"Hey, did you see a guy with some golden hula-hoops around his waist?" I asked some randos as we pressed onwards through the crowded streets.

"Ma'am, did you happen to talk to a guy with the initials S.B. recently?" Elegy did the same.

"Hrm..." Hate got angry and blew a fuse, "Everyone, stop fucking ignoring us and tell us if you've seen an S.B. around!"

Well, though rather crude, his methods were pretty effective. Everyone stopped dead silent as all heads turned to the three of us. Quickly, they all started examining their own hands, with those that sighed in relief being ones whose initials did not match our target's very own. That being said, there was one guy that very much wasn't calm in this situation. Frailly, he raised both his palms to show us, and with an audible gulp to break the silence, he confessed.

"T-That's me." He whimpered, "W-What do you... need?"

"Nah, calm down. It's not you." Elegy reassured him, "We need a guy with hoops around his waist."

"Oh, phew." The scaredy cat then recalled something, "Ah, but wait, I saw a guy like that!"

"Eh? You did!?" I jolted, "Well could you tell us where he is?"

"Yeah, it's him, right?" He pointed above and behind us.

To our surprise, on the large tower above us did indeed stand a man with what looked to be two hoops around his waist area. He was on a rather tall plot of land, I'd say, but it probably wasn't his, since he looked to be rushing to the top of it.

"Yo!" Elegy shouted, "You, up there! Get down here, we've been looking for you, dammit!"

"Hm? Crap!" The guy saw us and only sped up his ascent, "You'll never catch me!"

"What's got him so scared?" Hate was just as confused as I was.

"Maybe he doesn't recognize us?" I thought, "From that high up, it can be pretty difficult to see Elegy's scars, and he's never seen mine before so he wouldn't even know."

"Still, what's he doing climbing such a tall building...?" Elegy shook his head, "Never mind. We can ask him after we catch up to him."

"Let's go!" Hate picked me up so that I wouldn't lag behind.

Despite the name he was given, he's a rather gentlemanly fellow. After getting dragged around everywhere by the wrist thanks to Elegy, it feels nice getting treated with some respect.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Hate asked just to make sure, "My arms are pure gold, so I might not know my own strength."

"She can run just fine. I have no idea why you thought to coddle her in the first place." Elegy retorted.

"I'm fine, thank you for this, Hate." I smiled, "After walking for so long, I was getting kinda tired-"

"Alright, that's enough." He let me back down the moment we reached the staircase leading up the building, "My arms are getting tired, and if you can run just fine, then a couple of stairs are a cinch to you."

Dammit Elegy, did you have to say that to the guy? Uuu, and just when I got myself comfortable...

"What?" Elegy dared to even ask, "What's with the glare?"

"Zip it. Come on, let's just go find S.B." I groaned.

Climbing up the stairs was a hassle, I tell you. Whoever's plot of land this was, I really should go have a chat with them about what they view their "dream house" as. Twists and turns come flying at you with each step taken, and at times it felt like the stairs were even moving beneath our feet. It was a dangerous climb, and one that I wouldn't even have to worry about had Elegy just kept his damned mouth shut, mind you.

"Halt!" S.B. stood at the very top, warning us not to take another step towards him, "If any of you so much as make another step, I'll jump!"

"Okay." Both Elegy and Hate took precisely one more step, "Come on, what're you waiting for?"

"E-Err, I-I meant the one after that! I'm serious-!"

"Sure, go on." Elegy took one more step.

"We'll take as many steps as you need, but don't let us down now." Hate added.

These guys are being cruel again. I can't help but feel they really don't value other peoples lives at all. Maybe I got involved with some horrible people, after all... Oh wait, people can't get hurt here, so that's why. Haha, I'm dumb.

"Hey, if you survive the fall, I'll realign your limbs for you free of charge." Hate clanked his golden fists together.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Dumbass, he'll live regardless." Elegy reminded him.

"...Ohhhh! Yeah, yeah you're right." Hate facepalmed, which I imagine is the equivalent of self-inflicting a concussion, "I totally forgot that part. Honestly, I just wanted to see him go splat after making us climb this far."

"You sure you're not the White Monster here?" I asked him.

As the three of us enjoyed our lovely chat together in front of him, S.B. seemed to be weighing his options rather seriously. I think, somewhere in that head of his, he was genuinely debating whether or not to jump. In the end though, he chickened out.

"Uuuu... Fine!" He shouted, making all of us stop talking to hear him out, "Okay, I'll go. Dammit, why me...?"

"...Go?" I tilted my head.

"You made the right choice." Elegy stood in front of me as he put on his best authoritative act, "But before you go (wherever you're supposed to go), mind telling us everything you know so far?"

This guy, what's he doing? Why's he interrogating S.B. all of a sudden?

"I'll tell the Gods, but not his lackeys." S.B. glared at us, "Come on, just take me to them and-"

"We got ways to make you talk." Elegy didn't let him walk past us, knocking on Hate's mighty metal arms, "Ain't that right, Hate?"

