Reincarnated in sekirei

( Yuuki's POV )

Yuuki: You still haven't told me what your big plan is to reignite this place.

We were standing on top of the forge, and I called out to Melina to share the master plan, but she didn't answer me, and she appeared at the edge of the forge with her back to me.

Melina: This has been an interesting journey, although your decision-making process puzzles me at times.

Yuuki: It's not like you to get sentimental, besides I'm still going to need your support after this.

Melina: My duty was to find someone suitable to be Elden lord, and I did, now I must open the way for you.

Yuuki: Wouldn't the most logical thing be for you to stay with that Elden lord then?

While we were talking, Melina's hands were on fire, and the words she was using were telling me where things were going and I didn't like that.

Melina: You will reach higher places, but I will only get this far, but you don't have to worry, I know there are several who will be by your side, but as a final request, don't listen to everything that blue witch says.

Yuuki: It doesn't have to be like this, I can find another way.

Melina: That's likely, but this is my destiny, I want to create a path for you.

Yuuki: Do you know about dragons? They are very serious about protecting their treasures.

Melina: I am aware of that.

I grabbed Melina's hand firmly and she put on a somewhat sad smile.

Melina: I could never turn your runes into strength but you let me rest my hand in yours for one last time, my dear companion, Yuuki.

I did not let go of her hand while her body was being consumed by internal flames, until the only thing left of her was a handful of ashes in my hand, The giants' forge began to spit fire, but I wasn't worried about that.

If Melina had only burned her body I could easily replace that but she had also burned part of her soul, Acting quickly I gathered all of her essence and ashes and put her inside the rune prism I created when we first met, That was pretty much all I could do at the moment so I turned around and decided to leave.

Astraea: Master, if someone tried to take me away, you wouldn't let them, right?

Yuuki: ...why do you ask that?

Astraea: I don't know, after seeing what happened to Melina, my chest started to hurt, and that question came to my head.

Yuuki: ...If someone tried to take you from me by force, of course, I would stop them.

Astraea was very happy with my answer but we didn't have time to talk more because the fire that Melina had created was working too well, The capital and the Erdtree were on fire but more importantly, I could sense that Roderika was in danger, the fire and destruction had somehow reached the roundtable hold so I teleported to the place and took everyone out of there, which at this point weren't many, and took them to our base in Castle Morne.

While I was there, Erica texted me that they had finished their mission at Volcano Manor, we were almost at the finish line, but there were still a couple of things I needed to take care of, things like Ranni.

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In Erica's mission, they took care of another shardbearer, and after they gave me the great rune they had collected, I took Erica and we went out in search of the blue witch because I didn't want to hide from her what could happen when I found her.

I had no clues as to where to go, so I had to use all of Ranni's belongings to follow her trail so to speak, that was the mini Ranni figurine, the remains of the magical mark he had left on me, and what he had found in the chest at the Academy, a ring.

Our path was blocked by a couple of bosses but I handled them without much delay, Arriving at another of many destroyed temples we followed Ranni's trail to a suspicious opening to the underground y at the end of that place I found Ranni but she was different from before, she had lost her clothes and her doll body had suffered a lot of damage losing much of its outer shell But she was sitting next to the corpse of a creature that was like a giant hand with two fingers, that must have been the two fingers she had mentioned before.

Yuuki: I see you've finished your business here.

Ranni: It wasn't easy, but I did it, I can feel that you've already started to set the world on fire.

Yuuki: I'll put out the flames later.

Ranni: Yes, you said you would.

Yuuki: And you already thought about whether you'll be there to help me.

I showed her the ring I found with the key she had given me, she looked at Erica for a moment before putting on a smile and reaching her left hands towards me.

Ranni: I guess I have no choice, with everything you've done for me, that's the least I can do, plus I can't let others keep taking the lead over me.

As I got closer, I saw that her ring fingers were slightly raised, indicating for me to put it on one of those two, I did just that, and her smile grew a little longer.

Following that, I carried Ranni, and she was speechless for a moment.

Ranni: ... Yuuki what are you doing?

Yuuki: Your soul is stronger than ever, but your body needs some care, let me take care of that.

Ranni: I see, I didn't know that was one of your talents, I'll leave that in your hands then.

Ranni closed her eyes, and her spectral form appeared with her arms around my neck, I then dumped Ranni's empty body into one of Thanatos' coffins, and we made our way to our base.