Ney Phutapie

"About what I said... please make it confidential."

- Ney Phutapie

Ney Phutapie, born Ney Marlon, was the Thirteenth Princess of the Kingdom of Marlon and a spy for Abyss I.R. and her mother, Queen Prim. Born the illegitimate daughter of King Arth and Prim, Ney was given to Abyss I.R. to be experimented on. Sent undercover to the Lucifenian Royal Palace and subsequently adopted by Mariam Phutapie, she became a maid at the palace, working to ensure Lucifenia's destruction for her mother. She was one of Gretel's reincarnations.

Early Life
"Wait a minute. That means—" "Yeah. That child in this picture is the baby from that time... She's your sister."

- King Kyle and Keel Freezis

On November 1, EC 482, the girl was born the illegitimate daughter of Queen Prim Marlon and King Arth Lucifen d'Autriche. Given to Abyss I.R. by Prim to hide her infidelity from her husband, Abyss named the girl "Ney". Over the years, Abyss experimented on Ney for her magical research while also training her in espionage and assassination; over time, the girl became fueled by an obsessive loyalty to her mother.

In EC 488, the six year-old Ney was brought by Prim to visit the royal palace in Bariti; while there, she was introduced to her half-brother, Kyle. Though never speaking to him, Ney played with the Prince and eventually stood in as a model for one of his paintings. Before the painting was finished, the young child left the palace without saying goodbye.

In EC 491, Abyss I.R. sent Ney to infiltrate Lucifenia in preparation for possessing Princess Riliane with the Demon of Pride while also spying on Minister Presi and see if he let himself be possessed by the Demon of Gluttony. After retrieving one of the Four Mirrors of Lucifenia, Ney infiltrated the royal palace and spied on her uncle's actions, witnessing his defeat at the hands of Elluka Clockworker and Mariam Phutapie and the Demon being exorcised from Princess Riliane.

She soon after reported to the sorceress on a hill in the outskirts of Lucifenia, explaining what occurred and that everything went according to her plan. When asked about the Demon, she related Elluka's exorcism and became confused by how the old woman referred to Elluka as her "big sister". When asked if she knew what to do next, she confirmed her mission and that she carried one of the mirrors. After being told to remember her training and endure, she questioned how long she needed to wait.

Abyss then told her to transfer the Demon of Pride to Riliane after Queen Anne was dead. Once Abyss I.R. reminded her that it was all for her mother, the nine-year-old headed back for the capital. After crafting a timid and loose-tongued persona for herself, Ney knocked herself unconscious and was soon after found by Mariam. Feigning amnesia for all but her name, Ney was adopted by the member of the Three Heroes and eventually became a maid at the royal palace. As time progressed, she spread rumors about others among the staff, passing them off gossip she had heard.

Reign of Evil
"We meet as soldiers now, when five years ago we were fooling around with her Highness Riliane in the palace. Change is the only constant..."

- Ney to Chartette

After the death of Queen Anne in January of EC 499, the maid transplanted the Demon of Pride to Riliane as Abyss I.R. had instructed, gifting the mirror to the Princess. The day after Riliane became the governing monarch, Leonhart Avadonia asked Ney to find Mariam so she could inspect the new palace servant, Allen.

Ney obeyed and found her foster mother speaking with Elluka in the Hall of Mirrors. Politely apologizing for interrupting their conversation, Ney alerted Mariam of Leonhart's request and the head maid complied, leaving with Ney to see the new servant. As Riliane became increasingly tyrannical, Ney continued serving her faithfully at the palace along with Chartette Langley and Allen. At some point, she began spreading rumors discrediting Leonhart's loyalty, including that he had numerous secret love affairs, abducted an enemy child during the last war, knowingly killed comrades and plotted treason.

Search for the Princess
"Princess Riliane! Where have you gone? Princess Riliane!"

- Ney after discovering Riliane had escaped

On December 27, EC 499, Ney was helping with the preparations for Riliane's fourteenth birthday happening later that night. When Allen asked if she could attend to Riliane and bring the princess her midafternoon snack in his place, the maid agreed to help. Once three o'clock had passed, Ney entered Riliane's room and discovered she was missing. Noticing the opened hidden passage at the black of the fireplace, the maid realized she escaped and rushed out of the room.

