Everything was ready.
I had all the DP I needed. My image of the castle was solid. I'd created so many miniature replicas of the damn thing that the level of my primordial magic skill had increased.
The only remaining concern was mana, but I was pretty sure I was going to be fine on that front as well. I had three high tier mana potions prepped and waiting for me. Rather than the type that instantly recovered my magical energies, I'd opted for the type that increased my mana's natural rate of regeneration. Moreover, I also had Lefi for backup.
Everything was ready.
My success was all but guaranteed. If I failed, then I would honestly have no choice but to chalk it up to my own immaturity as a Demon Lord.
"So what're you gonna do, Yuki?" Illuna curiously tilted her head.
"Alright, listen closely, Illuna. I'm about to carve my destiny with my very own two hands. I'm about to pry open a path into the unknown and seize that which drives me to dream!"
"What manner of nonsense are you blabbering about now, Yuki?"
"Heh. It's not nonsense," I denied Lefi's claim with a firm nod. "This is just what it means to be a man. Not all our dreams are meant to be understood."
"It appears that there is little point in listening to any more of his prattling," Lefi sighed as she turned to face the other three girls. "He's too caught up in his obsessions to make sense of his own words."
"You betcha. This ain't the first time I've seen Master kinda start gettin' all weird."
"I concur," said Leila. "But I also cannot deny that the point he made is valid. His actions cannot be said to be far outside the norm given that he is indeed a man."
The peanut gallery was being really noisy, but I didn't give half a flying fuck. Their words were incapable of stopping me. In fact, there was nothing capable of stopping me in my current state. My imagination, my will, and my magical energies were all aligned and working towards a common goal. And with their powers combined, they made me a true man amongst men. Probably.
We were currently situated within the plains. I'd summoned everyone and convinced them all to tag along so they could watch me achieve my goal. Even Shii and Rir had joined us.
"Alright Lefi, I'll be counting on you."
"I know already, so hurry up and begin. I would very much rather you cease looking at us with your expression the way it is."
Lefi smiled wryly as she nodded. Unlike the others, she already knew exactly what I was about to attempt. I turned back around after confirming that she was ready to help out if need be before opening up my item box and pulling out all three potions. I raised one to my face and instantly downed its contents.
It was bitter as all hell. The taste was beyond disgusting. Still, I managed to drink both the second and third potions with just as much vigour. The awful flavour was nothing in the face of my ambition.
"…"
I paused for a moment to place all three containers back into my item box before taking a deep breath and beginning to concentrate. The castle appeared within my mind as I closed my eyes. The image I had of it was concrete as usual; I'd spent so much time refining it that it'd even started to show up in my dreams.
Images of both the interior and exterior filled my mind. The exterior design was perfect. I'd already gotten that down to the finest detail. The interior design was a bit rougher around the edges, but that was fine. I could always rework it later.
The castle was going to be built around the door that connected the plains to the throne room. I'd already relocated everything else and moved it out of the way. There was no need for me to think about anything but the massive structure I was about to build. With my concentration at its peak, I finally tapped the Creative Construction button.
An incredible sense of lethargy assaulted me the moment the dungeon skill activated. Magical energy was being sucked from my body at a rate far outside my expectations. The skill was consuming even more than I'd initially anticipated. Completing the castle was going to be tough.
I desperately resisted the pressure weighing down on me as I continued focusing on the image I had in mind. Warm, greasy sweat began forming on my brow as I fought the urge to give up and pass out.
Three mana pots had not been anywhere near enough. My castle was just way too big. All my magical energy was being forcefully wrenched from my body; my reserves dwindled with every passing moment. Though I started with a mana pool of over ten thousand, I'd less than a third of it remaining.
"Lefi!"
"You needn't remind me," she said. "I have already completed my preparations."
She'd long realized that my mana had started to drop at an alarming rate, so she'd gotten herself ready to lend me hers. The dragon girl pressed her small, delicate hands against my back and began to assist me the moment I asked her for help.
A staggering amount of power violently poured into my body. With it came a searing heat. I immediately began taking deep, heavy breaths while clenching my teeth in order to stop myself from getting overwhelmed by the force of the mana Lefi channeled through me.
"T-That is quite the impressive amount of magical energy," said Leila.
"Y-Yeah, there's a whole ton! There's way more than enough to cast some sorta like super powerful spell!" added Lyuu.
I clearly heard the girls talking, but I lacked the composure to reply.
The torrent of magical energy Lefi supplied me with flowed out of me just as quickly as it entered. My body felt like it was going to overheat. It was processing way more power than it was capable of handling. But still, I hung on. I continued to bear with it, enduring with nothing but the force of my will.
The ground began to rumble. The shaking rapidly grew in intensity with the passage of time.
"W-Wha!? T-the heck is goin' on!?"
It didn't take long for it to become so violent that I felt like I could no longer tolerate it.
I felt the urge to give in.
But then it happened.
A deafening roar assaulted my eardrums as something split the earth and forced its way up above the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust as it did.
All the noise suddenly vanished. We were left with naught but a soundless void.
Silence.
The dust settled, slowly revealing the structure that'd burst through the ground.
It was there
The castle I'd replicated time and time again had finally become a reality. It was so tall that it almost seemed to rise up to the heavens themselves; I couldn't see the top from where I was standing.
It was exactly as I imagined it.
No.
It was even more.
"I-I did it."
I blinked a few times in disbelief as the strength drained from my body. I fell onto my knees, and began to collapse, but Lefi caught me from behind and propped me up.
"You have done well," she said.
"Hahaha… yeah. Isn't it just awesome?"
"Indeed. I admit it is far beyond what I fathomed it to be."
Hearing Lefi's honest, straightforward praise caused my expression to slacken. A wide grin made its way onto my face. I turned around and looked at all the other girls, only to find that they were all staring at it, eyes widened and jaws dropped in shock.
Even Rir was gaping in mute amazement.
"Well? What do you guys think?"
"W-Wow! It's super awesome! Is it gonna be our new house?"
"You got it. It's got way too many rooms for its own good, so feel free to pick whichever you like."
Though, with that said, the breath-taking palace was the only part whose interior was complete. Everything else was just pretty much made up of a series of empty hallways. I was planning to flesh it all out eventually, but that would have to be something I did in the future.
"…I apologize, my Lord. It appears I was grossly underestimating the full extent of your abilities. The fortress you have created is nothing short of impressive."
"S-So this is why you were makin' all those models. This thing's super awesome. I've never seen anythin' else like it!"
I couldn't help but happily nod as I listened to their compliments.
"Yuki, I would like to ask you just one thing."
"Sure, Lefi. I'm feeling good as hell right now, so ask away."
"How exactly are we supposed to return to the throne room?"
"…Oops."