【ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴄʟᴏᴄᴋ ᴋᴇᴇᴘᴇʀs ❴ᴘᴀʀᴛ ғᴏᴜʀ❵】

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『Recap』

'Hanako-kun said. "So you three make up of the School Mystery No. 1, and Mirai is the clock keeper who governs the future.

We need to stop her from doing any more damage than she already done. You and I both want to catche her." He then reached out his hand for the present clock keeper, Akane to take. "So let's team up for this one."

"Fine...Even if I do detest murderers." Akane said as he shooked his hands.'

'It wasn't the friendliest of arrangements... But we joined forces once more!'

"Still...How do we catch her?" Yashiro Nene asked as she leaned over the table. Minamoto Kou sat besides her while Akane on her front.

The two ghostly duo sat on the corner, with Hatsume looking worriedly at a unsual silent Hanako.

"Oh! Can we use your powers to freeze her, Akane-kun?" Yashiro asked the clock keeper. Kou beamed and agreed.

"That's it!"

"It won't work." Akane turned her down. "Mirai is immune to my time freeze. And you just saw how ridiculously fast she is. If we just give her free rein for a while, she might get out of her system and come back on her own, but..."

"But in the meantime, all of our friends..." Yashiro muttered and was in deep thought.

"And can we really put everyone back to normal?" Kou asked.

"Don't worry about that... That rotten old man will work it out." Akane said, mentioning the Clock keeper of the past, Kako. "But if we let her run free, there's a small possibility she'll do something to Ao-chan...

When I think of what could happen to her, I....I'm not sure I can maintain my sanity..." Akane's aura became dark as his grip on a glass became tighter, making it shatter on his hand.

He then glanced at the two humans who were trembling away from him.

"Calm down...Here's a picture of Aoi..." Yashiro said as she took out her phone and showed it to Akane.

Kou then noticed the silence of the two seventh mystery and glanced at their direction.

"Hanako-kun...." Hatsume muttered as Hanako hugged her side for comfort. Kou sweatdropped at this.

"What's wrong, Hanako?" Kou asked as he poked Hanako's sealed cheek with a piece of candy. "You've been awfully quiet and you didn't seems like your gonna leave Hatsume alone."

Hanako took the candy and shoved it to Hatsume's mouth,but not before removing the wrapper. The female spirit was suprise at his action but happily munched the candy.

"Oh, I know. Are you thinking about what Aoi-senpai said to you?" Kou asked. Hanako shooked his head.

"Never mind tha-"

"D-do you hear a noise, or i-it's just me?" Hatsume cut off. The two boys stared at her questioning but then heard the noise she was telling. It was a crunching noise, as if someone was chewing too loudly.

"Huh?" Kou looked around. "Now that you mention it..."

"I think, I do hear something..." Yashiro finished as she listened to the noise.

"Actually, It sounds like..." Akane said, looking at the open bag of candies that Hatsume left for the mokkes.

The pink supernaturals was looking at the bag of candy with terrified look. One was even thrown off from the inside of the bag.

A small hand suddenly shoot up and took a candy from a mokke's ear like hands.

"Stupid heads~" Mirai laughed as she emerged from the bag, holding a traumarized mokke.

The entire room was silent, until the boys all sprang up and screamed.

"Ahhhhhhhhh! Here she is!"

"She was here this whole time!"

The little clock keeper jumped up as the boys tried to catch her.

Yashiro tried too, but failed and fell on the ground with a thud. The future clock keeper bounch off as Hatsume tried to grab her.

"Ouch!" The (h/c) haired supernatural yelped as the little keeper bounched and kicked her nose rather hard.

Hanako reached out but then tripped and landed on his other half, who then fell on top of Yashiro.

"Oww!" The male seventh mystery winched as Mirai bounched hard on his head. He then wrapped his arms over Hatsume's head preventing her from getting hurt, Yashiro on the other hand, could feel herself getting squashed under the two seventh mystery's weight. Akane laughed.

"Slowpokes..." But then Mirai kicked his face hard. Akane held his swollen cheek, glared. "You little..."

The little clock keeper giggled as she zoom passed them, The boys tried their best to catch her.

'I can't l-let her touch, Nene-chan...' Hatsume thought as she shielded Yashiro away from the scene.

Mirai laughed at their attempts. "Slowpokes~!"

An irk mark appeared on Akane and Hanako's faces as they both reached towards the little time keeper. "Right there!"

But rather than getting Mirai, their head meet and bumped into each other. The little clock keeper laughed and zoomed to the door.

"She's getting away!" Yashiro yelled, still under the female seventh mystery.

But before Mirai could reach the door, a hand managed to grabbed her pigtails.

"Don't underestimate me, school mystery." Kou smirked, this made the future clock keeper annoyed."You got me the last time, But now I know all your trick-" She made Kou's clock appear and slammed it against him.

Hanako, Hatsume and Yashiro screamed as Mirai moved moved the young exorcist's time forward.

"AIEE!!"

"KOU-KUN!!!"

