A New Hope Nier

Melina's face as she came out of her invisibility was funny honestly as she had almost an pouty look on her face as she looked at me. But then Rennala moved from her position and Melina stilled as Rennala inspected her with an odd expression crossing her face.

But the Carian Queen just took a breath and then shook her head with turning to sit on the edge of the large table I was levitating for us to fly upon. "Let us go... I will not speak of your choice of companion Jake Bariss. But be wary of this one." 

And as Melina grimaced but still climbed onto the table as well. I wondered what actual connection Melina and Ranni shared as I knew Ranni gave the spirit horse Torrent to Melina so I was kind of confused.

"Alright, next stop is the Lunar Princess Ranni," I spoke as the table took to the air with all of us riding it with A2 behind me, wrapping an arm around my side to keep me on the table as we quickly flew up into the air to get over the wards of the magic school of Raya Lucaria. 

Rennala actually commented on that with a snort as she said. "The wards go higher than dragons can fly naturally, and besides spells to catch hostile spells and attacks that come from above. We never accounted for anyone from Radagon's warriors flying this high." 

That was an interesting anecdote but regardless we flew from Raya Lucaria to the west towards the edge of the lands of the Swamps of Liurnia and once we reached the fog-covered mountainous terrain surrounding the lands held by Rennala's noble bloodline in the Carian Manor. We had looped around the edge of the ocean that way we didn't need to deal with the manor's great number of enemies that Ranni had filled it with so no one could rob the castle of its riches.

"And there is Ranni's rise," I spoke with some excitement as we pushed through the unnatural fog surrounding the back area of the Carian Manor and I could feel Rennala's trepidation rising as we came to the large tower and attached buildings that housed her daughter.

The door to the building violently was opened and from the door as we all hopped off the table was a large figure with armor covering its form a large wolf-like head atop its shoulders. "Blaidd... So little Ranni is truly here?" Rennala spoke breathlessly and the large wolf man froze at fully seeing Rennala and understanding she was actually... Mentally here I suppose.

I took a step forward towards Blaidd and I spoke out. "Blaidd, your mistress's mother wishes to see her again... Will you allow us to pass?" I asked bluntly.

My answer was simple and non-verbal as with a crisp noise Blaidd pulled his enormous great sword from his back and then placed it point first on the ground as he gruffly spoke. "My Lady has-"

I will never forget Blaidd's dumbfounded look as I did the most Yukari Yakumo thing ever, as I just opened a Gap portal right beneath his feet with the great wolf warrior falling through the portal that instantly snapped shut with the roar of the angry wolfman as I teleported him outside of Carian Manor which meant we would have a good few minutes before he got back.

"Alright let's continue before Ranni decides to teleport away or something," I said quickly but with a snicker I looked over at Rennala who chuckled, saying

"Ohhh she is here, and is already trying to teleport but I already locked the fog above our heads into blocking dimensional travel... However, I am very curious as to how your trick bypassed the wards I put up." And as though getting her mind reminded that Ranni was here, I watched with a smile as Rennala all but stomped into the tower with her curvaceous form bouncing as she all but ran to find her daughter at the top of the tower.

As Melina, A2, and I followed at a more sedate pace, Melina asked with a wry smile. "Jake, how does reuniting the Carian line together with Radahn help you in killing the demi-gods I am curious?" 

I was silent for a long moment as I took in the masses of endlessly stacked books containing arcane knowledge, in all shapes and forms along with magical apparatuses that I had no idea the use of. And finally, I responded with a shrug. "Honestly. I know Radahn is an utter badass and want to see him at his peak level. Ranni is... Kinda troublesome as she started the whole Elden Ring shattering with her killing Godwyn." 

"But frankly I want to help some of the more 'sane' people of this world as I take power from this world along with its knowledge and technology... In either case, this world is broken and no matter who becomes Elden Lord there are not even a thousand people in this large world who are remotely sane so this world is doomed anyway." I said bluntly.

That was the sad thing about Darksoul's Bloodborne and Elden Ring... It literally didn't matter what you did, the world was utterly boned and nothing could change that in all reality.

I mean sure parts of this world were good and could be colonized by people if I wanted to open portals for the people of Remnant to move here. But like all of Caelid? Who the hell would live in Caelid that was tainted by eldritch conceptual 'Rot' that was spreading throughout the land due to the Rot sinking into the waterways of the world?

Melina was silent at my words as we took the elevator up Ranni's tower and as we walked through the tower I could already hear Rennala's yelling. "Why a blue doll though? You discarded your Empyrean flesh for a weird doll that matched your old body... Wait was this doll, Blaidd's cuddle doll for when he was still a child and growing up?! Is this why you are sitting on a stack of books to look taller Ranni?" 

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