Shouting for Riliane and on the verge of tears, Ney was found by Leonhart, Allen, and Chartette as she passed between some mirrors. When the servant asked what was wrong, Ney told Allen that the princess was missing and led them to her room. Explaining what had happened, she showed them the secret passage. Once Leonhart organized a search party, Ney joined in searching the Forest of Bewilderment to find Riliane. Unable to find the missing monarch, she ran over to Allen and asked if he had found her.

Once the servant admitted they hadn't, Ney lowered her head and apologized, lamenting that she should have been more careful. Allen then comforted the girl and Leonhart agreed, telling her that no one could've known about the passage. Later on, Ney and the rest of the search party saw a signal beacon launched from the nearby port town and traveled there to retrieve the Princess. At Riliane's command, Ney knelt along with the rest of the search party to show her their loyalty.

Their Fourteenth Birthday
"We're not done yet! There's another one! It's huge!"

- Ney to Allen

Once Riliane was returned to the palace, the servants were forced to make up for their lost time that evening. During the celebration that night, Allen and the other servants worked exhaustively serving dishes in the Hall of Mirrors for the guests. As the servants prepared to bring out Riliane's giant birthday cake, Ney began looking for Allen.

After finding the servant, the maid grabbed his arm before running off with him. After telling him they weren't done yet and that the last dish was huge, the maid rushed the boy to the massive dessert. Afterward, Ney helped the other servants push out the cake at Prime Minister Minis' signal.

Dark Secrets
Sometime after, in EC 500, Ney witnessed Leonhart stealing from the palace stores to feed the citizens and began spreading the rumor throughout the palace. While she and Allen were busy preparing dinner, Riliane stormed into the kitchen demanding to know where Mariam was. Ney explained that her foster parent had gone out for the day and, hearing this, Riliane asked if the maid knew who was stealing food from the palace.

Ney glanced at a nearby chef as she explained she heard a rumor from them about the incident, and justified that none of the servants were stealing the food. The princess noted Ney's inclination for gossip and asked why she knew about the rumor. Lost for words, the chef intervened and helped explain what he had seen and Ney finally admitted that Leonhart was the culprit, threatened with being beheaded otherwise. Later, Ney told the princess that she heard "rumors" about Leonhart being in multiple love affairs, killing many compatriots, kidnapping a baby from a warring country, and attempting to overthrow Lucifenia.

The day following her confession, she entered the Servant Room. Asked if she was taking a break, she said she was. As the servant prepared to finish his break, Ney told Allen she heard Leonhart and her mother conversing about him and listened in. Piquing the boy's interest, Ney continued and said she learned Allen was the knight's adopted son and that he was sent to the palace for a reason.

When Allen explained the reasoning, Ney shook her head and said Leonhart planned to have the servant assassinate the princess, much to her mother's surprise and fury. Before finishing her gossip, Allen left and ignored the rest of her words. Shortly before Allen and Riliane had enacted their scheme to assassinate Leonhart that night, Ney told Allen about his mother's admirers. She was later bedridden due to the flu around the time Allen was sent to visit Keel Freezis at his mansion.

After Riliane learned that Kyle broke off her engagement, Mariam was tasked with discovering the identity of the king's secret lover; sent to the Kingdom of Elphegort to investigate, Ney arrived at the Freezis' home with another messenger, explaining what had transpired at the palace. After learning of his maid, Michaela, the double agent returned to Mariam and told her she learned nothing regarding the mysterious girl's identity. At some point, she learned that Michaela was Elluka's disciple who was assisting her in collecting the Seven Deadly Sins.

Green Hunting
"Mother, I did it! Your daughter, Ney Marlon, has performed admirably!"

- Ney's triumphant cry

During the Green Hunting, Ney spied on Allen as he visited Keel in prison and overheard their conversation about Michaela and her location. At some point, she learned from Mikina that Michaela was hiding in a well in the Millennium Tree Forest. She would later tell Riliane about this in the Servant Room, asking to keep her information "confidential" when Allen arrived. Appearing nervous, she left and waited outside the doorway for the servant. Overhearing their conversation, Ney apologized to Allen as he exited the room, learning he was ordered to kill Michaela. Allen forgave her and Ney asked if he was actually going to kill the green-haired girl. When the servant responded that he wasn't sure, Ney disguised herself as Allen and approached Michaela's hiding spot the following night.

