Arc 2 – The White Witch
Sky Island, eight years after the Demon King's resurrection.
Archangel Uriel and Elisabeth, the valkyrie mage, watched together in the crystal mirror as events unfolded in the world of Neptunia, specifically on the central continent, in the Kingdom of Riel, within Wolfwood. Three years had already passed since Uriel's earthly agent, Andras, began his mission to save the world, reborn into the body of a young noble boy—five‑year‑old Andras Wolfwood. Now he was eight, and the time had come for him to meet the main target of his mission: Noelle, also eight years old, the White Witch.
Uriel and Eli followed the events with excitement. Sakura Dry, the valkyrie knight, had just finished her training and joined them.
"Well, what's new? Did I miss anything?" Sakura asked.
"No," Eli replied. "He's only just setting out for the orphanage."
"Then his sacred mission truly begins now," Sakura remarked.
Uriel nodded gravely.
"Andras has done good work these past three years. Not a single day has he neglected his training—nor his pastry‑devouring. He has perfectly integrated into the human world. The 'Evil Future Andras,' as he named it, has been completely erased from the cycle of souls. In his place, the earthly Andras, our agent, will shape the future. The soul exchange has been completed, and for twenty years we cannot use the Crystal of Future Sight again. From this point on, we can no longer intervene in Neptunia's fate. Whether the Hero defeats the Demon King or the world is destroyed depends solely on the earthly Andras's mission."
Eli smiled.
"I prepared a little surprise. Before Andras's soul merged with the new body, I implanted two magical devices into his eyes."
"What did you do?!" Uriel exclaimed in shock. "And why am I only hearing about this now?"
"Because I meant it as a surprise," Eli replied calmly. "Let me explain. In his right eye is a weaker, smaller version of the Crystal of Future Sight. As a mage, he will be able to see five minutes into the future. With this, he can avoid fatal blows, surprise attacks, ambushes. Too bad he can only see five minutes ahead, but I couldn't afford more. Only archangels can see years into the future, and even that is limited: if you change the future, the Crystal cannot be used again until the time you looked ahead has passed."
"So that's why," Sakura spoke up, "since Uriel looked twenty years ahead, and then swapped two ordinary souls as a result, she cannot use the Crystal of Future Sight again for twenty years. I understand."
"Exactly, bull's‑eye!" Eli laughed. "But let me continue with the eyes. In his left eye I placed a little treasure: if he looks at a person—say, a warrior—the device in his left eye will display data about that person. With this ability, Andras will know certain things even about people he has never seen before. It's enough for him to look at them once. Let me give some examples: he will see the person's name, age, race, gender, class, and element. Nice, isn't it?"
"Wait," Sakura Dry spoke. "Then if he looked at me, he would see this:
Name: Sakura of the Dryveil
Age: 521 years
Race: Heroic Soul (formerly: human)
Gender: Female
Class: Valkyrie Knight
Element: Wind, Light
Am I right?"
"Yes!" Eli nodded. "Sharp as a blade… or as your sword, since you don't use razors down there."
"Of course I won't shave down there the way you do!" Sakura shot back. "Among my people that is not customary!"
"Stop fooling around!" Uriel interrupted sternly. "Is there anything else I should know, Eli?"
"Well, that's about it," Eli replied. "It wasn't easy to throw these magical devices together in two years, I only hope there won't be any flaws. But I had no choice: Andras is an average warrior and an average mage. Because of the Hero, you couldn't grant him any gift either, since once every five hundred years you can only bless one person, and that blessing has already gone to the Hero. This is my blessing upon him—I hope it will be enough to save the world."
Uriel smiled.
"That is why I chose you as my valkyrie, Elisabeth. Not the Hero of your age. One does not become a true Hero by possessing Heroic powers. You become a true Hero when you dare to face the Demon King with your own strength."
"Even so, the chosen Heroes were fine warriors," Sakura remarked. "The Hero of my age was an excellent swordsman and a kind man. Even without the blessing of light, he would have been worthy of joining the Heroes' Party."
"That's true," Uriel nodded. "But from each Hero generation I can only choose one warrior to be a valkyrie. Sakura Dry, Elisabeth, Elcres… the three of you are simply more useful than the Heroes, and I prefer your personalities as well. Some Heroes nearly worshiped me fanatically, though they didn't even know my name properly. They called me Neptune Goddess. Yet the world's name is Neptunia. Mine is Uriel. Over the millennia, even that has been forgotten."
"Most people care more about money than about the Gods," Eli noted. "That will never change, no matter how many millennia pass. Perhaps in time they will even forget that their world is protected from above."
"Perhaps one day they will forget me," Uriel answered gravely, "but even so, I will always protect them and our world. This is my mission, entrusted to me by God."
"Look," Sakura pointed to the crystal mirror, "he's about to arrive at the White Witch!"