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

Chapter 90: There’s No Turning Back...

The swamp air was heavy and humid.

Every breath carried the scent of mud, stagnant water, and rotting vegetation.

Behind the group, the portal they had just crossed still floated in place.

A massive dark circle supported by a stone structure completely covered in moss.

Thick roots coiled around the pillars like serpents.

It looked like a monument forgotten for centuries.

Meanwhile...

Tessa remained kneeling beside Misty.

The Phoenix’s golden flames slowly flowed over the dancer’s leg.

The torn flesh gradually began to mend.

Misty let out a relieved sigh.

"...Much better."

Tessa smiled faintly.

"I’m not done yet."

More flames spread across the wound.

A few meters away, Claws patiently waited for his turn.

The enormous bear had several deep wounds across his back.

Audrey remained beside him, gently stroking his fur to calm him.

Nox, however, wasn’t looking at his companions.

His eyes were fixed on the portal.

"...It’s time."

Audrey raised her head.

"What are you going to do?"

The demon didn’t answer.

He simply raised one hand.

His black chains erupted from the ground.

They wrapped themselves around the four pillars supporting the structure.

Nox clenched his teeth as he gripped the chains.

"Come on..."

He pulled with all his strength.

The muscles in his arms tightened.

The chains groaned.

But...

The structure barely shook.

"...It’s tougher than I expected."

He pulled again.

Nothing.

The portal remained completely intact.

Nox took a deep breath.

Then he remembered his new skill.

"Winter’s Authority."

The air began to grow colder.

The swamp’s moisture turned into frost.

Ice slowly spread across the moss-covered pillars.

The roots began to freeze.

Tiny cracks appeared across the stone.

Nox smiled.

"Now we’re talking."

He pulled on the chains once more.

CRACK.

This time, something gave way.

One corner of the structure split apart.

Audrey watched the scene for a few moments.

Then she smiled.

"...Got it."

She didn’t ask any questions.

She simply summoned her dark bow.

An arrow of shadowy energy formed between her fingers.

"Move back a little."

Nox stepped aside.

The arrow shot forward.

BOOM.

It struck one of the frozen pillars directly.

The stone exploded into hundreds of fragments.

The chains tightened again.

The structure began to tilt.

That was when Dawn frowned.

"...What are you doing?"

Nox kept pulling.

"Destroying this damned portal."

The princess’s eyes widened.

"But if you destroy it, we won’t be able to return to Frostgard!"

Nox turned his head slightly.

"Exactly."

Dawn froze.

"...What?"

"If we can’t go back..."

He looked at the portal again.

"...then they won’t be able to come after us either."

It took the princess several seconds to understand.

Then she looked at the portal.

At the swamp.

And finally smiled.

"...That makes sense."

She drew her katana.

The blade of ice instantly formed.

"Then we’d better do this properly."

She leaped forward.

Her sword pierced another frozen pillar.

CRAAAAACK.

The structure tilted even further.

◇◆◇

Catherine watched the scene.

Then she looked at Felix.

The little spirit cat had already emerged from her body.

"What do you think?"

Felix flicked his tail.

"If they’re helping..."

The girl smiled.

"...then we should too."

Bone claws grew around her hands.

She ran straight toward another pillar.

And began smashing it apart with repeated blows.

Roots flew in every direction.

Stone.

Moss.

Ice.

Everything began collapsing.

Nox seized the opportunity.

The chains tightened once more.

"Now!"

Everyone attacked at the same time.

Ice.

Dark arrows.

Claws.

Chains.

Finally...

The entire structure collapsed.

The pillars shattered.

The roots were ripped free.

And the dark circle began to distort.

The portal’s energy trembled for several seconds.

Then it rapidly contracted...

Until it disappeared completely.

Silence returned to the swamp.

Nothing remained.

Only broken stone.

And a massive cloud of dust.

◇◆◇

Nox slowly let out a breath.

"...Done."

Audrey rested her bow on one shoulder.

"Now we’re really trapped."

"Exactly."

Dawn looked at the place where the portal had once stood.

"...It’s strange."

"What is?"

"Thinking there’s no longer a quick way back."

Nox smiled.

"Now we’re on our own."

Misty finally stood up.

She was still limping slightly, but her wound had nearly disappeared.

"So..."

she asked.

"What now?"

Tessa continued treating Claws.

Phoenix flames slowly flowed across the enormous bear’s wounds.

Nox surveyed the landscape.

Then he pointed toward a massive structure several hundred meters away.

A church.

Or at least...

What had once been a church.

Part of the roof had collapsed.

The walls were covered in vines.

The bell tower was barely still standing.

Gigantic roots pierced through windows and columns.

The entire building looked as though the swamp had slowly swallowed it whole.

"We’ll start there."

Misty followed the direction of his finger.

"...That place?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Nox remained silent for several seconds.

Then he answered.

"When I spoke to the Goddess..."

Everyone looked up.

"...she told me something."

The atmosphere fell completely silent.

"The same one who turned me into a demon."

Dawn watched him carefully.

Nox continued.

"According to her..."

He looked toward the abandoned church.

"...I’ve already declared war on the gods."

No one spoke.

"And if I want to win..."

He took a deep breath.

"...I need to build an empire."

Misty smiled.

"Sounds ambitious."

"It is."

Nox pointed toward the church again.

"And that’s where I’m going to begin."

Audrey looked at the ruins.

"...A base."

"Exactly."

Dawn slowly nodded.

"It makes sense."

Even Tessa seemed interested.

"If no one lives here..."

The inquisitor finished healing Claws.

"...it could work."

That was when Catherine spoke.

"I don’t think so."

Everyone turned toward her.

"What do you mean?"

The girl was staring into the bushes.

Her feline ears were standing completely upright.

"These swamps..."

She swallowed.

"...aren’t abandoned."

Misty frowned.

"How do you know?"

Catherine closed her eyes.

"My Danger Sense..."

She placed a hand over her chest.

"...hasn’t stopped warning me since we arrived."

Felix appeared beside her once again.

The little spirit cat was also staring into the dense vegetation.

"I feel it too."

he said.

"Things are moving out there."

"And they’re watching us."

Nox smiled slowly.

"I was thinking the exact same thing."

Audrey immediately raised her bow.

Dawn tightened her grip on her katana.

Misty looked around.

"...Where?"

Catherine pointed toward the bushes.

"I can’t see them. But they’re there. A lot of them."

Nox took a deep breath.

His Danger Sense was still sending that unpleasant warning.

Like needles crawling across the back of his neck.

It hadn’t disappeared for even a second since they stepped through the portal.

"...So it was true."

He looked at the ruined church again.

Then across the vast swamp.

Finally, he smiled.

"It doesn’t matter."

Audrey raised an eyebrow.

"It doesn’t?"

Nox slowly shook his head.

"If these lands aren’t abandoned..."

His eyes gleamed.

"...then we’ll simply have to conquer them."