Hey everyone it's me, Discarab, back with another chapter just in time for the holidays! I hope you all have been having a wonderful time, and thanks for clicking on my story. Anyways, I don't have much to say here, so why don't I cut to the chase and get right into it?

Disclaimer: I don't own -man or BNHA, all rights go to their respective owners.


Chapter Fifteen: No Right Answer

The air hung with a putrid sense of stillness as Allen and Metal Meister stared at Chin-Mae's back. The killer's words, for a moment, seemed to fly right over their heads. In fact, one might go so far as to say that their minds simply weren't capable of comprehending his statements. They were simply too... far off and outlandish for them to properly process what they were hearing. However, as bizarre as this situation was, it couldn't change the fact that this was reality. "Wait," Allen started as his eyebrows narrowed, "what do you mean by that?" he continued.

"Did I hear that right?" Metal Meister thought to himself as he gritted his teeth. "Did this psycho really just say that he was trying to save the slums?! What the hell sort of statement is that?!" It was such a crazy concept that, for a second, the corrupt hero almost let out a frustrated chuckle.

"You both seemed shocked," the aforementioned killer, Chin-Mae, said in an almost giddy tone. "If it's that hard to understand, I'll say it again: I'm trying to save the slums just like you two." The sheer honesty in the man's tone was what really got Walker and Metal Meister off guard. After spending this much time going back and forth with this villain, both of these men felt that they had a relatively secure grasp on this bastard's conversation tics and mannerisms. It was because of this experience that these two warriors, even with the furthest jumps in logic, couldn't help but believe what Chin-Mae was saying was the truth. However, for obvious reasons, that couldn't have been the case. Right?

"Yeah... sure..." Metal Meister started, trying his best to diffuse this sizzling kettle of a situation with sarcasm before it got out of hand. "Like we're supposed to believe that," he said. "Didn't you just admit a few moments ago that you're only killing people because you're a stereotypical psychopath?" At this, Chin-Mae simply leaned back and sighed.

"Well you've got me there," the man mumbled as he scratched his temple. "I will admit that the main purpose of my killings were to fulfill my more... tasteless... desires. However, that isn't the only reason. After all, if that were the case, then how could you explain my list of victims?" the villain suggested, which completely caught Metal Meister off guard. "In total, I've committed three acts of mass murder. The first being the Eiichi family, then a random homestead on the edge of the slums, and finally, the priest and his congregants. Surely you must be wondering why I chose these three? Especially you, Allen Walker," Chin-Mae finished as he gave the boy an unsettling grin.

"What's going on?" Allen wondered as his brow began to furrow. "Something isn't right here," he thought. However, with the little information he had, he couldn't make any conclusions. "I guess I'll just have to play along," he continued as he bit his lip. "You aren't wrong there, Mr. Chin-Mae," Walker said as his teeth clicked together in frustration and anxiety. "I would absolutely love to know why you picked them, of all people. Do you have a vendetta against me or something?" It was a question that, at a glance, was completely obvious. Even Metal Meister—who struggled to come up with any plausible reason for this bastard's crimes—had this thought float through his head when this whole mess started.

"Of the three batches of victims, two knew the kid directly. Hell... this creep practically admitted that the reason he killed the priest was to get the boy's attention," the corrupt hero thought as he bit his lip. "But why? What could this child have done to warrant this. He's a damn migrant from England, for Christ's sake! Is it because he's from U.A.? No... that wouldn't make any sense. If that were the case then other students would've been singled out." Heck, considering the veritable mountain of achievements Walker's class had to their names, a psycho like this having a hard-on for one of them wouldn't be that surprising. However, in the grand scheme of things, Walker was by far the least accomplished member of his class. Sure, he did take out that villain, but that was just one random incident. On the other hand, his classmates had effectively repelled the League of Villains on a multitude of occasions, and some even played a critical roll in the Kamino Ward Incident. When taking all of that evidence into consideration, the act of singling out Walker was simply bizarre. What could Chin-Mae have to achieve by doing such a thing?

"You're confused," the man in question started, "I can see it in your eyes," he said. "I bet you're both currently racking your brains trying to figure out why I'm so fixated on you, Allen Walker, but, sadly, my answer to that query might disappoint the two of you." After all, how could two conventional guardians of justice like them possibly understand his motives? At that thought, Chin-Mae could only grin and ponder. However, once he realized that he couldn't keep his audience waiting any longer, he shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "The truth is, Allen Walker," he started as a strangely-innocent smile crept upon his lips, "you're sort of my inspiration for all of this."

"I'm your... what?" Allen started as he turned to Metal Meister with a raised eyebrow, hoping to find answers where none existed. Before either of them had the chance to ask Chin-Mae to elaborate, the killer continued.

"What you did that day downtown. That was truly magical," the man said as his hand slowly gripped his concealed blade. "Rushing forward to stop the villain from shooting down that helicopter, without any regard for your own standing, watching that was... exhilarating." Even though his words were strange, neither Walker nor Metal Meister could detect any hint of malice or dishonesty in them. And so, with nothing to add, they simply allowed Chin-Mae to continue, curious to see where this trail was leading them.