"Hrm." Hate merely stood there, his crossed arms speaking for themselves.

At this point, I'm sure S.B is crapping his pants right now. Something about the way his Eyes shrunk back in fear, or maybe the fact that he's shivering all over. This guy's a scaredy cat, though that much could've been deduced from him not taking the plunge earlier to escape from us. Still, what're these two aiming at?

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***

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"You... The Gods DID send you, right?" S.B. asked just to make sure.

"We'll be asking the questions around here!" Elegy slammed his fist on the floor, for there was no table nearby, "Why did you run from us! What's your secret you almost took to the grave!?"

"Eep! That's...!" He hid his face away as he confessed, "A-A shrine! I heard someone said there was a shrine if you left the residential area, so I was set off to go there!"

"Heh, we know that much already." Elegy lied, slowly piling on the pressure as he walked back and forth in front of him with his hands behind his back, "Look, let's just say we're willing to cut you a deal if you tell us something about the shrine we DON'T know, got it?"

Seriously, what's with this scare fest? It's obvious from his reactions that S.B. doesn't know who we are. Like I said, he only met Elegy briefly after we got put to sleep by Prylos, so I'm not saying he should recognize us himself, but Elegy should just come clean and stop this confusing debacle so we can actually exchange info properly. No need to go all good cop, bad cop on him.

"Really?" S.B.'s Eyes glimmered, "Are you gonna let me go if I tell you, then?"

"That can be arranged."

"The Gods won't be mad at you?"

"Let's just say..." Elegy got close to whisper in his ear, "We aren't their lackeys."

At this piece of news, S.B. could barely keep from jumping for joy. In his Eyes, we were corrupt cops that were just about to switch sides and help him cross the border, but I can't help but feel this is all so unnecessary.

"The shrine is said to house the way back to the world of the living." S.B. revealed with a grin on his face, "If you go there, you'll get a second chance at life. Or so they say, at least."

"Who are they?" Hate raised an Eyebrow.

"No one in particular. It's just a rumor." S.B. shook his head, "One guy told me, another girl told him, another guy told her, and so on. But they say a seraphim was the one who initially leaked the info way down the line."

"Seraphim?" I tilted my head.

"Higher ranking angels." He continued, "If we're angels, then seraphim are like one level above us. Above them are the Gods."

Seraphim? I've never heard of nor seen any of those before. And what the hell, how come I'm not one!

"What makes them better than us?" Hate asked.

"They got wings that let them fly, some say they shoot lasers out of their Eyes. Basically super heroes." He shrugged.

"What the hell, how come I'm not one!" Elegy voiced my inner concerns.

"They say the more lawful and moral life you've lived down there, the better the odds are that you'll be a seraphim here." S.B. explained, "Basically, we have no control over it. You'd have to be a saint if you wanted to have any chance at winning that lottery."

"Hmm, okay..." Elegy was just about to let him go, but remembered an odd detail about his story, "But wait, you said this shrine was outside the residential area, right? But Heaven 2.0's residential area spans near infinitely to accommodate everyone that has, is and will live, so what's the deal?"

Oh yeah, the Gods did mention that. Basically, it's the rumor that there's a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, then. Since no one can actually reach the end of a rainbow, it's essentially a fancier way of saying there's no way to resurrect yourself.

"It's far out, but it's not infinite." S.B. reminded us, "It'll take time, but it's not like I've got a time limit either. I'm willing to go if it means finding out who I was."

"Ah, so that's your real goal." Elegy smirked, finally revealing his cut up arms from behind his back, "And you planned to go there without your ol' pals, S.B? For shame..."

"Ack! Y-You!" S.B. was shocked once he found out, "What the hell, man!? I was seriously shaken up! I thought I was being chased by seraphim in disguise, dammit!"

Yeah, that's the expected response. I'd be mad too, Elegy was just wasting time with this little cruel joke of his.

"Seriously, such a dumb prank..." I sighed.

"Nah, it wasn't a prank." Hate corrected me, "He did this because people reveal more when they're under interrogation. In the off chance S.B. was planning on keeping secrets from you two, we'd make sure he said everything while he still didn't recognize you."

"Don't trust anyone. I can respect that." S.B. nodded.

"Hm? Nah, I just wanted to see him quiver more." Elegy shrugged, "Honestly, since we can't die here, my goal was to make him so scared he would jump off after all, but I guess seeing him piss his pants is a good second place prize.”

Scratch my previous statement, Elegy might just be the real fabled White Monster after all. Hate's got nothing on his sadism. In any case, new party member has been added to the team! Input name?

"I like that name already." S.B. smiled, "Esbee, it's sweet."

"At that point, we might as well call you BS." Elegy shot him an annoyed glare, "You're such a pushover you might actually take it, too."

"Quit bullying him!" I hissed.

Esbee it is, I guess. That makes four, and with his addition we've also gained some pretty substantial info as well. More and more, we're figuring out what makes this place run. It's exciting, and if we also get to revive after, then that makes it all the more worth it!