Swearing at Keiji Saga's horrible sense of timing, Dark crawled out the window of Daisuke's bathroom and leapt to the ground. If that stupid boy could only mind his own damn business …
Who does he think he is, trying to get Daisuke to give away their secret?
Ah, well.
The crisp air whipped around his face as he ran to the underground entrance by the house. He slipped inside and started down the tunnel system.
It was a good thing the Klein church was so close – the underground route was much to dark and boring for Dark. He missed Wiz, but could not say enough thanks to the animal for pulling through for him once again, taking Daisuke's form to distract Keiji.
He emerged in the church minutes later and was informed on his objective – the Second Hand of Time. It was a romantic tale, love lost and given, and the god's gift of time for the entire village.
"Seems a little hokey to me," Dark muttered as he turned a corner of the hallway, keeping a keen eye out for the Commander.
He continued down the main hall until he found what he was looking for. "Aha!" He moved toward the Toki no Byoushin.
It was just in that moment that he spotted the shrine that the distant, forlorn form of a girl emerged in the air over it.
"What?" Dark took a tentative step forward, but stopped abruptly as the girl-spirit's powers swept over him in a dark wave. He felt the heat of the change rise in his chest, and in the blink of an eye, his body had reverted back to that of his host's.
He blinked his watering eyes hard against the strong whirlwind of power, blocking his eyes from the red flower petals sweeping through the room at a tremendous speed.
'Dark!' Daisuke was panicking. "What happened? What's this …"
The realization that the boy could not see the girl or her display of power shocked Dark, and gave Daisuke power over their body for a second.
Before Dark could regain the upper hand, Daisuke had reached out for the stone on the floor, curious hands eager to finish their task and leave the church.
"Daisuke, no!"
But it was too late. In an instant, the feeling of Daisuke was gone from Dark's mind. "Daisuke!"
Panic started to settle in Dark as the floor of the shrine cracked. He leapt back as the crystalline form of the Toki no Byoushin broke through the floor, raising far over his head.
Satoshi dashed up the hallway, following the commotion. One hand clasped on the doorjamb, he slid into the room with the Time's shrine, almost falling as he swung his body in.
He gasped as the saw the ethereal crystal holding the long-dead Toki no Byoushin. "That should be sealed!"
Dark turned to the new arrival and squatted into position to leap out the window. The old glass broke in large pieces as his body flew through into the night.
Satoshi threw his hands over his head and dusked as the glass rained down upon him. He edged closer to the ghostly artwork in front of him, wanting to see all the secrets it held of its reappearance within its unearthly depths.
"Niwa-kun," he whispered to the cold night air rushing in through the broken window, feeling inexplicably lonely and empty. He heard the feet of his subordinate officers racing toward him and he took a deep breath to regain his composure.