43:22

A few moments later, after relaxing for a bit, they have finally moved from the bar they've been to and went to a public park nearby which seemed pretty empty since the hour isn't so favourable with the kids around the city. But it's not like they do much anyway, they just stand on a bench while simply finishing what was left from their drinks. Even so, the boy still seems a bit sad about this whole situation, but it begins to talk so that it can kill the silence.

[General]-So... CHE5TER, huh? That's the name you didn't wish to tell me.

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* It's not like I can continue lying now anyway... But I sure didn't expect this to be the moment you get to know it.

[General]-Even so... Nice to meet you, Mr. CHE5TER.

[CHE5TER]-Yeah... The pleasure is mine, General.

[General]-...

Yet again, pure silence. It probably is hard for the boy to speak now, though the ruler doesn't mind anything at this point.

...Why are you so friendly to Him anyway? You sure are a weird person, Little Ruler.

CHE5TER then gives a small breath as if He tries to get rid of something that annoys Him, putting His right hand on the back of His neck and thinking of it for some seconds. But probably the boy misunderstood His gesture, since it felt obligated to explain its sadness.

[General]-...I still have that feeling that something is off about my fate, CHE5TER. That I will remain lost here forever and never see my brothers and sisters again. Is this really... a dead end?

[CHE5TER]-You ask me like I'm suppose to know who you are and what's your future, stranger. I am a simple being after all, and I myself have a fate to battle.

[General]-I know, but... it can't be just a coincidence that the ore you've stole led me to this place, right? I think it is a sign from the gods telling me that I have to do something here that I don't even know anything about.

[CHE5TER]-Maybe. Also, that ore, will I ever see it again, or...?

[General]-Ha ha... Very funny... Make fun of my suffering by trying to get rid of me faster...

[CHE5TER]-I'm just kidding, buddy. No need to take it personally.

[General]-Yeah, yeah...

And of course His try isn't so successful, as the boy is still battling that sad thought. But still, it seems that He brought the stranger some curiosity too.

[General]-Say... Why do you say that you also have to battle your fate?

[CHE5TER]-Do you really think that you are the only person in this world that has fears? Oh, little one, you sure have to learn a lot about life.

[General]-Me? You don't even know what you are talking, but sure. Now, can you answer my question?

[CHE5TER]-What is there to answer? Everyone has a future, so... everyone has a fate. With fate, there is fear and there is motivation too. Whether it is made by your people or by fear itself. Though I am a simple being, fate stabbed me in the back many times in the past, and it sure will continue to do so until I meet my end. I've endured a lot and lived many things I wish I didn't, but I guess I've also brought bad luck into some people's lives as well. Even so, it's the way you see it that makes the difference. See me as a being, see me as a monster... But I will forever remain a citizen of this city.

[General]-"Monster"? So that guy that ran away thinks that you are a monster?

[CHE5TER]-Maybe he is not the only one.

[General]-But what did you do to scare these people you tell me about so badly? Ever since I've arrived here, you've been nothing but a defenseless young man that I can kill in a matter of seconds even without giving my best. And I proved that as well if you remember it.

[CHE5TER]-Hey. You caught me off guard back there, alright? No need to make a scene out of it now.

[General]-Excuses...

[CHE5TER]-But... I will admit. You are stronger than me, stranger. Whatever power you own, it sure puts you in advantage in a battle with anybody around here. Are the people in your village as powerful as you? If so, how can I learn these techniques you use?

[General]-I'm... sorry to break it to you, but you will never have this power of mine, no matter how many years you train. It is what makes me special in this world. Without it, I was probably a simple child, ignored by my own kind.

[CHE5TER]-Are you sure there is no way of getting such powers?

[General]-I am. Very sure.

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* Alright. Fair enough.

Then, there is that moment of silence again. Though they don't really talk that much, it does seem as they have a lot to tell, but refuse to do so. After all, CHE5TER has a lot of things that He wishes to accomplish by finding that village, yet even the boy has some plans in mind from what it seems. So, to kill this awkward mood, He begins to think of an idea of what they can do until He goes back to His people and continue this charade tomorrow.

[CHE5TER]-...Want to try another race?

[General]-A race? Hahah, you want to lose again, I see!

[CHE5TER]-I wouldn't have lost if someone didn't cheat and used his mysterious powers, you know?

[General]-Oh? So you are banning me from doing so this time, huh?

