Chapter 276: The Other Face of Power
"Welcome to our Infinity Castle!"
The door closed.
The space turned open and airy as wooden platforms floated in the air among interlocking pavilions. The dim light of candles swayed in lanterns beside inverted staircases and horizontal corridors.
Architecture that defied logic.
The general reaction, however, was one of utter bewilderment.
"What is this?"
"Why does it look like this?"
The place was identical to the one they’d purged over the previous days.
"Master, wasn’t it supposed to collapse?" Ivy asked.
Tamayo looked at him. "Yes, what’s going on?"
Even Nakime regarded the surroundings with puzzlement.
"Don’t be surprised — even though it looks the same, this is a completely different space." Marcus smiled. "It took this form simply because it was the image I had in mind when I devoured the ability."
Looking around, Tamayo took a few steps forward.
"Will you be able to change it later on?"
The gloomy, oppressive style was, without a doubt, a perfect place for demons.
But to them it was ugly.
"No need to wait — let’s do it now."
Snap!
As he snapped his fingers, the wood beneath their feet began to rotate in defiance of the laws of physics, transforming instantly into white marble.
The pieces fused and spread outward, turning the small platform into a larger one, bordered by a balustrade of columns.
Sanemi stomped down hard.
It was solid.
It was real...
...Creating matter out of nothing?
He tried to swallow as he realized this went completely beyond any Blood Demon Art.
Hakuji ran his hand over the relief of a column, feeling the texture.
Gyutaro crossed his arms, crouched at the edge of the structure.
He looked at the white clouds drifting below the platform, then tore open his palm, gazing at the poisoned blood that welled up.
He fell into deep self-doubt.
If both were Blood Demon Arts... why was there such a huge difference?
Ume, on the other hand, didn’t dwell on the matter and ran excitedly across the platform.
"It’s beautiful! It’s got more class than the fanciest house in Yoshiwara!" She ran over to Marcus and grabbed his arm. "I want to live here! Build me the biggest room!"
Marcus stroked her hair without answering right away.
He was immersed in a strange sensation.
He felt like... God.
Wherever his mind reached, everything took shape; he had only to imagine it for the space to materialize it.
"I’ll build your house right now."
Planting a kiss on Ume’s forehead, leaving her stunned, Marcus pulled away and took his stance at the edge of the platform.
Facing the vast, disordered pavilions, he raised his right hand and swung it hard.
Boom!
Immense expanses of wood disintegrated in an instant, clearing the sector completely.
The clouds and mist rose at once.
Amid the surging of the thick white haze, majestic castles of medieval Europe began to rise, emerging up out of the clouds.
Tanjiro stood there open-mouthed, forgetting how to breathe.
"This... this..."
Raised in the mountains, he had never seen or even imagined structures like these.
This surpassed the limits of his imagination.
Makomo held Nezuko by the hand.
"Marcus is amazing!"
Nezuko bounced up and down beside her with cheerful murmurs. Kanao gripped Shinobu’s clothes tightly, not taking her eyes off Marcus.
"It’s too dark..." Marcus murmured, furrowing his brow.
He raised his hand and pointed a finger toward the sky.
"Let there be light!"
The dim candles scattered throughout the place trembled and shot upward. Thousands of glimmers gathered at the tip of his finger until they formed a gigantic ball of fire that floated in the air, giving off a dazzling radiance that lit up the whole Infinity Castle.
Nakime took a step back, covering her eyes even more with her hand.
Though this light wasn’t lethal, to a demon accustomed to darkness it was still blinding.
She knew Infinity Castle far better than Marcus did.
And yet, this was something entirely new.
In her eyes, Marcus was nothing more than a novice at using it, but that was precisely why he’d created a world she had never imagined. Why had it never occurred to her to light it up like this? Out of fear of Muzan, or because of her own demonic nature...? Whatever the reason, this place already looked like a real world.
She glanced sidelong at Tamayo, whose eyes shone with pleasant surprise.
As long as she liked it... that was fine.
The last shred of nostalgia in her heart crumbled away completely.
Bathed in the light, Marcus made no effort to hide his smile.
With a wave of his hand, several mountain peaks sprang up, breaking through the haze amid the sea of clouds.
With the sun peeking out behind them and the castles suspended in the air, the place became a genuine city.
Marcus turned around, putting his back to the sun.
The light stretched his figure long.
He spread his arms before his stunned family and friends.
"Here, as long as I wish it, anything can become reality!"
Urokodaki clutched his cane with a trembling hand.
Having decapitated countless demons, he’d always thought the limit of power was the art of cutting through anything.
But today he saw the other face of power.
"A miracle..." he murmured.
"Impressive, isn’t it, Master?" Marcus rubbed his hands together. "Later on I’ll put up a six-hundred-foot statue of you in the most eye-catching spot."
Urokodaki snapped out of his amazement and rolled his eyes at him.
"Get out of here, brat!"
"If you don’t want one, that’s fine," Marcus said, making a face. "I’ll just build one for myself."
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