Fooling the disciple, Michaela asked why she dressed in a cloak and sounded a bit different. Ney gave her excuse and said that the princess knew of her location and she needed to be moved. Michaela turned to prepare her luggage and Ney took advantage of the opportunity. Charging at her, the assassin knocked Michaela down the well, breaking her back at the bottom. Laughing, she descended the ladder and removed her disguise. Maniacally crying out to her mother of her success, Ney laughed again before stabbing the Mage of Eternity's disciple in the chest. Confident the girl was dead, Ney left.

Lucifenian Revolution
"Heheh, I'm just kidding, Chartette. I don't think you killed her. For the one who killed my mother was me."

- Ney admitting to Mariam's murder

Sometime later, Ney, Chartette, and Riliane talked together in the Heavenly Yard. Chartette justified her leaving the palace to buy books by blaming Ney for often leaving as well. Ney timidly responded she did so to meet with "friends" and Riliane asked if her friends were men, which Ney denied. Following Prime Minister Minis' attempted assassination, Ney joined Chartette and Allen as they overheard the meeting. After accidentally touching her breast, Ney argued with the fellow maid until Allen silenced them both.

In December of that year, Ney was among the servants who fled during the invasion of the palace. Lingering in the Heavenly Yard during the assault, she secretly watched Mariam battle Chartette. Once her foster mother was injured and escaped, Ney followed after her into an obscure corner of the courtyard.

While hiding a knife behind her back, she approached Mariam and said she came back out of concern for her mother. Once the silver-haired assassin turned her back, saying they should flee, Ney stabbed her in the back. Stating it was all for her mother's sake, Ney let Mariam collapse before dealing a second blow. With Mariam dead, Ney left.

After the revolution was over and her brother occupied the Lucifenian Royal Palace, Ney reported to Kyle that Germaine, Elluka, and Gumillia were involved in Michaela's murder and fed them information on their possible whereabouts. Soon after, she returned to Marlon and saw her mother, Prim, again for the first time in nine years. The agent reported of the princess' execution and the dissolution of Three Heroes. Prim was concerned that Elluka was still alive but Ney assured her that the sorceress wouldn't interfere. Congratulating her daughter, Prim told her to rest and leave the rest to her.

Witch Hunt
"And what about the Witch Hunting Ordinance?" "We issued the decree throughout the Kingdom of Lucifenia and Marlon the other day."

- Kyle and a soldier

When Kyle asked to use the Espionage Task Force to assist in his Witch Hunt in EC 502, Abyss I.R. assigned Ney as its head. With absolute freedom to anything in regards to the Witch Hunt, the golden-haired assassin and her underlings tracked and hunted down those listed in the Witch Hunting Order. During the period, they tracked Gumillia as the new court mage and advisor to the Beelzenian Emperor and Germaine as a soldier for the Beelzenian army.

Beelzenian Campaign
"Have such an amateur little girl in command, the other generals lost their motivation, you know?"

- General George Ausdin to Kyle

In EC 505, the task force was ordered by Kyle to travel to Retasan for his planned invasion of Beelzenia, expecting them to find and capture Gumillia. Abyss I.R. then gave Ney the Glass of Conchita and instructed her on its usage to add Beelzenia's deceased to Marlon's ranks; complying, the assassin forged a contract with the Demon of Gluttony. Insisting Kyle make her Retasan's commander in place of Riliane Mouchet, the king complied and gave Ney the position. Along with the Espionage Task Force, Ney traveled to Retasan and relieved General Riliane of her command.

The Head of Espionage then crossed the border to the Beelzenian Empire after midnight and killed all guards on the night shift. The assassin then bought a bottle of red wine for the glass' reanimation ritual at the market in Rukolbeni and returned to the nearby cemetery. Soon after encountering Chartette, the former maid mocked her residence in the graveyard but noted its convenience since her corpse could then be buried there immediately. Laughing at her sick humor, Ney approached her former colleague and reminisced how the former maids reunite as soldiers. When Chartette realized Ney killed her comrades and asked why she did it, the assassin continued to smile and jokingly tilted her head, asking why she needed a reason.

Faced with Chartette's response that it was unnecessary because they were at peace, Ney gladly explained she came to announce that the truce between Marlon and Beelzenia was dissolved. Noticing the girl accompanying her former colleague, she asked about her and noted she seemed familiar. The girl admitted she didn't remember her and Ney gleefully introduced herself. Threatened by Chartette for trespassing if she didn't leave the country immediately, Ney scoffed and remarked that she was weaponless.