"He was watching?" Walker thought as he shook his head. "No... what am I saying? Everyone in this time period has a television or a monitor or something like that. Of course he saw me." Hell, it would be strange if this bastard didn't know about that fight, considering how it was plastered all over the news the following morning. As Allen allowed this little nugget to stew in the back of his mind, Chin-Mae took a few steps towards them and raised his arms in the air.

"It was truly incredible," he said. "You can't even imagine how such a vivid image changed me. I still remember when I first saw you on the news. I was sitting in my chair at my old desk job in the slums watching that helicopter along with my coworkers, and then, out of nowhere, there you were." When Walker and Metal Meister only responded with blank stares, Chin-Mae sighed and stared straight into Walker's eyes. "I guess, before I continue, I should give you a little context," he mumbled to himself, rubbing his forehead as he did so, while a soft breeze swept through the clearing. "Tell me, boy, do you want to know the strangest thing about me?" he asked. Walker, not knowing where Chin-Mae was going with this, could only nod. "It's the fact that, even though I went to U.A., I have absolutely nothing but disdain for heroes."

"Isn't that just because you're—by your own words—a 'stereotypical villain'?" Metal Meister interjected. "For God's sake, we figured that much after you torched that second building. What sort of villain worth his salt would think positively about his enemies?" he pondered out loud.

"You've got me there," Chin-Mae continued as he shrugged. "Though I don't hate heroes just because I'm a villain. I hate them for a much more juvenile reason," he said as he turned around to stare at the sprawling cityscape below. "A reason that, as I've already said, is partially your fault, Metal Meister." Now it was the corrupt hero's turn to raise a confused eyebrow.

"What are you—" he started, only to be cut off mere moments later.

"Don't bother feigning ignorance," Chin-Mae blurted out as his eyes narrowed. "After all, part of the reason that the slums are the way they are is because of you, am I wrong?" he asked. Completely catching Metal Meister off guard. "Just in case you forgot what I said earlier, those backstreets and alleys you currently rule with an iron fist used to be my home. I may not have ever been a person with an heroic-mindset, but even a bastard like me got angry when I saw my friends constantly beaten, killed, and mugged in the streets while you heroes constantly ignored our plights."

"Tch," Metal Meister bit his lip. "You know we're trying to change that, right?" he said. "Plus, I've already told you that some half-assed sob story isn't going to work on me. I know about my crimes and am working on improving my territory. However, even though I'm trying so hard to make things right, you keep biting my ass. How can the slums improve if you keep killing everyone?!"

"Heh, are you sure your actions are actually helping?" Chin-Mae asked with a melancholic grin. "As I've already told you, you two aren't the only ones trying to save the slums." Yet again, Metal Meister and Walker went silent. Still, after all this time, neither of them could possibly figure out what he meant by that statement. Which is why Chin-Mae realized that he'd have to explain it for them. "Tell me, my heroic friends, what do you think a villain should do if he wants to do something good?" he asked.

"I'm sorry?" Walker started.

"If you were someone like me, someone who couldn't act without purposefully causing pain to others, how would you use that drive to make a lasting impact?" Chin-Mae said as he turned his gaze up at the sky. "That's the question I've been pondering ever since I saw you chop that villain down, Mr. Walker. You were the first person who opened my eyes to what I needed to do."

"I'm the one... who opened your eyes?" Allen mumbled.

"Yes," Chin-Mae said with a sigh, "you were. You showed me that there were heroes who could do what was necessary to save others, even at the cost of their own hides. And, you made me realize that I could use my more... inhumane... urges to finally scratch the itch which has been bugging me since childhood." Before either of them could add to the conversation, Chin-Mae's eyes darted back to Metal Meister. "Tell me, ruler of the slums, the reason you're trying so hard to catch me isn't solely because you want to protect others, is it?" he asked. "I mean, obviously that's part of it, but there's something more, right?" he continued.

"God this guy is such a little piss-ant," Metal Meister cursed under his breath as he gritted his teeth. He knew he didn't have to sugarcoat anything. After all, the only two people in the clearing besides him were individuals who knew of his misdeeds. But it still angered him to no end whenever they brought his crimes up. "What do you want me to say?" Metal Meister growled as he glared daggers at Chin-Mae. "You know damn well what would happen if your killings continue. All it would take is one more victim and the slums will be crawling with bigshot federal investigators. If that happens, which you know it will if this goes on, it'll only be a matter of time before they catch wind of my illegal activities. It should go without saying that I'd like to avoid such an outcome. After all, I can't rehabilitate the slums if I'm stuck behind bars."

"Hmm~ can't say that answer surprises me," Chin-Mae groaned as he stretched his arms over his head. "I mean, even though you've got good intentions, you're obviously putting yourself first before the town," he said as his body gave a satisfying crack with every consecutive stretch. "You're so blinded by your heroic mentality that you can't see that there's another way to save the slums. One that's knocking right on your door."

