**1. The Weight of Mana**
Dawn came too soon.
Yuuta woke to the scent of damp earth and something floral—a vine had curled around his wrist overnight, its tiny blue blossoms pulsing faintly with light. He stared at it, then at the Druid, who stood nearby, arms crossed.
"Leyline clingweed," the elf said. "It's drawn to your mana. Annoying, but harmless."
Yuuta peeled the vine off, watching it shrivel and retreat into the soil. The System flickered to life in his vision.
**[Mana Pool Refreshed: 24/24.]
[Active Summons: Elvish Archdruid (Permanent – 3 Mana).
[Available Mana: 21.]**
He stretched, rolling stiffness from his shoulders. "What's the plan?"
The Druid jabbed his staff toward the horizon. "Ruins that way. Old battlefield. You'll learn more there than I can teach you."
"And if it's dangerous?"
The elf smirked. "Then summon something bigger."
---
**2. The Sky Skiff's Secret**
The skiff responded to his touch like it recognized him. As they boarded, the System chimed:
*"Aether-skiff model detected. Capabilities: Short-range flight, terrain traversal, minor cargo storage."*
Yuuta ran a hand along the railing. "Can it fight?"
*"Negative. Offensive modifications require mana infusion."*
The Druid scoffed. "Or a proper pilot." He tapped the deck with his staff, and the skiff lurched forward, gliding just above the grass.
Yuuta gripped the rail as wind whipped past. The plains blurred beneath them—golden grass, shattered monoliths, the occasional skeleton of some massive beast half-buried in the earth.
Then, the ruins rose ahead.
---
**3. The Ghosts of War**
The Whisperstep Ruins weren't just old. They were **wrong**.
Towers of blackened stone leaned at impossible angles, defying gravity. The ground was littered with broken weapons—swords fused into the rock, arrows petrified mid-flight. And the air…
*"Residual mana detected,"* the System warned. *"Caution advised."*
The Druid's grip on his staff tightened. "This place remembers."
Yuuta stepped onto the cracked plaza. His boot dislodged a fragment of bone—human? Demon?—and the moment it clattered, the world **shivered**.
A shadow moved.
Then another.
Figures flickered into existence—transparent, spectral, locked in an endless battle. Knights in tattered armor clashed with horned monstrosities. Spells flared and died mid-cast.
*"Echoes,"* the System murmured. *"Imprints of the Demon War's final hours."*
Yuuta watched a phantom soldier crumple, a spear of black energy jutting from his chest. The image repeated. Again. Again.
The Druid's voice was grim. "This is what happens when too much magic dies in one place."
Yuuta exhaled. "Can they see us?"
Before the elf could answer, one of the demonic shadows **stopped**. Its head turned. Hollow eyes locked onto Yuuta.
And then it **charged**.
---
**4. First Battle**
Yuuta's body moved before his mind could catch up. He sidestepped, but the specter phased through him—ice flooded his veins, his vision spotting with black. The System blared a warning:
*"Soul-drain entity! Mana barrier ineffective!"*
The Druid's staff slammed down. A shockwave of green light tore through the specter, scattering it like smoke. But more were turning now. Dozens. Hundreds.
*"Recommendation: Summon reinforcement."*
Yuuta's fingers found his deck. He didn't hesitate.
**"Pridemalkin!"**
Four motes of mana burned away as the card hit the ground. The air split with a snarl—a panther the size of a warhorse materialized, its fur striped gold and black, claws like curved daggers. It lunged, tearing through a specter with a flash of fangs.
The Druid barked a laugh. "Good instinct!"
Yuuta didn't celebrate. The Pridemalkin was fast, but the echoes kept coming. He needed **control**.
His hand hovered over another card.
**"Thunderbreak Regent."**
Six mana vanished. The sky cracked.
The dragon descended like a storm given flesh—crimson scales, wings wreathed in lightning. It roared, and the ruins **trembled**. A single beat of its wings sent a shockwave that shattered the nearest phantoms into mist.
The Druid's eyes widened. "You *idiot*! That's half your mana in one—"
"Worth it," Yuuta muttered.
The Regent turned the tide. Within minutes, the last echoes faded, their forms dissolving into the wind.
Silence returned.
Then—
A voice.
**"Who disturbs the dead?"**
---
**5. The Guardian of Whisperstep**
The ground split. A figure emerged—a knight, but not a phantom. Real. His armor was fused with his flesh, one side scorched black, the other gleaming silver. A broken greatsword dragged behind him.
The Druid hissed. "A warden. Left behind to guard the ruins."
The knight's gaze fixed on Yuuta. **"You wield the old magic. The summoning arts."** His voice was a grind of metal and pain. **"Why?"**
Yuuta kept his voice steady. "I didn't mean to trespass."
The knight studied him. Then, slowly, he pointed his sword at the ruins' heart. **"There. A relic remains. Take it and go."**
Yuuta exchanged a glance with the Druid. "What kind of relic?"
**"A piece of the Anchor. The demons sought it. Now it is yours to bear."**
The knight stepped aside. The choice was clear.
Yuuta took a step forward.
The Druid grabbed his arm. "This stinks of fate."
"Yeah," Yuuta said. "But so does everything else here."
---
**6. The Soul Anchor**
The relic was a shard—jagged, palm-sized, humming with a sound just below hearing. When Yuuta picked it up, the System **screamed**.
*"WARNING: Soul Anchor fragment detected.
Function: Prevents reincarnation/recall of bound souls.
Origin: Demon War artifact (classification: Forbidden)."*
Yuuta's fingers tingled. "This is bad, isn't it?"
The Druid's face was stone. "Very."
Above them, the Thunderbreak Regent circled, its wings stirring the dust of the dead.
Somewhere, far beyond the ruins, something **stirred**.
---
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**Chapter 2 End.**