The Beelzenian soldier retorted that her hands were enough and Ney questioned if she was even authorized to do so. Commenting that Chartette intended to kill her like how she killed her mother, Ney feigned being hurt and lost her smile. After Chartette retorted in a panic that it wasn't her, Ney's smile returned and she stated she was kidding before admitting that she had killed Mariam.

Brandishing her wine bottle, she offered to join her in a drink before "realizing" that she was the only one who brought a glass. The murderer said she'd drink alone, tearing off the bottle's seal, while Chartette would drink with Allen and the others later. After filling the glass to the brim, Ney gave them her best wishes and poured the wine onto the ground, laughing hysterically as the ground shook and the two fled.

With an army of the undead, Ney made the former Beelzenian Emperor's reanimation the commander and directed her forces to assault Rukolbeni among other areas. While there, the task force confirmed that Germaine was also present in Beelzenia. After overwhelming the Beelzenian military for over three days, Ney's strategy was soon overcome and Beelzenia launched a counterattack on Retasan.

Once the Beelzenian army began laying siege to the fortress, the golden-haired commander immediately requested for reinforcements; denied by most generals, only three thousand soldiers came to bolster her five thousand troops. Armed with only eight thousand troops, Ney forced the battle into a deadlock to hold the fortress city. As the Beelzenian army conducted nightly raids on the fortress, she began rallying the corpse soldiers within the fortress to bolster their defenses, causing her soldiers to fall into further disarray. As Beelzenia's forces began capturing the fortress city, Ney fled with her task force.

Reporting Failure
"The Espionage Task Force is supposed to be better than this." "Our abilities should not be used to fight directly on the battlefield."

- King Kyle and Head of Espionage Ney

After confirming both Germaine and Gumillia had left the Empire, the espionage captain traveled to the royal palace and requested an audience with Kyle. Eventually granted an audience, Ney and her task force entered the Hall of Sounds and knelt before the Marlon king. After Kyle voiced his disappointment in Ney's failure at Retasan, the assassin smiled and indifferently responded that the mission was more difficult than she had expected.

When Kyle retorted that her mission was incomplete and Gumillia remained at large, she reported what she had learned regarding the mage and swordswoman and Kyle asked when she'd be ready to capture her. Ney expressed her dissatisfaction with the undead soldiers' incompetence and, seeing Kyle was speechless, cast the blame for her failure on Abyss I.R. instead. Kyle retorted that the Espionage Task Force should have been better and Ney stated they were not suited for the battlefield.

When Kyle asked if she would hunt down the newly found targets, the Marlon commander answered no and said she would return home to have Abyss I.R. confirm if she was misusing the Glass. Kyle voiced his opposition but Ney declared it was necessary to know the vessel's full potential for the Witch Hunt. The blue-haired king bitterly complied but said the rest of the task force needed to remain. Ney asked why and Kyle explained the task force wasn't needed for the assassin's visit and that he needed reinforcements in Lucifenia. Ney apathetically accepted his terms and, with a mischievous smile, said the all-female group was his and suggestively teased him about having too much "fun" with them before leaving the Hall of Sounds. She then departed for Marlon.

Endgame
"I said to listen, you shit biiitch!"

- Ney to Prim

In response to Kyle's voyage to Marlon after being freed from the Demon of Pride's influence, Ney and Abyss I.R. headed to the capital, Bariti. Gathering the members of the Espionage Task Force, she later joined her mother at Castle Hedgehog. Upon her order, Ney began releasing the Gula plague throughout the Blood Pool Region via the Glass, building up an undead army through its resurrection powers. Shortly before Kyle launched an attack on the castle, she positioned the task force's assassination squad at the courtyard to ambush him and Germaine.

Kyle and the Marlon army later assaulted the castle and engaged Ney's reanimated army. Standing in the main hall, Ney oversaw the battle with the Marlon troops until she was spotted by Kyle and fled, leading him and his companions into the courtyard, where the Task Force sprang their ambush on him and Germaine. While the intruders were occupied, she fled up Heartbeat Clocktower and waited at the top with her mother for Kyle's arrival.

After her brother entered with two soldiers, Ney waved the glass around in her right hand, tauntingly asking if the King wanted it. She then chuckled and chided her brother to come after her; the assassin then fled out the door opposite of them. Pursued by Kyle's troops, Ney put away the glass and took out her knife to battle the two. Once she swiftly killed the soldiers, the assassin returned to Prim's chamber, telling her mother she had finished while holding the bloodied dagger.