"Hah?" Metal Meister blurted out, his mouth agape, as he stared bewilderedly at the killer. At first, he was planning on drilling the villain's ears with his years worth of experience and research, however, before he got the chance, a sickening realization washed over him like a tsunami. "Wait..." he started, his voice soft and hesitant, "you're not talking about purposefully drawing investigators to the slums, are you?" he asked. Yet again, Chin-Mae grinned and laughed.

"You definitely aren't a person who disappoints, Metal Meister," the man cooed as he rolled his fingers atop a nearby headstone. "Just think about it for a second: the slums are the way they are because our society ignores it. Like the homeless on the streets, everyone turns a blind eye to something they find uncomfortable. Especially when it ruins their notion of tranquility and peace. The citizens don't like to admit that a horrid den of disparity like that exists in their city. And, honestly, who would blame them? They've got their hands full dealing with villainous scumbags like me. They can't afford to send anyone to help, or investigate the corruption which goes on in those alleys. That's why," he started as he scooped a small pebble up off the ground before tossing it down towards the city streets, "I'm forcing them to notice."

"You're intentionally trying to force the federal government to intervene in the slums by creating tragedies," Walker mumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I never would've thought people like you were even capable of something so... insane." Chin-Mae sighed and rolled his eyes at Walker's words. Somehow, for that brief moment, the boy had disappointed him.

"C'mon, Allen Walker, you should know better than that," he groaned as he scratched the back of his neck. "While I will admit that aiding my hometown is secondary to fulfilling my own urges, you—of all people—shouldn't be shocked at that fact. I mean, hell, all I need to prove that to you is to read last week's news." Allen felt his heart plummet into his stomach once he realized what Chin-Mae was trying to say. "Contrary to what those so-called heroes like to tell you, the world isn't all black and white. In a way, both you and the slums are victims of that horrid mentality. Heck, you saved an entire helicopter worth of people from a powerful villain on your first outing—without even having a license—and you're getting punished for it. Hypocrisy at its finest."

"You sure do talk a lot, don't you?" Allen started as he walked up alongside the killer, trying his best to take control of the conversation. "But you still haven't told me why you targeted my friends in particular, or why you called us out here. You obviously wanted to share your opinions with us since, somehow, you know about our plans to improve the slums, but that isn't all." That couldn't be all. He had played more than enough poker games with desperate debtors to tell that much. This killer—who had been effortlessly slipping through the police's fingers up until now—suddenly appeared out of the blue and was spilling his guts to the two of them after only exchanging a few words. Surprisingly, the boy's question took the air right out of Chin-Mae's lungs. For an uneasy handful of seconds, the man allowed silence to waft over the clearing like a suffocating blanket. And, right when Walker and Metal Meister were about to speak up to break this void, Chin-Mae continued—his tone strangely wobbly and nervous. In more ways than one, he almost sounded like a student who got caught cheating on an exam.

"Damn," he mumbled as he scratched his chin. "Now comes the hard part," he said. "To tell you the truth, Allen Walker, my little crusade against your acquaintances is like an interview."

"An interview?" Allen started as a burning rage was slowly starting to bubble to the surface. He knew that this bastard wasn't right in the head, which was the only reason he was able to keep his cool, but such an outlandish notion infuriated him. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" he hissed as he bit his lip. "You killed the Eiichis, people who were going to help rebuild the slums with me, that family, and the Father! And you dare to claim that you're actually trying to help that neighborhood?! Maybe you should go and—"

"Don't be so naïve, Allen Walker!" Chin-Mae roared, shocking both him and Metal Meister. The killer, who previously was talking to them in a calm, collective manner, was now screaming at the top of his lungs. Before either of them could realize what was happening, Chin-Mae raised his arms and grasped Walker's shoulders—almost like a worried parent would do for a child who was about to head off to war. "Listen," he continued, "I admit that half of the reason I killed those people was because I wanted to. However, I also did that to help you understand just what you're getting yourself into." Before Allen could speak up, Chin-Mae locked gazes with the boy and frowned. "As I've said before, boy, you were the one that gave me hope for my hometown. You inspired me to use my villainous inclinations to help my neighbors, and yet—even though your fellow heroes spat on you and put you down—you continued in your insistence to help save that den. Which is why, after you inspired me, I went after those people."

"W-what?" Allen thought as he raised a confused eyebrow.

