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

Chapter 89: Toward the Swamps of Mireveil...

Nox took a deep breath.

Before him, Saint Gabriel, now transformed into that monstrous demon nearly three meters tall, continued advancing slowly.

Each step made the floor of the Hall of Saints tremble.

Red skin.

Black horns.

Grotesquely enlarged muscles.

And a completely deranged smile.

Nox looked down at his left arm.

The small dark shield remained firmly attached to it.

Aegis of Gluttony.

His only hope.

The Mask of the Marauder once again covered his face.

He turned his head slightly.

"Dawn."

The princess was breathing heavily.

Her crown of ice still floated above her head.

"Yes?"

"I need you to hit him."

She frowned.

"I already did."

She pointed at the demon.

"My attacks barely hurt him."

Nox slowly shook his head.

"It doesn’t matter."

He looked directly at her.

"Hit him as many times as you can."

"What?"

"Trust me."

The princess remained silent for a few seconds.

Then...

She smiled.

"...Alright."

She tightened her grip on the hilt of her katana.

"I’ll trust you."

And disappeared.

◇◆◇

The blade of ice appeared across the demon’s shoulder.

SLASH.

One cut.

Then another.

And another.

Dawn spun around Gabriel like a blizzard.

Dark blood splattered across the floor.

Yet the demon barely reacted.

He simply kept walking, as if those wounds meant nothing.

The princess clicked her tongue.

"Then..."

She drove her katana into the ground.

A massive sheet of ice spread outward.

"Frost Domain."

The air changed.

Everything seemed to slow down.

Snowflakes hung motionless in the air.

Drops of blood drifted downward in slow motion.

Gabriel tried to move one arm.

But it was as if time itself was trying to restrain him.

Meanwhile...

Dawn moved as if nothing had changed.

No.

She was even faster.

Nox watched the scene.

’...What an absurd skill.’

For a brief moment, he felt a twinge of regret.

’Maybe I should’ve chosen Frost Domain.’

But he immediately shook his head.

’No. That doesn’t matter anymore. First, we survive.’

Dawn continued attacking.

Slash.

Slash.

Slash.

Her katana carved through his legs.

His ribs.

His arms.

His neck.

And whenever she found an opening...

She froze part of the demon’s body.

Yet Gabriel continued advancing.

Slow.

Relentless.

Until he started laughing.

"HA..."

His voice was deep.

"...HAHAHA..."

Dawn felt a chill run down her spine.

The demon was gathering energy.

All the energy from the blows he had just received.

Both of his fists began glowing brighter and brighter.

Nox’s eyes widened.

’This is my chance.’

He vanished into the shadows.

◇◆◇

Gabriel raised both arms.

Ready to unleash the Berserker’s massive strike.

But Frost Domain was still slowing every movement.

That tiny difference was enough.

Darkness appeared in front of Dawn.

Nox emerged from it.

The Aegis of Gluttony was raised before him.

"Behind me."

Dawn immediately jumped back.

The demon grinned.

"DIE!"

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

Both fists slammed directly into the small shield.

The entire hall shook.

The stained-glass windows rattled.

The pillars groaned.

A shockwave rippled through the entire building.

But...

The shield didn’t break.

The energy simply vanished into it.

Nox’s right arm began to glow.

The stolen power surged through every muscle.

His fist looked as though it were burning.

The Mask of the Marauder slowly disappeared.

Nox’s face was revealed once more.

And a smile spread across his lips.

A smile filled with absolute confidence.

"...I’ve already won."

Gabriel barely managed to widen his eyes.

"What...?"

Nox stepped forward.

Then threw his punch.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

His fist pierced straight through the demon’s chest.

Bones exploded.

Ribs shattered inward.

His heart was completely destroyed.

Gabriel opened his mouth.

A massive torrent of blood burst out.

Soaking Nox’s coat.

The demon staggered backward several steps.

He looked down at the gaping hole in his chest.

Then back at Nox.

"...Im..."

He never finished the sentence.

His gigantic body crashed heavily onto the floor.

Silence filled the entire hall.

◇◆◇

No one spoke.

Audrey remained kneeling beside Claws.

Misty breathed heavily.

Catherine still leaned against a wall.

Tessa could barely stay seated.

Even Dawn looked unable to believe what she had just witnessed.

Nox stared at the enormous corpse.

Then slowly raised his eyes toward the portal.

It was still there.

Waiting for them.

’We have to leave.’

There was no time.

He immediately turned toward the group.

"Get up!"

They all looked at him.

"Now!"

He pointed at the portal.

"Trust me!"

Audrey was the first to react.

"What’s going on?"

"There’s no time to explain."

Misty managed to stand as well.

"That portal?"

"Yes."

"We’re going in?"

"Yes."

None of them understood what was happening.

But every one of them trusted him.

They began moving toward it.

That was when something caught Nox’s attention.

A small white light slowly emerged from Gabriel’s defeated body.

It floated upward for a few centimeters.

Then slipped beneath the massive entrance doors.

Nox frowned.

’...What the hell was that?’

Then he shook his head.

’It doesn’t matter.’

Tessa managed to stand with the help of her spear.

She was breathing heavily.

"Once we’re safe..."

She looked at the group.

"...I’ll heal everyone."

Audrey smiled.

"First, let’s survive."

The inquisitor nodded.

◇◆◇

The group finally reached the portal.

It was enormous.

A dark circle suspended within a massive stone structure.

Nothing could be seen inside it.

Only darkness.

Nox stared at it for several long seconds.

He remembered the Goddess’s words.

Mireveil.

The abandoned lands.

My future empire.

He slowly let out a breath.

’I hope you weren’t lying to me... you damned Goddess.’

He turned toward the women.

They were all waiting for his decision.

Audrey.

Misty.

Catherine.

Tessa.

Dawn.

Even Claws.

Nox smiled.

"...Follow me."

Without waiting for an answer...

He took the first step.

His body passed through the portal.

And at that very instant...

Everything disappeared.

◇◆◇

An overwhelming dizziness washed over him.

It felt as though his entire body were being stretched apart.

His legs stopped responding.

His stomach churned violently.

For a moment...

There was no up.

No down.

Only darkness.

And an immense pressure surrounding his entire body.

"...Shit..."

he muttered.

Then...

It ended abruptly.

Nox fell to his knees.

He coughed.

Took several deep breaths.

Then slowly raised his head.

The first thing he noticed was the smell.

Rot.

Mud.

Stagnant water.

Then he heard the insects.

Thousands.

Perhaps millions.

A constant, deafening buzz.

Finally...

He opened his eyes completely.

Before him stretched a colossal swamp.

Twisted trees.

Black water.

Permanent fog.

Massive roots rising from the mud.

And a gray sky that seemed to go on forever.

Nox remained completely still for several seconds.

"...So..."

Behind him, the others began appearing.

Audrey.

Misty.

Tessa.

Catherine.

Dawn.

And finally, Claws.

They all stared at the same landscape.

No one spoke.

Until Misty finally broke the silence.

"...What a horrible place."

Audrey slowly nodded.

"I’ve never seen anything like it."

Tessa gazed toward the horizon.

"It sends chills down my spine."

Even Claws growled, as though he disliked the place as well.

Nox slowly rose to his feet.

He breathed in the damp air of the swamp.

Then smiled.

"...Welcome."

He looked across those abandoned lands.

The first territory unclaimed by any god.

"...to our new kingdom."