Ignored, Ney approached the Queen Dowager and began complaining about the two victims before her mother cut her off to continue her explanation about the Clockworker's Doll. Moving in front of the Queen, Ney tried getting her mother's attention again but was ignored a third time. As Prim continued ignoring her, the assassin kept calling for her matriarch's attention and was still ignored. Screaming for her mother to listen to her, Ney snapped and stabbed Prim in the chest.

The Queen's blood gushing upon her, Ney laughed maniacally while Prim perished. Afterwards, Ney realized her mother was dead and desperately called to her. While demanding to know who would kill her mother, Ney noticed Kyle and concluded he was the culprit. Infuriated and driven into a frenzy, Ney ranted that she would kill him in turn. Taking out the glass again, Ney proclaimed she'd show him the vessel's true power and shouted for the Demon of Gluttony to come into her.

After the demon complied, Ney's uniform transformed into a red dress and the surprised assassin questioned if the meager change was due to the power being used for the corpse soldiers. Brushing it off, Ney exclaimed she wouldn't lose to the "evil" Kyle even without the demon's power. After, she repeatedly attacked Kyle with unwavering ferocity. Frustrated that he kept evading her attacks, Ney stopped and stared down her brother, slowly circling him while searching for an opening.

The assassin then lost her patience and attacked the King again. In response to his counter and swing at her face, she kneed him and the strike instead cut her lip. Once they distanced themselves from each other again, the bloodied Ney smiled as memories of Banica Conchita resurged in her mind, remarking that her stomach was empty. She continued her onslaught while ranting that she didn't want to eat something so grotesque but she had to or else she'd be punished for leaving leftovers.

When Kyle finally tried to counter her with his sword, the blade broke and Ney rammed into her half sibling. Straddling him on the floor, Ney raised her knife and said it was over. After stabbing it into his chest, she saw her strike instead shatter both her dagger and Kyle's shell necklace.

The assassin deduced that it was Michaela's vengeance for killing her and demanded The Daughter of Green stay out of her way. Ney then continued her attack with her hands, punching Kyle repeatedly while screaming for him to die. Shortly after, she heard Germaine scream for Kyle and looked up, distracting the assassin and loosening her grip.

Moments later, she noticed Kyle seemingly trying to reach for his sheath and dodged his swing, the attack grazing her cheek. The assassin told him resistance was futile before realizing he had actually grabbed Chartette's rocket glove. Kyle responded that it was a message from her former colleague and then fired the weapon at the shocked Ney. Launched into the ceiling, Ney crashed back down onto the floor and was rendered unconscious.

Silent Demise
"If we could be reborn, Brother, Riliane, and Allen. We can play together, and be friends."

- Ney in Kyle's dream

Ney was soon after carried out of the tower by Germaine and taken to Lioness Castle, tied to the beds in one of the bedrooms. Later on, Abyss I.R. arrived while possessing Mikina and stabbed the assassin, killing her. The Demon of Gluttony then took her soul from her body and held her hand, appearing as she had when she was six. As the demon prepared to absorb her into the Glass of Conchita, Kyle called out to them in the black box. Smiling, Ney apologized to her brother for all the bad things she did, saying that was why she had to say goodbye to everyone, tears welling up in her eyes.

Once she wiped away her tears, Ney expressed her belief that she'd someday be reborn, hoping that she, Kyle, Allen, and Riliane could all play together at that time. As Kyle failed to stop them, the demon walked away with Ney as an ocean appeared before them. Waving goodbye to Kyle and promising to see him again soon, Ney and the demon walked into the sea's depths and she was absorbed into the Glass. Afterwards, Ney's memories of her past lives awakened, returning to her original self as Gretel.

Legacy
After her death, Ney was buried next to her mother in Left Chapel as a Marlon general. Yukina Freezis later wrote a novel detailing the true events and Ney's actions, gaining popularity around the world during the succeeding centuries. Ney's soul, having returned to her original self as Gretel, acted as the Demon of Gluttony's servant and familiar. A century later, Gretel mused about her past incarnation, comparing Lemy Abelard's blind devotion to his mother Julia and conviction he wasn't simply brainwashed by her to be the same as Ney apropos to Prim.

Personality and Traits
"So the one who trespassed the border and killed off the night guard after midnight was you, wasn't it? Why'd ya do that!" "Why would you ask me for a reason?"