"Look," Chin-Mae mumbled as he let go of Walker's shoulders, "you don't understand what it means to be someone in your position. Metal Meister has it easy, all he has to do is get the ball rolling. But we both know that, after he's gone, it'll be your shoulders that the weight of the slums fall upon. Those alleyways—and the people and villains who call them home—aren't of the same breed as the criminals you've heard of in school. That's because the villains of the slums aren't driven by sadism or a sense of purpose, but something far more dangerous: desperation. Even the kindest of men, when faced with hunger, poverty, and danger, will go to extreme lengths to ensure their survival. The slums are a town that've been mostly abandoned by heroes. There are throngs of families living in that place willing to do anything to get by. Sure, there may not be anyone like All For One there, but the criminals who crawl through those streets are much more dangerous for people like you. Once people are desperate, they get inventive, some of the syndicates that've surfaced recently aren't like regular villains. They won't bother with fighting you, or threaten to blow up a city block. Instead, they'll go after friends, family, people you care about—people who can't fight back. And, if you don't know or understand what that fear is like, I can't—as a person who has been inspired by you—willingly let you dive into that pit. You're someone special, Allen Walker, and I can't let you fall for such a minor reason. If you think what I've done to my victims is cruel, then you're better off letting me finish what I started."

"I can't believe it," Metal Meister thought as he took a hesitant step back. "So that's why most of your targets were people close to Walker, Chin-Mae?" the corrupt hero asked as he drew closer to Allen and the killer. "Jesus," he started, "you're trying to scare him away! Aren't you?"

"That's exactly right, Metal Meister," Chin-Mae answered as he turned his attention back to the boy—who was completely silent. "Kid, look, I know it may not sit too well with you, considering who I am and what I've done. But, if you walk away from this and let me finish what I started, the slums will start moving back in the right direction. It may not be as smooth a change as you and Metal Meister were hoping for, but—if I can get the federal government involved—you'd be able to escape from the chains binding you now. Even if the peace I bring doesn't last, you'll at least be able to enter the world of heroes as someone people can look up to. As I've said before, you have my word that nobody else will die, I'll just use my quirk to destroy a government building or something. So please," he whispered as his right hand curled up into a fist, "don't throw your life to the gutter over trash like us." Allen and Metal Meister weren't sure what shocked them more: the killer's genuine plea or his twisted mentality. However, one thing was certain, the man was telling them the truth.

"Why do you care so much about a stranger you saw on television?" Walker whispered after a few moments of silent contemplation. "This is the first time we've met, and yet you're so desperate to help me. I... I don't understand." At his words, Chin-Mae laughed and looked up at the sky once again.

"Why indeed?" he wondered out loud as he scratched the back of his neck. "I guess it's because you showed me that day that even a bad apple—who hasn't done a damn thing in his entire life—could use their negative tendencies for something meaningful. Or, in other words, you, Allen Walker, showed me that even villains have a place in society." With that, the killer turned back to Metal Meister and him and smiled. "In this world, where people like us are paraded around and relegated to the role of one-dimensional monsters by the public, you are the only one who sees us as people, and not villains. Allen Walker, you are the person I believe this world needs more so than any other. And that's why I'm willing to do anything to ensure that you get to the stage that I think you're destined for." With his speech completed, Chin-Mae awkwardly coughed into his sleeve and frowned.

"The person... this world needs?" Allen thought as a few butterflies flew through the clearing overhead. It was such a somber thought, and yet, even though that was the case, he couldn't stop himself from chuckling.

"Boy?" Metal Meister interjected as Walker continued to laugh. However, right before the corrupt hero was about to slap some sense into him, Allen raised up a hand and stopped him.

"Don't worry," he started, "it's okay. I just find this whole situation hilarious, that's all," he said as Metal Meister frowned. "After all, this is the first time since I enrolled at U.A. that somebody has said that the world needed me. Ironic, isn't it? The words that so many of my classmates must've heard a million times already, I'm hearing for the first time from a serial killer! I swear... it's like I'm a puppet dancing in a play, don't you think?" he continued as he gave Chin-Mae a sad smile. "Even though you're a killer, allow me to give you my thanks for your kind words."

"Heh, you're welco—" Chin-Mae started, only to be interrupted by Allen mid-sentence.

"However, telling me that isn't the only reason you dragged the two of us out here. Am I right?" Allen asked, causing Metal Meister to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Oi, kid," he began, "considering what he just said, I wouldn't try antagonizing him. If you do that, who knows what this lunatic might do? In the worst case scenario, he could dive off the cliff and run." If that happens, then they'd lose their easy confession. However, Walker didn't relent. Instead, he only plopped down upon a nearby rock and sighed.

"Metal Meister," he spoke as he stared at the blade which hung at the killer's side. "Think about it. If all he wanted to do here was talk, then why would he bother bringing a weapon?" Instantly, like a lock, Metal Meister's mouth snapped shut. For, as much as he hated to admit it, the boy had a point. And, if Chin-Mae's now-somber expression was anything to go by, this conversation definitely wasn't over. "Chin-Mae," Allen started, "I was wondering this whole time why you decided to show yourself to us now. The police didn't have a clue who you were. And, even if you wanted to tell us the things you've said today, you could've easily done so in a prison cell, or via the internet. There was no reason for you to come to us. Unless, of course, there was something you had to do in person."

"Kid, what are you getting at exactly?" Metal Meister asked. However, Allen ignored him.

