With the barrier restored and the water drained, the Lake Kingdom had become a land of monsters.
The monsters claimed parts of the vast city-state for themselves, making them their bases.
Many survivors who had barely maintained their sanity for over a hundred years finally broke.
Being hunted daily by horrific monsters from nightmares was an unbearable despair.
Every night, the monsters held feasts, and the undying citizens of the Lake Kingdom became their prey.
They were drained of blood while alive, torn apart by claws, and burned by their breath. The monsters toyed with the humans' feeble resistance.
Monsters of all kinds lurked everywhere in the kingdom, expanding their territories. Soon, there was no safe space left for humans in the city.
Despite this, Ariel did not give up.
She organized the survivors into a resistance force, gathering people from all over the kingdom to fight against the monsters.
But even that desperate effort eventually faded."...Brother?"
A traitor had appeared among the humans, siding with the monsters.
"What is this...?"
The masked individuals, disguised as another group of survivors, had infiltrated the resistance.
They abducted and coerced members of the resistance, delivering them to the Demon King.
"...Their minds have been plunged into dreams by the Demon King himself."
The leader of these masked individuals, the 'Nightcrawlers,' was none other than Prince Christian.
"Father is the same. He eventually succumbed and is now dreaming."
"Prince Christian...!"
"Wake up, Prince Christian!"
"I have abandoned that name."
As the other survivors called out to him, Christian shook his head.
"I desired a crown that was beyond my reach, but in the end, I became nothing more than a laughable clown."
Beneath his smiling mask, the man laughed miserably.
"So from now on, call me Crown."
"Brother...!"
Ariel trembled with rage.
Crown slowly drew a flute from his belt—an artifact granted by the Demon King.
"You are the last remaining humans resisting in this country."
"Why?! Why have you sided with the Demon King?!"
"Ariel, why do you resist?"
Looking at the people still willing to fight, Crown sighed softly.
"Have you not seen those mighty monsters? And what about the Demon King who commands them? The kingdom has fallen below the lake, and there's no way to break the curse."
"..."
"There's no hope. So instead of futile resistance, isn't it better to find peace quickly?"
"Brother, you..."
Crown looked steadily at his sister, who still called him brother.
Her eyes, shining with unwavering determination even in this hell.
"I'm just trying to finish the dirty work I started when I brought ruin to this country."
Crown brought the flute to his lips. The Nightcrawlers drew their weapons.
The resistance also raised their weapons in response. Ariel, tears streaming down her face, shouted.
"Please, Brother! It's our royal family's fault that this country fell into hell! So we must take responsibility and fix it together!"
"No, Ariel. You have done nothing wrong. The fault lies with me alone."
Tears of blood flowed from behind his mask.
Crown spoke heavily, his voice laden with sorrow.
"So... I will bring you peace as quickly as possible."
Beep—
As Crown blew the flute, monsters, their eyes glowing red, surged from the darkness towards the resistance.
"What is this?!"
"Is he controlling the monsters...?!"
"Prince! Are you truly—"
The Nightcrawler soldiers launched arrows and spells without hesitation at the bewildered resistance.
Facing the combined assault of monsters and traitors, the resistance fell helplessly. Ariel desperately ordered a retreat.
In a world overrun by monsters.
The last remaining humans were now forced to fight among themselves.
***
With both monsters and fellow humans as enemies.
The enemies increased while their forces dwindled.
Ultimately, Ariel had to make a decision.
As a member of the royal family that had brought ruin to the kingdom, to take responsibility.
To protect the remaining people and continue fighting the Demon King...
She decided to use the ancient magic passed down in the royal family.
"I will offer my existence as a sacrifice to the Goddess."
The magic principles established by the Lake Kingdom were as follows:
By drawing power from the guardian tree rooted in the spirit world and channeling it through an external source, they processed and used that power in the present world.
And the royal family of the Lake Kingdom already knew.
That a burning woman resided at the roots of the guardian tree 'Everblack.'
The so-called 'Goddess,' who was often dismissed as mere legend by the public, was real. She was closely linked to humanity's magic.
This ancient magic was a ritual to offer one's existence to the Goddess in exchange for borrowing her power.
"Princess, there's no need for you to do this!"
"Let us do it instead!"
"No. I'm not just trying to sacrifice myself."
Ariel shook her head and smiled bitterly at those who opposed.
"It's because I have the most to offer as a sacrifice."
And.
If someone here had to take responsibility for this entire hell, it had to be herself.
Finally, Ariel conducted the ritual to offer herself to the Goddess through ancient magic.
"I offer."
Setting her body ablaze with magical fire, she endured the searing heat and muttered.
"My status."
She renounced her title, abandoning her position as a princess.
"My memories."
She burned away all the precious days of her life and the days of resistance she never gave up on.
"My name..."
She burned away the name Ariel, becoming Nameless.
"My everything."
The ritual ended.
