help. As strands of Demon Thread intelligently wrapped and intertwined themselves around Ultraman's form, the voice stated that his exposure to the Outside had transformed him into a completely new being, known as a Devil. This was not a bad thing, however. In fact, the voice explained, it was a good thing for Ultraman. His powers and capability for destruction were exponentially increased by his transformation, and his form was not anymore weak or endangered. Many strings of the demon thread covered Ultraman, weaving a form for himself that was most imposing. He had several limbs of Demon Thread augmented onto his body, the finely-woven formation of the thread appearing like muscle tendons. Ultraman's mouth had been transformed into a set of mandibles, with which he could spin new demon thread by expelling it from his mouth.
Ultraman's Devil form
When the transformation was complete, the being which the hand belonged to manifested their true form to Ultraman. The large god that loomed above introduced "himself" as Destroyer, and said that Ultraman could provide great use to him as a champion. Destroyer explained that as he observed the fight between Hyperman and Ultraman, there was something that he felt within Hyperman. He didn't know exactly what it was, but whatever it may have been, he did not like it. He believed that Hyperman was a potential threat to his rule if he became powerful enough, and he also was sick of his valuable “work” being undone by Creator. Destroyer felt that it was his metatime to shine, and he perceived Ultraman as the perfect tool to carry out his plan. Ultraman, feeling an ever-burning hatred for Hyperman and a wish for his demise, eagerly pledged himself to his new master.
Defeat
Hyperman, meanwhile, was still in the Omniverse with Creator. Creator was fascinated with Hyperman, intrigued by his nature. Creator may not have personally known many of The Omniverse's inhabitants, but he could sense within Hyperman a certain