From Trash to Demon Lord: I Can Turn Heroines Into Villainesses

Chapter 81: The Grand Church of Frosthold... [3] [PS Bonus Chapter]

The final steps seemed endless.

The massive ceramic staircase continued spiraling upward as the group climbed floor after floor in silence.

No more prayers reached them.

No voices.

Not even the distant murmur of the crowds filling the lower levels.

Only the sound of their own footsteps.

Finally, Dawn was the first to step off the staircase.

The others followed.

Nox looked up.

"...Wow."

They had reached a level even higher than the cathedral’s enormous main roof.

An immense corridor stretched out before them.

Far wider than any hallway on the lower floors.

A long red carpet covered the entire floor.

To the left...

Gigantic stained-glass windows allowed the outside light to pour in.

The colors filtered through the glass, painting the carpet in shades of blue, green, gold, and crimson.

Between each stained-glass window stood enormous stone statues.

Strange creatures.

Winged beings.

Warriors.

And figures Nox had never seen before.

To the right...

The wall was completely covered with paintings.

Massive portraits.

Each one depicted a different man.

Some were young.

Others were old.

All of them wore elegant clothing.

And every single one seemed to be watching anyone who walked down that corridor.

Dawn pointed toward the far end.

"There should be an intersection at the end."

She continued walking.

"After that intersection..."

She raised one finger.

"...is the room we’re looking for."

Everyone followed her.

◇◆◇

Misty walked at a very slow pace.

She was still completely fascinated by the stained-glass windows.

"So each one tells a different story..."

Audrey also looked up.

"...It’s like a book."

The dancer nodded.

"A very expensive one."

Nox, on the other hand...

Paid no attention to the stained glass.

His eyes remained fixed on the portraits.

"...Who were all these guys?"

Tessa glanced at the paintings for only a moment.

"I’d say they’re the Saints."

She pointed to one of them.

"At least the ones who lived in Frosthold."

Dawn immediately confirmed it.

"That’s right."

The princess smiled faintly.

"Every time a Saint died..."

She looked down the long row of portraits.

"...their successor took their place."

Nox looked at the faces once again.

Every one of them appeared proud and completely confident.

’It’d be pretty strange to end up as a painting someday.’

◇◆◇

Then...

BOOOOM.

An explosion shook the far end of the corridor.

Everyone looked up.

A man was hurled violently through the air.

He crashed straight through one of the enormous stained-glass windows.

Glass exploded in every direction.

His body slammed into the floor.

Rolled several meters.

Then came to a stop.

Dawn’s eyes widened.

"What was that?!"

A second later...

A figure appeared around the corner.

Leo.

Several cuts marked his face.

His breathing was heavy.

The black shield covered his left arm.

And the Ash Sword still released tiny glowing embers.

The knight turned his head slightly.

Immediately spotting the group.

"...You made it."

He didn’t have time to say anything else.

A beam of light descended from above.

A radiant sword slammed directly against the black shield.

Leo staggered back two steps.

Lucien appeared before him.

His white armor gleamed as though it had just been polished.

"You thought you’d escape that easily?"

Leo shoved forward with his shield.

The two men separated once again.

◇◆◇

Catherine froze.

Her eyes trembled.

"...Him..."

Nox turned his head slightly.

The cat girl was staring directly at Lucien.

"...It was him."

Her breathing became ragged.

"He killed my brothers."

Bone claws immediately began growing from her hands.

Felix burst out of her body.

Golden energy completely enveloped Catherine.

The little spirit cat looked just as furious.

"I remember now!"

His ears were completely flattened.

"It was him!"

Misty reacted instantly.

She grabbed Catherine’s shoulder.

"Wait."

The girl tried to pull free.

"I have to kill him!"

"No."

Misty firmly shook her head.

"He’s dangerous."

Nox also stepped toward her.

"Catherine."

The cat girl struggled to breathe.

"Listen to her."

The claws continued growing.

"Not now."

◇◆◇

Leo managed to hear their voices.

Without taking his eyes off Lucien, he shouted,

"Run!"

He slammed forward again with his shield.

"I’ll deal with this idiot myself!"

Lucien smiled.

"You?"

Leo didn’t answer.

He simply charged.

The shield struck the Sunlight Knight square in the chest.

The two of them crashed through the massive opening left by the shattered stained glass.

Then disappeared beyond the corridor.

A deafening crash echoed from several floors below.

Catherine took a step forward.

Nox grabbed her by the arm.

"Trust him."

The girl was still trembling.

"But..."

"Trust him."

He pointed toward the enormous hole.

"He’s Tessa’s brother. He can handle it."

After several long seconds...

The claws slowly disappeared.

Felix also returned to her body.

Although both of them continued staring toward the place where Lucien had vanished.

◇◆◇

There wasn’t a second to waste.

Dawn started moving again.

"Let’s go."

The group broke into a run.

As they advanced...

Bodies began appearing along the corridor.

Guards.

All of them lay sprawled across the red carpet.

But...

Nox frowned.

"...They aren’t injured."

Audrey noticed it as well.

"You’re right."

They simply appeared to be fast asleep.

Some were still breathing normally.

Others were even snoring.

Tessa smiled proudly.

"That’s exactly like Leo."

Nox raised an eyebrow.

"He didn’t want to kill anyone."

"Exactly."

The redhead nodded.

"He only cleared the path."

They continued forward.

Every few meters there was another body.

And another.

And another.

All unconscious.

Not a single one dead or wounded.

Nox finally smiled.

’Good job.’

◇◆◇

At last, they reached the end of the corridor.

The hallway ended abruptly.

There were no more doors.

No more portraits.

No more stained-glass windows.

Only a gigantic double door.

Black.

Completely smooth.

But the truly strange part...

Was the chains.

Dozens of black chains stretched across the entire door.

They intertwined with one another.

As though they were sealing something.

As though they were preventing anyone from opening it.

Dawn came to a stop.

"...This is as far as I can take you."

Everyone looked at her.

"I don’t know how to open this door."

The princess slowly shook her head.

"I’ve never seen anyone do it, but the room we’re looking for is behind it."

Nox stepped forward.

Something...

Felt familiar.

He looked at the chains.

They looked remarkably similar...

To his own.

A strange tingling sensation ran through his entire body.

As though those chains...

Were alive.

Then...

A window appeared before his eyes.

Only he could see it.

It wasn’t part of the usual system.

It displayed only a single word.

[Enter.]