"If you wanted to get me to abandon the slums. You could've easily made another batch of victims and bring the full force of the government upon that town, but you didn't. And that's because you wanted to give me a choice. Right?" Walker said as the killer frowned. He had hit the nail right on its head. Yet again, the skills he learned while gambling were coming in handy. If this man truly admired him as much as he claimed, it would stand to reason that even he wouldn't feel right about pushing him off his path without his input. People were, after all, driven by free will. "You wanted to give me a choice today. However, at the same time, you didn't simply come here to hear my refusal. If you know me as well as you claim you do, then you should know that I'd never abandon the people who came to my aid when I needed it most."

"Hmph," Chin-Mae grunted as his hand slowly slithered towards his sword. "You know, Allen Walker, you're sharper than your teachers give you credit for," he said. Instantly, Metal Meister sprung into action, ready for the battle which he was certain was about to erupt. However, Allen stopped him.

"Wait, Metal Meister, don't attack yet," he said as he got up from his seat. "If his goal was to ambush us all along, he could've easily done so at the church or while we were making our way here. Plus, that wouldn't make much sense considering he wants to ensure my safety," Allen finished as his gaze hardened. "So, Mr. Chin-Mae, what's this all about?" he asked.

"In the end, kid, I knew I couldn't persuade you with words," he started as he drew his blade. "However, after explaining myself to you two, I believed that—if you refused—we could have a different type of negotiation." Since Walker was a trainee enrolled at U.A., Chin-Mae knew that he—more so than any other—would understand how useful a conversation with fists could be. "As a fellow man, student of U.A., and person trying to help this city's backwater, would you please give me the chance to convince you via more conventional methods," he said.

"Like... a duel?" Walker mumbled as Chin-Mae nodded.

"Yes," he continued. "Consider this my last desperate attempt at trying to dissuade you from going down a path that I know will lead you to ruin. If I win, I want you to cut ties with Metal Meister and the slums." At his offer, Allen's eyes narrowed.

"And if I win?" The killer laughed.

"Then I'll turn myself in, no questions asked, along with a written confession," the man answered. Allen scoffed, he just knew that the confession wouldn't come as easy as Chin-Mae initially offered.

"And here I thought you'd make good on the promise you gave us. Was that just honey used as bait to get me to follow you?" Allen responded.

"Hey, like I said at the church, I've told you two everything. But your end of the agreement hasn't been fulfilled yet. Not until I've had one more conversation." All in all, considering the circumstances, this wasn't that bad of a deal. Both Walker and Metal Meister knew that, if they could defeat this man, they could both sweep this issue under the rug without incident. Plus, if they denied Chin-Mae this, neither of them knew what the serial killer would do.

"What do you think, kid?" Metal Meister asked him. Both he and Walker were confident in the other's abilities, so it wasn't like they were going into this with their pants down. Of course, Allen nodded his head. He had no reason to refuse this duel.

"Good," Chin-Mae smiled, "I'm glad you agreed. However, Metal Meister, I'm going to have to request that you wait for the victor down below. It's not very fair for me to have to fight the both of you at once, now is it?"

"You don't honestly expect me to just leave Walker up here alone with a psychopath like yo—" Allen stopped him.

"Just do as he says," he spoke, "I'll finish this quickly, and then we'll haul him off to the nearest precinct." At the boy's words, Metal Meister immediately turned towards him to try and protest. However, after all he and the corrupt hero had been through, Metal Meister understood the boy's intentions with just a single look. He wouldn't budge on this even if he put a gun to his head.

"Tch. Fine, make sure you kick his ass," he groaned as he rubbed his aching head. After taking one last moment to glare daggers at Chin-Mae, he hastily made his way to the exit of the graveyard. "Be careful, Allen Walker," he thought as a group of dark clouds flew in from the west. For some reason, Metal Meister just couldn't shake the foreboding feeling that something bad was about to happen. Sadly, his hands were tied. This time, he'd have to put his trust in the kid.


Allen groaned as he stretched his arms over his head. The clown outfit which was still draped around him was now damp with sweat. Somehow, his makeup was still managing to hold its shape, but only just. Once he was done with his stretches, the boy turned to Chin-Mae and readied himself for battle. "You look absolutely ridiculous. You know that, right?" he asked as he rested his blade over his shoulders.

"Well it's not like I had time to prepare," Walker retorted as he immediately started scanning over Chin-Mae's body, looking for any weak points that he could exploit. As he got in position, the killer leaned over and plucked a pinecone off a nearby tree.

"We'll start the second this hits the ground," he said. "Once we begin, the two of us will keep fighting until the other yields. Those rules okay with you?" Allen couldn't help but let out a small chortle.

"Sure, if you let me have that sword of yours. In case you forgot, I don't have a quirk, and I'm unarmed." Now it was Chin-Mae's turn to laugh.

"I'm sure you'll be just fine," he joked. "If you can't beat me like you are now, you'll have no hope of carrying the slum's weight."