- Chartette and Ney

A deadly assassin and deceiving agent, Ney was raised to be her mother's tool. Since childhood, Ney held a deep desire to please Prim; although fully aware her mother saw her as an instrument for her schemes, Ney felt joy when she complimented her and was perfectly obedient to her will.

As part of her dedication to Prim, she willingly assumed another persona for years to help fulfill her plans. Because of Abyss I.R.'s experiments upon her, Ney grew mentally unstable over time and her idolization for Prim became an obsession. By the time she was eighteen, Ney acted psychopathic in her efforts to satisfy the Marlon Queen, mercilessly murdering potential threats and openly declaring her success to an absent Prim with manic laughter.

Ney's bloodlust devolved into wanton killing and began slaughtering soldiers needlessly for her own satisfaction. She similarly lacked a respect for other's lives and cared little for what her missions entailed since she lived for her mother's will. Therefore, Ney held a particular apathy for her half-brother Kyle, regardless of how his mother excessively doted on him.

Under the influence of the Demon of Gluttony, Ney's psyche became increasingly unstable and needy for her mother's affection. When Prim failed to praise for simple killings, she snapped and happily murdered the parent she was so loyal to, while in the next moment deflecting blame on the nearest person in the room.

While undercover, Ney maintained a weak, timid, yet high-strung persona. She often stuttered and hesitated when confronted or pressured by others and similarly acted either hysterical or timid over troubling situations she was involved in. While in the presence of Princess Riliane, she considered her words carefully out of an apparent fear of Riliane's anger, which she was certain never to provoke.

The maid was also considered honest by others but a bit "loose-tongued", gossiping about rumors and hearsay circulating within the palace often, although actually a means to carefully seed lies to manipulate others. Many of the relationships she maintained at the palace were faux, especially her relationship with her foster mother, Mariam, and took no apparent sympathy with using or killing her fellow servants.

However, while treating them indifferently, Ney had a deep connection to Kyle, Riliane, and Allen as her half-siblings, although this sentiment was seemingly buried in her innermost psyche; at the time of her death, Ney appeared to wish she could return to her more innocent days as a child, where she could've become a big sister to her twin siblings and feel lasting affection she failed to acquire from Prim. As a result, she seemingly influenced the Demon to protect Riliane.

Skills and Abilities
"Still, even though Ney did summon these corpse soldiers, it's difficult to accomplish that, even with magic. To my knowledge, she lacks the immense magical power needed to do something like that."

- Gumillia

Having been trained by both Abyss I.R. and Mariam Phutapie, Ney was well learned in espionage, spying, cloak-and-dagger, and assassination. Even at the age of nine, she was able to convince the expert Mariam of being amnesic and flawlessly kept her fake persona without erring the Head of Maid's suspicion. The golden-haired assassin was also cunning and used her false persona to appear as a non-threat, to the point her fellow servants couldn't imagine her wielding a blade.

Because of her unique position at the palace, Ney could easily influence Princess Riliane and her reputation for gossip let her seamlessly spread misinformation; her lies also extended to everyday conversation, fooling Allen, Riliane, Chartette, and even Mariam with her deception by feigning it as a legitimate concern or something she had overheard. This extended to impersonations, able to disguise herself as her half-brother Allen well enough to fool Michaela.

Employing a small, concealable dagger as her weapon of choice, Ney murdered grunt soldiers or guards with ease; due its nature, she could hide the blade in her hair. After becoming the Head of Espionage, Ney had the full resources of the Espionage Task Force at her disposal, including its legion of masked agents and extensive intelligence network.

Likewise, after being made a Marlon general by Kyle, Ney held a great deal of military clout and had the authority to lead large armies as needed. However, lacking experience in standard warfare, she was unable to effectively command large armies at the front lines and lacked the charisma to inspire her soldiers' morale; this lack of military tact was emphasized by how her attempts to conjure more undead soldiers only further disoriented her existing troops.

Although she had no magical talent, Ney was able to extensively use the Demon of Gluttony's power due to being a reincarnation of Gretel, and by extension, Arte. Through the Glass of Conchita, Ney could reanimate those that died from a Gula infection, potentially resurrecting entire hordes under her control. While possessed, she could also undergo a demonic transformation, striking with heightened speed, reflexes, and strength while dressed in the attire of the Demon of Gluttony: Banica Conchita.