[CHE5TER]-I mean, a fair chase has more fun than one with tricks for winning.

[General]-Alright, alright. You win. But just 'cause I used my powers that time, doesn't mean I'm going to lose now!

[CHE5TER]-We will see about that.

The boy then gets up and begins to prepare for the chase that they've planned, climbing a building nearby and looking at the horizon while the ruler catches up. But before He does so, He stays a bit on the bench more, watching the child do all of these actions, while putting His right arm once again on the back of His neck.

"...I am so friendly because this boy has all the answers that I've searched for my entire life. Whatever village is this home he talks about, then it sure has something to do with my family bloodline."

And you really think that He will be the one to tell you the truth?

"It is worth a try, don't you think?"

Believe as many lies as you wish to believe. I already know our fate.

And after the moments of rest He took, He began to follow the boy on the building it was. Of course, they didn't start it the moment He arrived too, they stood a bit more, especially because CHE5TER wished to look into the horizon too since this is His city in which He grew up.

[General]-Where is the finish line now?

[CHE5TER]-I'm thinking of... the end of that street. You see it?

He points out at a street that is located some buildings away from their location. The boy then tries to look for what He points towards before finally noticing it too.

[General]-Uhh... Oh, yeah. Yeah, I see it.

[CHE5TER]-Good. Then who loses will has to pay next time.

Not long after, both of them began the chase around the city just like the last time. To be completely honest now though, RY4N is pretty much right in what he says: CHE5TER begins to slowly come back to His former self after such a long time of numbness that He forced onto Himself. He is no longer a simple killer, or the merciless ruler that we saw Him the first time we met Him, months ago. He finally has a rather lively personality, though it sure needs more time to return completely.

He no longer despises going out with anybody that much, He no longer ignores everyone else around Him. From what it seems, all He really needed was some rest to get over what happened that caused this change of His, and since He took such a huge break from the title of Great Leader because of the rumour of Seven Two being dead, He really managed to get that rest He needed. Maybe it truly was this title that has changed Him, who knows? But from what it seems, all He needed was a light to guide Him to His peace.

And so, as the chase is going, He pretty much seems as He actually has a bit of fun while doing it. Being in advantage since the boy can't use that strange power of its anymore, He knows now what He had lost by giving up on His former self and becoming a shadow of the city. He now remembers the days in which Him and His brother were going out just like this, and He also had a lot of fun in them. Maybe it wasn't intended to be like this, since He probably thought of the boy and its sorrow rather than His own sadness, but it sure is a welcomed feeling.

But even so, something happens during the whole race between them that makes the mood change. As they were running around, CHE5TER's hood falls from His head from the wind that travels caused by the speed. Even so, He seems as He even forgot that He had to stay hidden and didn't care that much about it, and they were also pretty high for anybody to even see His face. But it's not the citizens that changed the mood, rather the boy, who gets in a shock as it notices something strange at the ruler since it was behind Him.

Whatever that something is, it sure is unusual. The boy already knows how CHE5TER looks like though, as it already saw Him without any kind of hood. But as shocked as it is, it stops from the running on a building nearby, remaining a bit paralysed and staring at the ruler who still didn't stop the race. Even so, seconds later, He looks back to see if the boy still manages to keep up and He too notices that shocked figure a few buildings away, getting confused and beginning to go back to where the stranger stands.

When He arrives, He stares a bit at the paralysed figure, putting His hood back on and looking around the area to see if anybody noticed them. But before He can do that, the boy stops His arms from even grabbing the hood and begins to look at the back of His head, more exactly at the neck, where it sees only His hair with voothrav C colour. And in a matter of seconds, the boy already moves the hair to notice that strange mark with a scar CHE5TER has, which surprised the ruler for sure, backing off immediately and grabbing His hood as fast as possible to put it back, staring confused at the paralysed boy.

[General]-Y-You...

Then, after some staring at each other, the boy takes off its hood too, turning its back to the ruler and uncovering a part of its skin from the hair, which also was hiding... a mark just like the ruler's. Well, almost just like His. The mark is a bit different from His, having a few chances in some lines, for example if the ruler had a specific line on His mark, this boy didn't have it, and the same going in the opposite situation. And it sure... shocked CHE5TER too.

After showing it, the boy then turns back and looks at the Great Leader with such confusion on its face, before finally speaking once again.

"...You are an Almost-Human. Just like me."