"KID!"

"Grr...Having a hard time moving you forward for some reason..." Mirai said sadly as smoke appeared around Kou. She then giggled. "I just wanted to make you more handsome, But it didn't work!" She then disappeared.

Hanako floated towards Akane, with an innocent questioning look. "Didn't work? Is he like a mummy now or something?"

"It does make you suddenly feel like lopping her hands off." Akane laughed.

"Kou-kun..." Hatsume said as she floated towards the exorcist, Yashiro followed her from behind. "Are you okay?"

'Don't tell me, Kou-kun's an old man too?!' Yashiro thought, sweatdropping. The two girls could hear him groan in pain.

"Damnit... She got away..." The smoke finally cleared up revealing Kou, who was wiping the sweat falling from his chin with his hand. "That little pipsqueak!!"

Hanako and Yashiro's eyes widened as their jaw fell open. Hatsume on the other hand, felt her none existing heart get hit by an imaginary arrow. She then covered her mouth in shock, she could feel her cheeks heat up.

"Wow...He looks just like the student council president..." Akane said sarcastically.

"What?! What happened to me?!" Kou looked at himself, in panicked. He was now an adult.

"Must be that exorcist blood." Hanako commented as he looked at Kou. "Make it harder for you to be affected by the supernatural. Lucky you. You're not an old man."

"What's wrong with Hatsume?" Kou raised his eyebrow as he looked at female supernatural, giving him a weird glance. "Why is she looking at me, like that?"

Hanako, Yashiro and Akane, stared at Hatsume. For some reason, she was giving off a flowery aura as she stared at Kou with a dreamy expression.

"H-hatsu-chan?!" Hanako screamed in horror as he shook his other half. But Hatsume remained unresponsive, looking rather dazed.

Yashiro staggered back, her face flushed red. She then ran towards the direction where the future clock keeper went. "Wait for me! Come back and turn me into a beautiful woman with sexy legs, over flowing with adult charm!"

"Yashiro! Don't leave me with Hatsume like this!" Hanako screamed as he tried to pry Hatsume off of Kou, who seems uncomfortable as she tried to hug him.

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"I couldn't find her anywhere..." Yashiro muttered as she fell on the ground, depressed as she hit the floor with her fist.

Hanako, now with a not dazed Hatsume floated towards her. The two seventh mystery sweatdropped.

"You didn't really have to chase her that hard." Hanako said. Akane approached the depressed Daikon and smiled.

"Besides, Mirai's only power is to move time forward. She can't change your body type and face. Unfortunately..."

"N-nene-chan?!" Hatsume could only stare in worry as Akane's words hit Yashiro hard. Just then her mood changed when Kou came in view and knelt down to the white haired girl's level.

"Senpai..." Kou started, Yashiro looked up at him with her teary ruby eyes. "You're cute enough, just the way you are..."

Yashiro's heart beat quickened. She suddenly stood up and hid behind Hanako who was holding tightly on the lovestrucked Hatsume.

"I-I'm sorry... Don't get too close to me..." Yashiro blushed and sweated furiously as she tried to avoid Kou's gaze. 'I'm afraid that I might start to like him on accident...'

"But why?!" Kou yelled in disbelief, he then turn to the male seventh mystery and gave him a look. "Hey, Hanako!!!"

The two boys made eye contact, Hanako could only stare at him blankly for a brief moment when he noticed the similarities of Kou and his older brother. The ghost boy then trembled in fear as he recall the memory of how Minamoto Teru tried to exorcise him.

"I'm sorry... Don't get too close to me..." Akane got startled as Hanako hid behind him, with Yashiro. This made Kou a bit hurt at their behaviors and sulked at the corner.

"Kou-kun..." The now older exorcist glanced at the female seventh mystery who was blushing bright red and twiddling her fingers, next to him. "I..I...I still l-like you, i-if th-that ma-makes you any b-be-better..."

'You only like me because I look different now...' Kou blushed a bit at her shyness/cuteness.

"Hatsu-chan...." Akane glanced at the depressed Male seventh mystery behind him and sweatdropped. He then cleared his throat, changing the atmostsphere.

"Forget about that. Think of some way to capture Mirai."

"R-right!" Yashiro yelled. "Does Mirai-chan have any weaknesses or anything?"

"Weaknesses, hmm... Well my time freeze doesn't work on her. First, she's not very smart. She's a glutton. She loves preening herself, and she's very fast." Akane explained.

"I see... Her intellect and speed are about on par with a mouse..." Yashiro muttered. "A mouse... It's true..."

"She does kinda reminds me of my black canyon!!"

"Black...Huh? why?" Akane asked, confused. Yashiro then took out her phone and showed him a photo.

"Black Canyon is my pet hamster!!"

"Oooh."

Hanako made eye contact with Hatsume, his expression was stoic, making her a bit worried. She already knew what he was refering to, since it was the reason why he was so down in the first place. They both nodded and floated towards Kou.