"Touché," Walker mumbled as Chin-Mae lifted up his arm to throw the pinecone. As he did, Walker took one last moment to contemplate what the killer had told him. "I can't believe this person is doing all of this just to keep me out of that pit," he thought as his lips curled into a melancholy grin. "He must think I'm still quite innocent, or, at least, close to it." Honestly, it was heartwarming to know that there were still people in the world like Chin-Mae—albeit, ones with less of an addiction to murder. Even though he was an irredeemable scumbag, this villain was genuinely trying to shield him from the underbelly of humanity. And while he found the gesture touching, Allen couldn't help but recognize the futility of it all. "Hmph," he thought, "compared to what I went through before I met Mana, the slums look tame." Sadly, no matter how much the man he was staring at tried, it would never change the fact that he had lost his innocence long ago. "I'm sorry, Mr. Chin-Mae, but you're multiple centuries too late," he mumbled.

"Hmm?" the man in question called out. "Did you say something?" he asked. In response, Walker shook his head.

"No, it's nothing," he said, "but, once this is all over, I want to tell you something." He couldn't allow Chin-Mae to continue with his goal when he already knew that the outcome was hopeless. Once this battle reached its conclusion, he'd let the villain know that—for better or for worse—he was more than ready for what the slums had prepared for him. "Let's get this over with."

"Agreed," the killer announced as he finally tossed the pinecone. The two men watched with bated breath as their signal flew through the air, hanging in the sky for an agonizing handful of minutes, before coming crashing down to the surface. The second it touched the ground, Allen and Chin-Mae shot forward with unimaginable speed. Allen, for the most part, purposefully ignored his innocence and tried his best to slow himself down. Like an overworked officer who had one too many coffees, his constant throttling of his innocence and natural physical abilities had left him bursting with energy. However, even though he was forcing himself to move slower, Chin-Mae was still incredibly impressive for being able to keep up with him. The man didn't have a speed-enhancing quirk, after all, and he was still able to set the opening pace of their duel.

"That's a swordsman for you," Allen thought as he ducked underneath Chin-Mae's lightning-fast swing. However, even though he dodged the initial attack, the man's assault was far from over. With a snap of his fingers, the area around Allen's feet—and Chin-Mae's sword—immediately burst into a torrent of flames. "Shit!" Allen cursed as he leapt into the sky, safely out of the reach of the hungry wisps of fire.

"It wouldn't be wise to underestimate my quirk," the villain cooed as he snapped his fingers yet again, causing the branch Allen was standing on to erupt in a veritable column of fire. "My physical abilities may not be as good as yours, but I guarantee you that my synergy with my quirk is as good as any hero. Even though I wasn't enrolled in your course, I still went to U.A.—the best institution in Japan for strengthening one's power—so I recommend you think up a strategy!" With that, Chin-Mae charged forward and used his fire-imbued blade to effortlessly chop a tree in half. "Just so you know, Allen Walker, the reason I'm not setting your clothes alight is for sport! However, if you keep running, you'll leave me with no choice!" he called out in an ingenious ploy to draw him closer. However, in his haste, Chin-Mae neglected to notice where he was running.

"Got you!" Allen thought with a grin as the villain finally fell into his trap: a gravel-laden mountain trial. Since Chin-Mae was sprinting towards him at full speed, he wasn't able to slow himself down in time before his feet hit the smooth, round rocks. Before the killer had any idea what was happening, his legs collapsed out from under him, sending him spiraling into a nearby bush. He was only stunned for a few moments, but that opening was enough for Allen to swoop in and land a cheeky hit on the man's spine. This was a strategy he had used a multitude of times in the past when fighting akumas with similar abilities. However, unlike said akumas, Chin-Mae was a quick thinker. Before he had a chance to react, his opponent snapped his fingers yet again, sending all of the nearby woods into a short, sputtering blaze.

"If you want to play it like that, kid, then I'll have to get tricky," Chin-Mae thought as smoke momentarily filled the clearing. The chemical reaction he just used wasn't like the others, as the flames produced by this attack fizzled out nearly instantly. However, unlike said previous attacks, it produced nearly ten times more smoke. Creating an effective wall of gray which completely hid him from his assailant.

"That's not going to work!" he heard Walker yell as Chin-Mae felt a sudden pang of pain in his left shin. Looking down, the villain found Walker lying prone in a nearby patch of grass.

"He must've dove to the ground the second the smoke filled the clearing!" Chin-Mae thought as he let out an impressed whistle. Such quick maneuvers weren't something one could just think up on the spot, this boy did this on instinct based on his experience. "Well I'll be damned." Sadly, he didn't have much time to be impressed by Walker's wits as, in that very same moment, he was practically thrown to the ground. Yet again, before he could get his bearings, Walker was back on him. Wailing and attacking with every open moment. For a boy who didn't have a quirk, his blows landed like steel. With every punch, he could feel his entire skeleton shake and creak. In fact, at this point, he was almost certain that nearly half of his ribs were broken. "He's a strong little prick, that's for sure," the villain thought as he gritted his teeth and used all of his physical power to push Walker off him. Of course, Walker could've easily held on, but because Chin-Mae admitted that he was purposefully avoiding setting his clothes on fire, Allen figured it was only fair to give the man a handicap as well. And so, giving up just enough strength to make it believable, Allen allowed Chin-Mae to escape.

