-s2m-002- Kou Minefuji Encore Vol 2 -

Kou reached out, and the sphere settled into the palm of his left hand. The fragment—, a glimmering white crystal—merged with the Kage‑Koto, its glow intertwining with the Water Fragment already embedded.

But the lull lull‑song kept returning, louder each night, threading through the city’s ambient noise like a secret code. And when the moon turned a deep indigo on the night of the , the lullaby surged, shattering glass and pulling at the edges of Kou’s mind.

Kou’s heart thumped. “What does it want?” -S2M-002- Kou Minefuji Encore Vol 2

A whisper, barely audible over the cicadas. “ Come back… ”

“Looking for something specific, young master?” the vendor croaked, eyes glinting like amber. Kou reached out, and the sphere settled into

Kou stepped lightly, each footfall a soft thud against the moss. The lullaby grew louder, a delicate piano arpeggio woven with the sigh of wind through leaves. It seemed to come from , an ancient crystal embedded in the garden’s central altar—an artifact said to be the source of the city’s “song‑spirit.”

Mizuki’s eyes softened. “It is a cry for help. The river is bleeding.” And when the moon turned a deep indigo

A memory surged: a young Kou, his father teaching him how to coax a note from the shamisen, how each string was a line of destiny. The father’s eyes, warm and weary, told him, “Remember, son, the world is a song. When you hear a broken chord, you either fix it—or you become its silence.”

End flashback.

“I’m looking for the Kyo‑No‑Mitsu fragment—any clue?” Kou asked, keeping his tone casual.

The fragment——had taken form, a tiny droplet of azure light that hovered above his palm before dissolving into his Kage‑Koto, embedding itself into the instrument’s lacquer.