As the flames on her body extinguished, the princess's radiant silver hair had turned white.
The red ribbon she always tied to maintain her humanity for over a hundred years since the fall had burned to ashes.
With her memories cleansed and her expressions and emotions cut away.
Flash...!
In Nameless's hand, a brilliant halo of light formed.
To the princess who had offered her all, the Goddess granted a light that could vanquish evil.
The resistance fighters, shedding tears as they looked up at the now whitened princess, knelt one by one.
Nameless silently picked up the rusted iron sword on the ground, breathed light into it, and turned to the people.
"Let's go."
Though the bright smile she always showed everyone and the rich emotions in her voice were gone.
Her clear turquoise eyes, like the lake, still shimmered with a single purpose.
"To save the world."
To defeat the Demon King and save this nation.
To slay monsters and protect people.
That purpose alone.
***
...And many more years passed.
Nameless continued to fight.
Her ordinary, worn, rusted iron sword had become one of the greatest weapons, capable of cleaving any monster.
Nameless herself had become a highly skilled swordswoman, honed through countless battles, becoming the most adept at fighting monsters in this world.
As time passed to reach this point.
The resistance fighters vanished one by one.
The Demon King persistently tempted the resistance members. Not only did he turn them into living devices to dream nightmares, but he also cloned their memories into monsters to fight the resistance.
Those who had been comrades just days ago, not only surrendered but also reappeared as monsters to attack the resistance.
"Rats are everywhere, rats keep coming no matter how many I kill! Damn rats!"
"I want to study magic in the court someday. I'm tired of sweeping and cleaning like a machine."
"Captain for 20 years, captain for 10 years... am I supposed to be a captain forever?"
"Eliminate those climbing the walls! Even in a state of emergency, the law must be enforced! Immediate trial for all! Immediate trial...!"
"Become fertilizer for humanity's future, non-citizens!"
In the endless battles in the underwater hell, the resistance members went mad one by one.
They couldn't distinguish whether it was day or night, underwater or on land, or whether their opponents were monsters or humans.
Those who went mad attacked allies, hallucinated, or became completely paralyzed, unable to endure any longer.
"I can't fight them anymore, but I don't want to become a living device dreaming nightmares either."
The first resistance warrior to defect requested Nameless.
"Seal me away."
"..."
Nameless, silent, slowly nodded.
"I will honor your wish, comrade."
Nameless asked carefully.
"Do you remember where your original home was? I will let you rest there for the last time."
Those who could no longer fight returned to their original homes and were sealed away.
Nameless laid her comrade on a decayed bed, stroked their forehead, and whispered.
"May you retire in peace."
"I hope you regain the light someday, Nameless..."
After saying goodbye.
Nameless cast several magical seals on the house to prevent the Demon King's approach. As a precaution, she also boarded up the doors and windows from the outside.
This was called a 'retirement funeral' among the undying resistance fighters of the Lake Kingdom.
It was the only honorable end they could have.
***
...
And after another long time had passed.
Throughout the Lake Kingdom, countless houses had their doors and windows sealed.
Thud, thud, thud...
After sealing another comrade, nailing the door shut.
"..."
Nameless turned around.
She was alone.
The resistance, once numbering in the hundreds, had all succumbed to the Demon King or been laid to rest in retirement funerals, vanishing from the Lake Kingdom.
There were still a few who fought, but very few.
'Ah.'
Even they were reaching their limits.
Nameless herself felt her end approaching. She knew well that the light borrowed from the Goddess was flickering more and more faintly.
'Was there any meaning in all those days and resistance?'
Nameless looked up at the sky with weary eyes.
This kingdom, once vibrant with colors, was now a dull, monochrome darkness.
'The last time I saw beautiful colors...'
Suddenly, Nameless fell into thought.
'When was it?'
Surely, before the world became like this.
She remembered seeing something beautiful with someone...
'I can't remember.'
Because she had burned everything away, nothing came to mind.
Nameless smiled bitterly and staggered back into the darkened kingdom.
To prepare for the endless fights to come.
And for the possible... new opportunities that might arise.
Today, she still had to hang torches throughout the Lake Kingdom, clear out monsters, and patrol for visitors.
And.
"Hmm?"
While patrolling outside the city walls, she saw a group of people standing outside the closed gate.
A young man with black hair at the forefront, a blonde knight, a brown-haired sniper, a one-eyed white-haired mage, and a red-haired mage in a wheelchair.
'Adventurers?'
There were occasionally those who came here after hearing rumors of the sunken kingdom.
A few settled in the kingdom, becoming new strength, but most were scared off by the monsters or died futilely.
Thus, she did not hold much hope.
"Treasure hunters come to find riches in the Lake Kingdom?"
But she held a sliver of hope.
Approaching to warn them, so they wouldn't get caught up in this hell.
"There is nothing here that you want. Return to the surface while you still have your lives..."
--TL Notes--
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