Instantly, Chin-Mae continued his assault by coating his sword in flames and lunging towards Walker's left kidney. The stab was devilishly-quick, so much so that Allen seriously debated allowing himself to speed up to avoid taking damage, but he managed to avoid it by the skin of his teeth. Grabbing the killer's shoulder, he hoisted himself above the man's body—allowing him to dodge the aforementioned attack—and used his free arm to send a punch straight down into the crevice of Chin-Mae's neck and shoulder. The attack rippled through his foe's flesh, shattering his collarbone and breaking a few more ribs. However, even after taking this much damage, the villain remained standing. "You're quite durable, aren't you?" Allen grunted as Chin-Mae swung his sword to shake him off.

"I'll send that right back at you, boy," the villain growled as he licked his injuries and pointed to something on Walker's torso. It was then that Allen noticed, during his last attack, that his suit had been shaken loose. It wasn't falling off by any stretch of the word, but it had gotten knocked around enough that the villain could get a quick glance at the massive gash which covered his entire body—the one his very own Crown Clown gave him so many years ago. Immediately, Allen fixed his outfit, but the damage had been done. "Where in the world did you get that?!" Chin-Mae cried out as he snapped his fingers, causing the undergrowth beneath him to turn into a practical stovetop. Ignoring the villain's question, Allen slid down a nearby slope of rocks to escape to cooler ground. "Don't want to talk about old wounds, huh?" the villain called out as a torrent of flame raced after him. "That's okay, I understand, after all, it ain't like wounds are anything special. Hell, here in a few minutes, you'll have so many you won't be able to count them all!" Like a mad dog, Chin-Mae chased after Walker with terrifying accuracy. However, when he finally caught up to the boy, all he found was yet another trap. Secretly, Allen had a handful of dirt stashed away in one of his pockets. When Chin-Mae finally found him hiding behind a tree, Allen immediately tossed the sandy sediment directly into the man's eyes.

"You should really give up on this," Walker grunted as he used the villain's momentary blindness to send a kick right into Chin-Mae's family jewels. As expected, the villain quickly knelt over—assaulted by intense waves of pain—as he coddled his shattered goods.

"What sort of hero goes for a man's scepter?!" the villain cried out as he gritted his teeth.

"A clown," Walker retorted in an unusually-emotionless tone. "Come on, Mr. Chin-Mae, let's stop this," he said as he scratched his cheek. At this point, it was fairly obvious who the stronger man was. Even though Chin-Mae's quirk and swordsmanship were amazing, the difference in experience between them was just too fast. Instead of answering him, Chin-Mae remained silent. However, right when Allen was about to stand up to call the result of their duel, the boy realized something horrible: that he had fallen into Chin-Mae's trap. He realized a second too late. But the walls of the small, rocky pit he had escaped into were all covered in gravel—just like the kind he tripped Chin-Mae up on earlier. No matter how fast he ran, if the villain set this outcropping alight, he wouldn't be able to get away fast enough to avoid the flames.

"Got... ya..." the man grunted out as he suddenly jumped from his position, his fingers poised to snap and his sword raised, ready for a swing. In this moment, something strange happened. Since Allen noticed the villain's plan a second before it was sprung, he was able to let loose a powerful punch while Chin-Mae was in midair. Sure, he wouldn't be able to stop all of the damage, but he'd at least be able to mitigate some. However, as a result of this attack, Chin-Mae was caught off guard. For a split second, during this attack, the villain's instincts took over. His heart began to race, a chill went up his spine, and he smiled in his soul as he felt his blade slice through Walker's flesh. Because of Allen's excellent reflexes, Chin-Mae was only able to cut as deep as a small papercut. However, that wasn't what mattered. What was important was that, in that exact moment—while Chin-Mae's villainous instincts were in control—he wanted to, in the very deepest pits of his soul, kill Allen Walker. It wasn't a feeling that was based on logic, but instead one that found its foundations in the very makeup of Chin-Mae's being. Of course, the man quickly regained control of his urges. But, for the briefest of moments, the darkest pits of his desires were laid bare before the very boy he wanted to protect. That desire to kill, and the mistakes the villain made which led to those desires surfacing, set an event in motion which would shake Allen to his core.

"Dammit!" Allen cursed as he turned around to try and escape into the forest. "I've got to get there first!" he thought. However, Chin-Mae was too quick. Before the boy realized it, the villain was right on top of him, ready to turn his surroundings into a sea of fire.

"There's nowhere to run, Walker!" he cried out as he raised his hand in the air, signaling to the world that—once he activated his quirk—their little battle would be over. However, right when Allen was about to let go of his personal handicap, Chin-Mae stopped.