"Kid...About that 'Mirai' Clock keeper..." Hanako whispered to his ear. "Make sure she doesn't touch, Yashiro. No matter what."

This got the exorcist confused but curious. "Huh?"

"Hanako-kun and I w-will be keeping an e-eye too." Hatsume whispered and explained. "B-but the more help we have, t-the better."

"Yeah, you two don't have to tell me twice." Kou sighed. "Is there a special reason why you two brought that up?"

The two supernatural stared at each other for a brief moment then smiled at him.

"Not really."

"W-we just need to be cautious that's all."

"But Y'know, she's a girl. You'd feel bad for her if she turned to an old lady, wouldn't you?" Hanako grinned making Hatsume giggled at his antics.

Kou didn't seem to buy their sudden expression and gave them a suspicious look. "You're....You two are....Hiding something..."

"Hanako-kun!! Hatsume-chan!! Kou-kun!!" Yashiro suddenly appeared behind the trio. "Listen, Listen!!! We have the perfect plan to capture Mirai-chan!!"

"R-really?!" Hatsume beamed as Yashiro brought her phone out.

"See? Here it is!"

"Oh yeah?! Lemme see!" Hanako floated to the two girls as his daikon legged assistant explained the plan.

"Hatsume-chan, We're gonna need those secret stash of candies you always hide in your Kimono sleeves."

"E-eh?! How d-did you know that?!"

"Hanako-kun told me once."

"What?! No I didn't!"

Kou could only stare at the two seventh mystery on afar as they smile and laugh around the human girl. They're obviously faking it. 'They're hiding something...'

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Mirai giggled as she zoomed around the school, moving time forward for every student she ran into.

"This is so much fun! I haven't been outside in forever!!" The future clock keeper laughed, bouncing. "And I made everyone look so much hotter! Mirai is such a good girl!"

She then paused and huffed. "But I'm getting tired...Oh?"

A piece of candy was laying on the ground. Mirai grinned and picking the candy up with her little hands. "This is one of those candies!"

She then plop down and ate it, she then noticed more candies on the ground, making her squeal in happiness. She quickly followed the trail into a classroom, eating the candies in the process.

But before she could eat the last piece, a lightning cage suddenly appeared around her.

"What....Is this..?" Mirai asked, a bit sleepy as she tried to poke the lighting, only for it to shock her.

"You fell for it..." Yashiro said as she revealed herself under some stacks of boxes, holding three mokkes. The others did the same. "We finally caught you!! Through the secrets I learned from my escape artist hamster!!"

"It kinda, t-took me some time to p-prevent the mokkes from eating it." Hatsume said, who was surrounded by mokkes. Yashiro nodded.

"Wow, I can't believe Yashiro's plan actually worked." Hanako commented and then looked at the exorcist direction. "Also I can't believe... That future kiddo learns skills like this one.."

"Good job, Kou-kun!" Hatsume praised. Yashiro stared at him in admiration.

"I'm impressed, Kou-kun.."

"I can't keep it up as long as Teru-nii!" Kou warned them, but felt touched at their praises towards him. "But I gotcha covered! Aoi-senpai!!"

Akane used his time freeze and stopped everything around him, including Kou's lightning cage.

"Woah! Awesome!!" The exorcist cheered.

"That's his clock keeper power. It's look like he's only stopping time for the lightning cage this time." Hanako explained. "Last time, he stopped you too, kid."

"Exactly. This pathetic lightning cage wasn't going to last more than ten seconds..." Akane laughed. "Now it can last atleast five minutes."

'Pathetic...' Kou felt himself getting hit by Akane's harsh words. He slumped down. "T-thank you so much..."

"Long enough to catch you. Surrender now, Mirai..." Akane sighed as he grabbed the chibi like supernatural.

"Aww.. That's too bad.." Mirai said from Akane's large hands. "You're gonna capture, Mirai, huh?"

"That's right. With your powers over the future, you know how this'll end. So be a good girl-"

"Okay, just one more..."

Mirai disappeared from Akane's grip, making them all panicked. She then suddenly appeared behind Yashiro.

"I'll make this girl, look hotter!" The future clock keeper said, rewinding the daikon legged girl's clock.

Hatsume and Hanako stared at her in horror. The female seventh mystery could feel her tears falling from her eyes as she put her hands on her lips.

"YASHIRO!!"

"NENE-CHAN!!"

Her clock finally stopped ticking.

"Nene-chan!!" Hatsume was the first to run to her assistant's side and craddle her close. Hanako soon followed and knelt infront of the girls. "Yashiro!"

"Senpai!" Kou panicked. 'Don't tell me, senpai's an old lady now too?!'

His eyes widened. 'She hasn't changed...?'

Hatsume and Hanako hugged their assistant tightly in between them, The male supernatural could only comfort his other half, who was bawling her heart out.

Yashiro Nene remain unresponsive from everything that was happening around her, her eyes dull and her skin pale.

She seems really dead.

"I can't move her time forward..." Mirai said. "Honorable lord and lady no. 7... Does this means she......

Has no more time left?....."