They rushed to the edge, being careful as to not fall. Shirou walked on the arch, taking Lili's trembling hand and wrapping an arm around her waist. Clinging to him, Lili and Shirou made their way onto the roof where Rider, Kumi, and Madi stood. Running towards Lili, the girls almost knocked the three of them off the side of the building. Forcing themselves to let go, they led her to the air conditioner, were they embraced her once more. Rider, noticing that he had no need here, left silently.
Lili looked up at Rider, watching him leave. She looked at Shirou, whispering something. He moved closer and she repeated what she had said. "Th-they tried to kill me." She paused looking up at him. "They're trying to get to you." She sat down, back against the cool metal. Kumi and Madi sat down next to her, leaving Shirou to stand.
Madi was the first to talk. "What happened? How did you get up there?" Lili looked at them, taking a deep breath before replying. "They tried to kill me, just to get back at Shiruo." Madi looked at Shiruo. "See? I told you! Now Nitmasu and his men are running around free! Why does Lili have to be involved?" Madi said the last statement in a low mumble. Kumi started speaking. "Lili," she said softly, "you know what this means right?" Lili nodded slightly. Shirou looked down and noticed a small scrap of paper. That's when he thought the time was right to join in on the conversation once more. "Now she has joined in the fight for the Holy Grail! And for the Necklace Elements!" Kumi and Madi raised their fists in agreement.
This got Lili interested. Her hand unconsciously moved to her neck. She already knew what they meant by the Holy Grail, but the Necklace Elements was new. "What does the Necklace Elements look like?" Shirou looked at her. "It has four gems, a green for earth, red for fire, white for air, and blue for water. The gems are in a line, with an animal of that element next to the gem. There is also another bead in the very middle but no one knows what it is." Lili suppressed the small squeak that was coming. The three looked at her curiously. Feeling them staring, she unlatched the necklace that she had found a few days ago, showing it to them.
Kumi and Madi went wide eyed and Shirou gasped. He looked around hurriedly, looking as if one of Nitmasu's men would come bolting over the wall and onto the roof any second. "Put that away. We can't have Nitmasu of his men see that you have it." She nodded and redid the clasp on it, hiding it from any observer's view. Little did the small group know, a figure silently moved back down the ladder, ready to report to his master.
Madi and Kumi were the first to go, not wanting to be almost late to class again. Shirou continued to look at Lili, something else coming to his mind. "How did you do that?" She looked back at him, uncomprehending. He revised the question. "How did you get onto the arch from the ground without climbing?" She hesitated. This was not something she would normally talk about. "I- I don't wish to talk about it right right now." He shrugged. If she didn't want to talk about, fine. He chose not to pursue the matter.
They started down, Shirou going first. After the many times she had fallen from this rooftop, she didn't argue. When they were both safely on the ground, he took her hand and they walked to class. Kumi and Madi smiled when they saw Lili and Shirou walking in, hand in hand. They would tease her about it later, but now, they had an essay to do.
Nitmasu smiled when his henchman came back with the news that the Necklace Elements was found. His smile grew wider when he found out that Lili was the one that had the necklace. All the better. He thought. Just a better way to back at Shirou. If we get her, Shirou will be forced to give himself in for her freedom. But, of course, that would never happen. Once Shiruo surrendered, he would have them both killed. His new plan was forming as his henchmen was speaking. When he refocused on what the man was saying, he heard the names Kumi and Madi.
A frown immediately formed on his face. What were they doing here? Last time they defeated him, they were in Japan. Now he and them were in South America, planning on how to find the Necklace Elements before the other. He thought of the time when he had first caught the girl. She had a pleasant enough voice. He revised his plan. He would capture the girl, make Shirou surrender to him, then make the girl sing to him after he killed Shirou. Yes. That would be nice. He thought, a smile on his face once more.
The rest of the school day was normal. Except for one part. The image of Shiruo in chains wouldn't leave her mind. So, she spent the rest of the school day trying to get it out of her head. Wait! What's that in the corner? She zoomed in on the image, only she could do that in her mind. She could see Nitmasu and his henchmen. The bell rang and she pushed the image away, rejoining Kumi and Madi, ready to go home. They said their goodbyes to Shirou and went home, ready to have dinner. It was only natural that Lili fell asleep first, right after they ate. Madi and Kumi were up till midnight watching movies and eating popcorn.
Shirou on the other hand, found his home practically destroyed. He looked around, noticing a small paper on the ground similar to the one he found earlier that day. He reached into the pocket in which he put the first paper and set them both open on the small stool next to him. Help. || Save us. He looked over them once more. Save who? He walked out the back door and into his backyard, to the punching bag in his shed. It was strung up in the middle of the shed and was a little taller than him. He went to that now, sending a punch so hard that it nearly came off the hook that was holding it up. The thought about Lili, Kumi, and Madi being taken or killed made him shiver. Now that he thought about it, Kumi and Madi thought of Lili as their sister, not a friend.
Nitmasu was also practicing his skills. But, instead of using a punching bag, he used his henchmen. Fighting ran in his blood. It came down for eight generations, choosing him over his brother. He knocked out the last of his men, breathing easily. As for them, not so much. He would be needing them later, when they were going to kidnap Lili. He would use them to get Shiruo first. At the thought of him, she would likely surrender quickly. If she didn't, he would threaten to kill him. But, in truth, he wouldn't, at least not yet.