"Huh?" Allen said, confused, as he suddenly skid to a halt. For, out of nowhere, the villain who was chasing him went as still and silent as a statue. "What's going on?" he thought as he raised an eyebrow. Chin-Mae, a man who, just moments earlier, was as lively as fireworks, was now as quiet as a ghost. "Uh... hey..." the boy started as he hesitantly made his way over to the motionless criminal. "Are you okay?" he asked. For moments, silence took over the forest like a scene pulled straight from a horror novel. Uneasiness dripped and flowed through every nook and cranny of the woods, sending an unmistakable sense of dread through Walker's entire body. And then, right when it was too much to bear, Chin-Mae spoke.

"Do you hear... a song?" he asked, his voice suddenly hoarse and faint. Walker, having no idea what was going on, could only shake his head.

"A song? What are you talking about?" he asked him as the villain slowly started to wobble. Chin-Mae's skin had gone a sickly shade of white, and, at a glance, it appeared that his eyes were completely bloodshot.

"It sounds like... an angel..." the killer said yet again, confusing Allen even more.

"An angel? What the hell is this guy on? Did he take drugs or something before we fought? Or maybe he fell into a patch of mushrooms? No... there's no way that can be it... perhaps he sim—" at that moment, a sickening realization washed over Walker, and Chin-Mae started to cry out in agony. The shock of his screams caused Allen to trip over onto his back, only able to sit there and watch as a terrible fate befell the man before him. The process started out slow: beginning with just a few wispy feathers which suddenly appeared on the man's face—jutting out of Chin-Mae's eye sockets. Like chains being pulled by some sort of demented specter, the feathers continued to grow at a terrifying rate. Eventually, as these clumps of feathers poured out onto the forest floor, they began to spread.

Slowly but surely, these wisps—starting from the eyes—began to move and cover the entirety of Chin-Mae's body like a swarm of hungry parasites. With every slight movement, blood burst out from beneath the feathers—almost as if they were tearing away the skin which lay hidden beneath. The killer's screams of pain, which once filled the forest, were eventually muffled away into nothing once the horrid blight reached his throat. This entire process took only a few seconds, but for Walker it felt like decades. And then, once the feathers completely covered every inch of Chin-Mae's body, something equally horrifying happened: In that moment, Allen heard a sickening, wet crack ring through the air. The noise was immediately met by the nauseating sight of Chin-Mae's skull becoming twisted and deformed underneath the cover of feathers. As his skull's shape was forcibly changed, blood and bile burst out from beneath the feathers, covering the ground in a putrid layer of filth. And then, when this terrifying metamorphosis was completed, Chin-Mae's head had changed into something unrecognizable. However, what caused Allen's stomach to convulse into a knot wasn't this putrid bending of the human body, it was what this process had resulted in.

Suddenly, Chin-Mae's head now resembled a simplistic, white statue. A statue which had no arms, no head, and two large wings. The figure was an idol that he was all too familiar with, and one that he recognized instantly. "Is that... innocence?" he whispered in terror as he watched, his eyes wide, as the headless statue slowly turned to him. Once it had turned enough to the point that Walker swore it was staring right at him, the figure lowered the stump that was its head in an unnerving bow. Its respects given, Allen watched as this bizarre creature returned to its original position. And then, before he could utter another word, Chin-Mae's body began to shake and convulse wildly. With every passing moment, the trembling became more and more violent, until it finally climaxed in the destruction of the villain's corpse. Suddenly, the man's body exploded, splashing chunks of blood and gore throughout the clearing. It looked as if someone had covered the area in red paint. The only spot that hadn't been touched by this maelstrom of bile was where Walker sat. Like the eye of a storm, only the area immediately around him was spared from the carnage. And, in response to this horrifying occurrence, all Allen could do was stare at the pile of gore which used to be Chin-Mae, his mouth agape.


Author's Note

Another day another chapter! Allow me to thank all of you yet again for stopping by and reading my story! I guess I can finally mention here that I'm sorry for the strangeness that happened around the time of last chapter's release—where an email was sent out but the chapter wasn't posted. Apparently, it was do to an error or something, so again, I apologize for that. Anyway, with that out of the way, and with us all heading towards the holidays, I can finally start moving this bad boy onto the main plot. Again, sorry for all of you BNHA purists out there who want to see Allen in some of the in-canon BNHA arcs. I promise you those are coming, but its just going to take awhile. Overall, though, I appreciate everyone who left a review and wish you all luck in this trying time. Hopefully, by this time next year, we'll just be able to sit back and read our stories without having to worry about all of this mess. Anyways, that's all from me. Again, thanks for clicking on the story! I hope you've all been enjoying it so far! Keep safe and I'll see you guys in the next chapter of A Tale of Two Endlings!

Chapter Sixteen: What Makes Men Shake

P.S. If you're willing, please make sure to rate and review! It really helps me know what you guys all like/what I should change if need be. Anyways, that's it, ciao!