Character Connections
Prim Marlon: Ney's birth mother. Raised to be obsessively loyal to Prim, Ney's every action was for the sake of pleasing her mother. In addition, she took an addictive satisfaction in the queen's praise, although not caring whether or not Prim truly loved her. Due to this obsession, as her mental state deteriorated Ney became enraged in a moment when Prim failed to praise her and murdered her. Despite her maniacal glee when stabbing her mother, Ney still became distraught and enraged when believing Kyle killed her.

Kyle Marlon: Ney's half-brother. Although briefly playing with him as a child, Ney expressed no love for Kyle, seeing him as unimportant compared to Prim. In addition, she amused herself by teasing the king and had no qualms manipulating him for her mother's ends, up to attacking him directly when needed. Despite this, deep down Ney wished to have had a closer relationship with her half-sibling, bidding him a fonder farewell in death.

Abyss I.R.: The mage who experimented on Ney. Obedient to Abyss I.R.'s every order, Ney acted as the mage's agent and looked to her guidance with the Glass of Conchita. Due to being used for her experiments, Abyss I.R.'s treatment of Ney was a leading cause of her mental instability.

Mariam Phutapie: Ney's adopted mother. While maintaining a false mother-daughter relationship with Mariam for years and learning espionage under her tutelage, Ney held no loyalty or love for the Head of Maids; during the Revolution Ney had no qualms with abandoning her, and later took maniacal satisfaction in murdering her for her real mother's sake.

Chartette Langley: A fellow servant of Riliane and later opponent. Ney often quarreled with Chartette over trivial things in their employment and, although they often would spend time together as friends, she held no true affection for her. Ney later saw her only as an obstacle to her mother's plans, taking pleasure in finally revealing her true nature to Chartette and in attempting to kill her.

Michaela: One of Ney's victims. Ney took great delight in killing Michaela as the apprentice of Elluka Clockworker, one of her mother's enemies, and as a catalyst for Prim's designs towards Lucifenia.

Riliane Lucifen d'Autriche: Ney's half-sister and employer. Although often spending time with the princess in her employment as a maid, Ney easily manipulated her in order to fulfill Prim's aims, such as in feeding her rumors and betraying Michaela's location to her. Despite this, deep down Ney wished to have had a better relationship with her half-sibling. Originally, Riliane was supposed to be the next reincarnation of Gretel but was instead passed onto Ney due to the distortion of fate caused by Prim's affair with Arth.

Allen Avadonia: Ney's half-brother and fellow servant of Riliane. While pretending to hold a friendly relationship with Allen, Ney often manipulated him during their employment together according to Prim's orders, such as telling the servant falsehoods about Leonhart and using him to discover Michaela's location. Despite this, deep down Ney wished to have had a better relationship with her half-sibling.

Gretel: Ney's first incarnation. Ney got her loyalty to Prim from Gretel's relationship with Meta Salmhofer; she associated her mother figure with Meta, and so wished to please her.

Arte: Ney's previous incarnation. Ney's relationship with the Demon of Gluttony is credited to her connection to Arte, and the latter passed on to her fanatic loyalty towards her mother figures.

Female Servant: Ney's later incarnation. Ney's absorption into the Glass of Conchita led directly to the Female Servant's existence. They shared the same soul and Ney passed on her fanatic loyalty to her as she served the Master of the Graveyard in Evil's Theater.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Ney's name is derived from Nei, a character from the game Phantasy Star II.
 * Her original surname, Marlon, is a reference to Mammon, the patron demon of Greed.
 * Ney's name is partially inspired by the name of her representative Vocaloid derivative, Neru, with both names sharing their first two letters.
 * In an interview, Akuno-P stated that Ney had been part of the story since the very beginning, albeit her character's setup and role changed several times during development.
 * In her original setup, Ney's character was the stepsister of the twins.

Curiosities

 * Ney shares the same birthday (November 1st) with her Vocaloid derivative.
 * Her dagger has a retractable blade and can be used as a hair accessory, which allows her to conceal it in her ponytail, as shown in Entr'acte of Evil: The Daughter of Evil Worldguide
 * In The Lunacy of Duke Venomania, Neruneru Nerune is listed as a spy, foreshadowing Ney's role during her service to Riliane.
 * In Epic of Evil: The Daughter of Evil Fanbook, Ney was voted as the eighth most popular character in The Daughter of Evil series by Japanese fans.
 * Ney ironically ended up succeeding her adoptive mother as Abyss I.R.'s personal assassin.

Gallery
Concept Art=